2009 Events !

[stylussprinter]

My event list for 2009 is short but I'm listing them in case anybody fancies coming in their Stylus to spectate or giving a hand I'll add to it as I decide what to do

GOODWOOD TWMC TONHIRE Sprint 27th June -- Result 1st in class
GURSTON ACSMC Hillclimb Championship 19th July -- Withdrew entry
GOODWOOD BRIGHTON & HOVE Sprint 1st August -- Result (very wet) 1st in class

[stylussprinter]

Last event for me this year will be a non competitive day at SNETTERTON to support a charity for a children's hospice and injured/stressed ex-service men. It's on Oct 1st and would be nice if it was a dry day , especially if passenger rides are given for some of those people
I only just squeezed in and it's full now

http://www.combatstress.com

[stylussprinter]

It's almost 9 weeks since I got behind the wheel of the Stylus and feels like a year Being a 'track only' car means there's no nipping out for a blat around the local roads to keep in touch with the car so I'm really looking forward to next Thursday at Snetterton with Matt and his other friends. The list of runners includes an RS8 , Ascari's , E Types , Murtaya , Cougar Jag' ,Caterham ? plus a whole host of other interesting classic sports cars .
When the repairs were complete and the Stylus was sprayed , Joe Middleton said not to polish the car for a few months . Yesterday I decided to polish it for the first time and apart from having a ' pink ' cloth afterwards , it looks great. It's been started and run to temperature 4 times since my Goodwood 'wet' win on August 1st , to keep everything in good order internally but mainly just an excuse to hear it running
Withdrawal symtoms seem to appear after a month so I need my dose of adrenolin . In years when serious about championship points , I was competing every 2 weeks , some weekends both days taking in Curborough and North Weald , some 160miles apart
I could never keep up with the 4-30am early mornings now , even the closest venue meant leaving at 6-00am
Next Thursday will be great though --- travel up Wednesday , dinner with the other runners then on track the next day

[stylussprinter]

Well -- it was a dry day I did 6 sessions over the day with lots of chatting and refueling in between sessions . It actually averaged about the same as it does at Goodwood ie. 12 mpg which surprised me because Snetterton's a totally different 'kettle of fish' You are VERY busy all around the track , needing maximum concentration constantly. Coram caught me out as did the Bomb Hole in the morning sessions , once on entry then the exit . First ' off ' was with an instructor on board and I held it in too tight after the bomb hole . I got over confident because it seemed to grip well on the second ' off ' on exiting coram ----- way too much speed going in so ran off over the ' so called ' grass/read bloody rough stoney .
My instructor raced superbikes plus a few other interesting beasts/Brabam etc so let him drive it with me in the passenger seat. He reckoned my brakes were crap He expected to be flat in 5th up to 100 yards before braking into the Esses also Riches and dropped it into 2nd at the exit to the Esses and entry into Russel Poor little Stylus He also didn't like the heavy/in his oppinion steering ------------------- having said that he said '' it goes like hell and grips like shit '' so I guess he liked it really (bloody bikers )
Going off did some body damage under the front valance/scrapping etc and ripped off the poly tow strap . Inside the flip front the carbon reinforcing parted company with the fibre glass which has left it not closing well . It came apart at the glueing points to the bonnet and itself so drilled and pop rivetted it temporarilly. Lost a titanium closure too where it pops into the side of the flip front. Anyway it made it possible to continue the day without further issues.
Once I'd got out of sprint mode and went with more care around Corum , eventually nailing the circuit , nothing passed me for the next several sessions. In fact I passed everything else on each session but failed to get the better of a NOBLE but not for the want of trying. On the corners I was all over him but up the startline straight he moved over to let me try -------------- no chance , stayed with him half way along then he opened up a 200 yard gap before I caught him again at Riches and Sear . Bit daft to think I could get passed him ,I suppose but it was fun trying
Unfortunately they were extremely strict regarding ' timing ' so can't give you a lap time . What I should have done was give my watch to the passengers but they were probably too busy looking out the front to check where I might park the Stylus next
I had 3 laps in Matt's but couldn't get to grips with it due to the unusual throttle position and problems finding the gear I wanted I'd also forgotten just how little grip A539's have on track He's got some nice Toyo R888's at home waiting their turn
I've no pic's ---- sorry forgot , too busy with banter etc

[stylussprinter]

Runners

Don't seem to be able to attach the document Matt may be able to though Mr Wragg / OMEX was there running a MORRIS MINOR with a supercharged 2lt zetec blacktop with 380bhp

[MattD]

Mr Wragg / OMEX was there running a MORRIS MINOR with a supercharged 2lt zetec blacktop with 380bhp

Which broke before I could get a ride... Detonated a hole in a piston they think

[MattD]

Runners

Don't seem to be able to attach the document Matt may be able to though

Names removed to protect the innocent ...

