History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[MGDavid]

It would have to be a pretty sick member of the fun police to pull you up on that, surely? Take no notice, I'm sure you can manage to look totally bemused and innocent should the need arise.

[911thillclimber]

Indeed David.
I'm very good at looking innocent because I usually am!
This car is only a box of trouble because I'm involved!!

I'll have a roll of gaffa tape in the tool box if I have to cover the 'Martini' up.

Another on another forum has suggested instead of the word Martini, one side has the word Shaken and the other side Stirred instead...

Just might be tempted by that!

[911thillclimber]

Distraction over; only Tobacco advertising logo's are banned, so the Martini logos stay.

Still cleaning the thing!

[SAMD]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Distraction over; only Tobacco advertising logo's are banned, so the Martini logos stay.

Still cleaning the thing!

What!!! have you never heard of 20 Martinis please. It happens here in Ireland all the time.

[Nordic]

Look a treat, fingers crossed it goes as well as a 908!

When your lined up on the start, just think its the 1970's and your about to start a lap of the Targa. It will all come together.

[911thillclimber]

Indeed, a romantic thought.
Oddly, watched a bit of 1970 targa on !!tube last night. Crazy race with trucks and sheep around the corner sometimes....

Final clean of the chassis and body today, filled the oil cooler hole that the Pinto engine cars use in the rear body, T cut and wax all over.

The large roundels are on each side and i even did some 'homework' Sean at McClurg Motorsport set me for my own good, and bled the brakes.

It's only been 3 years since i last did them! 1 litre of DoT4 later and all the old is flushed out. The pro bleed bottle i bought ages ago is great as you bleed both caliper sides simultaneously, so the job does not take too long.

Quickly running out of things to do!

Need to change the gearbox oil tomorrow, engine done yesterday, all 15 litres of it.

A 911 engine is as much oil cooled as air cooled.

Have to borrow a timing light to note the timing at tick-over and then fit the Acuspark points=free system and when all hot, note the timing at 500rpm intervals so I can program the Black Box. Not particularly looking forward to that change, and might chicken-out and simply remove the points.

Carb check-over then...don't know i can find any more other than a fresh set of slicks, £900.

Still to get the 911 back and mess about with that until Easter.

My car club (www.hdlcc.com) have their own hillclimb, a members only practice weekend in early April, where you can get about 6 runs in a day, so I expect to do both days to scrub the tyres and get used to the 'new feel' of skinny tyres, and the shattering improvement of the car now it is 20Kg lighter!



Proof for Sean:

[911thillclimber]

It stopped raining, so a photocall (for revising my Log Book)

[911thillclimber]

With today being sunny and dry i thought I'd fit the Accuspark breaker-less kit to the Lola engine.

This meant the first start-up of the car since Sept 2013, so charged the heavy Red-top (it didn't need it...) and switched it all on.

After a few seconds to get pressure showing on the oil gauge, ignition and...

Bruuummm, ran first stab of the carbs and settled to a sewing machine hummmm.

How lucky is that?

Once a bit warm, stopped it, installed the borrowed Snap-On timing light and found a stady (ish) tick-over of 1200 rpm, just where I set it last year.
Noted the ign timing at 1200 and stopped it.

Came to fit the accuspark kit and...of course it will not fit.

Tedious, but the engine on points ran great, so that is a good sign for 2014.

It's a long wait for the first practice day at Loton Park, another 6 weeks to go.

[911thillclimber]

couldn't get the Accuspark to work...

not their fault, the kit is for a right hand dist, and of course mine is the rare left hand version off a 2.7 RS 911 no less.

Popped a fresh set of points back in last night, re-set the ignition setting to how it was last year, and it runs great.

Old skool rules.

Sorted the awkward front tyres out with the help of BMTR. the size I wanted to use as it has a narrow section ( 13 x 20 x 7) so would get inside the front wings better is only for heavy saloon cars, so the next tyre is 13 x 21 x 7 in A15 compound as last year's slicks were.

Only £1053 the set.
Strewth!

The front of the car was set up with the 20" dia tyres in mind, so with McClurg motorsport's approval I'll drop the front 1/2" to restore the rake of the tub.

Getting ready to make and fit the front splitter/rear gurney strip but cant yet find anyone who sells 2mm thick alloy strip 2 meters long x 80mm wide

6 weeks to go to the first track test in the skinny wheeled car.

[ogits]

Regarding splitters - we eventually just got a large sheet of 3 ply and made a batch! Cheap & cheerful.

[911thillclimber]

Yes, I went to B&Q for some fine warped 9mm ply, and the wide alloy strip across the back is underway being sheared.

Ply sure is heavy!

Adding a front splitter makes a number of things awkward in a practical way, harder to get a jack under the front, harder to loop the tow belt to the front to get the car on/off the trailer..

Hope it's worth it.

[911thillclimber]

Started on the front splitter with 9mm ply.

After a few cuts it roughly is in place.
Cant decide if to mount the splitter on the nose of the car or on the tub using suitable struts all working in tension.

Bit worried if i have an off at a hillclimb I'd rather crumple the nose than dent the tub as the splitter will impact first.
The black line on the ply is the edge of the splitter, 80mm leading the nose shape of the body.

I wonder if this is actually worth it?

[911thillclimber]

Been out and about several weekends now doing nothing with cars. Still 4 weeks to the first 'test', but the 'foils are all done now.

