The £7700 Corvette C6
Discussion
Accelebrate said:
You’re mad, in the best way. Thank you for taking the time to share your adventure as it unfolds. I’d leave some of the mishap blemishes as souvenirs.
Thanks 
I've decided to leave the slight cracks in the rear quarter as patina/memories, I doubt anyone but me would notice anyway. 
Robdutton91 said:
Have you ever told the previous owner in the USA what you’ve been doing with the Corvette? I bet they’d be surprised and very pleased to see its journey
Yes, in fact he follows me on Facebook and messages from time to time, plus he's bought a couple of books too. He wasn't thrilled by my cutting a hole in the hood, other than that he's been supportive. Oneball said:
Did you pre plan your stops and book hotels or just find somewhere on the day?
We booked the first night and the Sahara trip including tents, other than that we looked at the route coming up over dinner and booked the next night as we went. Booking.com really made that easy. Gary C said:
First time I've seen this thread so forgive me if Im asking an old question
But, to drive a car in the US it needs registering and for that a US address is needed ? How can a car be bought in the US and driven back for shipping. Is there a loophole I need to know about ?
I want to drive East/West in a V8 but a hire car is fraught with difficulties so buying seems to be the best idea, but I cant see how to get a car legal to drive ?
Any pointers ?
Hi Gary, But, to drive a car in the US it needs registering and for that a US address is needed ? How can a car be bought in the US and driven back for shipping. Is there a loophole I need to know about ?
I want to drive East/West in a V8 but a hire car is fraught with difficulties so buying seems to be the best idea, but I cant see how to get a car legal to drive ?
Any pointers ?
I've never been 100% certain if the way I did it is legal, but it worked for me. Five years has passed since purchasing, so I'm sure I've forgotten a lot of details that I researched at the time. Googling what RV buyers do and which states are easiest to overseas buyers was helpful. California required that a used car is registered to the new owner within 10 days of purchase, I made sure the Corvette was at the exporter within that time, so avoiding the need for registration and payment of local taxes.
An alternative I looked at but dismissed was visiting a Californian DMV, paying the taxes and then potentially waiting weeks for the paperwork to arrive. Then, on export I'd need more paperwork to reclaim the taxes. I didn't have this time and not having an official residence or social security number was likely to make this a real headache. The insurance by comparison was straightforward.
So much of the whole process had risk, but I took a gamble and it worked out.
It's not a C6, but for someone looking for a manual Corvette, this looks like great value (C5, FRC, manual for £11,000): https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/48344750...
Phil Cook said:
Hi Dave
I’ve just read this from start to finish - thanks for sharing this with us all.
As an aside I think I brought your old BJ Minno trailer from you about 10 years ago IIRC - if I’m correct we picked it up for your mate’s chicken shed (also called Phil?). I’ve still got it BTW.
I’ve been thinking about a Corvette for when we move to Denmark in a couple of years so I can have something interesting (V8) alongside my Caterham; importing my V8 BMW is cost prohibitive. Your adventures have merely increased my desire to do so!
Hi Phil, yes, that's me, pleased the trailer is still serving you well. Philip is retired as a farmer now and lives in Devon. I’ve just read this from start to finish - thanks for sharing this with us all.
As an aside I think I brought your old BJ Minno trailer from you about 10 years ago IIRC - if I’m correct we picked it up for your mate’s chicken shed (also called Phil?). I’ve still got it BTW.
I’ve been thinking about a Corvette for when we move to Denmark in a couple of years so I can have something interesting (V8) alongside my Caterham; importing my V8 BMW is cost prohibitive. Your adventures have merely increased my desire to do so!
You can tell my enthusiasm for a Corvette, I can only say go for it. Clive hasn't turned a wheel for a month, until today. I've spent about six full days over the past few weekends repairing and servicing the car, following damage occurred on the Morocco trip, plus an upgrade too (is it possible to do major work on a car without sneaking in an improvement?). I put myself under a little pressure as I've entered the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone GP on 25th February.
List achieved:
Full service (moving back to Millers 5w40)
Replace the cracked front discs (see brake upgrade documented later)
Replace A/C condensor, pump and belt
Replace radiator, as the previous one cracked
New, strengthened radiator support
Silicone coolant hoses
Press out factory wheel studs, replace with 2.5", longer ARP studs, also pressed out studs from the 20mm spacers. Also extended thread wheel nuts.
There is more still do to, but that was as much as I could get away with in this phase, plus I need to bed the brakes in.
