Club Racing in a Barge and other Stupid Decisions
Discussion
Anybody who has dropped into this thread will know that I love to waffle, and oh my goodness have I got some waffle to get through with this update! I suppose the boring stuff is easiest to get through first:
Alfa
Is now bearing scars unfortunately. I was unfortunate enough to meet the worlds wieldiest flatbed coming the other way in a tiny lane in Herefordshire. Other driver was a complete 3.14-key who, after trying to drive off, finally admitted responsibility after a lengthy and unpleasant confrontation- but knew full well that he was off scot-free because insurance companies are robbing b
ds who will take money off you fault or non-fault regardless. So I've got no recompense and a nastily scarred GT. I've since had a good go with the T-cut but most of the damage is here to stay. bd!
I've had some more contortionist work to do replacing the sidelight bulbs (and subsequently holders), changed the tweeters to improve the ICE, other than that it's been faultless still.
TVR
I took a break from disassembling the TVR to, um, re-assemble the TVR. I'm attending the TVRCC trackday at Cadwell Park next Friday so the car had to go together enough to be trackworthy, which meant battery, seats, dash and gauges back in- still in the old spec unfortunately as I've not had the time to renovate the bits I'd taken out. The only change is the installation of my new dash panel with new clock bezels and rubbers, and I'm delighted with how it looks- no doubt the stty old one was the worst thing about the interior so getting that out and a presentable one in has made a world of difference. I'm not quite convinced that a colour change and leather resto isn't still required, but to say it's the only change so far it's made me much happier with the interior.
I've had the car out and about for the first time in a couple of months to find any bits I need to do before the trackday, and I knew I was going to love driving the car again but I wasn't prepared for just how fantastic it was. The noise, the feel, the shove in the back- what a car
Engine service next week, fluids filters leads and plugs, and I think she'll be stunning at Cadwell- time to put some 500s in their place
Bay window camper and MX5
Camper is edging closer to being back in commission, most of the leisure battery wiring is done and it's just a few tidying up jobs left. The MX5 has picked up the TVRs weekend driving slack since its been off the road and been great fun, nothing exciting to report but just a superb little car. Had one mystery immobiliser problem but like all proper dramas, wiggling wires and pretending to know what I was looking for soon sorted it!
Now to the daft stuff....
MAN M2000 18T car transporter
I bought a lorry! Here it is-
It's bloody huge, especially in a market dominated by 7.5 tonners, but hopefully the specs will explain my thinking. Firstly, I've got my Category C, so going above 7.5t was never a problem. What I was after was a home-from-home for race weekends, some heated accommodation space with power and lighting, and a healthy sized garage to store and transport a race car in. What we have here, from front to rear:
The truck is a 7-litre straight 6 turbodiesel with a 6-speed manual gearbox. It's got 590,000km on it so it's just about finished its running-in period
In the cab you'll find two air-suspended seats with storage everywhere, a sleeper cab with diesel heater, rockin' custom sound system with a head unit that does everything (don't underestimate how important this is when doing 56mph for hours on end!), a permanent live reversing camera, and most importantly of all a dual-tone air horn that can be heard from space
Moving back to the box, it's split into two sections- the first being a simple briefing room area with seating for 4 across a table, 240V sockets and cupboard and drawer storage across the near side wall. There's also a 240V electric heater which works a treat and 12V LED lighting.
Moving further back, to the business end! The rear of the lorry is made up as a workshop with facilities for transport, tool storage, work bench with vice, 12V electric winch, tie-downs, enough tyre racks to support a season of F1, racking and storage for anything and everything, 12V LED lit throughout, and at the very back is the real party piece- a full-length 1.5t tail lift.
Underneath the box there are belly lockers the full length to complete the mega-storage arsenal, hatches for access to air tanks, diesel tank and running batteries, and a locker containing the 270cc petrol 240V generator with tank and circuit breakers.
The lorry also came with a ma-HOOSIVE awning which is the full length of the box and makes up as a double garage, there's also plastic flooring for the entire surface area of the awning. I don't have any instructions for this, just many many bits and pieces so it's going to be good fun trying to work out how that goes up! It's probably more than I'd ever need and a gazebo would suffice but it's custom-made for the box so it's definitely got to stay with the lorry. There's a 240V fridge in the garage, though this will be going as its way bigger than I'd ever need and is awkward to store things around and get tied down securely for the road. I think that about covers it but I may have missed something as there's rather a lot of kit on this old tug!
I picked up the lorry on the Friday of the Daytona 24 hours weekend and drove it straight to Milton Keynes to meet the team. We got to the circuit early to set up 'camp Wisemen'.
Our little site played host to the traditional Friday night BBQ and piss-up, and the briefing room was perfect to discuss last minute strategy adjustments as the rain encouraged the team into the light and warmth of the truck. Speaking of warmth- the generator was an unknown quantity which hadn't run for several years, luckily we've a four-stroke kart mechanic in our arsenal who only needed it to look at it in a certain way before it burst into life and we had a full complement of power. Once we'd had our fill of beer and whiskey we turned in, I crashed in the sleeper cab which was heavenly comfortable
Practice was on Saturday, and with several new drivers between our two teams it was all about getting the lads acquainted with the circuit. Me and my mate Seb took the lead with keeping the 2-stroke team on track, with that in mind we put the new lads out for extended stints and were surprised to find that we were bang on the pace throughout the team. The excitement ramped up and up as the practice session wore on and we consistently mingled with the top 5 on the timesheets. We were up and running like a well-oiled machine by the time I went out for practice, I saw the chequered flag on the session and returned to the pit lane to find a bunch of cheesy grins waiting for me. Right at the death and no doubt with the best track conditions, I'd set the fastest lap in the whole session!
It was a big confidence boost, but of course you take nothing for granted- and it's just as well we didn't. After having an excited discussion about who shouldn't take quali (I was pretty certain that Seb's composure and consistency was a better fit than my lap speed during the high-pressure 10 minutes), I was bundled into the kart with weight adjusted to account for fuel. And I totally fked it. I felt good as we sat waiting for the clock to start counting down, but the session was delayed for a moment.. And more.. And more.. And the spots of rain started appearing on my visor. By the time the pit lane went green I was frantic, trying to find space on my out-lap whilst getting heat into the tyres- I was certain that with the rain coming down the first lap set would surely be the one that counted. As it turned out I was wrong, I had space for a couple of fast laps which I wasn't entirely happy with but found myself finding traffic wherever I didn't want it as track conditions refused to deteriorate and other teams went faster and faster. I didn't need to be told on return to the pit lane that it wasn't what we'd hoped for, I didn't even ask where we'd qualified- it was a long 24 hours ahead, and I was taking the first stint.
As we lined up for the formation laps I was able to establish by counting the rows that we'd qualified 16th. Oh dear- right in the mixer. The approach was clear, keep it clean and pick off what I could. I had the speed on most drivers around me, but it was tough going and I took a battering for the first 20 minutes and made little progress. By the time the field spread out enough to be more bold I was still mired in the low teens, but I put my head down and at the point I was called in for fuel (a sort of self-declaration as the kart made its first cough one corner before pit entry!) we lay in a net 9th.
The rest of the race is a bit of a blur to be honest, such is the way it goes. What I can say with certainty is that every driver for our team did themselves proud. I was one of three drivers who were taking 4 stints, totalling 6 hours in the kart, and I can say first-hand that it's brutal. But everyone dug deep and we never showed any weakness. Despite having the sanctuary of my sleeper cab I only allowed myself 90mins of sleep, I just had to be on the pit wall to support the lads on track overnight. The night stints were torturous- it was COLD. I knew it was cold when I was in the kart at 2am, but when I got out and saw the hard frost around the site I realised it was COLD. I left the truck open to both teams for the entire 24h, and it was magnetic. Getting out of the kart, sweating but freezing, just about limber but teetering on the edge of muscle failure, hands blistered and feet in agony through the windchill, tortured bodies found the strength to seek respite in our makeshift home.
When the sun rose to announce the arrival of Sunday, the DMAX team had made our way to 7th and some hard stints in the morning secured us 6th. The Sodi team were on the pace in the four strokes, but unfortunately a snapped axle in the early hours of Sunday morning killed their hopes. Sympathy mingled with joy for us as the flag fell on the Daytona 24 hours, there was a certain irony that the resilient and reliable Sodi squad had hit mechanical drama whilst the frail and unknown DMAX team had run flawlessly all weekend. 6th isn't a headline-grabber, but it's a stunning result for us and we were all proud to be involved in such a great team. We'll be looking for even better next year.
An unlikely racer
As maybe obvious with the purchase of the lorry, I'm taking the plunge and going club racing this year. I've been scouting ads for race cars for months, with the primary criteria being affordability and proven pedigree- I don't have the skills to build a competitive race car, so something with previous form was desirable. My VERY modest budget had left me in the territory of the Ford Puma and MGZR, either of which I'd have been happy to race, but despite looking at a few cars I never found 'the one'. I considered MX5s, MR2s and the BMW Compact Cup, but the real dream was a TVR.
The TVR Challenge was my model for an ideal race series to enter, it's going to be a friends and family affair for me so a friendly paddock atmosphere and enthusiasts, rather than competitors, racing was the target. I went to have a look at Mike Luck's old Class C Chimaera which is an awesome car, but I was struggling to make the money make sense and I kept returning to cheap'n'cheerful. It's all well and good having my perfect race car, but if I couldn't stomach the cost of running and repairing it then the object defeats itself.
There was one advert which I'd spotted early on and pretty quickly ruled out as it just didn't seem to make much sense- the ad was for a 1989 Jaguar XJ40, but didn't have much detail. I finally relented and started doing some digging. I found after some research that this was in fact Gail Hill's old racer, built by Cov Cats, and had some real history. A couple of phone calls and a viewing of the car later the picture became much clearer- the car left the factory as a 3.6 AJ6, but now has an XJR 4.0 AJ6 built a couple of years ago and with limited mileage under its belt, with a Sport intake manifold and custom exhaust manifold, running an Emerald K6 ECU- all the right bits for a car nudging 300hp. Despite being a big old tank, weight in race trim (minus driver) is likely to be in the region of 1400kgs, no flyweight but not as terribly lardy as I thought it would be. The combination of 20-car grids in the JEC and a big RWD muscle car was too irresistible for me, so as per usual I've gone and done the silly thing- here she is!
She runs like a dream, burbles away happily at 600rpm but yelps to 6000 with the merest mention of the throttle. The battery is fubar'd, and finding a tiny little lightweight number with 4.0-firing oomph isn't too easy but hopefully I should be picking up something suitable tomorrow. In terms of safety kit, I was surprised to find belts still in date til '21, so we're only an extinguisher service and a new seat away from being MSA-approved. The seat is mounted on runners, but even so won't run far forward enough for my little legs so that will need some adjustment. Other than general maintenance, I don't think I'll know what really needs doing until it's been on track so the first shakedown run is coming soon- I can't wait!
Fair to say that the decision to buy the BIG lorry has been justified...
I passed my ARDS in the week and my licence should hopefully be in the post, I was aiming to be on a grid by 2020 and it looks like I'm pretty well on target. The aim is to visit the JEC Saloons before the end of this racing year, learn what I can and then campaign next year, as well as dropping into the CSCC Modern Classics. Buzzing!