70mm projection in the front and 30mm up-stand on the rear.

Fresh slicks go on this friday coming, and the car then needs a very good clean.

Downside to the front splitter is my jack does not go under the nose so have to take the front nose off first.
Upside of the rear is the rear edge of the body is considerably stronger so the start line marshals can hold the car on something solid.








Also been 'softening' my ex-hillclimb 911 for a few summer Touring 'Rallies'

[chunterer]

Just love the pic of the 2 cars in the garage side by side.

[911thillclimber]

Me too!

Caught my eye as i was about to mess about with the Lola, so a quick snap for the album.

The 911 has been with me since 1989, and for many of my friends we are synonymous with each other.
I've rebuilt it, 3 engines, two hillclimb offs, one heavy (took and inch out of the wheelbase) rebuilt again and everything in between with 13 years of hills, 60k miles. Still runs strong, engine has never been apart with 120K on it.

Then there is the little flusie next door with an appropriate name, Lola.

Sounds like a 'bit-on-the-side', the old girl and the tempting mistress, all dolled-up and costing a fortune while the reliable one gets neglected.

Very soon I'll be too old for the mistress and she will leave for a younger top-gun, and I'll spend the last years with the old dear of a 911...

I should add Mrs Hillclimber sees it just like this too, except both are mistresses of differing maturity and seduction.

The 911 badly needs some body attention, #1 retirement project which can't come soon enough.

As to the Young One, fresh tyres on and they even hold 22psi for a week now!
Had to settle for a 21" dia front, so adjusted the front ride height to allow for the difference.
Car needs a deep clean now and the first run is a week this saturday!

At last the season is about to open.

What a drag of a wait its been.

Pic below is about 4 years ago at Shelsley Walsh for a newspaper article, oh the innocence!

[911thillclimber]

Typical!

Maguire Skoda Special Saloon

Had FT200/BD engine/March uprights. No surprise but they had all gone before i acquired it.....
However, these were vultures with a conscience, so the rest of the car is more or less intact, undamaged, and can certainly have a future.

Ever so pretty!!!

When it was last in one piece it was the gorgeous silver car raced by Martin Brockhurst.
1995-2005 ish. The previous history can be 'researched' or invented from the endless Forum discussions of Special Saloons - though whatever you conclude a charming helpful man in Brighton is almost sure to know better.

So...complete body/chassis 'Crawler' with most things except those mentioned above...£2250

Or...i can can supply with alternative bits to rebuild - eg VX engine/Dallara box/VD uprights
Or...you can mix & match to suit your budget/inclination

Or...you can go the Porsche Boxster route described in detail elsewhere in UHR

No photos as it is all stuffed in the trailer & i'm too lazy to drag it out so some lovely characterful sheep photos instead

07703162409
dermothealy@btinternet.com

[andy97]

I hope that some one rescues it and races it in CSCC Special Saloons and Modsports

[911thillclimber]

Thought you would spot it Andy, why i posted it on here.

Have not seen pics of it yet, but at that money it is cheap but i think very incomplete.

The true value must be in the body if it is good.(?)

[andy97]

I had prior warning of the car! Lol! For the enterprising and mechanically competent it seems a good buy to me at that price! The CSCC's Special Saloon and Modsports series has some iconic cars in it and this has to be a cheap way to join in if you are handy with the spanners, or know someone that is.

[911thillclimber]

http://www.uphillracers.com/attachme...1&d=1395935322

[911thillclimber]

Good grief, just got in from a hard day in Sheffield and see that this little story has turned 1/4 million hits!

Thanks go to your interest and your entertaining input

That Skoda is so very tempting, but i doubt Mrs hillclimber would let me do it all over again.

Now, I wonder if it has a chassis number..

[911thillclimber]

Well!
Here we are just 5 days from the off and there is a 'snag', typical of me and this car.

Fitting the front wheels for the last time i noticed a mark on the alum collar that goes under the centre locking nut.

Closer examination shows a hairline crack on both collars.

So lucky to spot this now as if they had failed the front wheels would have come off.

Race is on to get some, or for me to machine some before friday lunchtime next week.

Besides that little adventure the car is cleaned and numbered.

[morninggents]

Have you discovered what caused the cracks?

[911thillclimber]

Yes.
The fixing nut has a washer under it to prevent damage to the alum 'top-hat' collar fitted lightly into the wheel centre.

The diameter of the washer is exactly the same as the boss that goes into the wheel so when the nut has been done up tightly it is putting a shear stress on the 40mm dia boss and essentially tries to remove the 'rim' of the top-hat.
Over the years these wheels have been used this has weakened the collar and has now cracked though about 180 deg round the rim. The parts are all from the late 70's...

The rim was 3mm thick, it will now be 12mm so the shear area is considerably greater.

I hope to get the bar stock tomorrow so to machine then tuesday/Wed if my little Myford Super 7 can grip the 50mm stock.
Plan B is to find some used ones from Dermot Healy, and plan C is to buy some from ADR if their design can be used.

I'm not letting this get in the way!

This is plan A!

[911thillclimber]

Some new ones coming from a very helpful ADR Race Cars Ltd and a period pair of Ralt collars also on their way from Dermot Healy. (who has the Skoda Maguire car for sale that i want so badly)

Spanners crossed I have a pair that fit!