ListerBell Stratos

[renmure]

the tribester said:

Looks great, top work.

Is that how the window drops??

Thanks,

Yes, there is a friction slider to pivot the window.

pingu393 said:

My biggest concern about the windows wouldn't be airflow, but access to ticket machines or keypads at car parks or toll booths.

I've had a car whose window only came halfway down and it was a proper PITA.

I don't think you want to lose sight of the fact the original design was simply to compete at rallying and everything else was superfluous so no thought to car parks or toll booths. Even the door pockets are shaped and sized to fit a rally helmet. I like that sense of purpose.

I'm not a total martyr tho and have ticked the options box for air-con.

In any event, the Stratos will be sharing garage space with this and as you can see, the little round helicopter vent IS the side window opening so I'm well used to choosing my car parking spaces with a bit of forethought about how to get out without looking too stoopid

[renmure]

456mgt said:

You definitely like hardcore Jim! That's proper stuff

Haha, you can talk.

Anyhow, I'm definitely hardcore but without the talent.

The guy I bought the Ultima from was a professional test driver. He sent me on my way after buying the car with the advice that "all I needed to drive the car quickly was a bit of skill". Hmmm, so "coming to a hedge, backwards, sometime soon" I joked. Well, I certainly got that T-shirt!! Now, lesson learned ... I'm a cruiser

[renmure]

Think I've had a bit of a Stratos themed Christmas.
Well, Stratos and chocolate.
Perhaps too much chocolate!

Anyhow, one pressie was a large signed canvas print, limited edition 1/1, by David Kelsall (https://www.davidkelsallart.com/sport-motorsport) who is a digital artist specialising in historic motorsport who was good enough to modify an image he's created of Sandro Munari / Piero Sodano in the 1977 RAC rally in a similar car to reflect the livery and decals of my car.



.... and some chocolate

[renmure]

If I listed the chocolate that I'd eaten it would only make me realise how much there still was to get through before the end of the week when my "never eat chocolate ever, ever, ever again resolution kicks in.

Luckily I've got a bit of a car themed man-cave type bolthole at home where a 3ft canvas might find a bit of wall space without looking any sillier than anything else in there.

First drive? Hmmm. Well, I'm typing this wearing a Lancia Stratos and Santa Claus themed "Happy Christmas" sweatshirt that my wife bought me LAST October in the hope that I might have had the car this time last year so I'm probably gonna hold off from building myself up for a first drive prediction incase it just misses the target.

[renmure]

Hitch said:

renmure said:

I’d add the lights and leave it like that. More of a homage than a replica.

Car looks epic, it must be a hoot to drive.

Nooooo

Imagine the embarrassment of turning up at a car meet and being guided to park next to an identical Alitalia car.

[renmure]

Bizarro said:

Car looks stunning Jim, hope to see it one day. Is the exhaust the finished article or is that the IVA friendly version? Guess Nottingham moving into tier 4 restrictions will have put a delay on the IVA plans for January?

Thanks Nick, I'm hoping to see it completed one day

I've lost a bit of track about what's open and what's not in these tiers so am just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping for the best. That huge boat anchor hanging off the back is the IVA friendly exhaust. It did make a good job of silencing things for the test tho. This is how it will run, with minimal silencers and no cats, although I may need to borrow or buy the boat anchor in 3 years for an MOT.

Bizarro said:

Kevin, so pleased to hear you’re making the most of the car and it has been reliable. Don’t think I could have used it as a daily. How many miles have you covered, any long trips?
You’re both obviously a lot more hardcore than me, after the LB I bought a modern Exige with the idea of using it daily but even that has spent more time sat in the garage than on the road!

Kevin is going to be my Emergency, Get-Out-Of-Jail, phone number if I realise after an hour that I'm less hardcore than I thought

My thoughts on the AC were based on my experience in the Ultima. The helicopter vents do a great job of creating a draft when moving even if the outside air was warm but the fish-bowl shape of the windscreen made it almost intolerable when stationary and I thought the Stratos screen looked like it would do something similar. I'd not really given much thought to the roof vents other than just thinking the roof scoop looked cool

[renmure]

Excuse the naff photoshop but I feel like celebrating. Slightly surprisingly the IVA station were operating today and the final hoop of the brake test was jumped through so that's a good start to the new year.

