Land Rover Series III Rally Car. (Yes really)
Discussion
Fantastic post and what a great old Land Rover, love it!
However being Pistoheads there will be some people along in a minute to tell you that a Landcruiser would be better as it would never break blah blah blah.
In my eyes there is no other vehicle on the planet that creates the same feelings and simple enjoyment than a series Land Rover.
However being Pistoheads there will be some people along in a minute to tell you that a Landcruiser would be better as it would never break blah blah blah.
In my eyes there is no other vehicle on the planet that creates the same feelings and simple enjoyment than a series Land Rover.
Would be interesting to see how a Man Cruiser would do to be honest.
Because we're now competing in historics in the Pre Jan 1975 class it means the only Man Cruiser you could enter something like this:
Which maybe very lovely but at rallying? Hmmm.
Because we're now competing in historics in the Pre Jan 1975 class it means the only Man Cruiser you could enter something like this:
Which maybe very lovely but at rallying? Hmmm.
Edited by Landyphil on Saturday 25th August 20:51
Hi there Phil! Didnt know you had made the jump to PH 
For those dribbling at the racer, I must say from having seen it in the metal that it is a fantastic bit of kit! I was extremely privileged to be given a short ride in it on a recent visit to Phil's house and it was an experience totally at odds with a Series landy - being strapped into a bucket seat nestled in a rollcage with a motorsport dashboard in front of me! Whilst, despite tuning, no Series will ever set the tarmac alight in a straight line, it gripped like a limpet through the bends with absolutely no body roll whatsoever and was an absolute hoot to blast down country lanes in. Truly and utterly a vehicle in the spirit of PH
I even managed to film a little bit of the journey:
http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_...
For those dribbling at the racer, I must say from having seen it in the metal that it is a fantastic bit of kit! I was extremely privileged to be given a short ride in it on a recent visit to Phil's house and it was an experience totally at odds with a Series landy - being strapped into a bucket seat nestled in a rollcage with a motorsport dashboard in front of me! Whilst, despite tuning, no Series will ever set the tarmac alight in a straight line, it gripped like a limpet through the bends with absolutely no body roll whatsoever and was an absolute hoot to blast down country lanes in. Truly and utterly a vehicle in the spirit of PH
I even managed to film a little bit of the journey:
http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh5/rockin_all_...
I don't think anyone got a Bowler through the log booking process for rallying prior to the big clamp down on framing (all that effort just to ban Andy Burton's Pug 306).
They've been used as course cars but without a stage logbook it's a non starter which is a big shame.
John Cockburn used a 5 litre Tomcat for a few events such as the Tour of Mull in 2003 but it was subsequently told not to come back I believe.
The running gear found it's way into a 2 door range rover to be allowed:
They've been used as course cars but without a stage logbook it's a non starter which is a big shame.
John Cockburn used a 5 litre Tomcat for a few events such as the Tour of Mull in 2003 but it was subsequently told not to come back I believe.
The running gear found it's way into a 2 door range rover to be allowed:
Landyphil said:
I don't think anyone got a Bowler through the log booking process for rallying prior to the big clamp down on framing (all that effort just to ban Andy Burton's Pug 306).
They've been used as course cars but without a stage logbook it's a non starter which is a big shame.
John Cockburn used a 5 litre Tomcat for a few events such as the Tour of Mull in 2003 but it was subsequently told not to come back I believe.
The running gear found it's way into a 2 door range rover to be allowed:
Same wheels and everything They've been used as course cars but without a stage logbook it's a non starter which is a big shame.
John Cockburn used a 5 litre Tomcat for a few events such as the Tour of Mull in 2003 but it was subsequently told not to come back I believe.
The running gear found it's way into a 2 door range rover to be allowed:
Brilliant.Great write up mate, a friend of mine has a landy and he swears by it, would love one but im poor
A bittersweet rally report in some respects as there is scant chance I’ll be able write another for sometime. But what a way to bow out for a break!
The Solway Historic.