Let's start with the fun bit, the brakes. Those who have read all 26 pages will know that my brake calipers are stock items (2 piston front, single piston rear), but I moved up to the larger Z51 sized discs and brackets, with the brilliant Mintex F4R pads. The weakness is the front discs, which crack prematurely, most likely due to their relatively small size (325mm). Common big brake upgrades, in order of ££££ are Z06 (calipers now unavailable new), Wilwood or AP. My budget wouldn't run to any of these and the Z06 calipers are problematic on track (fine on the road), with small 'padlets' rather than pairs of brake pads on the front.
I'd spent many an hour researching if any of the calipers/discs from other GM products would fit, but couldn't find anything until recently. A few individuals have found that the Cadillac ATS/CTS that runs a 4 piston Brembo caliper will bolt on and work with the 355mm disc from the C6 Z06. It needs slight spacing from the knuckle with a couple of thin washers, the edge of the caliper needs a tiny bit of material removing, as does the outside 2mm of brake pad, other than that it bolts on and fits within the 18" front wheel, with a 20mm spacer. Brake proportioning is done electronically on these cars, so it's reported to be well balanced when braking hard.
Researching the calipers further shows that they use the same pad shape as cars such as the Tesla Model 3, Mitsubishi Evo, RS Megane and loads more, so plenty of pad choice. They might be marked Cadillac, but they are the same Brembo caliper as used on the Corvette C7, only with different length mounting bracket (that means the C7 caliper won't fit).
The very best thing is the price, just £222 for the pair of brand new calipers, from Rock Auto, plus £20.58 for the pins and spring. Ok, there is VAT and delivery on top, but that's a bargain.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=931382...
and
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=832750...
and
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=186749...
The almost identical Corvette C7 calipers are from £724 a pair, more depending on the colour.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=639158...
and
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=639159...
This is how the calipers looked on arrival.
3.7kg = 8.14 lbs. I'll weigh the stock calipers and bracket soon to compare. I doubt there will be any weight saving however.
Z06 discs are relatively easy to get hold of in the UK, well usually, EBC didn't have any one piece discs in stock, so I upgraded to their lighter, two piece discs instead (£518 with my discount). A one piece Z06 disc is reported to weigh 12.2kg/26.8lbs, these came in at 9.7kg/21.34, about 200 grams heavier than the one piece, used Z51 discs I'd removed. As well as being larger (355 vs. 325mm), they also have cooling vanes in the right direction, unlike the Z51 type where one side flows the wrong way!
Photos slightly out of sequence, but it makes more sense this way.
A test fit showed that the discs 'just' brushed the outer edges of the caliper.
A little grinding on the edge and clearance was good (the Cadillac has smaller discs as standard).
It wouldn't do to have 'Cadillac' branding on the car, so I rubbed the caliper faces down, sprayed them with red caliper paint, ebay silver stickers, couple of coats of high temp. lacquer and they were ready to go on.
The kitchen smelled beautiful for a while.
On to pressing out the studs, for longer ARP ones (that I'd slipped in my Florida suitcase, back in November).
I wish now I'd gone for the even longer 3.25" ARP studs, as the 2.5" only gave me 8.5 turns of engagement on the wheel nuts. I therefore ordered a set of extended thread nuts, giving me a good 12 or 13 full turns.
Next, the pad overhang needed sorting. Only a mm or two, but once the pads wear with use they would probably make an annoying scraping noise. Mark with a permanent marker, a quick angle grind to make a taper and they were in and done.
Talking of pads, I am trying EBC's new SR11 race compound on the front (EBC rear). They gave me a set to try, perhaps after a friendly moan about their drilled discs cracking prematurely.
So, not a big brake solution for someone wanting to just bolt up and go, but with a little work it appears to be a very cost-effective solution. I'll report back in a couple of weeks after Silverstone, the 40 minute 'race' will give it a good test. In time I may move the old front calipers to the rear, but that's an experiment for another time.
On to the rest of the work, service bits.
Yup, still the standard intake and filters.
The cabin filter was in a sorry state after the Moroccan border forces had removed it and shoved it back (twice).
Removing the radiators, oil cooler, shroud and fan gave more room for work (weeping power steering seal).
Only the AC pump clutch/pulley had failed, but given that the system was original I decided to change it all. I'd blown air a number of times through the condensor, but you can see how badly clogged it had become.
The Chinese replacement condensor fit was appalling, leaving large gaps where air could escape around the sides, due to the positioning of the mounting brackets. The air drier tube was also much shorter, again, leaving an easy air escape route, rather than bring forced through the fins.
Getting to the air con pump bolts was a challenge, unusually, as the Corvette has good access for so many other jobs.
The radiator is a thick core, no brand, all alloy unit, identical to the one I was using.
The radiator support takes a hell of a bashing on these cars. There are plenty of copies online for less than $100, I decided to go for an uprated, strengthened one from Crane Corvettes. It's nicely made, but the riv nuts were slightly out of place for the air dam.
My little assistant.
Building his Clive jigsaw.
