001 Cover Feb 2011:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
10:47
Page 1
COMPLETE KIT CAR
MEGA MINI
WIN! DRAPER TOOLS
COBRA CLONES
WORTH £900! February 2011 £4.25
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk
9
771754
127015
MEV Rocket Chester Sportscars Autotune Gemini GD427 Old v New DNA 4Thirty Build Focus On – Harnesses Bearings Reader’s ZCars Minus
NEW CARS ONE-OFFS ROAD TESTS BUILDS WORKSHOP EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS
Rocket Gets Angry! 185bhp Zetec, 350bhp per tonne Tuned suspension, BIG FUN!
EVERY MONTH IN CKC
www.completekitcar.co.uk
BUCKLE UP! Your seatbelt options outlined
DNA 4THIRTY How to build your own exotikit
BEARING UP When to upgrade and why
MASSIVE TECH SECTION INSIDE
002_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
13:40
Page 2
003_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
Atomic
4/1/11
13:43
Page 3
These cars can really fly
Sonic 7
build one for around ÂŁ2000
Rocket
www.mevltd.co.uk FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 3
tR1ke
004_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
6/1/11
18:04
Page 4
Regent Motor Company Ltd. SUPPLIERS OF VINTAGE & CLASSIC CARS TO THE WEDDING TRADE & COLLECTORS Tel: Fax:
ListerBell STR
01744 818516
The Stratos replica for the 21st century
01744 818815
The Regent 1930 style Landaulet or convertible, modern running gear, fiberglass body, big impressive six passenger carrier, ideal for weddings or corporate work. Kits from £6885 + vat. Full builds as per advert £27,500 on the road.
T: 07990 543517 E: sales@listerbell.com
Unit 8 & 9 Brindley Rd Ind Est, St. Helens WA9 4HY e-mail: caremoret@btconnect.com w w w. r e g e n t m o t o r c o m p a n y. i n f o
www.listerbell.com
Contact us on 01709 816138
The MK Indy is a sierra based kit with independent suspension. Or visit us at Mk sportscars Unit 11, Aven Enterprise Park, Aven Industial Estate, Tickhill Road, Maltby, Rotherham, South Yorkshire S66 7QR
A choice of many engine fitments bike or car. Lightweight spaceframe chassis. Grp bodywork and accessories in a wide range of colours.
4 www.completekitcar.co.uk
Web Site : www.mksportscars.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
005 Welcome Feb 2011:CKC Edit Template
21/12/10
10:30
Page 5
February 2011
EDSPEAK
Welcome
MEGA MINI
WIN!
COBRA CLONES
DRAPER TOOLS WORTH £900! February 2011 £4.25
www.completekitcar.co.uk
9
771754
127015
to Complete Kit Car, the UK’s most vibrant kit car magazine
Subscribe to Complete Kit Car and save 15% on the newsagent price.
www.complete kitcar.co.uk (T: 01903 236268)
THIS MONTH CKC contributor Tiff Needell touches on a subject that has been largely ignored within the kit car scene yet which could usher in an exciting new era of kit car innovation. I’ve also mentioned that our little industry is perfectly poised to take full advantage of the ever increasing interest (by both mainstream manufacturers and the wider public) in electric power. Most kit cars have a flexible platform (simple spaceframe) that is ideally suited to the installation of batteries, while the industry’s ability to develop products quickly means we can be there first, not only offering electric (or hybrid) sports cars, but also daily commuters. More than any mainstream vehicle before it, the electric production car lends itself to being not the only vehicle a household owns, but the vehicle specifically destined for local school and shopping runs. That change of mindset by the buying public plays perfectly into traditional kit car territory... Kit cars have always struggled to provide for the daily needs of UK drivers, instead appealing to those willing to purchase a car for a very specific sports car indulgence. But the wider public’s potential acceptance of a daily vehicle with only limited mileage capability makes an electric kit car a far easier sell. Westfield is working hard in this exciting new direction, MEV has already played with the idea... when will CKC write its first serious road test of an electric kit car? Soon, I hope.
NEW CARS ONE-OFFS ROAD TESTS BUILDS WORKSHOP EVENTS CLASSIFIEDS
Rocket Gets Angry! 185bhp Zetec, 350bhp per tonne Tuned suspension, BIG FUN!
EVERY MONTH IN CKC
BUCKLE UP! Your seatbelt options outlined
DNA 4THIRTY How to build your own exotikit
BEARING UP When to upgrade and why
MASSIVE TECH SECTION INSIDE
Editor’s choice... TIFF As my editorial here suggests, Tiff’s right on the money with his latest article. p15
MEV ROCKET GETS SERIOUS A fab 185bhp tweaked Zetec in the back of a track focused Rocket. p16
OLD SCHOOL, NEW COOL? If it ain’t broke... Autotune Gemini reminds me why it’s so appealing. p44
BUSH UPGRADE Not an attention grabbing subject, but an easy potential upgrade for your car. p80
ZCARS MINI MINUS One of my favourite Mini bodies with one of my favourite engine upgrades. p90
Ian Stent Editor ian@performance publishing.co.uk
MEET THE TEAM Your kit car specialists EDITOR Ian Stent
FEATURES EDITOR Adam Wilkins
TECHNICAL EDITOR John Dickens
AUTO STYLIST Italo Sciacca
CV – Built two kit cars, owned eight others, driven virtually every type of kit car produced over the last 20 years.
CV – Built a Sylva Riot. Raced a Tiger Avon for five years. Kit car journo for nine years.
CV – Has run a kit car as his only car since 1980! Designed unique fibreglass chassis and suspension for his GTM Coupé. Very clever!
CV – Studied car and product design and has worked as a design consultant on many cars.
“It would be all too easy to dismiss the Autotune Gemini as a kit car from yesteryear that has passed its sell by date.”
“The very last patch of ice lurks on the final apex. Hit it at full throttle in the meat of second gear and the car jinks left by a full metre.”
“Any slop in the gear lever, pedals or lost movement in the steering will make the car feel vague and unresponsive.”
“The final design is modern enough to appeal to a kit car buyer who is looking for something similar to the Caparo T1.”
Autotune Gemini p44
MEV Rocket p16
Bushes to bearings p80
Designer Threads p40
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 5
MONTHLY COLUMNIST Tiff Needell
CV – Currently presenting Channel 5’s Fifth Gear. Previously a Top Gear presenter and been a top flight race driver since the mid ’70s.
“Now is the time for any great energy savers of the future to get busy in their garages.” Tiff p15
006-007 Contents Feb 2011:CKC Edit Template
CONTENTS
21/12/10
10:32
Page 6
February 2011
In this issue READER’S CAR
READER’S CAR
Emlyn Owen’s Autotune Gemini It would be all too easy to dismiss the Autotune Gemini as a kit car from yesteryear that’s passed its sell-by date. The evidence for such a conclusion could be viewed as compelling... It was originally launched by Autotune back in 1987, based on a bodyshape harking back to the ’50s. It’s had very little
development over the last decade, the smaller panels are single skin only, the doors have no internal panelling whatsoever and the fit of these is perhaps not to the standards we’ve come to expect from modern entrants into the scene. As if that wasn’t enough, the main donor car for the Gemini is a Mk2 Escort! When was
It was a bit brisk when we went to see Emlyn’s completed Gemini!
CKC Running Reports contributor Emlyn Owen recently completed his Autotune Gemini. Ian Stent went to see the finished product.
the last time you saw one of those that wasn’t being meticulously restored by the classic Ford brigade? So the Autotune Gemini can be swiftly struck off your shortlist (if it ever featured there in the first place) right? Err... wrong, actually. As CKC Running Reporter, Emlyn Owen, has aptly demonstrated over the last two years, there is a different way of seeing what the Gemini has to offer. For Emlyn, much of what I’ve just outlined was viewed as a reason to buy a Gemini, not discount it. It’s long-term kit car heritage and links with the classic Elva design were very much in the Gemini’s favour. The old Escort donor parts were also an added appeal rather than a hindrance – Emlyn went out of his
A
rs Mini Minus Andy Farmer’s ZCa
us n i M
s shell, add Take a Mini Minu c and you have some ZCars magi Adam Wilkins one quick Mini. met the builder.
90 44
FEBRUARY 2011
90 www.co mpletek
44 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
FEBRUARY 2011
itcar.co. uk
www.co mpletek
itcar.co. uk 91
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 45
26 COMPANY REPORT – CHESTER SPORTS CARS
8 NEWS It may still be the middle of winter, but still loads to tell you about.
Chester Sportscars can build you a car, sell you a kit and more.
15 TIFF
32 RACE DIARIES
Tiff Needell thinks the kit car scene should lead the electric debate.
Latest news from our regular racers.
16 FIRST DRIVE – MEV ROCKET M350
36 CLUB LIFE
Wilkins tests the latest 185bhp, Zetec-powered Rocket M350.
More news from kit car clubs around the country. Isn’t it time you joined?
22 OUT AND ABOUT - GOODWOOD BREAKFAST CLUB
39 EVENTS DIARY
Pics from the recent Deutche Marks gathering at Goodwood.
2011 is already getting busy with shows and kit car gatherings.
23 LETTERS
40 DESIGNER THREADS
More opinions and views from you our readers! Get involved.
Italo’s latest radical design for a kit car rethink exposed.
44 READER’S CAR – AUTOTUNE GEMINI OLD V NEW
CKC Running Reports contributor Emlyn Owen with his Autotune Gemini.
Gardner Douglas 427 Mk3 & Mk4
Family Tree
was developing with established kit car manufacturer Roger Wooley of RW Kit Cars. “It was clear that Andy was an absolute perfectionist,” remembers Alex. “I’m an engineer and I just liked what I was hearing.” In 1987 he placed an order for what was probably marketed as an RW427. Andy Burrows didn’t start trading as Gardner Douglas until 1990, but Alex doesn’t remember his car ever being called an RW427. Either way, he had a distinctive backbone chassis and began searching breakers’ yards for the necessary Jaguar XJ mechanicals to get it rolling. But no soon had he done that and sourced a 3.5-litre Rover V8, was Andy on the phone, asking him to come down to the factory to see the latest developments... A more refined chassis design
(effectively a Mk2 chassis) was now productionised and Andy wanted Alex to continue with the new chassis, which would also locate his brand new semimonocoque body. He could have the new chassis for free, and Alex could see the improvements and didn’t need persuading. “At that time there were some people with poor reputations,” says Alex, “but I placed my trust in Andy. In addition to the quality of the car that I’ve got, I think I was with the right people.” Having never built a car before, and with no build manual to guide him at the time, Alex was on the phone regularly, and was also close enough for drive to the workshop if necessary. But he wasn’t in any rush to complete the car, not least because funds were tight. “At the time I didn’t have a lot of money, and one of the
OWNER RATING: ALEX SCULLION THE BUILD (out of ten) Kit quality: 9 Manufacturer back-up: 9 Build manual: n/a Ease of build: 7 Ease of IVA compliance: n/a
Alex Scullion’s Mk3 GD427 (foreground) is over twenty years old and still used regularly. Larry Hilliard’s new Mk4 (background) was factory finished.
ON THE ROAD (out of ten) Performance: 7 Handling: 9 Brakes: 8/9 Overall quality of build achieved: 6 Value for money: 10
big things about building your own car is that if you haven’t got the money, you can spread the cost.” Wheels and tyres were a Christmas present from Carol, while the seats were retrimmed Triumph Spitfire units. And setting aside the cost limitations, Alex didn’t want to go crazy with the specification. The 3.5-litre Rover SD1 V8 was kept largely standard for practicality reasons before any financial constraints.
50 OLD V NEW – GD 427 We gather one of the very first GD 427s and compare with the latest Mk4.
90 READER’S BUILD – ZCARS MINI Andrew Farmer’s amazing Minus bodied ZCars Mini conversion.
96 CLASSIFIEDS Gardner Douglas Sports Cars has been making cars for over twenty years, and Alex Scullion’s Mk3 was one of the first to leave the factory. In contrast, Larry Hilliard’s turnkey Mk4 represents everything the company stands for today. And as CKC’s editor found out, both owners found very similar reasons to place their orders. ALEX SCULLION’S DAUGHTER Faye was just seven when she helped her dad in the garage while he was compression testing a Rover V8 destined for his Gardner Douglas GD427 kit car. She’s now 31 and her own 5-month old son Dexter may be too young to help his granddad, but Alex’s other granddaughter 5-year old Stella might come in handy if there’s some tinkering to do in the garage! Alex’s interest in Cobra replicas was ignited when he went to a show at the
50
Just the time to get yourself a new car for the summer!
98 30 DAYS Wilkins looks back over the last month through specially tinted glasses!
NEC in 1985. “I’d not really thought about building a car,” he recalls but he did fancy doing something and began looking into the UK’s embryonic Cobra replica scene. DJ Sportscars was one of the big players and a year or so later he was on the verge of placing an order when his wife Carol spotted a small advert from a company they’d not heard of. The visit brought him into contact with Andy Burrows, who was making tentative steps into the scene with a Cobra replica he 50 www.completekitc ar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011 FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitc ar.co.uk 51
Pick up the March issue FRIDAY FEBRUARY 18TH
EDITORIAL T: 01823 335443 E: ian@performancepublishing.co.uk A: Complete Kit Car, 30 Henley Road, Taunton, Somerset TA1 5BJ
CLASSIFIEDS T: 01795 520877 E: adam@performancepublishing.co.uk A: Complete Kit Car, 57 London Road, Teynham, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 9QW
6 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
006-007 Contents Feb 2011:CKC Edit Template
21/12/10
10:32
Page 7
TECH
DNA Build
Competition
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
Seatbelt Harnesses It goes without saying that seatbelts are a vital component within any kit car build. But did you realise how much choice you’ve got? CKC outlines some options.
workshop DNA Build
Competition
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
Ferrari Fever – Steve Smith’s 4Thirty Build long though. “I thought I’d build a Cobra, but couldn’t quite afford one,” says Steve. “So I bought a part-built 246 Ferrari Dino replica… the terrible Karma – it was absolute garbage. But I built that and put a V8 Rover in it. And that set me off on Ferrari replicas.” By no means an exact replica, it was an inauspicious start to his subsequent obsession, but it would be some years before he returned to kit cars. By the early noughties he fancied building a 355 replica and was on the verge of ordering a BAD bodykit when he saw the brand new Extreme kit on a visit to
Facelift 2004 MR2 was immaculate.
ordered early the following year and Steve found himself on the road with it, just three months after the kit arrived. He’s almost apologetic about the length of time it took him to assemble the car, making it clear that he only worked on the car a few hours at a time, on a very parttime basis. Considering he painted the car himself, it seems pretty quick to us! Of course, while he was delighted with the end result, it
Mod to door plainly visible here. It allows for the new
With a stack of Ferrari replica builds already under his belt, Steve Smith’s DNA 4Thirty is unlikely to be his last. HAVING HELPED HIS brother build first a Jago Geep and then a Dutton Phaeton back in the ’80s, Steve Smith has been building cars ever since. “I’d had classic Mk1 Ford Cortinas and things like that and I got fed up with rot,” he remembers. He kicked off his habit with a sit-up-and-beg Ford hot rod, starting from a bare bodyshell. Shoehorning a Jaguar V12 under the bonnet of a Carlton Carrera showed he was game-on for a challenge, but a property acquisition meant it was sold before it hit the road, and his attention was momentarily distracted away from cars. Not for
but she wasn’t keen.” So the second car was sold on and the Extreme stayed with Steve for a few years, before he became aware of the new 360 replicas coming onto the market. A convertible Ferrari replica had always been his dream... the 355 was on borrowed time. Researching the market carefully, he was extremely impressed with the DNA bodykit, launched in 2006. A kit was
door outer to follow a more convincing shape.
7
New panels supplied from DNA in a grey primer gelcoat finish. Quality of the panels was good.
obviously the support is less. Main inertia supplier is Securon and you can specify the harnesses specifically to your requirements, with different stalk lengths for the catch section. Most of us will end up fitting some type of harness, either 3-point or 4-point. The number refers to the number of locations onto the chassis, with a 3-point harness having just one location behind the driver. For this feature, we’ll be concentrating on these two main variants, rather than 6-point harnesses most commonly found on full competition cars.
Manufacturer: Sabelt Manufacturer website: www.sabelt.co.uk Models shown: Westfield 34/019n Type: 4-point/3-point Buckle type: 4-point – Twist buckle or push button. 3-point – push button IVA compliance: FIA 8854-98 with twist buckle/Ece 16R approval for push button harnesses Available from: See useful contacts
Prices: From £55 + VAT approx General: Sabelt has been in the business for over 35 years, supplying harnesses to many teams, including the Ferrari F1 squad. At ground level, Sabelt has worked with companies such as Westfield and Caterham to offer a dedicated solution. All harnesses should meet IVA compliance demands. Although not sold directly from the manufacturer, the UK website lists all the available options.
the moulds and was a little reticent to supply him with anything before the complete kit was productionised. But Steve persuaded them it was the right thing to do, and the smaller panels followed along shortly after. But another MR2 Roadster had to be found first, and Steve came across the perfect car. In fact, it really was perfect, with barely a scratch on it. For £4700 it was his, with an unblemished exterior and
9
72 www.completekitcar.co.uk
Front clip and rear bodywork trial fitted. Will actually be
10
Here you get a really good impression of just how much wider the 4Thirty is compared to the MR2 door of the donor.
Manufacturer: Securon Manufacturer website: www.securon.co.uk Model shown: SEC5L Type: Conventional lap and diagonal, inertia reel Buckle type: Push button IVA compliance: E-marked Available from: Car Builder Solutions Prices: From £37 + VAT approx General: Securon also does both 3-point and 4-point harnesses, all at very competitive prices. Both button and twist releases are available. But it’s the conventional lap and diagonal harness we’ve shown here, becuase few other companies offer this basic layout. Seemingly infinate adjustment for buckle lengths makes this perfect for kit cars where a full harness isn’t necessary.
Manufacturer: Willans Manufacturer website: www.willans.com Models shown: Westfield CB432W/Supersport 4x3 Westfield Type: 4-point harness/3-point harness Buckle type: Rotary quick release/button release IVA compliance: FIA 8854/98/Ece approved Available from: Europa Spares Prices: From £157/£57 General: 4-point – Available with either 2in or 3in waist straps, this FIA approved harness is a top spec item. 3-point – ECE approved 3-point harness has button release.
FEBRUARY 2011
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 73
building another 355 rebody, this time using some pre-owned panels originally supplied by Roy Kelly. “I wanted my wife to have it,
Detail showing the rear wing and inner returns to the MR2.
Engine cover mounting cradle as supplied by DNA.
TECH
DNA Build
Competition
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Bushes to Bearings
Engine cover supplied as one panel on the 4Thirty.
16
FEBRUARY 2011
Ask John
Products
15
14
MR2 structure not modified at all, but the doors have a small section removed along the top edge.
6
5
58 www.completekitcar.co.uk
These serious 6-point Sabelt harnesses offer added security, but are not vital for general road use. They can also be uncomfortable!
Manufacturer: Total Restraint (TRS) Manufacturer website: www.totalrestraint.com Models shown: TRS Clubman/Budget Type: 4-point harness/3-point harness Buckle type: button release IVA compliance: Ece 16.04 approved Available from: Demon Tweaks Prices: From £62/From £47 + VAT General: We’ve shown the budget range from TRS, but the company also offers more serious 4-point harnesses with twist release and full FIA approval marketed under either the Pro and Magnum ranges.
Rear panel removed. Look at the way in which the DNA
STAFF CAR Updates Later facelift model meant items like the headlights would prove popular on the MR2 Owners’ Club website.
58
Available from: Demon Tweaks Prices: From £105 inclusive General: A 2in strap with spreader pads. A 3in wide strap is also available (Luke Pro 475) More affordable and more expensive options also available
door skin matches the shape of the donor’s. Impressive.
After 2.5 hours in the garage, it was stripped bare. Steve’s nephew James gives a hand aligning the panels.
4
Manufacturer: Luke Manufacturer website: N/A Models shown: Luke Pro 4 Westfield Type: 4-point harness Buckle type: Quick release twist buckle IVA compliance: EEC approved
12
11
3 13
Everything from the interior has also been removed.
correctly to keep you safely located in the car. The correct way to adjust your straps is as follows... * First loosen them all off. * Sit in the seat and first adjust the waist straps so that the buckle remains central and that the straps fit snugly around your waist resting on your hips and pulling you gently down into the seat base * Adjust the shoulder straps to
for this feature by stating that each seat belt must bear the appropriate approval marks or have the equivalent characteristics to that of a belt approved for the same category of vehicle. The manual lists those characteristics later on in the seat belt section. So, the belt does not have to have an approval marking, providing it has all the required characteristics listed in the manual. Most harness manufacturers offer harnesses to meet either or both FIA and EEC/ECE regs. Location onto the chassis can take two common forms. Either via direct bolting to the chassis or via an eyebolt, with the strap have a snap on clasp type fitment to the eye.
Steve Smith has built lots of Ferrari replicas.
the Newark show. He liked what he saw, ordered and built one of the Mk2 MR2 based conversions. And then he did it all over again,
2
Because it was so new, there was no rust to deal with.
Schroth 4-points are rare in kit cars. Willans 3-points in a Dax 427.
72
Rear body section includes both wings, rear bumper panel and side sills. Makes for easy fitment.
8
finally aligned once the doors are installed.
Interior similarly spotless. Steve wanted the best possible.
1
wasn’t long before the 360 replicas were swiftly being supplanted by the more modern 430 lookalikes. Not wishing to find the value of his car dropping too far, Steve felt it might be wiser to sell the 3Sixty and move onto the newer car sooner rather than later. “The same day the 3Sixty went, I ordered a 4Thirty kit.” His was the very first kit out of DNA’s new moulds. Indeed the factory hadn’t even completed all
INERTIA REEL, 3-POINT, 4-point, 6point, button release, twist release, IVA compliance – all are potential considerations when choosing a pair of seat belts to go in your kit car. With over eight different manufacturers each offering variations on the same theme, it can be a bewildering choice. But what should you consider, and why? If you are building a traditional tourer and intend to use it for gentle road runs, then a conventional lap and diagonal inertia reel belt is perfectly adequate. They are quick to put on and much less hassle to use than a full harnesses, but
Two types of buckle arrangements are usually on offer. The first is a push button central catch. Here you’ll find that one shoulder strap and one waist strap on either side are linked by the catch mechanism, so it’s a relatively simple exercise to pull the two sides together and snap the catch together in one easy movement. A twist quick release type clasp locates each of the four harness straps individually, the buckle being located on one of the waist straps. Connecting each harness can be a time consuming and sometimes awkward job in a confined cockpit, but the location can be extremely supportive and release is simple and quick – ideal for a semi competition cars where you may need a speedy exit, as well as positive support. The harnesses both over your shoulders and around your waist are adjustable for length, and it’s important that these are adjusted
keep you located against the back of the seat. The vital thing to avoid is having the buckle halfway up your chest because the waist straps are too loose. In this position there is a serious risk of sliding underneath the belt in a collision (referred to as submarining). There are options on the width of the straps (2in or 3in) and the buckle, tensioners and strap material can all vary in quality and strength. Another important consideration is conformity with either IVA regulations for road use or the FIA for racing regulations. The IVA inspection manual is a litle confusing, but VOSA clarified things
Dummy Ferrari ‘engine’ supplied as black GRP panel.
‘Engine’ in place under the main engine cover.
18
17
FEBRUARY 2011
Progress continues for all three regular CKC scribes. Who knows, eventually some of the cars might get back on the road! swing axle suspension. On my car the trailing arms have been severely modified by the previous owner. The rear damper mounting brackets have been cut off, inverted and then welded back on to allow the dampers to be repositioned when the car was raised for off road use. I intend to lower the car significantly for normal road use, so I need the dampers to be back in their standard locations. Rather than cut and re-weld the mounting brackets a second time I have obtained a replacement pair of standard trailing arms which I have reconditioned.
JOHN DICKENS
www.completekitcar.co.uk 59 Position: Technical Editor Running: UVA Fugitive Outgoings this month? S/H trailing arms £25, POR 15 £15, wheel bearings £60, bearing spacers £30, poly bushes £25. Total £155
THINGS ARE LOOKING up. I have almost finished the bike and I have been working on the UVA too. I have laminated a pair of new seats from the mould I made a while back. I am very pleased with the way they have turned out too. I may have to have the loose covers custom made though as the original supplier, Bugpack in the USA, no longer produces them. At least I have the originals which can be used as patterns. I have also started work on the rear suspension. My Fugitive uses the later trailing arm IRS which greatly reduces the camber change associated with the earlier
58 DNA 4THIRTY BUILD Steve Smith builds a DNA 4Thirty. Here’s how.
The first step was to remove the old rubber bushes and to drive out the hub bearings, spacers and oil seals. As always, this was messy but straightforward once I found the inner bearing retaining circlip hidden under the oil seal. Who knew? I always keep a note of any identifying marks or numbers on the bearings and seals. It is often cheaper to buy them from bearing suppliers rather than from an auto spares specialist. Once the parts were dismantled they were degreased using a water soluble engine cleaner and the trailing arms were power washed to remove any loose rust and dirt. The parts are close to 40 years old, so although they are structurally sound they were cosmetically very poor, with lots of surface rust. I do not believe in painting over rust so it all had to be removed. The smaller parts were soaked in DeoxC but the trailing arms themselves were too big to use a chemical de-rusting agent
The standard VW trailing arms. Sound but very rusty.
ADAM WILKINS The trailing arms shafts minimise camber The modified
re-welded damper mounting.
Bearings,
spacers, seals and important notes. Position: Features Editor Running: Sylva Riot, Sylva Striker, Spartan Treka Outgoings this month? None
IN THE LAST installment of Our Cars, Ian and I had fitted new, softer springs to the car. The intention was to pin down the rear of the car which, on the harder springs, has a tendency to make it bounce around. The car went from 200lb/in front and 300lb/in rear to 100lb/in front and 200lb/in rear. Initial impressions were that it was the wrong move. I kept the dampers on the
65 COMPETITION – DRAPER TOOLS Your chance to win over £900 worth of Draper Tools. Enter now!
The
trailing arm and steel
and double jointed drive change.
The bare
trailing arms after power washing.
economically so I decided to use electrolysis instead. A large (60 litre) container from IKEA was just big enough to hold and immerse a single trailing arm. The tank was filled with a weak solution of washing soda (sodium carbonate), the power unit, a small battery charger, was switched on and the process was left to
work. It took a few days to completely derust each component but they came out completely rust free and there were even odd areas of shiny metal. In the interests of research I decided to use POR 15 on these components so I bought a starter kit from Frost. This contains small quantities of Marine Clean
same ‘zero click’ setting they’d been on with the old springs. However, I’ve since had time to experiment with them. I took the car to the bumpiest lane I know to test the damper settings. I now have the fronts on zero clicks and the rears on three. The front end works hard to smooth out the ride, while the rear is a lot better behaved than previously. I can’t be completely conclusive because the road was muddy and slippery (you can see how much mud ended up on the car in the photo below) but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. The car is a lot more composed than it used to be on mid-corner bumps that would previously thrown it off line. I’ve also received an e-mail from Dave Gallop at Track Developments. He says that he is able to calculate the spring rates to save time and money in experimenting with different settings. That’s an offer I may follow up before the spring.
anodes ready for electrolysis.
The
treated and untreated trailing arms for comparison.
The
finished arms ready for new bearings, seals and bushes.
degreaser, Metal Ready rust treatment/preprimer and POR 15 paint. I used each of these products exactly as directed and applied two coats of black POR 15 paint. The POR 15 can be used as the final finish but it will discolour on prolonged exposure to UV light so I will probably overpaint it with whatever finish I decide to use on the chassis tubes. Until then it will provide good protection from further corrosion. New bearings and oil seals will be fitted and I intend to use polyurethane inner bushes and bump stops instead of the standard rubber components.
IAN STENT
Position: Editor Running: CC Cyclone, Ginetta G26 Outgoings this month? None Test run to get the damper settings correct with the new springs. Not the best time of the year for it! Stent’s hoping to make more progress on the Cyclone over the coming months.
I’M GOING TO give up with the excuses and admit that once again progress has been non-existent on the Cyclone. The Stent New Year’s resolution is an easy one... make time for work on the car! Here’s hoping I can do better than last year’s ‘lose weight’ resolution.
76
68 TECH TALK John Dickens takes a close look at flywheel design.
76 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 77
72 FOCUS ON – HARNESSES There’s a massive choice out there. We guide you.
TECH
76 OUR CARS Dickens making good progress, Wilkins doing something, Stent...
DNA Build
Competition
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
Upgrading Control Bushes and Bearings We might think about upgrading the bushes in our suspension components, but what about the other bushes you’ll find on any typical kit car? Technical Editor John Dickens is your guide.
80 BEARINGS John Dickens explains why you might upgrade your car’s bushes.
85 ASK JOHN Your technical questions answered.
THE STEERING WHEEL, pedals and gear lever are your direct link to the car you are driving. For your driving comfort and ultimately safety it is vital that they operate in a smooth, direct and positive way. Any sloppiness in the gear lever, play in the pedals or lost movement in the steering wheel will make the car feel vague and unresponsive to operate and will detract from the driving experience. As with any moving parts in the vehicle, the controls
pivot on bearings and bushes which must allow free movement in the required direction but must restrict unnecessary movement or free play in other directions. The clutch, brake and throttle pedals need to move freely backwards and forwards but must be firmly supported to prevent any sideways movement. Normally plain bushes are used at the pedal pivots and pushrod linkage (Fig 1). The steering column needs to be
A typical production car steering column.
The compact size of the needle bearing makes it ideal to
8
securely mounted to resist the forces needed to manoeuvre the car at parking speeds and the ‘kickback’ experienced at high speeds but must also turn freely to allow the car to be steered without resistance. Production cars use an
This Pelland uses small UJs in the convoluted gear linkage.
80
SUBSCRIPTIONS T: 01903 236268 E: justin@performancepublishing.co.uk A: Performance Publishing, Complete Kit Car, 12 Thesiger Close, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2RN
A large rose joint can be used as a steering column support.
10
Plain bushes are used at these pivot
outer column mounted firmly to the car, with the steering wheel bolted to an inner column rotating in upper and lower bushes (Fig 2).
Bushes. Left to Right... nylon, split bronze and Oilite.
The structure of a ball bearing.
6
A spherical bearing mounted as an under-dash support.
11
A spherical bearing suitable for a bulkhead steering support.
12
A typical reinforced rubber steering coupling.
13
Floor mounted pedals on a common shaft.
This shaft is retained by circlips.
A cylindrical roller bearing. The inner race has been removed.