If any kindly soul wishes to rotate my pictures then you're more than welcome, I've just finished writing all this bks so I can't be arsed!
Cheers
Mike
Alfa
Is now bearing scars unfortunately. I was unfortunate enough to meet the worlds wieldiest flatbed coming the other way in a tiny lane in Herefordshire. Other driver was a complete 3.14-key who, after trying to drive off, finally admitted responsibility after a lengthy and unpleasant confrontation- but knew full well that he was off scot-free because insurance companies are robbing b
ds who will take money off you fault or non-fault regardless. So I've got no recompense and a nastily scarred GT. I've since had a good go with the T-cut but most of the damage is here to stay. bd!I've had some more contortionist work to do replacing the sidelight bulbs (and subsequently holders), changed the tweeters to improve the ICE, other than that it's been faultless still.
TVR
I took a break from disassembling the TVR to, um, re-assemble the TVR. I'm attending the TVRCC trackday at Cadwell Park next Friday so the car had to go together enough to be trackworthy, which meant battery, seats, dash and gauges back in- still in the old spec unfortunately as I've not had the time to renovate the bits I'd taken out. The only change is the installation of my new dash panel with new clock bezels and rubbers, and I'm delighted with how it looks- no doubt the s
tty old one was the worst thing about the interior so getting that out and a presentable one in has made a world of difference. I'm not quite convinced that a colour change and leather resto isn't still required, but to say it's the only change so far it's made me much happier with the interior.I've had the car out and about for the first time in a couple of months to find any bits I need to do before the trackday, and I knew I was going to love driving the car again but I wasn't prepared for just how fantastic it was. The noise, the feel, the shove in the back- what a car
Engine service next week, fluids filters leads and plugs, and I think she'll be stunning at Cadwell- time to put some 500s in their place
Bay window camper and MX5
Camper is edging closer to being back in commission, most of the leisure battery wiring is done and it's just a few tidying up jobs left. The MX5 has picked up the TVRs weekend driving slack since its been off the road and been great fun, nothing exciting to report but just a superb little car. Had one mystery immobiliser problem but like all proper dramas, wiggling wires and pretending to know what I was looking for soon sorted it!
Now to the daft stuff....
MAN M2000 18T car transporter
I bought a lorry! Here it is-
It's bloody huge, especially in a market dominated by 7.5 tonners, but hopefully the specs will explain my thinking. Firstly, I've got my Category C, so going above 7.5t was never a problem. What I was after was a home-from-home for race weekends, some heated accommodation space with power and lighting, and a healthy sized garage to store and transport a race car in. What we have here, from front to rear:
The truck is a 7-litre straight 6 turbodiesel with a 6-speed manual gearbox. It's got 590,000km on it so it's just about finished its running-in period
In the cab you'll find two air-suspended seats with storage everywhere, a sleeper cab with diesel heater, rockin' custom sound system with a head unit that does everything (don't underestimate how important this is when doing 56mph for hours on end!), a permanent live reversing camera, and most importantly of all a dual-tone air horn that can be heard from space
Moving back to the box, it's split into two sections- the first being a simple briefing room area with seating for 4 across a table, 240V sockets and cupboard and drawer storage across the near side wall. There's also a 240V electric heater which works a treat and 12V LED lighting.
Moving further back, to the business end! The rear of the lorry is made up as a workshop with facilities for transport, tool storage, work bench with vice, 12V electric winch, tie-downs, enough tyre racks to support a season of F1, racking and storage for anything and everything, 12V LED lit throughout, and at the very back is the real party piece- a full-length 1.5t tail lift.
Underneath the box there are belly lockers the full length to complete the mega-storage arsenal, hatches for access to air tanks, diesel tank and running batteries, and a locker containing the 270cc petrol 240V generator with tank and circuit breakers.
The lorry also came with a ma-HOOSIVE awning which is the full length of the box and makes up as a double garage, there's also plastic flooring for the entire surface area of the awning. I don't have any instructions for this, just many many bits and pieces so it's going to be good fun trying to work out how that goes up! It's probably more than I'd ever need and a gazebo would suffice but it's custom-made for the box so it's definitely got to stay with the lorry. There's a 240V fridge in the garage, though this will be going as its way bigger than I'd ever need and is awkward to store things around and get tied down securely for the road. I think that about covers it but I may have missed something as there's rather a lot of kit on this old tug!
I picked up the lorry on the Friday of the Daytona 24 hours weekend and drove it straight to Milton Keynes to meet the team. We got to the circuit early to set up 'camp Wisemen'.
Our little site played host to the traditional Friday night BBQ and piss-up, and the briefing room was perfect to discuss last minute strategy adjustments as the rain encouraged the team into the light and warmth of the truck. Speaking of warmth- the generator was an unknown quantity which hadn't run for several years, luckily we've a four-stroke kart mechanic in our arsenal who only needed it to look at it in a certain way before it burst into life and we had a full complement of power. Once we'd had our fill of beer and whiskey we turned in, I crashed in the sleeper cab which was heavenly comfortable
Practice was on Saturday, and with several new drivers between our two teams it was all about getting the lads acquainted with the circuit. Me and my mate Seb took the lead with keeping the 2-stroke team on track, with that in mind we put the new lads out for extended stints and were surprised to find that we were bang on the pace throughout the team. The excitement ramped up and up as the practice session wore on and we consistently mingled with the top 5 on the timesheets. We were up and running like a well-oiled machine by the time I went out for practice, I saw the chequered flag on the session and returned to the pit lane to find a bunch of cheesy grins waiting for me. Right at the death and no doubt with the best track conditions, I'd set the fastest lap in the whole session!
It was a big confidence boost, but of course you take nothing for granted- and it's just as well we didn't. After having an excited discussion about who shouldn't take quali (I was pretty certain that Seb's composure and consistency was a better fit than my lap speed during the high-pressure 10 minutes), I was bundled into the kart with weight adjusted to account for fuel. And I totally f
ked it. I felt good as we sat waiting for the clock to start counting down, but the session was delayed for a moment.. And more.. And more.. And the spots of rain started appearing on my visor. By the time the pit lane went green I was frantic, trying to find space on my out-lap whilst getting heat into the tyres- I was certain that with the rain coming down the first lap set would surely be the one that counted. As it turned out I was wrong, I had space for a couple of fast laps which I wasn't entirely happy with but found myself finding traffic wherever I didn't want it as track conditions refused to deteriorate and other teams went faster and faster. I didn't need to be told on return to the pit lane that it wasn't what we'd hoped for, I didn't even ask where we'd qualified- it was a long 24 hours ahead, and I was taking the first stint.As we lined up for the formation laps I was able to establish by counting the rows that we'd qualified 16th. Oh dear- right in the mixer. The approach was clear, keep it clean and pick off what I could. I had the speed on most drivers around me, but it was tough going and I took a battering for the first 20 minutes and made little progress. By the time the field spread out enough to be more bold I was still mired in the low teens, but I put my head down and at the point I was called in for fuel (a sort of self-declaration as the kart made its first cough one corner before pit entry!) we lay in a net 9th.
The rest of the race is a bit of a blur to be honest, such is the way it goes. What I can say with certainty is that every driver for our team did themselves proud. I was one of three drivers who were taking 4 stints, totalling 6 hours in the kart, and I can say first-hand that it's brutal. But everyone dug deep and we never showed any weakness. Despite having the sanctuary of my sleeper cab I only allowed myself 90mins of sleep, I just had to be on the pit wall to support the lads on track overnight. The night stints were torturous- it was COLD. I knew it was cold when I was in the kart at 2am, but when I got out and saw the hard frost around the site I realised it was COLD. I left the truck open to both teams for the entire 24h, and it was magnetic. Getting out of the kart, sweating but freezing, just about limber but teetering on the edge of muscle failure, hands blistered and feet in agony through the windchill, tortured bodies found the strength to seek respite in our makeshift home.
When the sun rose to announce the arrival of Sunday, the DMAX team had made our way to 7th and some hard stints in the morning secured us 6th. The Sodi team were on the pace in the four strokes, but unfortunately a snapped axle in the early hours of Sunday morning killed their hopes. Sympathy mingled with joy for us as the flag fell on the Daytona 24 hours, there was a certain irony that the resilient and reliable Sodi squad had hit mechanical drama whilst the frail and unknown DMAX team had run flawlessly all weekend. 6th isn't a headline-grabber, but it's a stunning result for us and we were all proud to be involved in such a great team. We'll be looking for even better next year.
An unlikely racer
As maybe obvious with the purchase of the lorry, I'm taking the plunge and going club racing this year. I've been scouting ads for race cars for months, with the primary criteria being affordability and proven pedigree- I don't have the skills to build a competitive race car, so something with previous form was desirable. My VERY modest budget had left me in the territory of the Ford Puma and MGZR, either of which I'd have been happy to race, but despite looking at a few cars I never found 'the one'. I considered MX5s, MR2s and the BMW Compact Cup, but the real dream was a TVR.
The TVR Challenge was my model for an ideal race series to enter, it's going to be a friends and family affair for me so a friendly paddock atmosphere and enthusiasts, rather than competitors, racing was the target. I went to have a look at Mike Luck's old Class C Chimaera which is an awesome car, but I was struggling to make the money make sense and I kept returning to cheap'n'cheerful. It's all well and good having my perfect race car, but if I couldn't stomach the cost of running and repairing it then the object defeats itself.
There was one advert which I'd spotted early on and pretty quickly ruled out as it just didn't seem to make much sense- the ad was for a 1989 Jaguar XJ40, but didn't have much detail. I finally relented and started doing some digging. I found after some research that this was in fact Gail Hill's old racer, built by Cov Cats, and had some real history. A couple of phone calls and a viewing of the car later the picture became much clearer- the car left the factory as a 3.6 AJ6, but now has an XJR 4.0 AJ6 built a couple of years ago and with limited mileage under its belt, with a Sport intake manifold and custom exhaust manifold, running an Emerald K6 ECU- all the right bits for a car nudging 300hp. Despite being a big old tank, weight in race trim (minus driver) is likely to be in the region of 1400kgs, no flyweight but not as terribly lardy as I thought it would be. The combination of 20-car grids in the JEC and a big RWD muscle car was too irresistible for me, so as per usual I've gone and done the silly thing- here she is!
She runs like a dream, burbles away happily at 600rpm but yelps to 6000 with the merest mention of the throttle. The battery is fubar'd, and finding a tiny little lightweight number with 4.0-firing oomph isn't too easy but hopefully I should be picking up something suitable tomorrow. In terms of safety kit, I was surprised to find belts still in date til '21, so we're only an extinguisher service and a new seat away from being MSA-approved. The seat is mounted on runners, but even so won't run far forward enough for my little legs so that will need some adjustment. Other than general maintenance, I don't think I'll know what really needs doing until it's been on track so the first shakedown run is coming soon- I can't wait!
Fair to say that the decision to buy the BIG lorry has been justified...
I passed my ARDS in the week and my licence should hopefully be in the post, I was aiming to be on a grid by 2020 and it looks like I'm pretty well on target. The aim is to visit the JEC Saloons before the end of this racing year, learn what I can and then campaign next year, as well as dropping into the CSCC Modern Classics. Buzzing!
