MY FIATHING
DIPSTICK BINDY DATSON
I had been interested in cars forever and was ecstatic when I passed my driver’s license at 15 (the legal age in New Zealand at that time). My Dad had a ‘Finny’ Mercedes which he would let me borrow occasionally if I washed it, but I really wanted my own car.
The first car that I owned I bought with my boyfriend at the time – we went halves in it. We sanded the paintwork, masked it up and had it painted before on-selling it. With the small profit and my original investment, I was then able to buy my first very own car – a black Morris Minor – such a good feeling of independence!
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Then a friend who was going through a marriage breakup said he needed to sell his Hillclimb car – a bright yellow Fiat Bambino with a 1275 Mini Cooper S motor, mid mounted where the back seat should be. John Mines had built the car himself and was sad to be losing it, but needs must, and he agreed to sell it to me - swapping the black Morrie and some cash which I had managed to save. How I loved that car – I was working two jobs at the time – the second a cleaning job - and I would stop on my rounds to gaze at the car parked below.
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By this time, I was working at Williams and Adams, the Datsun/Daimler dealership in Wellington – my car was so small I was allowed to bring it into the workshop during work hours for security. I guess I was a bit of a revhead and couldn’t help myself, dragging off an M in his E Type Jag at the lights. A policeman saw us and followed me home – luckily my parents didn’t see him come to word me – just gave me a talking to, not a ticket – whew!
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Time passed and I was to be married in a couple of days’ time when a woman stepped out from behind a bus, eating fish and chips and not looking where she was going. I had no chance of stopping and collected her over the bonnet – her chin making a big dent in the roof over the windscreen. She was taken to hospital and after my wedding I went to visit her, taking my bouquet as flowers.
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We moved to Palmerston North and joined the Manawatu Car Club, competing in club events such as time trials, hillclimbs, rallies, autocross and eventually motor racing at Manfield race circuit.
As I had a small child my husband wasn’t keen on me taking him out in my Fiat so it gradually became relegated to the back of the shed, and only taken out for events. I had my Mini 7 by then and was racing in track events all over the country, plus pit crewing for my husband’s rally car – life was full.
After my accident at Levin racing circuit, we were at the Manawatu Car Club when I was approached by an intense young man who was asking me all about my accident – I found out later that it was Peter Brock who must have been in NZ competing at some event. He was also interested in the Fiat which we had brought along to the meeting, so I offered to let him and his friends take it for a spin. Which they did, and apparently scared themselves silly – it was very quick😊
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I entered the Fiathing in a time trial where with a small squeak of tyre it took off and reached a top speed of 109mph. The body wasn’t designed for such speed and flexed, with blue sky to be seen above the doors. The brakes had been upgraded from the little Fiat drums with discs all round so it stopped well – its major disadvantage was the short wheelbase – it was inclined to rotate if pushed too hard when cornering.
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I was very sad when the car was eventually sold but I wasn’t using it much and a few of the nice bits had been ‘borrowed’ off it, such as the nice 45 side draft weber carburettor. I wish I had it now, but I don’t think it would get over the inspection pits ☹