I taped up all the gaps between rads and shroud with alloy duct seal tape. I've not had a rubber hose burst yet, but decided to change them all for black silicone whilst I was in there.
Finally, rear hubs removed and ARP's fitted there too.
I drove it in to work today, for an A/C gas and then a wash later.
List achieved:
Full service (moving back to Millers 5w40)
Replace the cracked front discs (see brake upgrade documented later)
Replace A/C condensor, pump and belt
Replace radiator, as the previous one cracked
New, strengthened radiator support
Silicone coolant hoses
Press out factory wheel studs, replace with 2.5", longer ARP studs, also pressed out studs from the 20mm spacers. Also extended thread wheel nuts.
There is more still do to, but that was as much as I could get away with in this phase, plus I need to bed the brakes in.
Let's start with the fun bit, the brakes. Those who have read all 26 pages will know that my brake calipers are stock items (2 piston front, single piston rear), but I moved up to the larger Z51 sized discs and brackets, with the brilliant Mintex F4R pads. The weakness is the front discs, which crack prematurely, most likely due to their relatively small size (325mm). Common big brake upgrades, in order of ££££ are Z06 (calipers now unavailable new), Wilwood or AP. My budget wouldn't run to any of these and the Z06 calipers are problematic on track (fine on the road), with small 'padlets' rather than pairs of brake pads on the front.
I'd spent many an hour researching if any of the calipers/discs from other GM products would fit, but couldn't find anything until recently. A few individuals have found that the Cadillac ATS/CTS that runs a 4 piston Brembo caliper will bolt on and work with the 355mm disc from the C6 Z06. It needs slight spacing from the knuckle with a couple of thin washers, the edge of the caliper needs a tiny bit of material removing, as does the outside 2mm of brake pad, other than that it bolts on and fits within the 18" front wheel, with a 20mm spacer. Brake proportioning is done electronically on these cars, so it's reported to be well balanced when braking hard.
Researching the calipers further shows that they use the same pad shape as cars such as the Tesla Model 3, Mitsubishi Evo, RS Megane and loads more, so plenty of pad choice. They might be marked Cadillac, but they are the same Brembo caliper as used on the Corvette C7, only with different length mounting bracket (that means the C7 caliper won't fit).
The very best thing is the price, just £222 for the pair of brand new calipers, from Rock Auto, plus £20.58 for the pins and spring. Ok, there is VAT and delivery on top, but that's a bargain.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=931382...
and
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=832750...
and
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=186749...
The almost identical Corvette C7 calipers are from £724 a pair, more depending on the colour.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=639158...
and
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=639159...
This is how the calipers looked on arrival.
3.7kg = 8.14 lbs. I'll weigh the stock calipers and bracket soon to compare. I doubt there will be any weight saving however.
Z06 discs are relatively easy to get hold of in the UK, well usually, EBC didn't have any one piece discs in stock, so I upgraded to their lighter, two piece discs instead (£518 with my discount). A one piece Z06 disc is reported to weigh 12.2kg/26.8lbs, these came in at 9.7kg/21.34, about 200 grams heavier than the one piece, used Z51 discs I'd removed. As well as being larger (355 vs. 325mm), they also have cooling vanes in the right direction, unlike the Z51 type where one side flows the wrong way!
Photos slightly out of sequence, but it makes more sense this way.
A test fit showed that the discs 'just' brushed the outer edges of the caliper.
A little grinding on the edge and clearance was good (the Cadillac has smaller discs as standard).
It wouldn't do to have 'Cadillac' branding on the car, so I rubbed the caliper faces down, sprayed them with red caliper paint, ebay silver stickers, couple of coats of high temp. lacquer and they were ready to go on.
The kitchen smelled beautiful for a while.
On to pressing out the studs, for longer ARP ones (that I'd slipped in my Florida suitcase, back in November).
I wish now I'd gone for the even longer 3.25" ARP studs, as the 2.5" only gave me 8.5 turns of engagement on the wheel nuts. I therefore ordered a set of extended thread nuts, giving me a good 12 or 13 full turns.
Next, the pad overhang needed sorting. Only a mm or two, but once the pads wear with use they would probably make an annoying scraping noise. Mark with a permanent marker, a quick angle grind to make a taper and they were in and done.
Talking of pads, I am trying EBC's new SR11 race compound on the front (EBC rear). They gave me a set to try, perhaps after a friendly moan about their drilled discs cracking prematurely.
So, not a big brake solution for someone wanting to just bolt up and go, but with a little work it appears to be a very cost-effective solution. I'll report back in a couple of weeks after Silverstone, the 40 minute 'race' will give it a good test. In time I may move the old front calipers to the rear, but that's an experiment for another time.
On to the rest of the work, service bits.
Yup, still the standard intake and filters.