If any kindly soul wishes to rotate my pictures then you're more than welcome, I've just finished writing all this b
ks so I can't be arsed!Cheers
Mike
The tail lift was the main selling point of the truck for me, within a reasonable budget there aren't many full-length ones out there with a 1.5t capacity. Even so I was surprised that the Jag fits but it does! 
I don't know the exact weight of the Jag but it was built for a 1350kg class and the builder tells me it was very close to that weight pre-race, so with somebody in the car we're close to the SWL of the lift, but within it. The lift has got plenty of power and doesn't struggle to get the Jag off the ground.
Living the dream I may be, and I know I'm a lucky boy, but budget is limited and provisions will have to be made for racing- the MX5 is being sold and the TVR SORN'd in the summer to keep my running costs down, for example. The race car and transporter combo cost me less than £10k which I think represents fair value, and I've been working hard to earn this for myself. Life is too short not to have a race car!
I don't know the exact weight of the Jag but it was built for a 1350kg class and the builder tells me it was very close to that weight pre-race, so with somebody in the car we're close to the SWL of the lift, but within it. The lift has got plenty of power and doesn't struggle to get the Jag off the ground.
Living the dream I may be, and I know I'm a lucky boy, but budget is limited and provisions will have to be made for racing- the MX5 is being sold and the TVR SORN'd in the summer to keep my running costs down, for example. The race car and transporter combo cost me less than £10k which I think represents fair value, and I've been working hard to earn this for myself. Life is too short not to have a race car!
The diesel GT has been brilliant 
For me it was a combination of having a nice steer that was comfy, practical and economical- I was fully expecting a compromise on those factors but it's been excellent on all counts. Most of the idiosyncrasies I'm finding are in the layout of the electronics, bar that the build quality and ergonomics are excellent.
I need to pen a quick write-up on the TVRCC trackday at Cadwell, I'll get round to that when I get hold of some decent pictures.
As for the racer, I'm not booked for any races yet as I haven't even driven it in anger yet! I think I'm going to gate crash a track day or two first just to know what I'm dealing with and identify any glaring problems which need addressing, before moving on to test days and seeing if the combination of me and the Jag can yield some speed.
Two things which need addressing before getting on track for the first time are the tyres and the seat. The tyres are old R888s which are near the end of their life but may still be good for a shakedown- I'll need to make that decision as and when, I'll probably get a spare set of wheels with new tyres ready just in case I really can't get on with the old ones- but they should be fine. The seat needs replacing, which I'm shopping for- it's a Sparco on runners but even so I'm too short for it! There's one visible bolt hole's worth of adjustment left in the runner mounts so when I get some downtime I'll use those and see if it'll work, if not then I'll be starting from square one with regards mounting a seat.
Unfortunately I'm back into a fairly hectic work schedule for the meantime so progress shan't be too rapid.
For me it was a combination of having a nice steer that was comfy, practical and economical- I was fully expecting a compromise on those factors but it's been excellent on all counts. Most of the idiosyncrasies I'm finding are in the layout of the electronics, bar that the build quality and ergonomics are excellent.
I need to pen a quick write-up on the TVRCC trackday at Cadwell, I'll get round to that when I get hold of some decent pictures.
As for the racer, I'm not booked for any races yet as I haven't even driven it in anger yet! I think I'm going to gate crash a track day or two first just to know what I'm dealing with and identify any glaring problems which need addressing, before moving on to test days and seeing if the combination of me and the Jag can yield some speed.
Two things which need addressing before getting on track for the first time are the tyres and the seat. The tyres are old R888s which are near the end of their life but may still be good for a shakedown- I'll need to make that decision as and when, I'll probably get a spare set of wheels with new tyres ready just in case I really can't get on with the old ones- but they should be fine. The seat needs replacing, which I'm shopping for- it's a Sparco on runners but even so I'm too short for it! There's one visible bolt hole's worth of adjustment left in the runner mounts so when I get some downtime I'll use those and see if it'll work, if not then I'll be starting from square one with regards mounting a seat.
Unfortunately I'm back into a fairly hectic work schedule for the meantime so progress shan't be too rapid.
Okay, so I probably owe this topic a sizeable update. Where to start..? I dunno. Quite a lot has happened! Probably easiest to break it down by er, vehicle. Littlest to largest seems a fair way to do it.
Mazda MX-5 NA
So, you may recall that the Mazda was being sold to fund the racing. After all, it's a second or third car at best, I really don't need it, it's just not a necessary thing to own. A little fizzy four-pot, it's not my style, it doesn't really do anything that the TVR doesn't do better, definitely best to move it on.
Well, the time came, tax and insurance was up for renewal, the car was cleaned, spick and span ready for sale... And I couldn't do it. The bloody thing has got under my skin!
The dash shows 163,000kms now and I've had lots of jobs to do to bring it up to scratc- well, no, that's a lie, no I haven't, I haven't really done anything more than put petrol in it. Oh!
I did have to tighten a loose exhaust clamp, so y'know, the hours have been put in and my dedication has been put to the test. Oh the humanity!
TVR Chimaera
The TVR's last action was the TVRCC Cadwell Park trackday on the 24th May, and it had been laid up for a while beforehand so a bit of fettling was required to get her singing happily before the day of the (not) races. It didn't need much, soon the V8 was burbling away happily and the right fluids were getting to all the right places. It did throw up a small scare with a snapped fan belt on an exploratory run out the day before, but that was easily sorted and easily re-tensioned. Was I worried about getting to Cadwell? Not a bit. Because the TVR wasn't going to be driven there!
For some reason loading the TVR was a doddle compared to the Jag, in fact it looked a little bit lost in the back of the truck the big black MAN provided superb service, swallowing the Fosse Way and the hard yards to the North East with little fuss. We drove up the night beforehand and planned to stay in the truck overnight. At the circuit we met fellow stop-overs Peter (phazed) with his superb N/A powerhouse Chim, and the owner of a beautiful Tamora that had trailered up behind his camper.
I was in the back of the truck unstrapping the car when I heard a shout and poked my head out to see wisps of smoke emerging from beneath the Tamora. I grabbed my handheld extinguisher and ran over, but the bonnet cable had snapped meaning no access to the source of the fire. I emptied my extinguisher through the bonnet vents, under the car, anywhere I could think to try, but it was a lame effort and the futility became clear when the track security came over with a full-size bottle which was also emptied to no avail. Painfully we had to stand back and watch the flames take over. It was probably a matter of five minutes from the first sight of smoke to a full-scale inferno which totally overcame the car. We had to scramble to the other vehicles to clear the paddock, such was the intensity of the fire. It looks as though it started when the engine was fired to back the car off the trailer, and a fuel line let go. In retrospect it's clear from how quickly it developed that the car was a goner from the moment it started, but of course that doesn't make it any easier watching someone's P&J burn despite getting an extinguisher to the car almost immediately.
RIP the last TVR Tamora to be road registered in the UK.
Unsurprisingly I didn't sleep too well that night, the acrid smell of burning rubber and fibreglass still hung in the air and I couldn't bear to imagine the feelings of the poor chap who'd lost his beautiful car. At 5am when the sun rose over the circuit I was awake, so I took a stroll around the circuit to see what lay ahead for the rest of the day to come. Cadwell Park is a fantastic sight, you can't appreciate the sheer undulation and steepness of the hills unless you're on foot. With the morning dew still hanging and a clear sky above, the track looked breathtaking. I'd never been round before, and I couldn't wait to take it on. I returned to the paddock to this poignant sight.
Soon the morning calm was disturbed by the rumble of V8s and the rasp of straight sixes, as the TVR armada started to arrive. By 8am the paddock was a beehive of activity, cars being prepared and old friends catching up over a cup of tea. We got the kettle on and the gas stove fired for some bacon sarnies. I'd elected for the Intermediate group for the track day; it was my first time at Cadwell Park and I was well and truly out-gunned with my breathless 3.9 RV8. I needn't have been concerned; the combination of decent Federal tyres and a great suspension set up saw me flying round Cadwell. Tuscans, T350s, Cerbs, 5.0 RV8s, they were all fair game. I may not have had the horsepower but I did have a big raft of V8 noise which made me feel like I was doing a million miles per hour as the car played theatrics across the kerbs and up the mountain. By the end of the day I'd talked myself into keeping the throttle pinned over the rise, for no other reason than to hear the revs rise as the weight came off the car and the rears span up. What. A. Circuit. Loved it!
I had a great day, the TVRCC did a superb job, and my little Chim knocked me for six yet again. Apart from some fettling with the throttle cable in the morning, it ran faultlessly all day- and when we went to open pit lane in the afternoon there weren't many cars circulating that were consistently faster. The whole experience reinforced two points for me:
1- I shouldn't underestimate my TVR! It's absolutely fan-bloody-brilliant, and I should never forget that.
2- Fire safety. I have to plead guilty to being lax. I've always carried my handheld extinguisher in the car, and it had made me complacent. For example, my Chim leaks fuel if the tank is full and you corner hard- 'yeah it's alright, I just won't brim the tank'- it's not alright. I'm not driving the car again until I know my fuel system is fully leakproof. My handheld extinguisher that had given me so much confidence, did st-all when up against a fuel fire. And it's only blind luck that I didn't end up learning that lesson the hard(er) way.
As for the TVR's future prospects, well, shame on me, it's laid up again. And I haven't so much as touched it since the track day. I hope I can be forgiven for this, as I have been rather busy- the rest of this post will reveal as such. What Cadwell revealed (or potentially caused, whatever!) is the dire need for exhaust manifolds, a new water pump, and new engine mounts. It's all part of the bigger picture plan for the mini-resto, the car is sadly SORN'd now waiting for me to start. And the interior, as my missus keeps reminding me, is 'all over the fking house!'
Alfa GT
Sounds funny. Needs a wheel bearing (or two). I had feared I had a driveshaft on the way out, as the nasty whining was accompanied by a rhythmical ticking from the left front, but closer inspection revealed this to be a pad wear sensor which had worked it's way loose and was kissing the wheel weights once every time round- so I sorted that, and whilst I was there, checked out all the front running gear for the source of the whine. Diff seems fine, it's not the gearbox, driveshafts look good- must be the wheel bearings. I've a mate with a 10 ton press so when I can borrow that from him I'll get it sorted.
Other than that, pretty good. 138k miles now, not bad for a frail little Italian. Engine is strong as an ox, though it smokes a little on startup- purely unburnt fuel, no trace of oil or oil level loss, so I suspect a leaky injector. Never fails to start though, so I'm unconcerned and I'll see to it when I have the time spare.
The only real mystery it's thrown at me- and this one really is a head scratcher- was a nasty vibration. And I mean NASTY. This damn oscillation would start at random times, normally 65mph or so when at a cruise, and once started would develop and develop until I was fighting to keep the car on the road- then disappear. It was totally random, couldn't be traced to a particular wheel, and seemed to be worse when it was damp. For a long time I suspected a wheel speed sensor on the blink causing one brake to bind and release rapidly, but I doubted that the Alfa had a TCS system sophisticated enough for individual wheel braking- further inspection made it all the more baffling, as there was no heat on the brakes when coasting to a stop after a particularly violent occurrence of the nasty bugger vibration. Tyre pressures or unbalanced wheels would have been the easy answer, but this was quickly dispelled.