15
16
7
FEBRUARY 2011
COMPLETE KIT CAR IS PUBLISHED ON THE THIRD FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH
TO FIND YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST NEWSSTAND SALES & MARKETING: Imagine, London T: 0845 612 0092 E: david@imaginemag.net W: www.imaginemag.net DISTRIBUTION: Marketforce, London SE1 0SU GRAPHICS & DTP: Grapevine Design & Print T: 01903 531531 E: justin@grapevineprint.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
Needle Bearings – For the lowest possible friction, highest load carrying capacity and longest service life, needle roller bearings are the best option to replace plain bushes. Needle rollers are a development of the standard ball (Fig 5) and roller (Fig 7) bearings. A deep groove ball bearing consists of hard steel inner and outer rings known as ‘races’ which are separated by hard steel balls running in grooves machined in the races. The balls are held apart by steel, brass or plastic ‘cages’ to prevent them ‘crowding’ or rubbing
4
80 www.completekitcar.co.uk
T: 07000 785423 / 01903 236268 E: karen.ads@performancepublishing.co.uk A: Complete Kit Car, 12 Thesiger Close, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2RN
Needle cages designed to run directly on the shaft and housing.
sharp they will smear the surface of the metal, sealing the pores and preventing the release of the encapsulated oil. Bronze bushes are harder wearing than plastic and there is no creep in the material so they tend to be longer lasting in use.
points.
14 5
and can be replaced as needed. If a mild steel shaft is used with a bronze bearing, the shaft will also wear and will need replacement too. The bush may be made entirely from bronze or it may have a steel backing with a thin layer of bearing material on the surface. The strength of the steel enables thinner bushes to be produced using this construction. Simple bronze bushes are not self lubricating but this drawback was overcome by the development of the Oilite bush. This material is based on bronze (or cast iron) but is produced by sintering the powdered alloy at high temperature and pressure. This produces a porous bush which is then vacuum impregnated with oil. In use the oil is released to provide self lubricating properties. Machining oilite bushes must be done with care. If the tools used are not dead
9
A universal joint steering coupling A typical deep groove ball bearing.
New widgets and whatnots to keep you moving in the garage.
Bronze – Bearing bronzes are copper based alloys with small amounts of zinc, tin, aluminium or silicon added. Bushes made from bronze normally rotate on a hardened steel shaft. The softer bearing metal then wears away
replace a bush.
86 PRODUCTS
ADVERTISING
BUSH AND BEARING MATERIALS Plastic – At one time plain bearing materials were exclusively metal alloys such as white metal, Babbit, bronze or lead/indium. Most of these are still in use today, but as in many fields plastic or polymers are often the preferred choice. Plastics are light, cheap and can be easily shaped by injection moulding without the need for final machining. They are corrosion and chemical resistant and can often be run dry with no external lubrication. Commonly used plastics are nylon, acetal, PTFE (Teflon),
polyethylene, urethane and polyamide. Many of these can be impregnated with oil, grease or MDS (Molybdenum disulphide) to provide self lubricating properties. Not surprisingly, plastics have disadvantages too. They soften at high temperatures, become brittle at low temperatures and can absorb moisture causing them to expand. The most significant drawback, however, is their tendency to undergo cold flow or ‘creep’ when subjected to constant pressure or tension. It is this distortion, rather than actual wear, which leads to free play in plastic bearings.
1
3
2
Gear linkages vary greatly from car to car but whatever system is used it must be capable of transmitting both fore and aft and side to side movement in order to select gears with a normal ‘H’ pattern gearbox (Fig 3).
www.completekitcar.co.uk 7
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 81
Sorry, but lack of time prevents us answering technical queries over the phone. We would much prefer you contact us by e-mail or write, enclosing an SAE for a reply. While every effort is made in compiling the editorial and accepting only bona fide advertisements in Complete Kit Car, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any effects arising therefrom. Freelance features and photographs are submitted at the owner’s risk and, whilst every care is taken, no responsibility for loss or damage can be taken by the publisher or their agents.
Copyright Performance Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. ISSN 1754-1271
008-013 News.qxd:Layout 1
6/1/11
10:13
NEWS
Page 8
Latest
There’s always loads going on in and around the kit car scene and you can rely on Complete Kit Car to keep you up to date with what’s happening.
Shock New Caterham: SP/300R Co-Developed With Lola CATERHAM STIRRED UP a flurry of online speculation just before Christmas when it announced that it would be launching a new car at last week’s Autosport International – but without revealing any details. We can now reveal that car – the Caterham-Lola SP/300R, co-developed with the ace race car manufacturer. Only 25 SP/300Rs will be made per year, allowing Caterham to focus on quality and maintain its one-to-one customer service. As well as straightforward track day use, the cars will be eligible for a single-make race series in 2012. This will be a natural progression for racers who have worked their way up Caterham’s already successful domestic and international ‘ladder’. “Motorsport is not only part of the history of Caterham,” says Caterham MD Ansar Ali, “it’s been the lifeblood running through the character of our vehicles. The SP/300R represents the next logical step in the development of our product offering.” Lola has acted as technical design consultant, leading the aerodynamic styling and downforce development in collaboration with Caterham’s design direction. Caterham is responsible for developing the powerplant, braking and ensuring the car has the ride and handling characteristics that drivers of its Seven will recognise. The SP/300R uses a supercharged 2-litre Ford Duratec engine which will product 300bhp. Caterham promises linear torque delivery across the entire engine speed range, while the engine is known to be durable. It will drive through
a Hewland semi-automatic FTR transmission. Styling is aerodynamically led and the shape was created using Lola’s
computational fluid dynamics technology to ensure it works well at the 170mph top speed. The 0-60mph time, incidentally, is around 2.5 seconds. Caterham claims that it incorporates some subtle cues from the Seven, such as the shape of the grille, but we struggle to see any visual link between the cars. The bodywork can be removed by one person which, Caterham claims, is unique for a sports prototype. The suspension uses double wishbones and pushrod dampers allround. The rear suspension architecture is derived from Lola Formula Three cars. The SP/300R also features Cooper Avon tyres which have been specifically developed for the car. They measure 250mm wide at the rear and 180mm at the front. The car will be available in fully built form only, and priced at £60,000 plus local taxes. While it’s strictly a track car at launch, feasibility of a road-going version of the car is being investigated. Despite the foray with the 21 in the 1990s, the Caterham name is utterly synonymous with the Seven. It will be interesting to watch what effect the SP/300R has on the buying public’s perception of the marque. One thing is for certain; the move marks a significant step in the company’s history.
CONTACT Caterham Cars. T: 01883 333700. E: sales@caterham.co.uk W: www.caterham.co.uk
8 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
008-013 News.qxd:Layout 1
6/1/11
10:14
Page 9
Quantum 2+2 Due To Return
BRIEFS
WE ASK... Graham Neale CHESTER SPORTS CARS
SERIAL QUANTUM OWNER Edward Ruskin, whose association with the marque goes back 18 years, has bought Quantum Heritage from John and Rosemary Sampson – and the subtle rename to Quantum Kit Cars indicates a new direction for the operation. Quantum Heritage was set up when the Sampsons sold Quantum Sports Cars to Mark Burley. Quantum Sports Cars, which makes the Xtreme, remains completely separate, while Quantum Kit Cars (née Heritage) is there to support owners of Mk1s, Mk2s, 2+2s and H4s. Back-up for those models will still be provided, but the rename highlights the fact that the company will start manufacture of new kits. Work will start on a new version of the 2+2 early this year with the launch due in 2012. The new 2+2 will move away from the nowscarce Ford Fiesta Mk2 donor and be reengineered to use parts from the abundant Ka. The newer donor also brings the benefit of power steering, air conditioning, central locking and electric windows if you choose a high enough spec donor. The styling will be slightly revised to identify the new 2+2.
With the exception of the Sportka and Streetka models, Ka donors have 1.3-litre engines. It’s expected that upgrade options to more potent engines will be developed to allow fitment of, for instance, 2-litre Zetec engines. Meanwhile, Edward’s other company, Dynamic Mouldings, is going from strength to strength. Quality is the watchword, which has brought in business from private car owners, race teams and other kit car manufacturers alike. Dynamic Mouldings and Quantum Kit Cars will operate as completely separate entities, with full contact details for the latter to follow soon.
NEW DUTTON: Just as we went to press, we received news about a new Dutton amphibious vehicle. The Surf shares only its Suzuki Jimny donor, windscreen and weather gear with the previous Commander – everything else is new. T: 01903 713313. W: www. amphibiouscars. co.uk CKC SUB WINNER: Every month, we give away a free subsctription to one lucky reader via our online competition. This month, it goes to Paul Taylor of Norfolk. Why not try your luck at www.completekitcar. co.uk
Q
What makes Chester Sportscars different to other kit car workshops?
A
The combination of experience and enthusiasm.
Q
How does the kit car market differ to the modified car world?
A
I would say that the kit car market is quicker to jump on new opportunities. With modified cars, for instance, there are people who won’t have anything other than Weber 45 carbs on their Mk2 Escorts or whatever, whereas kit car builders quickly adopted bike carbs which are demonstrably better. Modified car owners are traditional, whereas kit car builders don’t have that to fall back on.
Q
How do you select which kit cars you’ll become an agency for?
A
Geographical location is one thing. Improvement in design is another. For instance, I feel the Sierra based kits are getting towards the end of their lifespan, and that wasn’t the situation 10 years ago.
CONTACT Quantum Kit Cars. T: 07774 803931.
LEXICON WINNER: Roger Young of Somerset found the words from last month’s Lexicon and wins a binder to keep his collection of CKC magazines tidy.
Q
When will your Sylva J15 demonstrator be complete?
A
By the end of February. It’ll be ready for the Race Retro show in March, and we’ll have an open day soon after the show.
Q
Do you have a kit car for your own personal use?
A
At the moment, I’m running around in a 165bhp Zetec powered Mk2 Fiesta, which I’ll run all winter as I did last winter. It was minus 14 this morning and it started first time! I do have a choice of kit cars which I use in the summer. My favourite at the moment is a Tiger Super Cat with a Zetec engine, and I also have a Venom. That’s a larger car, though, and I’m moving towards smaller, lighter cars which is where the J15 comes in. I’ll be driving that as well when it’s finished.
Chester Sportscars visit page 26 FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 9
008-013 News.qxd:Layout 1
6/1/11
10:14
Page 10
Latest
NEWS
WILKINS Back To The ’90s? THERE’S A PHRASE that Italo often returns to when summing up his proposals in Designer Threads. He’ll often say that his latest design appeals to a different and less conservative kit car buyer – and that is most certainly the case for this month’s LMP style coupé. It’s almost like the ’90s Dax Kamala has evolved and found itself in 2011. It troubles me, however, that we’ve arrived at a situation where ‘average’ kit car builders are considered conservative. Almost any kit car is an extreme form of transport when compared to the mainstream – it’s just that we’re so used to Sevens and Cobras that they seem like the safe option. At the same time, though, I can see exactly where Italo is coming from. I leafed through a few 1990s kit car magazines recently and it seemed like almost every month saw something genuinely fresh, exciting and new. Dax Kamala, CC Cyclone, Raffo Belva, GTM Libra... even the ‘conventional’ Quantum H4 all showed true originality. Throughout the noughties, or whatever they were called, almost every new car was roughly the same shape as a Lotus Seven, many of them originating from the Locost phenomenon. It became the safe option for manufacturers as much as it did punters and there are some great variations on the theme. Yet I do yearn for the days when the kit car scene could up with an endless supply of new ideas. I don’t know the name of the decade we’re in now, but whatever it’s called it would be great if it was the one where different and less conservative manufacturers came to the fore. ADAM WILKINS
Tiger Goes Retro TIGER RACING IS adding another sevenesque car to its range – although a more accurate description might be sixesque! The HS6 (Historic Super 6) is a replica of the early Lotus Six, and features very similar dimensions. The chassis isn’t an exact replica though – it has been designed with modern levels of strength and rigidity in mind. Bodywork is a mix of aluminium and GRP, with the centre panels, rear tub and
Tiger HS6 is due for imminent launch.
bonnet all being crafted from the former. It features enclosed rear wheelarches in the style of the original car. The chassis is powdercoated in the same bluish-grey hue that original Lotuses would have been finished in. Mechanically, it’s based mostly on Triumph components. The first demonstrator uses parts from an early Spitfire, although a Herald would be a more obvious choice (donors being available for around £400). From the Triumph, the HS6 uses the engine, gearbox and front suspension. The rear axle comes from a Ford Escort to give it the correct width track. Pricing is to be confirmed, but expect the body/chassis pack to be pitched slightly higher than the firm’s Avon model.
CONTACT Tiger Racing, Service Station, Thorney Toll, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 4AX. T: 01733 271131. E: jim@tigerracing.com W: www.tigerracing.com
Allen Grant Drops In At Hawk OUT OF THE blue, Gerry Hawkridge of Hawk Cars received a phone call. “This is Allen Grant,” said the voice. “I’m in England, can I pop and see you tomorrow morning?” Allen Grant is the man who drove the original Coventry Motors ‘Executor’ which Hawk Cars has replicated. He’d seen the car on the cover of a USA magazine and wanted to see it in the flesh. Allen Grant has been a hero of Gerry’s since the ’60s. He won his first two races in the Excecutor and went on to become a works Shelby driver. “To say I was thrilled would be a gross understatement,” Gerry says. “This guy, I have to say, was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He was so enthusiastic about the cars and delighted to see our replica. One of the nicest things about this business is meeting such lovely people. We are looking forward to taking
up his invite to visit the USA to see his collection of toys.”
CONTACT Grant’s signature on the Hawk. Gerry (left) meets
Hawk Cars, Oakdene, Riverhall Hill, Frant, East Sussex TN3 9EP. T: 01892 750341. E: enquiries@hawkcars.co.uk W: www.hawkcars.co.uk
one of his heroes.
CKC LEXICON EACH MONTH, STENT and Wilkins will attempt to out-do each other by slipping into CKC a polysyllabic, little used or just plain pompous word. If you can spot both of them, let us know where you found them and you could win a CKC binder (worth £8) in which to keep your magazines tidy. If you find both, e-mail adam@performancepublishing.co.uk This month’s words are... STENT: Desideratum noun Something wanted or needed. WILKINS: Hypnagogic adj Of or pertaining to drowsiness.
10 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
011_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
6/1/11
12:24
Page 11
Tiger Recession Beater! ÂŁ1295
Just plus vat, gets you this complete chassis with everything supplied and fitted for you, as shown here. This comprehensive package will put you well on the way to achieving a car like the one below, the Tiger Avon. You can purchase further individual components in stages to suit your build time or budget.
The Deal Includes:G Extremely rigid, cross braced Jig built tubular chassis, of race proven design, fully bracketed for all ancillaries.
Send for our new 48 page catalogue for full details of the great sportscars from Tiger
G Floor panels pre-fitted G 4 x Spax adjustable dampers coilover dampers G Fabricated top & bottom front wishbones including ball joints.
An Unbeatable deal
G Fabricated top & bottom rear wishbones including rose joints G All suspension fitted with nylon bushes G Front & rear hubs G ALL PRE-FITTED
contact Tiger for full details
Tiger Racing Ltd.,
Visit our Website:
Service Station, Thorney Toll, Nr. Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 4AX Tel: 01733 271131 e-mail: jim@tigerracing.com
www.tigerracing.com
Graham Sykes Ltd. is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Calls may be monitored or recorded to help improve our service. FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 11
008-013 News.qxd:Layout 1
6/1/11
10:15
NEWS
Page 12
Latest
Engine Info
WE’VE RECEIVED POSITIVE feedback from VOSA on the news item we ran a couple of months ago explaining the information car builders need to provide on their engines for an IVA application. The number of builders supplying the correct information has increased, which makes it easier for the applications to be processed. There’s nothing complicated about IVA and registration paperwork when you’re armed with the correct information. To recap, if you’re buying an engine from a supplier they need to provide you with all of the following information: Name of person who has inspected engine • Document number • Customer (your) name • Engine type • Engine casting number • Engine ID number • Casting code • Date of manufacture (month and year)
Toniq Across The Pond
TONIQ HAS A US importer for its CB, and the model has received a warm welcome across the pond. It has had its debut at the huge SEMA show in Las Vegas and the PRI event in Orlando – and importer The Adrenaline Gallery has attracted the attention of some high profile personalisies. Talk show host and petrolhead Jay Leno has expressed interest in the car, which could lead to valuable publicity. The US importers have also been in talks with the makers of the American version
CONTACT Toniq T: 07818 057643. E: info@toniqr.co.uk W: www.toniqr.co.uk The Adrenaline Gallery W: www.theadrenaline gallery.com British Racing Group W: www.britishracinggroup.com
Toniq is making an impact in America
Throttle Bodies From AT Power THE NAME AT Power may be known to many of our readers, as the firm has supplied its throttle bodies to a number of kit car owners over the years. The firm manufactures patented shaftless throttle bodies and, thanks to their ultra thin butterflies with profiled edges, the company claims increased airflow by up to 10 per cent when compared to regular throttle bodies. All the units are hand-built in-house at AT Power’s Norfolk factory.
SHORT CUTS
of Top Gear. The Adrenaline Gallery has also appointed soutern distributor, British Racing Group, which will have placed an order for its demonstrator at the Autosport show by the time you read this. Rally driver Bill Caswell (pictured left) also tried the Toniq for size – and liked what he saw. Caswell rallies an old BMW 3-series alongside the WRC circus – it’s well worth looking him up on Google if you haven’t heard of him.
MNR’S VORTX DIFFUSER MNR has developed a new diffuser for its Lotus Seven inspired VortX. The GRP item has been designed to improve the rear end styling and make it as distinctive as the highly individual nose treatment. It’s priced at £175 including VAT. In other news, the firm has just completed work on its bike engined LMP style car; full details in next month’s news. T: 01423 780196. E: chrismnrltd@btinternet.com W: www.mnrltd.co.uk
12 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
As well as supplying kit car owners, other clients of AT Power include Formula Ford teams, British Touring Car Championship engine builders and World Rally Championship teams. The firm has stockists throughout the UK, Europe, America and Australia, and a full list of outlets can be found on the firm’s website.
CONTACT Active Technologies, Hethel Engineering Centre, Chapman Way, Hethel, Norwich, Norfolk NR14 6FB. T: 01953 859133. E: info@atpower.co.uk W: www.atpower.co.uk
008-013 News.qxd:Layout 1
6/1/11
10:15
Page 13
CKC Sponsors 750 Championship WE’RE DELIGHTED TO announce that the 2011 750 Motor Club championship will be sponsored by Complete Kit Car magazine. The move will see us working closely with the club to follow not only the season, but also the cars and drivers that compete within the championship. Our Race Diaries series has proved popular over the years, and this is a way to enhance our coverage of kit car competition. By the time this issue goes on sale, a
kit car will have been on show at Autosport International bearing the Complete Kit Car branding, and we’ll be following the championship when it gets under way in March.
CONTACT 750 Motor Club. T: 01379 741641. E: 750mc@btconnect.com W: www.750mc.co.uk
Found On The Web WEIRD, EXOTIC, UGLY AND BEAUTIFUL CARS FROM AROUND THE WORLD This stretched Ferrari F40 replica turned up for sale on a Japanese classifieds website – a snip at the equivalent of roughly £44,000! It’s unclear what it’s based on, but thankfully it doesn’t use anything from a genuine F40. The interior features a complement of leather trimmed bucket seats.
Book Review
CWR Merges With TVR Dealer
CLASSIC WORLD RACING, maker of the Tuscan inspired Titan has merged with dealer David Gerald TVR, the oldest TVR dealership in the country. David Gerald specialises in pre-1980 cars, which dovetails perfectly with the Titan, which is an updated interpretation of the 1968 Tuscan. CWR’s Mike Luck commented: “This new partnership is an exciting chapter
in the history of both businesses and will go a long way to guarantee a successful future.” The CWR team is currently awaiting delivery of the chassis for the first Titan demonstrator, the construction of which will be under way very soon. The first car, which has been supplied to the customer, is now competing in races overseas.
CONTACT Classic World Racing, 66 Arthur Street, Lakeside, Redditch, Worcestershire B98 8JY. T: 01527 521050. E: info@cwrcars.com W: www.cwrcars.com
OUR CKC SHOP, which you can buy from via our website or over the phone, contains a broad range of kit car related material. One title in stock is Building A Dune Buggy – The Essential Manual. With a ressurgence of interest in buggies – witness the relaunch of the Doon and the introduction to the UK of the Meyers Manx Manxter in last month’s news – we thought we’d revisit a book on the subject. This one contains step-by-step, practical guidance on the equipment and techniques needed to build a buggy. Paul Shakespeare’s tome includes chapters on preparation, safety, equipment, body removal, sourcing parts, chassis shortening, suspension, wiring... in fact, everything you need to know to embark on a buggy build of AVAILABLE FROM your own. The book contains 144 Performance Publishing. T: 01903 236268. all colour pages W: www.completekitcar.co.uk and costs £24.99.
SPIRE REVISED FOR 2011
SOMETHING TO SAY?
Spire Sportscars is revising its GT-R for 2011, and the new version will carry the name GT-3. The new car will feature a lightened chassis, better weight distribution and improved aerodynamics. The first car will have a 1000cc Honda Fireblade engine and compete in the 750MC RGB Championship. T: 01773 874694.
Call the COMPLETE KIT CAR editorial office on 01795 520877 with all your kit car related news or e-mail it to adam@performancepublishing.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 13
014_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:07
Page 14
I’m as passionate about kit cars as you are, which is why I think you’ll love our insurance deals.
Adrian Flux Insurance Services has been built around the enthusiast markets.We have specialist teams dealing with your request, whoever you are and whatever you drive, providing you with a tailormade policy based on your own personal requirements and driving history. This means that when you ring us, we’ll always endeavour to find you the best possible rate available. So please call us today for a free, no obligation quote.
FREEPHONE 0800 081 8989 Quoteline hours: Mon to Fri 9am-7pm | Sat 9am-4pm
adrianflux.co.uk Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
e
ll e h c a R
Rachelle. Retained Business Team Manager. Adrian Flux.
Home
Luxury
Classic
Van
4x4
14 www.completekitcar.co.uk
Bike
FEBRUARY 2011
Campers
Passionate about insurance
Performance
Specialist
015 Tiff Needle Feb 2011:CKC Edit Template
CONTRIBUTOR
21/12/10
10:33
Page 15
February 2011 “In the same way that the 750 Motor Club has always been a great place for budding racing car designers, now is the time for any great energy savers of the future to get busy in their garages”
AND A HAPPY New Year to you too! But what will it bring? What was the brilliant plan you came up with as you idled your way through the festive period? Did you manage to work out a way of powering your dream car with an excess of mince pies or perhaps find a widget in your Christmas cracker that has given you the inspiration to revolutionise the motoring world with your latest invention? Now obviously what most of us want to do is simply build a replica of our favourite car, stick a great big V8 in it and go and have some fun, but the world is now becoming a much more complicated place. Even the Grand Prix cars are being forced to have tiny 1.6-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engines for 2013, so perhaps we too should look at some alternatives. The point is, right now there is no better time to come up with some innovative forms of transport – especially as our government seems increasingly keen to hand out as much of our hard earned money as they dare in order to please supporters of the 15,000 delegates who spent a couple of weeks in Mexico avoiding the worst of our cold spell just before Christmas! Yes, yes I keep on getting told that 95 per cent of climate scientists believe it’s all our fault so the money we save by cutting things like our education has to be spent handing it over to third world countries to make up for all the damage the climate change that ‘we’ve’ caused has supposedly done to them – yet I still seem to see an awful lot of scientific debate that doesn’t seem so convinced... Anyway, that’s all beside the point because if you have something special to offer then surely building them into a kit car is the best way to demonstrate your brilliant ideas. In the same way that the 750 Motor Club has always been a great place for budding racing car designers, now is the time for any great energy savers of the future to get busy in their garages. Now, so many people have already gone down the chip fat diesel route that there simply aren’t enough chips being cooked to supply the demand, so I reckon you can forget that one. Making your own bio ethanol seems to eat up an awful lot of ‘eating’ material and if you are going to go second generation cellulosic you’re going to have to spend your life on rubbish dumps – so I reckon, if it’s going to be simple, it has got to be battery based. If you are wondering where to start, I was thinking there must be a whole load of old electric milk floats hiding away somewhere, otherwise you’re just going to have to source your own batteries and motors which might take a bit of time. However, once you’ve got the basics I suggest you go for fourwheel-drive and amphibious – to accommodate whatever climate change does come our way – and follow Chevrolet’s lead by sticking a little generator on board because running out of spark is a major drawback! Having got this far you now need to find out if there’s any way the £5000 grant on offer for purchasers of new electric cars can be steered in your direction and by the time you’ve patented your brilliant designs you should be quids in – and the more of you I can persuade to do that, the less guilty I’ll feel as I rev up the V8!
TIFF NEEDELL Every month – only in Complete Kit Car FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 15
016-020 MEV Rocket M350.qxd:Layout 1
TRACK TEST
21/12/10
10:34
Page 16
MEV Rocket M350C
Rocket Sled Bruntingthorpe may have been a bit icy, but that didn’t stop us unleashing the most potent MEV Rocket yet...
16 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
016-020 MEV Rocket M350.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
10:35
Page 17
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 17
016-020 MEV Rocket M350.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
TRACK TEST “THERE MAY BE the odd patch of ice on the circuit,” said the bloke on the gate at Bruntingthorpe. Apparently McLaren had turned around and gone home earlier in the day because of the ice and, if we wanted to do the same, we’d get a refund. First impressions were promising; the grass may be covered in frost and the wind bitingly cold during the static photoshoot, but what we could see of the track was dry. Static shots bagged and car warmed through, we moved onto the car-to-car actions shots. It was only then that we discovered that the short top straight, which had been shaded by trees all day, was an ice rink. If you know Bruntingthorpe, you’ll know that it leaves two long straights, a fast left-hander, a hairpin and a chicane free from ice. We’re not about to retreat for home... this will be fun! The car we’ve come to see isn’t one you’d naturally choose to drive on a snowy day. The exoskeletal M350 is the range-topping version of the MEV Rocket. Despite the name, the Rocket – along with some other MEV products – is now manufactured and promoted by Nottingham based Road Track Race. RTR has been steering the Rocket model upmarket since taking it on a couple of years ago, and the culmination of that is
10:35
Page 18
MEV Rocket M350C
Unpadded seats are supportive.
Interior
of demonstrator benefits from the optional carbon fibre pack. Floor and tunnel are the most obvious elements.
two models – the M225 and M350 – offered only in turnkey form. RTR’s Paul Holmes reports increasing numbers of enquiries for turnkey cars, which is in part driven by the company’s appearances at events outside of kit car circles, such as MPH. Seems the MEV’s fresh, modern appearance appeals just as much to an audience that doesn’t want to while away evenings building a car in the garage. The entry-level M225 is £15,995 including VAT and comes with a 115bhp 1.8-litre Ford Zetec engine. For the M350, the price rises to £23,500. This comes with a 185bhp Omex Power 2-litre Zetec, and adds a close ratio gearbox (not fitted to the demonstrator), stainless steel four-branch manifold, an LSD, Race Technology Dash2 instruments (again, not fitted to the demo) and an uprated clutch and flywheel. It also has aluminium front uprights and uprated brakes. Add in the fancy Momo alloys and you have a tantalising spec sheet. Both versions can be fitted with the ‘C’ upgrade pack, which has been fitted to the demo to make it an M350C. The C is for carbon and this £1500 option adds genuine carbon fibre floors, bulkheads, centre tunnel, front and rear wings and inlays in the panels including the seats. It looks the business. All told, in the spec of
18 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
the test car, this is a £25,000 machine. It had better be good, then! It certainly looks premium, its Momo alloys glinting in the winter sun. The quality of the GRP mouldings is high, the carbon fibre inserts add an upmarket feel and the general stance, enhanced by the front and rear wings, is purposeful and confident. Time to see whether the walk lives up to the talk. The Rocket’s ‘interior’ couldn’t be
016-020 MEV Rocket M350.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
10:35
Page 19
Rally design uprights and Protech dampers. Distinctive wing is part of the carbon pack,
more minimal; the seats are bare GRP shells, there’s no trim and the dash is part of the hinging front panel. It’s nicely put together, though, and the quality of the few components that are included is high. The demonstrator has an ETB Digidash in place of the Race Technology Dash2 that will feature in customer versions. The tuned 2-litre Zetec fires without fuss and settles into an easy idle. The driving position is good, and the Wilwood pedals are well positioned. The clutch bites a little high on the demo, but that’s due for some finer adjustment later. For the first couple of laps, I settle in and try to get at least a little heat into the Toyo R888 track day rubber. The engine sounds keen breathing through throttle bodies and first impressions are very positive. RTR’s works development drive John Sadler set up the Rocket’s suspension. “Because I get to drive Ariel Atoms and KTM X-Bows,” says John, “I know what I’m aiming for.” That’s quite some ambition. It doesn’t take long for the MEV to instill confidence. Often, mid-engined cars are rather knife-edge at the limit; when the grip is breached, the fact that the bulk of the weight is in the back makes itself very
apparent. The M350 feels very well balanced, and it’s an impression that’s reinforced as the speed builds. Through the sweeping left-hander, the Rocket is carrying three-figure speeds and feeling utterly composed. The car turns in keenly, but the tail can keep up. Apply too much power too soon and the rear end edges out slightly, but it’s a gradual, natural progression that’s very instinctive and easy to keep in check. It’s remarkably forgiving. The only thing that will really upset it is a lift off mid-corner. After the next right-hander, the lap is punctuated by the need to slow down for ice. There’s a deleted scene from the original Italian Job car chase where the Minis and pursuing police cars drove into an ice rink. It was left on the cutting room floor because the director decided it slowed the pace of the chase too much. I have a similar feeling as I ease off to slide across the ice. Not that it’s a hardship to drift the Rocket from one lock to the other (and occasionally to the lock-stops and onto the grass) at little more than walking pace in the Bruntingthorpe white-out. It’s excellent fun. Into the chicane, the ice becomes sporadic enough to get the power down.
which is a £1500 upgrade.
Straight line performance is hobbled by the standard Focus gearbox, but the Rocket is very quick through the corners.
Over the last few patches, the revs flair and the wheels spin, sending the car shimmying its way out of the bend. The very last patch of ice lurks right on the final apex before the main straight. Hit it under full throttle in the meat of second gear and the car jinks left by a metre or so before finding its final trajectory on the wide, expansive runway. The guys from McLaren don’t know what they’re missing! The demonstrator’s straight-line performance is hobbled by its gearbox, which is a standard 5-speeder out of a 1.8-litre Ford Focus. Initially, RTR was going to offer a close ratio ’box as an option, but it has now decided that a close ratio gearbox will be part of the standard package (although this car misses out on it). Wise move, because this car falls so far out of the power band on each upshift that it really takes the edge of its accelerative potential. Production spec cars are bound to be a lot more exciting in that department than this prototype. With no real reference markers alongside the runway, I always find the braking point for the hairpin a bit of a game of chicken. On a couple of occasions, I had to stand on the Wilwood stoppers from the wrong side of 100mph and found them willing to haul down the 535kg M350. By now, |’m really trying to provoke the Rocket into revealing an unexpected handling vice. Turn in deliberately too hard, and it still responds faithfully.
