So it would appear the topic got too hot and some may have felt it safer to back track than provide some facts.
Here's some interesting sleuthing: It would appear that this subject is being orchestrated globally with some in the USA others likely linked to the UK and some based in SA. It is apparent that the claimed car once existed back in the 1970's in SA landed up in a dispute, legal proceedings later followed with the car eventually being taken out of SA while a jail term was being served in ZIM (Rhodesia back then).
The car was impounded in the UK, stripped and the parts sold off which found their way onto various other races cars. Effectively the car was stripped to resemble nothing of its former self and probably dumped on 'mud island' somewhere to rot and rust away. Mr' fraud' along with his wife some while later eventually made their way out of the UK and made Florida their new found nest in the USA. Nobody knowing how spiteful the original legal case was, the VIN number plate was likely removed from the original car already in SA before it even got to the UK and would thus prevent the car from ever landing up in the hands of anyone else with such blatant evidence. Many years later a barn find is now recently made in the USA which just so happens to be a right hand drive Chev Firenza body, has signs of a role cage and wheel arches once used on cars produced back in SA by Basil van Rooyen and were known as the Chev Can-Am. Time to perhaps make some $$$$$.
All of a sudden a story is conjured up, some original race history is sourced via the connections resident in both the UK and SA which could be construed as sounding reasonably authentic. Produce a removed VIN number plate, marry the story and now try and palm this off as also being the sole remaining works body that was raced in SA in 1973. Brilliant!!!! Or is it really??
Unbeknown to those in the fictitious story making, this car was watched rather closely and its whereabouts and eventual strip down were well known and recorded. Photographic proof of such stripped and reduced body shell when it was still in the UK and still impounded were made available and many local SA historic car restorers saw the evidence of the totally stripped raced ex works car.
Some whom were back then involved with the original dealer team new the cars meticulously well and would be able to pin point exactly certain markings and colorations that were made to those cars. None have been noticed on that body. The builder himself, Basil van Rooyen would be able to recognize specif build patterns and parts that were used back then which by all counts falls somewhat short based on the photos displayed in the now closed topic. It is inevitable that they will remain non committal in instances like this as would be expected.
I would encourage all whom are rallying behind the scenes to pass this fake find off as being original that authorities are already in the know of this potential fraudulent scandal and are undoubtedly watching the next move.