The issue was only resolved once I removed- and this doesn't make ANY sense- the piggyback ECU. Many of my brain cells have been lost through the strain of trying to figure this one out, but I've given up on trying now. Whatever- it's solved, the ECU is gone, and the car now runs and drives as it should.
(Except for noisy bd wheel bearings).
the big black MAN
What an excellent bit of kit this truck is turning out to be. The storage, the lift, the tools, the comfort, the convenience- it's the best £6750 I've ever spent, I'm sure of it. That doesn't mean that it can't be improved though, and there are plans afoot. Many plans. See?
(The above is included purely as evidence that I do occasionally actually think about what I'm doing before doing it... just not very often!)
The results, so far, look like this:
And let me tell you it is COMFY! What's left to do now is to finish building a table with a sprung hinged fold-away leg, that clips into the far wall- then unhooks easily to be swung under and provide lateral support for the bed. The interior is only foam pieces covered in stockinette currently, these will be nicely upholstered to a pleasant finish. Then I can attack the cupboards, new doors and a bloody good clean will be followed by Lino flooring which will make the accommodation room more sterile and home-from-homey but can be lifted and replaced easily. Then it's mini fridge-fitting time, which will have a permanent residence within the cupboards and be powered by a switchable 12V/230V supply- a microwave will also find it's way in here, and if I'm feeling really glam, an electric hob. It's already feeling like my little race weekend retreat in there!
In terms of oily bits, the truck has been fine- not been touched. The running gear is beefy as st and doesn't need much tending. The only breakage so far has been the battery isolator which snapped in my hand a few weeks ago, so I ordered and fitted a totally new isolator system with better fittings which is much nicer to use and a lot more secure. The tail lift also threw a scare with a BIG hydraulic leak from behind it's two-way valve, I identified the fitting and got a spanner to it but couldn't seem to tighten it, so it was straight on the phone to a hydraulic fitter (and drag racer- but that's another story!) to get it seen to. Hydraulic systems are really simple to be honest, but when it comes to something this load-carrying on which I need total reliance that it will work without fail on every occasion, it's worth getting the big guns in I think. So my tail lift got a full inspection and fresh LOLER cert, and believe it or not it didn't need to be touched- my puny effort with a spanner had cured the leak! I was given advice to white lithium the runners to within an inch of their lives, but other than that the tail lift has a clean bill of health.
Jobs remaining are to spider chase the cab electrics to restore interior lighting (one light sorted so far, three to go) and the night heater which has a dead panel. With the way the weather has been recently that hasn't been a priority! It may also need a tyre soon, one of the twin rears is showing some age-related cracking.
I'll say it again because it's so true, this truck is a bloody superb bit of kit.
Racing
The real meat of this update....
...You'll have to wait for, as I've run out of time between shifts. Bugger! I'll revisit when I get a chance, but rest assured that this part is where the really exciting stuff is!
In the meantime, here's a tease...
Mike
Mazda MX-5 NA
So, you may recall that the Mazda was being sold to fund the racing. After all, it's a second or third car at best, I really don't need it, it's just not a necessary thing to own. A little fizzy four-pot, it's not my style, it doesn't really do anything that the TVR doesn't do better, definitely best to move it on.
Well, the time came, tax and insurance was up for renewal, the car was cleaned, spick and span ready for sale... And I couldn't do it. The bloody thing has got under my skin!
The dash shows 163,000kms now and I've had lots of jobs to do to bring it up to scratc- well, no, that's a lie, no I haven't, I haven't really done anything more than put petrol in it. Oh!
I did have to tighten a loose exhaust clamp, so y'know, the hours have been put in and my dedication has been put to the test. Oh the humanity!TVR Chimaera
The TVR's last action was the TVRCC Cadwell Park trackday on the 24th May, and it had been laid up for a while beforehand so a bit of fettling was required to get her singing happily before the day of the (not) races. It didn't need much, soon the V8 was burbling away happily and the right fluids were getting to all the right places. It did throw up a small scare with a snapped fan belt on an exploratory run out the day before, but that was easily sorted and easily re-tensioned. Was I worried about getting to Cadwell? Not a bit. Because the TVR wasn't going to be driven there!
For some reason loading the TVR was a doddle compared to the Jag, in fact it looked a little bit lost in the back of the truck
the big black MAN provided superb service, swallowing the Fosse Way and the hard yards to the North East with little fuss. We drove up the night beforehand and planned to stay in the truck overnight. At the circuit we met fellow stop-overs Peter (phazed) with his superb N/A powerhouse Chim, and the owner of a beautiful Tamora that had trailered up behind his camper.I was in the back of the truck unstrapping the car when I heard a shout and poked my head out to see wisps of smoke emerging from beneath the Tamora. I grabbed my handheld extinguisher and ran over, but the bonnet cable had snapped meaning no access to the source of the fire. I emptied my extinguisher through the bonnet vents, under the car, anywhere I could think to try, but it was a lame effort and the futility became clear when the track security came over with a full-size bottle which was also emptied to no avail. Painfully we had to stand back and watch the flames take over. It was probably a matter of five minutes from the first sight of smoke to a full-scale inferno which totally overcame the car. We had to scramble to the other vehicles to clear the paddock, such was the intensity of the fire. It looks as though it started when the engine was fired to back the car off the trailer, and a fuel line let go. In retrospect it's clear from how quickly it developed that the car was a goner from the moment it started, but of course that doesn't make it any easier watching someone's P&J burn despite getting an extinguisher to the car almost immediately.
RIP the last TVR Tamora to be road registered in the UK.
Unsurprisingly I didn't sleep too well that night, the acrid smell of burning rubber and fibreglass still hung in the air and I couldn't bear to imagine the feelings of the poor chap who'd lost his beautiful car. At 5am when the sun rose over the circuit I was awake, so I took a stroll around the circuit to see what lay ahead for the rest of the day to come. Cadwell Park is a fantastic sight, you can't appreciate the sheer undulation and steepness of the hills unless you're on foot. With the morning dew still hanging and a clear sky above, the track looked breathtaking. I'd never been round before, and I couldn't wait to take it on. I returned to the paddock to this poignant sight.
Soon the morning calm was disturbed by the rumble of V8s and the rasp of straight sixes, as the TVR armada started to arrive. By 8am the paddock was a beehive of activity, cars being prepared and old friends catching up over a cup of tea. We got the kettle on and the gas stove fired for some bacon sarnies. I'd elected for the Intermediate group for the track day; it was my first time at Cadwell Park and I was well and truly out-gunned with my breathless 3.9 RV8. I needn't have been concerned; the combination of decent Federal tyres and a great suspension set up saw me flying round Cadwell. Tuscans, T350s, Cerbs, 5.0 RV8s, they were all fair game. I may not have had the horsepower but I did have a big raft of V8 noise which made me feel like I was doing a million miles per hour as the car played theatrics across the kerbs and up the mountain. By the end of the day I'd talked myself into keeping the throttle pinned over the rise, for no other reason than to hear the revs rise as the weight came off the car and the rears span up. What. A. Circuit. Loved it!
I had a great day, the TVRCC did a superb job, and my little Chim knocked me for six yet again. Apart from some fettling with the throttle cable in the morning, it ran faultlessly all day- and when we went to open pit lane in the afternoon there weren't many cars circulating that were consistently faster. The whole experience reinforced two points for me:
1- I shouldn't underestimate my TVR! It's absolutely fan-bloody-brilliant, and I should never forget that.
2- Fire safety. I have to plead guilty to being lax. I've always carried my handheld extinguisher in the car, and it had made me complacent. For example, my Chim leaks fuel if the tank is full and you corner hard- 'yeah it's alright, I just won't brim the tank'- it's not alright. I'm not driving the car again until I know my fuel system is fully leakproof. My handheld extinguisher that had given me so much confidence, did s
t-all when up against a fuel fire. And it's only blind luck that I didn't end up learning that lesson the hard(er) way.As for the TVR's future prospects, well, shame on me, it's laid up again. And I haven't so much as touched it since the track day. I hope I can be forgiven for this, as I have been rather busy- the rest of this post will reveal as such. What Cadwell revealed (or potentially caused, whatever!) is the dire need for exhaust manifolds, a new water pump, and new engine mounts. It's all part of the bigger picture plan for the mini-resto, the car is sadly SORN'd now waiting for me to start. And the interior, as my missus keeps reminding me, is 'all over the f
king house!' Alfa GT
Sounds funny. Needs a wheel bearing (or two). I had feared I had a driveshaft on the way out, as the nasty whining was accompanied by a rhythmical ticking from the left front, but closer inspection revealed this to be a pad wear sensor which had worked it's way loose and was kissing the wheel weights once every time round- so I sorted that, and whilst I was there, checked out all the front running gear for the source of the whine. Diff seems fine, it's not the gearbox, driveshafts look good- must be the wheel bearings. I've a mate with a 10 ton press so when I can borrow that from him I'll get it sorted.
Other than that, pretty good. 138k miles now, not bad for a frail little Italian. Engine is strong as an ox, though it smokes a little on startup- purely unburnt fuel, no trace of oil or oil level loss, so I suspect a leaky injector. Never fails to start though, so I'm unconcerned and I'll see to it when I have the time spare.
The only real mystery it's thrown at me- and this one really is a head scratcher- was a nasty vibration. And I mean NASTY. This damn oscillation would start at random times, normally 65mph or so when at a cruise, and once started would develop and develop until I was fighting to keep the car on the road- then disappear. It was totally random, couldn't be traced to a particular wheel, and seemed to be worse when it was damp. For a long time I suspected a wheel speed sensor on the blink causing one brake to bind and release rapidly, but I doubted that the Alfa had a TCS system sophisticated enough for individual wheel braking- further inspection made it all the more baffling, as there was no heat on the brakes when coasting to a stop after a particularly violent occurrence of the nasty bugger vibration. Tyre pressures or unbalanced wheels would have been the easy answer, but this was quickly dispelled.
The issue was only resolved once I removed- and this doesn't make ANY sense- the piggyback ECU. Many of my brain cells have been lost through the strain of trying to figure this one out, but I've given up on trying now. Whatever- it's solved, the ECU is gone, and the car now runs and drives as it should.
(Except for noisy b
d wheel bearings).the big black MAN
What an excellent bit of kit this truck is turning out to be. The storage, the lift, the tools, the comfort, the convenience- it's the best £6750 I've ever spent, I'm sure of it. That doesn't mean that it can't be improved though, and there are plans afoot. Many plans. See?
(The above is included purely as evidence that I do occasionally actually think about what I'm doing before doing it... just not very often!)
The results, so far, look like this:
And let me tell you it is COMFY! What's left to do now is to finish building a table with a sprung hinged fold-away leg, that clips into the far wall- then unhooks easily to be swung under and provide lateral support for the bed. The interior is only foam pieces covered in stockinette currently, these will be nicely upholstered to a pleasant finish. Then I can attack the cupboards, new doors and a bloody good clean will be followed by Lino flooring which will make the accommodation room more sterile and home-from-homey but can be lifted and replaced easily. Then it's mini fridge-fitting time, which will have a permanent residence within the cupboards and be powered by a switchable 12V/230V supply- a microwave will also find it's way in here, and if I'm feeling really glam, an electric hob. It's already feeling like my little race weekend retreat in there!
