ACSMC Speed & Hillclimb Championships 2008

[stylussprinter]

Ouch.
Sorry to see the car in that state Rob. Though of course the most important thing is that you are ok.
Hope it's not too much hassle to get it back to its former glory.

DH2

Well it's not off the trailer yet cos it's going to take more than me to get it off . I can see my way through the process now though , the body work was my major worry , being able to shape the wing/grill and front light pod to the original lovely curves . After many texts , phone calls here and there , I can now get a part front body to hatch into the messy hole , it's just a matter of time , money and repairing all the mechanical stuff first.
Good job I'm retiring next year aye there'll be plenty for me to do and this time it'll need a spray job ---- don't think I can make a ' can ' spray look good enough
I'll also need headlight covers so there's an opportunity for anyone wanting to use polycarbonate covers to get them from me once I've got that sorted . (already on to that one before this happened )

Got a damn stiff neck and back but then I could hardly bend to do my shoe laces up before Sunday anyway cos I've had an excruciating back problem since August

[Werner Van Loock]

will you convert to flip front or just keep it rigid? Would be easier to asses the damage with the whole front body off and possible repairs.

[Antnicuk]

sorry to hear/see this rob, i hope you are ok and get it sorted. Keep us posted on the repairs.

[stylussprinter]

will you convert to flip front or just keep it rigid? Would be easier to asses the damage with the whole front body off and possible repairs.

Prefer to keep it stiff plus flip would be impractical because it wouldn't be possible to open it properly , the car's just too low. Only option would be lift off and that will complicate the airbox to front filter route/rigidity/wheel mud guards and it'd have to be removeable every time the front came off --- just too much work and I've no enthusiasum for the effort needed

[stylussprinter]

Matt's friend , David Rix , took this photo at the end of my first run , just passing the finish line white boards which you can see the back of behind the car right on a left hander At this point you are still accellerating to make the best possible time before having to brake and get through the chicane of cones put out to slow you down before entering the paddock area
Thought I'd put it up here , as it turned out to be my last event of the season with all intact before converting to a Reliant Robin

Thanks to David and also to Matt , for passing it on to me

[MattD]

Rob

She WILL run again.

Matt

[stylussprinter]

Well at least it's in the shed now After my tree incident it got loaded on the trailer the easiest way at the time which was backwards . Unfortunately it couldn't come off the trailer front ways and straight into the shed or it would end up with the rear facing the outer doors . That was going to make it difficult to repair so somehow I had to get it off the trailer and get it into the shed backwards ----------- tricky
The trailer only just literally scrapes past my house as it has poly mudguards so the L.Cruiser can't back it past because it's wider than the trailer . This means we have to push it past with the car on the trailer weighing jointly over a tonne It had to be turned around somehow
I've had a week or more to think about it ---- facing the wrong way on three wheels ---- chassis & sump & broken f/glass dragging the lawn(soggy )
SO ------------ I had a brainwave I got my heavy duty rotovator out and bolted a large nut/bolt to the front weight carrier , leaving 40mm sticking upwards . It has reverse gears . Hooked this bolt under the trailer hitch --- hung onto the handles to transfer weight to the roto's tyres ---- then dragged the trailer past the house and into the front gravel drive area . Here I wound up the trailer jocky wheel which made it rest solely on just two wheels and the roto' then turned the whole thing in a circle ready to go back past the house The roto' got it right up to the shed doors . Here I laid out 5 sheets of 8 x 4 3/4 plywood behind the trailer over the soggy lawn . She came off quite well once the sump/chassis was past the ramp hooks and onto the ply. Shifted the trailer back out the way then put more ply down behind the car as we pushed it backwards close to the slight ramp to the shed. We struggled here and failed so disconnected the fuel power and the ECU --- put her in reverse and turned the key ----- great . Back in the shed at last
Couldn't start it , as some of you might be thinking , cos the radiator's buggered = no water
This week and last , we had builders working here so there was no chance to move anything around

[hearbear]

Did the new front hub ass survive ok.

[stylussprinter]

Did the new front hub ass survive ok.

