First test 2011

[flipper123]

is that escort one of the ones that have been advertised in complete kitcar magazine they are going to be mass produced kits i believe.
i quite like the idea of a fully race spec escort,
quite a expensive tho just as expensive as an original

[stylussprinter]

Don't think it can be , he's been competing over 20 yrs so he says . Used to do oval circuit racing , himself and his wife but only he drives now as he's put the seat almost in the rear and extended the steering column. He is well over six feet and she's about five something so seating for both is difficult. Underneath the lift off body it's all roundtube and the Ford engine is a yanky Zetec -- doesn't look like mine . Wheels are slickshod ten inch . The only thing about the body that's Ford is the M1 Escort shape.

[flipper123]

well maybe there will be a few more next year once those kits get noticed.

[stylussprinter]

I managed to make life difficult for myself at Goodwood ------------ ugh I actually lined up on the grid of five cars in the number one position from my previous lap time ----- the marshall was lining me up then noticed there was no timing strut on the car I'd left it at home ---- I loaded the car on Thursday as the forcast for Friday was torrential rain in our area so sheeted the car , intending to remove it on Saturday morning at 5-00am to travel . That obviously totally threw my normal procedure , bad news for someone of my '' years '' hence totally forgot about the strut . Clerk of the course came to ' talk ' after that practice run without said strut . Nigel Baker (my opposition) duly came up with some cardboard and tank tape and Jonny Bailey finished off the attempt I was making at a unique tiiming strut

Apparently Nigel had upped his power from 260bhp to 284bhp over the winter , the car being 625kgs on a tube chassis with coilovers plus those huge slicks .

First practice was slowish for me at 103 sec and he had done 105 secs so he was closer to me than ever before. First timed run I managed a 100 secs but he did a 99 secs That for me was the realisation that years were begining to take their toll so was expecting to be beaten for the first time in 4 years at Goodwood ---- there was another run yet and he was fired up getting that 1 sec in front of me . He was then positioned in number one slot on the grid so I'd be following once he'd gone around Madgewick .
He went off like a rocket then once I was let go I didn't see him until St Mary's when I caught site of his backend on my entry to noname (having had an enormous tank slapper on entry after dropping into 4th) . This seemed to get me shifting pretty quick and taking some risks here and there .
The result being that he improved on his time by a few tenths but my time dropped 4 sec's from the 100 sec run ----- so a 96 sec standing start lap which was enough to win me the day ------- phew Can't relax though , he's catching me in leaps and bounds this year
Thanks everybody who supported me ----- Dave , Matt , Jon and Marty Bailey and my son Stuart of course who was trying hard to stop me forgetting anything plus pushing the car round to save too many starts . It was also really nice to meet up with Mark Fisher again after many years . He was there supporting Mark Cheevers in his blacktop Fury spider , who I'd just made an ARB for . Dave also collected his adjustable panhard rod for his Fury .
Lee Champion will be here tomorrow on his way home from Stoneleigh for me to fit his ARB and a set-up on the Phoenix .

[norma]

good to see you've still got it Rob

[pigeondave]

Yep well done Rob, and thanks for letting me know that it was on. Sprinting looks quite fun and easily accessible.
It was also nice to see all of the other styles of cars I was also surprised about the number of road cars.

The Nissan Skyline GTR looked like it flew off the line and with a 88.94 it was flying.

Keep us informed for the next one Rob.

Dave

[MattD]

Just realised...... Happy Birthday Rob !

[stylussprinter]

Just realised...... Happy Birthday Rob !

Thanks Matt Also had a text from Nev with birthday congrat's

[bluestu]

A couple of shots from Goodwood sprint.

[stylussprinter]

That's me gassing with Nigel Baker , number 10 driver

I notice the inside wheel on my car isn't lifting so either I wasn't exiting the Chicane as quick or the bigger diameter ARB is keeping it level

[stylussprinter]

Stu That ticking sound from the cam cover at Goodwood ----- talked to Paul Dunnell and he told me that he'd trialled Redline 5w30 on developed hyd tappets Zetecs and it didn't suit them but straight race 30 was ok . I normally run Redline Race 30 not the 5w30 but there was none in stock after I put the engine back in so used 5w30 . He reckoned it could take two events for oil to totally replace the hyd tappets and advised me to use his present supplier -- MILLERS . So it's now running on CFS 5w40 3 Ester Fully Synthetic Millers Competition .
Guess what ----- so far , no ticking

[stylussprinter]

I've been invited again to attend this annual RAF motorsport Festival at DALTON BARRACKS / ABINGDON on the 17th of May . No charge , just have to offer passenger rides to any RAF personel who ask or anyone else can come with me . Looking forward to that , then I'll be supporting Andy Braithwaite on the 20th of May at an Abingdon trackday run by Motorsports Events . He recently fitted an ARB and has been setting his car up to suit , using settings I've given him . I'll be taking my temp and tyre gauges , and a few tools --- to fine tune the result . He's got a Blacktop 2lt and running on R888's . Last contact I had from him he said the car is totally different and handles like a race car --- his words , we'll see on the 20th

Nothing planned after that until the 25th of June , where I'll be entering the TWMC Tonhire Sprint , in Sports Libre again , hopefully against more entries this time but fairly sure the Escort Spaceframe beast will be there to knock me off my pedestal

Then if I get an entry I'd like to compete in the Brighton & Hove Goodwood event .