In terms of oily bits, the truck has been fine- not been touched. The running gear is beefy as s
t and doesn't need much tending. The only breakage so far has been the battery isolator which snapped in my hand a few weeks ago, so I ordered and fitted a totally new isolator system with better fittings which is much nicer to use and a lot more secure. The tail lift also threw a scare with a BIG hydraulic leak from behind it's two-way valve, I identified the fitting and got a spanner to it but couldn't seem to tighten it, so it was straight on the phone to a hydraulic fitter (and drag racer- but that's another story!) to get it seen to. Hydraulic systems are really simple to be honest, but when it comes to something this load-carrying on which I need total reliance that it will work without fail on every occasion, it's worth getting the big guns in I think. So my tail lift got a full inspection and fresh LOLER cert, and believe it or not it didn't need to be touched- my puny effort with a spanner had cured the leak! I was given advice to white lithium the runners to within an inch of their lives, but other than that the tail lift has a clean bill of health.Jobs remaining are to spider chase the cab electrics to restore interior lighting (one light sorted so far, three to go) and the night heater which has a dead panel. With the way the weather has been recently that hasn't been a priority! It may also need a tyre soon, one of the twin rears is showing some age-related cracking.
I'll say it again because it's so true, this truck is a bloody superb bit of kit.
Racing
The real meat of this update....
...You'll have to wait for, as I've run out of time between shifts. Bugger! I'll revisit when I get a chance, but rest assured that this part is where the really exciting stuff is!
In the meantime, here's a tease...
Mike
Edited by CanoeSniffer on Thursday 29th August 20:53
Where was I? Oh yeah, racing.. Okay, well I suppose I'll start with karting.
Castle Combe Karting Championship
The last round is tomorrow, and, er, I've already mathematically won. I suppose that takes the pressure off! It hasn't felt like a particularly challenging year, though that's not down to lack of driving talent. Most rounds have been separated by hundredths and more often than not I haven't been the fastest man on track. I suppose things have just fallen my way! What it means is another year of BRKC, which I'll try and be a bit better prepared for this year. I won't pretend to be fully committed to it, but it's a good challenge so it's worthy of being taken seriously.
24 Hour Karting Series
So I've done two more 24 hour kart races since my last update; the 24hrs of Le Mans on the Circuit de Alain Prost, and the Teesside 24hrs in Middlesborough. I would be driving for SKA Racing in a rental prokart from Teesside's fleet.
The 24hrs of Le Mans was a baptism of fire. The kart we were issued was a bit of a dog, and we couldn't get near the pace- when it was running. We fought with numerous breakdowns throughout the evening and into the night, and in the early hours of the morning we finally gave in and decided to drop to the back of the field in exchange for a different kart. Lo and behold we were suddenly on the pace of the leaders, but it was too little too late and we weren't able to make much progress. The experience of racing abroad, on a spectacular circuit, was still quite something.
Teesside was much of the same. Our kart simply didn't have any pace, but at least it held itself together for consecutive stints. We had two teams, and although our team held the trump card (one particular driver who had been fastest in the same karts at Le Mans and was monstrously fast everywhere), we couldn't get near the pace of the other team in what seemed to be a slightly healthier kart. Undeterred, we ploughed on and some consistency and determination saw us still running competitively- the other team some distance up the road and fighting with the big guns. It all ended late in the evening with engine failure, the same fate befalling the other team in the early hours of the morning. Unfortunate, but it can't be helped. Teesside was a fantastic track, if a bit brutal with some nasty bumps.
If anything sums up our luck, it's managing to break the steering wheel- at BOTH races! 3h20m total driving with this was distinctly uncomfortable- but I suppose it's called endurance racing for a reason!
I've learned by now to take the rough with the smooth when it comes to 24 hour races. We seemed to have no luck at all this year, but both events were still wonderful experiences and I'll still have great memories of them.
The Jaaaaaaaag
The Jag has completed a decent shakedown period comprising trackdays at Castle Combe and Thruxton, testing a few different parts. It's now sitting pretty on 17x9 Wolfrace wheels with new R888Rs (as per JEC regs) and EBC brakes front and rear. This thing is a beast! It's a real wrestling match, but if you can hang on tightly enough it grips and goes far better than a big old barge has any right to.
Words can't really justify the amount of work that's gone into it. A few bits still need doing before this coming weekend, where I'll be racing in the JEC Saloons & GTs at the CSCC Thruxton Thriller (the 21st-22nd September). I'm dead excited! I can't believe I'm finally racing, and I'm so proud to have got the car together in time for it. If anyone is thinking of coming down, I've seen the entry list.. You definitely should. What a weekend it's set to be! In the meantime, the work continues..
For anyone using the book of face you'll find more detail on my racing exploits here:
https://www.facebook.com/mikeseabourneracing/?moda...
And some videos of the shakedown running (and any racing as and when I do it) here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIuJShtNatfh5RbsY...
Apologies for keeping it brief, but as ever time is at a premium. Hopefully I'll see some of you at Thruxton!
Castle Combe Karting Championship
The last round is tomorrow, and, er, I've already mathematically won. I suppose that takes the pressure off! It hasn't felt like a particularly challenging year, though that's not down to lack of driving talent. Most rounds have been separated by hundredths and more often than not I haven't been the fastest man on track. I suppose things have just fallen my way! What it means is another year of BRKC, which I'll try and be a bit better prepared for this year. I won't pretend to be fully committed to it, but it's a good challenge so it's worthy of being taken seriously.
24 Hour Karting Series
So I've done two more 24 hour kart races since my last update; the 24hrs of Le Mans on the Circuit de Alain Prost, and the Teesside 24hrs in Middlesborough. I would be driving for SKA Racing in a rental prokart from Teesside's fleet.
The 24hrs of Le Mans was a baptism of fire. The kart we were issued was a bit of a dog, and we couldn't get near the pace- when it was running. We fought with numerous breakdowns throughout the evening and into the night, and in the early hours of the morning we finally gave in and decided to drop to the back of the field in exchange for a different kart. Lo and behold we were suddenly on the pace of the leaders, but it was too little too late and we weren't able to make much progress. The experience of racing abroad, on a spectacular circuit, was still quite something.
Teesside was much of the same. Our kart simply didn't have any pace, but at least it held itself together for consecutive stints. We had two teams, and although our team held the trump card (one particular driver who had been fastest in the same karts at Le Mans and was monstrously fast everywhere), we couldn't get near the pace of the other team in what seemed to be a slightly healthier kart. Undeterred, we ploughed on and some consistency and determination saw us still running competitively- the other team some distance up the road and fighting with the big guns. It all ended late in the evening with engine failure, the same fate befalling the other team in the early hours of the morning. Unfortunate, but it can't be helped. Teesside was a fantastic track, if a bit brutal with some nasty bumps.
If anything sums up our luck, it's managing to break the steering wheel- at BOTH races! 3h20m total driving with this was distinctly uncomfortable- but I suppose it's called endurance racing for a reason!
I've learned by now to take the rough with the smooth when it comes to 24 hour races. We seemed to have no luck at all this year, but both events were still wonderful experiences and I'll still have great memories of them.
The Jaaaaaaaag
The Jag has completed a decent shakedown period comprising trackdays at Castle Combe and Thruxton, testing a few different parts. It's now sitting pretty on 17x9 Wolfrace wheels with new R888Rs (as per JEC regs) and EBC brakes front and rear. This thing is a beast! It's a real wrestling match, but if you can hang on tightly enough it grips and goes far better than a big old barge has any right to.
Words can't really justify the amount of work that's gone into it. A few bits still need doing before this coming weekend, where I'll be racing in the JEC Saloons & GTs at the CSCC Thruxton Thriller (the 21st-22nd September). I'm dead excited! I can't believe I'm finally racing, and I'm so proud to have got the car together in time for it. If anyone is thinking of coming down, I've seen the entry list.. You definitely should. What a weekend it's set to be! In the meantime, the work continues..
For anyone using the book of face you'll find more detail on my racing exploits here:
https://www.facebook.com/mikeseabourneracing/?moda...
And some videos of the shakedown running (and any racing as and when I do it) here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIuJShtNatfh5RbsY...
Apologies for keeping it brief, but as ever time is at a premium. Hopefully I'll see some of you at Thruxton!
I was reminded of this thread by a PHer who recognised the Jag, I figured I'll keep it rolling for this season. Not much has changed in the fleet, so it'll be exclusively racing.
First, a summary of last year:
Races 1 & 2- Thruxton
I chose to attend Thruxton as my first race with the JEC as it's my most local round, and the timing worked nicely to get the car prepared and tested. The MAN race rig saw it's first use in anger and it was superb. The journey was effortless and we occupied a cosy spot in the paddock which was a warm and pleasant 'home'. Soon the rest of the Jags started turning up, and a good day was spent making introductions and discussing the cars. I discovered a lot about the potted history of my XJ40, which having been known to the championship for many years campaigned by Howard Kirkham and Gail Hill, had gone 'missing' via a number of dubious circumstances and odd surroundings. I knew I'd bought into a grizzled old warrior, but I had no idea quite how grizzled it was! After being pointedly reminded that my car was a championship winner in Gail's hands, I settled into a beer and barbecue put on by this most inviting circle of racing comrades.
Before I discuss the racing, I'll provide some information for context- the Championship runs in four classes:
Class A- standard or close to standard production specification
Class B- modified from standard with some provision for engine and drivetrain improvements (this is my class)
Class C- further modified from standard with a number of modifications allowed
Class D- the bloody fast monster class!
We qualified for race one on Saturday morning, race one was Saturday afternoon and then on Sunday we ran the second race with the grid set by reverse draw between 1st-6th from the results of the first.
Saturday greeted us with summer sunshine, the track was grippy and dry and I was rearing to go for qualifying. Strangely I didn't feel nervous at all for qualifying, I'd run the Jag at Thruxton a couple of times and pounding round putting laps in, well it's basically just like a trackday- go fast! The car felt good, but I was struggling a little with traffic- every time I had a lap on, I ran into a gaggle of class A & B cars. I dropped back a few times for another run, but didn't manage to put things together and the 15 minute session was fast expiring. Finally, on my very last lap, I managed to get it hooked up and though I had to pass one car it fell kindly at the Woodham hill and a good exit from Church saw me sweep past. As I pulled into the pitlane I saw my mate waving fingers at me frantically- four of them! I had been lagging in 10th for most of the session, but that one blinder of a lap had put me first in class and fourth overall. No pressure for race one!