The cabin filter was in a sorry state after the Moroccan border forces had removed it and shoved it back (twice).
Removing the radiators, oil cooler, shroud and fan gave more room for work (weeping power steering seal).
Only the AC pump clutch/pulley had failed, but given that the system was original I decided to change it all. I'd blown air a number of times through the condensor, but you can see how badly clogged it had become.
The Chinese replacement condensor fit was appalling, leaving large gaps where air could escape around the sides, due to the positioning of the mounting brackets. The air drier tube was also much shorter, again, leaving an easy air escape route, rather than bring forced through the fins.
Getting to the air con pump bolts was a challenge, unusually, as the Corvette has good access for so many other jobs.
The radiator is a thick core, no brand, all alloy unit, identical to the one I was using.
The radiator support takes a hell of a bashing on these cars. There are plenty of copies online for less than $100, I decided to go for an uprated, strengthened one from Crane Corvettes. It's nicely made, but the riv nuts were slightly out of place for the air dam.
My little assistant.
Building his Clive jigsaw.
I taped up all the gaps between rads and shroud with alloy duct seal tape. I've not had a rubber hose burst yet, but decided to change them all for black silicone whilst I was in there.
Finally, rear hubs removed and ARP's fitted there too.
I drove it in to work today, for an A/C gas and then a wash later.
Edited by Fishy Dave on Tuesday 14th February 10:24
They do look very similar, although it looks like yours have an external crossover tube. It is odd that the prices vary so wildly, but that is part of the fun. DBA discs do seem good quality, I've used them once before. Corvette's do seem to have funny offsets, on both wheels and brakes.
First time for me using the 'Gold' oil filter, for no particular reason I've always used the regular AC Delco filters.
First time for me using the 'Gold' oil filter, for no particular reason I've always used the regular AC Delco filters.
So, after weeks of work to repair Clive after the Morocco trip, he was ready to go at Silverstone on Saturday, competing in the Pomeroy Trophy. Not a race, although it always feels like it, being on the grid with other race licence holders.
I messed up the braking test, partly I just braked too late, partly due to them not feeling quite right (into the ABS immediately), despite an attempt at bedding them in on the way to work last week.
It's quite difficult (ok, impossible) to repeatedly brake from 120 to 90 mph on the Chippenham bypass at commuting time. The new, cheap big brake kit stood up well to the task, plenty of bite, no fade and no cracked discs so far.
Still, the afternoon, 40 minute test is what everyone looks forward to. It was cold, but dry, giving my two year old Nankang's half a chance. My overtaking was more cautious than it would be in a race, but I equally had a lot of courtesy shown to me too.
Here's the video:
It's a long watch, but hopefully entertaining in places. My usual style of over-driving and sliding about, whilst trying to post a half decent lap. A shame I was passed by the BMW on slicks, but he's a good driver and what an awesome car; I'll take 2nd place on the road. Pleased I overtook the GT40 this time, he beat me last year in the damp on the same tyres.
Clive had plenty of interest through the day, with a friend in the grandstand overhearing plenty of cheers and mentions of Clive as he went by.
I didn't get a photo of the infamous suitcase test, part of the competition to prove which is the best 'touring car'. This year they opened the boot, she laughed and didn't even try to put the pair of cases in, I think we could have got at least 4 in! This photo shows them performing the 'L' measurement, from rear axle to pedals, all part of the handicapping system.
What a car to be overtaken by!
Martin Short drove superbly in the Yaris, finishing 4th on the road, without sticky tyres it should be added.
Ok, it was cold, just a few degrees above freezing for much of the day, but all temperatures were well under control, coolant barely reached 200F, oil peaked at 252F and caliper temps were low too.
Unless I find a kind sponsor, that's me about done for the year competition wise. The tyres have had it now and they're about £1000 a set, still, mustn't grumble, I've had a great last few months in Clive.
I messed up the braking test, partly I just braked too late, partly due to them not feeling quite right (into the ABS immediately), despite an attempt at bedding them in on the way to work last week.
It's quite difficult (ok, impossible) to repeatedly brake from 120 to 90 mph on the Chippenham bypass at commuting time. The new, cheap big brake kit stood up well to the task, plenty of bite, no fade and no cracked discs so far.Still, the afternoon, 40 minute test is what everyone looks forward to. It was cold, but dry, giving my two year old Nankang's half a chance. My overtaking was more cautious than it would be in a race, but I equally had a lot of courtesy shown to me too.
Here's the video:
It's a long watch, but hopefully entertaining in places. My usual style of over-driving and sliding about, whilst trying to post a half decent lap. A shame I was passed by the BMW on slicks, but he's a good driver and what an awesome car; I'll take 2nd place on the road. Pleased I overtook the GT40 this time, he beat me last year in the damp on the same tyres.
