25-04-2018, 09:53 PM (This post was last modified: 25-04-2018, 10:06 PM by Special Bits.)
A bit of an update.
We did the Lands End at Easter, what an epic event it was!
Torrential rain, flooded roads, Snow, Fog, Wind and even a little bit of sun! The high/low lights. Hitting standing water about 8" deep at 30 on an A road, which came up through the car, past the gearbox and pedals, as well as over the top! Spinning it on a hairpin left half way up Porlock! Cleaning a restart which stopped most of our class. Fog and slush over Exemoor, following from one cats eye to the next at times it was so thick. Bacon roll in Barbrooke village hall at 3am. Realising the dynamo wasn't charging, just at the point the battery wouldn't turn the starter motor anymore, with 130 miles still to go. The left front mud guard falling off, again! jury rigging a motor cycle battery to run the ignition, keeping us going. 65mph over Bodmin moor, getting back into the event. Finishing, with one failed hill and one missed hill, 240 miles, 17 hours in the worst the British weather can chuck at you!
This was taken at Barbrook service station about 3 am on Easter Saturday.
We did the MCC Exeter in class 0 again this year, gosh it was colder than ever, but at least stayed dry. Had a cracking trial and cleaned all the hills! We were not without our issues as the dynamo decided not to play the game again, just before the start. So once again finished the event on the motorcycle battery which normally powers the map light. Anyway, a Cornish Tin medal should be on its way for that one.
At the beginning of February we did the Cotswold Clouds trial, an ACTC championship one day event. The main reason for this was to attempt Nailsworth Ladder a trials hill since the 1930s which features in "Wheelspin". Snow, not quite what I was expecting, up on Minchinhampton Common there was about 4" of the stuff. Many of the lanes were sheets of ice and the trials hills either extremely wet due to meted snow, or icy. Anyway, we got around the course, attempted all hills, failed most of them, but won our class! I deliberately ran quite high tyre pressures, reasoning that we would get ourselves into less trouble that way, having never seen any of the hills before. I'm not sure if that logic worked, but 25% of the entry retired, some with very bent motorcars!
Video below of our attempt at Nailsworth Ladder, if you have the sound on, you can hear the lack of grip.
16-02-2019, 02:06 PM (This post was last modified: 16-02-2019, 02:06 PM by Timothy P.)
Stuart, Congrats on the Tin medal for the Exeter, saw it when browsing the results and had intended on pointing it out on the forum. It was a good event for Sevens with Emma Wall's Gold on main trial too.
It was definitely blooming cold though we spectated at Normans Hump in the small hours, and Tillerton during the day. Didn't get to a class 0 hill this year unfortunately.
Cotswolds Clouds looked like a great day despite the snow, great job on the Class win!
Have built a trials come hill climb special from remains of a 1938 ruby that I had left in a will,
Just adding finishing touches to it. I would like to do some long distance trials in it
And Would like to know what I need to do to make car more usable as trials car ,
What tyres to use ? What spares I need to take , have done them on a 1950 ajs bike and
Had a lot of fun ? I'm a good engineer so making and repairs are no problem ! Just trying to find out any info that will help me?
Thank you
My problem I ask questions that other people don't like?
Like have you got that for an investment or for fun?
(16-02-2019, 08:24 PM)spannerman Wrote: Have built a trials come hill climb special from remains of a 1938 ruby that I had left in a will,
Just adding finishing touches to it. I would like to do some long distance trials in it
And Would like to know what I need to do to make car more usable as trials car ,
What tyres to use ? What spares I need to take , have done them on a 1950 ajs bike and
Had a lot of fun ? I'm a good engineer so making and repairs are no problem ! Just trying to find out any info that will help me?
Thank you
Hi Spiderman
I would recommend doing class 0 on a couple of MCC events before diving into the main trial. Class 0 is supposed to be less damaging and not as rough as the main trial, sometimes its hard to tell the difference, but overall there are less of the really bad hills.
Tyres wise, I use 400-19 Mytas Ho2 mainly because they are cheap. If you are running 17" wheels finding a good tyre maybe a bit difficult. The Excelsior looks to have the best tread, but I know the sidewalls are quite stiff, which is not a good thing. There is a list of approved tyres which you have to stick to. Ideally you want to be able to carry two spares. although we only carry one as a rule.
Otherwise, its a matter of having a well bolted together car, anything that can come loose, plus some things you didn't think could, will come loose! As MCC events run right through the night , in the winter, you need a working charging system, or a back up plan, along with reliable lights. We only carry points, condenser, a few bits of electrical wire, gaffer tape, cable ties and a stripped back, but comprehensive tool box. Weight anywhere in front of the back axle is your enemy!
See you on the Edinburgh trial, October, in the Peak District.
Thanks for reply that's very helpful , will have more to ask as I get other parts finished, one thing I need to know is tank size? Only got 3 gallon one at this time
I used what I had at the time but can fit bigger if needed?
Do you need a tow strap fitted to front of the car?
My problem I ask questions that other people don't like?
Like have you got that for an investment or for fun?
08-05-2019, 08:58 PM (This post was last modified: 08-05-2019, 09:03 PM by Special Bits.)
At Easter we did the Lands End again. Big adventure as ever, started from Bridgewater at 23.15. Popped a core plug in the head at about 1am going up Porlock Hill. Didn't realize what had happened until the engine started to run rough and smoke was coming out from under the bonnet! I feared the engine was properly "cooked" but once it had cooled down to merely burning hot, we managed to bodge the hole up with a washer, bolt and plastic metal. By this time we had lost best part of an hour and were running about 45 minutes late. The rest of the night was like doing a slow road rally. Flat out across Exemoor in the small hours of the morning is quite interesting in a 7.
By the time we got to the breakfast halt we had made up most of the lost time, and we were still clean. Off we went into Cornwall and some of the more difficult hills. All of which we also cleaned. On our way down towards Blue hills the clutch started playing up and gear changes were getting ever more difficult, but with one hill left to do we battled on, not willing to loose any more time. That proved to be a big mistake! At Peranporth time control we decided to do Old Blue hills, with a tricky tarmac restart, rather than the now very rough modern Blue Hills section, which is optional in class 0. To cur a long story short, the clutch did its worst on the restart, the release bearing sticking then releasing violently, twice. The second time we both rolled back, and stalled, most definitely a FAIL. So that was how we lost our Tin Medal on the Lands end and this years chance for a Trio, having won a Tin on the Exeter (you have to get three Tin medals on consecutive MCC trials for a trio)
Hopefully I will be able to post the bits of in car video I got below.