I was still in suspended disbelief when I lined up 4th for race one- if I hadn't been nervous for qualifying, well I absolutely was now! When the lights went out I was slow to react, and dropped the clutch with too many revs spinning the rears through 1st. in my panic I grabbed 2nd far too quickly and with a chirp of the tyres finally started gaining speed- but it wasn't a fast start and being stuck on the outside line through Allards saw me drop to 9th, drag racing Tom Lethall in a Class C XJ-S for 8th. Me and Tom went side by side through the complex and I finally managed to shake him off by Goodwood and was now fixated on the two Class B cars of Chris Boon and Simon Lewis ahead. Tom Robinson had an almighty off at Church in the Class D XJR6 and scattered the field, I took advantage to get the run on Simon Lewis up the hill- but so did Tom Lenthall who swept around the other side of Simon and reappeared on my inside at the chicane. Conceding 7th to Tom, I tucked in behind him looking to follow as he made his way past Chris Boon- I couldn't make it up the inside at Goodwood, then a flash of dark green appeared in my mirror- Tom Robinson in the recovering Swallows car! Tom dived for the inside at Church and I hung wide on entry then tucked behind him for a monster run through Church and past Chris Boon on the inside. I was now back to 1st in class! Finally the race started to settle and I found some rhythm, I had enough pace to gap Chris for the Class B lead and was making marginal gains on Tom Lenthall ahead. Soon we found ourselves wheel to wheel, and some chaining of cutbacks through the complex followed by a drag race and a sweep around the outside of Noble saw me past. We had similar speed for the next few laps, though I found enough of a gap to be comfortable- now the pair of us were closing on Lawrence Coppock in the beastly V12 Class D XJ-S. Lawrence was armed with plenty of horses, though his penalty was a slightly more heavy and unwieldy car than mine or Tom's. This actually made him a nightmare for me to race, as our lines, strengths and weaknesses were so different. I made a couple of mistakes facing up Lawrence, locking a brake and running wide into the complex and clambering all over the kerbs. I was relatively close at the bottom of the circuit as we ran into lapped traffic just as a yellow flag came out for Derek Pearce's stranded XK8. We had to pull up the anchors, but at high speed in 5th gear once we accelerated again the V12 disappeared up the road! All this time Tom Lenthall was hunting me down, and by the time we reached the chicane he was right on my tail. I kept him behind with a decent exit but then- bks- missed 4th gear on the start/finish! Tom didn't need asking twice, and shot past for 6th. The race played out with me chasing him down again and putting a do or die move on around the outside of Noble on the last lap- which miraculously stuck! As a result I finished 6th, and 1st in class, after 20 minutes to get me hooked for life.
Full onboard race footage of Race One is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVjxtu7aINM&t=...
The reverse grid saw number 1 come out of the bag- so as you were for race two. Overnight we were battered with stormy weather and the circuit was soaked come Sunday morning. The CSCC qualifying sessions helped dry the track a little, but come our race there was still drizzle in the air and very mixed conditions on the circuit. Starter motor issues nearly saw me miss the start entirely, but some jiggery-pokery saw me finding my spot on the grid with the 4 litre straight six rumbling away happily. The lights went out- and I got a near perfect launch. I had momentum on my side as I went for 2nd- and missed it. And missed it again. And again. bks! Where's it gone? Quick- 3rd. Too late! I was totally mobbed by the field, and by the time I entered Allards I was last, with a lot of work to do. A move-by-move account of this race is simply going to use up too much internet, so I suggest you head straight to the video below- it was a humdinger! Yes, those are flames from the rear of Colin Phipott's awesome XJ-S. And yes, that Swallows XJR6 really does have 450bhp! And no, R888Rs aren't ideal in the wet. But they're certainly fun!
Full onboard footage of Race Two is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCF_lc3nowQ
I left Thruxton with two class wins, and absolutely no doubt at all in my head that I was exactly where I needed to be. Big, RWD muscle cars going wheel to wheel and sideways at will, I'd found my calling!
Races 3 & 4- Donington Park
We headed up to Donington for the final event of the season, and the weather was god awful. Overnight in the paddock it was a scramble to keep cars safe as the floodwater ran and gazebos, umbrellas and stray children were blown across the paddock. We awoke on Saturday to find the conditions no better. Qualifying was a torrid affair, with water running across the circuit in various places and settling into a swimming pool at the bottom of the Craners. I'd never run Donington before, and this was not what I needed! I qualified 10th, happy just to have the car in one piece still...
Race one was borderline terrifying- I'd never driven on a circuit in conditions this bad, and the tyres were absolutely overwhelmed. Visibility was nil, and somehow I'd found myself surrounded by drivers who were actually capable in these conditions! I certainly wasn't, but I suppose that's the benefit of experience. I spent the race following Tim Morrant in another XJ40, trying to work out how I could ever find the pace to catch him. The truth is that I just didn't have the skill, and was having real trouble putting the power down- using the wrong gears like a dope! I had several really hairy moments, and though I did find some speed- 9 seconds quicker than quali in conditions that really weren't that much better- I was pretty much just hanging on and waiting for the flag. I never saw it! Simon Lewis was behind me and giving me the hurry up, and my response was to drop it at Coppice- changing gear too harshly with too many revs flung the car sideways, and although I caught the slide my trajectory took me onto the grass on the inside of the circuit. The grass was soaking wet, and anyone who's ever done similar will know the result. I was halfway from Coppice to the chicane by the time I finally backed into the inside wall. My first DNF, my first ever crash, even if it was a bit of a wet one (pun intended).
Full onboard footage of Race One is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ReWjOZnew
And the CSCC's superb coverage of our race is at 2:45:30 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssylNn9SGXw&t=...
Sunday was a totally different day to Saturday. We awoke to blue skies and a track that was well on it's way to being dry. We'd spent the previous evening getting handy with the cable ties and tape, and we were left with an almost presentable- but crucially, intact- race car.
I was starting 18th after my DNF, and although I was glad to see some dry weather- it meant learning the track all over again! A decent start saw me take two places around the outside of Redgate before getting up the inside of Roger Webster on the left hander of the Craners- though he kept his nose in and came back at me through the Old Hairpin. I was struggling for front end grip through Mcleans and Coppice and Roger gapped me as we headed into the chicane. I got a good exit and managed to throw it up his inside into Redgate. Now I was chasing Simon Dunford, after taking a lap to catch him I tried to get the cutback off the Old Hairpin but didn't carry enough speed. I hung on his rear corner up to Schwantz then threw it up the inside for Mcleans. Dean Sewell was next, up the inside into the chicane. I was now behind Simon Lewis and Nic Strong who were having the battle to end all battles. Simon compromised Nic's run through the chicane and I managed to get the run on the exit, we ended up side by side through Redgate and I managed to make it stick. Now I was behind Simon who was defending as if his life depended on it! He had it well covered through Mcleans and Coppice, so with him on the inside line for the chicane I hung wide and tried to go as late on the brakes as possible. I couldn't outbrake him entirely, so I cut back through the first and second elements and got the run onto the start/finish. Finally, for the first time, I had clear track ahead of me, and could concentrate on finding some pace on a circuit that I still didn't feel too familiar with. Tim Morrant was in the distance in his XJ40, 3rd in Class B, and made a great yardstick as I went looking for laptime. By the last lap Tim was still a few car lengths away, and it wasn't going to happen... Until Coppice. Tim got all sorts of sideways on entry and it escalated into a spectacular battle for control that seemed to go on forever and dragged him wide of the tarmac- once he dipped his wheels into the mud the car started to rotate on him, and I managed to squeeze through on the inside before his car came back across to the inside of the circuit. One chicane later, and I saw the flag- 10th overall and 3rd in Class B after another great race.
Full onboard footage of Race Two is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNSiWZ22UCY
And the CSCC's superb coverage of our race is at 0:54:30 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4jrO5tkKM4&t=...
Fair to say I left 2019 with a number of highlights to say I'd only done 4 races! I tried to summarise them as best as I could in this shonkily edited video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBHG_s6_UZw
You'll find better coverage of our goings on and more regular updates on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mikeseabourneracing
So that's how the races went in 2019, and how I got totally hooked. Not a dull moment so far! Next time I revisit this thread I'll summarise what's been done over the off season, how we're getting on putting the car together, and share a very exciting calendar for a very exciting 2020....
First, a summary of last year:
Races 1 & 2- Thruxton
I chose to attend Thruxton as my first race with the JEC as it's my most local round, and the timing worked nicely to get the car prepared and tested. The MAN race rig saw it's first use in anger and it was superb. The journey was effortless and we occupied a cosy spot in the paddock which was a warm and pleasant 'home'. Soon the rest of the Jags started turning up, and a good day was spent making introductions and discussing the cars. I discovered a lot about the potted history of my XJ40, which having been known to the championship for many years campaigned by Howard Kirkham and Gail Hill, had gone 'missing' via a number of dubious circumstances and odd surroundings. I knew I'd bought into a grizzled old warrior, but I had no idea quite how grizzled it was! After being pointedly reminded that my car was a championship winner in Gail's hands, I settled into a beer and barbecue put on by this most inviting circle of racing comrades.
Before I discuss the racing, I'll provide some information for context- the Championship runs in four classes:
Class A- standard or close to standard production specification
Class B- modified from standard with some provision for engine and drivetrain improvements (this is my class)
Class C- further modified from standard with a number of modifications allowed
Class D- the bloody fast monster class!
We qualified for race one on Saturday morning, race one was Saturday afternoon and then on Sunday we ran the second race with the grid set by reverse draw between 1st-6th from the results of the first.
Saturday greeted us with summer sunshine, the track was grippy and dry and I was rearing to go for qualifying. Strangely I didn't feel nervous at all for qualifying, I'd run the Jag at Thruxton a couple of times and pounding round putting laps in, well it's basically just like a trackday- go fast! The car felt good, but I was struggling a little with traffic- every time I had a lap on, I ran into a gaggle of class A & B cars. I dropped back a few times for another run, but didn't manage to put things together and the 15 minute session was fast expiring. Finally, on my very last lap, I managed to get it hooked up and though I had to pass one car it fell kindly at the Woodham hill and a good exit from Church saw me sweep past. As I pulled into the pitlane I saw my mate waving fingers at me frantically- four of them! I had been lagging in 10th for most of the session, but that one blinder of a lap had put me first in class and fourth overall. No pressure for race one!