Run by WigtonMC the Solway Historic Rally was originally run as “The Cockermouth Revival Rally” and rasied money for Cockermouth town post it’s 2009 flooding.
It then evolved into the Solway Historic rally and is a “Tests only” rally meaning there is no competitive element on the public roads just an overall time schedule with 12 or so special tests at various private venues from Airfields to Kart Tracks around North and West Cumbria.
Things weren’t looking good the week before as, to seek answers to the noises within I stuck a videoscope down the sparkplug orifices and found my bores looked like this!
This would explain why an engine that should be making about 190psi was making between 50-90psi compression! It’s never been fast but it was getting very “flat”. But the bores were bizarrely smooth so we took a chance and so I set off on a cold Sunday morn to head up to Rowrah Kart Track with Tray following later in the Defender…carrying spares!
The journey was not one I will remember fondly being deafened and then frozen as the voltmeter in the cab was saying worrying things so the heater remained off. With a straight cut box and wing mirrors that kept steaming up I nearly ended up having an indiscretion on the way there with another classic so it was apologies when I got to Rowrah!
Most rally cars were already there when I lined up for scrutineering still getting the odd funny look from rally crews that hadn’t seen the landy before. Scrutineering passed with so much as a iffy front right indicator which was just a loose bulb we got handed all the paperwork and went upstairs and sat with Richard Craig and Peter Leary running Richard’s MGBGT.
The tests were similar to last years with a few additional ones and best off all some split/merge laps of Rowrah to finish the day off. As long the engine lasted that long!
The sun was well out and beginning to dry the rather cold slippy track when we lined up for the start of test 1 and 2. A reverse lap of Rowrah. Twice. As soon as the marshal got to “two” on his countdown all sympathy for the engine went, 3000rpm and lift the clutch. Get to the first corner on the first test and JEEESUS come in a bit too hot there!
Understeer noted I kept it a bit smoother on the turn in to help the old girl and we sailed round (well it looked like we were tacking anyway) about 4 seconds faster than the dry lap last year. Those new rear springs were worth it!
All the guys and gals from the Young Guns Classics forum had arrived in proper cars to see Richard and myself give it a go. Cheer us on and it’s to the fine work of Calum Barrow, Frazer Kinghorn, Adam Griffin, Andrew Wright and Alex Backhouse that I have these fine photomagraphs.
Tests done it was out onto the road for a blat up to Broughton Quarry which was looking rather slippy. Even with knobblies I could play tunes with the amount of wheelspin in 2nd! Not bad with the engine like it was!
As feared the top of the quarry despite being large had the cones about 5mm apart or so it seemed which with no handbrake made progress slow dropping a lot of time at by going out on the last but one cone gave it room for me plant it to get it sideways and power out a bit quicker Good fun up and down the track though!
A fly round the big concrete slab at Scaryport and we were off to the soft gravel of the old motel and woodyard at Moota. Bit tighter than last time due to a big pile of hardcore but great fun and it with the sun lowish through the trees very photogenic it would seem!
After that it was off to Wigton itself for lunch halt and a test in the auction mart one again on very smooth soft gravel. On the way there though we came across the sad sight of Richard and Peter stopped with a fuel pump problems. A few electrical investigations removed some possible faults and Richard said we may as well be on our way.
The test at the auction mart was murder last year for the landy but with no steering damper and new tyres it didn’t seem that bad. Still a HUGE problem not being able to do handbrake turns though as some of the other competitors skipped round the cones pulling on that central steering handle!
http://youtu.be/VgjPcyN7gnU
We had a little picnic in the sun and warm (really is the end of October?) outside and watched the action before heading back out and up to Kirkbride airfield.
I may have err sort of gone off a touch during both of those tests as the landy even when not understeering has a turning circle bigger than the concrete bits. Just as well it’s designed to go offroad! Marshals did seem to be laughing quite a lot which shows our work there was done!
It’s a long way from Kirkbride to Maryport if you’re not using any main roads really but a slightly longer test at Maryport went nicely even if we were flagging a bit by then. Managed to get a nice bit of power oversteer which on concrete shows the engine was still pulling as much as it could!
