HOME-BUILT ALFA ROMEO RACER from WatsonWheels.

More info. and more photographs of this remarkable recreation of a rare beauty to be seen on the ‘David Piper Weekend Races’ page. The cycle-fendered, very authentic looking, open, ruby-red, 30’s Alfa Romeo "Monza". - This meticulously crafted re-creation has been recently completed and it is fitted with modern 70’s Alfa 2600 all aluminum twin- cam, triple Webered (stock Alfa) 6-cylinder 2600cc motor and five speed gearbox. To make it look as authentic as possible Roy Watson, the builder/owner/artist adapted the rear, beautifully cast ally finned drum brakes, sourced from the Alfa 2600 donor saloon. As one can see the rear drums were also used up front giving an very authentic look plus extremely efficient braking for a car this light. The original instruments were also used plus old worn seats, to give it an ‘old look.’ - This car drives like a dream and is very practical to use. The power from the sweet sounding straight-six is spine-chilling and the performance very good, to say the least.

WATSONWHEELS. - Aviation and Motoring Specialists. -

Roy Watson is an engineer who has started up a business called WatsonWheels. He has been supplying the film industry with vehicles since 1966 when the family Bentley was used in an advert for BP. - Watson's impressive collection of aircraft and motorcars spans the last 100 years. His passion is shared by his two sons, Patrick and Courtney, who assit in restoring and taking care of the vehicles. The list of their fleet reads like a cataloque of a Sotheby's Auction - a 1911 Fiat which was used in movies like "Cecil Rhodes", "The Foster Gang" and "Platinum"; the 1913 Humber and 1919 Ford, amongst others. For period racers, there's a 1927 Bugatti Type 38A, used in an MTN commercial, or a 1935 Alfa Romeo Monza. For aerial shots, Watson's Tiger Moth biplane, featured in "The Real McCoy", is also available. Watson and his sons are all licensed pilots. For hard working 'action vehicles', Watson creates replica cars. "These action cars use fibre-glass bodies and modern engines and drivelines. They drive like modern cars, so an actor can concentrate properly on the job at hand, instead of worring about complicated, outdated mechanisms, while still looking the part exactly. With moulds and many spare parts for a Model T- Ford, Watson can produce action cars of this famous model from the past; "If someone wants to drive a Model-T-Ford off a cliff, then they are welcome to do so with one of my replicas and not damage an orginal".

WatsonWheels can be reached on:- 083 642 3565 ( Courtney ) or email :- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or:- This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Editor's Note:- Roy Watson is an engineer, classic car restorer, pilot and actor/writer. His delighful book; "Bush Pilots Do It In Fours" is an autobiography of his flying experiences from his first interest in flying, through his involvement with Tiger Moth, Aeronca, Zlin, Stinson, and Russian aircraft, to his bush experiences flying DC4's and the Boeing 707. - The book takes one through Watson's flying career and his fascination with all things airborne, from the very first steps through the restoration of a Tiger Moth, Aeronca and Zlin and some exposure to aerobatics in these 'older' flying machines. Thereafter, it moves towards larger aircraft, with his experiences maintaining Hawker Siddley 748's. Roy was heavily involved in establishing an airline, specifically aimed at supplying food, to impoverished Africa and a close involvement with Russian aircraft and Douglas DC4's. What follows is his first taste of the true 'bush flying', which evoked a distinct passion and love for the DC-4. The book ends up with the challenging repair and subsequent conversion onto the Boeing 707. - The flying exploits vary from humourous undertakings and happenings with his 'elderly' light aircraft up to major expeditions in commercial airlines stretching from the Antarctic as far as the Nothermost Parts of Africa.

"BUSH PILOTS DO IT IN FOURS" - An INTRODUCTION. - This book is an account of my exploits in the skies of Africa, and the hours of working on the aircraft in an ongoing attempt to break the bond of gravity. I hope that you will find it good, light reading. I have avoided technical descriptions and tried to narrate my flying life in a manner suitable to non-technical readers. - I hope that the reading brings you as much joy as the writing brought me. The book was stimulated by the reply to a letter I wrote to a friend Stephen Spencer, recounting my first trip up Africa in a DC4. He wrote back to say how much he enjoyed reading the letter and suggested that I write a book. Unfortunately I did not keep my letter, but he had planted a seed. - I started to jot down my thoughts and recollections, never having any thought of a book, and soon I was getting an enormous joy out of writing. As we all know, joy and happiness comes largely out of happy memories, and also from making plans for the future. As I wrote, recollections came back, and the details became clearer. The joy that all the memories brought was wonderfuly warming, and in a year I had pages of script all around me. - I had no idea why I was doing it, except that it gave me such a high that I carried on writing. The concept that Steve had planted took root and grew and soon I was planning on how to turn it all into a book, and after some years here it is. - Roy Watson.