I was still in suspended disbelief when I lined up 4th for race one- if I hadn't been nervous for qualifying, well I absolutely was now! When the lights went out I was slow to react, and dropped the clutch with too many revs spinning the rears through 1st. in my panic I grabbed 2nd far too quickly and with a chirp of the tyres finally started gaining speed- but it wasn't a fast start and being stuck on the outside line through Allards saw me drop to 9th, drag racing Tom Lethall in a Class C XJ-S for 8th. Me and Tom went side by side through the complex and I finally managed to shake him off by Goodwood and was now fixated on the two Class B cars of Chris Boon and Simon Lewis ahead. Tom Robinson had an almighty off at Church in the Class D XJR6 and scattered the field, I took advantage to get the run on Simon Lewis up the hill- but so did Tom Lenthall who swept around the other side of Simon and reappeared on my inside at the chicane. Conceding 7th to Tom, I tucked in behind him looking to follow as he made his way past Chris Boon- I couldn't make it up the inside at Goodwood, then a flash of dark green appeared in my mirror- Tom Robinson in the recovering Swallows car! Tom dived for the inside at Church and I hung wide on entry then tucked behind him for a monster run through Church and past Chris Boon on the inside. I was now back to 1st in class! Finally the race started to settle and I found some rhythm, I had enough pace to gap Chris for the Class B lead and was making marginal gains on Tom Lenthall ahead. Soon we found ourselves wheel to wheel, and some chaining of cutbacks through the complex followed by a drag race and a sweep around the outside of Noble saw me past. We had similar speed for the next few laps, though I found enough of a gap to be comfortable- now the pair of us were closing on Lawrence Coppock in the beastly V12 Class D XJ-S. Lawrence was armed with plenty of horses, though his penalty was a slightly more heavy and unwieldy car than mine or Tom's. This actually made him a nightmare for me to race, as our lines, strengths and weaknesses were so different. I made a couple of mistakes facing up Lawrence, locking a brake and running wide into the complex and clambering all over the kerbs. I was relatively close at the bottom of the circuit as we ran into lapped traffic just as a yellow flag came out for Derek Pearce's stranded XK8. We had to pull up the anchors, but at high speed in 5th gear once we accelerated again the V12 disappeared up the road! All this time Tom Lenthall was hunting me down, and by the time we reached the chicane he was right on my tail. I kept him behind with a decent exit but then- b
ks- missed 4th gear on the start/finish! Tom didn't need asking twice, and shot past for 6th. The race played out with me chasing him down again and putting a do or die move on around the outside of Noble on the last lap- which miraculously stuck! As a result I finished 6th, and 1st in class, after 20 minutes to get me hooked for life.Full onboard race footage of Race One is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVjxtu7aINM&t=...
The reverse grid saw number 1 come out of the bag- so as you were for race two. Overnight we were battered with stormy weather and the circuit was soaked come Sunday morning. The CSCC qualifying sessions helped dry the track a little, but come our race there was still drizzle in the air and very mixed conditions on the circuit. Starter motor issues nearly saw me miss the start entirely, but some jiggery-pokery saw me finding my spot on the grid with the 4 litre straight six rumbling away happily. The lights went out- and I got a near perfect launch. I had momentum on my side as I went for 2nd- and missed it. And missed it again. And again. b
ks! Where's it gone? Quick- 3rd. Too late! I was totally mobbed by the field, and by the time I entered Allards I was last, with a lot of work to do. A move-by-move account of this race is simply going to use up too much internet, so I suggest you head straight to the video below- it was a humdinger! Yes, those are flames from the rear of Colin Phipott's awesome XJ-S. And yes, that Swallows XJR6 really does have 450bhp! And no, R888Rs aren't ideal in the wet. But they're certainly fun!Full onboard footage of Race Two is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCF_lc3nowQ
I left Thruxton with two class wins, and absolutely no doubt at all in my head that I was exactly where I needed to be. Big, RWD muscle cars going wheel to wheel and sideways at will, I'd found my calling!
Races 3 & 4- Donington Park
We headed up to Donington for the final event of the season, and the weather was god awful. Overnight in the paddock it was a scramble to keep cars safe as the floodwater ran and gazebos, umbrellas and stray children were blown across the paddock. We awoke on Saturday to find the conditions no better. Qualifying was a torrid affair, with water running across the circuit in various places and settling into a swimming pool at the bottom of the Craners. I'd never run Donington before, and this was not what I needed! I qualified 10th, happy just to have the car in one piece still...
Race one was borderline terrifying- I'd never driven on a circuit in conditions this bad, and the tyres were absolutely overwhelmed. Visibility was nil, and somehow I'd found myself surrounded by drivers who were actually capable in these conditions! I certainly wasn't, but I suppose that's the benefit of experience. I spent the race following Tim Morrant in another XJ40, trying to work out how I could ever find the pace to catch him. The truth is that I just didn't have the skill, and was having real trouble putting the power down- using the wrong gears like a dope! I had several really hairy moments, and though I did find some speed- 9 seconds quicker than quali in conditions that really weren't that much better- I was pretty much just hanging on and waiting for the flag. I never saw it! Simon Lewis was behind me and giving me the hurry up, and my response was to drop it at Coppice- changing gear too harshly with too many revs flung the car sideways, and although I caught the slide my trajectory took me onto the grass on the inside of the circuit. The grass was soaking wet, and anyone who's ever done similar will know the result. I was halfway from Coppice to the chicane by the time I finally backed into the inside wall. My first DNF, my first ever crash, even if it was a bit of a wet one (pun intended).
Full onboard footage of Race One is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8ReWjOZnew
And the CSCC's superb coverage of our race is at 2:45:30 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssylNn9SGXw&t=...
Sunday was a totally different day to Saturday. We awoke to blue skies and a track that was well on it's way to being dry. We'd spent the previous evening getting handy with the cable ties and tape, and we were left with an almost presentable- but crucially, intact- race car.
I was starting 18th after my DNF, and although I was glad to see some dry weather- it meant learning the track all over again! A decent start saw me take two places around the outside of Redgate before getting up the inside of Roger Webster on the left hander of the Craners- though he kept his nose in and came back at me through the Old Hairpin. I was struggling for front end grip through Mcleans and Coppice and Roger gapped me as we headed into the chicane. I got a good exit and managed to throw it up his inside into Redgate. Now I was chasing Simon Dunford, after taking a lap to catch him I tried to get the cutback off the Old Hairpin but didn't carry enough speed. I hung on his rear corner up to Schwantz then threw it up the inside for Mcleans. Dean Sewell was next, up the inside into the chicane. I was now behind Simon Lewis and Nic Strong who were having the battle to end all battles. Simon compromised Nic's run through the chicane and I managed to get the run on the exit, we ended up side by side through Redgate and I managed to make it stick. Now I was behind Simon who was defending as if his life depended on it! He had it well covered through Mcleans and Coppice, so with him on the inside line for the chicane I hung wide and tried to go as late on the brakes as possible. I couldn't outbrake him entirely, so I cut back through the first and second elements and got the run onto the start/finish. Finally, for the first time, I had clear track ahead of me, and could concentrate on finding some pace on a circuit that I still didn't feel too familiar with. Tim Morrant was in the distance in his XJ40, 3rd in Class B, and made a great yardstick as I went looking for laptime. By the last lap Tim was still a few car lengths away, and it wasn't going to happen... Until Coppice. Tim got all sorts of sideways on entry and it escalated into a spectacular battle for control that seemed to go on forever and dragged him wide of the tarmac- once he dipped his wheels into the mud the car started to rotate on him, and I managed to squeeze through on the inside before his car came back across to the inside of the circuit. One chicane later, and I saw the flag- 10th overall and 3rd in Class B after another great race.
Full onboard footage of Race Two is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNSiWZ22UCY
And the CSCC's superb coverage of our race is at 0:54:30 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4jrO5tkKM4&t=...
Fair to say I left 2019 with a number of highlights to say I'd only done 4 races! I tried to summarise them as best as I could in this shonkily edited video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBHG_s6_UZw
You'll find better coverage of our goings on and more regular updates on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mikeseabourneracing
So that's how the races went in 2019, and how I got totally hooked. Not a dull moment so far! Next time I revisit this thread I'll summarise what's been done over the off season, how we're getting on putting the car together, and share a very exciting calendar for a very exciting 2020....
Slow to update this thread again!
We did manage to squeeze a year's racing in, though it was compressed into a few months which made it very manic indeed! I've made a warts'n'all highlights video for the year which is here: https://youtu.be/Ve7OKWlObYM
Best viewed with a cup of tea in hand as it's an hour and a half long! But what better is there to do during the pandemic
As someone who took the plunge and went racing with a shortage of skill, money, and time- (I'm told you need all three!)- it's been quite challenging and I've tried to make the highlights video as honest as possible to show what it's like, and that you can do it too! A lot of club racers present it as being all sunshine and glitter, maybe that's the case when you've oodles of money or a workshop with all the toys, but I'm trying to show that digging deep and being passionate about it really can be a valid substitute!
My thoughts on the years racing, for those who've watched the video or for those who can't be bothered
I'm absolutely delighted to have won the class with the XJ40. It hasn't changed much since it was last properly campaigned, 7 or 8 years ago, and it's quite well outclassed amongst the field now. My class caters for the XK8 which (as you can see from the video!) are simply in a different league. I was fortunate with the way things played out, whether I could have won the class over a full season's slog I'm very doubtful. But I've achieved what I wanted to with the XJ40, I'm open minded now about moving on to a different car. Nothing has come up in the meantime so this year I'll be in the big ol' brute again, but I'm pessimistic about my chances. I haven't invested much into improving the car as there has always been the prospect of something else on the horizon. I'm of course excited to race in 2021 but anything other than second or third best is going to be nigh-on impossible. A new start for the JEC Saloons & GTs is beckoning, with every race covered live it'll hopefully rejuvenate the series.
As for my own little fleet, well the Alfa is gone. I pledged to myself that I wouldn't tolerate any more suspension issues, and come MOT time it was plagued- a number of items were repeat offenders and I couldn't bear chasing my tail over and over again. It had also started to deteriorate in a number of other ways, the electric windows had failed, it had a mystery untraceable boost leak, it was time for it to go. It was creeping up towards 150,000 miles though and it hadn't had easy treatment, so I'm calling it a reasonable innings.
As for it's replacement? Well, I was pretty open-minded! It was going to be shed money, as I feel like that's the safest ground for a daily driver- and I've always maintained that it's where a lot of interesting cars are hiding! But I didn't know what it would be- a motorway cruiser would be the most sensible thing, like the Alfa something to sink into the seat and hoover up miles. I was looking at Saab 9-5s, BMW E60s, Subaru Legacys, Alfa 159 if the budget could stretch to it- but the right car never popped up.
What did pop up and catch my eye, was not a car- but an advert. Scanning Facebook marketplace for the cheapest local cars usually dredges up some absolute ste. It doesn't usually provide you with a fantastic well-written advert, a repertoire of detailed pictures including the suspension and underbody,
and an account of all the completed maintenance with dates and mileages. Well that's what I found!
2 owners, 60,000 miles, cambelt, waterpump, head gasket, new clutch, full polybushing, strut braces, proper sound system, spotless MOT, all within the last 12 months? For £1000 including spares? Yes please!
The car? An MGZS120+. Something I never knew I wanted. Here it is!
And here it is a day later (did I mention my daily drivers get rough treatment?)
I can't believe how quickly I grew fond of this thing! It's got a subtle exhaust on it, and some intake modification, and the noise is great! The K-series has a great little attitude on it for a four-cylinder, it's keen if not powerful, and that's half the battle! The car handles great, and drives like new (I suppose it would do given the mileage and how rigorously it's been maintained). This isn't the motorway cruiser I'd bargained on, but it will settle happily into a cruise and return 40mpg, so it'll do for the boring trips- especially when it tackles corners with such vigour on the interesting ones! It's comfy, has the best aftermarket sound system I've ever heard, and should hopefully be pretty futureproof.
Oddly enough a large part of it's appeal was in it's simplicity, I've spent so long chasing mysteries, moving pipes, roaming through hidden fuseboxes, trying to diagnose things on the Alfa- that little petrol engine sat happily in it's bay unencumbered by complexity made me feel invincible, nothing could possibly go wrong on this MG that I couldn't have sorted in 5 minutes!
...Right?