The next test was a new one at Wellington Farm near Cockermouth. Felt at home looking at all the mud but still didn’t select 4wd. Kills what little turn in we have…..and for once maybe I should have depressed my little yellow knob (Cue “Oooh Errr” type comments)
Lifted the clutch at about 2500rpm and then went straight for second…..sometime later we’d moved a few feet and had got most of the way up to the codeboard before the wheelspin subsided. As we flew up the first corner which was a bit unsighted I went in a little hot and slid wide. Not wishing to incur any penalties by hitting the border markers I hit the brakes and backed up maybe a yard or two before deploying all the horses we had…in 2nd….and after we’d sunk about 8inches in about 5 seconds it began to move slowly off. A quick glance in the wing mirror showed the sort of ruts I’d expect at a Comp Safari. Any guilt for the next crew coming along was forgotten as the we were constantly sliding about but it felt good.
The last corner was a 270 degree round the last cone and it looked very cut up and on a slope Threw it in and planted it in 2nd and the diff worked it’s magic perfectly. Back end came round and we did the lot with the steering about straight. Lovely.
The marshal at the end asked what engine we had. Seemed slightly bemused by the fact it’s a tired knocking 2 and a quarter in there.
After a random route up the fells and back it was the final blast round Rowrah running the right way with two laps and split and merge. Given that the car in front was a mini and the car behind a Lancia Fulvia the idea of dicing with a Land Rover flat out seemed to not appeal so we had the track to ourselves mainly. Engine sounded a little more rattly so changed up a bit earlier on every shift.
Last year this little switchback was a 2nd gear job. This year it was a slight dab of brakes on the way in and then flat in 3rd bouncing off the kerbs.
We crept back to the car park and it all went nice and quiet. Rally done! 25th o/a which’ll do.
A check of the LPG gauge showed it was pretty much empty. Not great in West Cumbria where LPG is clearly too advanced for all but 1 station in the whole region that closes on a Sunday!
Racer doesn’t really run well on petrol as I still can’t get the carb spot on and given that it would be getting dark and I wasn’t sure of how much electricity was spare we made a quick dash for home.
As it turned out it was a faulty connection on the voltmeter thankfully and by keeping the throttle light we got home in sort of one piece!
And that as they say is that. Plan is to put it back in storage and start what could be a lot changing of bits. New engine block/bottom end at the very least which gives me chance to look at whether the gearbox casing is OK. Overdrive could do with a rebuild as could the bearing in the transfer box I’m guessing. Finally there’s a hub or two to rebuild as well.
It will return. Just not quite sure when!
The Solway Historic.
Run by WigtonMC the Solway Historic Rally was originally run as “The Cockermouth Revival Rally” and rasied money for Cockermouth town post it’s 2009 flooding.
It then evolved into the Solway Historic rally and is a “Tests only” rally meaning there is no competitive element on the public roads just an overall time schedule with 12 or so special tests at various private venues from Airfields to Kart Tracks around North and West Cumbria.
Things weren’t looking good the week before as, to seek answers to the noises within I stuck a videoscope down the sparkplug orifices and found my bores looked like this!
This would explain why an engine that should be making about 190psi was making between 50-90psi compression! It’s never been fast but it was getting very “flat”. But the bores were bizarrely smooth so we took a chance and so I set off on a cold Sunday morn to head up to Rowrah Kart Track with Tray following later in the Defender…carrying spares!
The journey was not one I will remember fondly being deafened and then frozen as the voltmeter in the cab was saying worrying things so the heater remained off. With a straight cut box and wing mirrors that kept steaming up I nearly ended up having an indiscretion on the way there with another classic so it was apologies when I got to Rowrah!
Most rally cars were already there when I lined up for scrutineering still getting the odd funny look from rally crews that hadn’t seen the landy before. Scrutineering passed with so much as a iffy front right indicator which was just a loose bulb we got handed all the paperwork and went upstairs and sat with Richard Craig and Peter Leary running Richard’s MGBGT.
