Bangers & Cash 1977 Saudi Corvette JNH 820T

[funchi]

This is a question to all the old Classic Corvette Club UK members.

Who remembers Johns 1977 Saudi Corvette JNH 820T sold by Mathewson's, and featured on Bangers & Cash 19/03/2020

It was a little sad for me as John passed away and was a lovely man, I still have a picture of John and a few of his car from the 80’s.

The car now looks better than when John owned it, it now has the full graphics pack John just had the stripes. I called it the flying deck chair.

I don’t expect too many new members to remember this car unless a more recent owner, I first saw it in the early 80’s when the only club meet was at Scratchwood services.

Over to you to see if anyone wants to add to this post.

I have just added the photo of Sandra the long suffering partner of John and club magazine editor, Sandra is closest to the camera, can someone please help me out, for the life of me I can't remember the names of the other young couple, I think this could be when the club went water skiing in or around Hertfordshire, but could also be Chicksands US base UK.

 

[Chevrolet]

Saw the prog last night, just by chance when flicking through the channels. Is it true that its the last remaining one? I remember talking to its tall very friendly owner several times in 1989/on when I joined the club and attended some events (presumably John?). With the graphics pack:

CCCUK - View topic - The Flying Deckchair

 

[funchi]

Hi I am trying to be a little sensitive because I do not who else may have passed away.

Yes that would be John check my photo it may bring back your memory.

When did you meet John and where I went to a lot of the club meetings.

The club started meeting at a pub called the Golden Lion London Colney, did you have a Corvette back then.

 

[funchi]

Hi I should have watched your video first.

Where was it taken, it must be quite recent with all the new graphics applied.

 

[Chevrolet]

Yes, looking at the photo I remember John. Just found that video on YouTube (not mine)/doesn't say where. As you can see it was posted in 2009 and the thread on the old CCCUK website mentions graphics going on in 2007.

 

[funchi]

Cheers thank you for your information, were you a club member back then and did you have a Corvette, I had a black 1980 Corvette Oyster interior back then, I now have a red 2004 Corvette red interior.

 

[Chevrolet]

My pleasure. Yes, Had a silver over gray (two-tone) '85 C4. Only sold it in 2018 (a mere 29 years later).

 

[FIVE RED]

That was my first Corvette, owned it for four and a half years. Put thousands into it and as a result it looked a totally different car from when I bought it.
I learnt later that the original graphics had been reproduced and the car looked even more special.
Not so special for me was how I was shafted by those involved when I sold it.
In hindsight I wish I'd kept the history file, along with the collection of additional documentation, books and spares I'd acquired and gave up with the sale.

 

[Daytona Vette]

Cheers thank you for your information, were you a club member back then and did you have a Corvette, I had a black 1980 Corvette Oyster interior back then, I now have a red 2004 Corvette red interior.

Can you remember the Reg of the Black 80 ?

 

[funchi]

Hi Daytona Vette yes I do, I purchased my 1980 Corvette registration FGC 299X and very soon purchased a private plate USA 580 for £650 which is now on my 2004 red on red Corvette purchased new, I owned the 1980 Corvette for about 18 years, and the DVLA gave me back the registration
FGC 299X before I sold it.

I am not really into computers or social media but because of Covid 19 (time on my hands), I thought I would start this post, especially as John was a lovely man, not sure Sandra would always agree with that.

Although I thought I recognised the registration straight away, I have hundreds of Corvette photos from the 80’s so just had to look through my photo albums.

Where you a club member back then, if so what car and registration I could well have a photo of it.

 

[kentvette]

This is a question to all the old Classic Corvette Club UK members.

Who remembers Johns 1977 Saudi Corvette JNH 820T sold by Mathewson's, and featured on Bangers & Cash 19/03/2020.........
.....Over to you to see if anyone wants to add to this post.