Clive had plenty of interest through the day, with a friend in the grandstand overhearing plenty of cheers and mentions of Clive as he went by.
I didn't get a photo of the infamous suitcase test, part of the competition to prove which is the best 'touring car'. This year they opened the boot, she laughed and didn't even try to put the pair of cases in, I think we could have got at least 4 in! This photo shows them performing the 'L' measurement, from rear axle to pedals, all part of the handicapping system.
What a car to be overtaken by!
Martin Short drove superbly in the Yaris, finishing 4th on the road, without sticky tyres it should be added.
Ok, it was cold, just a few degrees above freezing for much of the day, but all temperatures were well under control, coolant barely reached 200F, oil peaked at 252F and caliper temps were low too.
Unless I find a kind sponsor, that's me about done for the year competition wise. The tyres have had it now and they're about £1000 a set, still, mustn't grumble, I've had a great last few months in Clive.
V10Mike said:
Saw your car at the Pomeroy yesterday -apologies for not saying hello!
Hugely impressive drive in the 40 minute "reliability" run in the afternoon -if I'm not mistaken you were second quickest after the Alpina CSL.
Clive looked and sounded fantastic, and it's quite an achievement to leave a GT40 and a McLaren M1B behind!
Brakes seemed to be working well, and the car looked beautifully balanced round Brooklands and Luffield where I was watching (I'm sure driver skill had something to do with it as well
).
It's really interesting which cars work and which don't on the track -the Bentley Continental GT was completely at sea, roll and terminal understeer, maybe not a complete surprise, same issues with the BMW Mini Cooper, but I can absolutely see why people rave about the GR Yaris!
Good luck with your score and ranking!
Thank you, you're right, second on the road in the afternoon. That Bentley was pretty rapid in a straight line, it beat me in the 1/4 mile in the morning, but yes, it was a bit of a boat through the corners. The handicap really doesn't seem to like the Corvette, I finished 66th out of 109 cars; even if I'd have got the braking test right I'd still have been 50th or so, not sure I could have done too much better. Thanks for the support, next time do come on over for a chat. Hugely impressive drive in the 40 minute "reliability" run in the afternoon -if I'm not mistaken you were second quickest after the Alpina CSL.
Clive looked and sounded fantastic, and it's quite an achievement to leave a GT40 and a McLaren M1B behind!
Brakes seemed to be working well, and the car looked beautifully balanced round Brooklands and Luffield where I was watching (I'm sure driver skill had something to do with it as well
).It's really interesting which cars work and which don't on the track -the Bentley Continental GT was completely at sea, roll and terminal understeer, maybe not a complete surprise, same issues with the BMW Mini Cooper, but I can absolutely see why people rave about the GR Yaris!
Good luck with your score and ranking!
Willhire89 said:
You are fighting an uphill battle with the formula
Big litres - ideally 1500cc to 2000cc
Age - the Vette is relatively modern
L - I have not seen your number but I'm guessing quite short
Outside the formula there's weight?
If you are up against a Mk1 Cortina you'll face 1600cc, early sixties, an L of 80 and a weight of 680kgs maybe
I have run in it eighteen times - what car won it (provisionally) ?
Yes, I can see that now. Big litres - ideally 1500cc to 2000cc
Age - the Vette is relatively modern
L - I have not seen your number but I'm guessing quite short
Outside the formula there's weight?
If you are up against a Mk1 Cortina you'll face 1600cc, early sixties, an L of 80 and a weight of 680kgs maybe
I have run in it eighteen times - what car won it (provisionally) ?
Provisionally it's the Impreza for the second time in recent years (well driven it must be said). It looks like the formula hasn't kept pace with modern, turbo-charged 4wd cars: the Impreza has won it twice, Skyline GTR last year and the Yaris GR gave a strong showing this year too. No sour grapes, all drivers are skilled behind the wheel, but the handicap doesn't look to penalise them quite as much. 500TORQUES said:
It was great to chat with you on Saturday Dave, I love the car and your approach to it, which is similar to mine being run on a tight budget with the work done by yourself.
The braking area was really low grip this year, I very nearly didn't get it stopped, but just managed it. So it's not surprising your ABS kicked in straight away. The tyres were very cold too. I think that test is the hardest from a driving perspective, as you don't get to practice and the grip is an unknown, last year I braked too soon and had to roll in, this year was right on the limit of what was possible.
On the handicap issue, had Andy not failed the braking test last year (he stopped too soon and didn't roll in), he would most likely have won in his 1968 Mk1 Escort BDA. Mine is the only this century car to win, and i have to drive the car well to achieve that. Previous Impreza's haven't done as well. As a genuinely driven every day road car, it's doing really well to compete.