[stylussprinter]

Have a browse through these pic's from Snetterton on the official photographers site.You can pick Matt's out without screen plus gold wheels http://www.edpphoto.com - They are under GIGAWAVE CHARITY TRACKDAY . My best pic's are in the AM group section 8 . A nice little opposite lock moment exiting the Esses just before the Bomb Hole. I had my cousin on board and he loved the ride even though he's just had cateracts done But then a good few years ago he fitted a 7.2 lt Pontiac into his SD1 Rover because his 3.5lt plus stump puller cam wasn't powerfull enough
To get the brake power required , he connected Nissan Primera calipers up to his brake lines then positioned them on the disc but on the opposite side to the Rover calipers ---- got someone to opperate and clamp the foot brake ---- then welded them in place /now 2 calipers each side they were very effective When it ticked over it used to rock the car gently

[norma]

Have a browse through these pic's from Snetterton on the official photographers site.You can pick Matt's out without screen plus gold wheels http://www.edpphoto.com - They are under GIGAWAVE CHARITY TRACKDAY . My best pic's are in the AM group section 8 . A nice little opposite lock moment exiting the Esses just before the Bomb Hole. I had my cousin on board and he loved the ride even though he's just had cateracts done But then a good few years ago he fitted a 7.2 lt Pontiac into his SD1 Rover because his 3.5lt plus stump puller cam wasn't powerfull enough
To get the brake power required , he connected Nissan Primera calipers up to his brake lines then positioned them on the disc but on the opposite side to the Rover calipers ---- got someone to opperate and clamp the foot brake ---- then welded them in place /now 2 calipers each side they were very effective When it ticked over it used to rock the car gently

That's one way of increasing braking power I suppose!

[stylussprinter]

Well weight wasn't a concern but cash was at the time My cousin's the sort of guy who you don't say '' that can't be done '' because that's just the incentive he's waiting for When someone peered into his bonnet at a ROVER club event and said '' why ever did you do that '' (fit the 7.2lt Pontiac) His answer was '' because I can ''

[stylussprinter]

Here's a couple of pic's from the CD I got from EDP , probably a little better quality Took the Esses in 3rd then 4th into the Bombhole

[stylussprinter]

Well -- it was a dry day I did 6 sessions over the day with lots of chatting and refueling in between sessions . It actually averaged about the same as it does at Goodwood ie. 12 mpg which surprised me because Snetterton's a totally different 'kettle of fish' You are VERY busy all around the track , needing maximum concentration constantly. Coram caught me out as did the Bomb Hole in the morning sessions , once on entry then the exit . First ' off ' was with an instructor on board and I held it in too tight after the bomb hole . I got over confident because it seemed to grip well on the second ' off ' on exiting coram ----- way too much speed going in so ran off over the ' so called ' grass/read bloody rough stoney .
My instructor raced superbikes plus a few other interesting beasts/Brabam etc so let him drive it with me in the passenger seat. He reckoned my brakes were crap He expected to be flat in 5th up to 100 yards before braking into the Esses also Riches and dropped it into 2nd at the exit to the Esses and entry into Russel Poor little Stylus He also didn't like the heavy/in his oppinion steering ------------------- having said that he said '' it goes like hell and grips like shit '' so I guess he liked it really (bloody bikers )
Going off did some body damage under the front valance/scrapping etc and ripped off the poly tow strap . Inside the flip front the carbon reinforcing parted company with the fibre glass which has left it not closing well . It came apart at the glueing points to the bonnet and itself so drilled and pop rivetted it temporarilly. Lost a titanium closure too where it pops into the side of the flip front. Anyway it made it possible to continue the day without further issues.
Once I'd got out of sprint mode and went with more care around Corum , eventually nailing the circuit , nothing passed me for the next several sessions. In fact I passed everything else on each session but failed to get the better of a NOBLE but not for the want of trying. On the corners I was all over him but up the startline straight he moved over to let me try -------------- no chance , stayed with him half way along then he opened up a 200 yard gap before I caught him again at Riches and Sear . Bit daft to think I could get passed him ,I suppose but it was fun trying
Unfortunately they were extremely strict regarding ' timing ' so can't give you a lap time . What I should have done was give my watch to the passengers but they were probably too busy looking out the front to check where I might park the Stylus next
I had 3 laps in Matt's but couldn't get to grips with it due to the unusual throttle position and problems finding the gear I wanted I'd also forgotten just how little grip A539's have on track He's got some nice Toyo R888's at home waiting their turn
I've no pic's ---- sorry forgot , too busy with banter etc