TO PURCHASE A COPY OF:- "BUSH PILOTS DO IT IN FOURS", CONTACT ROY WATSON AT This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or COURTNEY 082 642 3565.

( Also on; "David Piper Weekend Races" are pics of the 6x twin-choke throttle-bodied P2 Ferrari recreation running V12 Ferrari motor.) -

POSTING SOON :- ( A visit to the famous Aviation Museum in Edmonton, Alberta Canada with sound & video clip of a short 'flip' in a 'Waco' bi-winged plane. - Also up soon the Transport Museum in Edmonton plus the "Show & Shine" get together in Calgary, Alberta.) - ED.

More photographs of the above interesting collection of aircraft and cars will be posted on this site very soon along with another home-built, lovely Alfa Romeo ‘Speedline’ roadster, utilizing modern Alfa Giulietta motor/box, suspension / running gear. The builder was lucky enough to find an authentic Alfa 2-litre turbo-charged twin-cam motor and has won many events with this fine handling beauty…
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Also coming up are more pics of an absolutely magnificent re-creation of the famous Ferrari P2, fitted with a full-on, Ferrari V12 with independant-runner inlet manifold, fitted with 12 downdraft throttle-bodies. (For pics of this magnificent car, go to "David Piper 'Legends' Race Weekend" on Home Page.) These recreations are built here in South Africa, - Not to speak of a whole bunch of very fine Ford GT40 re-creations also constructed here in South Africa. (One of which was chosen to be the Pace Car at this years 24-Hour Le Mans Race, driven by Sir Sterling Moss. - see article about all this elsewhere on this site.- Video soon to come on this event.)

Speaking of V12’s, an interesting project under construction, (also soon to be seen on this site) is a ’37 Jaguar SS 4-door sedan, that has been converted into a long-bonneted two-door coupe, using all modern Jaguar XJS V12 engine & gearbox, - front suspension clip with XJS brakes, steering and of course the much-used Jag rear-end clip….Its riding on original looking, 17 x 8 inch, wire-spoke rims and modern rubber. We welded up the rear doors, cut 10inches out of the 4-door body adding the 10 back in the extended hood ( bonnet) to accomodate the Jaguar V12 motor and box.
This car weighs l000lbs less than the Jaguar donor XJS, and should bustle along very nicely indeed......

The build-up process from scratch, - constructing the new chassis and the rest of the car, will be posted for those that are interested, along with a build-up of our Jaguar D-Type, C-Type, Jaguar engined Le Man’s winning replica of the famous 50’s Talbot Lago and a cycle-fendered HWM Jaguar.

Lots coming up on this website.
We have over 50 hours of DVD material on several years of interesting car, bike, steam events from all over the country and several of the above mentioned cars will be joining us on the very exciting SUN RUN TOUR, taking place in Oct. 2007.

"GREENS" ATTACK GERMAN AUTOBAHNS...Autobahns Face Speed Limit Cuts.- Star Motoring. Sapa-dpa