The GTR that won last year is not a new car, it's 30 years old now, mine is 18 years old. Engine size is the big issue for your car, it's massive compared to most, but mine isn't that small when you add the turbo correction factor. The GR Yaris wins on this front being just a 1.6 litre. But it loses on age. Martin needs no introduction and he was driving the wheels off it to get his great result. It looks like the handicap is doing it's job pretty well, with a 1929 car close behind.
Weight doesn't get counted, but if it were mine would probably be fairly neutral a difference, as it's a heavy bus with the more modern crash safety built into the shell, the AWD system and turbo add a lot of weight too, it's 1450Kg with half a tank of fuel and no driver. I do my bit to add to that.
If the system was changed I wouldn't complain, I'm just grateful to be allowed to compete in such a fabulous event. Being passed by the 1975 BMW CSL on slicks with PBE at the wheel was worth the entry fee on it's own, what a fabulous sight and sound. I race prepped the GT40 in the event also, and seeing that close up flat out was brilliant too, I enjoyed your exploits and Martin's too. The absolute highlight for me was following a car on M sections for a lap with it smoking the tyres on every corner, it was great fun, the driver was having a ball.
Yes, good to chat to you too, after competing so closely last year (you'd have beaten me were it not for your wheel issue) The braking area was really low grip this year, I very nearly didn't get it stopped, but just managed it. So it's not surprising your ABS kicked in straight away. The tyres were very cold too. I think that test is the hardest from a driving perspective, as you don't get to practice and the grip is an unknown, last year I braked too soon and had to roll in, this year was right on the limit of what was possible.
On the handicap issue, had Andy not failed the braking test last year (he stopped too soon and didn't roll in), he would most likely have won in his 1968 Mk1 Escort BDA. Mine is the only this century car to win, and i have to drive the car well to achieve that. Previous Impreza's haven't done as well. As a genuinely driven every day road car, it's doing really well to compete.
The GTR that won last year is not a new car, it's 30 years old now, mine is 18 years old. Engine size is the big issue for your car, it's massive compared to most, but mine isn't that small when you add the turbo correction factor. The GR Yaris wins on this front being just a 1.6 litre. But it loses on age. Martin needs no introduction and he was driving the wheels off it to get his great result. It looks like the handicap is doing it's job pretty well, with a 1929 car close behind.
Weight doesn't get counted, but if it were mine would probably be fairly neutral a difference, as it's a heavy bus with the more modern crash safety built into the shell, the AWD system and turbo add a lot of weight too, it's 1450Kg with half a tank of fuel and no driver. I do my bit to add to that.
If the system was changed I wouldn't complain, I'm just grateful to be allowed to compete in such a fabulous event. Being passed by the 1975 BMW CSL on slicks with PBE at the wheel was worth the entry fee on it's own, what a fabulous sight and sound. I race prepped the GT40 in the event also, and seeing that close up flat out was brilliant too, I enjoyed your exploits and Martin's too. The absolute highlight for me was following a car on M sections for a lap with it smoking the tyres on every corner, it was great fun, the driver was having a ball.
All good points well made, agreed, a pleasure to compete on the same bit tarmac as the McLaren, GT40 and CSL. Congratulations again, great job on your result, both overall and in all four phases of the competition. See you next year I hope.
It's been a quiet few months for Clive, mostly consisting of uneventful commuting without drama.
We attended a US car meeting at Yate last month, a good crowd of people and some very nice cars. including a half dozen Corvette's.
Modern shopping centre spaces not quite big enough.
I finally got around to fitting the very expensive, but beautifully made AMT Motorsport seat mount on the drivers side. I should have bought this from the start, but oh no, I thought I knew best and could come up with a cut-priced race seat solution, I was wrong. Finally I am sat at the perfect height, I'm comfortable in the Sparco QRT Evo L, the base is strong and light too. I wish I'd taken better photos though.
The base has an integral bar and eye bolts for a 6 point harness. So, I have swapped from a 4 point to a 6 point from Clive's new stable mate, a race-prepped Honda S2000.
Off topic, but we had success first time out, with a 1st in class and 4th overall at Castle Combe, yey. This does mean that Clive can have a well-earned rest from track duty for a bit. It's a very different drive, being 350kg lighter and revving a third higher. A certain other C6 pher will make his racing debut in the Honda in the near future.
We (the CSCC) had a lovely C6 Z06 in action at Thruxton earlier this month. I shoudl have recorded some video so you could hear the noise. It's an ex-Norwegian championship winning car.
To celebrate my little son Austin's birthday, we visited Five Zeros Supercar Cafe, in Bradford On Avon. A brilliant place, cooked breakfast and a decent coffee, chat to other car enthusiasts and drool over some tasty cars. We were there for almost two hours, my wife and son would happily go back. I was even allowed to park Clive inside.