SPECIFICATION: MEV ROCKET M350 Engine as tested: Ford 2-litre Zetec tuned to produce 185bhp. Engine options: M225 has a 115bhp 1.8-litre Ford Zetec engine. Any Focus engine can be fitted to self-build versions. Chassis: Round tube exoskeletal chassis. Bodywork: All GRP supplied in self coloured gelcoat. Optional carbon fibre inlays. Suspension: Front – Double wishbones, coil-over dampers, aluminium uprights. Rear – Double wishbones, coil-over dampers, fabricated uprights. Steering: Rack and pinion. Demo fitted with quick-rack. Brakes: Discs all round with four-pot calipers. Kit prices: M350 turnkey only at £23,500. M225 turnkey at £15,995. Budget build cost: Self built Rockets from £7000. Contact: Road Track Race, 42 Mount Street, New Basford, Nottingham NG7 7HX. T: 0115 978 0677. E: sales@roadtrackrace.com W: www.roadtrackrace.com
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 19
016-020 MEV Rocket M350.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
TRACK TEST Turn in too hard, and the M350 still responds faithfully. There’s hardly a whiff of understeer yet, even with a pointy front end, the rear matches its agility and follows without losing grip
“
There’s hardly a whiff of understeer yet, even with a pointy front end, the rear matches its agility and follows round without losing grip. On the power hard again, and it catapults itself out of the corner. With a decent gearbox and no ice on the track, this thing would stitch together some fantastically fast and coherent laps. It’s pretty apparent that John Sadler knows what he’s doing. Even in the poor conditions of our test (R888s aren’t at their best on very cold days), the Rocket M350 has shown tremendous potential. On a mid-summer track day, it would be immense. It’s easy to get carried away with a high-spec range-topper, but let’s not forget that the Rocket started out under MEV as a single-donor car at the affordable end of the market. Even now, it’s possible to put together an example using all the bits from a standard Focus
10:35
Page 20
MEV Rocket M350C 2-litre Ford Zetec is tuned to produce 185bhp.
M350 has plenty of presence, and has lots of neat detailing.
from around £7000. For that money, you’ll build a car that’s a lot of fun, entertainingly quick and ideal for mixed road and track work. It may not have the ultimate edge of the M350, but it’s still a car that we’ve always enjoyed. If anything, the new version shows how far the fundamental Rocket package can be taken, and how capable it is given extra power and easily replicated suspension settings. The M350 is, according the RTR’s Paul Holmes, “a
20 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
premium product that has been specced accordingly.” By the time you’ve added up the value of the engine package, close ratio gearbox and all the other components, its easy to see where that price has come from. Remember, too, that it includes VAT and all the IVA and registration fees. Essentially, the M350 is a graphic illustration of the model’s potential. Its halo effect is sure to rub off on Rockets of a more humble specification.
021_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
13:55
Page 21
0843 357
www.foot
1907
manjames
.co.uk
ing e follow h t e d inclu policies All our ard: d as stan es
pean) ens nd Euro egal Exp ery (UK a L v r o o c t e o R M ad Rage kdown ur Brea lude Ro c o h in 4 o 2 t t en nal Accid Perso cking ge and & Carja d Milea available. e it im L e, are also ed Valu Agre ehicle options Multi-V
From a Seven to a Cobra. Whatever your pride and joy, we’ll get you covered. The enthusiasts’ favourite for over twenty five years, Footman James is one of the leading specialist insurance brokers. With a UK client base of 140,000 owners of classic and vintage vehicles, Footman James consistently uses its enormous influence to arrange our best deal for you. So whatever your pride and joy, you can be confident that with Footman James behind you, you’ve adopted our best policy. Talk to us soon.
ers,errevaitce! W you Quoteline: 0843
357 1907
www.footmanjames.co.uk
Footman James is a trading name of Aon Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in respect of insurance mediation activities only. Telephone calls may be monitored or recorded for your protection.
FP 5012.08.08
COMPETITIVE RATES on modern car, motorcycle, home and contents insurance
022 Out and about Goodwood:Layout 1
21/12/10
OUT & ABOUT
10:38
Page 22
Goodwood Breakfast Club
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? At the last Goodwood Breakfast Club event of 2010, the Sussex race track played host to cars of Germanic origin. James Horsley’s VW based Bugle buggy sneaked in for a look. 7TH NOVEMBER WAS the final Goodwood Breakfast Club for 2010. The theme was Deutche Marques, with the event running from 8am to midday. With weather fair and not a cloud in the Sussex sky attendance was sure to be strong, and even before the official opening, at 7.30am cars were already lining up on the famous main straight. This included a certain green metalflake buggy, on its first outing to a
2
1
car show for 12 years! By 9am the main gate witnessed a queue of the ubiquitous Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs. Despite this, the air cooled Volkswagen scene made a big impact on the event with a good selection 1 Beach buggies on show. 2 Wide arched 916 a quirky pleasure. 3 Nigel Cousins’ Martin and Walker Speedster. 4 Karma a Beetle based Ferrari replica. 5 James Horsley with his Bugle Buggy. 6 AMG powered Pagani Zonda suffered flat tyre. 7 Looks like a Locost. Is there a VW engine in there? 8 Cortina based Marlin Berlinetta not very German! 6 Love this. Rare Meyers Manx SR.
3
6 of split screen campers, early Beetles and a rare razor edge Karman Ghia. The kit car scene also made a showing, including the obvious buggies, many a 356 replica, a Pilgrim Sumo, Marlin, a lesser spotted Karma and also a very rare Manx SR street buggy. Even on ‘Supercar Sunday’ in July the race track normally only fills the main straight. This theme was a huge crowd draw though, with German machinery parked up from the first bend, through the main straight and chicane all the way to the Lavant bank. The coffee and bacon roll vendors did a strong trade, and many friends and club members waved goodbye to the show season. James Horsley
4
7
8
5
9 22 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
023 Letters:CKC Advert Template
21/12/10
LETTERS
10:39
Page 23
Have Your Say!
Have your say about anything that takes your fancy, although kit car related would be a bonus! MAKE IT EASY... Running Reports is one of my favourite items in your magazine, especially when the other cars in an issue are less interesting to me (such as the Toniq and Fulcrum). It is intriguing why some people like Richard Harris make it so difficult for themselves. Some of the builders buy a kit and then they begin to alter it so much that it becomes a totally different car... strange! Why don’t such builders make a one-off? If they have something in mind from the beginning why don’t they start from scratch? Antoine Ryckman, Belgium
It’s fare to say that Richard has certainly taken that concept to an extreme! There is effectively nothing left of the original TA Spirit kit car that he started with and it may well be that he now feels he could have started from scratch. I’m always excited when we come across one-off kit cars. Those we’ve featured over the last year or so have been so impressive. Yet there was a point when SVA first came into being back in 1998 that I thought we’d seen the last of the
homebuilt special. Thankfully, you lot out there are an imaginative lot and not put off by a few new regulations. Indeed, I suspect we’re seeing more one-offs now than we did a decade ago – Ed.
LETTER OF THE MONTH MORGAN LOOKALIKE I am intending to build a Hawke Morgan replica and would be obliged if you could point me in the direction of any chassis drawings/photographs? Despite all endeavours I have so far come up with nothing. John Irving, via e-mail
TO IVA OR NOT TO IVA? I am about to join the throng of budding kit car builders and I have been looking for some time now, just trying to weigh up what’s right for a first time builder on a budget. But one question is still puzzling me and I hope you may be able to shed some light on it. Does the MEV Exocet need an IVA test, and if so why? I read that a car called the Sammio by Bay Area Rods benefits from not needing an IVA, and my interpretation is that the Exocet is built using the chassis and running gear of the donor MX-5 in the same way that the Sammio uses the chassis and running gear of a Triumph Herald. An IVA test doesn’t put me off but it would be nice to know beforehand. Is there a set of criteria that dictates the need? Paul, via e-mail
We would certainly expect that the Exocet needs an IVA test. The regulations are pretty clear on this. If the chassis of the donor car is retained in an unmodified form then the resulting kit car will be exempt from IVA and will retain the identity (number plate etc) of the donor. If the chassis is modified in any significant way, or a new chassis is used, then IVA will be required.
Crickey, we’ve not heard of the Hawke for several years, the last being under the ownership of LCD Cars in Wales. The only company currently offering a Morgan lookalike is Caburn Engineering at www.caburn.demon.co.uk – Ed.
The writer of Letter of the Month wins a bumper pack of 87 Mikalor mixed diameter worm drive hose clips and a flexi-driver tool worth £75. The full range of Mikalor products is available from Anyclamp.com In the case of the Sammio, the Triumph chassis is a traditional ladderframe affair, onto which the bodywork is bolted and adds no structural strength. So if you remove the old bodywork and bolt on a new body, the chassis remains unchanged and the car is exempt from IVA. Like most modern cars, the MX-5 has a monocoque body which therefore also provides the car’s structural integrity. There is a tubular link between the front and rear suspension subframes which means when the bodywork is lifted clear, the suspension can support itself, but I don’t believe it provides any significant structural strength to the overall car. Finally, a brand new chassis is provided by MEV, onto which the suspension ensemble is located. Put it this way, when Ashley Gardiner begins our MEV Exocet build in the next month or so, we will be putting it through an IVA inspection. As you say, don’t let it put you off a build – Ed.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE LOTUS REPLICAS GONE? Having read in CKC that Westfield is ceasing to offer its Lotus 11 replica, what’s happened to all the other FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 23
Lotus replicas that used to be available? John Hepburn, via e-mail
With the exception of the Lotus 7 and its myriad of pretenders, you are quite right that all the other Lotus lookalikes that used to be available in the ’80s and ’90s appear to have gone, with the exception of one company. Apart from the Lotus 11, the other model that has been heavily replicated over the years is the pretty 23, and the only company we’re aware of that still offers a lookalike is Tiger Racing (www.tigerracing.com) – Ed.
CONTACT US Complete Kit Car, 30 Henley Road, Taunton, Somerset TA1 5BJ. E: ian@performancepublishing.co.uk
024_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
13:58
Page 24
NEW products in
the CKC shop NOW! Come and see what’s in store!...
CKC 2011 Calendar
£4.95
£7.95 CKC 2011 Survival Pack
Haynes Roadster Build Guide
£7.95
CKC Mug
£14.95 Basic Fibreglass Techniques DVD
Automotive Fibreglass Book
£4.95 Special Offer
£30.00
BUY WITH THE DVD
www.completekitcar.co.uk • 01903 236268
025_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:09
Page 25
Kit Car Insurance The Understanding Insurance Specialists
Sureterm Direct
TM
Our Kit Car Policy Features: Free agreed value subject to acceptance Drivers aged 21-74 covered Limited mileage discounts
For 12 years, Sureterm Direct have given our customers peace of mind, knowing that if the worst happens, they’re covered. Call our friendly team for the most competitive quotes available and let us treat you like the valued customer you are.
Club membership discounts Salvage retention option Breakdown cover as an optional extra GB and Northern Ireland residents covered Free courtesy car subject to availability
Sureterm Direct Provides:
24 hour claims assistance
Immediate cover
Spare parts cover
Monthly premiums
Rally/show cover
Debit/credit card payments
Business use available
Direct Debit payments
Free European cover for 90 days!
UK call centre
FREEPHONE
0800 999 2300 Open 8.30am - 7.30pm Monday - Friday. 8.30am - 5.30pm Saturday.
www.sureterm.com
Sureterm Direct Limited, Sovereign Court, Ermine Business Park, Huntingdon, PE29 6YL (Registered in England no. 3671264). Sureterm Direct Limited are an independent intermediary dealing with selected insurers and we are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Our FSA registration number is 305300. CKC01.V1.0210
The insurance specialists for: 4x4s z Classic Cars z Kit Cars z American Classic Cars z Land Rovers z Camper Vans Classic VWs z Caravans z Classic Fords z Custom Cars z RVs z Classic Minis z Motorcycles z Household
026-028 Chester Sportscars:Layout 1
21/12/10
10:39
Page 26
COMPANY REPORT Chester Sportscars
Northern Light Chester Sportscars can not only sell you a brand new kit car, but also finish off your old kit or upgrade your engine to bike carbs and a bespoke ignition. Ian Stent went to see how they do it. THERE ARE QUITE a few companies that offer what I’d class as practical kit car services. Some will sell you a secondhand car, some may offer to build up your kit car when you may have run out of time or motivation and one or two will act as an agent for a manufacturer based in another part of the country, selling kits on the manufacturer’s behalf. Chester Sportscars offer all three, and a little bit more besides... Chances are that the first thing you’ll come across on a visit to Chester Sportscars (based in Deeside, North Wales) is not a kit car at all, but rather a few old Fords. The black Capri and rather standard looking red Mk1 Fiesta on display when I turn up look tidy enough examples, but hardly noteworthy. Until you pop the bonnet on either car to reveal Ford engines, but not the ones originally
Lovely blacktop Zetec install in latest Southways Super Cat build runs Chester’s inhouse developed bike carb conversion. Father and son team of Graham and Duncan Neale has run Chester Sportscars since 2000.
intended by Dagenham. Both the Capri’s 1.6 Pinto and Fiesta’s 957cc Kent engines have been replaced by 2-litre and 1.8-litre silvertop Zetecs respectively. Running Chester’s unique bike carb conversion, both are merrily producing around 140bhp at the wheels (circa 170bhp at the fly). A brief run out in the 750kg Fiesta confirms it’s a complete hooligan... you’d make a lot of people in modern sports cars very upset, very quickly! Putting different engines in old cars is what led Chester’s Graham Neale into
26 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
the kit car scene. Back in the mid-’90s he’d found himself starting a small business alongside his established industrial fabrications company restoring Morris Minors. It’s a long story involving his daughter, her beau of the time, his present to her of an old Moggy Minor, his plans to restore it in a spare corner of Graham’s factory, and then a falling out of love... the end result of which was a pile of Morris Minor bits in the workshop. Graham’s savvy business head realised there was money to be made here, and he set out restoring Morris Minors on a big scale for the next five years, but what really excited him was modifying them with different engines. Fiat and Lancia twin-cams were the weapons of choice at the time and the results could be spectacular. The problem was that everyone wanted a convertible Moggy, and the structure simply wasn’t up to it. Looking for an alternative product more suited to a drop top, Graham found himself exploring the possibility of building a Frogeye Sprite replica, and in particular a Banham body conversion on a Mini. But as a business he didn’t think the maths stacked up. He now found himself dipping into the world of kit cars and, not long after, meeting Jim Dudley of Tiger Racing. On his first visit he walked away ordering both a Tiger Super Six and the company’s recently developed Super Cat. He hadn’t got customers for either car, but he and his son Duncan swiftly assembled both examples and quickly found buyers for
026-028 Chester Sportscars:Layout 1
21/12/10
10:39
Page 27
them. Chester Sportscars was born, and Graham and Duncan struck a deal to become agents for the Tiger range and, in particular, the Super Cat.
KIT CAR AGENT Formed in 2000, Chester has sold over 110 Tigers to date. But the really clever bit is that Graham estimates around 50 per cent of those sales have been for turnkey, drive away cars. Son Duncan has become the main hands-on builder of the pairing, and he’s got the build of a Super Cat down to a fine art. Along the way, the pair have incorporated a number of their own tweaks to the basic car, some aesthetic and some mechanical. All of their cars use stiffer poly bushes throughout the suspension, an upgrade Graham considers vital on the Sierra based rear suspension if the car is ever to handle to its true potential. The company’s own dash moulding incorporates a centre console which means all the instruments can be located in this area, making it possible to lift the steering column higher into the dash area, giving the driver more space between his legs and the steering wheel. There have been many other small and large tweaks along the way, all of which Chester’s customers have clearly appreciated enough for them to ask the company to build a car. And with the Super Cat recently moving to Southways Sports Cars down in Hampshire, Chester’s location (and new agency with Southways) has even more
appeal for those in the North. Little wonder that in the workshop is a Chester built Southways Super Cat ready for collection by its customer. Building on the agency theme in 2010, Chester has also become an agent for Sylva Autokits, and a J15 in mid-build at the workshop shows the company isn’t hanging around. While this car will be a top spec demo in John Player Special (JPS) black and gold livery, Chester has already supplied a kit to a local customer and hopes that its own demo car will set the ball rolling for future builds. As with the Southways Super Cat, the company is particularly hoping to appeal to those who simply want a finished car, without the months of spannering in the garage at home. The standard of the part-built J15 and completed Super Cat in the workshop are
Duncan is the handson person at Chester. Chester compact 1300sq ft unit works perfectly. Sylva J15 in mid build.
ZETEC CONVERSIONS
Super Cat interior features Chester’s own dash layout which allows steering column to be mounted higher. FEBRUARY 2011
both impressive. The attention to detail is good and it’s clear that both Duncan and Graham like to get the job done properly. They also like to build to a high standard, using new parts throughout. A brand new 1600cc Sigma awaits installation into the J15, which already sports large drilled and grooved front discs and meaty Wilwood calipers. Chester’s desideratum is to offer a high specification, brand new J15 for £19,000 (inclusive of VAT). Super Cats are even more affordable, starting at £12,650 in basic spec and rising to £15,500 for what the company calls its touring model. The car in the workshop is very much in the latter category, sporting a very tidy Zetec installation utilising Chester’s own bike carb upgrade.
www.completekitcar.co.uk 27
Having become increasingly frustrated with conventional twin carb and even throttle body upgrades on Zetecs that never seemed to deliver the performance or smooth running that was promised, Graham began exploring the options with bike carbs. Although increasingly popular these days, Chester does appear to have taken the concept very seriously indeed. Graham first looked at all the commonly used bike carbs before coming to the conclusion that the Kawasaki ZX6R carbs offered several advantages, not least a single fuel feed, easily accessible throttle linkage and vitally, a Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) hook up as standard – vital for a full 3D map to be used. Chester then uses a Megajolt ECU, running a Chester developed engine map, all mounted in a new weatherproof housing and including
026-028 Chester Sportscars:Layout 1
21/12/10
10:39
Page 28
COMPANY REPORT Chester Sportscars a simple hourly rate (£35 per hour) and the customer can keep a close eye on progress. Often this leads to a build being split into chunks, Chester more than happy to do part of a build and hand it back to the customer, or work through a project in stages, as funds allow.
KIT CAR SALES While Graham and Duncan don’t actively go out sourcing second-hand stock, there’s often a car or two in the workshop and the company’s contacts with Southways and now Sylva mean that it can often hear of a car for sale within these marques. Two Chester-built Super Cats are currently up for grabs for around £10,500 each and with virtually no miles on the clock of either example.
1800cc Zetec installation in Mk1 Fiesta is a treat and goes like crazy!
Complete conversion
kit is a plug and play option for any standard Zetec. Graham and Duncan have sold over 110 Tiger kits over the last decade and hope to do more with current Southways and Sylva agencies.
all wires and plugs to allow simple home installation (if being retro fitted by the customer). At just £750 plus VAT for the complete package, (including inlet manifold, trigger wheel and all fixings) it seems competitively priced and delivers 160-205bhp depending on Zetec engine capacity (1.8 or 2-litre) and base tune (205bhp from an ST170). Having been out in Chester’s Zetec-engined Fiesta, it’s easy to see why the Ford boys are so excited by this conversion. Of course, if you are using a more modern Zetec then you still need throttle bodies in order to meet the tougher emissions regs, so Chester also has a Suzuki throttle body option at £1595 plus VAT. There’s little performance advantage between it and the carbs, but it will keep the IVA inspectors happy if you are using the newer engine.
already been started by the customer. Over the years the company has helped complete a Dax Rush V8, Robin Hood, two Bramwith wedding cars and, unsurprisingly, quite a few Tigers of various descriptions. Accident damage repairs is another option, the company having completely re-chassis’d a Westfield that had a heavy front end shunt. All of this sort of work is notoriously problematic to price, so Chester works on
ASSEMBLY SERVICES Perhaps unsurprisingly, Chester doesn’t limit itself to just Southways and Sylva products – it’s more than happy to build other cars or take on projects that have 28 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
Chester operates from a nicely compact 1300sq ft modern industrial unit and it’s clear from the moment you walk through the door that the company’s time is currently split between its bike carb conversion business (particularly within the Ford crowd) and its factory builds of both Super Cat and now Sylva J15 (or Riot). Duncan is the hands-on partner in the business and would much rather be in the workshop than in the small but warm office to one side. Graham seems more than happy to field the calls and chat to customers. I’m sure you’ll get a warm welcome from either if you pre-arranged a visit.
CONTACT Chester Sportscars, Unit 30, Garden City Industrial Estate, Sealand Avenue, Queensferry, Deeside CH5 2HW. T: 01244 822244. E: graham@chestersportscars.co.uk W: www.chestersportcars.co.uk
029_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
14:00
Page 29
T OUN C S I D is hass on c er kits! start
SEBRING SX EX-DEMONSTRATOR 2008 - FACTORY BUILD 2008 reg, 3.9 Rover V8 with fast road cams, Gas flowed cylinder heads, Holly 360 carbs, Offenhauser manifold, 5 speed manual gearbox, Electronic ignition, uprated oil pump, Oil cooler and remote filter system, Roll Bar, 3 point seatbelt harness, 16" Image alloys, Fast road model. Priced to sell at ÂŁ28,000.00
30&31_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
14:32
Page 30
SUBSCRIBE THIS MONTH & NEVER MISS AN ISSUE
You can purchase our back issues or download features from our online shop
3 EASY WAYS TO PAY March 2010
July 2010
April 2010
August 2010
May 2010
September 2010
June 2010
October 2010
1
Online: www.completekitcar.co.uk
2
Phone: 01903 236268
3
Post: Unit 12, Thesiger Close Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2RN
30&31_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
14:33
Page 31
SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
SAVE 15%! FREE CKC T-SHIRT CKC SUBS CLUB CARD FREE DELIVERY NEVER MISS AN ISSUE and you get a CRACKING GOOD READ!
I want to subscribe
I require back issues for the months: ...........................................................................................
I want to start my subsription with issue
Payment Method:
Your details:
...............................................................................................
Cheque (payable to Performance Publishing) Visa/Mastercard/Switch/Maestro
Name: ...............................................................
Please select:
Card No:....................................................
one year £45
UK
two years £84
........................................................................ Start date: ................Expiry Date:............... ........................................................................
three years £125 one year £65
Europe
two years £120 Worldwide
Switch Issue no:.........................................
Security No:(last 3 digits on reverse)....................
one year £85 two years £160
Address: ............................................................
Postcode: .......................................................... Country: ............................................................ Tel No: ..............................................................
Order Date:................................................ Email: ...............................................................
Subscribe by phone, post, fax or internet: Performance Publishing, Unit 12 Thesiger Close, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 2RN Tel: 01903 236268 Fax: 01903 212428 Web: www.completekitcar.co.uk
032-035 Race Diaries.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
10:40
Page 32
Motorsport Round-Up
RACE DIARIES
Race Diaries isn’t about any one championship. Our reporters run in events as varied as autotests and hillclimbs. CKC’s bi-monthly diary follows their progress. PROFILE
Reporter: Jo James Races: Caterham Seven Championship/series: Caterham Mega Grads Age: 32 Occupation: SE for Juniper Networks
SO – FINALLY BACK in the car. Since September 2009 (Spa race) I’d only driven it once at a track day at Pembrey in March this year – a back operation then put me out of action and I was only recently given the all-clear to drive it. I am still under strict instructions to get someone else to do the heavy lifting though. My dad and a friend (Andrew Smith) stepped in to help and I
booked a day at Brands Hatch. First a bit of trailer maintenance – after six months in the garage feeling sorry for itself it had two completely flat tyres, and it was stuck to the garage floor! A bit of yanking freed it from the floor and having pumped up the tyres they’ve fortunately kept their pressure. The car itself started first time, which was a relief, so the main bit of maintenance was to make a foam bag seat. The surgeon had told me not to drive it without a fitted seat because the Tillet I use gives no lumbar support at all. Thanks to Trevor and Adam who popped over one cold Friday afternoon to sort it out. Normally you fill a bin bag with two part foam which goes warm and hardens in about 10 minutes. However, to do this I would need to support my own weight in a driving position, which unfortunately with a weak back just wasn’t possible. In the end we used the foam to bolster the existing Tillet which meant I
After months of inactivity following a back operation, Jo was pleased to be back in the car – and back in a freezing cold pit garage at Brands Hatch!
PROFILE
Reporter: Henry Carr Races: Fisher Fury Championship/series: Drag racing Age: 30 Occupation: Turbocharger design engineer
THE CAR HAD been lumbered with a tonneau cover I made years ago that has been flagging a bit, so I finally got round to getting a new one made. My recollection of making it the first time was enough to put me off trying again, as I don’t have the right tools or expertise to make a good job of it, so I took the Fury to a professional vehicle upholsterer for him to weave his magic on it. The result was far better than anything I had the time to make and the bill was very reasonable, so smiles all 32 www.completekitcar.co.uk
Wing bracket let go of the wing, which ended up in a sorry state. Jo was black flagged for this, as it effectively turned her Caterham into an open-wheeler.
could relax back into it and didn’t need to hold my body weight up – by moving the seat further back on its runners and putting the bin liner between my back and the Tillet and then filling it with the two-part foam – we customised the seat to fit me. Not what I’d intended but it seems to work OK, although it will now be difficult for anyone else to drive the car. I think in the spring I might still fit a proper foam seat although I will have to spend more and use the ‘polystyrene balls’ version where you can relax completely into the seat and change the shape a few times before magically making it harden. Wednesday morning arrived cold and fresh – although fortunately not icy. The track was looking shiny in places but actually by the time we got out most of it was fine. Clearways stayed greasy in places most of the day, and the apex of Druids was slippery, but overall a dry track. I had a strange vibration I noticed during the sighting laps which I think was probably a missing wheel weight, or a flat spotted tyre (or tyres) from having sat on the trailer for a long time. Overall it was a productive day; it took a couple of sessions to remember how to drive it and I never really got up to race speed. Surprisingly, there was quite a lot of traffic and on a track day I try to be considerate to other drivers – especially as there were quite a few first timers (it is a track day after all not a test day) – which held me up
frequently and I rarely got an open run. However, even when I did, I wasn’t really on the pace and with the winter really settling in now I may have to wait until next year before trying again. A bit of bad car prep on my part resulted in my front wing parting company with the car – fortunately only about 15 minutes before the end of the day. This resulted in me being black flagged for turning into an open wheeled car. Unfortunate and completely my fault; one of the bolts had come loose and fallen off which I’d temporarily replaced with cable ties and forgotten to sort out properly. The cable ties snapped under the wind and vibrations and, hey presto, a flying wing! Although I was pretty miserable about being slow (don’t worry, no track day timing, just post-track day analysis) I keep being reminded by Chris and my dad that I met my objectives; the car ran well, I managed to drive without hurting my back despite taking kerb to see if it was OK, and I also managed to lift a few heavy things. Next time out I will probably book a test day so I can time and work on driving properly, braking late, carrying more speed, and generally improving pace. I now need a strategy to reduce what I take to track because I won’t always have help (especially on race day where I’m often on my own) so any bright ideas please let me know!
round. The one fly in the ointment was that I was only half lucky with the weather, when I picked the car up in the afternoon the huge downpour was enough to soak me to the skin in the mere 10-minute drive back to the garage. Strangely, I quite enjoyed the experience as it reminded me of when my only car was a Locost and the odd soaking wasn’t that rare an experience! On the driving front, I organised a trip for some friends driving across the Peak District, with the aim of
driving some of the country’s best roads. The day went very well, starting with a look around a Ferrari specialist which had some exciting projects on the go, including a few F40s in for work and a stunning 308 GTO undergoing an engine upgrade. We then hit the black stuff, enjoying some fantastic roads and views before stopping for lunch. Some more carefully selected roads followed in the afternoon, taking us to the Donington Collection where a great array of F1 cars awaited us.
FEBRUARY 2011
032-035 Race Diaries.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
10:40
Page 33
RACING IN 2011? Are you racing in 2011? Would you like to join our team of Race Diaries for the season? Let us know what you’re competing in and where. E: adam@performancepublishing.co.uk
New tonneau cover smartens up the Fury’s appearance.
Henry’s recent trip to
a Ferrari specialist has inspired a road trip that he’s organising next year.
PROFILE
Reporter: Jack Walton Races: Westfield SEiW 1800 Zetec Championship/series: RAFMSA Speed Challenge Age: 53 Occupation: Production manager
HAVING HAD A relatively quiet motorsport year, the season’s end was completely different. I had agreed with Mac McCarthy that I would be his reserve for the Birkett in Team Phoenix, a mix of Tiger race cars. I had not done enough racing with my normal series, the Royal Air Force Motorsports Association. I doubted I would get the call, given how popular the Birkett is, and had agreed to manage the team on the day – harder work than driving. It has been a very busy year in the Walton household, parents in and out of hospital and my wife Rachel completing her degree, the graduation ceremony originally planned for 30th October. I had decided to sell the Westfield and
Although I was tempted to drive the Fury (despite it being the end of October), I wimped out and took my tin top as organising the event had begun taking it apart for cleaning... until on the 20th October the phone rang. “Morning mate, you know you’re my reserve for the Birkett, well, you’re driving.” Great news, I’ll be there, said I. With only one day off between the 20th and race day it was going to be busy. If it had not been for the help of my faithful mechanic, Rachel, I would not have been ready. I had agreed that I would arrive on the afternoon of the 29th, enabling me sign on early and get the car scrutineered, with our other drivers arriving much later. Tommy and Stewart arrived around 6pm, Tommy promptly started pouring oil into an engine that had not been run yet. Nick arrived at half past darkness and Micky not due until very early on the 30th. The drivers’ meeting of Team Phoenix was down to me and our team manager Stewart. With the team managers meeting too close to race start to allow him to start, I got the vote. This meant that as car ‘A’ I would be first out to qualify and also be starting the race. With lots of rain overnight it was a very wet qualifying. I had previously raced on the National and International circuits but never on what is known as the Historic GP circuit, as opposed to what is now known as the GP Circuit.
Other team members, from left to right, include Mick Pearce and Tommy Griffiths in Tigers and Nick Starkey in a Caterham Seven.
FEBRUARY 2011
meant quite a few bits of paper floating about that would neither enjoy getting wet should it rain nor survive the windy environment that
the cockpit tends to be with no windscreen. However, I’ll be organising a similar trip with a few tweaks to further improve the route for kit cars on 9th April 2011, full details can be found at www.wildcarrracing.com
As a reserve driver for Team Phoenix, Jack Walton was drafted into the Birkett Six-Hour Relay at the last minute. Some dedicated work was required to get the car ready in time.
