Vixen Binned It

[dougc]

Dark coloured Vixen on an old L plate in the central verge opposite the Shell petrol station on the A303 outside Arnesbury at 5pm tonight. Looked like a big tankslapper off the rounabout. Driver out of the car OK and looks like you got away with not too much damage - hopefully just scratches from the trees and nothing more substantial

Was going to stop to help but the car in front was a police Passat, the occupants of which I guessed wouldn't appriciate a nosey onlooker, even if I am a fellow owner - "Don't worry officer, it's OK, I'm a PHer"

Lovely car though. Had a racing novice cross on the back. Anyone know it?

[Electron]

Hmmmmmmm

Not quite a Vixen ... it's a V8 5 litre :-)

Just finished being set up on the rolling road and had a lot more horesepower on the way back than it did on the way there. I can't blame the roundabout or the wet weather it was pure and simple too much right foot ......

Fortunately I got away with some very minor front wing damage. You can see how far down the road it went .....

As it's so low it dug into the verge and scrubbed off most of the speed before going into the scenery.

The police were absolutely brilliant ... really helpful and sympathetic ...

I don't plan to shut the A303 again and will revert to the trailer in future.

Lesson learnt.

Cheers

Chris

[e2djh]

Glad to hear you came out of it ok
I'm sure most of us are guilty of a heavy right foot at some time or other.

[.Mark]

Hope the damage is repaired soon as possible.

Actually good to read someone being honest about too much loud pedal.

Usual suspects are, diesel on road, slippery white line, numpty changing lanes etc.

[dougc]

Good to hear you got away relatively unscathed and that the BiB were sympathetic.

[Notanutter]

Electron said:

Hmmmmmmm

Not quite a Vixen ... it's a V8 5 litre :-)

Chris

Glad you "both" survived OK. I see from your profile you also have a Fairthorpe (hence the I.D.), is it by any chance my old Electron Minor Mk 3, reg 311KTF, last seen about 1972 ???

[electron]

Thanks for the moral support ... the "Novice" sticker has been on for five years and is still needed .... the car should be out in the TVR Sprint Challenge this year or else a special hedge feature in Gardeners World :-)

The Fairthorpe was my first venture into Hillclimbing. 1959 Mk1 built to Historic Racing spec (discs + screaming Triumph Spitfire 1147cc + solid back axle from a Standard 10 van)..

The other Fairthorpe is a 1962 unused bodyshell for a Zeta and will use a TR4 2 litre.

I could never work out which section "Fairthorpe Banter" should exist in. Perhaps there ought to be a 50's Fibreglass section for Elvas Turners Rochdales and Fairthorpes.

Chris

[petclub]

Glad you're OK and the car not too bad. The pic on your profile looks brilliant.

[dinkel]

Lovely conversion. Please share some details and pics with us mate

[electron]

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=235661&f=34&h=0&hw=5000M has a photo.

The engine has moved on a bit from that posting...

Ford 302/5 litre V8 (Ford Mustang etc)
Offenhauser inlet with Holley 650 Double Pumper
Isky Cam
High Compression pistons
Balanced cross drilled crank
Windsor Heads
Holley fuel pump and pressure regulator
One off foam filled petrol tank with safety valves (it used to p*ss petrol on right handers)

We could only set the car up manually as it was too low for the rolling road and the exhaust got in the way. I'll be going back with taller tyres to get some better bhp but expect about 310bhp at the flywheel. Not bad for a 33 year old ......

We'd literally just finished setting it up on the Friday after about a year of R&D and the urge to drive her home was just too much :-)

You can't use 1st gear and I was pulling away using 2nd very gently ......

Chris

[dinkel]

That's a TunnelRunner allright.