Yes the alloy billet upright was fine but I took it all apart for checking . The ' A ' frame's twisted though and the rack took a beating so both will have to be replaced . The body is cracked on the drivers side too near the light cover , also the ' D ' f/glass got pushed really hard on that side by the ' a ' frame so has split the f/glass in layers where on the surface it looks ok. Still not certain that the engine mounts haven't torn at all . They are new ones but it stopped in a big hurry so both need checking and the gearbox mount
I'm amazed the sump is ok too The marshals dragged the car backwards for 50 metres over tarmac then rough rubble plus I dragged it around getting it into the shed I think the finned bottom helped take the treatment being 15mm deep

[kevp]

ROB.

I see your using the Cortina uprights. Do these fit the standard wishbones etc. as I have still not sorted mine yet.

Kevin

[stylussprinter]

k

ROB.

I see your using the Cortina uprights. Do these fit the standard wishbones etc. as I have still not sorted mine yet.

Kevin

The geometry is Cortina but were actually Raceleda cast alloy , now billet identical copies geometry wise but with strengthened stress points. They could be made to fit the standard rockers/wishbones with the top/bottom pins made to suit but of course you'd lose the adjustability of the pins made to take rodends . More work on the rockers/wishbones to do it though I've got one good Raceleda upright and stub axle I'd be happy to sell cut price if you're considering the change Kevin just the one more to buy then
Don't forget that fitting these drops the car 20mm because the stub is 20mm higher than on Escort geometry (which was a major reason I did it)

[stylussprinter]

Well I've just had a pleasant surprise , albeit a little stunned seeing as I'd not done a full season what with 2 or 3 breakages through the year
There are two Championships in the ACSMC calender for sprinting , one is the Sprint Challenge , the other the Sprint Championship . The provisional results were posted to me today and unless there's some error which somebody may pop up with , I'm 1st in class 9 for both Championships
I haven't been keeping up with other competitors results through the season because it seemed pointless after the halfshafts went at Curborough then the upright failure and minor bodywork repairs post Goodwood . NO points whatsoever for my tree hugging event at Eelmoor
Others had had their problems too , obviously , plus they also didn't do all the events . My double points for one Goodwood event helped too Money played a large part in 2008 for most competitors ie. like me not doing all 24 events
Anyway -------------- I'm not complaining , a win's a win , however you get it
If it turns out to be correct by December the 8th then I'll be at the presentation at Brooklands in February 2009

[MattD]

Rob

Well done, you owe us all a beer at the next Stylus club meet !

Matt

"Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to men who do it well. When you´re racing, it’s life, anything that happens before or after is just waiting." (Steve McQueen, 1971)

"It's only when I'm going fast in a racing car or on a bike that I can really relax!"
(Steve McQueen)

Feel the same myself sometimes !

[stylussprinter]

Thanks Matt , it's nice to be quick when you're as old as me Seriously though , Goodwood events x 3 with one being a double pointer for me made the difference - (joker event chosen in advance when entering the Championships=20 pts for a 1st in class)(you have to choose an event from the full calender)

The fact that it happened to be a circuit racer in a 270bhp Crossle that I beat into 2nd place was the icing on my ''cake''

[stylussprinter]

I have at last made a final decision on how to repair the front end , body wise . First thought was stick all the bits together OR try to get Tim to supply me a quarter front and mould it in. This weekend the decision was made --- Tim will get me made a half body then it will be converted to a flip front against my better judgement . He made me realise what a bugger it would be to work on the car if I'm on my own ---- if I'd made it a lift off front/needs two to get it off
Until then I was fully intending to cut the whole front off like racing bodies because the painting would be difficult to merge with the existing paintwork had I only moulded in a wing/front grill etc.

Opening the bonnet for scrutineering will be tricky with the flip due to my chassis height of 90mm . I'll have to carry shallow ramps and drive onto them to open the bonnett In the workshop it'll be fine so I'll just have to get used to it
At least there's a plan now so I can cut off this mess back close to where the flip will shut --- that'll make the other repairs easier to work on too