Looking at the entry list of 60 teams of up to six cars per team, I was not alone. Apart from those who paid a large amount of money for practice/testing on the Friday, 90 per cent of the field had not raced on this circuit. So, I had a 20-minute qualifying session to find my way round. With a very wet track in places and a very low sun it was entertaining. Qualifying over, it was time for a quick car fettle, change of gear lever to a shorter throw, adjust suspension and tyre pressures, cup of tea and down to the assembly area for the race start. A 60-car grid with over 30 rows, with me on the outside of row 15. Red light on, 60 cars howling, red lights out and all hell lets loose,
www.completekitcar.co.uk 33
welcome to the Birkett. Getting 60 cars through copse on lap one takes some doing but, most made it. The field was soon strung out and I settled into my first 40-minute stint. With a dry line appearing very quickly and all going well times soon started to come down. All too soon our pit wall crew were waving the pit board for me to come in and release our next car driven by Stewart. Thanks to the superb service of our mechanic and refuelling crew, I had time to watch some racing and catch up with other teams and see how we were doing on the live results TV monitor. We had chosen Northampton Motorsport as our nearest comparable team and set out to beat them both on ‘scratch’ and
032-035 Race Diaries.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
RACE DIARIES handicap’. Stewart ran without major incident and released Micky, Tommy then Nick. I was really looking forward to my second 40-minute stint as the sun had come out and a dry track awaited. With more tweaks to suspension and tyres I set off. It was
PROFILE
Reporter: Matthew Lewis Races: MNR VortX Championship/series: 750 Motor Club Kit Car Championship Age: 51 Occupation: Chartered surveyor
THE 61ST ‘HOLLY’ Birkett handicap relay race took place on the Silverstone Bridge GP circuit on the 30th October. This was my last race of the season and the first time I had ever taken part in the Birkett. There is a tremendous variety of cars taking part, for instance the fastest being Tim Gray in his Radical SR4 (best lap at 1:56.4 seconds, moving slower but just as interesting, down to a whole team of Hillman Imps whose slowest lap equated to 2:47.9. In fact the Imps were not the slowest cars out there which perhaps is no surprise. In between there were the obvious splattering of Caterhams, Morgans, Jaguar XJSs, BMWs, Subarus and Mitsubishi Evos. The final positions are very much open to the handicapper’s experience/skill. The fastest cars are basically handicapped at scratch whereas the slower teams are then given bonus
10:40
Page 34
Motorsport Round-Up an absolute joy, all going perfectly, then the rain came, much slipping and sliding for the last 20 minutes of my session. All too soon the day was over, we had achieved our aim of a great day’s racing against a diverse range of cars and beating Northampton laps which they arguably do not have to make up to ultimately achieve the handicap winner. This may seem rather confusing but can be simplified by just ensuring that as a team you have a team car running for the whole six hours as fast as the individual cars can – easier said than done. Our team was known as the Dean Machine (every pun intended) basically because Brian Dean, one of the team members, suggested that we made an entry. In alphabetical order the team comprised of Andrew Owen driving a Sylva Phoenix, Brian Dean in a Westfield SE, Clive Hunson in the Eclipse SM1, and me driving my MNR VortX. The grid was set out in basically handicap order. We started 10th which was a vast overestimation of our ability. That having been said, all of the cars in the team were capable and did put in some very quick respectable laps. Fundamentally, however, our team failed not on the track so much as off the track. We lost too many laps to non-running. Driving for 50-minute sessions is, at my level of motorsport, quite unusual. Surprisingly I didn’t find concentration a great issue. (Which is quite surprising because I can find my mind wandering in the normal short races that we do in the Kit Car Championship). The largest surprise to me on the track was the volume of traffic, and the
Brian Dean with his Westfield. This was driven in the rain on slicks for a few brave laps! Sylva Phoenix is piloted by Andrew Owen.
34 www.completekitcar.co.uk
Motorsport on both ‘scratch’ and ‘handicap’. My thanks to our excellent support crew both on the pit wall and in the garage – without you all, our day would have been not half as good. As I write this, the Westfield has found a new home in Holland and
my new car is being prepared for next season. A Mallock MkII with a 1300cc Crossflow engine. Was Arthur Mallock the first man to offer a car in kit form for racing? Look it up. The UK’s longest serving manufacturer of racing cars in continuous production?
Matthew and his MNR VortX await their 50-minute session in the same six-hour race that Jack Walton (previous page) was competing in.
tremendous variation in speeds. This having been said, from my own experience there were no real scary moments with other drivers. Everybody was very gentlemanly. I am unaware of any serious damage that was done to cars whilst racing. This is quite amazing taking into account that 60 cars were circulating at any one time around the 3.194 mile circuit. Perhaps it is even more surprising taking into account that the race started during a pleasant dry morning but ended up being thoroughly wet and very slippy. I was out on the circuit when it started to rain. It was quite amazing that around the pit straight area the track was still dry but at the back of the circuit it was completely wet and very slippy. Ultimately the rain spread to the whole Silverstone circuit where upon life became very, very interesting. I can remember doing a
FEBRUARY 2011
complete 360 along the back straight together with a number of 90degs and slides off on various corners. This is all rather embarrassing taking into account that other cars appeared to be driving around as if on rails and at tremendously faster speeds. It becomes very depressing to be driving on egg shells through your fingertips on the steering wheel, but still being passed at considerable speed by other cars. I started to doubt myself, car and most other things. I suspect a good set of suitable wet rather than intermediate tyres may have made a lot of difference. The main problems adversely affecting the team were Clive hitting oil and spinning off very early in the race, almost at the end of his first session. Andrew having various gearbox (no fifth gear) and starter motor issues. Brian being on slicks
032-035 Race Diaries.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
when it was raining (very brave man). And I breaking a wing stay resulting in my coming in unexpectedly and causing Brian to go out on his slicks. Brian’s bravery did ultimately and wisely run out and he returned back to the pits to change to wets. There was no car waiting to go out due to attrition. We lost laps. Ultimately all these issues caused our lowly position in the overall results. The speed of the tyre change was somewhat hampered by a neighbouring team ‘borrowing’ our wheel wrench which had been laid out very neatly to facilitate a quick
PROFILE
Reporter: Chris Allanson Races: ZCars Mini Championship/series: BARC North West Saloons Age: 51 Occupation: MD, ZCars
AS MANY OF you probably realise, the thing about building a car, be it a kit, race car or prototype is that as you complete it, it becomes apparent just how much better it would be if you could do it all again. Well, as a car builder of thirty years experience with several hundred builds under my belt, let me tell you that feeling never completely leaves you. As we build so many prototype and one-off cars here at ZCars I often think, as the cars drive off, I wonder if it would be better, easier or faster with some
10:40
Page 35
Team Dean Machine. From left to right: Mark Owen, Brian Dean, Andrew Owen, Matthew Lewis and Clive Hudson.
change. It was a good job that none of the team were taking the event too seriously and therefore tempers in no way got riled or strained. The race finished at 5pm more or less before it got dark. No damage to any of our cars. A most enjoyable if not slightly disappointing day from a results point of view. I hope very much to do the Birkett next year but I think we are going to have to think about how we organise ourselves better.
modification or alternative layout? It doesn’t just happen with chassis and cars either as we have built some seriously high powered engines and I often wonder if some little tweak or redesign could improve things. I guess that’s what keeps us all addicted to this car building passion. It is also why I love racing so much. Even when work is full-time and flat out, it is very rare that I haven’t done something to my race car that I think will just improve things that little bit. So there is a bit more anticipation as we roll out for qualifying. It might be something radical like fitting the wing or even something minor like modifying the brake pedal. If it works and improves things then the effort was always worthwhile. It doesn’t always work of course, which sometimes is even more of a challenge to understand why. It is overcoming some of the real design challenges that give you the most satisfaction in the end. Anyway the real question is what do you do with all our Suzuki Hayabusa engine turbocharger
The job of rebuilding the engine falls to Simon, who has been a ZCars engine builder for many years.
FEBRUARY 2011
When Chris’s engine let go in the last race of the season, he decided it was fate telling him that he needed more power! Time to raid the cupboard for left-over parts.
parts that we no longer use because we have developed much better parts? After building so many high power engines and spending days and days on the dyno we think we know what works the best for power and reliability. That however, leaves us a few turbos, manifolds and management systems that we wouldn’t use for customers any more. The answer is... use them in my race car! The seed was sown when Paul Woolfitt went storming passed me in his ZCars Mini at the last race. Paul and I have raced against each other competatively for a few years now with standard Suzuki Hayabusa engines but recently Paul decided to supercharge his engine. After the usual teething problems his car was just flying at the last race at Oulton Park. He came past me like I was standing still and passed more cars in the first few laps than I’ve passed all season! So when, as you may have seen on my YouTube video, my engine cried enough at the end of the race I figured it was fate. I needed to have that power, and those engine parts that were lying around would get used after all! Now I have to confess that I have built a few engines in my time but when it comes to the specialised stuff my long time partner at ZCars is the man for the job. Simon is our engine man and he has designed and developed the whole turbocharged package that we use. For the technical, we use a Garrett Turbocharger modified by us with special bearings and new external housing.
www.completekitcar.co.uk 35
An integral exhaust manifold and turbo mounting system to eliminate cracks on the headers. A ZCars plenum camber bolted to the engine and new internals on the engine. We use a DTA ECU and a water cooled charged cooler. Our new turbo engines use a single throttle body now rather than the standard four as it makes mapping so much easier but when you are the boss you have to use the left-overs!
PROFILE
Reporter: Will Herbert Races: Sylva Striker Championship/series: BTRDA/Demon Tweeks Autotest Championship Age: 32 Occupation: Newsagent
SORRY I HAVEN’T got a report this month, it’s mainly because the Striker is still sitting in the garage covered up waiting for me to make a start on its winter maintance. Hopefully by next report I’ll have some news!
036-038 This Life - Feb:CKC Advert Template
CLUB LIFE
21/12/10
10:41
Page 36
Living It
Kit car clubs are the life blood of the scene and CKC is committed to showcasing what you’re up to with your cars and clubs. The editor rounds up the latest goings-on.
It’s A Cover Up
Robin Hood owners venture out in the snow
CONTACT ME I WANT TO hear from you whether you’re in a club, or simply proud of your car! If you have a great story, a gigglesome picture or simply want to get the word out about your club, please contact me.
for a factory open day!
NEIL BOYLE CONTACTED us a month or so ago, looking for a company that might be able to make a soft-top for his SSC Stylus, now the manufacturer is no longer trading. His was not an uncommon problem and once a manufacturer has disappeared, getting a replacement for an old hood or, in Neil’s case, a brand new hood from scratch, can be tricky. As luck would have it, he contacted well known kit car trimming company Intatrim, and discovered that it used to make the hoods for the Stylus when it was in production! Result. He’s sent me these pics of the end result, which look fab and suggest he’ll be able to make the most of his car’s 192bhp 3.9-litre Rover V8, regardless of the weather! If you’re in a similar pickle, why not give Intatrim a call.
CLUB editors: Please check I’m on your database and that you have the correct address.
Black Country area members of the WSSC enjoy a Christmas gathering.
E: ian@performancepublishing.co.uk
‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly! Stent joined the Apple Coutry crew for his local club’s festive get together. Neil Boyle managed to get a new hood made for his Stylus from Intatrim.
CONTACT Intatrim. T: 01952 608608. W: www.intatrimtelford.co.uk
WHO SAID THE cold (read freezing!) winter months mean your kit car tucked up in its garage and off the road? I joined up with my local Apple County crew for their Christmas bash the other day, and most turned up in their kit cars despite the snow that had been around just days before. And two hardy Robin Hood owners even managed to get their cars along to a Great British Sports Cars open day recently, despite heavy snowfall. Hats off to Andy Wilkinson and Phil Shelton seen in the pic here with GBSC main man Richard Hall outside the factory. Like many clubs, the Black Country area of the Westfield Sports Car Club had its Christmas gathering before Christmas, with 18 members getting involved. Don Homer sent in the pics, commenting... “The pictures look more like an OAP’s
outing than a kit car owners’ club meal!” I should point out that he was joking, just before he gets lynched by his fellow membership!
TO JOIN IN W: www.applecountykitcars.co.uk W: www.rhocar.org W: www.wscc.org.uk
ASBO Not So Antisocial After All! WE FEATURED ROBIN Davies’ ASBO oneoff in our December issue, but when I was invited to drive the car at the end of the day, it proved to be far from problematic to drive. Superbly well resolved and certainly only an ASBO in name, not nature. And as if to prove the point, here’s
36
www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
Robin showing that a one-off caged car could be the perfect runaround for Father Christmas, even if the weather is a little sharp to be out in a car with no sides! If Robin keeps on like this, he’ll have to rename his car to something more appropriate, like Best Behaviour!
036-038 This Life - Feb:CKC Advert Template
21/12/10
10:41
Page 37
UK Roadtrip On Offer In April CKC RACE DIARIES contributor Henry Carr competes in a Fisher Fury (you can read his latest update on page 32), but recently decided to organise a road trip up into the Peak District with some friends, which he’s now aiming to repeat in April of this year, and you’re invited to join him! Henry takes up the story... “I organised a trip for some friends driving across the Peak District, with the aim of driving some of the country’s best roads. The day went very well, starting with a look around a Ferrari specialist which had some exciting projects on the go, including a few F40s in for work and a stunning 308 GTO undergoing an engine upgrade. We then hit the black stuff, enjoying some fantastic roads and views before stopping for lunch. Some more carefully selected roads followed in the afternoon, taking us to the Donington Collection where a great array of F1 cars awaited us. “Although I was tempted to drive the Fury, I wimped out and took my tin top, as organising the event meant quite a few bits of paper floating about that
Nova For Sale Trip to Donington museum always worth a look.
would neither enjoy getting wet should it rain nor survive the windy environment that the cockpit tends to be with no windscreen. “However, I’ll be organising a similar trip with a few tweaks to further improve the route for kit cars on 9th April 2011, full details can be found at my website.” See the events page on the website listed in the panel below for more details.
James Horsley’s selling his Nova. £1500 and it’s yours... if we don’t change our minds in the meantime!
NO SOONER HAVE we printed a picture of James Horsley in the last issue, with both his VW based buggy and Nova awaiting restoration, that I get an e-mail explaining the Nova has to go to a new home. The reason being that James’ other half, Sarah is expecting a little Horsley to arrive in June, so James’ time to rebuild the Nova is going to be seriously curtailed. I have to admit that I had serious conversations with both Adam and Justin in the office about buying the car ourselves. I’ve always had a genuine soft spot for this incredible kit car and would dearly love us to create a real show-stopper. What’s more, James’ Nova sounds a really promising starting point, with loads of goodies with it, and a pretty sound VW floorpan. I’ve even found myself planning the interior and
TO JOIN IN W: www.WildCarrRacing.com
Fab trip organised by Henry Carr will set the blueprint for new run in April.
choosing the paint... metalflake of course, with copious pin-stripeing for the full 1970s overload! But dammit, a dose of common sense and complete lack of available funds mean someone else is going to have to take it off his hands. James is only asking a paltry £1500 for the car, so bite his arm off quickly, before I have a sudden relapse.
CONTACT E: horsley.james@gmail.com
Westfield Calendar Westfield calendar is well put together and can be bought by nonmembers.
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 37
THE NEW WSSC 2011 Calendar has just been produced and it’s a typically well presented product. If you fancy one you can buy it for £8.50 if you are a nonmember, or £5 (both plus postage) as a member. See www.wscc.co.uk.
036-038 This Life - Feb:CKC Advert Template
CLUB LIFE
21/12/10
10:41
Page 38
Living It
Seeing Double!
Hustler Uncovered In Cellar!
I GET SENT piles of club newsletters and magazines every month and as they come in I file them for later viewing when I settle down to write this article. Flicking through various issues I suddenly did a double take, as the Westfield and GT40 club magazines had an almost identical shot on the cover. What’s more, it wasn’t taken at the same time, on some joint tour, but on two completely separate occasions, with both clubs deciding to use the shot on the cover. For the Westfields, the shot of the Milau viaduct in France was taken when two Westie owners were on a tour of France earlier in 2010. On the GT40 club mag cover, two replica owners had headed down to the viaduct after watching the Le Mans Classic. That both pictures should make the cover of their respective club magazines is bizarre!
GARY HANNAFORD GOT in touch with us recently, because he needed to get rid of his kit car. A straightforward case you might think... pop an advert in the classifieds and a new owner can drive or tow it away. Except that Gary’s kit car is in his late parents’ cellar and currently looks not unlike a B&Q pile of plywood and some greenhouse glass! I’ll let Gary explain!
Brooklands Aerojumble THE SPEEDSTERS AND Spyders’ Club put on an impressive display at the Brooklands Aerojumble last year. Sounds like an intriguing event with a varied selection of cars alongside an aerojumble filled with both aircraft and car parts! Lots of fascinating planes to see alongside the cars, which included the infamous 24-litre Napier Railton. Great venue, great planes, and great cars. Perfect.
“This 6-wheeled Hustler project was started in 1985 but after a few months it was sidelined when I rescued a Scamp from a scrapyard. Despite my best intentions the Hustler was abandoned in Glastonbury when I moved to Cornwall five years later. “Now, 25 years after putting the project on hold, the time has come to find someone to take it on. The project has lain undisturbed for the whole of this time in the cellar of my late parent’s home which will pass to its new owners very shortly; hence the urgency to find a new keeper. “I don’t have the room or the time to take the project any further so it has to go! I’m hoping there is someone with the drive to finish this car. The sad alternative is to sell the hardwood to the local fine furniture maker and scrap the rest. “Virtually all the timber (lots of Brazilian Mahogany, Ash, Ramin and ply) needed to build the kit is there (I only say virtually because 25 years on there is a chance the odd bit may be missing).
When I started the project I cut out all the ply pieces, labelled and laid them flat ready for finishing. The drawings are still in their original tube and I would recommend copying them (to keep them as a master set. This is what I did and my copy set are now unusable). There is also what passed for a build manual in the ’80s! However, it is easy to see from the drawings how the various bits are assembled. All the original glass in its aluminium frames is included, along with the cover strips to hide the fixings. “So there you have it. All the glass, wood and plans needed to build a 6-wheeled bit of history, and drive what will now be a unique vehicle. There must be someone in the country that wants a Hustler?” At the time of going to press, Gary has advertised the project on eBay and the Hustler had reached its reserve price, so should have found a new owner by now. We look forward to seeing it on the road in due course!
TO JOIN IN W: www.speedsters.com
Speedsters and Spyder replicas attend the Brooklands
YOUR TUBE
Aerojumble.
WESTIE ABLAZE
CATERHAM RING RUN
Not a fun clip at all, but it does show how a fire can turn a nice road-going kit car into a wreck in a matter of minutes. http://tinyurl.com/2c3mb63
For once not the fastest banzai lap of the Nurburgring, but a nice lap with clear footage and half decent sound. Shows the length of the circuit well too. http://tinyurl.com/3527433
38
www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
039 Events Diary:CKC Edit Template
21/12/10
EVENTS DIARY
10:58
Page 39
Updated Every Month!
2011 is up and running and there are already loads of planned events that you can attend. Here’s our full listing.
European Kit Car Show, Kent May 21st/22nd 2011
2011 SHOWS & EVENTS APRIL N EW SATURDAY 9TH E NTRY PEAK DISTRICT TOUR Huddersfield to Donington W: www.wildcarrracing.com Race Diaries contributor Henry Carr is organising a road trip that’s open to all kit car fans, including kids. It starts with a tour of a Ferrari specialist in Huddersfield, followed by a drive through the Peak District at a relaxed pace before ending up at the Donington F1 museum. The price is £28 per adult including pub lunch.
Grosvenor Exhibitions We’ll be there! T: 01775 712100 W: www.grosvenorexhibitions.co.uk The world’s biggest kit car show. Lots of clubs, manufacturers and parts stands. SATURDAY 14TH CKC/OMEX TRACK DAY SOM ETH ING Llandow circuit. N E W T: 01823 335443 W: www.completekitcar.co.uk Join us for another great day. Beginners welcome.
TRY
21ST/22ND THE EUROPEAN KIT CAR SHOW Kent County Showground, Detling European Promotions T: 01233 713878 W: www.kitcar-shows.co.uk A new date for this event, which was WED 27TH TO SAT 30TH traditionally held in April. With the PRE-STONELEIGH ROAD TRIP N EW hope of warmer weather, this show Around the UK E NTRY should have a larger turn out of Southern Kit Car Club clubs and privately owned cars to W: www.southernkitcars.com sit alongside the indoor display of The Southern Kit Car Club’s four-day manufacturers’ demonstrators and road trip is open to any kit car trade stands. A motorcycle stunt owner, and you can join for just one show and entertainment give your day or all four. The group will depart family something to do, too! Essex on April 27th before going to Skegness. The follwoing day will be Whitby, before the Peak District on SUNDAY 5TH the 29th and Stoneleigh for the KIT CAR LONDON TO BRIGHTON RUN 30th. Great driving roads are Greenwood Exhibitions promised. T: 01527 871150 W: www.classicmotorshow.com DON’T MISS The London to Brighton is a classic THIS! 1ST/2ND event, and this one is specifically THE NATIONAL KIT CAR MOTOR SHOW for kit cars. Join in with the run and Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire have fish and chips by the sea.
JUNE
MAY
SATURDAY 18TH SPORTS AND KIT CAR SHOW Redden Court School, Harold Wood, Essex RM3 0TS. E: carshow@stpetersharoldwood.org Free entry for kit cars at this local show. Raising money for the London Air Ambulance. Organised by St Peter’s Church, Harold Wood.
SEPTEMBER
18TH/19TH THE NATIONAL KIT CAR FESTIVAL Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground, Newark Newark Promotions We’ll be there! T: 01526 320721 W: www.kitcarshow.co.uk Alongside the trade and manufacturer stands, the Newark show is like a kit car party. It attracts a big club attendance thanks to the fun and antics that go on. The CKC team will be camping there, as usual.
FRIDAY 16TH TO SUNDAY 18TH GOODWOOD REVIVAL Goodwood Race Circuit, West Sussex. T: 01243 755055 W: www.goodwood.co.uk We’ll be there! World class historic motosport extravaganza at the Goodwood circuit.
JULY JUNE 30TH/JULY 1ST-3RD GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED Goodwood House, West Sussex. We’ll be there! T: 01243 755055 W: www.goodwood.co.uk/fos An essential event for the petrolhead – lots of iconic cars to see, and plenty of famous drivers too. Oh, and CKC will be there! Now four days long. The Moving Motor Show returns for its second year on the Thursday.
SATURDAY 10TH CKC/OMEX TRACK DAY Llandow circuit. T: 01823 335443 W: www.completekitcar.co.uk Join us for another great day. Beginners welcome.
OCTOBER 22ND/23RD THE GREAT WESTERN KIT CAR SHOW Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter European Promotions We’ll be there! T: 01233 713878 W: www.kitcar-shows.co.uk Exeter always attracts a decent turnout of people keen to make the most of the final kit car show of the season. Get along to stock up on spares or buy a kit as a winter project.
Planning An Event? Are you planning an event? Whether it’s a local event, club gathering or anything else that’s of interest to other kit car owners, let us know so that we can let the world know! T: 01795 520877. E: adam@performancepublishing.co.uk
National Kit Car Motor Show, Stoneleigh May 1st/2nd 2011
Goodwood Festival Of Speed June 30th/July 1st-3rd 2011 FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 39
040-041 Designer Threads:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:00
Page 40
DESIGNER THREADS Le Mans And F1 Inspired Sports Car ITALO SCIACCA
Italo Sciacca takes one Deronda chassis and adds styling cues inspired by Le Mans and F1 racers. The result is a highly dramatic track day car.
As well as being a die hard fan of specialist cars, Italo Sciacca has worked as a design consultant on many mainstream production cars. His flair for designing cars is undoubted.
TOGETHER WITH ADAM and Ian, we thought that for this design feature we should look to modern track day sports cars like the Caparo T1 or the Hulme Can Am for inspiration. I followed the same inspiration by studying car racing design cues coming from some of the more modern Le Mans and F1 racers. I decided early on that with this new design I wanted to see something more futuristic, and reworking an existing and modern chassis could help in achieving the right proportions. Starting with the Deronda F400 chassis made sense as it has a longitudinal engine and is similar in concept to a modern racer. I decided that I wanted to move forward the screen and use a Chevron B16 wraparound replica screen, which is still available. By reworking the original design and adding a new front end with lower and more profiled side pods and a simple rear end, the new design mix moves away from the original Deronda shape. It was a challenge to come up with something that had the right proportions in such a compact coupé. The Deronda’s long nose was shortened and the wheel size went up to 17in front and 18in rear. What I really wanted with this project was a design that could easily be made by someone that had a hands-on experience in modeling without altering the chassis or anything structural, but visually having a F1 inspired sports car with modern details. The final design is, in my opinion, modern enough to appeal to a different and less conservative kit car buyer who is looking for something similar to the Caparo T1 or Hulme Can Am, but with a more affordable price and available components.
FEEDBACK: ALTERNATIVE CARS Alistair Courtney of Alternative Cars, maker of the Deronda, provided the following feedback on the project: “I have to say that I really like your ideas. They make the Deronda into a road-going supercar and not just a track day special. But I think that they remain true to the original idea of the Deronda in that they do not add too much weight and bulk. The designs are minimalist and svelte, thus avoiding a problem common with many supercar designs – ie acres of bodywork just to cover the space between the four wheels! For example, if you see a Pagani Zonda, Bugatti Veyron or Lamborghini Murcielago in the flesh they just seem too big; somehow a Ferrari Enzo doesn’t.”
FEEDBACK: CKC We like The most dramatic Italo design we’ve seen Enormous presence Inspired choice of windscreen! We’re not so sure about Erm... What do you think? E-mail your thoughts and opinions to adam@performancepublishing.co.uk
40 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
040-041 Designer Threads:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:00
Page 41
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 41
042_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:17
Page 42
LY 5 ON .9p&p) £7(plus
2011 Guide
OUT NOW The Complete Kit Car Survival Pack 2010 is the perfect reference for anyone wanting to learn more about the UK’s diverse kit car scene or as a handy resource for the experienced kit car enthusiast. THERE ARE FIVE GUIDES IN ONE: > Car profiles > IVA information > Registration > Parts suppliers > Clubs PLUS... > FREE - quality 2011 calendar > FREE - four limited edition postcards The guide has one model entry per page, each entry offers in-depth information on: > > > > > > >
COMPANY BACKGROUND MODEL INFO SPECIFICATION KIT CONTENTS PRICES FULL CONTACT DETAILS WEBSITE LINKS
The Complete Kit Car is available by phoning the number below or online: by telephone
via our website
01903 236268
www.completekitcar.co.uk
043_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:18
Page 43
SYLVA RIOT & J15
’60s Revival
Easy and economical to build, fun to drive, R1 for ultimate performance: SE for rapid "green" economy. Rolling chassis and part builds undertaken. If you start a kit but find you do not have time to finish we will come to the rescue at 26 Years of sensible workshop rates. Race W
COME AND FIND OUT WHY THESE LITTLE SPORTS CARS ARE SO SPECIAL...
inners
‘Which Kit ?’ Car Of Th e Year
t: 01507 526134 m: 07788 468232 w: www.sylva.co.uk
SYLVA AUTOKITS LTD. Unit 9, Townley Close, Boston Road Industrial Estate, Horncastle, Lincolnshire, LN9 6JW
The ultimate in design and performance
Road Legal Track Car SR2
Hill Hampton, East Meon, Petersfield, Hampshire GU32 1QN
Take Classic MGB Engine and Running Gear
Assemble onto Robust NG Chassis
Add Long Life NG Body and Bonnet
Trim in Classic Style
T: +44(0) 1730 823647 F: +44(0) 1730 823580 E: ng.cars@nbpat.co.uk
Test drives by appointment
• Mazda MX5 Mk1 or Mk2 based kit car • Self build or factory built • Power 1600cc to 2000cc and 115bhp to 300bhp plus • Used MX5 parts for sale, we can supply all the donor parts you require Check our website for more details
www.roadrunnerracing.net Call Mike on: 07802 766 128 Email: roadrunnerracing@hotmail.co.uk Unit 8, Jetpark, Main Road, Newport, Brough, East Yorkshire. HU15 2PR.
FEBRUARY 2011
G TF ic Findhorn N Result: Class To learn more please visit
www.ngcars.co.uk
UK based suppliers and manufacturers of unique handmade British "Sports Cars in the Original Vein”.
www.completekitcar.co.uk 43
044-048 Autotune Gemini:Layout 1
21/12/10
READER’S CAR
11:02
Page 44
Emlyn Owen’s Autotune Gemini
CKC Running Reports contributor Emlyn Owen recently completed his Autotune Gemini. Ian Stent went to see the finished product.
44 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
044-048 Autotune Gemini:Layout 1
21/12/10
IT WOULD BE all too easy to dismiss the Autotune Gemini as a kit car from yesteryear that’s passed its sell-by date. The evidence for such a conclusion could be viewed as compelling... It was originally launched by Autotune back in 1987, based on a bodyshape harking back to the ’50s. It’s had very little
11:02
Page 45
development over the last decade, the smaller panels are single skin only, the doors have no internal panelling whatsoever and the fit of these is perhaps not to the standards we’ve come to expect from modern entrants into the scene. As if that wasn’t enough, the main donor car for the Gemini is a Mk2 Escort! When was
FEBRUARY 2011
It was a bit brisk when we went to see Emlyn’s completed Gemini!
www.completekitcar.co.uk 45
the last time you saw one of those that wasn’t being meticulously restored by the classic Ford brigade? So the Autotune Gemini can be swiftly struck off your shortlist (if it ever featured there in the first place) right? Err... wrong, actually. As CKC Running Reporter, Emlyn Owen, has aptly demonstrated over the last two years, there is a different way of seeing what the Gemini has to offer. For Emlyn, much of what I’ve just outlined was viewed as a reason to buy a Gemini, not discount it. It’s long-term kit car heritage and links with the classic Elva design were very much in the Gemini’s favour. The old Escort donor parts were also an added appeal rather than a hindrance – Emlyn went out of his
044-048 Autotune Gemini:Layout 1
21/12/10
READER’S CAR
11:02
Page 46
Emlyn Owen’s Autotune Gemini I BUILT THIS...
Name: Emlyn Owen Age: 63 Occupation: Semi-retired civil servant Best thing about your car? The experience of building it Worst thing? The carbs Best bargain? Nothing sticks out! Fastest car you’ve been in? 150mph in an E-Type on the M1, on Cup Final day! Lottery win car? Spyker Thanks to: Emlyn would like to thank wife Wendy, Stuart Rangecroft for advice, wiring, carbs and welding help.
way to use the Ford Crossflow engine. And the fact that the Gemini was not a bolt together Meccano set, but rather a project that required a degree of creativity, was another point in its favour. Emlyn was actively looking for something where he could exercise his grey cells and positively stamp his own identity on the finished result. Far from being discounted from his shortlist, the Gemini swiftly rose to the top of the pile.