The tests were similar to last years with a few additional ones and best off all some split/merge laps of Rowrah to finish the day off. As long the engine lasted that long!
The sun was well out and beginning to dry the rather cold slippy track when we lined up for the start of test 1 and 2. A reverse lap of Rowrah. Twice. As soon as the marshal got to “two” on his countdown all sympathy for the engine went, 3000rpm and lift the clutch. Get to the first corner on the first test and JEEESUS come in a bit too hot there!
Understeer noted I kept it a bit smoother on the turn in to help the old girl and we sailed round (well it looked like we were tacking anyway) about 4 seconds faster than the dry lap last year. Those new rear springs were worth it!
All the guys and gals from the Young Guns Classics forum had arrived in proper cars to see Richard and myself give it a go. Cheer us on and it’s to the fine work of Calum Barrow, Frazer Kinghorn, Adam Griffin, Andrew Wright and Alex Backhouse that I have these fine photomagraphs.
Tests done it was out onto the road for a blat up to Broughton Quarry which was looking rather slippy. Even with knobblies I could play tunes with the amount of wheelspin in 2nd! Not bad with the engine like it was!
As feared the top of the quarry despite being large had the cones about 5mm apart or so it seemed which with no handbrake made progress slow dropping a lot of time at by going out on the last but one cone gave it room for me plant it to get it sideways and power out a bit quicker Good fun up and down the track though!
A fly round the big concrete slab at Scaryport and we were off to the soft gravel of the old motel and woodyard at Moota. Bit tighter than last time due to a big pile of hardcore but great fun and it with the sun lowish through the trees very photogenic it would seem!
After that it was off to Wigton itself for lunch halt and a test in the auction mart one again on very smooth soft gravel. On the way there though we came across the sad sight of Richard and Peter stopped with a fuel pump problems. A few electrical investigations removed some possible faults and Richard said we may as well be on our way.
The test at the auction mart was murder last year for the landy but with no steering damper and new tyres it didn’t seem that bad. Still a HUGE problem not being able to do handbrake turns though as some of the other competitors skipped round the cones pulling on that central steering handle!
http://youtu.be/VgjPcyN7gnU
We had a little picnic in the sun and warm (really is the end of October?) outside and watched the action before heading back out and up to Kirkbride airfield.
I may have err sort of gone off a touch during both of those tests as the landy even when not understeering has a turning circle bigger than the concrete bits. Just as well it’s designed to go offroad! Marshals did seem to be laughing quite a lot which shows our work there was done!
It’s a long way from Kirkbride to Maryport if you’re not using any main roads really but a slightly longer test at Maryport went nicely even if we were flagging a bit by then. Managed to get a nice bit of power oversteer which on concrete shows the engine was still pulling as much as it could!
The next test was a new one at Wellington Farm near Cockermouth. Felt at home looking at all the mud but still didn’t select 4wd. Kills what little turn in we have…..and for once maybe I should have depressed my little yellow knob (Cue “Oooh Errr” type comments)
Lifted the clutch at about 2500rpm and then went straight for second…..sometime later we’d moved a few feet and had got most of the way up to the codeboard before the wheelspin subsided. As we flew up the first corner which was a bit unsighted I went in a little hot and slid wide. Not wishing to incur any penalties by hitting the border markers I hit the brakes and backed up maybe a yard or two before deploying all the horses we had…in 2nd….and after we’d sunk about 8inches in about 5 seconds it began to move slowly off. A quick glance in the wing mirror showed the sort of ruts I’d expect at a Comp Safari. Any guilt for the next crew coming along was forgotten as the we were constantly sliding about but it felt good.
The last corner was a 270 degree round the last cone and it looked very cut up and on a slope Threw it in and planted it in 2nd and the diff worked it’s magic perfectly. Back end came round and we did the lot with the steering about straight. Lovely.
The marshal at the end asked what engine we had. Seemed slightly bemused by the fact it’s a tired knocking 2 and a quarter in there.