Huge appreciation and all credit to Craig and everyone at ListerBell.

Whoop whoop.

Edited by renmure on Monday 4th January 20:17

[renmure]

pingu393 said:

I just found out (via Wheeler Dealers Fiat X-19 episode), the designer of the Stratos also designed the Muira.

I think his list of designs is long and distinguished....

Alfa Romeo Montreal concept and production version
Alfa Romeo 33 Carabo
Alfa Romeo 90
Autobianchi A112
Autobianchi A112 Runabout
Bertone Pirana
Bugatti EB 110 (prototypes)
BMW 5 Series (E12), including the concept Garmisch in 1970
Citroën BX
Citroën Camargue
Cizeta-Moroder V16T
De Tomaso Biguà (Qvale Mangusta)
De Tomaso Pantera SI
De Tomaso Pantera 'Prossima Generazione'
Dino/Ferrari 308 GT4
Ferrari Rainbow
Fiat 132
Fiat X1/9
Iso Lele
Iso Grifo 90
Iso Grifo 96
Jaguar Ascot
Lamborghini Bravo
Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini P140
Lamborghini Diablo (prototypes)
Lamborghini P147 Acosta
Lamborghini Espada
Lamborghini Jarama
Lamborghini Miura
Lamborghini Urraco
Lamborghini Marzal
Lancia Stratos Zero
Lancia Stratos[2]
Lancia Sibilo[3]
Maserati Khamsin
Maserati Ghibli II
Maserati Quattroporte II (1974–1978) & IV (1994–2001)
Maserati Shamal
Maserati Chubasco
1st and 2nd Maserati Biturbos facelift
Nissan AP-X
NSU Trapeze
Renault 5 Turbo
Renault 5 Supercinq
Renault Magnum
TaMo Racemo
Stola S81 Stratos
Stola S86 Diamante
Volvo Tundra

[renmure]

CanAm said:

The Group 4 regs used to require space for 2 FIA "suitcases". I know it's not a Grand Tourer, but is there any storage space in the LB Stratos other than the helmet 'bins'?

I've had to nick a pic of another car being built for a view of the boot 'cause I've not opened or looked in mine yet but yes, there is adequate storage. Looks similar to what I've had in various Elises and Exiges so probably not the best place to store ice-cream on the way backfrom the shops but ok for keeping the pizza warm

[renmure]

fatbutt said:

Roof rack?

I think there's more than one replica of the Safari cars out there.
Would look good with skis up there tho

[renmure]

Mefistofele said:

Mr Renmure, how big would the boot be in real terms? I seem to remember reading about Jean Ragnotti hiding inside the boot of a competitor's Stratos (Darniche's, maybe?) and repeatedly hitting the panels from inside to make him believe the car had some mechanical problem.

Admittedly Jeannot is of rather slim build, but...

Haha. As much as I'd love that to be true he would have had to do it before he outgrew the boot space, so around the age of about 5 I would guess

[renmure]

Slippydiff said:

Car looks fantastic



Am I right in thinking the original pop up Stratos headlamps would no longer comply with/pass IVA regs ? and thus they're now verboten ?

What will your car run in the way of headlights ? Some small fixed light units that are/will be fitted behind the perspex covers (and can be dipped when required) ?

No, it has the proper pop-up Stratos headlights and they do pop-up and pop-down like they are supposed to. I probably didn't realise I'd not taken too many pics with them popped-up. I assume there must be some sort of exemption perhaps or... ?

For the IVA the bottom pair of fog lights couldn't be fitted because they limit the peripheral view of the side front indicators. Also, you're only allowed a total of 4 headlights on the car including the 2 pop-up ones so you'd either have to swap 2 of the 4 auxiliary lights for 2 additional fog lights or.... just leave the quad-pod off

The final look will be like this....



and I'll most likely use the original style of Carello covers to avoid damage and look cool

[renmure]

If anyone is still awake after all this time...