Interiors Seating seats fit the narrow space perfectly. Additional vinyl was supplied to allow Emlyn to match them with the trim. Interior is a huge success, but was one of the most challenging aspects of the build.
Emlyn had been away from kit cars for over three decades when he returned to the Stoneleigh Show in 2008, looking for a new challenge having recently taken semi-retirement. Back in 1968 he’d built a Mini Marcos and followed that up in 1971 with a Triumph Herald based Dutton B-Type. Then there was a yellow Ginetta G15 bought second-hand, followed shortly after by a yellow Series 4 Lotus Seven. But by 1978 Emlyn would
46 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
be on the family/mortgage treadmill and it would be another thirty years before he could consider doing a kit car again. Having already had the Lotus and Dutton, he wanted something different to the sevenesque style, but it had to be open-top and he knew it would be yellow, like his previous kit cars! Obvious contenders included the Fisher Fury, but the Gemini looked a more affordable
044-048 Autotune Gemini:Layout 1
21/12/10
project and, when he met the Autotune team at Stoneleigh, he liked them and their other main business of restoring and running period race cars. It was an appealing package. With the subsequent build covered within our Running Reports, I don’t need to remind you of it here, but Emlyn immediately landed himself in hot water when he revealed he bought an unloved Jago as his donor car and stripped it of its Ford based mechanicals. E-mails into the CKC office from numerous Jago enthusiasts suggested he’d just elevated himself to Public Enemy Number 1. But
11:02
Page 47
Emlyn was quick to qualify that the Jago has been sold onto an enthusiastic new owner who aimed to put it back on the road... his intention was never to scrap it. I’ve seen his reports coming into the office over the subsequent 22 months, and I’ve been consistently impressed by his matter-of-fact approach to building a kit car that is, as he’d hoped, not a simple bolt-together Meccano set. Nothing appears to have fazed him and his nononsense approach to the build struck the perfect balance for this type of car. My over-riding impression has been that
We don’t see too many of these. 1600cc Ford Crossflow is a gem.
MGB windscreen works perfectly on the Gemini.
Emlyn was building the car very thoroughly, but with a good understanding of what he could realistically achieve with the kit in front of him. Millimetre perfect shutlines and concours standards of finish were never the ambition, but a car that looked good, worked well and was reliable were definite priorities... So when I see the car for the first time in the thick of our early December snow, I’m very impressed with what he’s achieved. Firstly, the Gemini’s an extremely pretty little car. Its traditional styling works perfectly with the MGB windscreen, while Emlyn’s choice of Minilite style alloys is spot on. A stick-on pinstripe neatly conceals the Gemini’s moulding flashlines and perfectly sums
EMLYN OWEN’S AUTOTUNE GEMINI Engine: 1600cc Ford Crossflow, twin Weber 40s. Gearbox: Later Type 9 5-speed gearbox. Suspension: Front – Double wishbones, Cortina front stub axles, coil-over dampers. Rear – Mk2 Escort live axle located via a Panhard road and four trailing arms, coil-over dampers. Brakes: Discs/drums, no servo Wheels/tyres: 13in Minilite replica alloys. Yokohama A539 185x60 R13 tyres. Interior: Interiors Seating seats with matching vinyl for other trim panels, 3-point inertia seatbelts, ETB gauges. Exterior: Yellow gelcoat coloured fibreglass bodywork, MGB windscreen aftermarket wing mirrors, aero style filler cap.
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 47
044-048 Autotune Gemini:Layout 1
21/12/10
READER’S CAR
up his common-sense approach to the build... concerned that he might polish through the coloured gelcoat when trying to get rid of the visible flashlines, he simply filed them down to a safe level and then covered them with the trim. Sorted. Inside, he set himself a striking and ambitious trim project, and the end result is excellent. He admits that it was the most challenging part of the whole project, but it’s a great success and the Interiors Seating seats work well with their IVA compatible headrests. And when it came to the test his initial
11:02
Page 48
Emlyn Owen’s Autotune Gemini
Pictures taken outside Shrewsbury Town FC pitch.
Club
mascot, Lenny The Lion, tries the Gemini for size!
Gemini still going strong after 23 years in production.
failure sheet was short and easily addressed... not bad for a 23-year old kit car design! And because he wasn’t bothered about avoiding a Q-plate, registration was a doddle, meaning he was on the road in double quick time. And what has the car cost to build? Emlyn’s kept a meticulous log of the time he’s taken to assemble the car and every last widget he’s bought for it. It makes for fascinating reading (no, really, it does!), with a total that’s just over £10,000 and a build taking exactly 555 hours. There are no obvious horrors in that financial total, which aptly demonstrates that it’s all the smaller items which add up in a build like this. Since then, some second-hand Weber carbs have been his main problem, with a rolling road session failing to get them working properly. While it hasn’t stopped him racking up over 600 miles in a matter of weeks, they’re definitely on his shortlist of items to sort before he drives the car too much further. But he’s absolutely right to have chosen the period Ford Crossflow to sit under the Gemini’s bonnet. Lucky enough to source a stronger 711 block, it’ll cope with any future upgrades but even in
48 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
USEFUL CONTACTS Kit package: Autotune. T: 01254 886819. E: enquiries@autotuneuk.com W: www.autotuneuk.com Parts: Car Builder Solutions. T: 01580 891309. E: neil@foreman46.freeserve.co.uk W: www.carbuildersolutions.co.uk Gauges: ETB Instruments. T: 01702 601055. E: info@etbinstruments.com W: www.etbinstruments.com Seats: Interiors Seating. T: 01623 400660. E: info@interiorsseating.co.uk W: www.interiorsseating.co.uk
standard tune offers bags of character, a useful thump of torque and a wonderful soundtrack. While I may be a big fan of trouble-free modern twin-cams, there’s still a place for these iconic old-timers. And that last sentence can be just as aptly applied to the Gemini itself. What it may lack in modern kit car sophistication is more than made up for elsewhere. It’s pretty, handles superbly (on a live rear axle), offers a good level of practicality and rewards those looking for a project where they can stamp their own identity... and still meet 2011 IVA regulations! As Emlyn’s build proves, it’s just as relevant today as it has ever been.
049_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:34
Page 49
Automotive
FIBREGLASS Fabrication and Repair by John Dickens
Just
£19.99
Everything you need to know about fabricating and repairing fibreglass panels for your kit car...
ORDER NOW ONLINE www.completekitcar.co.uk
01903 236268 AGM SPORTS CARS
Suffolk Jaguar
‘designed to be driven’
perfect recreations of the SS100 and C-type
Available as a kit or a turnkey
We now supply
LOCOST BODY KITS Check out the website today! Tel: 01226 700373 Email: enquiries@agmsportscars.co.uk Web: www.agmsportscars.co.uk
Every component available to build your dream. PO Box 100 Woodbridge IP12 9BA
Tel: 07967 339424
www.suffolkjaguar.com
The Best C L A S S I C S
Over
Y O U
Of British C A N
A F F O R D
ARISTOCAT XK
www.autotuneuk.com
01254 886819 Autotune Est 1969
GEMINI – Elva Replica BODY / CHASSIS – £2445 +vat FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 49
Chassis – £1,900 +vat Coloured shell – £2,225 +vat USE 80% DONOR JAGUAR
050-055 gds:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:04
Page 50
OLD V NEW
Gardner Douglas 427 Mk3 & Mk4
Family Tree
Gardner Douglas Sports Cars has been making cars for over twenty years, and Alex Scullion’s Mk3 was one of the first to leave the factory. In contrast, Larry Hilliard’s turnkey Mk4 represents everything the company stands for today. And as CKC’s editor found out, both owners found very similar reasons to place their orders. ALEX SCULLION’S DAUGHTER Faye was just seven when she helped her dad in the garage while he was compression testing a Rover V8 destined for his Gardner Douglas GD427 kit car. She’s now 31 and her own 5-month old son Dexter may be too young to help his grandad, but Alex’s other grandaughter 5-year old Stella might come in handy if there’s some tinkering to do in the garage! Alex’s interest in Cobra replicas was ignited when he went to a show at the
NEC in 1985. “I’d not really thought about building a car,” he recalls but he did fancy doing something and began looking into the UK’s embryonic Cobra replica scene. DJ Sportscars was one of the big players and a year or so later he was on the verge of placing an order when his wife Carol spotted a small advert from a company they’d not heard of. The visit brought him into contact with Andy Burrows, who was making tentative steps into the scene with a Cobra replica he
50 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
050-055 gds:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:05
Page 51
was developing with established kit car manufacturer Roger Wooley of RW Kit Cars. “It was clear that Andy was an absolute perfectionist,” remembers Alex. “I’m an engineer and I just liked what I was hearing.” In 1987 he placed an order for what was probably marketed as an RW427. Andy Burrows didn’t start trading as Gardner Douglas until 1990, but Alex doesn’t remember his car ever being called an RW427. Either way, he had a distinctive backbone chassis and began searching breakers’ yards for the necessary Jaguar XJ mechanicals to get it rolling. But no sooner had he sourced a 3.5-litre Rover V8, then Andy was on the phone, asking him to come down to the factory to see the latest developments... A more refined chassis design (effectively a Mk2 chassis) was now
productionised and Andy wanted Alex to continue with the new chassis, which would also locate his brand new semimonocoque body. He could have the new chassis for free, and Alex could see the improvements and didn’t need persuading. “At that time there were some people with poor reputations,” says Alex, “but I placed my trust in Andy. In addition to the quality of the car that I’ve got, I think I was with the right people.” Having never built a car before, and with no build manual to guide him at the time, Alex was on the phone regularly, and was also close enough to drive to the workshop if necessary. But he wasn’t in any rush to complete the car, not least because funds were tight. “At the time I didn’t have a lot of money, and one of the big things about building your own car is
FEBRUARY 2011
OWNER RATING: ALEX SCULLION THE BUILD (out of ten) Kit quality: 9 Manufacturer back-up: 9 Build manual: n/a Ease of build: 7 Ease of IVA compliance: n/a
Alex Scullion’s Mk3 GD427 (foreground) is over twenty years old and still used regularly. Larry Hilliard’s new Mk4 (background) was factory finished.
www.completekitcar.co.uk 51
ON THE ROAD (out of ten) Performance: 7 Handling: 9 Brakes: 8/9 Overall quality of build achieved: 6 Value for money: 10
that if you haven’t got the money, you can spread the cost.” Wheels and tyres were a Christmas present from Carol, while the seats were retrimmed Triumph Spitfire units. And setting aside the cost limitations, Alex didn’t want to go crazy with the specification. The 3.5-litre Rover SD1 V8 was kept largely standard for practicality reasons before any financial constraints. It wasn’t until 1993 that the GD hit the
050-055 gds:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:05
OLD V NEW
Page 52
Gardner Douglas 427 Mk3 & Mk4
I BUILT THIS... Name: Alex Scullion Age: 60 Occupation: Electrical contractor Best thing about your car: It’s mine Worst thing about your car: Waterproofing Fastest car you’ve been in: GD’s T70 demo car Lottery win car: GD’s T70 Best bargain: Second set of wheels – bought second-hand with tyres Any thank yous: My family
road, after an outlay of some £9500. The year after saw the first of two trips to the Le Mans 24-hour race and for the last eight years he’s made an annual pilgrimage to the Nürburgring, to sample the infamous circuit. After ten years of hard use, Alex and his son Jonathan completely stripped down (to a stripped bare metal chassis) the car for a thorough rebuild. Little needed replacing and the chassis itself
Rover V8 not hugely powerful, but makes a lovely noise and still worth considering. Mk3 GD427 is still very much available, as are the Jaguar underpinnings, in either Mk3 or Mk4 guise.
was utterly sound. And this time the whole process was completed in just three months, not the six years it had previously taken him! While he was at it, Alex took the opportunity to add twin roll hoops (where the car previously had none), an interior retrim and a paintjob on top of the original gelcoat colour that had lasted so well up until then. Although used less frequently these
52 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
days, the GD still gets regular outings, but otherwise spends its time under a cover in an open car port. Each year Alex tries to do something on the car, a change to larger 17in wheels on one occasion, and most recently a move to authentic Cobra style bucket seats (the original Spitfire units finding their way back into a Spitfire!). Although performance has never been
050-055 gds:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:05
Page 53
a driving force, looking at the car now, Alex admits that he might consider an upgrade to a Chevrolet V8 of some description. That said, he’d want it in standard specification to maintain the remarkable reliability he has experienced with the car over the last two decades of use. Performance was never a driving force behind Larry Hilliard’s choice of GD either, although the 405bhp
available from the largely stock Chevy LS2 under the bonnet of his car gives him a distinct advantage over Alex’s seemingly meagre 180bhp. Although Larry’s car was built by the factory in 2008, he’d been looking at Cobra replicas almost two decades earlier, in 1990. “I wasn’t very happy with the bodyshells, which is why I didn’t end up buying one,” he recalls. The shape and
FEBRUARY 2011
Larry’s Mk4 is unusual in lacking a bonnet scoop or rear wheelarch protectors. Chevrolet LS2 V8 looks spectacular and installation is immaculate. Produces an effortless 405bhp.
www.completekitcar.co.uk 53
quality of those he saw just didn’t live up to his expectations, and it wasn’t until ten years later, when he’d got over the shock of buying a house and living with a mortgage, that he returned to the scene. “The one I wanted was the Unique Autocraft because I thought the body was the best shape, but it was all a bit heavy and agricultural.” But with the company no longer in business, Larry’s options appeared limited. He even considered buying second-hand and then upgrading the car to achieve what he wanted, but realised it would cost him a fortune. The search continued. Obvious contenders were DJ Sportscars and AK Sportscars. But Larry wasn’t keen on the shape of the rear arches on the Dax and found the cockpit in the AK a little too confined. “All the Daxes that I saw were too blinged up for me,” he adds. “They looked as if they were custom cars rather than Cobras.” And of the AK... “For some reason it just didn’t click with me.” Gardner Douglas had always been bubbling away in the background – a car he was aware of but never seriously considered. The original slender Mk3 body shape hadn’t appealed, but when the company launched the Mk4 in 2005 he felt he ought to have a closer look. Along with wife Sue, the pair went to the factory and were immediately impressed. “We went up there and the first one we
050-055 gds:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:05
Page 54
OLD V NEW
Gardner Douglas 427 Mk3 & Mk4
saw, Sue said let’s have that one… but it was somebody else’s!” Although Larry had considered building a car when his search began some 15 years earlier, limited time and better finances meant he was now after a factory built example. Beyond the shape of the new Mk4, there were other reasons why Larry chose the GD. “I liked the idea of being able to remove the body and leave the chassis, although I don’t think anybody ever does that.” He was also impressed with the quality of the bodyshell, the fact that it was one piece and the generous interior space. “I’ve got quite a long body and when you look at some people when they sit in Cobras, sometimes their heads are level with the top of the windscreen. In the Gardner Douglas you definitely sit in it.” And then there was the drive. “Of course, when you drive one you
I OWN THIS... Name: Larry Hilliard Age: 52 Occupation: Specialist Antenna Engineer Best thing about your car: The looks Worst thing about your car: No hard-top Fastest car you’ve been in: My GD Lottery win car: McLaren F1 Any thank yous: Sue for being so tolerant
Retro style interior for Larry’s Mk4, but seats are heated and the car is easy to use.
Alex’s Mk3 has different dash design incorporating a centre console. Originally had retrimmed Spitfire seats, but new buckets are a recent addition.
immediately feel how compliant the suspension is and how it works on the road. It’s smoother than my BMW.” The process of specifying his car began, and Larry had very specific ideas about what he wanted. He may not have been wielding the spanners, but the car would definitely be to his design. “I wanted a refined, engineered car, not a loud thundercat type of car. I wanted something that was quiet (I’ve got extra silencers in the exhaust, for instance), I wanted tractability – I wanted it smooth and to be able to pull from low down in high gears. And I wanted to get as close to 30mpg as I could. I didn’t want to have
54 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
OWNER RATING: LARRY HILLIARD ON THE ROAD (out of ten) Performance: 8 Handling: 8 Brakes: 8 Overall quality: 8 Value for money: 6
this road ripping, huge engined monster, but I sort of ended up with one!” Initially considering the idea of a BMW M3 engined car, GD’s Andy Burrows steered him towards the Chevrolet LS range of modern V8s... a stock LS2 was matched with a 6-speed Tremec gearbox. Larry’s desire for an understated car has been a clear focus throughout the project. In the interior he’s opted for a more traditional dash shape, and he and Sue spent some time working out the exact gauge layout on a PC at home. A black theme prevailed, and Sue even demanded that the usually ruffled door pockets should be simple and straight instead. Outside, the minimal theme continues. “The engine is a modern engine and it’ll look after itself in terms of temperature. A bonnet scoop that doesn’t need to be there seems a bit like a bolt-on extra from Halfords,” says Larry. “If it was required from an engineering point of view I would have had one. I haven’t got stone guards either. I wasn’t happy with the way the stone guards fit – they always look a bit of an afterthought to me. I thought that if the wings get chipped or damaged, I can always put the stone guards on then.” Ordered in the latter part of 2008, the car was ready for collection in the spring of
050-055 gds:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:05
Page 55
2009, but Larry’s dream of Cobra ownership got off to a shaky start. His was one of the first GDs to run Chevrolet’s latest fly-by-wire throttle using a standard GM ECU, and the combination in the Gardner Douglas wasn’t a happy one. While the car ran, it wasn’t right, and Larry had a month or two of frustration with his new toy. Gardner Douglas was learning too, and soon dumped the GM ECU for one supplied by American tuning specialist, Mast Motorsport... problem sorted. Since then, Larry has been using the car at every opportunity, clocking an impressive 7000 miles in the car in less than a year. While runs to the office are a regular pleasure, the car has also been used on longer trips, one to Scotland (returning an impressive 28mpg in the process), and a potential run to the South of France planned for this summer. Indeed, Larry would use it even more if it had a hard-top, which is something GD is currently looking into (having already developed one for the Mk3). “Whenever the weather is reasonable I use it because I want to get the use out of it.” Of course, getting a car factory built doesn’t come cheap. “I think we ended up spending a couple of thousand more than we thought we would. We’d been saving for a long time and we didn’t want
to skimp on it after all these years of planning.” This brand new car, supplied factory assembled cost £52,000. “I go in the garage and it makes me smile just looking at it. It doesn’t have to go out. You just don’t see another vehicle like that on the road.” Seeing these two Cobra replicas next to each other makes for a fascinating comparison. They may both be Cobra replicas, and so look essentially similar, but they are also very different. Externally the Mk3 is far more slender and curvy. It remains available today and its lithe body shape is brought into sharp focus by the Mk4, which is taller, more aggressive and altogether brawnier. That said, the semimonocoque design of both fibreglass tubs is essentially identical, and that engineering foundation also links both cars’ chassis design, despite completely different suspension. Alex’s early car uses a backbone chassis that’s very similar to Larry’s latest car, yet Alex’s retains the familiar Jaguar XJ6 suspension components while Larry’s has Gardner Douglas’ in-house designed Euro suspension. As with the bodyshells, both are available today, with the more affordable Jaguar based GDs often unfairly overshadowed by the company’s range topping Euro option.
FEBRUARY 2011
Larry and Alex have approached their GD ownership from very
While you’ve no chance of assembling even a Jaguar based GD for the £9500 it cost Alex over two decades ago, it remains the more affordable option of the two, with a realistic budget build potentially less than £20,000 with engine and gearbox still to source. And don’t forget that with the GD you don’t have to paint it... Larry’s car is in black gelcoat and Alex’s was only painted after its major rebuild in 2003. What’s particularly interesting to witness when looking over these two cars and meeting their owners, is that both customers really understand and appreciated the GD ethos. “I’m an engineer, so I like to see engineering finesse,” comments Larry, and it’s clear Alex has the same appreciation of the product. They may have approached GD ownership from two completely different ends, but the core reasons for their purchases are almost identical.
different ends, but both clearly appreciate the GD ethos of engineering quality. Alex’s car also demonstrates that affordability is quite possible with the company’s Jaguar package.
www.completekitcar.co.uk 55
CONTACT Kit package: Gardner Douglas Sports Cars, Roseland Business Park, Unit 26 Normanton Airfield, Long Bennington, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 5FF. T: 01949 843299. E: sales@gdcars.com W: www.gdcars.com
056_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
14:40
Page 56
057 Workshop cover Feb 2011:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
11:07
Page 57
workshop UPGRADING BUSHES
PLUS 85 ASK JOHN
68 TECH TALK to bearings 80 Bushes How to upgrade
76 OUR CARS
DNA 4Thirty build
Buyers’ advice
58
➧
➧
86 PRODUCTS 72 FOCUS ON... Harnesses
058-062 430 build:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
11:10
Page 58
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
Ferrari Fever – Steve Smith’s 4Thirty Build With a stack of Ferrari replica builds already under his belt, Steve Smith’s DNA 4Thirty is unlikely to be his last. HAVING HELPED HIS brother build first a Jago Geep and then a Dutton Phaeton back in the ’80s, Steve Smith has been building cars ever since. “I’d had classic Mk1 Ford Cortinas and things like that and I got fed up with rot,” he remembers. He kicked off his habit with a sit-up-and-beg Ford hot rod, starting from a bare bodyshell. Shoehorning a Jaguar V12 under the bonnet of a Carlton Carrera showed he was game-on for a challenge, but a property acquisition meant it was sold before it hit the road, and his attention was momentarily distracted away from cars. Not for
long though. “I thought I’d build a Cobra, but couldn’t quite afford one,” says Steve. “So I bought a part-built 246 Ferrari Dino replica… the terrible Karma – it was absolute garbage. But I built that and put a V8 Rover in it. And that set me off on Ferrari replicas.” By no means an exact replica, it was an inauspicious start to his subsequent obsession, but it would be some years before he returned to kit cars. By the early noughties he fancied building a 355 replica and was on the verge of ordering a BAD bodykit when he saw the brand new Extreme kit on a visit to
Facelift 2004 MR2 was immaculate.
1
the Newark show. He liked what he saw, ordered and built one of the Mk2 MR2 based conversions. And then he did it all over again,
Interior similarly spotless. Steve wanted the best possible.
2
Everything from the interior has also been removed. Because it was so new, there was no rust to deal with.
4
Steve Smith has built lots of Ferrari replicas.
After 2.5 hours in the garage, it was stripped bare.
3
Later facelift model meant items like the headlights would prove popular on the MR2 Owners’ Club website.
MR2 structure not modified at all, but the doors have a small section removed along the top edge.
6
5
58 www.completekitcar.co.uk
building another 355 rebody, this time using some pre-owned panels originally supplied by Roy Kelly. “I wanted my wife to have it,
FEBRUARY 2011
058-062 430 build:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
but she wasn’t keen.” So the second car was sold on and the Extreme stayed with Steve for a few years, before he became aware of the new 360 replicas coming onto the market. A convertible Ferrari replica had always been his dream... the 355 was on borrowed time. Researching the market carefully, he was extremely impressed with the DNA bodykit, launched in 2006. A kit was
11:11
Page 59
ordered early the following year and Steve found himself on the road with it, just three months after the kit arrived. He’s almost apologetic about the length of time it took him to assemble the car, making it clear that he only worked on the car a few hours at a time, on a very parttime basis. Considering he painted the car himself, it seems pretty quick to us! Of course, while he was delighted with the end result, it
Mod to door plainly visible here. It allows for the new door outer to follow a more convincing shape.
7
wasn’t long before the 360 replicas were swiftly being supplanted by the more modern 430 lookalikes. Not wishing to find the value of his car dropping too far, Steve felt it might be wiser to sell the 3Sixty and move onto the newer car sooner rather than later. “The same day the 3Sixty went, I ordered a 4Thirty kit.” His was the very first kit out of DNA’s new moulds. Indeed the factory hadn’t even completed all
New panels supplied from DNA in a grey primer gelcoat finish. Quality of the panels was good.
Front clip and rear bodywork trial fitted. Will actually be
10
Steve’s nephew James gives a hand aligning the panels.
13
Engine cover supplied as one panel on the 4Thirty.
16
Rear body section includes both wings, rear bumper panel and side sills. Makes for easy fitment.
9
8
finally aligned once the doors are installed.
the moulds and was a little reticent to supply him with anything before the complete kit was productionised. But Steve persuaded them it was the right thing to do, and the smaller panels followed along shortly after. But another MR2 Roadster had to be found first, and Steve came across the perfect car. In fact, it really was perfect, with barely a scratch on it. For £4700 it was his, with an unblemished exterior and
Here you get a really good impression of just how much wider the 4Thirty is compared to the MR2 door of the donor.
Rear panel removed. Look at the way in which the DNA door skin matches the shape of the donor’s. Impressive.
12
11
Detail showing the rear wing and inner returns to the MR2.
Engine cover mounting cradle as supplied by DNA.
15
14
Dummy Ferrari ‘engine’ supplied as black GRP panel.
‘Engine’ in place under the main engine cover.
18
17
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 59
058-062 430 build:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
11:11
Page 60
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
19
Our Cars
Engine bay being sprayed black to conceal silver.
23
22 Steve’s painted most of his cars over the years. You don’t
Products
Bonnet trial fitted.
24
Ferrari red applied. It’s coming together now.
want to breathe too much of that!
Lower front wishbone removed in readiness for the replacement parts from DNA.
25
26
New wishbone, hub converters and drop plates.
perfect interior. He’d bought a later facelift MR2, knowing that items such as the revised headlights were popular second-hand items within the MR2 world. The later car also gave him the 6-speed manual gearbox he wanted, while benefiting from a slightly stiffer
Ask John
21
20
Car masked up and primer coat applied.
Bushes to Bearings
27
Assembled and showing how drop plates lower the ride.
overall structure. Within just two and a half hours of driving it into his garage, the Toyota was completely stripped of everything not needed in the conversion. Advertising the panels, headlights and other components on an MR2 Owners’ club website netted him almost £1000 back
STEVE SMITH’S DNA 4THIRTY Engine: 1794cc Toyota MR2 138bhp. Gearbox: Standard Toyota 6-speed manual gearbox. Suspension: Front – Original MR2 struts and stub axles with DNA lower wishbones and drop plates. Wheel spacers/hub converters. Rear – Standard MR2 with lowered springs and wheel spacers/hub converters. Brakes: Standard MR2 front and rear discs and calipers, servo assisted, dummy Ferrari ‘calipers and discs’ over. Wheels/tyres: 19in 3-piece replica alloys. Nexen 265x30 R19 rear, 235x35 Rig front tyres. Interior: Modified MR2 seats, DNA dash top panel in alcantara, carbon effect conversion on many other panels. Remodelled dash binnacle. Exterior: Ferrari red bodywork and extensive replica detailing.
60 www.completekitcar.co.uk
The components that go to make up the headlight units.
against the original purchase price. The mint leather seats were partexchanged with another MR2 owner in return for cash and a pair of vinyl trimmed seats, which Steve set about modifying for use in the 4Thirty. This entailed stripping off the existing vinyl and pulling away the foam around the headrest area to reveal the tubular frame beneath. What Steve wanted to do was alter the shape of the headrest to accurately reflect that of a genuine Ferrari seat, and he did this by cutting the top tubes and welding in a new, more rectangular framework. Allied to a fabricated fibreglass over-panel onto which the new foam could be applied, Steve sent the modified frames away to his local trimmer, who’d helped with the previous projects. While the seats and some other trim panels were being dealt with, FEBRUARY 2011
Steve could get stuck into the conversion. While he had sold the immaculate MR2 alloys, he’d also acquired some ratty tatty replacements, which he used during the conversion process to keep the car rolling and avoid damage to the 19in alloys destined for the finished article. Indeed, the latter couldn’t be used with the standard MR2 suspension since they use a different 5-stud pattern and are located via DNA’s unique suspension upgrade. So the standard wheels stayed on for the time being. Unlike DNA’s earlier 3Sixty kit, which was supplied as a multitude of separate panels, mimicking the original Ferrari units, the company had decided to simplify the panel set for its 4thirty. This means that the two rear wings, rear bumper/light panel and both side
058-062 430 build:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
sills are all moulded as a single unit. Having experienced both ways of supplying the panels, Steve’s a big fan of the simplified option. “It just makes for an easier build. It’s so easy to fit.” All of the main panels have indentations in the moulds which are drilled through and match the original mounting points on the chassis for the removed MR2 panels. As you might expect, there is no cutting of the original MR2 whatsoever, with the exception of the door tops. Only the inner rear face of the front wheelarches need hammering in slightly to make space for the 19in alloys. Although all the main panels are effectively self aligning, Steve first fitted the new door outer skins and then the front and rear panels, which had their positions fine tuned against the doors, to achieve an even shutline. The MR2 doors stay on the car throughout the build, but the top of the outer skin needs trimming
11:11
Page 61
away to allow for the shape of the Ferrari inspired fibreglass outer panel. The new external door release is also done at this stage. While there’s no cutting of the original MR2 structure, there are additional brackets added to it, most noticeably at the front on which the new headlights are located and also the front bumper and leading edge of the main body clip. At the back there is the main engine cover to locate, which yet again is supplied as a single panel where on the Ferrari it is split into two. A fabricated steel subframe locates this panel and the hinging mechanism, and it’s supplied fully finished and in a satin black for instant fitment. Of course, hanging beneath it, and covering the MR2 engine, is the 4thirty’s cheekiest component... its dummy engine panel. Supplied in a black fibreglass finish, it needs careful painting and detailing, and Steve spent some time adding jubilee
New light units look remarkably convincing.
28
Rear lights fitted and exhaust system in place.
31
Installed in the car, most of us would be happy with this.
34
clips, additional piping and stainless bolt heads to give it as authentic a look as possible. Visible from the outside through the original Ferrari rear glass deck, it’s surprisingly effective. With all the bodywork in place, grille and light apertures cut out and panel gaps consistent, Steve could begin thinking about his paintjob. Having painted cars at home for many years, he’s a dab hand when it comes to wielding a spray gun, although he admits he’s made loads of mistakes along the way! After copious masking off he set to work in his garage, first getting a layer of primer on the car. But he’d also made life a little more difficult for himself by choosing a silver coloured donor car. On the original 430 the engine bay is finished in black, as is the front panelling under the bonnet. With Steve’s eye for detail, it meant a prodigious masking job in both areas, before getting into every nook and cranny to cover the silver
Completed front end showing hinging bonnet.
bulkheads in a correct satin black. By comparison, masking off the outside for the Ferrari red was simplicity itself! With much of the messy work now completed, Steve could turn his attention to the suspension. There are two issues with any conversion of this sort. The first is that the new bodywork is considerably wider than that of the donor, so you need the wheels to be located further out. The second issue is that the car needs to sit lower if it’s to look right, so the suspension needs to achieve this in some way. DNA overcomes these issues rather cleverly. A new fabricated lower wishbone helps to increase the track while also offering caster and camber adjustment. Wheel spacers then complete the widening exercise while also accommodating the conversion from four to five stud fitment. To avoid the expense of aftermarket adjustable struts to drop the ride height, DNA employs
New exhaust system supplied in comprehensive kit.