... One day when I was leaving work it failed to start. Over two months ago, towards the end of December. Just wouldn't fire. My ropey mechanical skill got as far as to confirm that it had no spark. No OBD codes, fuelling fine, power to the coils, injectors firing, but no spark. After all the obvious was tried, fuses, relays, coils, plugs, etc. I gave in and decided to fall back on my AA membership. AA man came out, wrestled with it for an hour, told me he was very sorry but he had absolutely no idea what was going on, and left. At this point I was well and truly beaten- I trailered it to a specialist, and that's where it's been ever since. The specialist contacted me the other day to say that despite bringing a donor car on site to swap bits between, and putting over 8 hours diagnosis into the car, they're still none the wiser. Now truly admitting defeat, the auto sparky has been called in at a no doubt exorbitant rate.
And that's where we're at. I haven't seen the car in two months, and at this point I'm as intrigued as I am infuriated as to what on earth has happened to my 'mechanically simple' MG. Fortunately, there's a very good reason that when you sell cars you sell them to mates- I daily drove my Cerbera for a while but when it became clear that the MG was out of the picture long term, I made a couple of phone calls and soon enough-
-this little slice of joy was back in my hands! ... A little damaged but that's a story for a different day. As far as getting around, it'll do.
As for the Cerbera? Well it's been great it was the realisation of a childhood dream and the giggle factor hasn't worn off yet. I don't regret getting the Speed Six as my car is just so damn beautiful, and with a Str8six rebuild and impressively healthy to the eye and ear, I don't have any nerves about it going kaboom! I'm not feeling like I would need any more power, that's for sure! It takes off like the roof off a hot scalded tin, or something like that.
There's an old Clarkson quote about 'relentlessly clawing at the horizon' or somesuch, I think it referred to an AJP at the time but I can confirm that's exactly what my Cerbera does it's been impeccably reliable, right up until a couple of weeks ago when my indicators went non-comprende. I've been pointed in the direction of the ribbon cable hiding under the steering binnacle, hopefully it's not too trivial to sort out.
Three very different straight sixes here! The lorry has had some love ready for the new season, and as a reward for my efforts VOSA put a fking prohibition on it!!!! Nothing more dramatic than some welding needed and some new brake pads, but what a bloody ordeal. Never again!
That'll do for a brief update! Follow the Youtube channel for more distinctly unglamorous racing content, and give me a pester if you want to find out any more about the slightly bizarre and mostly broken fleet. Race season starts on April 24th at Silverstone. I should probably start prepping the race car...
We did manage to squeeze a year's racing in, though it was compressed into a few months which made it very manic indeed! I've made a warts'n'all highlights video for the year which is here: https://youtu.be/Ve7OKWlObYM
Best viewed with a cup of tea in hand as it's an hour and a half long! But what better is there to do during the pandemic
As someone who took the plunge and went racing with a shortage of skill, money, and time- (I'm told you need all three!)- it's been quite challenging and I've tried to make the highlights video as honest as possible to show what it's like, and that you can do it too! A lot of club racers present it as being all sunshine and glitter, maybe that's the case when you've oodles of money or a workshop with all the toys, but I'm trying to show that digging deep and being passionate about it really can be a valid substitute!
My thoughts on the years racing, for those who've watched the video or for those who can't be bothered
I'm absolutely delighted to have won the class with the XJ40. It hasn't changed much since it was last properly campaigned, 7 or 8 years ago, and it's quite well outclassed amongst the field now. My class caters for the XK8 which (as you can see from the video!) are simply in a different league. I was fortunate with the way things played out, whether I could have won the class over a full season's slog I'm very doubtful. But I've achieved what I wanted to with the XJ40, I'm open minded now about moving on to a different car. Nothing has come up in the meantime so this year I'll be in the big ol' brute again, but I'm pessimistic about my chances. I haven't invested much into improving the car as there has always been the prospect of something else on the horizon. I'm of course excited to race in 2021 but anything other than second or third best is going to be nigh-on impossible. A new start for the JEC Saloons & GTs is beckoning, with every race covered live it'll hopefully rejuvenate the series.
As for my own little fleet, well the Alfa is gone. I pledged to myself that I wouldn't tolerate any more suspension issues, and come MOT time it was plagued- a number of items were repeat offenders and I couldn't bear chasing my tail over and over again. It had also started to deteriorate in a number of other ways, the electric windows had failed, it had a mystery untraceable boost leak, it was time for it to go. It was creeping up towards 150,000 miles though and it hadn't had easy treatment, so I'm calling it a reasonable innings.
As for it's replacement? Well, I was pretty open-minded! It was going to be shed money, as I feel like that's the safest ground for a daily driver- and I've always maintained that it's where a lot of interesting cars are hiding! But I didn't know what it would be- a motorway cruiser would be the most sensible thing, like the Alfa something to sink into the seat and hoover up miles. I was looking at Saab 9-5s, BMW E60s, Subaru Legacys, Alfa 159 if the budget could stretch to it- but the right car never popped up.
What did pop up and catch my eye, was not a car- but an advert. Scanning Facebook marketplace for the cheapest local cars usually dredges up some absolute s
te. It doesn't usually provide you with a fantastic well-written advert, a repertoire of detailed pictures including the suspension and underbody, and an account of all the completed maintenance with dates and mileages. Well that's what I found!
2 owners, 60,000 miles, cambelt, waterpump, head gasket, new clutch, full polybushing, strut braces, proper sound system, spotless MOT, all within the last 12 months? For £1000 including spares? Yes please!
The car? An MGZS120+. Something I never knew I wanted. Here it is!
And here it is a day later (did I mention my daily drivers get rough treatment?)
I can't believe how quickly I grew fond of this thing! It's got a subtle exhaust on it, and some intake modification, and the noise is great! The K-series has a great little attitude on it for a four-cylinder, it's keen if not powerful, and that's half the battle! The car handles great, and drives like new (I suppose it would do given the mileage and how rigorously it's been maintained). This isn't the motorway cruiser I'd bargained on, but it will settle happily into a cruise and return 40mpg, so it'll do for the boring trips- especially when it tackles corners with such vigour on the interesting ones! It's comfy, has the best aftermarket sound system I've ever heard, and should hopefully be pretty futureproof.
Oddly enough a large part of it's appeal was in it's simplicity, I've spent so long chasing mysteries, moving pipes, roaming through hidden fuseboxes, trying to diagnose things on the Alfa- that little petrol engine sat happily in it's bay unencumbered by complexity made me feel invincible, nothing could possibly go wrong on this MG that I couldn't have sorted in 5 minutes!
...Right?
... One day when I was leaving work it failed to start. Over two months ago, towards the end of December. Just wouldn't fire. My ropey mechanical skill got as far as to confirm that it had no spark. No OBD codes, fuelling fine, power to the coils, injectors firing, but no spark. After all the obvious was tried, fuses, relays, coils, plugs, etc. I gave in and decided to fall back on my AA membership. AA man came out, wrestled with it for an hour, told me he was very sorry but he had absolutely no idea what was going on, and left. At this point I was well and truly beaten- I trailered it to a specialist, and that's where it's been ever since. The specialist contacted me the other day to say that despite bringing a donor car on site to swap bits between, and putting over 8 hours diagnosis into the car, they're still none the wiser. Now truly admitting defeat, the auto sparky has been called in at a no doubt exorbitant rate.
And that's where we're at. I haven't seen the car in two months, and at this point I'm as intrigued as I am infuriated as to what on earth has happened to my 'mechanically simple' MG. Fortunately, there's a very good reason that when you sell cars you sell them to mates- I daily drove my Cerbera for a while but when it became clear that the MG was out of the picture long term, I made a couple of phone calls and soon enough-
-this little slice of joy was back in my hands! ... A little damaged but that's a story for a different day. As far as getting around, it'll do.
As for the Cerbera? Well it's been great
it was the realisation of a childhood dream and the giggle factor hasn't worn off yet. I don't regret getting the Speed Six as my car is just so damn beautiful, and with a Str8six rebuild and impressively healthy to the eye and ear, I don't have any nerves about it going kaboom! I'm not feeling like I would need any more power, that's for sure! It takes off like the roof off a hot scalded tin, or something like that.There's an old Clarkson quote about 'relentlessly clawing at the horizon' or somesuch, I think it referred to an AJP at the time but I can confirm that's exactly what my Cerbera does
it's been impeccably reliable, right up until a couple of weeks ago when my indicators went non-comprende. I've been pointed in the direction of the ribbon cable hiding under the steering binnacle, hopefully it's not too trivial to sort out.Three very different straight sixes here! The lorry has had some love ready for the new season, and as a reward for my efforts VOSA put a f
king prohibition on it!!!! Nothing more dramatic than some welding needed and some new brake pads, but what a bloody ordeal. Never again!That'll do for a brief update! Follow the Youtube channel for more distinctly unglamorous racing content, and give me a pester if you want to find out any more about the slightly bizarre and mostly broken fleet. Race season starts on April 24th at Silverstone. I should probably start prepping the race car...
Live at Silverstone this weekend! I’m racing with the JEC Saloons & GTs on Saturday and the CTCRC pre93s on Sunday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsJLOfRYG-o
Saturday qualifying, my session at 10:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmUZukWqZR0
Saturday races, my races at 13:15 & 16:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnIvY1Mzbc
Sunday qualifying, my session at 09:55
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sOSKGotoSs
Sunday races, my races at 13:05 & 15:15
But really I suggest tuning in for the whole thing as the weekend is set to be great, 400 odd cars I believe on a bunch of near capacity grids- pre 66 touring cars, classic Minis, thunder saloons, Britcar.. all worth a watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsJLOfRYG-o
Saturday qualifying, my session at 10:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmUZukWqZR0
Saturday races, my races at 13:15 & 16:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnIvY1Mzbc
Sunday qualifying, my session at 09:55
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sOSKGotoSs
Sunday races, my races at 13:05 & 15:15
But really I suggest tuning in for the whole thing as the weekend is set to be great, 400 odd cars I believe on a bunch of near capacity grids- pre 66 touring cars, classic Minis, thunder saloons, Britcar.. all worth a watch!
roadie said:
What a cracking thread. Thank you for all the detail, it is a really interesting read.
Would you be willing to share what funds all your racing and purchases? I've always wondered how people combine that with other life things.
I’m sorry I didn’t reply to this. I’m an electrical engineer, on a good salary but not spectacular. I started working full time at 17 and started on my current wage at 19 which is probably why I’m able to afford to do this sort of thing. I’m also a scruffy fWould you be willing to share what funds all your racing and purchases? I've always wondered how people combine that with other life things.
ker and extremely tight with money, I very rarely buy a new anything as long as I’ve got something old that does the job. I’ll only ever invest a lot of money in something if it’s either appreciating, or if I can see a good return (the race lorry and Cerbera for example would sell for more than I bought them for). First bonus I got from work I used as a house deposit whilst still under my parents wing and renting that out did me some favours as well.I haven’t kept this thread very well updated with the racing, but our championship finale is tomorrow and I’m leading by a gnats whisker, ie; I need to perform if I want to bring it home! Live coverage is here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-JXUIo37lf8
I’m qualifying at 10:20, racing at 13:20 and 15:50.
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