Hi

Yes, I remeber the car, and John well. Our first Club meeting, in about May 1990, was at the Golden Lion. With one or two exceptions, I can't pretend I found the club very friendly in those days and didn't do a great deal with them for a year or two. But following an "infamous" letter to the club magazine, and my subsequent role as Kent Area Rep, I got quite friendly with Sandra Dumont, (the Club Magazine Editor for years) so knew John through her really. It was she who told me the story of the car etc in those days. Both John and Sandra were regular attendees at virtually every club event I went to for much of the early 90's.

When Sandra gave up the editor position I lost touch really, but remeber the car re-surfacing and the work (presumably by Five Red?) to bring it back to it's original condition in Saudi colours.

I'm sure Keith Beschi remembers the car and the people involved well!

 

[funchi]

Hi kentvette good to read your input.

I think all clubs can seem unfriendly and very clicky at first, and it can seem very hard to fit in, but I can fully understand your comment.

I personally found them a very friendly bunch, Keith Beschi defiantly knew John and Sandra, Keith was the club chairman back then.

John was a very friendly and jovial man, and a larger than life figure who always welcomed new members.

I always remember the first time I went to Scratchwood services, there was a small bar area and not many customers nothing like modern service stations, Keith made the effort to approach me and asked if I was looking for the Corvette club, I was impressed with that and Keith introduced me to all the club members and I bet John and Sandra were at my first club meet.

The reason I joined the club was to get help to find a good 1980 Corvette, then as now I loved the new front and rear clips.

Out of interest when you went to the Golden Lion was Keith still the chairman or was it Steve Palmer by then.

I am going to attach a couple of photos from the early days Scratchwood services, and Chevrolet none of your modern C4’s back then.

 

[FIVE RED]

I've still got a few photos of the car somewhere, here's a shot just before I sent it down the country to be sold.
At auction the seller got £24,500 for the car if I'm not mistaken - can anyone guess what I got for it?

 

[Chevrolet]

Don't know when you got it but wild guess - £7k? (If it needed £000's spent on it)

 

[kentvette]

Hi kentvette good to read your input.

I think all clubs can seem unfriendly and very clicky at first, and it can seem very hard to fit in, but I can fully understand your comment.

I personally found them a very friendly bunch, Keith Beschi defiantly knew John and Sandra, Keith was the club chairman back then.

John was a very friendly and jovial man, and a larger than life figure who always welcomed new members.

I always remember the first time I went to Scratchwood services, there was a small bar area and not many customers nothing like modern service stations, Keith made the effort to approach me and asked if I was looking for the Corvette club, I was impressed with that and Keith introduced me to all the club members and I bet John and Sandra were at my first club meet.

The reason I joined the club was to get help to find a good 1980 Corvette, then as now I loved the new front and rear clips.

Out of interest when you went to the Golden Lion was Keith still the chairman or was it Steve Palmer by then.

I am going to attach a couple of photos from the early days Scratchwood services, and Chevrolet none of your modern C4’back then.

Hi
I think Steve was chairman by then, but Keith was on the Committee, I believe in the Membership role. Keith made a point of introducing himself at the GL, even though there was a committee meeting at the same time, so he was busy! We met him again later in the year at a "track day" type of event that CCCUK held at a rather wet Castle Coombe and we've stayed friends. Keith was instrumental in getting the Area Rep thing going, as he offered to supply contact details to anyone thinking of starting a local group. He also forged the link with the RAC and helped a lot when I took over his role as co-ordinator. At the Castle Coombe event we met Harry & Pat Crowther, who have remained good friends ever since and who were in fact CCCUK's first Local Reps. I think I'm right in saying that the Kent Area was the second local group formed.

As you say, few "new fangled" cars back then! I remember going to the Lakeside Cruise and seeing a C4 ZR1 - that was an extremely rare beast back then! I came across some of the old photographs recently, of that event and our first "Open Day", held at Zion Park.

