VSCC autosolos

[Alan]

I didn’t think passengers were allowed in autosoloes, but to drive you will need to be either a member of the organising club or sometimes a member of an invited club.

[Steve kay]

To enter any motor sporting event one needs to be a member of the organising club or an invited club. Paying ones sub to the VSCC and/or the PWA7C opens lots of opportunities. Subs and entry fees can often be discounted for young people to encourage new generations of members. Passengers are certainly not allowed on autotests, bouncing belongs to another discipline! The Austin Seven world might be seen as the backbone of traditional and historic motor sport. The entry for MAC's Clee Hill Trial includes many well kent faces, even if some like myself might be driving French flat twins on that event.

[Julian Hunt]

The VSCC Driving Tests held at Brooklands as part of the Double Twelve weekend on 15/16 June allow a passenger to be carried. Excellent for the elderly driver with short term memory problems (in my case it starts when I let the clutch in). The VSCC Tests at Brooklands on 27 January don't allow such a luxury and you can watch a lot of people getting gloriously lost while having a good time.

[Steve kay]

Julian, who else would put us right by mentioning additional and well researched venues! A simple country lad like myself must now go and look up "Brooklands" 

 Actually, I was trying to be encouraging about events open to anyone with a VSCC membership card. Brooklands tests, like Bicester, require getting a buff form for an eligible car, and thus are not open to someone dipping their toes into motor sport, or indeed the lower orders such a myself in our dreadfully modern Rubies. Let's not go into the hallowed list of what constitutes a PCT, the pub's not open yet.

 Driver's memory is indeed an increasing challenge I fear, I find some slight assistance from using coloured pencils on the test diagram, people have differing techniques but I tend to use red or green indicating port or  starboard as the side on which to pass cones, or other colours indicating different routes out or back as the test threads around. Blu tack vital to attach the diagram to the windscreen, though it can be a considerable relief when one sees another competitor come to a halt and peer down at the diagram on a clipboard on the passengers seat.

The Ruby is very slow and lots of fun, there are certain specials and Ulsteriods that are lots of fun and very quick indeed, benefitting from certain measures with an angle grinder to improve the turning circle, and for those who can find any, putting Bowdenex brakes on the front is very helpful. Regular browsers of the forum will recall my picture of a certain Seven competitor demonstrating that a test time can be significantly reduced by lowering the friction on the road surface,  by driving on two wheels.

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Memory or computer error; PCT should read PVT. Could claim that damn proof reader's not clocked on yet.

[Steve Jones]

As promised, some photos of throttle spring arrangements.

The first is for the SU on my Trials Car. In this case, the spring goes between a tag attached to the throttle arm and a second tag on an exhaust clamp around one of the manifold pipes. Difficult to get a good photo but I'm sure you'll get the idea. 

   

This is a similar arrangement on the SU to my Ulster. Can't show it on the car because it's currently not on it. However, you can see the tag clearly. The other end hooks onto a tag on the four branch. 

   

The final one is to the updraught Zenith on my SWB Saloon. Again, a tag on the trottle arm this time connecting to a second tag fitted behind a manifold nut. 

   

The throttle arm arrangements on the SUs are very similar to that on a side draught Zenith so I hope you get the idea. Similarly, the Manifold on the Ruby is similar to that on my SWB Saloon so, again, you should get the idea. 

All have been scrutineered successfully many, many times.

Steve

[morrisminor]

Thanks Steve for your help

[Steve kay]

Hope the photos might illustrate Malcolm's Lyon's method for required double or additional throttle return spring side draft Zenith. This does rely on having bicycle wheel spokes somewhere in the workshop. In the spoke picture the nipple should be just about visible below the improvised bracket on the chassis rail. Malcolm doesn't charge a royalty for use of his patent method, he expects a pint at Shelsley or Prescott each year, or both.

     

     

[David.H]

I haven't seen a floor repaired with newspaper for many years!!
Happy Christmas