In the 1950s an innovative young engineer, Allan Russell of Sydney, a Velocette enthusiast and assistant to the late Sid Willis, champion Aussie 250 class road racer on Velocettes, started to build a twin cylinder MAC Velocette engine, SOHC valve operation and made many of the casting patterns needed, then cast the cylinder heads, cambox, bevel box, prepared drawings of two ways to drive the overhead cam gear from the MAC timing chest.
Then he fell in love, married Margaret ( they are still together...) ,all work on the MAC ceased and the MAC engine languished in a large drawer in his workshop for over 50 years.
I'd briefly seen the drawer pulled open in the 1960s to illustrate a point in a discussion, but it stayed there until 2005, when my best friend, Velo enthusiast Jim Day suggested we ask Allan to get it out and we would feature it on a display table during the final night meeting at the Australian Velocette Centenary Rally at Richmond, west of Sydney.
Prior to it's return to Allan, we assembled it and I photographed it...
Where is it now....?
Back in Allan's drawer....awaiting the time Allan can find to continue with it....
Interesting "bit of kit" as they say...
Left click on photographs to enlarge....
1 comment:
It would be good to make it a VOCA Sydney Branch project (member funded and assisted) to get the 700 MAC engine finished - with Allan's blessing of course.
Any ideas on what Allen would think of that, and how we could progress it?
It's a little weird (engine) but it does need saving.
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