Ted Freeman's Screamin Squirrell 1974

[pearcesnr]

Ted's screaming squirrell, why was it called that ? Ted use to rev the becrickeys out of his cars, he had a place mat on his kitchen table of a squirrel, so George Steeden and I thought it would look good on the boot when he painted it, along with the lace cloth design down the sides, turned some heads. This was later bought by David Waldon, who installed a Twin Cam in it and also raced it, if any one has pic's of this please post them

[P.R.90]

Hi Geoff
Is it possible to scan & email the pics you have posted or to send to me by snail mail adress avail. on request as i am very keen on early records & pics of all Bellett club events (Qld N.S.W. A.C.T. & Vic.)if possible send to [email protected] any pic or all pics would be appreciated approx dates & names of persons would be great to as Iam hoping to do a hard copy of early & late Bellett history in Aust this will be great for all concerned and for ather poeple not bitten by the Bellett bug to see what a great vehicle these were & STILL ARE! any help with this project from any person would be helpful
cheers ken

[BELLQLD]

hi guys i too are eager to fire up the computer and see whos posted some history of the bellett keep it up its great the memories are written all over your photos kind regards davo

[Waldo]

haha i have a few pics of it....im dave waldons son...when he got it he also pumped the gaurds right out! i dont have a scanner though so cant scan them i have a heap of old bellett pics from the nsw bellett car club

[pearcesnr]

Hi Waldo, I first meet your dad around 1974, and have been mates all this time,I was with your mum and dad at Phillip Island last year for the nationals that he ran at. Any chance of scanning the pics you have, they would be great to see, I helped Ted build the squirrel, though only took the photo's posted and would like to see more. regards geoff.
p.s was hoping to get to bathurst this weekend, though are now unable to get there.

[Waldo]

yeah my old man has a scanner i could get him to scan all his photo collection and ill psot them up...he has a big history photo album of jsut belletts

[BELLQLD]

good on ya waldo i guess we would all like to see them keep em coming regards davo

[Farmer]

Now there's a memory! I was at Ted's the day they took the masking tape off! Certainly was an unusual job from George. I can still hear the scream - very heavy valve springs!
As I recall, Ted was the first in the club to run a locked diff in this car. Someone gave a long explanation in the Bellettin of how it wouldn't work - would push the car into understeer, or bust an axle or something. Ted's reply was that it would only be a problem if the inside wheel was on the ground...........
(might have been a little after '74 though Geoff, I didn't get my licence 'till '76)
Thanks for showing! Better dig out the old photo albums.
Matt.

[Teditor]

Dave Waldon recently contacted me in Toowoomba, I am Ted Freeman, the original owner/driver of the Screamin' Squirrel.

What a buz to run into an old mate after 30 years, we had dinner together, I was expecting a baby faced curley headed brat to show up, Dave found me no problem, as he had Googled my name, in Toowoomba I am reasonably well known for my Model Train antics, having been editor of the Model Railway Club magazine since 1989 and secretary for the last 16 years.

I still have a collection of Bellettins from when I was editor of that mag, still have some workshop manuals and a few other things including a metal Bellett Car Club Badge.

I still had a Bellett when I moved up here in 1989, but it eventually had to go, I know own/drive a 1978 Ford Falcon XC GXL, but a Bellett would always be welcome back in my life.

Seeing the Squirrell on here was a fantastic feeling, photos I had never seen before, I have a few photos of the car, but no decent ones of the rear.

George Steeden contacted me a short while back and put Dave onto me, so many recognizable names, and oh so old, PearceSnr? common' you were only a half pint brat the last time I saw you, but so was David.

Really great to read up on happenings with the Belletts, how I wish I still had mine as well as the Wasp, great vehicles and wonderful people that were a very memorable part of my life.

