Self Flagellation - Opel Monza Content

[B'stard Child]

Monza between 9am and 10am on 24th February 2012 at Croix en Ternois (France) for an all Opel Track day

So chuffed with this picture - Hard as freaking nails (3 months solid preparation and another 35 kgs removed from previous set up, I lost 178.5 kgs from the car last year)



Monza in the afternoon sessions (1pm to 5.30pm)

[url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/0kLgXoMx[/url]

In summary I ran out of talent and rolled it in the kitty litter

Things to learn

1. A live trackday isn't probably the best way to set up a new brake set up
2. If you are going to track day a car fit a cage - the doors opened perfectly after the roll

So we were in france for a trackday and I'd binned it early - the dunkirk spirit kicked in hard

We cleared out the gravel - refitted the plastic windows which had escaped during the roll, cable tied the tailgate and bashed the roof, wings and doors roughly straight and changed the wheels as the gravel had mananged to jam it self in the beads

So anyone care to share similar stories and make me feel slightly less of a complete pratt

PS it's over but not out

Got it a bit straighter for another trackday locally a month or so later

Edited by B'stard Child on Friday 5th October 10:35

[Garlick]

Bad luck mate, pleased you're ok though

Car looks (looked) great too

[Rollcage]

Sorry to hear that Ian.


Glad you are Ok though, and the car looks like it will live to fight another day! Tough old beasts, Monzas.

[B'stard Child]

Garlick said:

Bad luck mate, pleased you're ok though

Car looks (looked) great too

Ueah close to exactly where I wanted it to look - needs more power

Meantime off to cut the roof of the scrapper - wings just need more bosh bash bosh and I can live with the dents and scratches elsewhere

It's a track car = only a matter of time before ooops just pissed about my lack of talent to save it

[s m]

Bad luck Ian - the tailgate remark made me think of McHale on the COI though

[B'stard Child]

PS the top of the windscreen sunscreen is a naval reference that might need explaination

Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar hung the same series of flags off his ship

England expects every man will do his duty

Well a track day in France - what would you expect

[B'stard Child]

s m said:

Bad luck Ian - the tailgate remark made me think of McHale on the COI though

LOL - Funnily enough I now own that car

The one on my track monza has been converted to plastic so it didn't "break"

[Fleckers]

thats a big old boat to roll

glad your ok

I had a GSE back in 87 it was a 84 car, went very well until a hump back bridge with a bend and a lead foot all met one dark wet night

for big cars they can get some good air

landing is not their best subject, but they are good at hedge removal

[B'stard Child]

Rollcage said:

Sorry to hear that Ian.


Glad you are Ok though, and the car looks like it will live to fight another day! Tough old beasts, Monzas.

Ain't they just - didn't even break the mirrors

[Carfolio]

Looks like you're having a real blast in a very cool (to me, anyway) car! Top marks, chap.

[B'stard Child]

Fleckers said:

thats a big old boat to roll

glad your ok

I had a GSE back in 87 it was a 84 car, went very well until a hump back bridge with a bend and a lead foot all met one dark wet night

for big cars they can get some good air

landing is not their best subject, but they are good at hedge removal

LOL

Air is a Monza trait if you push them

Mine at Mallory a few years back



And my other Monza with Austin McHale at the wheel in the COI of 1987



They are a big heavy barge and totally unsuited for a trackday animal or a rally car but what the hell I love Monzas why be a sheep and buy something obvious

Edited by B'stard Child on Friday 5th October 10:37

[B'stard Child]

Carfolio said:

Looks like you're having a real blast in a very cool (to me, anyway) car! Top marks, chap.

Thank you sir - she's a blast and a half on side drafts

Edited by B'stard Child on Friday 5th October 10:39

[robg2]

Yee-ha!

What were you saying just the other day...

B'stard Child said:

Similar here - when I converted my Monza to track car 5 years ago I thought if I get a couple of years fun out of it I'd be doing well........

Anyway never mind, could be worse. At least you got it going soon enough to have some fun in the afternoon.

Shall we expect a Monza convertible at Marham then?

[slippery]

Really glad you're ok BC!

[Big Rod]

Rezpekt for getting back in the car Ian, but I wouldn't have expected anything less from you!

You going for the record of 'battle scarred Monza' ownership? LOL

[Captain Muppet]

B'stard Child said:

So anyone care to share similar stories and make me feel slightly less of a complete pratt

Short story: "Can I have a passenger ride?" "Hop in". Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeetch BANG.



I had the tyre wall rebuilt before the support vehicle arrived, and fixed the split carbon fibre up with cable ties so I could get home. The cable ties are still there, 4 years later.

[B'stard Child]

Captain Muppet said:

B'stard Child said:

So anyone care to share similar stories and make me feel slightly less of a complete pratt

Short story: "Can I have a passenger ride?" "Hop in". Skreeeeeeeeeeeeeetch BANG.



I had the tyre wall rebuilt before the support vehicle arrived, and fixed the split carbon fibre up with cable ties so I could get home. The cable ties are still there, 4 years later.

Now I feel better

[B'stard Child]

robg2 said:

Yee-ha!

What were you saying just the other day...

B'stard Child said:

Similar here - when I converted my Monza to track car 5 years ago I thought if I get a couple of years fun out of it I'd be doing well........

Anyway never mind, could be worse. At least you got it going soon enough to have some fun in the afternoon.

Shall we expect a Monza convertible at Marham then?

No covertible Monza yet....... It's not a look I like.

A big fan of plastic windows now - when the popped out it was easy to slap em back in and refix them - if it had still be std glass it would have been game over

However it will hopefully be sporting a recycled roof - probably still in white paint with toasted edges where I mig'd it on. A bit less weight up top as it'll no longer have a glass sunroof as that'll be replaced with a sheet of 2mm Alloy pop riveted to the roof with a bed of sikaflex to stop any leaks.

[vxmatt]

Loving the Monza OP. Good to hear that you weren't hurt and that the car will live to fight another day

[B'stard Child]

slippery said:

Really glad you're ok BC!

Experience is what you get when you don't want it

Big Rod said:

Rezpekt for getting back in the car Ian, but I wouldn't have expected anything less from you!

Travelling to france for a trackday and car sharing with another PHr (Also a Bahnstormer and founder member of the Norfolk Monza Mafia) who hadn't actually had a drive before I stuck it on it's roof meant I was not keen to chuck in the towel

Big Rod said:

You going for the record of 'battle scarred Monza' ownership? LOL

Not a record I want Or one I'd like to see beaten - I like Monzas too much