30
29
Seat modified to give more accurate shape to headrest.
Finished seats and other ancillary panels look great.
33
32
DNA door panels trimmed to match.
Whole dash area still very much an MR2 at this stage.
36
35
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 61
058-062 430 build:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
Our Cars
Yet another incarnation of centre tunnel panelling.
Looks good when installed in modified binnacle.
62 www.completekitcar.co.uk
Ask John
Products
New dash top and final interior design.
42
Finished ‘engine’ looks pretty convincing.
remained bog standard MR2, but it wasn’t right. Steve first made some new carbon-effect air vents to replace the existing ones. It was an improvement, but still not as he wanted. He then found a company that could effectively print a carbon effect finish onto any plastic panel, regardless of its shape. Parts of the centre console were sent away, and Steve even had a rethink about the leather trimmed centre tunnel panel. It too was dispatched for the carbon treatment. But the dash top itself remained an obvious MR2 giveaway and Steve began making a brand new fibreglass dash top which would more accurately reflect that of the Fezzer. He was halfway through this process when DNA revealed its own dash top conversion package, complete with alcantara trim... it was perfect! Continuing his meticulous efforts at replication, Steve then turned his attention to the MR2 dashpod, which consists of three separate circular gauge recesses... not at all like the 430’s singular gauge face. Removing the dashpod’s trim revealed that the gauges beneath were on a single instrument binnacle and Steve could see that if he could get a new single dash face cut and printed, he would get a long way towards creating a more convincing 430 dash binnacle.
Bushes to Bearings
39
41
40
Kit package: DNA Automotive T: 0121 326 8800 E: info@dnaautomotive.com W: www.dnaautomotive.com
Focus On Harnesses
38
Original dash unit modified with new front panel
USEFUL CONTACTS
Page 62
Tech Talk
37
natty ‘drop plates’ which locate to the original lower strut mounting points and then step up to relocated the stub axle again and, in the process, assist with both widening the track and lowering the ride height. Clever. At the back things are rather more rudimentary though, using an aftermarket shorter spring and chunky spacers to bring the new alloys out into the arches correctly. Steve had bought DNA’s comprehensive kit (currently £13,300) and that meant absolutely everything required to complete the conversion that didn’t come from the donor car was included (with the only exception being an interior retrim). So the suspension and even the new wheels and tyres are included. But it was the interior where Steve really got carried away! His new cream leather seats were back from the trimmers, and looked superb. He’d also had the centre tunnel trim panel covered, as well as DNA’s supplied interior door panels. At this stage the dash
11:11
Real and replica, but can you tell which is which?
Created by Lockwoods in Leeds, the new face looked perfect, while a Perspex front and new surround completed a vital part of the car’s overall deception. Started in late November of 2008, the car was completed five months later in April 2009. First job after the build was to update the registration details. While the car doesn’t need an IVA test because there are no modifications to the donor car’s structure, the V5 does need to accurately describe what the car is, and it certainly does not look like an MR2! When Steve notified the DVLA of the bodywork changes, he was told he needed to have a VIC check to confirm that the engine number and chassis VIN details matched up. Done at his local VOSA office, it was a simple and quick exercise, after which he was asked what he wanted to call the car, since it couldn’t still be identified as an MR2 on the V5. When Steve suggested ‘Ferrari Replica’ he was slightly surprised to get a positive response and, sure enough, when the new V5 materialised a week or two later, that’s exactly what the car was listed as. After the interior rethinks, Steve’s done little to the car since... except use it. A regular at many of the kit car shows, last year’s Stoneleigh event provided a particular high point, when a FEBRUARY 2011
genuine Ferrari 430 turned up and the owner was happy to park his car right next to Steve’s replica... the comparison was fascinating and the accuracy of the DNA product impressive. And although the DNA will never offer a performance comparable with the original, Steve’s quite happy. “It drives fantasticly,” he enthuses. “You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the 3Sixty and 4Thirty. They feel exactly the same. It drives like an MR2, but perhaps a bit more stable around the corners with it being wider.” He’s also keen to praise the company who supplied the kit. “I’m very happy with DNA. They are a really genuine firm and the dealings I’ve had have been 100 per cent spot on. The after sales service I’ve had is fantastic. They’re the sort of people you want to be dealing with.” You couldn’t ask for a better recommendation that that! Next month we’ll look at the finished article in detail and check that Steve hasn’t decided to change the interior again.
THANKS Steve Smith would like to thank Roland and Brian at DNA. Also Dave the trimmer.
011_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
A
4/1/11
15:45
Page 11
U T O M O T I V re - c re at i n g a u t o m o t i ve m a s t e r p i e c e s
E
Toyota MR2 & Ford Cougar Super Car Kits
NEW
V6 COUPE
5CUDO
4THIRTY Kits from £7500 5CUDO Kits from £6800 3SIXTY Kits from £4995 S E C O N D TO N O N E O N Q U A L I T Y A N D S E R V I C E
Cars built and part built quotations on request
Tel: 0121 326 8800 www.dnaautomotive.com
info@dnaautomotive.com
064_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
10:15
Page 64
Engineering Solutions www.adr3.co.uk 0044 (0) 1628 783030
Specialist race proven parts for specialist builder. Visit our online shop @ www.adr3.co.uk
The Cobra Set £449 including VAT & Delivery (UK Only) Set consists of: • 100mm Electronic Programmable Speedometer • 100mm Electronic Tachometer 4/6/8/10*/12*cyl • 52mm Fuel Level Gauge • 52mm Water Temperature Gauge • 52mm Oil Pressure Gauge • 52mm Voltmeter • Speedometer Sensor M12x1mm • Water Temperature Sensor 1/8”NPTF • Oil Pressure Sensor (inc. Warning Light Switch) • Fuel Level Sender Unit • Choice of Black or White Background Dials • SVA Compliant Bezels • Full Wiring Instructions Included • Traditional Floodlit Illumination
The DD2-LITE Digital Display System replaces all dashboard instruments with one compact, lightweight, anodised aluminium display module whilst providing a wealth of additional features over traditional gauges.
*Available Upon Request
The 7 Set £249 including VAT & Delivery (UK Only) Standard features include: • 80mm Mechanical Speedometer 160mph • 80mm Electronic Tachometer 8000rpm • 52mm Fuel Level Gauge • 52mm Water Temperature Gauge • 52mm Oil Pressure Gauge • Water Temperature Sensor 1/8”NPTF • Oil Pressure Sensor (inc. Warning Light Switch) • Fuel Level Sender Unit • Choice of Black or White Background Dials • Choice of Black or Chrme SVA Compliant Bezels • Full Wiring Instructions Included • Traditional Floodlit Illumination
T: +44 (0)1702 601055
£395
r or of Silve Choice nodised A ck la B g m Casin Aluminiu
Includ ing V & deliv AT ery
ing ap Tim ing & L n r a W mera ble! Availa eed Ca GPS Sp pgrade Now U System • Speed (MPH or Km/h selectable)
• Road-legal Odometer
• RPM (Petrol or diesel engines)
• Trip Distance Timer & Counter
• Gear
• Average Speed
• Water Temperature (°C or °F)
• Acceleration/Decel. Timers (eg 0-60)
• Oil Temperature (°C or °F)
• Peak Value Memory
• Oil Pressure (PSI or BAR)
• Programmable Warning Alarms
• Fuel Level
• Programmable Speed Warning
• Battery Volts
• Adjustable Brightness & Contrast
• Clock Time & Date
• Neutral Gear Indicator
• Programmable Shift Lights
• 10 Minute Data Record
• Key Warning Lights
• Suitable for all types of Kit Car including Bike Engine Conversions
• Engine Hour Counter
Special Offer to CKC Readers! For a limited time only! Quote Code - CKC-P1
www.etbinstruments.com 64 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
T: +44 (0)1702 601055
065 Draper tools Competition:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
11:13
Page 65
COMPETITION
WINA DRAPER TOOL KIT Worth over £900! CKC and Draper Tools have joined forces to offer you a unique chance to win this amazing tool chest. HERE’S A PRIZE that each and every Complete Kit Car reader could do with winning! You can never have enough tools, and most of us make do with screwdrivers and sockets that are well past their best. Draper is unquestionably one of the best known suppliers of quality tools for the home mechanic and the chances are that we all have something already in our garage with the Draper name on it. But with this amazing competition we’re giving one lucky reader the chance to completely refresh their tool collection and no doubt fill in a few gaps. This £900 mega prize (known as the Draper General Tool Kit, stock number 78444) offers a fab tool cabinet in which to store everything, plus a bewildering selection of vital garage equipment, from socket sets, spanners and screwdrivers
PR I Z E WORT £900 H !
www.draper.co.uk to invaluable car building items such as a rivet gun, electric drill, tin snips and even the latex gloves to keep your hands clean! Draper Tools was established in 1919 by Bert Draper, and the company is still family owned and run by his grandson John, based from a massive 400,000sq ft facility in Hampshire! If you are unlucky enough not to win our prize, then a look on the company’s website is a must, with a very simple search facility which will reveal the varied range of tools available from the company and which can be quickly ordered using either a button which links you to online stockists or to your nearest shop via the website’s postcode locator. Easy. But whatever you do, you must enter our competition, either by filling out the form below or by completing the online entry form on our website. It couldn’t be easier, only takes as minute and, who knows, you might win!
MAIN CONTENTS Vital contents includes... Amazing tool chest Riveter kit Retractable trimming knife Rubber torch Hammer drill Drill and accessory kit Silverdrive combined MM/AF socket set Digital automotive analyser Metric hexagon key set Combination pliers Diagonal side cutters Combination feeler gauge set Flexible magnetic pick-up tool Tinmans shears Crimping tool Chisel and punch set Pry bar set Torque wrench Self grip pliers Long reach long nose pliers set Junior hacksaw with 10 blades Soft grip round engineers file set Two adjustable wrenches Rubber mallet Various pliers Metric combination spanner set Hacksaw frame and blades Six different screwdrivers Mechanics bit set And loads of other invaluable smaller items.
CONTACT Draper Tools W: www.draper.co.uk
Enter Online
By far the easiest way to enter is by filling out the form at www.completekitcar.co.uk – it only takes a moment!
Enter By Post Draper Tools began trading in which year? 1897
1919
1954
Simply answer the question below left, fill out your details and return it to Draper Tools Competition, Complete Kit Car, 57 London Road, Teynham, Sittingbourne, Kent ME9 9QW. The closing date for entries is February 28th 2011. Name
Address
(tick one) Daytime telephone number E-mail address Employees of Performance Publishing Ltd, Draper Tools and their agents are not eligible to enter. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Full terms and conditions of our competition rules are available on request. Occasionally, Performance Publishing Ltd. may wish to send you details of special promotions. If you would not like to receive these, please tick here
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 65
066_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
14:49
Page 66
Southside ARC offers the complete accident management solution for your damaged vehicle Southside ARC has been part of the kitcar scene for many years, not only on the repaint side, but also crash repairs. As one of our directors is himself a kitcar fanatic, we understand the time and effort that goes into building the car of your dreams! We therefore know that the final finish to your pride and joy, either after an accident or your first repaint, is very important to you and to us! Give Colin a call and he will happily talk over your options.
BEFORE
Southside ARC is one of the largest bodyshops in London providing a first class crash repair service. We repair all vehicles including motorcycles and light commercial vehicles up to 3m in height. Our 14000 sq ft workshop is equipped with the latest technology including computerised wheel alignment, internet based estimating system and the latest Junair oven for full body resprays.
AFTER
We are specialists in: Fibreglass repairs 4 Wheel alignment Chassis repairs All insurance companies dealt with We are a PAS125 british kitemarked bodyshop Specialist paint effects Repaints 123/125 Nathan Way | Woolwich | London | SE28 0AB | T: 0208 317 1111
www.southsidearc.com
66 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
067_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
6/1/11
14:16
Page 67
MEMFast
Make Ends Meet Limited
D<D=Xjk DXb\ <e[j D\\k C`d`k\[ `j X dXafi jlggc`\i f] ]Xjk\e\ij ]fi j_\\k d\kXc# gcXjk`Zj# >IG Xe[ Zfdgfj`k\j f]]\i`e^ _`^_ hlXc`kp @JF 0'') gif[lZkj kf^\k_\i n`k_ \oZ\cc\ek k\Z_e`ZXc X[m`Z\ Xe[ j\im`Z\% Fli iXe^\ `eZcl[\j i`m\k elkj jkl[j# ilYY\i elkj# epcfe elkj# k_i\X[\[ `ej\ikj# jZi\n XeZ_fij# gcXjk`Z i`m\kj Xe[ `ejkXccXk`fe kffc`e^% Fli ÈjkXiÉ `j fli fne le`hl\# ifYljk i`m\k elk jkl[ _Xe[ kffc n_`Z_ `ejkXccj D* kf D(' elkj lj`e^ X j`dgc\ jg`e XZk`fe Æ Xe[ _Xj X C@=<K@D< >L8I8EK<<% Gc\Xj\ ZfekXZk lj fe 1
made in the u.k
Tel/Fax : +44 (0) 1386 556868 Email: make.ends.meet@btconnect.com
Southways Automotive Ltd
Serving the Specialist car Enthusiast From a simple Oil Change service to a full build or restoration we at Southways are your one-stop-shop for all your Kit Car, Classics and Sports Car requirements.
Kit Car Specialists I.V.A. Compliance Work >>> Complete Build Service >>> Modern & Classic Cars >>> Factory Built Cars >>> Kit Car Upgrades >>> Service & Repair >>> M.O.T Work
We are only 5-mins from M27 J11 and booking work into our 2,800 sq ft workshop. Give us a call or drop us an email with your requirements.
>>> >>>
• Kit Car Build or Completion from Any Stage • Kit Car Servicing • Vehicle Restoration • All Vehicle Types
• Project Builds • Race Car Preparation • Track Day Preparation • Repairs & Modifications
COLLECTION & DELIVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE Office: 01329 220755 Paul: 07976 531824 Steve: 07954 181479 Email: info@southwaysautomotive.co.uk Unit 15, Bailey Brook Business Park, Amber drive, Langleymill, Notts. NG16 4BE. T: 01773 719287 E: mark@kitcar.me.uk
Unit C Plot 5 • Fort Fareham Industrial Estate • Fareham • Hampshire • PO14 1AH
www.southwaysautomotive.co.uk
www.kitcar.me.uk FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 67
068-069 Tech Talk flywheels:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
Competition
21/12/10
11:14
Tech Talk
Page 68
Focus On Harnesses
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
TECHTALK CKC Technical Editor John Dickens continues his look at the major components of a typical engine. This month itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the flywheel.
Flywheel THE DESIGN OF a 4-stroke engine means that the power stroke only occurs on every second revolution of the crankshaft. The job of the flywheel is to keep the engine rotating through the remaining exhaust, inlet and compression strokes and to smooth out the power delivery, especially at tickover. It does this by storing the rotational energy produced by the power stroke, then releasing it again to keep the engine spinning. Large capacity low revving single-cylinder engines, as fitted to early motorcycles, need flywheels with a lot of inertia. Traditionally British bikes used internal flywheels which were small in diameter but heavy.
2 Others favoured external flywheels. These could be larger in diameter but lighter. The more cylinders a car engine has, the closer together the power strokes become and the less work the flywheel has to do to keep the engine turning smoothly. Multi-cylinder high-revving engines with small individual cylinder capacities need very little flywheel effect at all. Grand Prix racing engines, which are never required to idle, dispense with the flywheel entirely. This, along with a dry sump lubrication system, allows them to run the engine much lower in the chassis. However, all mass production car
An external flywheel. Notice the mass is concentrated around the perimeter.
This 2004 Ferrari V10 F1 engine has no flywheel at all.
engines have external flywheels mounted on the end of the crankshaft. The clutch is normally bolted to the flywheel and the weight of the clutch also contributes to the overall inertia of the flywheel. The bolts holding the flywheel to the crankshaft are normally very high tensile items and should never be substituted by standard bolts. I normally replace them during a rebuild. Around the perimeter of the flywheel is the ring gear. It is usually shrunk into place by heating the ring gear to expand it, mounting it on the flywheel, then allowing it to
1 68 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
cool and contract to a tight fit. When the starter motor is energised, its drive gear engages with the ring gear to spin the engine over. The older inertia starters used to damage the teeth on the ring gear as they spun into mesh, but pre-engaged starter motors are much less problematic. Flywheels on modern cars may also carry a square toothed wheel known as the reluctor ring which, along with a sensor in the engine casing or bell housing, is used by the ECU to time the ignition and possibly the fuel injection. Alternatively there may be a small magnetic sender unit embedded in the flywheel perimeter to perform the same function. If an engine is tuned, a lighter flywheel is often fitted. Accelerating the flywheel as the revs rise absorbs power from the engine. A lighter flywheel will absorb less power during this period so the engine will feel more responsive. It will not affect the maximum power produced when the engine is running at a steady speed however. The downside of a lighter flywheel is a lumpy idle, especially with a performance cam, and possibly more difficulty cruising at a steady speed. For mild states of tune it may be acceptable to lighten the standard cast iron item by machining, but in extreme cases these have been known to break up at high revs. Steel flywheels are normally used on full race engines. The flywheel must be re-balanced after any machining work is done as it is a
068-069 Tech Talk flywheels:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
11:14
Page 69
3 A 4-cylinder engine has a much smoother power delivery.
heavy object rotating at very high speed. The flywheel bolts, which actually transmit the power from the crank to the flywheel, clutch and gearbox, can be increased in size or augmented by drilling the flywheel and crank and fitting
dowels. In the last few years there has been some interesting work done on the use of flywheels for energy storage. In 2009 the Williams F1 team used an electro-mechanical flywheel based KERS (Kinetic
An aftermarket flywheel, lightened but not too extreme.
A Mini flywheel produced by
Swiftune, demonstrating extreme lightening.
4
Energy Recovery System) in their cars rather than the battery or capacitor based storage system favoured by the other teams. In the Williams system, gearbox mounted electric generator/motors driven by the road wheels during braking, power an electric motor/generator which spins the KERS flywheel up to 40,000rpm. When the power is required the system reverses and the spinning flywheel generates electrical power
which is used to drive the motors powering the wheels. The F1 KERS system was designed to provide an extra 80bhp for about seven seconds every lap. Although most current hybrid powered road cars use battery storage, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid uses the Williams flywheel KERS technology to provide an extra 160bhp, in eight second bursts via front wheel mounted electric motors.
5
SPECIAL OFFER Buy both the Automotive Fibreglass book and the Basic Fibreglass DVD for just £30 plus P&P. Save over £5 inc P&P. for only
for only
£19.99 plu s p&p
£14.95 plu s p&p
Go to www.completekitcar.co.uk or give us a call on 01903 236268.
www.completekitcar.co.uk FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 69
070_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
14:55
Page 70
70 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
071_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
14:57
Page 71
BURTON POWER BRANDED PRODUCTS Steel Con Rods from £730.00 per set Aluminium Thermostat Housings from £35.95 Crank Pulleys from £27.95 Forged Pistons from £519.95 per set BDA Cam Carrier £599.95 Camshafts from £117.50
Roller Rocker Kits (Std or High Lift) from £595.00 Steel Flywheels from £173.50 Crown Wheel & Pinion from £255.00 per set Pinto & X/Flow Wet Sump Oil Pumps from £39.95 Alloy Filler Caps from £30.50 Steel Crankshafts £1425.00
ELECTRIC COOLING FAN KITS from £99.95
Full range of engine spares for classic & modern Fords
COILOVER KITS from £469.95
PERFORMANCE BRAKING from £439.95
LSDs & GEAR KITS Please call for details
SAMCO CLASSIC HOSES Kits from £107.99
T/B MANAGEMENT KITS from £1750.00
AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS Please call for details
UK IMPORTER OF COMETIC GASKETS Full range available
ORDER YOUR FREE 2011 CATALOGUE OUT NOW
T:
020
ZDDPlus Oil Additive * Rocker Covers Performance Heads Twin Cam Water Pump Conversion Full Assembly * Bulk Discount Available
8518
each £11.99 from £101.95 from £480.00 £525.00
9189
WWW.BURTONPOWER.COM
072-074 Focus on harnesses:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
Competition
21/12/10
Tech Talk
11:15
Page 72
Focus on Harnesses
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
Seatbelt Harnesses It goes without saying that seatbelts are a vital component within any kit car build. But did you realise how much choice you’ve got? CKC outlines some options. INERTIA REEL, 3-POINT, 4-point, 6-point, button release, twist release, IVA compliance – all are potential considerations when choosing a pair of seatbelts to go in your kit car. With over eight different manufacturers each offering variations on the same theme, it can be a bewildering choice. But what should you consider, and why? If you are building a traditional tourer and intend to use it for gentle road runs, then a conventional lap and diagonal inertia reel belt is perfectly adequate. They are quick to put on and much less hassle to use than a full harness, but
obviously the support is less. Main inertia supplier is Securon and you can order the harnesses specifically to your requirements, with different stalk lengths for the catch section. Most of us will end up fitting some type of harness, either 3-point or 4-point. The number refers to the number of locations onto the chassis, with a 3-point harness having just one location behind the driver. For this feature, we’ll be concentrating on these two main variants, rather than 6-point harnesses most commonly found on full competition cars. Two types of buckle
Manufacturer: Sabelt Manufacturer website: www.sabelt.co.uk Models shown: Westfield 34/019n Type: 4-point/3-point Buckle type: 4-point – Twist buckle or push button. 3-point – push button IVA compliance: FIA 8854-98 with twist buckle/ECE 16R approval for push button harnesses Available from: See useful contacts
Prices: From £55 plus VAT approx General: Sabelt has been in the business for over 35 years, supplying harnesses to many teams, including the Ferrari F1 squad. At ground level, Sabelt has worked with companies such as Westfield and Caterham to offer a dedicated solution. All harnesses should meet IVA compliance demands. Although not sold directly from the manufacturer, the UK website lists all the available options.
72 www.completekitcar.co.uk
arrangements are usually on offer. The first is a push button central catch. Here you’ll find that one shoulder strap and one waist strap on either side are linked by the catch mechanism, so it’s a relatively simple exercise to pull the two sides together and snap the catch together in one easy movement. A twist quick release type clasp locates each of the four harness straps individually, the buckle being located on one of the waist straps. Connecting each harness can be a time-consuming and sometimes awkward job in a confined cockpit, but the location can be extremely supportive and release is simple and quick – ideal for semi-competition cars where you may need a speedy exit, as well as positive support. The harnesses over your shoulders and around your waist are both adjustable for length, and it’s important that these are adjusted correctly to keep you safely located Manufacturer: Securon Manufacturer website: www.securon.co.uk Model shown: SEC5L Type: Conventional lap and diagonal, inertia reel Buckle type: Push button IVA compliance: E-marked Available from: Car Builder Solutions Prices: From £37 plus VAT approx General: Securon also does both 3-point and 4-point harnesses, all at very competitive prices. Both button and twist releases are available. But it’s the conventional lap and diagonal harness we’ve shown here, because few other companies offer this basic layout. Seemingly infinite adjustment for buckle lengths makes this perfect for kit cars where a full harness isn’t necessary.
FEBRUARY 2011
Schroth 4-points are rare in kit cars. Willans 3-points in a Dax 427.
in the car. The correct way to adjust your straps is as follows... • First loosen them all off. • Sit in the seat and first adjust the waist straps so that the buckle remains central and that the straps fit snugly around your waist resting on your hips and pulling you gently down into the seat base • Adjust the shoulder straps to keep
072-074 Focus on harnesses:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
11:15
Page 73
you located against the back of the seat. The vital thing to avoid is having the buckle halfway up your chest because the waist straps are too loose. In this position there is a serious risk of sliding underneath the belt in a collision (referred to as submarining). There are options on the width of the straps (2in or 3in) and the buckle, tensioners and strap material can all vary in quality and strength. Another important consideration is conformity with either IVA regulations for road use or the FIA for racing regulations. The IVA inspection manual is a little confusing, but VOSA clarified things
for this feature by stating that each seat belt must bear the appropriate approval marks or have the equivalent characteristics to that of a belt approved for the same category of vehicle. The manual lists those characteristics later on in the seat belt section. So, the belt does not have to have an approval marking, providing it has all the required characteristics listed in the manual. Most harness manufacturers offer harnesses to meet either or both FIA and EEC/ECE regs. Location onto the chassis can take two common forms. Either via direct bolting to the chassis or via an eyebolt, with the strap having a snap-on clasp type fitment to the eye.
Manufacturer: Luke Manufacturer website: N/A Models shown: Luke Pro 4 Westfield Type: 4-point harness Buckle type: Quick release twist buckle IVA compliance: EEC approved
Available from: Demon Tweeks Prices: From £105 inclusive General: A 2in strap with spreader pads. A 3in wide strap is also available (Luke Pro 475) More affordable and more expensive options also available.
These serious 6-point Sabelt harnesses offer added security, but are not vital for general road use. They can also be uncomfortable!
Manufacturer: Total Restraint (TRS) Manufacturer website: www.totalrestraint.com Models shown: TRS Clubman/Budget Type: 4-point harness/3-point harness Buckle type: Button release IVA compliance: ECE 16.04 approved Available from: Demon Tweeks Prices: From £62/From £47 plus VAT General: We’ve shown the budget range from TRS, but the company also offers more serious 4-point harnesses with twist release and full FIA approval marketed under either the Pro and Magnum ranges.
Manufacturer: Willans Manufacturer website: www.willans.com Models shown: Westfield CB432W/Supersport 4x4 Westfield Type: 4-point harness/4-point harness Buckle type: Rotary quick release/button release IVA compliance: FIA 8854-98/ECE approved Available from: Europa Spares Prices: From £157/£57 General: 4-point – Available with either 2in or 3in waist straps, this FIA approved harness is a top spec item. 4-point – ECE approved 4-point harness has button release.
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 73
072-074 Focus on harnesses:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
Competition
21/12/10
Tech Talk
11:15
Page 74
Focus on Harnesses
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Manufacturer: OMP Manufacturer website: www.ompracing.it Models shown: OMP Road 4/OMP Road 3M Type: 4-point harness/3-point harness Buckle type: Button release IVA compliance: EEC approved Available from: Rally Nuts Prices: From £61.50/£66 plus VAT General: An affordable pair of harnesses from OMP. 2in straps all round with waist load spreading padding. These are OMP’s budget harnesses, with many other models with all the usual options and competition approval.
Manufacturer: Sparco Manufacturer website: n/a Models shown: Sparco 4 Point Driver Bolt In Harness Type: 4-point harness Buckle type: Button release IVA compliance: ECE approved Available from: Demon Tweeks Prices: From £56.50 plus VAT General: 2in straps and button release for this budget harness from Sparco. Range goes upwards from here, with FIA approved offering and quick release buckles etc.
Manufacturer: CG Lock Manufacturer website: www.cg-lock.co.uk Models shown: CK Lock Type: Lap and diagonal waist strap locking device Buckle type: n/a IVA compliance: n/a Available from: CG Lock Prices: £49.99 inclusive General: This is obviously not a harness, but instead a natty device that changes the characteristics of a conventional inertia reel lap and diagonal belt by effectively locking the lap section of the belt once it is in place and thereby holding the driver more securely in the car. A simple push button release then frees the belt again. This is a great bit of kit if you are taking your production car on the occasional track day, or perhaps have a kit car with lap and diagonal belts and also want the added security offered by the CG Lock.
Manufacturer: Schroth Manufacturer website: http://english.schroth.com/tuning Models shown: Schroth Westfield II ASM Type: 4-point harness Buckle type: quick release IVA compliance: FIA and EEC approved Available from: Demon Tweeks
OTHER USEFUL CONTACTS Most of the companies listed here stock several of the products listed on these pages. Car Builder Solutions: T: 01580 891309. E: sales@carbuildersolutions.co.uk W: www.cbsonline.co.uk Demon Tweeks: T: 0844 815 8630. E: sales@demon-tweeks.co.uk W: www.demon-tweeks.co.uk Europa Spares: T: 01283-815609. E: info@europaspares.com W: www.europaspares.com Rally Nuts: T: 01209 822 351. E: sales@rallynuts.com W: http://rallynuts.com
74 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
Products
Prices: From £160.87 plus VAT General: 3in shoulder straps and 2in waist straps. High quality harness also available in more affordable range. Image shows more expensive option with button release, but quoted version more comparable with others featured here.
075_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:36
Page 75
SABELT HAS BEEN putting quality first for over thirty years. A winning philosophy has resulted in excellence and given life to products that have always been synonymous with high performance and maximum safety.
Trading in the Motorsport Industry since 1992
IN 2010 SABELT supplied harnesses to the winning Red Bull F1 Cars of Sebastian Vettel & Mark Webber and to the 7 Times World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb and The Citroen World Rally Team. We also are the first choice of many of the Kit Car Manufacturers.
Stockists and Distributors of all major brands of Race, Rally and Road harnesses, mounting hardware and accessories.
Racing, Clubman & Military Harnesses Clothing • Racing Suits • Shoes Underwear • Fire Extinguishers Roll Cages • Seats & Accessories Steering • Helmets • Pedals
Visit the website to view our full range as well as many other Performance and Preparation Products, Racewear and Helmets.
Carrock House, North Lakes Ind Park, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 0JG T: +44 1768 480048 F: +44 1768 480049 E: steve@sabelt.co.uk
Orders. UK: 0800 970 6905 | Int: +44 (0) 120 982 2351 Enquiries. UK: 0844 855 3275 | Int: +44 (0) 844 855 3275
www.sabelt.co.uk
www.rallynuts.com
www.kitpartsdirect.com HAPPY NEW YEAR
TRS 4 Point Seat Belt Harness
SPECIAL NET OFFER
£57
TRS 4 Point Seat Belts Long Version TRS Seat Belts 4 Point Snap On Style 50mm Wide
for any 2 sets, includes delivery!
All prices are plus P&P
This amazing offer covers 3 and 4 point and Snap-on harnesses.
check out our
Westfield Locost Kit Car Caterham 3 Point Harness T: 07895 864500 to order now!
shop: kitpartsdirectltd
T: 07895 864500
E: mail@kitpartsdirect.com
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 75
076-077 Our Cars Feb:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
11:18
Page 76
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
STAFF CAR Updates Progress for some, New Year’s resolutions for others. Lets hope for lots of progress in 2011 swing axle suspension. On my car the trailing arms have been severely modified by the previous owner. The rear damper mounting brackets have been cut off, inverted and then welded back on to allow the dampers to be repositioned when the car was raised for off road use. I intend to lower the car significantly for normal road use, so I need the dampers to be back in their standard locations. Rather than cut and re-weld the mounting brackets a second time I have obtained a replacement pair of standard trailing arms which I have reconditioned.
