The most common online references to Gary Magwood seem to be in regards to his Formula Ford championships and race car prep business back in the Sixties & early Seventies. The reality is that Gary raced just about anything with 4 wheels. There was an MGB, a Merlyn sports racer the same as the one my Dad hated, I know he did some time in Formula Atlantics and lord knows what else.
That race prep business did more than just prep and sell Hawke Formula Fords though. A few years ago, I was visiting Bob Bannerman and there was an invoice for a 390 cubic inch race engine. Bannerman’s AMC dealership was Bud’s sponser with the AMX campaign, but he also sponsored a drag car. Neither Bud nor Bob recall which car Magwood built the engine for.
Over the years, Magwood has become one of Canada’s top advocates for safe driving and has operated a couple of driving schools. Along the way, he has also done his fair share of automotive writing for some of Canada’s biggest mainstream newspapers.
Enthused by some of the great stories we’ve been able to share here in The Garage, Gary has offered to share some of his stories of racing back in the day. I’ve always envisioned The Garage as a place where guys can sit around and bench race, so it is exciting to have yet another guy who was there in what I consider the golden days of racing to share his tales. Of course readers occasionally get the 2 Gary’s here mixed up already, so adding a 3rd into the mix should be no problem!
Welcome aboard Gary!
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As I mentioned in the CMSHG there are several posters on there that know Gary. When he raced the Merlyn MK6 I ran as a teamate in my Elva Mk6. He originally imported Merlyn FFs before the Hawke. Gary should be a interesting addition as he can tell many wild and wooly stories.
His shop on Midwest in Scarborough was in an industrial mall strip that included several other race shops including Brian Stewart’s.
The infamous ‘Clacker’ toy was made in anothers racer’s shop in the same strip. Popular but banned as too dangerous!
Hmmm – the Clacker toy. That is something I need to hear about!
Two resin balls joined by a piece of string or twine. You thumped them together hence the clacker. Trouble was the resin might break apart or the string break and then you had a missle. Also could be a nasty weapon.
If I remember correctly it was Rick Shea who made them. Later ran Vern Schulpan (SP) in Atlantic and still later kept FAtlantic going on the US West Coast.
One Mr. Magwood could tell you more.
There were also some pretty wild ball hockey games in some of the shops, although I do not remember Gary involved, but Brian Stewart sure was. I usually played goal but I also threw some nasty bodychecks. Learned from some guy by the name of Baun.
The engine you referred to as having been built by Gary Magwood and billed to Bob Bannerman Motors must have been for the drag car. It was certainly not built for my Amexecutioner. I drove from Toronto with Gary Grant’s
Mum, Gloria, to Chicago to pick up all the high performance engine parts from Caplin Brothers. This trip was executed on a 3 day weekend and simply involved a “U” in Chicago and right back to Toronto.
Bannerman sponsored the drag car the year before we campaigned the AMX.
Bud.