Discussion
Anyone know if a Chimaera will fit on a Brian James Clubman 1200 trailer, or do I need something bigger? It's OK for weight (the handbook says the Chim weighs 1060 kilos), but the overall length of the car is a couple of inches longer than the bedsize of the trailer, although the wheelbase fits well inside.
Why not drive it to the track?
1. You get time in the car feeling how it will handle.
2. The car will arrive warmed up and raring to go.
3. Any faults will be found during the drive. If the car is only driven on the track, the only time it will break down will be on the track...
4. You don't have to worry about trailers or two cars, acrrying weights and so on.
1. You get time in the car feeling how it will handle.
2. The car will arrive warmed up and raring to go.
3. Any faults will be found during the drive. If the car is only driven on the track, the only time it will break down will be on the track...
4. You don't have to worry about trailers or two cars, acrrying weights and so on.
shpub said:
Why not drive it to the track?
1. You get time in the car feeling how it will handle.
2. The car will arrive warmed up and raring to go.
3. Any faults will be found during the drive. If the car is only driven on the track, the only time it will break down will be on the track...
4. You don't have to worry about trailers or two cars, acrrying weights and so on.
Some good points there, Steve. The car gets driven on the road day-to-day anyway, so 1 & 3 aren't that applicable, 2's a good one that hadn't occured to me. 4's moot, in that while true, I believe the benefit of having somewhere to securely stow gubbins, somewhere for SWMBO to sit out of the peeing rain and somewhere to eat butties -ditto- outweigh the pain of using a trailer. Besides, after sitting stationary on the M1 for 2 hours in the blazing sun coming back from Bruntingthorpe last summer, I'd have sold a kidney for air conditioning...
M@H
Slicks on trackdays are not always a good idea as....
When warmed up slicks generate a 'huge' amount of grip, this in turn puts stresses on other parts of the car notably wishbones and driveshafts. These components may require uprating to avoid (dramatic) failure. It is sometimes better to let the car slide around as it puts less stress on the car in some situations, as does wheelspin which spins away excess power rather than try to twist the driveshaft which it will do with slicks!!!
I have driven and used trailers to circuits and started using a trailer more regularly in recent years for the following reasons:-
1) Often a less stressful drive to the circuit, especially as one poster has pointed out being stuck in traffic on boiling hot days
2) Somewhere to park all your gear, which you do not need to unload at the event, only as you need it.
3) Much improved family life
4) My Taimar had less than 3ins of ground clearance and suspension that would knock every filling out.
5) Better fuel ecomony
SteveH has valid points too, but often he is the only one in the car and is prepared to put up with the issues I raised. I do agree with him though that the cars need to be used regularly otherwise they seem to store up trouble
davidy
Slicks on trackdays are not always a good idea as....
When warmed up slicks generate a 'huge' amount of grip, this in turn puts stresses on other parts of the car notably wishbones and driveshafts. These components may require uprating to avoid (dramatic) failure. It is sometimes better to let the car slide around as it puts less stress on the car in some situations, as does wheelspin which spins away excess power rather than try to twist the driveshaft which it will do with slicks!!!
I have driven and used trailers to circuits and started using a trailer more regularly in recent years for the following reasons:-
1) Often a less stressful drive to the circuit, especially as one poster has pointed out being stuck in traffic on boiling hot days
2) Somewhere to park all your gear, which you do not need to unload at the event, only as you need it.
3) Much improved family life
4) My Taimar had less than 3ins of ground clearance and suspension that would knock every filling out.
5) Better fuel ecomony
SteveH has valid points too, but often he is the only one in the car and is prepared to put up with the issues I raised. I do agree with him though that the cars need to be used regularly otherwise they seem to store up trouble
davidy
Everyone knows that the Chimps boot is big but even I was pleasantly suprised when I fitted 3 V8S wheels in the boot and one on the parcel shelf. Big bin liners keep muck off the leather/carpet. I wasn't going racing, just swaping wheels with Joospeed at Bruntingthorpe.I imagine the chimps slightly larger rear wheels would still fit, albeit more snugly. Moral.....never underestimate the boot capacity of a Chimaera!!!!!!!!!!!
Kevin
Kevin
davidy said:
M@H
Slicks on trackdays are not always a good idea as....
When warmed up slicks generate a 'huge' amount of grip, this in turn puts stresses on other parts of the car notably wishbones and driveshafts. These components may require uprating to avoid (dramatic) failure. It is sometimes better to let the car slide around as it puts less stress on the car in some situations, as does wheelspin which spins away excess power rather than try to twist the driveshaft which it will do with slicks!!!
All very good points I'd not really considered...
I'm not in a position to judge for myself as the chance of affording a big trailer and Mitsubishi Shogun, and the TVR, plus keep it in Tyres etc for trackdays is basically Zero.
Cheers,
Matt.
After many years of scrimping and saving, I'm finally in the position where I have the Chimaera, the Disco to tow it, the funds to buy the trailer and most important of all, Management permission to go sprinting or hillclimbing before I'm *too* old! 
And the comfort of the Management is important - it's her money, too!
And the comfort of the Management is important - it's her money, too!
M@H said:
It also depends if you want to run Slicks at the circuit as you don't have room for 4 shod wheels in the Chimara boot. If I had a trailer and something speedy to tow it I'd use slicks at the track I reckon.
The 520 has competed on Slicks this year. I fitted a detachable tow hook and built a small trailer that takes 4 slicks and 4 wets for playing with and has storage space for tools and spares. DRive to the circuit, unhitch trailer, unbolt tow bar, swap wheels and slap some numbers on and we are away.
As for using slicks... Slicks also really stress the rest of the car. They are absolutely superb except I had to change the suspension to get them to work, the drive shaft UJs, gearbox and differential all died under the additional strain. Just meant they have all been added to the list of consumables. Also they run a little expensive at £1000 a set for decent Avons...
PS. The 520 doesn't notice the trailer - it still does a sub 5 second 0-60 with it.
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