After a random route up the fells and back it was the final blast round Rowrah running the right way with two laps and split and merge. Given that the car in front was a mini and the car behind a Lancia Fulvia the idea of dicing with a Land Rover flat out seemed to not appeal so we had the track to ourselves mainly. Engine sounded a little more rattly so changed up a bit earlier on every shift.
Last year this little switchback was a 2nd gear job. This year it was a slight dab of brakes on the way in and then flat in 3rd bouncing off the kerbs.
We crept back to the car park and it all went nice and quiet. Rally done! 25th o/a which’ll do.
A check of the LPG gauge showed it was pretty much empty. Not great in West Cumbria where LPG is clearly too advanced for all but 1 station in the whole region that closes on a Sunday!
Racer doesn’t really run well on petrol as I still can’t get the carb spot on and given that it would be getting dark and I wasn’t sure of how much electricity was spare we made a quick dash for home.
As it turned out it was a faulty connection on the voltmeter thankfully and by keeping the throttle light we got home in sort of one piece!
And that as they say is that. Plan is to put it back in storage and start what could be a lot changing of bits. New engine block/bottom end at the very least which gives me chance to look at whether the gearbox casing is OK. Overdrive could do with a rebuild as could the bearing in the transfer box I’m guessing. Finally there’s a hub or two to rebuild as well.
It will return. Just not quite sure when!
Not a great update here.
Rebuilt rear hub which had somehow crapped a rear oil seal but must have only done it in the last few miles so bearing saved.
Compression test with oil in the bores showed no improvement but oil appeared in the inlet manifold! At least the bores aren't leaking under compression...just the valves! :roll:
Knowing at least that the valves were passing and that was the source of the compression lost off came the head and valves were dropped.
b
ks!
Yup it's all looking poo and that's one of the better inlet seats!
8 new valves ordered (and some optimism) combined with new springs. Head runs double springs and a comparison of new main springs and old ones showed the old ones were both softer and ever so slightly shorter.
So set to lapping it on. Pot 1 and 4 took no time at all and went just fine.
(Pot 1 shown on the right)
Cylinder 2 and 3.......didn't look good. Seats slightly more pitted and would not lap well. Eventually though a clear ring was formed on all valve seats.
When it came to test though: Cold cranking Pot 1 to 3 145 to 150psi........ OK but not great given how much head isn't there.
Pot 4 which looked one of the better ones you could hear leaking the charge out with obvious low compression.
Confirmed that there was nothing odd going on rocker/cam wise by backing the tappets right off so the valves were DEFINATELY fully closed under the compression stroke.
Not happy!
Fortunately it looks like I might be getting a stock head which if it's half decent will do for the time being while I see if a proper job can be done on the very high compression head in the longer term.
Rebuilt rear hub which had somehow crapped a rear oil seal but must have only done it in the last few miles so bearing saved.
Compression test with oil in the bores showed no improvement but oil appeared in the inlet manifold! At least the bores aren't leaking under compression...just the valves! :roll:
Knowing at least that the valves were passing and that was the source of the compression lost off came the head and valves were dropped.
b
ks!Yup it's all looking poo and that's one of the better inlet seats!
8 new valves ordered (and some optimism) combined with new springs. Head runs double springs and a comparison of new main springs and old ones showed the old ones were both softer and ever so slightly shorter.
So set to lapping it on. Pot 1 and 4 took no time at all and went just fine.
(Pot 1 shown on the right)
Cylinder 2 and 3.......didn't look good. Seats slightly more pitted and would not lap well. Eventually though a clear ring was formed on all valve seats.
When it came to test though: Cold cranking Pot 1 to 3 145 to 150psi........ OK but not great given how much head isn't there.
Pot 4 which looked one of the better ones you could hear leaking the charge out with obvious low compression.
Confirmed that there was nothing odd going on rocker/cam wise by backing the tappets right off so the valves were DEFINATELY fully closed under the compression stroke.
Not happy!
Fortunately it looks like I might be getting a stock head which if it's half decent will do for the time being while I see if a proper job can be done on the very high compression head in the longer term.