We attended a US car meeting at Yate last month, a good crowd of people and some very nice cars. including a half dozen Corvette's.
Modern shopping centre spaces not quite big enough.
I finally got around to fitting the very expensive, but beautifully made AMT Motorsport seat mount on the drivers side. I should have bought this from the start, but oh no, I thought I knew best and could come up with a cut-priced race seat solution, I was wrong. Finally I am sat at the perfect height, I'm comfortable in the Sparco QRT Evo L, the base is strong and light too. I wish I'd taken better photos though.
The base has an integral bar and eye bolts for a 6 point harness. So, I have swapped from a 4 point to a 6 point from Clive's new stable mate, a race-prepped Honda S2000.
Off topic, but we had success first time out, with a 1st in class and 4th overall at Castle Combe, yey. This does mean that Clive can have a well-earned rest from track duty for a bit. It's a very different drive, being 350kg lighter and revving a third higher. A certain other C6 pher will make his racing debut in the Honda in the near future.
We (the CSCC) had a lovely C6 Z06 in action at Thruxton earlier this month. I shoudl have recorded some video so you could hear the noise. It's an ex-Norwegian championship winning car.
To celebrate my little son Austin's birthday, we visited Five Zeros Supercar Cafe, in Bradford On Avon. A brilliant place, cooked breakfast and a decent coffee, chat to other car enthusiasts and drool over some tasty cars. We were there for almost two hours, my wife and son would happily go back. I was even allowed to park Clive inside.
Edited by Fishy Dave on Tuesday 16th May 17:44
SunsetZed said:
Looks good, how did you hear about the event in Yate, that's my neck of the woods but I had no idea it was on or I would have attended. Is it an annual thing?
Thanks, I only saw it thanks to Felix mentioning it on Facebook. Have a search on FB for 'Yate American Car and Truck Meet'. The next one is tomorrow, at 19:00. Adam Kindness said:
Ive just read page 1 with a coffee - about half way down.... I know this guy LOL
Thats some journey the car has been on. Hope to catch you on track again some day
I hope you and Fiona have a good season, I'll catch up with you again I'm sure, well, not on track, you're too quick. Thats some journey the car has been on. Hope to catch you on track again some day
jimbobs said:
I was literally just typing the same sentiment as the post above. Look how far you’ve come with the car!
It’s been great reading about it - please keep posting!
I will do, as long as people keep reading It’s been great reading about it - please keep posting!
It's been quite an adventure, with travel, road trips, two books, championships and so much more. I can't imagine experiencing this in any of the other cars I've owned. It's been a fairly quiet couple of months for Clive, mostly because he's been a reliable commuting tool and that doesn't make for exciting reading.
After the whole exhaust system took a hammering during the Sahara trip, I've had various attempts at straightening things out and making dented pipes round again. The drivers side header continued to blow, despite a new gasket. On removal it was clear why, it had twisted along its length and slightly bent at both ends, to the point where it had bent a header bolt.
I took it to a proper, old-school engineering firm in Box, Wiltshire https://www.ahdodd.co.uk/
A brilliant place, with all sorts of old machines and new tech too, I took some photos, but frustratingly I can't find them. They said to leave it with them and a few days later I had a call to say it was ready to collect and try. They'd had to linish it by hand for hours, to get the mating surface of the header flat again. When it came to payment, the owner had looked me up and was happy to receive two signed Clive books dedicated to his grandson, perfect!
One bonus to a layer of metal being removed was that it gave extra clearance to the steering shaft. A big downside being that it moved the collector within a couple of mm of the bell housing.
I repaired the exhaust wrap. In use the header has been fine, no knocking or rubbing, but it will transfer some heat to the clutch housing. Still, it's great to have the roar of the long tube headers and X pipe back again.
Not pictured, but I spent some time heating and bending the back box mounts, as the tips have always been slightly wonky. It used to both a mate more than it did me, but glad to have sorted it.
The next job was to once again fix a persistent power steering leak. It was dripping from two places, the high pressure line that bolts into the pump and a weep from the small length of moulded hose from the reservoir. It's not much fun as jobs go, but I'd replaced this hose some years ago, so knew a couple of shortcuts. Rather than use a GM rubber hose a short length of Samco was utilised. Leaks are fixed now.
This is the old reservoir hose.
One embarrassing mistake I made, was routing the main drive belt the wrong side of the new PAS high pressure line. I only realised right at the end of a long day. So, dismantle it all again, or cut the belt. I chose the latter, knowing I had a new belt in stock.
I attended the Yate American car meet again, this time with little Austin. He enjoyed it, but it was way past his bedtime, after a short stop for photos in Castle Combe village (back when we still had a summer).
Felix's C6 convertible.
