Ace Registration no 296 GML (AE108?) Still around?

[nikbj68]

There`s a photo of an Ace at speed, although misdescribed as a Cobra, here on EBAY at the moment. [edit] Now updated by seller with the information I found.[]
   
   
   
   According to the seller of the photo, the registration number is no longer on the DVLA database, but what of the Ace itself?
   The Ace Register shows it as being AE108, owned & raced by K.Davies,
   Ken, any chance of an update since This post? []

[Flyinghorse]

Nik,
   Its been  sold. Its was advertised in ACtion and was sold privately by Ken in November 2012.
   I do wonder when it will make a reappearance.
   
   I have found a couple of shots of the car,the first sent to me by Barrie Bird --Greenham common early 70's ACOC sprint (in the wet) and one from Ken Davies -last meet at Crystal Palace before it shut in 1972.
   
   
   
   
   Graham

[nikbj68]

Thanks, Graham, let`s hope the current owner is enjoying the Ace.

[nikbj68]

Well.... we`ve stumbled upon probably the fastest AC-engined Ace, raced by many ACOC 'Top Guns' back in the early 70`s!
   
   Going through my archives, I`ve found loads of photos of the Ace in the hands of many ACOC stalwarts, and have identified the event from which the eBay photo was taken as the 8 Clubs 21st Anniversary meeting, Silverstone, May 1970.
   
   Ken did rather well there, runnning in 3 races, and coming 3rd, 2nd and 1st!
   
   Photos to follow when time allows.

[AC Ace Bristol]

Nik
   
   296GML,  Is alive and due out on the road within the next few months...[]
   Rear body clip has been professionaly replaced and the body work has been addressed and painted grey whilst the interior has been given new leather seats and dash.
   Only down side on a Ace with such a race pedigree, Whilst the origonal engine and gearbox are still with the car, a rudspeed 2.6 engine dressed with triple weber carburettors sits neatly in the engine bay.........[]. However the engine mounts have been modified and relocated retaining  AE108 stamping and could easily be put back correctly should the AC engine with lightweight gearbox ever be reunited with AE108.
   
   Hopefully I receive a few pictures  detailing AE108 as was prior to strip down and during its major professional rebuild...[]
   
   On a positive note, Another AC Ace will be on the road and maybe return to its old habits of hitting various tracks and showing a clean pair of back lights...[^]..[]
   
   Nik could you possible post a few of your period pictures.
   
   Cheers
   
   Keith ..[]

[B.P.Bird]

AE108 as raced by Ken Davies and Ian Topping was arguably the fastest Ace ever. Only Bob Staples' Ace was in this league. There were many Ace Bristols  humbled by AE108 and in the wet Ken could leave me and LM5000 for dead. No 2.6 could come close. I suppose the front Alfins have been replaced by discs along with the works racing green paint and, from the sound of it, much of the history.I hope I have misunderstood. Appalling.

[AC Ace Bristol]

Barrie.
   
   I am of the same school as you,  a purist when it comes to AC's especially if they have a significant racing or development history.
   The 2.6 Ford engine can always be replaced with the correct AC engine and gearbox that remains intact and with AE108.
   Unfortunately the patina and origonality have been lost, However it has survived 57 or so years and is ready for another 50 years..[]
   
   We are only custodians of our AC's, we enhance  their history and then they move on to another custodian who puts his/her mark on it. (For better /For worse)
   
   At least AE108 is alive and well, Just had a heart transplant and is due out for exercise late this year or early 2015. Now in the hands of it's new Custodian who has spent much time, money and effort to give it a new lease of life.
   
   Keith[].

[B.P.Bird]

Keith,
   To get an idea of what has been lost see 'A.C.O.C. Bulletin 1971' for a fascinating account of AE108's season. Perhaps John Spencer might consider a reprint of this article in 'ACtion Archive ?'
   As you imply an owner can do what they like with their car. Were I the owner of da Vinci's Mona Lisa I might well decide that she would be enhanced by a Charlie Chaplin moustache. I could then defend myself against a tidal wave of criticism by saying, "Don't worry that bit can be repainted."
   You say that AE108 will be back on the track soon. No doubt her failure to comply with the Ace homologation sheet will be ignored, just as most new build/modified cars, masquerading as historic, are considered eligible nowadays regardless of the original homologation.
   Being a custodian includes a duty of care.....

[AC Ace Bristol]

Barrie
   
   A fasinating read all pages 12 through to 20....... If you read my comments you would realise I Agree with you 100% regards the AE108's History and that I too disaprove of the 2.6 being installed by the new Custodian.
   
   Please re-read my earlier post, I ACtualy wrote MAYBE return to its old habits of hitting various tracks, I did not write as you state That AE108 WILL be back on the track soon.
   You have totally misread what I wrote.
   Last but not least most Custodians  do have respect and duty of care, However some do as they want, It would be a boring World if everyone had the same taste, attitude and respect to history and their chariots. At least the new custodian's modifications can easily be reversed, more than can be said for the many Aces Cobraised and butchered in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
   
   Personally I doubt that  AE108 could run in the guise of 1971 and comply to todays regulations, and some would say that AE108 was somewhat abused in it's early days.
   I like many ACce enthusiasts would rather see AE108 back on the road than hidden away and left to the savages of time and the elements, Where it can be enjoyed by many and hopefully one day be  reunited with it's AC engine and Lightweight gearbox.  ( How many AC engines and gearbox did AE108 use in the 1970s/1980s and is the origonal one still with the car ..[?] A race car has a hard life,so one is not surprised to learn it no longer has matching numbers as per Thames Ditton Build sheet.
   
   Keith.

[SBB]

This car has been bought by Douglas Jamieson. He rang me wanting a Ruddspeed rocker for the Ford engine  which he said
   had been installed by Classic Autos. I gave him a possible lead but heard no further. He said he would be interested in joining the Club
   and I forwarded his address details to Bob Langley. Ken Davies raced this car extensively in the late 60s and early 70s and got through a few engines.
   After one blew up at Silverstone he presented a bent mounted conrod to the Club for the fasted Ace engined at the Sprint. Using his initials it became known
   As the Knickered Demon Trophy. This car was last seen, as far as I am aware, at a Club event at the National AC day at Waddesdon Manor in 1972. It was not on the DVLA data base because K en did not send off the log book when the whole thing was computerised. I hope it gets its original number back but this is not guaranteed if it has been re-allocated. There is another car of the same era Ken raced with but the is not on the data base either. It is AE 41, Reg PYP 1.
   Douglas Jamieson toldl me he runs Coys, the dealers and auctioneers.p