In early January 2017, with the 250 GTO project winding up, (
see here) I started finding myself at a loose end. I asked around if anyone had a suitable project they might consider selling.
Someone suggested I consider a Bolwell and it started to register with me right away. Like most folks I was aware of the Nagari – Mk8 (1970-1974) but had no other knowledge of the brand. A search of the NSW Bolwell Club web site listed a few cars for sale and introduced me to the Bolwell Mk7 (1967-1971). Basically an earlier, mostly 6 cylinder engined, version of the Nagari. What was encouraging for me was that most ads were for cars in ‘project form’, that is, unfinished cars. Bolwell sold the Mk7 as a chassis and bodywork and the rest was up to the home builder. Approximately 400 kits were sold but it is believed only around 160 were finished and registered.
Unfortunately I discovered the ads were quite old and the cars had been moved on some time ago. I had however met a leading figure in the NSW Bolwell Club, a few months earlier through another motoring associate. I gave him a call to say I was on the lookout for a Mk7 project.
In only a matter of days I got a call to say a car was for sale in a suburb not far from me. I made contact with the seller and I went to have a look. My research suggested a good complete car was worth around $#### so I was a bit taken aback when, considering the state of the car, the seller wanted half that. I’m afraid I let my emotions get to me and made what I now know was a very high offer, thankfully it was refused.
I was in no real rush really but I was phoned again only a few weeks later with news that yet another ‘project’ Mk7 was available, this time at Tuggerah – about 100 km away. I drove there the following week and thought the car had real potential. Enticingly the seller wanted $#k and after a quick consultation we decided to offer $#k. He snapped it up. Damn… should have offered $#k!
It was another week before I arranged to have the car trailered home. I followed with a box trailer loaded with associated bits and pieces, including an extra engine.
I had used the previous week to create shed space behind the GTO but there was only room for one car. The Bolwell consist of a fibreglass body on top of a separate steel chassis, effectively requiring two car spaces during a build-rebuild. Plan ‘A’ was to store the bodywork under the rear patio while I first prepared the chassis and running gear.
The car was delivered to a front carport with the intention of quickly separating the body from the chassis and moving them to their designated locations. Unfortunate nature decided to drench Sydney just about every day for the next month (March 2017) and the project basically laid dormant under a tarpaulin during that period.
I did spend some time on the internet making contact with fellow Mk7 owners and restorers and learning a little about the task which lay ahead for me.
One previous owner of my car had installed a V6 Holden engine. The chap I purchased the car from had planned to swap the V6 for a straight six Holden engine and that motor was supplied with the car.
From the documentation supplied with the car I was only able to trace the ownership, through three pairs of hands, back until 1983. Considering the previous two owners had the car for 19 year and 15 year periods the likelihood is the owner up until 1983 owned it from new.
It seems as though the car was modified by the various owners to the trends prevalent in their period of ownership. Changes include flared guards with wider wheels and a bigger engine. My thoughts at this stage are to build the car as it would have (should have) been built in the period it was produced by Bolwell, i.e. 1967 – 1970.