"Environmentalists are seeking to impose a speed limit on German autobahns - Bad news for drivers who like to ( legally) strech their car's legs a bit. The European car industry is under growing pressure for failing to comply even remotely with a self-imposed ceiling on carbon emissions. The German eco group (DUH) early this month said it would start blacklisting fuel guzzelers and pointed out that in Germany alone, new car emissions stood last year at 172grammes CO2 per kilometre, well above the target for 2008 the car industry set itself in a commitment to the European Commision. Green party politician Renate Kuenast earlier this year triggered a storm of protest when she called on consumers to boycott German cars and instead to buy the Japanese Toyota Prius hybrid - a car listed with a CO2 emission of only 104grms. Even more controversial, however, have been calls from several quarters to impose a strict speed limit on German motorways, regarded by many drivers of high-powered Porsches, Audis, BMWs and Mercedes as one of their last freedoms. - "The German motorist will have to get used to the idea that a speed limit on motorways is a meaningful way of helping the climate" said the head of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Achim Steiner, adding that; "Freedom should not be defined by whether I can drive on the autobahn at 200km/h or not". - Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee reacted by pointing out that only between 2 and 3% of German motorways still allowed a speed of over 100 km/h and that cars would in future be taxed according to the amount of CO2 spewed into the atmosphere. The powerful German car industry was caught off guard by the emotional tone of the climate debate with the new president of the Car Industry Federation (VDA) Matthias Wissmann vowing to improve the industry's environmental image. His predecessor, Bernd Gottshalk, resigned after heading the organisation for 11 years amid accusations that he had failed to address sufficently "the environmental aspect". - Meanwhile some car makers have been making big strides in improving fuel consumption with new engine-management technology, weight reduction and aerodynamics. - BMW says that its new 118d model has a fuel consumption fiqure of only 4.7 litres of diesel per 100km with CO2 emission at 123grm., made possible largely by a start-stop function. The engine swtiches itself off automatically at traffic lighs and in traffic jams as soon as the driver puts the gear into neutral and takes the foot off the clutch. Mercedes unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show the Vision C220 BlueTec with an output of 125kw and a consumption of 5.5litres of diesel thus complying with the strict Euro 6 emission standards valid for all new cars from the year 2015. But even the Prius is only economical when driven with a light foot. The CO2 emission figure shoots up to 278g when driven hard on the motorway, the Auto Bild newspaper found in its 100.000 km long-term test. Volkswagen's research cheif Ulrich Hackenberg also says the greatest potential in feul-saving is by improving driving habits such as improved gear changing. (?) - Car parts supplier Delphii spokesman Michael Neumann says air conditioners guzzle between 10 and 15 per cent fuel, CO2 savings of between four and six grammes per kilometre can be achieved by improved cooling modules and weigh reduction, he says. But car marketing analyst Nick Matgetts of Jato Dynamics says first of all there has to be a change of mind among consumers. "If you buy a car with more power and more weight you should not be surprised by having to frequent the filling station more often".

"The Monster In Its Death-Throes". - The answer is not LOW emissions, its NO emissions ! - Well well well. What a joke. The same old hoary story again, over and over; lay the blame on the consumers, drag the proverbial Red Herring across the path to hide the real facts. Iam amazed they did'nt all start on the " Speed Kills" issue again. ( Over the years of increased autobahn networks in Germany, the death rate has dropped, pointing to very disciplined and responsible use of these autobahns by the so-called 'Speed Lovers'.) - If you get the impression you can speed everywhere on the autobahns you are wrong...The point is; again its a case of Create a Problem, Present a Solution ....a solution that takes everyone's attention away from the REAL problem.... - Its been established that if you take a fuel comsumption chart / graph from the early Model T Ford days to present day, despite the advent of so-called fuel saving inventions like fuel-injection, more efficent carbs etc., the fuel consumption graph remains absolutely flat....over all these years there has been no improvement what so ever. This has been made possible by the oil / petrol companies for obvious reasons. - Sell more petrol and oil, make more profits and more Increases on the Profits....( I personally cant wait for the oil price to go well over $100 per barrel, since then I would hope the motoring public at large will collectively say; " NOW STOP!".) - What would happen if we all used public transport for a week or month and did'nt buy any petrol at all ?) - The many 'bought-out' fuel-saving inventions and patents that never see the light of day are legend.....Warehouses full all over the world, I am told. When an inventor goes to a Patent Lawyer with a fuel-saving device or invention they are told to rather take a percentage of the profits of the sale of the Patent Rights, since they are advised: the device / invention will not see the light of day, - Ever. ( I know this to be true since a freind of mine has made good money just off 1% of the patent rights of a fine fuel-saving device of his bought guess by who?.......) We have had total NON-emission cars over a hundred years ago,............. and plenty of them............What happened to them.......? - Axed by the 'powers that be', or obvious vested-interests in the mega oil conglomerates that rule our lives....... 'They' have got us ALL over a barrel. - And again to continually lay the blame at the consumers door is a joke....We know Industry pollutes ENORMOUSLY ..What are they doing about that?....Where are the articles telling them to curb their emissions....and there is now considerable evidence to prove that the whole CO2 issue is in fact a complete hoax, to take our sight off the rreal culprits..... CO2 is NOT the problem, or certainly not the main one. . Please take the time to view the very important documentary aired recently by BBC Channel 4 ; "Great Global Warming Swindle" where a large group, over 1000, of scientists have asked to have their names removed from the whole CO2 issue\debate since they say CO2 is not the problem and that we have had CO2 levels 10x higher in the past................interesting stuff indeed.........: http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4520665474899458831

Star Motoring. - Sapa - dpa.