(not a rhd conversion)
Part 2 of the article Felix and I wrote for the Corvette Club magazine received multiple pages, including the front cover.
There are more pages than this, but I'll spare you them, as it's written and pictured within this thread, a few pages back.
In other news I've been racing and fixing my S2000 (with two PH friends), with, well, let's say varying success, plus racing a friends Z4 (with no success).
Spin as a result of pad knock-back (not me driving at the time btw)
Next up for the Corvette is the Pistonheads 25 year meet, please do come over and say hello. Clive will be on display in the Readers Cars area. The week after I'll be attending the US show and race meeting at Oulton Park. Hope to see you there, cheers, Dave.
After the whole exhaust system took a hammering during the Sahara trip, I've had various attempts at straightening things out and making dented pipes round again. The drivers side header continued to blow, despite a new gasket. On removal it was clear why, it had twisted along its length and slightly bent at both ends, to the point where it had bent a header bolt.
I took it to a proper, old-school engineering firm in Box, Wiltshire https://www.ahdodd.co.uk/
A brilliant place, with all sorts of old machines and new tech too, I took some photos, but frustratingly I can't find them. They said to leave it with them and a few days later I had a call to say it was ready to collect and try. They'd had to linish it by hand for hours, to get the mating surface of the header flat again. When it came to payment, the owner had looked me up and was happy to receive two signed Clive books dedicated to his grandson, perfect!
One bonus to a layer of metal being removed was that it gave extra clearance to the steering shaft. A big downside being that it moved the collector within a couple of mm of the bell housing.
I repaired the exhaust wrap. In use the header has been fine, no knocking or rubbing, but it will transfer some heat to the clutch housing. Still, it's great to have the roar of the long tube headers and X pipe back again.
Not pictured, but I spent some time heating and bending the back box mounts, as the tips have always been slightly wonky. It used to both a mate more than it did me, but glad to have sorted it.
The next job was to once again fix a persistent power steering leak. It was dripping from two places, the high pressure line that bolts into the pump and a weep from the small length of moulded hose from the reservoir. It's not much fun as jobs go, but I'd replaced this hose some years ago, so knew a couple of shortcuts. Rather than use a GM rubber hose a short length of Samco was utilised. Leaks are fixed now.
This is the old reservoir hose.
One embarrassing mistake I made, was routing the main drive belt the wrong side of the new PAS high pressure line. I only realised right at the end of a long day. So, dismantle it all again, or cut the belt. I chose the latter, knowing I had a new belt in stock.
I attended the Yate American car meet again, this time with little Austin. He enjoyed it, but it was way past his bedtime, after a short stop for photos in Castle Combe village (back when we still had a summer).
Felix's C6 convertible.
(not a rhd conversion)
Part 2 of the article Felix and I wrote for the Corvette Club magazine received multiple pages, including the front cover.
There are more pages than this, but I'll spare you them, as it's written and pictured within this thread, a few pages back.
In other news I've been racing and fixing my S2000 (with two PH friends), with, well, let's say varying success, plus racing a friends Z4 (with no success).
Spin as a result of pad knock-back (not me driving at the time btw)
Next up for the Corvette is the Pistonheads 25 year meet, please do come over and say hello. Clive will be on display in the Readers Cars area. The week after I'll be attending the US show and race meeting at Oulton Park. Hope to see you there, cheers, Dave.
Edited by Fishy Dave on Monday 31st July 11:55
All set for the 25th do tomorrow. A last minute decision to repaint the 'Cadillac' Brembo calipers. The lapping at the Pomeroy Trophy in Feb. had discoloured them.
The first attempt at a respray (yesterday), using high temp. caliper paint was a disaster, requiring rubbing back and starting again today. Normal aerosol paint was much better, but a lack of time meant they only pass muster from a metre away.
Before
Rubbed back
Rubbish 1st attempt, paint too thick and contaminants.
As they are tonight, before fitting. I'm worried the paint underneath a coating of laquer will still be too soft. I'll know tomorrow after the drive.
Other than giving Clive a quick, cold water rinse the only other PH25 prep was changing the corner pieces of the front airdam. Track use has once again worn them down somewhat.
See you tomorrow.
The first attempt at a respray (yesterday), using high temp. caliper paint was a disaster, requiring rubbing back and starting again today. Normal aerosol paint was much better, but a lack of time meant they only pass muster from a metre away.
Before
Rubbed back
Rubbish 1st attempt, paint too thick and contaminants.
As they are tonight, before fitting. I'm worried the paint underneath a coating of laquer will still be too soft. I'll know tomorrow after the drive.
Other than giving Clive a quick, cold water rinse the only other PH25 prep was changing the corner pieces of the front airdam. Track use has once again worn them down somewhat.
See you tomorrow.
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