BTCC Supertouring era rumours

[Robmarriott]

I'm sure we've all heard some;

Wider front wings/track on Cavaliers
Flat fuel tanks on Mondeos
Roof chops on 850s
Folding mirrors on Accords
Double wishbone suspension on A4s
Dodgy cylinder heads
Dodgy engine blocks

Does anyone have any evidence of the above?

Magazine scans, online articles, pictures from the time, anything.

[LordHaveMurci]

Wasn't there a Primera that had the roofline lowered, was only noticed when they tried replacing a door with a normal Primera one & it was too big to fit?

[Robmarriott]

See, I've heard that, word for word, about the 850 estates.

[LiamM45]

The Audi A4's of that era ran double wishbone suspension from the factory?

I can quite happily confirm that from changing the suspension on one, and previously owning a VW Passat of the same era with the same suspension!

[Robmarriott]

Yeah, true. The original design and the STW spec design are hugely different though. I'll try to find a picture (that's one of the ones I already have proof of)

[Robmarriott]

http://www.clubgti.com/showthread.php?187653-Audi-...

Just slightly different

[LordHaveMurci]

Robmarriott said:

See, I've heard that, word for word, about the 850 estates.

I'm sure it was an interview in EVO with an Ex driver, can't think who for the life of me though.

[MrKipling43]

There's a Racecar Engineer (I think) article on the 850's 'standard' head.

Can't find it I'm afraid. It's out there somewhere though.

[FourWheelDrift]

LordHaveMurci said:

I'm sure it was an interview in EVO with an Ex driver, can't think who for the life of me though.

Would be either Jan Lammers or Rickard Rydell.

[chevronb37]

FourWheelDrift said:

LordHaveMurci said:

I'm sure it was an interview in EVO with an Ex driver, can't think who for the life of me though.

Would be either Jan Lammers or Rickard Rydell.

Only if it was the 850 estate. Kelvin Burt took Jan Lammers' seat didn't he - when they changed to the saloon?

[FourWheelDrift]

Yes, he was on about the roof chop on the 850 Estate wasn't he?

[Robmarriott]

My version of the story was the estate.

This is the thing, I'd love to filter out the rumour from truth

[covboy]

Going back a loooong way, but I believe this happened in the Ford Escort Sport/Mexico series.(how many remember that?)

Well known father and son team was found to be running a chopped down shell

Mind you from other stories from that era that was a “mild” transgression.

[iva cosworth]

chevronb37 said:

FourWheelDrift said:

LordHaveMurci said:

I'm sure it was an interview in EVO with an Ex driver, can't think who for the life of me though.

Would be either Jan Lammers or Rickard Rydell.

Only if it was the 850 estate. Kelvin Burt took Jan Lammers' seat didn't he - when they changed to the saloon?

Tim Harvey also drove a saloon didn't he ?

[DanDC5]

Harvey and Burt both drove 850's. I think it was Harvey 1st before he moved to Peugeot.

[LordHaveMurci]

EVO article related to a Primera, not a Volvo at all!

[cbcbcb]

MrKipling43 said:

There's a Racecar Engineer (I think) article on the 850's 'standard' head.

Can't find it I'm afraid. It's out there somewhere though.

http://www.clubgti.com/downloads/Volvo_850_head.pdf

[RenesisEvo]

I did hear that in order to make the body panels thinner, but get around the rule that states they panels must originate from the production line tooling, they placed two thinner sheets of metal into the tool at the same time, giving two shells, both thin and lightweight, one slightly bigger than the other.

I haven't got anything to back this up I'm afraid, other than it came from someone who was involved with TWR and plenty of amusing rule-stretching shenanigans in the BTCC and elsewhere. May even have had a hand in the Volvo engine.

[chevronb37]

iva cosworth said:

chevronb37 said:

FourWheelDrift said:

LordHaveMurci said:

I'm sure it was an interview in EVO with an Ex driver, can't think who for the life of me though.

Would be either Jan Lammers or Rickard Rydell.

Only if it was the 850 estate. Kelvin Burt took Jan Lammers' seat didn't he - when they changed to the saloon?

Tim Harvey also drove a saloon didn't he ?

I ought to know - I had the bloody t-shirt! We were sat at Knickerbrook when Burt had his monumental accident. Can picture it like it was yesterday. I think that was 1996 so probably Harvey was there in the first year of the saloon in 1995.

[Life Saab Itch]

RenesisEvo said:

I did hear that in order to make the body panels thinner, but get around the rule that states they panels must originate from the production line tooling, they placed two thinner sheets of metal into the tool at the same time, giving two shells, both thin and lightweight, one slightly bigger than the other.

I haven't got anything to back this up I'm afraid, other than it came from someone who was involved with TWR and plenty of amusing rule-stretching shenanigans in the BTCC and elsewhere. May even have had a hand in the Volvo engine.

The two sheets in the press was supposedly for the Lotus Cortina. It may have happened since.


The lowered roof was on the works Primera that Matt Neil ran in for the last race of the season in 1999. Tim Harvey told the story as he was running Neal's car at the time.

In the same article he also mentioned the TWR Rover SD1s. Apparently you had a choice of a 3.5, 3.9, 4.2, 4.5, 4.8 to run in the 3.5 class.