For those who have not seen the Bangers & Cash program, (which includes me!) I see that it is on a few times during the next few days, on Yesterday Channel.

 

[Corvette]

I've still got a few photos of the car somewhere, here's a shot just before I sent it down the country to be sold.
At auction the seller got £24,500 for the car if I'm not mistaken - can anyone guess what I got for it?View attachment 4601

Haven’t a clue what year you sold it but I guess £6000 if it was 15 years ago? How did you get shafted when selling?

 

[Chevrolet]

and Chevrolet none of your modern C4’back then.

Indeed not, the world of Corvettes has all gone downhill/tits- up since 1982, as many of the members on here will confirm?

One of the first events I went to in 1989, was the Goodwood Track Day. Saw this on YouTube a few years back, titled 1988 Track day. Could see my C4 in it, so was wondering if the YouTube poster got the year wrong. Contacted him and he was adamant it was 1988 (must have been previous owner of my car there). Anyway, nice little "atmospheric" (?) video including Mr Beschi doing lots of work.

 

[FIVE RED]

Don't know when you got it but wild guess - £7k? (If it needed £000's spent on it)

Haven’t a clue what year you sold it but I guess £6000 if it was 15 years ago? How did you gat shafted when selling?

The car was a decent runner when I bought it albeit a bit shabby. Over my years of ownership the usual bits started to bite hard. I had a lot of work done on the engine, suspension, steering, chassis etc, the interior I completely restored myself. Needless to say the car looked superb when I finished the work, but by now after over four years of fixing/restoring, I had my heart set on a C5 and the car should provide a reasonable deposit.
I advertised the car on the old club website but sadly no takers. After some discussion I sent the car in a covered transporter down the country where it would be advertised at £7500, less commission.
It well went downhill after that, I was told that the engine had a major problem. This was surprising considering I was initially going to drive it the 270 miles rather than have it transported.
Next day I was told the chassis was in such a state that it was a scrapper and only fit for spares.
By now I'm hardly believing that we were discussing the same car, it was many miles away and out of my control. Very reluctantly I accepted a cheque for £2000 through the post.
The final sting in the tail was the 'for sale' advert for my pride and joy. No mention of any chassis repairs and no mention of major engine repairs - both things that would be of interest to a potential buyer. So yes I was shafted.
The final part of the story is much happier. I found a one owner C5 in Scotland that was in stunning condition. In fact if you didn't know which was the new model it was hard to tell against the new C6 Z06 next to it in the garage.

 

[Roscobbc]

The car was a decent runner when I bought it albeit a bit shabby. Over my years of ownership the usual bits started to bite hard. I had a lot of work done on the engine, suspension, steering, chassis etc, the interior I completely restored myself. Needless to say the car looked superb when I finished the work, but by now after over four years of fixing/restoring, I had my heart set on a C5 and the car should provide a reasonable deposit.
I advertised the car on the old club website but sadly no takers. After some discussion I sent the car in a covered transporter down the country where it would be advertised at £7500, less commission.
It well went downhill after that, I was told that the engine had a major problem. This was surprising considering I was initially going to drive it the 270 miles rather than have it transported.
Next day I was told the chassis was in such a state that it was a scrapper and only fit for spares.
By now I'm hardly believing that we were discussing the same car, it was many miles away and out of my control. Very reluctantly I accepted a cheque for £2000 through the post.
The final sting in the tail was the 'for sale' advert for my pride and joy. No mention of any chassis repairs and no mention of major engine repairs - both things that would be of interest to a potential buyer. So yes I was shafted.
The final part of the story is much happier. I found a one owner C5 in Scotland that was in stunning condition. In fact if you didn't know which was the new model it was hard to tell against the new C6 Z06 next to it in the garage.

Was the 're-seller' someone we should all know and is still trading? (no names please!)

 

[funchi]

I am surprised and pleased how well this post is going, great to see the Goodwood video Chevrolet that was my 1980 far side of grid.