JOHN DICKENS
Position: Technical Editor Running: UVA Fugitive Outgoings this month? S/H trailing arms £25, POR 15 £15, wheel bearings £60, bearing spacers £30, poly bushes £25. Total £155
THINGS ARE LOOKING up. I have almost finished the bike and I have been working on the UVA too. I have laminated a pair of new seats from the mould I made a while back. I am very pleased with the way they have turned out too. I may have to have the loose covers custom made though as the original supplier, Bugpack in the USA, no longer produces them. At least I have the originals which can be used as patterns. I have also started work on the rear suspension. My Fugitive uses the later trailing arm IRS which greatly reduces the camber change associated with the earlier
The trailing arms and double jointed drive shafts minimise camber change.
The modified
re-welded damper mounting.
Bearings,
spacers, seals and important notes.
76 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
Ask John
Products
The first step was to remove the old rubber bushes and to drive out the hub bearings, spacers and oil seals. As always, this was messy but straightforward once I found the inner bearing retaining circlip hidden under the oil seal. Who knew? I always keep a note of any identifying marks or numbers on the bearings and seals. It is often cheaper to buy them from bearing suppliers rather than from an auto spares specialist. Once the parts were dismantled they were degreased using a water soluble engine cleaner and the trailing arms were power washed to remove any loose rust and dirt. The parts are close to 40 years old, so although they are structurally sound they were cosmetically very poor, with lots of surface rust. I do not believe in painting over rust so it all had to be removed. The smaller parts were soaked in Deox-C but the trailing arms themselves were too big to use a chemical de-rusting
076-077 Our Cars Feb:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
11:18
Page 77
The standard VW trailing arms. Sound but very rusty.
The bare
trailing arms after power washing.
The
trailing arm and steel
agent economically so I decided to use electrolysis instead. A large (60-litre) container from Ikea was just big enough to hold and immerse a single trailing arm. The tank was filled with a weak solution of washing soda (sodium carbonate). The power unit, a small battery charger, was switched on and the process was left to
ADAM WILKINS
Position: Features Editor Running: Sylva Riot, Sylva Striker, Spartan Treka Outgoings this month? None
IN THE LAST installment of Our Cars, Ian and I had fitted new, softer springs to the Riot. The intention was to pin down the rear of the car which, on the harder springs, has a tendency to make it bounce around. The car went from 200lb/in front and 300lb/in rear to 100lb/in front and 200lb/in rear. Initial impressions were that it was the wrong move. I kept the dampers on the
work. It took a few days to completely derust each component but they came out completely rust free and there were even odd areas of shiny metal. In the interests of research I decided to use POR 15 on these components so I bought a starter kit from Frost. This contains small quantities of Marine Clean
same ‘zero click’ setting they’d been on with the old springs. However, I’ve since had time to experiment with them. I took the car to the bumpiest lane I know to test the damper settings. I now have the fronts on zero clicks and the rears on three. The front end works hard to smooth out the ride, while the rear is a lot better behaved than previously. I can’t be completely conclusive because the road was muddy and slippery (you can see how much mud ended up on the car in the photo below) but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. The car is a lot more composed than it used to be on mid-corner bumps that would previously thrown it off line. I’ve also received an e-mail from Dave Gallop at Track Developments. He says that he is able to calculate the spring rates to save time and money in experimenting with different settings. That’s an offer I may follow up before the spring.
FEBRUARY 2011
anodes ready for electrolysis.
The
treated and untreated trailing arms for comparison.
The
finished arms ready for new bearings, seals and bushes.
degreaser, Metal Ready rust treatment/preprimer and POR 15 paint. I used each of these products exactly as directed and applied two coats of black POR 15 paint. The POR 15 can be used as the final finish but it will discolour on prolonged exposure to UV light so I will probably overpaint it with whatever finish I decide to use on the chassis tubes. Until then it will provide good protection from further corrosion. New bearings and oil seals will be fitted and I intend to use polyurethane inner bushes and bump stops instead of the standard rubber components.
IAN STENT
Position: Editor Running: CC Cyclone, Ginetta G26 Outgoings this month? None Test run to get the damper settings correct with the new springs. Not the best time of the year for it! Stent’s hoping to make more progress on the Cyclone over the coming months.
www.completekitcar.co.uk 77
I’M GOING TO give up with the excuses and admit that once again progress has been non-existent on the Cyclone. The Stent New Year’s resolution is an easy one... make time for work on the car! Here’s hoping I can do better than last year’s ‘lose weight’ resolution.
074:CKC_DEC_10
5/11/10
14:16
Page 74
OUR NEW 276 PAGE CATALOGUE
IS HERE
AND S N IT'S O I T U L O S R E FREE D L I 6 U 1 B E R U A S C IS TO UK POSTCODES ONLY
3 3618 3 4 96 R 07 ne.co.uk O 9 0 li 8913 om bson 0 c . 8 ingd 5 w 1 w 33 0 ed K t i w : n l 8937 U p e T o J 580 J 1 h 0 R 4 s 4 2 N1 x: # RDE line al Fa ent T ation st, K n r r TO O it our on e u t h In ple 09 s , Sta 8913 or vi Lane 1580 FAX THIS VOUCHER TO: (01580) 893733
Red
3733
4 l: #4 al Te
dge
indri
s, L land
tion terna
In
0 89
158 ax: 0
F
OR POST IT TO: CAR BUILDER SOLUTIONS, REDLANDS, LINDRIDGE LANE, STAPLEHURST, KENT TN12 0JJ
PLEASE SEND ME ISSUE 16 CATALOGUE
NAME ADDRESS
To order Tel: 01580 891309 or 07964 336183 or Fax: 01580 893733 or online at www.cbsonline.co.uk
ISSUE 16
Page 1
079_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:39
Page 79
Complete Kit Car For kids of all ages Electric drive, D.I.Y. or Choose our parts Full Build Manual and Workshop drawings: £35 inc free UK p&p
+
= Please mention CKC
Call or download details sales@toylander.com 01767 319080 www.toylander.com
TO ADVERTISE IN
Contact Karen O’Riordan... call: 07000 785423 email: karen.ads@performancepublishing.co.uk
UK manufacturer of precision transmission & gearbox components Full design & manufacturing facilities available on-site
Complete Range of LSD’s
Complete Range of Half Shaft Kits
Complete Range of Gear Kits
SL72 “Dog Box” Gear Boxes
from £524.64
from £378.35
from £581.63
from £2579.13
www.tran-x.com T: +44 (0) 24 7665 9061 • F: +44 (0) 24 7645 9077 FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 79
080-083 Bearings:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
11:24
Page 80
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
Upgrading Control Bushes and Bearings We might think about upgrading the bushes in our suspension components, but what about the other bushes you’ll find on any typical kit car? Technical Editor John Dickens is your guide. THE STEERING WHEEL, pedals and gearlever are your direct link to the car you are driving. For your driving comfort and ultimately safety it is vital that they operate in a smooth, direct and positive way. Any sloppiness in the gearlever, play in the pedals or lost movement in the steering wheel will make the car feel vague and unresponsive to operate and will detract from the driving experience. As with any moving parts in the vehicle, the controls
pivot on bearings and bushes which must allow free movement in the required direction but must restrict unnecessary movement or free play in other directions. The clutch, brake and throttle pedals need to move freely backwards and forwards but must be firmly supported to prevent any sideways movement. Normally plain bushes are used at the pedal pivots and pushrod linkage (Fig 1). The steering column needs to be
A typical production car steering column.
securely mounted to resist the forces needed to manoeuvre the car at parking speeds and the ‘kickback’ experienced at high speeds but must also turn freely to allow the car to be steered without resistance. Production cars use an
This Pelland uses small UJs in the convoluted gear linkage.
3
2
A typical deep groove ball bearing.
5
1 Plain bushes are used at these pivot points.
outer column mounted firmly to the car, with the steering wheel bolted to an inner column rotating in upper and lower bushes (Fig 2).
Bushes. Left to Right... nylon, split bronze and Oilite.
4
The structure of a ball bearing.
6
80 www.completekitcar.co.uk
A cylindrical roller bearing. The inner race has been removed.
7
FEBRUARY 2011
080-083 Bearings:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
Gear linkages vary greatly from car to car but whatever system is used it must be capable of transmitting both fore and aft and side to side movement in order to select gears with a normal ‘H’ pattern gearbox (Fig 3).
BUSH AND BEARING MATERIALS Plastic – At one time plain bearing materials were exclusively metal alloys such as white metal, Babbit, bronze or lead/indium. Most of these are still in use today, but as in many fields plastic or polymers are often the preferred choice. Plastics are light, cheap and can be easily shaped by injection moulding without the need for final machining. They are corrosion and chemical resistant and can often be run dry with no external lubrication. Commonly used plastics are nylon, acetal, PTFE (Teflon),
11:24
Page 81
polyethylene, urethane and polyamide. Many of these can be impregnated with oil, grease or MDS (Molybdenum disulphide) to provide self lubricating properties. Not surprisingly, plastics have disadvantages too. They soften at high temperatures, become brittle at low temperatures and can absorb moisture causing them to expand. The most significant drawback, however, is their tendency to undergo cold flow or ‘creep’ when subjected to constant pressure or tension. It is this distortion, rather than actual wear, which leads to free play in plastic bearings. Bronze – Bearing bronzes are copper based alloys with small amounts of zinc, tin, aluminium or silicon added. Bushes made from bronze normally rotate on a hardened steel shaft. The softer bearing metal then wears away
The compact size of the needle bearing makes it ideal to replace a bush.
8
and can be replaced as needed. If a mild steel shaft is used with a bronze bearing, the shaft will also wear and will need replacement too. The bush may be made entirely from bronze or it may have a steel backing with a thin layer of bearing material on the surface. The strength of the steel enables thinner bushes to be produced using this construction. Simple bronze bushes are not self lubricating but this drawback was overcome by the development of the Oilite bush. This material is based on bronze (or cast iron) but is produced by sintering the powdered alloy at high temperature and pressure. This produces a porous bush which is then vacuum impregnated with oil. In use the oil is released to provide self lubricating properties. Machining Oilite bushes must be done with care. If the tools used are not dead
Needle cages designed to run directly on the shaft and housing.
11
A universal joint steering coupling
14
Needle Bearings – For the lowest possible friction, highest load carrying capacity and longest service life, needle roller bearings are the best option to replace plain bushes. Needle rollers are a development of the standard ball (Fig 5) and roller (Fig 7) bearings. A deep groove ball bearing consists of hard steel inner and outer rings known as ‘races’ which are separated by hard steel balls running in grooves machined in the races. The balls are held apart by steel, brass or plastic ‘cages’ to prevent them ‘crowding’ or rubbing
A large rose joint can be used as a steering column support.
10
9
A spherical bearing mounted as an under-dash support.
sharp they will smear the surface of the metal, sealing the pores and preventing the release of the encapsulated oil. Bronze bushes are harder wearing than plastic and there is no creep in the material so they tend to be longer lasting in use.
A spherical bearing suitable for a bulkhead steering support.
12
A typical reinforced rubber steering coupling.
13
Floor mounted pedals on a common shaft.
15
This shaft is retained by circlips.
16
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 81
080-083 Bearings:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
11:25
Page 82
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
Our Cars
18
17 Using circlip pliers the retaining clip is removed.
Products
PTFE pivot bushes were used here.
22
21
Drifting out the old bush.
Ask John
19
The pedals and shaft separated easily.
20
Bushes to Bearings
The old PTFE bush.
Check the housing for damage.
25
24 23 Measuring the shaft to obtain the required inner Dimensions required when ordering bushes and bearings.
together (Fig 6). The balls only make point contact with the races, producing very low friction and noise but reducing the ultimate load capacity of the bearing. Cylindrical roller bearings have hardened steel rollers instead of balls (Fig 7). The rollers have a much bigger contact area so the bearing can carry much bigger loads. A needle roller bearing (Fig 8) is
diameter (18mm).
a modified version of the standard roller bearing, using a larger number of small diameter rollers producing a much more compact bearing. They are manufactured with both inner and outer races, an outer race only or simply as needle cages (Fig 9). The rollers must run on hardened steel surfaces, so if one or both races are missing, the shaft and housing must be hard steel or they will wear rapidly.
USEFUL CONTACTS Simply Bearings Ltd 386 St Helens Road, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 3PQ. T: 01942 269837. E: support@simplybearings.co.uk W: www.simplybearings.co.uk Midland Bearings Ltd Building 33 Second Avenue, Pensnett Trading Estate, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 7UG. T: 01384 841400.
W: www.midlandbearings.com E: sales@midlandbearings.com Bearing King Ltd Unit F1, G4 Business Centre, Carlisle Street, Sheffield S4 7QN. T: 0114 276 7413. E: sales@bearing-king.co.uk W: www.bearing-king.co.uk
82 www.completekitcar.co.uk
Measuring the housing to obtain the required outer diameter (20mm).
UPRATING YOUR CONTROLS In my opinion, if you have plastic bushes in your pedal pivots it is worth upgrading them to bronze or Oilite. The metal bushes will not deform under pressure and will retain their positive feel and smooth operation for much longer. If you already have metal bushes in your pedals it is worth renewing them if there is obvious wear, but the amount of machining necessary to further upgrade them to needle roller bearings is probably not worth the effort. Even though they are relatively compact, needle bearings are still bigger than bushes and will probably need the pedal housing to be accurately machined in order to accommodate its larger outer diameter. However, if you are buying new or having pedals made up to your specifications, I would certainly opt FEBRUARY 2011
for needle roller pivot bearings. If you are using a production steering column as described earlier, it is worth checking the top and bottom support bushes. Some manufacturers used compressed felt support bushes and these have a very short working life before play develops. If they are plastic or a rubber/plastic combination they can be renewed if worn or replaced by needle rollers if a suitable size is available. It is unlikely that the inner column will be hard steel, so bronze bushes are not recommended and needle rollers must have an inner bearing race to avoid the rollers running directly on the inner column. If you need to support the inner column directly where it runs under the dash or through the engine bulkhead, a rod end or a mounted spherical bearing is ideal. They are self-
080-083 Bearings:CKC Cover copy
21/12/10
11:25
Page 83
27
26 Measuring the housing depth to obtain the required bush
28
Using a bolt or threaded bar to draw the bush into place.
width, (16mm).
This method will not damage the bush and allows adjustment if needed.
push/pull cables can be obtained in a wide variety of lengths with universal end fittings.
HOW TO UPRATE PEDAL PIVOTS
29 The new bush fully seated.
aligning and easy to mount (Fig 10 to 12, courtesy of Borgeson Universal Co). Unless the steering column and the steering rack input spline are lined up exactly, some kind of flexible coupling is needed to connect the two. Production cars tend to use couplings based on rubber bushes or a reinforced rubber disc to allow the flexibility needed to correct any misalignment (Fig 13). These are fine when they are new but with age and oil contamination they tend to soften and eventually break up. For popular cars it is possible to obtain uprated bushes or discs made from polyurethane. These improve the feel of the steering and have a longer service life but do tend to have less shock absorbing ability so the driver feels more steering kickback. The ultimate upgrade for this component is a replacement universal joint using needle roller bearings (Fig 14). These give the most direct feel to the steering but have no shock absorbing ability whatever, so steering kickback will
be increased by the use of these couplings. Gear linkages need to be as direct as possible. One of the best gear changes I have ever used was in my Bond Bug. The gear lever was mounted on top of the gearbox and the bottom of the gear lever actually engaged directly into the selector forks. One of the worst was an Austin Maxi 1500 which used one of the earlier cable operated gear shifts. I once saw it described in print as being â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;like stirring a knitting needle in a bag of marblesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and that describes it pretty accurately. There is such a wide variety of gear linkages in use that I can only give general guidelines for improvement in this article. If there is any rubber used in the linkage it will allow flex and lost movement. This will increase with age as the rubber softens or perishes. Rubber bushes and flexible joints can be replaced by small rod ends or universal joints. If you have a midengined car, the gear linkage can become particularly convoluted and it may be worth considering a cable operated change. Modern FEBRUARY 2011
It is usual for the brake and clutch pedals at least to be mounted on a common shaft. The assembly may be held together by nuts, bolts, split pins or circlips (Fig 15/16). Whatever method is used to retain the shaft must be removed to gain access to the pedal bushes (Fig 17). With the retainers removed, the pivot shaft should slide out of the pedal assembly (Fig 18). If the pedals have not been in use for some time they may have seized and penetrating oil may be needed to free the shaft. The bushes and the pivot shaft can now be inspected for wear. The pedals Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m stripping down used PTFE bushes (Fig 19) and the shaft itself, though polished in the working areas, showed no actual wear. The plastic bushes need to be removed in order to fit bronze replacements. If there is access from the rear of the bushes it may be possible to drift them out (Fig 20). Take care not to damage the housing with the drift. Alternatively, it may be possible to collapse the bushes using a centre punch or small screwdriver. If all else fails, plastic bushes will soften if heated with a small flame or a hot air gun. With the old bushes removed, this is the time to strip and repaint the pedals if required (Fig 21). Check the bush housing for any damage caused by the drift (Fig 22). If there is any damage it should be cleaned up with a small file so that the new bush does not distort as it is fitted. Bushes, bearings and oil seals are normally ordered first by type, then by size. The dimensions required
www.completekitcar.co.uk 83
are inner diameter, outer diameter and width, normally quoted in that order (Fig 23). You need to measure these so that you can order the correct replacement (Fig 24 to 26). Decide what type of bush or bearing you want to fit. In this case a needle bearing is not an option. For this 18mm diameter shaft, the smallest needle bearing available has an outer diameter of 24mm. The pedal boss is only 25mm in diameter, so after machining the remaining wall thickness would be too thin for safety. I decided to fit a steel backed split bush in place of the PTFE originals. Ordering online is straightforward using the menus provided by the bearing suppliers. The type of bush is selected first, followed by the inner diameter, outer diameter and finally the width. Check that the replacement bushes obtained are the correct size then grease the housing to ease their fitting. The new bushes can be drifted in if done carefully, but there is a danger of damaging them. They can be pressed in using a vice if the jaws open wide enough, but a large bolt or threaded bar with a couple of nuts and large washers is a better option to press the bushes into place (Fig 27). Ensure the bush starts squarely in the hole then tighten the nuts to draw in the bush (Fig 28). Keep checking that the bush is being pulled in square to the bore of the pedal. Continue until the bush is flush with the surface or seats firmly against the base of its housing (Fig 29). Once the bushes are fully home, check the fit of the pivot shaft. Sometimes the bushes shrink slightly as they are forced into place and they may need reaming back to the correct size. If the fit is correct, the pedals can be assembled back onto the shaft and the uprated pedal box can be refitted to the car.
084_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:41
Page 84
11 piece Mechanics Pattern Screwdriver Set
8 piece Draper Expert Hi-Torq Deep Offset Metric Ring Spanner Set
2 tonne Axle Stands (Pair)
Stock No. 27030
Stock No. 64607
Stock No. 64431
£23.90
£18 .60
Heavy Duty Battery Booster Cables
Extending Wheel Nut Wrench
*TSP Inc. VAT
£18.60
*TSP Inc. VAT
*TSP Inc. VAT
40 piece 3/8, 1/2" Sq. Dr. Mechanics Bit Set Stock No. 21932
Stock No. 19152
Stock No. 51875
£14 .00
£43.50
*TSP Inc. VAT
*TSP Inc. VAT
Rigid Towing Brace
Extra Long 4 Tray Cantilever Tool Box
£23.99 *TSP Inc. VAT
12 Blade Combination Tappet Gauge Set
Stock No. 88621
Stock No. 19577
Stock No. 88904
£21.00
£45 .00
*TSP Inc. VAT
*TSP Inc. VAT
12 piece Draper Expert Hi-Torq Metric Reversible Ratcheting Spanner Set
*TSP Inc. VAT
* TSP All prices inclusive of VAT @ 20% and are typical prices which may vary in-store. Prices are correct at the time of going to press. E. & O. E.
*TSP Inc. VAT
1/2" Sq. Dr. Torque Wrench 30-210Nm
Santa Pod Raceway
Stock No. 30357
Draper Tools, Santa Pod’s official tool supplier of choice.
Stock No. 48722
£122 .30
£5 .94
£27.00 *TSP Inc. VAT
085 Ask John Feb:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
11:23
Page 85
Focus On Harnesses
Tech Talk
ASKJOHN
CKC’s John Dickens is a font of technical knowledge. Here he answers your technical queries to keep you moving in the garage. CAPTIVE NUTS FOR GRP Dear John, I would appreciate your advice. I wish to put captive nuts (around M5 size) into glassfibre bodywork to attach an item to the outside. There is no internal access so I can only work from the present outer surface and I want a neat finish. Any recommendations for nut type/fixing process/precautions? All guidance gratefully accepted! Michael Horsley, via e-mail
I tend to use externally threaded self-tapping threaded inserts. I get mine from Model Fixings but Screwfix, among others, also supply them. I bond them in with epoxy as I screw them in. They can crack the Threaded self-tapping threaded inserts.
BLEEDING BRAKES Dear John, I have a problem with my Marlin 5EXi brakes. The pedal is there but almost on the floor before anything happens. I have changed the master cylinder but it is still the same. I believe that the problem may be air trapped in the ABS unit, as this problem only started after draining the system of fluid when switching to EBC race fluid to cope with higher temperatures during sustained track use. The ABS unit is slightly higher
GRP if you force them so don't drill the fixing hole undersize. Memfast also supply these expanding screw anchors which are ideal for GRP. Again I would fit them with an epoxy adhesive to prevent them spinning. Any blind fitting system is bound to have a limited torque capacity compared to the 'Bighead' type fasteners which are fitted from the rear of the panel and spread the load over a much greater area, so allow for this when you install them – JD.
USEFUL CONTACTS Model Fixings link W: http://tinyurl.com/2cjlodw Memfast link W: http://tinyurl.com/25x8ruj
Typical Bighead fasteners.
than the brake fluid reservoir and normal attempts to bleed the system with engine both on and off, and pumping the pedal beforehand have not worked. Ken Robson, via e-mail
It is always tricky to bleed an empty system, especially with an empty master cylinder. Rather than draining the system it is better to bleed the new fluid into the system as the old fluid is bled out, but you obviously know that now. Try unscrewing the bleed nipples FEBRUARY 2011
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
REVERSE GEAR OPTION Dear John, I have just been offered a Locost kit car in extremely good condition with a 919cc Honda Fireblade engine in it. I have been put off by the fact that it has no reverse gear. Can you please tell me: • Is an electric reverse the easiest solution? • Where can I source one? • How much, roughly would the conversion cost if I didn’t do it myself? • Can you recommend anyone who might do these conversions?
MNR Reverse box
Mick Gilbert, via e-mail
The two basic options available to you are 1. A mechanical reverse gear via a separate reversing gearbox. See the links in the panel below for examples These are very efficient but they are not cheap and will require a fair amount of re-engineering on an existing kit. 2. An electrically driven reverse gear. These tend to be more of a compromise but are simpler to retro-fit. I have seen an example using a starter motor driving on a toothed gear mounted directly onto the diff flange. There is something similar listed in the panel below. Alternatively, we outlined a number of different options within our February 2010 issue, which can be ordered via the CKC website. Any kit car manufacturer who
further than normal, at least two full turns, before you try to bleed the system. Sometimes the extra fluid flow can shift stuck air pockets. I have had good results using a Mity-vac vacuum pump to draw fluid through an empty system before bleeding it in the normal way. Alternatively you could bleed the ABS unit roughly first before you do the rest of the system. You could do this by disconnecting the output pipe(s) from the ABS unit and screwing in a suitably sized
www.completekitcar.co.uk 85
offers a bike engined option will have a system for providing a reverse gear as it is now mandatory for the IVA test. As to which one will be the best option for your car might I suggest that you have a look on the Locostbuilders forum where there are a large number of posts regarding this specific issue – JD.
USEFUL CONTACTS Nova Racing link W: http://tinyurl.com/25w4ko4 Quaife link W: http://tinyurl.com/33d546p MNR link W: http://tinyurl.com/vjgn7 Electric reverse DIY installation link W: http://tinyurl.com/33ju26s Locost Builders forum W: www.locostbuilders.co.uk
bleed nipple or by screwing in a short piece of brake piping on a suitable union. Finally, if the brake pedal feels solid when it finally comes on you may have a different problem – JD. Ken’s reply... I am delighted to report that my brakes have been restored to their former glory. The problem was cured as soon as we slakened off and bled the two outlets on the top of the ABS block which lead to the two front calipers. We then bled the calipers to check the air had been eradicated.
086 Products.qxd:CKC Cover copy
DNA Build
21/12/10
Competition
11:28
Page 86
Tech Talk
Focus On Harnesses
PRODUCTS Our monthly highlight of products for you and your kit car.
Fix Leaky Fuel Tanks TANK SEALANT PRICE: From £28.89 AVAILABLE FROM: RatSport. T: 020 885 4477. W: www.ratsport.co.uk RatSport is the European distributor for a tank sealant product that has clocked up an incredible 2,000,000 sales. Bill Hirsch Gas Tank Sealer is a product that seals pinhole and seam leaks, and also prevents rusting. The liquid is poured into the tank to form a lining from the inside, and it’s suitable for use with all fuels. It can be used in tanks made from steel, aluminium and ABS plastic. A quantity to treat a tank of up to 11 gallons costs £28.89, while one for a tank of up to 25 gallons sells for £56.40.
From £28.89
Our Cars
Bushes to Bearings
Ask John
Products
Omex Zetec Packages OMEX POWER ZETEC ENGINES PRICE: From £2814 AVAILABLE FROM: Omex. T: 01242 260656. E: sales@omextechnology.co.uk W: www.omextechnology.co.uk Omex’s range of 2-litre Zetec engines is available in three states of tune, ranging from 150bhp to 220bhp. The range is as follows: • 150bhp: Plenum inlet, economical with scope for further upgrades. For inline applications it’s priced at £3519, and £2814 if it’s transverse. • 170 to 200bhp: Multiple throttle body inlet, giving excellent throttle response. Priced at £4459 for inline installations, £3754 for transverse. • 220bhp: Rotrex centrifugal supercharger, for high torque. This one costs £6456 and can only be fitted inline. All these packages are based on brand new Zetec engines and use an Omex 600 ECU. They’re built on a jig and run before shipment. This means the cams are run-in, throttle bodies (where applicable) are balanced and they meet IVA/MoT emissions limits. Once fitted to the car, the builder needs to connect just five wires and it’s ready to run!
GADGET OF THE MONTH!
Synch Video With Data VIDEO SYNCHRONISER PRICE: £75 AVAILABLE FROM: Race Technology. T: 01773 537621. W: www.race-technology.com If you want to synchronise video footage with datalogging output, Race Technology’s Video4 system is an all-in-one solution. However, the firm has now launched the Video Synchroniser which synchronises its non-video equipped datalogging technology with third party video equipment. The Video Synchroniser is a device that is placed in permanent view of the video camera and is controlled by the data logger. It uses a special LED that is outside the visible spectrum of the human eye (so it won’t distract the driver), the flashing of this LED is detected in the video by the software and used to perfectly align the data and video. It’s price at £75.
BOOT-BAG PRICE: From £69.95 AVAILABLE FROM: Boot-bag. T: 01280 821345. W: www.boot-bag.com Here’s a neat way to increase your car’s luggage capacity. The Boot-bag is a waterproof container that attaches to the back of the car with a system of straps. It sits on a non-slip mat so that, if it’s on a painted surface, it won’t damage the bodywork. The Original has a footprint of 70cm by 36cm and is priced at £69.95. The range also includes the £77.95 Classic and the £89.95 Vacation.
From £69.95 £75
86 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
087 to 089_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
15:31
Page 87
WORKSHOP TECHNICAL DIRECTORY Chester Sportscars Specialist Car Builders & Modifiers
Ford ‘Type 9' Hydraulic Clutch Conversion Kit Our popular hydraulic clutch conversion kit for the Ford ' Type 9' – other Ford gearbox applications available, details on request. Each kit comes with the following components to convert your gearbox to hydraulic operation: Hydraulic Clutch Cylinder | Cylinder Mounting Plate & Fittings Release Bearing | Braided Hose Kit With Bleed Facility Motorsport Transmissions | Broompark | Durham | DH7 7QS
www.mst-developments.co.uk E: info@mst-developments.co.uk
T: 07890 587531
• New Sylva J15 & Riot Build Agent • Any Kit Build Undertaken to IVA Standard • Zetec Engine Specialist and Tuner • Interior Trim and Upgrades • Bike Carb & Ignition Tuning Kits from £ 750 • Southways Supercat Kits & Turnkey Cars • Full & Stage Builds, Any Model
www.chestersportscars.co.uk • T: 01244 822244
Dartford Rebore & Engine Centre Ltd. Road to Race – We Are The Engine People
Dar ord Rebore & Engine Centre has been a well established business for over 30 Years. We pride ourselves on finding parts for all makes and models that normally are extremely difficult to come across. Our exper se lies in the rebuilding and repair of engines. We also supply engines and machine parts. We also provide for marine applica on. We have an experienced team at our workshop ready to help with any queries you have. Trade & Retail Welcome 15 Overy Street, Dar ord DA1 1UP
Please call us on: 01322 220 634 or 01322 228 932
AUTO MIRAGE
LTD
Paint solutions for your Kit, Custom & Classic car Peel Hall Business Park, Peel Road, Westby, Lancs FY4 5JX Tel/Fax:
01253 734743
e-mail: automirage@hotmail.co.uk w w w. a u t o m i r a g e . c o . u k
All your fibreglass supplies delivered direct to your door! Mail order fibreglass supplies • Polyester Epoxy resins & reinforcements, • tools and -ancillary’s project information & technical advice • Free • Download a price list from our site
www.autoprop-uk.co.uk
Place order online or call us on: 0191 497 5134
www.ecfibreglass.co.uk Unit 2B Rekendyke Industrial Estate • South Shields • Tyne & Wear • NE33 5BZ E: sales@ecfibreglasssupplies.co.uk • F: 0191 4565487
FEBRUARY 2011
TEL: MOBILE: FAX: www.completekitcar.co.uk 87
01342 322623 07762 384164 01342 314947
087 to 089_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:45
Page 88
WORKSHOP TECHNICAL DIRECTORY
JOHN CLARKSON AUTOS 4x4 rolling road
SPECIALIST CAR BUILDERS
Servicing, Repairs Personal Friendly Service Redline Oil Distributors FULL OR PART BUILDS UNDERTAKEN
Engine tuning 4 wheel alignment Kit car / off road car preparation Fault diagnosis
SUSSEX KITCARS, CHIDDINGLY ROAD, HORAM, EAST SUSSEX
Tel: 01435 812706
Eve: 01424 424506
e-mail: john@sussexkitcars.co.uk SUPPORTERS OF SUSSEX KIT CAR CLUB
Unit 1, Crosse Hall Street Works, Chorley Pr6 0qq E-mail. ajcmimi@tiscali.co.uk
Tel. 01257 263879
VISIT OUR WEBSITE WITH ON-LINE SHOPPING
WOOLIES (WKC?), Whitley Way, Northfields Ind. Est. Market Deeping, Nr Peterborough PE6 8AR Tel: 01778 347347 Fax: 01778 341847 email: info@woolies-trim.co.uk
88 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
087 to 089_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
7/1/11
15:45
Page 89
WORKSHOP TECHNICAL DIRECTORY
FIBRE-GLASS
KIT CAR BUILDING
SUPPLIES
TOP QUALITY MATERIALS FREE 64 PAGE CATALOGUE
OUT NOW! John Dickens’ brand new DVD for only
£14.95 plu s p&p
FREE EXPERT ADVICE LOWEST UK PRICES ESTABLISHED 1974 ORDER ON LINE www.cfsnet.co.uk
Nationwide Mail Order Tel 01209 821028
www.completekitcar.co.uk
FREE Catalogue Specialist suppliers of rubber seals and trims for classic, modern and kit cars FREE fully illustrated catalogue listing hundreds of different sections. Please visit our website or call 0845 226 3345 (local rate) Seals+Direct Ltd, 32 Marley Ave, New Milton, Hants BH25 5LJ
www.sealsplusdirect.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 89
090-095 Mini Minus.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
READER’S CAR
11:30
Page 90
Andy Farmer’s ZCars Minus
s u n i M A
90 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
090-095 Mini Minus.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:31
Page 91
Take a Mini Minus shell, add some ZCars magic and you have one quick Mini. Adam Wilkins met the builder.