Ted (Teditor) Freeman

[Farmer]

Ted! And I thought the highlight of my week was getting my first ever Florian!
You may not remember me, but I'm Matthew Smith. (Farmer) I bought the Hornmobile from you.
When I saw 'Teditor' in the 'on-line' list last night I thought, I wonder if that's Ted? I thought it's just a matter of time before you found us. You will find quite a few posts from me on here.
The nostalgia bug has bitten hard & I still love Belletts.
It would be great to see you again & have a yarn. The Bellett Nationals are on in Coonabarrabran in October. We will be there, if you want to be, let us know & we'll get an invite to you.
Cheers, Matt.

[bembokabellettbloke]

ooohhh my god..TED FREEMAN............THUNDER MAN!

Isnt that what they called you in the 70's??

Gary Smith here.....

[pearcesnr]

Yes Ted David emailed me that he had came n contact with you, and I could not beleive it, so please keep in touch, most of all the old NSW Bellett club still see each other, but the best thing is this FORUM of Bellett / Isuzu folks around the world are sharing the passion and help in keeping these great cars going,
Geoff.

[Teditor]

Ted! And I thought the highlight of my week was getting my first ever Florian!
You may not remember me, but I'm Matthew Smith. (Farmer) I bought the Hornmobile from you.
When I saw 'Teditor' in the 'on-line' list last night I thought, I wonder if that's Ted? I thought it's just a matter of time before you found us. You will find quite a few posts from me on here.
The nostalgia bug has bitten hard & I still love Belletts.
It would be great to see you again & have a yarn. The Bellett Nationals are on in Coonabarrabran in October. We will be there, if you want to be, let us know & we'll get an invite to you.
Cheers, Matt.

Matthew,

Do you still have the Wasp?, love to see a photo of it, in fact if you wish to give it back, feel free.

Ted.

[Teditor]

ooohhh my god..TED FREEMAN............THUNDER MAN!

Isnt that what they called you in the 70's??

Gary Smith here.....

Gary,

I was called a lot of things, and still am, don't remember Thunder Man, but who knows, Kamikaze was one, as well as a few unmentionables.

Ted.

[Teditor]

The Bellett Nationals are on in Coonabarrabran in October. We will be there, if you want to be, let us know & we'll get an invite to you.
Cheers, Matt.

I would appreciate the info, who knows, maybe the current drive would make it.

Ted.

[pearcesnr]

Ted,
The hornmobile, in which we have recently just lately found out, is that there was only 3 long wheelbase wasps in Aus. Isuzu themself can not recall, or any record of making a long wheelbase. Regretably the Hornmobile found its way to the the scrapeheap, Though i think the horns still exist.
Geoff.

[Farmer]

Yeah Ted, Sadly the Hornmobile left me in 1988 to help buy a house. The next owner used it for a long time as a tow car for his race Bellett. He still has the race car, but left the Wasp at amates place, whose kids jumped the roof in.
Here is a pic of it shortly after I got it from you (1982, I think).

hornmobile_resize.jpg (51.04 KiB) Viewed 88800 times

Here's one of it rubbed back for re-spray. I did complete it & drove it many miles, particularly when I lived near Coonabarabran, and it was my only registered vehicle.

hornmobile_resize.jpg (39.84 KiB) Viewed 88800 times

I must search further for a finished pic.

Chasing a Coona invite. If you click the 'PM' icon in this post, you can send me a private message with a postal address & I'll have it sent to you.
Cheers, Matt.

[Teditor]

As I have no photos of the WASP, I was really excited to see these, a finished photo would cap off the day.

The mention of there only being three 'Long wheelbase' Wasp's is intriguing, in the Model Railway Club I'm in, one of the members has stated that his father purchased a WASP New, he wanted a long wheelbase one and was told there would be a delay in supplying it.

Said member eventually took over ownership of the WASP, which eventually went the way of most vehicles, it disappeared.

I'm not sure if he really knows the difference between a long and regular wheelbase, but he is reasonably knowledgeable about things Automotive.

What are the chances of two owners being together (originally states apart) in regard to a vehicle that had only three built?

[bembokabellettbloke]

I have a long wheel base wasp.....

photos coming up!

[pearcesnr]

This one appears to be long, correct if wrong, is on the Bellett club of Hollands website. looks like old QLD plates
Pearcesnr,