Thought I'd start 2013 on a positive note so this morning tootled into the garage and inspected the "racing" head as I wanted to know what made cylinder 4 compression go down. 99% sure it was valves not seating despite more lapping that a spoilered Corsa in Doncaster so took the valves back out.
This was the scene: Looked pretty good!
I also had the chance to compare the standard head that Dengieboy of this shire so kindly donated to the cause. As well as the fact that this head is 4mm thinner than the standard 7:1 head it doesn't really come out in the photos but the standard heads seem to have a "step" in the head where the valves seats sit.
The inlets on this one are as smooth as a cashmere codpiece all the way to the valves themselves with quite a bit more valve guide tube showing over standard. Quite a porting job!
On the exhaust ports there appears to be about 10mm more valve guide tube showing and once again it's all been smoothed and ported (as well as hardened valve seats for unleaded/LPG).
The more I looked the more I couldn't work out why pot 4 was dud. It also hit home how well done this head compared to a standard head. Roland Marlow from ACR had supplied the bits but the head was made by a bloke called Mark Ibbotson I've been lead to believe. Who last time I heard was in Australia!?!
Decided a sure fire way to test it was to put the valves back in and fill all 8 ports with petrol. In theory a good valve seat would never let petrol out.
Low and behold all ports in cylinder 1,2 and 3 were totally petrol tight.
Inlet valve on cylinder 4 started slowly weeping but exhaust valve number 4 piddled it out about as fast I poured it in even though the seat and valve faces looked spot on!
Quick bit of lapping work (just a few mins) and the exhaust valve was absolutely petrol tight. Spot on!
Gave inlet valve the same treatment refitted it and dropped some petrol back in.....
bks!
Back out the valve came and gave it a lot of lapping, and them some more for good measure.
Re assembled, in went the petrol and it seemed petrol tight.
Left it for an hour or so like the others and this was all that could be seen (Apologies for the poor photo):
Bit of moisture around the edge, as good as it's going to get and hopefully as the pressure forces are on the valve face not the back.
Going to give this fancy head another chance.
Will see what sort of figures it makes in a few days hopefully.
Incidently the copper traces that can be seen between pot 3 and 4 was the traces of the copper head gasket that been decimated and ignored by the bloke who owned it between Adrian and myself. Head's straight as a die but the copper remains in the machining marks.
This was the scene: Looked pretty good!
I also had the chance to compare the standard head that Dengieboy of this shire so kindly donated to the cause. As well as the fact that this head is 4mm thinner than the standard 7:1 head it doesn't really come out in the photos but the standard heads seem to have a "step" in the head where the valves seats sit.
The inlets on this one are as smooth as a cashmere codpiece all the way to the valves themselves with quite a bit more valve guide tube showing over standard. Quite a porting job!
On the exhaust ports there appears to be about 10mm more valve guide tube showing and once again it's all been smoothed and ported (as well as hardened valve seats for unleaded/LPG).
The more I looked the more I couldn't work out why pot 4 was dud. It also hit home how well done this head compared to a standard head. Roland Marlow from ACR had supplied the bits but the head was made by a bloke called Mark Ibbotson I've been lead to believe. Who last time I heard was in Australia!?!
Decided a sure fire way to test it was to put the valves back in and fill all 8 ports with petrol. In theory a good valve seat would never let petrol out.
Low and behold all ports in cylinder 1,2 and 3 were totally petrol tight.
Inlet valve on cylinder 4 started slowly weeping but exhaust valve number 4 piddled it out about as fast I poured it in even though the seat and valve faces looked spot on!
Quick bit of lapping work (just a few mins) and the exhaust valve was absolutely petrol tight. Spot on!
Gave inlet valve the same treatment refitted it and dropped some petrol back in.....
b
ks!Back out the valve came and gave it a lot of lapping, and them some more for good measure.
Re assembled, in went the petrol and it seemed petrol tight.