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 91
090-095 Mini Minus.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
READER’S CAR
11:31
Page 92
Andy Farmer’s ZCars Minus
“ Patience and care is what separates the best kit cars from the also-rans – excellent detailing can be found everywhere on Andy’s Mini Minus
WHEN SELF-CONFESSED Mini fan Andy Farmer decided he wanted to build a bike engined version of the dinky saloon, there was one characteristic of the iconic machine he didn’t want to contend with – rust. As an automotive paint sprayer by trade, the quality of the bodywork is important to him; fighting off tinworm didn’t appeal. A GRP body was the obvious way forward, and he found a Mini Minus shell to use as a starting point for the project. With the Minus shell tucked away, Andy was still running around in his Mini Cooper when he had the fortune to meet his colleague Pete White on a training course. Chat turned to the topic of Minis and Andy mentioned his plans to turn his GRP shell into a bike engined stormer. It was a milestone moment in the project. Pete had already built two ZCars Minis, and agreed to lend Andy a hand with construction of his car. In fact, it was more than lending a hand. The project would take place in Pete’s workshop while he took a lead in the mechanical work while Andy tackled the body preparation and paintwork. The first job was to send the bodyshell to ZCars so that the firm could modify the engine cradle kit to fit the Minus. Compared with a regular Mini, it’s about 3in shorter from floor to waistline. Andy also sourced his Suzuki GSXR1000 motor from ZCars, and the whole lot was delivered to Pete’s workshop. The logistics of the build caused Andy a lot of commuting miles as he lives in Potters Bar and Pete is based in Bedford. On Bank Holiday weekends, it wasn’t unheard of for Andy to drive to and from the workshop for four days running! While Pete got on with the mechanical and electrical side of the build, Andy set to work on preparing and painting the
With carpets and sound deadening, this is probably the most plush bike engined car we’ve come across.
body. For some reason, the body had been painted in Hammerite by a previous owner, so that needed removing before Andy could begin the process of preparing the panels for paint. That was time consuming enough, but there were modifications he wanted to make too. The rear lights looked too low, so he fibreglassed in the holes and cut new ones where he wanted them. He also filled in all the holes in the front bulkhead which were there for standard Mini components. Remember, Minuses usually have A-series engines in the front, not
bike engines in the back. The doors were another timeconsuming aspect of getting the bodywork right. Andy ditched the standard steel doors in favour of lighter GRP ones, but they were only available in the size for a standard Mini body. A portion had to be cut off the bottom before the corners were rounded to fit the apertures in the main body tub. After lots of trial and error and careful adjustment, Andy achieved the result you see today. Patience and care is what separates the best kit cars from the also-rans. Those bonnet stripes aren’t vinyl, they’ve been painted on. And you won’t feel an edge where the white paint ends – it has all been levelled with the red paint. You’ll also notice that the stripe is the same width as the fuel filler cap that discreetly sits in line with it. Details like that can be found everywhere. The exhaust tail pipe protrudes from the rear bodywork on a complex curve, yet the hole cut for it is perfectly round. The aim was to give the
ZCARS: MAKER OF MAD MOTORS How do you summarise ZCars? It’s virtually impossible. We first met headman Chris Allanson when he built a twin motorcycle engined Westfield back in 2000. That was followed by an official deal with Tiger Racing to create the record-breaking Z100 (right) and, from there on, there has been an endless stream of extreme projects coming from ZCars’ Yorkshire workshops. Today, the firm operates from a purpose-built facility that’s always full of projects. In addition to kits for steel bodied mid-engined Minis, the company also offers the Monte Carlo, which is its true kit car – despite being Mini shaped, it features ZCars’ own spaceframe chassis and a GRP body. Aside from that, there’s a universal mid-engined frame that can be fitted to almost any production hatchback, and the company has built a number of one-off projects. Notable ones include a TVR that used the engine and four-wheel drive running gear
92 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
from a Nissan Skyline, a replica of the Batmobile (bottom left) and a twin bike engined Ultima (below). There’s almost nothing ZCars can’t turn its hand to. In addition, the company can offer a range of services to kit car owners, including fabrication, build work and a rolling road. ZCars, Gallows Farm, Hull Road, Aldbrough, East Yorkshire HU11 4RE. T: 01964 527725. E: sales@zcars.org.uk W: www.zcars.org.uk
090-095 Mini Minus.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
car as smooth a look as possible. For that reason, there are no bonnet pins. Both the bootlid and bonnet are released on Renault Clio cables, giving the car a production feel. Andy’s car initially looks very subtle, making it even more of a joy to look
11:31
Page 93
around to see the details that have taken time to get right. That’s exactly how he wanted it. “I didn’t want to lose the look of the original Mini. I wanted it to resemble my Cooper as much as possible.” It’s a policy that has worked: while I take photos of the car, it’s impossible to think
Builder Andy Farmer wanted his car to look as much like a regular Mini Cooper as possible. He’s succeeded so much, it’s hard to think of it as a kit car!
of the Minus as a kit car when it’s giving off such overt Mini vibes. It makes for the ideal Q-car, as the driver of a brand new BMW M3 found out. Side by side at the traffic lights, he asked whether the back seats had been removed to save weight. A mile or so later, he was
MINUS CARS While Andy Farmer used a second-hand Minus bodyshell for his build, those looking to follow in his footsteps will be pleased to know that Minus bodies are still available. Minus Cars offers three models – Standard, Pick-up and Race. The Standard car is the equivalent of Andy’s car, and is designed to accept standard Mini components. The advantage of the car over a standard Mini is its rust-free bodyshell and the lowered body. “Gone are the external body seams, worries about creeping rust and finding
puddles of water in the footwells,” says the company’s website. The shell costs £2500 with the doors, boot lid and bonnet being offered separately. The Pick-up is similar in concept, but obviously offering a different body style which could be used as a promotional vehicle. Even so, it can be based on a Mini saloon donor. Compared to an ordinary Mini pick-up, the Minus has a lowered luggage compartment and the cabin has been lenghtened by 2in to provide greater cockpit space. The Pick-up bodyshell is priced at £3000.
Finally, the Race is a completely different proposition. It has a tubular spaceframe chassis beneath its lightweight GRP body. The car pictured uses a mid-mounted Suzuki GSXR1000 engine, but each one is designed bespoke to the customer’s needs. Contact the firm at Minus Cars, 14 Main Street, Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire. T: 07803 189110. W: www.minus-cars.com
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 93
090-095 Mini Minus.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
READER’S CAR
probably wondering why his V8 Beemer couldn’t keep up with an old Mini. Part of Andy’s choice of the GSXR engine was because it’s not as tall as some more powerful units like the Hayabusa. With the Minus’s lower waistline, he didn’t want the engine protruding too high into the glasshouse area. The engine itself is managed by a Power Commander and the car also benefits from a Trickshifter which allows full-throttle, clutchless upshifts. On Northampton Motorsport’s rolling road, it showed a figure of 160bhp. As Andy demonstrated when he took me for a spin as a passenger, it’s enough to make the mid-engined Mini impressively quick. I had a Mini as my
11:31
Page 94
Andy Farmer’s ZCars Minus
Not much to see under front bonnet or in the ‘boot’!
Minilites keep
DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT HERITAGE CENTRE We don’t often have such interesting photo locations as we did for this feature. The De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre is home to a number of planes, from early wood and fabric DH Moths to modern military and civil jets. The core of the collection is the unique Mosquito prototype, and there’s also a collection of aero engines, propellers, missiles and rockets. There’s plenty of work in progress – during our visit, one old plane was being restored with the objective of getting it back in the air – and visitors are encouranged to get up close to the exhibits. Staff are always on hand to answer questions and offer demonstrations. It struck us as the ideal destination for an owners’ club outing, and there are special entry
price rates for parties of 15 or more people. It’s located close to J22 of the M25 and open from the first Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre, PO Box, 107, Salisbury Hall, London Colney, Hertfordshire AL2 1EX. T: 01727 822051. W: www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk
first car and Andy’s upright driving position, hunched over the near horizontal steering wheel, immediately brought back memories. The environment feels very Mini – right up until the moment the buzzy bike engine fires up behind the two seats and fires the car down the road. The view through the upright windscreen of this 988cc Minus blurs a lot more than it ever did in my 998cc Mayfair! The big surprise, though, it that it’s no less refined. Andy didn’t want this to be your typical hardcore bike engined car. Consequently, it’s fully carpeted, has
rooflining and lots of sound-deadening to mute the bike engine. Add the large twin silencers (fitted to keep the SVA inspector happy) and you have a car in which you can converse without raised voices at 65mph. “If you had a reasonable commute without too much traffic, you could use it every day,” says Andy. And he’s right, it really is that habitable. Once you’re installed in the bucket seats (Cobra Imola S seats are the largest that would fit), it’s a comfortable place to spend time. Indeed, Andy’s girlfriend Sarah often falls asleep in the car – perhaps that’s why
appearance traditional. Air intake in side window.
ANDY FARMER’S ZCARS MINI MINUS Engine: Suzuki GSXR1000, ZCars silencer, home made pipes, Power Commander, Trickshifter, produces 160bhp. Gearbox: Suzuki 6-speed sequential. Suspension: Front – Double wishbones, Protech shock absorbers. Rear – Double wishbones, Protech shock absorbers. Brakes: Front – Wilwood discs, 4-pot calipers. Rear – Volvo discs, Ford Sierra calipers. Wheels/tyres: 13inby 7in Superlites, Yokohama A048R tyres. Interior: Cobra Imola S seats, Stack dash, toggle switches, full carpet and headlining, rollcage, Sparco 4-point belts. Exterior: Mini Minus bodywork, smooth bootlid, wide arches, carbon F1 mirrors, painted bonnet stripes, Aero filler cap.
94 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
090-095 Mini Minus.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
I BUILT THIS...
Name: Andy Farmer Age: 30 Occupation: Spray painter Favourite tool?: Spray gun Best thing about your car: Its looks Worth thing about your car: The lack of heater in the winter! Best bargain: The Trickshifter Favourite supplier: ZCars First car: A Ford Escort Combi van Fastest car you’ve been in: The Mini Minus Favourite TV programme: Top Gear Favourite film: The Italian Job Thanks to: Peter White for the best part of the build, and his wife for all the coffee and rolls.
11:31
Page 95
the numberplate she bought for his 30th birthday includes the hypnagogic “ZZZ”. Since getting the car on the road, Andy has used it for numerous runs to shows and whenever the weather’s clear for evening drives after work. The Ace Café isn’t very far from his home, so he often goes to the Modern Mini Meet. It’s a more relaxed affair than the occasion he went to a Ford meeting there and winced while somebody performed donuts near his parked Minus! He has also been quarter-mileing at Santa Pod and Avon Park, with a best time of 13.6sec and terminal speed of 105mph. For 2011, track days beckon so that he can learn how the car behaves in corners when pushed to the limit. What comes across, though, is that Andy is delighted with the car he and Pete have built. The detailing is fantastic, the performance can embarrass a lot of more expensive machinery – and there’s no rust!
Stack instruments.
Cobra
seats the largest that would comfortably fit in the car.
Filler cap
neatly integrated with painted stripe. Exhaust is another neat detail.
Total build
cost was around £22k.
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 95
096-097 Classified:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:33
Page 96
SELLING YOUR CAR IS EASY WITH CKC
Cars For Sale
classifieds
1 Choose the ad format you would like from the options below 2 Write 30 words to best describe your car 3 Choose a great photo – either digital or print 4 Fill out the form online, call us, e-mail us or write out your ad and payment details (if applicable) and post it to us. Cheques payable to Performance Publishing Ltd
ADVERTISE YOUR CAR FOR FREE! LINEAGE NO PICTURE Only £10 – for three months SYLVA STRIKER 1300 full race Crossflow, big valve head, lightened and balanced, twin 40s, Phil Jones RS2000 close ratio 4-speed box
DONOR CARS, WANTED, PARTS & MISC. ITEMS
FREE 1 MONTH INSERTION WEBSITE EXTRA
FOR ONLY £15 MORE!
REGULAR
PLACE THIS AD FOR ONE MONTH FREE*
Graham Sykes Insurance
or run it for three months for just £25
0870 444 6320
FREE OR £25 FOR THREE MONTHS
Midas to Cobra
No. 1 to be with!
* HERE’S HOW IT WORKS... You can place a regular classified box advert subject to space availability for one month absolutely FREE (non-trade advertisers only). This option runs for one month only, and you cannot readvertise for free until two further issues have elapsed. Alternatively, you can pay for your advert and it will run for three consecutive issues, providing you with consistent coverage. E-MAIL: adam@performancepublishing.co.uk ONLINE: www.completekitcar.co.uk PHONE: 01795 520877 POST: Complete Kit Car Classifieds, 57 London Road, Teynham, Kent ME9 9QW. (Cheques payable to Performance Publishing Ltd) KIT CARS ROBIN HOOD 2B SVA April 2005, green/stainless, 2-litre Pinto with rebuilt unleaded head plus new water pump, alternator and coil. Hood and tonneau, five tyres almost new, £4250. T: 07814 085824 (West Yorkshire).
DONOR CARS
WESTFIELD NARROW BODIED SCREEN ASSEMBLY £60. RS2000 baffled alloy sump, £100. T: 01380 729033 (Devizes – collection only).
RON CHAMPION LOCOST CHASSIS Very well built as far as I can see. T: Huw – 07870 264391 or 01497 851645 (Herefordshire).
WESTFIELD ALUMINIUM EXHAUST COVER Unused, £40. Stainless steel silencer, unused £45, two Norma stainless steel exhaust clamps, 47mm to 51mm, £5 each. T: 01983 613208 (Isle of Wight).
PARTS FOR SALE
PART BUILT CARS
‘FROGEYE’ REPLICA Banham Sprint. Are you rebuilding, repairing or wishing to start a Sprint? Buy my body kit and separate chassis kit for £1200. T: 01947 841177 (Teeside).
ROBIN HOOD Lotus Seven style kit, unfinished project, 80 per cent complete, 1600cc Ford Crossflow engine, £1500. T: 01375 403201 (Essex).
WESTFIELD EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD Brand new, £40. Decibel meter, only used for IVA, cost £35 will take £20. T: 01983 613208.
DAX COBRA BODY AND CHASSIS Ford 302 V8, Borgwarner T5 gearbox, E-type limited slip diff, 60 per cent complete, unpainted replica Halibrand wheels with Goodyear tyres. Will consider part exchange, £3495. T: 07808 927690. E: mandbford@talktalk.net (Oxfordshire). GINETTA G26 PROJECT Rolling chassis, correctly registered on a Q-plate, stripped ready for rebuild and respray, galvanised chassis, original build manuals, no engine or box, £500. T: 01522 809905 (Lincolnshire).
Up to £2000
ROBIN HOOD 2B All stainless rolling chassis, bodywork near complete, carbon fibre nose and mudguards, single donor Sierra, 2-litre Pinto. Everything to finish, £1500 ono. T: 01424 736328 (East Sussex). YKC JULIETTA 60 per cent complete, all wheels on, engine and gearbox in. 2-litre Sierra engine, 14in alloys. Body panels, trim, carpets and seats included to finish, £2500. T: 01803 528486 (Devon).
ROVER V8 SPARES TR7/TR8 rear axle front drive flange (for SD1 axle conversion) £15. P5B/P6/MGBGTV8 (points) distributor cap £50. ‘Flapper’ air flow meter, Bosch 0 280 202007 £50. EFI resistor pack £30. SD1 flywheel £150. Lucas 3M100 starter motor £50. LT77 gearchange extension/gearlever £60. Photos from rwpictures@hotmail.co.uk (East Sussex).
TWO ROVER V8 HEADS PLUS MANIFOLDS Plus SU carburettors. MGB lined brake shoes, asbestos free, £50 the lot. T: 01903 539521 (West Sussex).
ROVER 3.5 V8 Carbed, 4-speed auto gearbox, good runner, £300. T: 01323 461581 or 07708 616856. 2-LITRE ZETEC Ex-Fiesta 125bhp model, under 5000 miles. Sump off to inspect, change of formula reason for sale. T: 01202 874957 or 07966 264876. 1700CC CROSSFLOW 711M block, balanced, modified cylinder head, new Kent cam, twin 40s on inlet, new distributor etc, 130bhp. Professionally built, £2350. T: 01202 874957 or 07966 264876.
WANTED HUSTLER HIGHLANDER 6X6 Looking for Hustler Highlander 6x6, based on Range Rover and uses Jaguar XJ engine. Believe only eight made, grateful for leads or information. E: mgroves68@hotmail.co.uk
MISCELLANEOUS DAX BUILD MANUAL Edition 3, 1989 in good condition, £10. T: 020 8651 5711.
PAIR OF FORD CORTINA UPRIGHTS Hubs, discs and calipers complete with pads and Goodridge brake pipes. All only done 3000 miles, £165. T: 01305 834994 (Dorset).
CKC Advertisers Terms & Conditions
TEAM DYNAMICS MOTORSPORT WHEELS And tyres 195x45R15, two tyres new, £300. T: 01566 86004 (eves) (Cornwall).
www.completekitcar.co.uk/adtermsandconditions
PAIR CORBEAU SEATS Recliners, blue and black complete with runners etc, £250 the pair. T: 01566 86004 (eves) (Cornwall)
Our full terms and conditions can be found online at For further details please call: 01903
236268
All advertising purchase is done so in accordance with English Law
Absolutely Kit Cars Always a good selection available Kit cars always wanted Tel: 01702 231319 or (m) 07710 266882 (Essex area) See current stock and details at www.absolutelykitcars.co.uk
cars for sale
Up to £2000
TOYOTA MR2 ROADSTER 2000 model, 42,000 miles, air con, leather interior, hardtop, twin exhausts, FSH, new alloys, MoT August 2011, great condition, perfect DNA Ferrari donor, £4900. T: 07986 791279 (Sussex).
FISHER FURY IRS rolling chassis, powdercoated, brakes, fuel tank, 2-litre Zetec, 5-speed, diff, driveshafts, bits, £4750 spent, best offer over £1850. T: Matt – 07883 296502 (Gloucestershire).
96 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
UNFINISHED TIGER AVON Unfinished project, 2-litre Pinto and Sierra running gear, at rolling chassis stage. Almost everything to complete. Please phone for more info, £2000. T: 07882 121238 (Ceredigion). F0211
096-097 Classified:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:33
Page 97
LOCOST
FISHER FURY
£5001 to £10,000
MERLIN IRS 2+2 CONVERTIBLE 1.4 twin-cam Rover injection. Blue, Le Mans style bonnet, fully fitted interior, MoT May 2011, tax September 2011, £5500 ovno. T: Neil – 01708 225913 or 07980 381223 (Essex).
F0211
Midas to Cobra
Bought in 1992 and registered January 1995. MoT March 2011, good to drive now or improve. Body: multi-layer GRP resin. Engine: Fully rebuilt 2-litre Pinto. All history available. Poor health forces sale. T: 07770 533499 (Essex).
X0111
TIGER CAT 2004, 3050 miles, built to a high standard, 2-litre Pinto, 5-speed gearbox. Discs all-round, XR4x4 LSD, four good tyres. MoT October 2011. T: 07879 660365 (Northamptonshire).
X0311
Graham Sykes Insurance 0870 444 6320
£2001 to £5000
cars for sale
cars for sale
£2001 to £10,000
Aluminium bodied, 1600cc Mexico engine, only 50 miles. Minor details need finishing, no IVA but has a year’s MoT. Oil catcher, painted black, Ripspeed wheels, 225-section tyres on rear, new clutch, detachable steering wheel, VDO dials. Cream piped seats, no expense spared, £3,900. T: 01692 405411 or 07825 448853 (Norfolk).
No. 1 to be with!
KIT CAR BUSINESS MEV R2 project including moulds, jigs, drawings, chassis, body etc. Nearly everything to complete a demo car build including all new Gaz shocks, Wilwoods, LCD dash etc. Ford Focus donor included. £Offers. Selling due to emigration. T: Adie – 01522 859259 or 07523 495450. E: on.track@ntlworld.com
cars for sale
£10,001 and Above
ROYALE SABRE
MOTALEIRA
1999, metallic green with black leather, V6 2.8-litre injection, 5000 miles only. Never driven in rain, exceptional condition throughout, £11,000. T: 020 8651 5711. E: syzygy66@tiscali.co.uk (Surrey).
One-off, featured CKC October 2009. Yamaha R1 engine, Power Commander, Flatshifter, Vapor instruments. viscous LSD, electric reverse, Wilwood brakes, £22,000 spent. Covered under 1500 miles, £14,495. T: 07976 522049.
F0111
F0211
X0211
TIGER CAT XL
COBRA VIPER
2-litre Zetec, 2006 factory built car, only 1500 miles. Full weather gear and tonneau, owned by myself from new. Beautiful condition, MoT May 2011, tax April 2011. Ready to enjoy at £7000. T: 01536 762788 (Northamptonshire).
3.5-litre Rover V8, dressed engine/bay, black leather interior, black carpets, cat 3 alarm, Smiths guages, full weather gear including sidescreens, never raced. Perfect condition, SVA’d 2003. Private plate not included, £14,950. T: 07545 207954 (Somerset).
X0111
X0111
BEAUFORD TOURER
Sierra running gear, 5-litre Mustang engine. Car built in 2001, beige leather trim, blue wet weather gear, MP3 CD stereo. Chrome bumper kit not fitted, baby forces sale, £15,000. T: Greg – 07951 764147.
X0311
Graham Sykes Insurance 0870 444 6320
Two-door, four-seater, soft-top. Rover V8 3.5-litre, new brakes, wheels and tyres. Spares included – wheels, tyres, engine parts etc, more pictures available by e-mail. £13,500. T: 01697 473615 or 07815 565881. E: richard.elton@ btinternet.com (Gateshead area).
DAX RUSH MC Fireblade engine, super lightweight chassis, camber compensation front, De Dion rear. 2007, all fibreglass panels in Jaguar racing green with bare aluminium. 2300 miles, Audi 17in wheels, Quaife reverse box. Dry miles, no track use, £15,500. T: 07783 895394 (Norfolk). F0111
LAMBORGHINI DIABLO SV
X0211
LOTUS LOOKALIKE FORD SPECIAL
Factory built replica, Parallel Designs V12, registered May 2009. SmarTrack and Clifford G5 alarm, hands-free phone, air conditioning, ABS, Brembo brakes, £48,000 ono. T: 07713 117805. E: harry@wells.uk.com (Yorkshire).
Ford Crossflow 1300 doonor, long MoT, engieer’s report. Aluminium and fibreglass body, 15in wheels, period registration, any trial. Featured in magazine, £12,000 ono.
X0211
X0111
No. 1 to be with!
FEBRUARY 2011
www.completekitcar.co.uk 97
E: jscottdavies51@msn.com (Surrey).
£10,001 & Above
Midas to Cobra
F0111
PILGRIM SUMO
DAX 427 Black, silver stripes, black carpet, 18in Halibrand alloys. De Dion chassis, Chevy V8 stroked to 6.3-litre, Holley carb, 450bho, 480lb ft. Fully dressed engine bay. T: Total Headturners – 01992 573564 or 07711 630348 (T).
098 30 Days.qxd:Layout 1
21/12/10
11:34
Page 98
30 DAYS Adam Wilkins recounts the highs and lows from the past month. He likes to pretend it’s all work, but really it’s just one party.
MONDAY 6TH: The next CKC build series gets under way! Having completed his Haynes Roadster, Ashley is looking for another excuse to get into the garage and is going to build a MEV Exocet. The idea is to assemble it absolutely as cheaply as possible and see how close he can get to MEV’s £2000 claim. The eBay MX-5 donor was located closer to Ian’s house, so he picked it up. Since Ash doesn’t live far from me, I went to lend a hand when it was unloaded. Looks like £800 well spent with plenty of decent spares that can be sold off...
SUNDAY 12TH: Zipped out for an early morning Southern Kit Car Club run. The cold weather limited numbers a little – there was Mark Greenwood in his Tiger, Richard Gilbert with his Locost and me. At our motorway service rendezvous point, we were outnumbered by a group of around 20 Lotus Elises. At least some of them had removed their roofs, but with their heaters and stereos, they were missing out on real contact with the brisk morning air.
MONDAY 13TH: “It was that big,” says James to a captivated CKC posse at our Christmas party (bottom pic). Ash also managed to snap Ian looking bored – which is some feat at a comedy club. These are just a couple of the pics to have surfaced and done the rounds on e-mail today from last month’s sortie. The rest, for one reason or another, weren’t really fit for publication.
WEDNESDAY 8TH: Just to prove that I wasn’t exaggerating about the amount of ice at Bruntingthorpe, I went to the back straight in the Mondeo to get this photo. I want it on record that I was in no way tempted to pull the handbrake on the entrance to the chicane.
98 www.completekitcar.co.uk
FEBRUARY 2011
WEDNESDAY 15TH: I have a peculiar penchant for numerical neatness. The volume on the car stereo, for instance, always has to be on an even number and telephone numbers with the spaces in the wrong places make me uneasy. When the Riot reached 10,035 miles at the end of 2009, it meant that I had to reach 20,000 before the end of 2010. With ten days to go until Christmas, I managed to reach the target. It annoys me that I didn’t get a photo when the odometer had its full complement of zeros though; I’ll have to make sure I capture it at 30,000, which I’ll try to time for December 2011.
TUESDAY 21ST: Our stalwart graphic designers rarely get the recognition they deserve for the many hours they spend staring into Mac screens getting the pages of CKC looking just so. For the last couple of years, the task has been handled by the double act of Richard and James – but this issue marks the final sign-off for the former. We’ll miss his assertions that (almost) all kit cars just look like go-karts and the moans every time James’s beloved Radio 2 plays something by Niel Diamond. It’s been good having you around, Rich.
099 Kit Build Services Directory:CKC Cover copy
YOUR LOCAL...
5/1/11
09:23
Page 57
Kit Build Services
Kit Build Services Directory If you are struggling to finish a kit, need a little help overcoming a certain stage, or just want a car built from scratch, here are the companies that can help.
Inverness
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
WEST YORKSHIRE Glasgow
BIRCH BROTHERS Brighouse & Denholme Road, Queensbury, Bradford, BD13 1NA.
Edinburgh
ASR Unit 15, Bailey Brook Business Park, Amber Drive, Langleymill, Nottinghamshire. NG16 4BE.
OXFORSHIRE
Hull
Leeds
Manchester
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
BAMD LTD Unit 5, Waters Lane Business Park, Waters Lane, Middleton Cheney, Oxfordshire, OX17 2NA.
KIT FINISHERS Uppings Farm, Aylesbury Road, Buckinghamshire, HP22 4DR.
Derby
T: 01295 710 694 M: 07877 936 676 E: bamd@live.co.uk W: www.bamdltd.com
Birmingham
Cardiff
Reading
Cambridge
M: 07884 284 135 E: springlake@fsmail.net W: www.kitfinishers.co.uk
Oxford
Swansea
London
Brighton
OXFORDSHIRE
ARDEN AUTOMOTIVE LTD. 5 The Cobden Centre, Hawksworth, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 7HL. T: 01235 813 331 E: contact@ardenautomotive.co.uk W: www.ardenautomotive.co.uk
T: 01773 719287 E: mark@kitcar.me.uk W: www.kitcar.me.uk
Newscastle Belfast
T: 01274 834921 E: info@birchbros.org.uk W: www.birchbros.org.uk
BUILDING A KIT should be an enjoyable hobby. OK, there may be some head-scratching along the way, but the process should be a rewarding one. But sometimes circumstances change and a project can lay dormant in the garage for months or even years. That's when it may be time to call in professional help to get the job done so you can enjoy the car you always promised yourself. All of the companies listed here can take on a part-built project and bring it to completion, overseeing IVA and all the other issues surrounding getting a car roadworthy. Most will also be happy to quote for specific jobs, be that trimming, a mechanical overhaul, or perhaps installing the electrics. Finally, if you fancy commissioning a car to be built from scratch... you know where to go.
ESSEX
THUNDER ROAD CARS Peacocks, Avey Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 3QJ.
Plymouth
HAMPSHIRE
EAST SUSSEX
SOUTHWAYS AUTOMOTIVE Unit C, Plot 5, Fort Fareham Industrial Estate, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1AH.
SUSSEX KITCARS Chiddingly Road, Horam, Heathfield, East Sussex, TN21 0JJ.
T: 01329 220 755 E: info@southwaysautomotive.co.uk W: www.southwaysautomotive.co.uk
T (day): 01435 812 706 T (eve): 01424 424 506 E: john@sussexkitcars.co.uk
T: 0208 502 4090 E: thunder.roadcars@btinternet.com W: www.thunderroadcars.com
Subscribe today and get the CKC membership card and receive discounts to many kit car services. www.completekitcar.co.uk
100_CKC_FEB_11:CKC_JAN_11
4/1/11
15:52
Page 100
Hawk Cars
the collection..
. .a motoring icon may be closer to reality than you ever thought
F.I.A
Official Build Agents for Hawk Cars www.talonsportscars.com E: enquiries@talonsportscars.com T: 01509 842740
HF 2000/3000
427
For the ultimate in authenticity, quality & engineering integrity All parts available for original 289 & 427 cars
289
Workshop
Supplier of coffin spoke and FIA Mk2 & Mk3 427 wheels
Tel: 01892 750341 / 750282 Oakdene, Riverhall Hill, Frant, East Sussex TN3 9EP
gerry@hawkcars.co.uk www.hawkcars.co.uk