Regarding the damage that I assumed I'd done ----- now I've looked at it more carefully , I can see that not only is the flip front damaged but the reason for the damage (apart from coming off that is ) is that the ' A ' frame is bent The roughly 5 inches of 25mm tubes facing forward are bent , left and right sides , where the rodends are screwed into the threaded tubes pointing to the ground . Those tube extentions now curve down 3 or 4 mm plus the threaded tubes with rodends point back to the radiator nearly an inch

I've not touched the car since Snetterton , other than a quick look under the bonnet , as I've had problems with my breathing after getting a horrible cough when I got back. Yesterday , I decided to take the flip front off to make a start on sorting the ' A ' frame . I assumed I'd be draining the engine , removing the radiator , to get the frame off but on careful measuring I could see it was only the forward 5 inch lengths of tube that were bent.
I had two choices --- try to straighten them or cut them off at the point where they pass the radiator then make new extentions
I decided to attempt straightening because if that failed then the second option was still possible
A combination of ------------- jacking the car up from under each rodend , sliding a 16mm solid rod into the tube end , careful use of a hammer , cutting through the triangular steel support between top tube & threaded rodend tube ----- has got them fairly close to their original positions
I wont be welding them in position just yet though because if they're not exactly right , the flip wont close as before. When I built it , it wasn't as critical because the flip could be filed back to make a tidy shut line but now I don't have that margin for fitting. Then of course I've got to cut the carbon reinforcing off to re-fit as was . It would be easier if I had the advantage of no engine in the chassis THEN I could fit the flip onto it's hinges , shut the flip and tighten it's fittings ---- that way the carbon could be fitted in precisely the right position from underneath the bonnet.
The flip is very flexible due to it's 2mm gauge so guessing the exact position when it's off the car is tricky. If I get it wrong then when the flip is shut it will be under tension as it was after I drilled and pop riveted the carbon back on at Snetterton . That caused the fibreglass bonding to crack around the join of the old bonnet into the main flip front ----- so lots to plan and think about before I do anything more

[stylussprinter]

I found a fairly accurate way to position the carbon fillets before glueing & clamping them. Having trimmed all the old glue from the long joining areas , I noticed there was still a small ' glue edge ' mark still left on the ' D ' pieces where the two carbon pieces meet and overlap. It made a good marker , even though I'd really have preferred to grind it all off to form a new strong fix .
I wedged the front sill to bonnet shut edge (next to the windscreen) with a wooden batton to make sure that I could get the carbon overlap to ' D ' pieces behind the ' old glue line ' . Used some of the carbon glue I still had (given to me by Andy Bailey in June this year-- what a friend ) to put a nice wide/deep glue fillet round every edge.
All I need to do now is grind off that old glue edge then put a new fillet in it's place.
While that was drying/setting I painted the grey inside of the flip where it had black rubber off the R888's , through coming off and the flip being forced downwards.
The front lower grill and under front sill , I filled with P40 , sanded and painted yesterday , also refitted the tow strap velcro attachment which got ripped off and filled with grass/dust That'll do for Saturday DIY
Sunday 22nd Nov. Took the clamps off this morning ready to cut the old glue off the overlap and cleaned it all . Had a sweep around the shed --- that's it for Sunday Got people coming so I've other priorities so I'm told

[stylussprinter]

Finished off this morning but still need to fix a split each side of the bonnet at the shutting end , where it's bonded into the ' flip ' . Only 13mm or so each side then paint. Brush painting seems a bit naff against the new paint job but it's a track car not concours and needs must

Next , I'll fit it back onto the hinge to see where it shuts or doesn't When that's ok the A frame can be welded up under the triangular fillits that were cut to straighten the frame

[stylussprinter]

Well , over the last two days I've had the flip front on / off then back on again 5 times
First fit saw the shut line over fitting by 2mm or so --- that's the dog-leg line in front of the windscreen . Took it off and filed the holes out a little in the ' D ' pieces to allow the flip to move a touch forward . It wasn't enough so repeated this twice more so's not to over do it . Quite a struggle to bolt and clamp tight in the correct end of the now slotted holes.
More slotting didn't alter the shut line in proportion to the amount filed out so decided to remove the flip again and unscrew/lower the rodend/hinges. First stab at it was half a turn which combined with the hole slotting already done , I expected to do the trick.
Once the flip was back on it did shut reasonably well , so it was going in the right direction but with vibration on track , might still rub off paint , as it almost touched on closing.
Finally I took it off again to unscrew the rodends another half turn. Once back on , it shut almost as new so painted the scratched edges and left it open to dry. Spent the next hour and a half cleaning Snetterton dust from around the front chassis tubes and engine bay . So that's it now , all tidy again . It and I need a run but just don't fancy a torrential trackday