Left it for an hour or so like the others and this was all that could be seen (Apologies for the poor photo):
Bit of moisture around the edge, as good as it's going to get and hopefully as the pressure forces are on the valve face not the back.
Going to give this fancy head another chance.
Will see what sort of figures it makes in a few days hopefully.
Incidently the copper traces that can be seen between pot 3 and 4 was the traces of the copper head gasket that been decimated and ignored by the bloke who owned it between Adrian and myself. Head's straight as a die but the copper remains in the machining marks.
Been very busy of late with work/ other motors but the important bit of news:
IT'S ALIVE!
Sounds much better as well.
Compression while cold back to 160psi and more than acceptable. But compression at running temp as per manual is still comically low....however I'm beginning to think I'll ignore that reading. For the simple reason that the reading on the same cylinder can vary as much as 70psi within 20 seconds of each other.
Methinks when warm the compression tester isn't sealing properly.
Going to retorque the head now it's been warm once reset all the tappets again and then start to set up all the fueling again.
Hopefully it'll be back on the road soon.
And now I think it's time to spout forth the very much aspirational plan.
We might be giving up historic rallying for the foreseeable:
I want to have a go at breaking a bit of a record. It might take many many years if not at all but if you don't try....
So on the 15th of June I'll be donning the full race suit and (providing the Scrutineers have a sense of adventure) will be racing up Barbon hillclimb against the Porche's/ Caterhams etc as fast as that tired old engine will carry me.
Obviously I'll be coming last but as long as I finish that's what matters.
When I first met Adrian and his racer (in fact many years before it became mine) I'd seen it switch to stage rallying and thought it would be quite amusing to do as varied amount of motorsport events as possible. As times gone on and rules have changed it dawned on me that now more than ever it's difficult to have one vehicle that could at least enter if not be competative at many many disiplines. There's roughly 30 different motorsport permits under the MSA banner.
To attempt to even get close to doing them all it's going to be a 4x4 for the offroad events such as trials and hillrallies/ comp safari's. A 2wd buggy could do some of the speed events offroad wise but then how many 2wd buggies would get a Stage Rally Logbook or be allowed on a production car autotest?
So really you need a production 4x4 of some sort. But then to sign onto the historic permits it needs to be pre 1981 really pre Dec 1974.
To make it easier to sign onto a modern road rally permit something with a normally aspirated 4 pot as well.
Couple that with the very small number of pre 1974 4x4's that have a Stage log book and given that V8's are now a no no for getting a stage logbook it rules out the early Range Rover and Series Landy's like many 4x4's of the day were homologated as commercial vehicles.
Once again it's difficult to logbook a commercial motor but the racer slipped through and having already done the stage rallying thing which is fortunate as that's one of the more expensive events ticked off!
The list in my mind would be this:
Offroad:
Multi Venue Hillrally - Done Various - GKN Scottish/Welsh/Tour of Lincs
Single Venue - Hillrally
Comp Safari - Done Various
Cross Country Trial (MSA don't differentiate RTV/CCV...fortunately!) - Done CROC events such as an RTV at Seatle.
Tyro Trial
Point to Point (rare as hens teeth...died out?)
Challenge/Punch event
Timed Trial (still going in the North East just)
Rallying:
Forest Stage Rally - Done Various - Malcolm Wilson/ Grizedale Stages/ Lion Stages
Tarmac Stage Rally
Single Venue / Multi use Forest Rally
Single Venue / Multi use Tarmac Rally
Road Rally
Historic Road Rally with Tests - Done - Devils/ Lakes Classic / Solway Historic
Targa Rally (new for 2013)
Navigational Rally
Scatter Rally
Economy Rally (ha ha!)
12 Car Rally
Sporting:
Hillclimb (Hence Barbon)
Sprint
AutoSolo
Autotest
Production Car Autotest
Gymkhana - Done - The War of the Roses
Autocross
Rallycross (errr could be challenging that)
Drag Race (Comedy)
Production Car Trial....if I'm allowed.
And finally a circuit race but not sure how I'll manage that one.