Only track fun after that will be Keevil on the 22nd August , a Motorsport Events '' all FORD CLASSIC's '' trackday , organised by a guy on the TURBOSPORT FORUM

[stylussprinter]

Had a really good day at Dalton Barracks with the RAF guys. Two other drivers from FDMC were invited too , one with a twin rotary engine in his Westy and the other also a Westy but sporting 5lt and 400bhp . Did a convoy around their coned out track (not same as Abingdon sprint track though) then a couple of laps on my own once the track was opened . Then I went out as a passenger in the v8 5lt Westy ----- well I just couldn't stop laughing all the way round , his style is flat out into a bend , brake really hard then 45 degrees all the way round . Didn't make any difference whether it was a 3 rd gear chicane or a big open 120 mph corner ---- same thing , absolutely hilarious There's no way I could drive the Stylus that way but in his with 400 bhp a real giggle

We both took passengers most of the day , in fact they were lining up to get in each time we came off track . Coments were --- fastest things we've been in today , probably cos they'd been out in rally cars which sound awesome but not as quick as we were

The guy with the rotary engined Westy broke his close ratio box so was pretty pissed off as they are very difficult to get bits for( out of an Rx 7)

There was also a Rally Escort m2 sporting a Rotary engine .

A nice surprise was that the top end ticking I'd experienced at Goodwood didn't happen yesterday

[stylussprinter]

Another Phoenix popped up here yesterday for a total set-up . As it turned out there was a lot to do plus there was no way the Sherpa wishbone outer joint would move while still on the car --- On a Phoenix the inner bushes at the rear of the wishbone are covered regarding access by pop riveted ally and in this car's case loads of pipes too So it took a long time to remove the wishbone and free the joint even in the vice but the real problem was that the wishbone design at the threaded end didn't allow the Sherpa joint to go far enough in to acheive camber adjustment ------------- had to cut 8mm's off to set camber at 1.5 neg
Also I found that it's not possible to change the '' range '' ie. 1st , 2nd or 3 rd position in situ ' due to needing to hold the knob hard against the shock body while you first undo the grub screw half a turn , then , still keeping the pressure on the knob , turn the screw in the knob centre half a turn THEN retighten that grub screw ----
Protechs have 13 clicks per range so 39 positions total . I would advise anyone buying Protechs to change the range from 2nd to 1st on the front shocks before fitting to the car. They come from the factory in the 2nd range position which is ideal for the rears

Anyway the 6 hours it took me , got there in the end so hopefully it'll handle better on track now

[stylussprinter]

Another Phoenix popped up here yesterday for a total set-up . As it turned out there was a lot to do plus there was no way the Sherpa wishbone outer joint would move while still on the car --- On a Phoenix the inner bushes at the rear of the wishbone are covered regarding access by pop riveted ally and in this car's case loads of pipes too So it took a long time to remove the wishbone and free the joint even in the vice but the real problem was that the wishbone design at the threaded end didn't allow the Sherpa joint to go far enough in to acheive camber adjustment ------------- had to cut 8mm's off to set camber at 1.5 neg
Also I found that it's not possible to change the '' range '' ie. 1st , 2nd or 3 rd position in situ ' due to needing to hold the knob hard against the shock body while you first undo the grub screw half a turn , then , still keeping the pressure on the knob , turn the screw in the knob centre half a turn THEN retighten that grub screw ----
Protechs have 13 clicks per range so 39 positions total . I would advise anyone buying Protechs to change the range from 2nd to 1st on the front shocks before fitting to the car. They come from the factory in the 2nd range position which is ideal for the rears

Anyway the 6 hours it took me , got there in the end so hopefully it'll handle better on track now

Since the above set-up was done Jeff has competed at Crysal Palace for the second time but couldn't coment on the Phoenix's handling because he said it was so point and squirt plus slippy . However , over this weekend he competed at Lydden and came 2nd in class but 2sec's faster than earlier this season
He already had my ARB fitted 3yrs ago which he liked but only started sprinting last year I believe.