A couple of small updates...

The post-IVA changes are happening now. For the engine this means the standard camshafts from the Alfa 3.2 GT engine have been changed for reprofiled higher lift ones and vernier pulleys have been fitted. The original intention had been to use Pipercams for this but a change of plan means that the Fast Road cams from AH Motorsport are being used.






The car is heading back to SCS-Delta next week for final mapping. The switchable map to an over-fueling "pop-bang-flames" mode is still very much on the agenda again

I'm not really chasing big numbers here. If I was then a supercharged Toyota 2GR-FE V6 would be the way to go. I'm after a bit of screaming Italian character with the naturally aspirated Busso engine but with a bit of added race-car burble and idle. In any event, it will be interesting to see how the transformation goes.

The Group 4 decat exhaust is back on the car having been treated at Zircotec and the custom ListerBell Airbox has been fitted.



In terms of bodywork, the lower fog light pods and lamps have been fitted, the IVA mirrors have been replaced, the side repeater spacers have been removed and the rear disc bells have been swapped to help the wheels fill the arches better.









It's getting there

Just need to decide whether to follow the lead of Bjorn Waldegard in the 1975 RAC Rally and just keep the rear canopy off permanently

[renmure]

MC Bodge said:

If a car passes IVA and parts are subsequently changed, is there an issue with legality or is there a mis-match between IVA and MOT/road legality?

My knowledge is limited to just reading around the subject a bit but, as an example, to pass IVA the steering wheel needs to conform to certain safety and size regulations and have a padded center section. Fitting a period steering wheel or one of the many aftermarket Momo wheels after the test will still pass the MOT even tho it would have failed the IVA.

Edited by renmure on Sunday 31st January 20:01

[renmure]

DJHay said:

I hate being That Guy always asking for updates and being impatient



But I can't help it so, are there any updates?

Welcome to my world

No real updates at the moment although there's a few things happening in the background and I should have some news of them soon.

Meantime, the digital painting on canvas I commissioned of how the car should look when complete arrived yesterday and is up in the man-cave.

[renmure]

So many good intentions, so many good plans.... so many other distractions.

But, yes, that's the plan.

[renmure]

GTRene said:

yesterday I got my new Stratos in...

ok small to begin with ,

I've got 3 different 1/43 examples now, one or two more to follow, also saw a nice yellow and a blue one, not that I buy all different one's, just a few to see which I like most, and then maybe later one in real size.

I mostly buy some scale models first before I buy a real one, or some bucket list scale model cars to remind me what's out there

You big child.

It's good to play with toys tho.

I just need to get out of the habit of pushing the "reset" button every time I crash

[renmure]

Doofus said:

To be realistic, surely the chair needs to point 22 degrees towards the centre of the car, not away from it.

Sometimes I think my lap times would be better if the chair pointed away from the screen!!

[renmure]

So, another step on the homeward leg.

The car had been down at SCS-Delta (https://www.scs-delta.co.uk/) recently to go back on the rolling road after having the Fast Road spec cams. They had also supplied the bespoke ECU for the car

The stock 3.2 Alfas make about 240 bhp on their rolling road. Way back in October 2019 my car made 286 bhp on their rollers with the ListerBell ITB set-up and Group 4 exhaust.

This time, with the final spec including the ITBs and Fast Road cams the car made 322 bhp.



I'm really happy with that. The car was mapped on standard fuel and with the bodywork, airbox and filters in place, so pretty much as it will be on the road.

Again I had it set up with a selectable map for a "pop-bang-flames" from a toggle switch on the dash for a bit of theater and fun (when appropriate of course)

From memory the car weighed 960kg at the IVA test which included the weight of the boat-anchor IVA exhaust so in general terms I think it's probably in a nice "sweet spot" for power, power/weight and equally important to me, noise. Lots of noise

[renmure]

Things are coming together now.

The car is off being detailed and having PPF fitted before the decals are put in place.
A carbon airbox and carbon dash are in progress.
The first road test went well.
A new door latch is on order (Joke!)