Sunday, October 22, 2006
Castle Combe....Last one for this year.
Well Castle Combe has come around again and thats it all over. It was to be a wet Combe but only when the MG's were going or actually out on the track!
More cars came off at some stage this year than for quite a few years. Katy managing to be one of the spectacular 360 degree spins at Camp corner, just before the finish line but fortunately only the grass was cut. Not so good for David Butler who came unstuck at Avon rise, the first corner! A new wing and indicator are now required.
A good day a of humour and chat had by all, inspite of the rain.
Time to pack the cars away and decide on what to do with them for next year. Mine needs a really good effort on the engine, gearbox and axle. So I shall not be competing in it at all next year however I may manage to convince Katy into letting me double drive the midget. We shall see.
Well Castle Combe has come around again and thats it all over. It was to be a wet Combe but only when the MG's were going or actually out on the track!
More cars came off at some stage this year than for quite a few years. Katy managing to be one of the spectacular 360 degree spins at Camp corner, just before the finish line but fortunately only the grass was cut. Not so good for David Butler who came unstuck at Avon rise, the first corner! A new wing and indicator are now required.
A good day a of humour and chat had by all, inspite of the rain.
Time to pack the cars away and decide on what to do with them for next year. Mine needs a really good effort on the engine, gearbox and axle. So I shall not be competing in it at all next year however I may manage to convince Katy into letting me double drive the midget. We shall see.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Goodwood.
Well were went to Goodwood to just watch this year as cars needed TLC at home and also the entry fee was in my opinion too high at £20 a minute.
It was HOT. Cars were hot as were the drivers.
Unfortunatley Tim Read had an "Oh No!" moment going into St. Mary's and dent the front and back of his MGA.
I am sure it can be rebuilt though.
Onwards to Prescott........
It was HOT. Cars were hot as were the drivers.
Unfortunatley Tim Read had an "Oh No!" moment going into St. Mary's and dent the front and back of his MGA.
I am sure it can be rebuilt though.
Onwards to Prescott........
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Blimey over half the season and no blogging!
Ooops Sorry to those you visit I have been quite remiss in my lack of blogging about the season so far.
So here is an update I will try and keep it concise!
Rushmoor Arena..............A great event held just the other side of Farnborough Airport. It was a good shake down for the cars and drivers a like. Not particular successful for me or Katy but first time at this event so you know....
So with the drive home to Wales firmly in mind and how the B is becoming not a pleasant drive on the motorway at legal speeds I decided to buy a trailer. Sounds straight forward but I have a Golf TDI as the tow car so towing limit is 1500kgs all in. So it had to light and yet strong enough to take the B or Midget. I eventually found on within budget at a trailer shop near to home www.trailertrek.com which was great but the delivery was touch and go fro Wales trip.
Llys-y-Fran.
Deepest Darkest Wales.
Bloody amazing and well worth the long hard slog up to junction 213214234234255667677 of the M4. Stayed in a lovely B&B just the other side of the hill and really relaxed. Had a good time on the hill, quicker than last year by 3/4 of a second so not a bad improvement.
A long drive in the B but fortunately the last time I will have to drive her all the way there, the trailer arrived two days after we got home.......
Lydden.
First event towing to so was a little nervous as we ventured off to Dover with the B loaded and balanced nicely on board. Firstly I was amazed at how well the Golf coped with towing the ride was quite relaxed and effortless. Needless to say we hit stationary traffic on the M25 and this is when I was so glad for the trailer as the B would have melted in the heat. Kate snuck off the motorway to find an alternate route to Dover but I stayed on in the rolling stop start of the motorway. It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to do 12 miles. Eventually I got free of the traffic and we were off again and I actually made some good time and arrived at the track before Kate in the midget. Left the cars and trailer at the track and went to find our hotel in Dover. Back the next morning and set up the paddock with ours and Richard Wither's EZup (pop up gazebo) and made some welcome shade for all of the MGCC competitors.