So a big list with a few expensive ones ticked off. Could take years to do some of the expensive events but there's plenty that can be done cheaply. Plan is to just to quietly tick them off.
So that's the future plan for the racer. To complete as many different types of motorsport as possible and possible make some sort of unofficial UK record.
IT'S ALIVE!
Sounds much better as well.
Compression while cold back to 160psi and more than acceptable. But compression at running temp as per manual is still comically low....however I'm beginning to think I'll ignore that reading. For the simple reason that the reading on the same cylinder can vary as much as 70psi within 20 seconds of each other.
Methinks when warm the compression tester isn't sealing properly.
Going to retorque the head now it's been warm once reset all the tappets again and then start to set up all the fueling again.
Hopefully it'll be back on the road soon.
And now I think it's time to spout forth the very much aspirational plan.
We might be giving up historic rallying for the foreseeable:
I want to have a go at breaking a bit of a record. It might take many many years if not at all but if you don't try....
So on the 15th of June I'll be donning the full race suit and (providing the Scrutineers have a sense of adventure) will be racing up Barbon hillclimb against the Porche's/ Caterhams etc as fast as that tired old engine will carry me.
Obviously I'll be coming last but as long as I finish that's what matters.
When I first met Adrian and his racer (in fact many years before it became mine) I'd seen it switch to stage rallying and thought it would be quite amusing to do as varied amount of motorsport events as possible. As times gone on and rules have changed it dawned on me that now more than ever it's difficult to have one vehicle that could at least enter if not be competative at many many disiplines. There's roughly 30 different motorsport permits under the MSA banner.
To attempt to even get close to doing them all it's going to be a 4x4 for the offroad events such as trials and hillrallies/ comp safari's. A 2wd buggy could do some of the speed events offroad wise but then how many 2wd buggies would get a Stage Rally Logbook or be allowed on a production car autotest?
So really you need a production 4x4 of some sort. But then to sign onto the historic permits it needs to be pre 1981 really pre Dec 1974.
To make it easier to sign onto a modern road rally permit something with a normally aspirated 4 pot as well.
Couple that with the very small number of pre 1974 4x4's that have a Stage log book and given that V8's are now a no no for getting a stage logbook it rules out the early Range Rover and Series Landy's like many 4x4's of the day were homologated as commercial vehicles.
Once again it's difficult to logbook a commercial motor but the racer slipped through and having already done the stage rallying thing which is fortunate as that's one of the more expensive events ticked off!
The list in my mind would be this:
Offroad:
Multi Venue Hillrally - Done Various - GKN Scottish/Welsh/Tour of Lincs
Single Venue - Hillrally
Comp Safari - Done Various
Cross Country Trial (MSA don't differentiate RTV/CCV...fortunately!) - Done CROC events such as an RTV at Seatle.
Tyro Trial
Point to Point (rare as hens teeth...died out?)
Challenge/Punch event
Timed Trial (still going in the North East just)
Rallying:
Forest Stage Rally - Done Various - Malcolm Wilson/ Grizedale Stages/ Lion Stages
Tarmac Stage Rally
Single Venue / Multi use Forest Rally
Single Venue / Multi use Tarmac Rally
Road Rally
Historic Road Rally with Tests - Done - Devils/ Lakes Classic / Solway Historic
Targa Rally (new for 2013)
Navigational Rally
Scatter Rally
Economy Rally (ha ha!)
12 Car Rally
Sporting:
Hillclimb (Hence Barbon)
Sprint
AutoSolo
Autotest
Production Car Autotest
Gymkhana - Done - The War of the Roses
Autocross
Rallycross (errr could be challenging that)
Drag Race (Comedy)
Production Car Trial....if I'm allowed.
And finally a circuit race but not sure how I'll manage that one.
So a big list with a few expensive ones ticked off. Could take years to do some of the expensive events but there's plenty that can be done cheaply. Plan is to just to quietly tick them off.
So that's the future plan for the racer. To complete as many different types of motorsport as possible and possible make some sort of unofficial UK record.
Edited by Landyphil on Thursday 14th February 20:59
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