It was after my second run that I noticed the back of the car gaining in height and realised that I must have damaged the springs either here or in Wales. Anyway it gradually got worse and I retired after two timed runs and made for home as we had Gurston Down the next day.
Gurston Down.
I really love this hill and the location. Over the years we have managed to increase our presence here every year and this year we got 18 entries. This was by far the biggest single mark at the event. It looked really good.
The cars springs made the hill "interesting" but Kate had a much better day and set a new hill record for here car! Well done babe!
Pre-Silverstone.
I spent most of my time under the B changing the parabolic leaf springs. Deep Joy when that was done!
Onwards to Silverstone.
Always a mix of emotion with Silverstone as it is the premier event of the year for the MG Car Club but we in the sprint are not given any real support by the club. A lot of competitors this year didn’t do the event. I think that this years Silverstone Sprint was one of if not the best Silverstone we have had, in spite of the difficulties we had on the day of the sprint.
There was no timing gear.
I know a sprint without timing gear a joke! Well actually it went really really well. The time keeping was better than at Lydden earlier in the year. It was simple there was a radio link between start and finish and two stop watches.
I would like to thank all of those involved as with out them there would have been no sprint.
I did bugger up the car loading it on to the trailer as I forgot that with the new springs it sits lower and the door got stuck on the trailer mud guard and bent the door forward into the wing so now I have a lovely crease 10 inches long and 2 inches in. So time for a strategically placed sponsorship sticker!
Wow long old rant anyone still reading? Enjoy the photos.
So here is an update I will try and keep it concise!
Rushmoor Arena..............A great event held just the other side of Farnborough Airport. It was a good shake down for the cars and drivers a like. Not particular successful for me or Katy but first time at this event so you know....
So with the drive home to Wales firmly in mind and how the B is becoming not a pleasant drive on the motorway at legal speeds I decided to buy a trailer. Sounds straight forward but I have a Golf TDI as the tow car so towing limit is 1500kgs all in. So it had to light and yet strong enough to take the B or Midget. I eventually found on within budget at a trailer shop near to home www.trailertrek.com which was great but the delivery was touch and go fro Wales trip.
Llys-y-Fran.
Deepest Darkest Wales.
Bloody amazing and well worth the long hard slog up to junction 213214234234255667677 of the M4. Stayed in a lovely B&B just the other side of the hill and really relaxed. Had a good time on the hill, quicker than last year by 3/4 of a second so not a bad improvement.
A long drive in the B but fortunately the last time I will have to drive her all the way there, the trailer arrived two days after we got home.......
Lydden.
First event towing to so was a little nervous as we ventured off to Dover with the B loaded and balanced nicely on board. Firstly I was amazed at how well the Golf coped with towing the ride was quite relaxed and effortless. Needless to say we hit stationary traffic on the M25 and this is when I was so glad for the trailer as the B would have melted in the heat. Kate snuck off the motorway to find an alternate route to Dover but I stayed on in the rolling stop start of the motorway. It took me 1 hour and 45 minutes to do 12 miles. Eventually I got free of the traffic and we were off again and I actually made some good time and arrived at the track before Kate in the midget. Left the cars and trailer at the track and went to find our hotel in Dover. Back the next morning and set up the paddock with ours and Richard Wither's EZup (pop up gazebo) and made some welcome shade for all of the MGCC competitors.
It was after my second run that I noticed the back of the car gaining in height and realised that I must have damaged the springs either here or in Wales. Anyway it gradually got worse and I retired after two timed runs and made for home as we had Gurston Down the next day.
Gurston Down.
I really love this hill and the location. Over the years we have managed to increase our presence here every year and this year we got 18 entries. This was by far the biggest single mark at the event. It looked really good.
The cars springs made the hill "interesting" but Kate had a much better day and set a new hill record for here car! Well done babe!
Pre-Silverstone.
I spent most of my time under the B changing the parabolic leaf springs. Deep Joy when that was done!
Onwards to Silverstone.
Always a mix of emotion with Silverstone as it is the premier event of the year for the MG Car Club but we in the sprint are not given any real support by the club. A lot of competitors this year didn’t do the event. I think that this years Silverstone Sprint was one of if not the best Silverstone we have had, in spite of the difficulties we had on the day of the sprint.
There was no timing gear.
I know a sprint without timing gear a joke! Well actually it went really really well. The time keeping was better than at Lydden earlier in the year. It was simple there was a radio link between start and finish and two stop watches.
I would like to thank all of those involved as with out them there would have been no sprint.
I did bugger up the car loading it on to the trailer as I forgot that with the new springs it sits lower and the door got stuck on the trailer mud guard and bent the door forward into the wing so now I have a lovely crease 10 inches long and 2 inches in. So time for a strategically placed sponsorship sticker!
Wow long old rant anyone still reading? Enjoy the photos.
Monday, April 03, 2006
midget work.
So went and collected the Midget on friday evening from Ross down in the New Forest. Not too much rain on the way back fortunatley, no roof on the wee beastie!
We started work on putting it back together on saturday morning and were complete by about 7ish that evening. Kate concentrated on the fiddley bits inside the doors, Ian rewired the headlights and indicators and I look after the rear of the car. Then on to the front brakes and exhaust. A good job and THANKS again Ian.
Photo's to come.....
Onwards to Rushmoor.
We started work on putting it back together on saturday morning and were complete by about 7ish that evening. Kate concentrated on the fiddley bits inside the doors, Ian rewired the headlights and indicators and I look after the rear of the car. Then on to the front brakes and exhaust. A good job and THANKS again Ian.
Photo's to come.....
Onwards to Rushmoor.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Update
So a busy week off work started with finishing to strip down the Midget ready for its respray at Ross's paint shop. www.ross-packard.co.uk
With that done I attempted my first tow and with someone else's trailer and my wife's car on it!! Thanks Tim for the loan, really must get my own one now. An uneventful trip to the New Forest was had thankfully and then home to start on the B.
Wheeled the B out of the hanger where she has been parked up since the last weekend in October last year, and did the usual oil checks and turned her over with the coil disconnected just to get some fluid moving then re-attached the coil and fired straight away with just as much bangin and popin as when parked up (must work on that self fixing attachment).
Drove her down to the garage and started stripping the head off to get to the problem (the Cam timing)
So after much faffing about and telephone calls to Ian McDougall-Bell,http://macsport.blogspot.com/, I finally managed to get my head around how to work out where the cam should be. Set at 107 degrees ATDC on the number 1 inlet valve. See sounds easy now!! But thanks to all for there assistance with the daftness that was flowing at an alarming rate.
Finally got it all finished last night at around 6pm and this morning took her for a blast arund the farm and had a HUGE grin on my face whe I came home eventually!! Just need to get an MOT now. Well and a trailer........
With that done I attempted my first tow and with someone else's trailer and my wife's car on it!! Thanks Tim for the loan, really must get my own one now. An uneventful trip to the New Forest was had thankfully and then home to start on the B.
Wheeled the B out of the hanger where she has been parked up since the last weekend in October last year, and did the usual oil checks and turned her over with the coil disconnected just to get some fluid moving then re-attached the coil and fired straight away with just as much bangin and popin as when parked up (must work on that self fixing attachment).
Drove her down to the garage and started stripping the head off to get to the problem (the Cam timing)
So after much faffing about and telephone calls to Ian McDougall-Bell,http://macsport.blogspot.com/, I finally managed to get my head around how to work out where the cam should be. Set at 107 degrees ATDC on the number 1 inlet valve. See sounds easy now!! But thanks to all for there assistance with the daftness that was flowing at an alarming rate.
Finally got it all finished last night at around 6pm and this morning took her for a blast arund the farm and had a HUGE grin on my face whe I came home eventually!! Just need to get an MOT now. Well and a trailer........
Monday, January 16, 2006
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