Graham had an eventful day today. I popped over to Harewood to watch him practice and then have his two bites of the cherry proper. Ill let Graham give his run down on how the day went, after all, its him who is doing the racing.

By the way Graham, it was really nice to meet you and I enjoyed the day thoroughly.

Andy

 

"eventful day" ?????

gearbox ?

 

No, nothing like that, car ran faultlessly from what I could tell. Lets say it was a steep learning curve! Please excuse then pun-hill climbling and all that.

Andy

 

ok

 

What a weekend!
Barbon is just a fab venue (nice meeting you too Andy!) and the car ran fab too.
Very deceptive to drive, but just such a great venue.
Came 1st in class, not hard as only 2 in the class, but 4 points added to the Champ tally.
The car was so stable, but the turbo lagg got in the way a bit, I need to drive it harder.
Andy took some video, so might just offer a 'viewing' on here.
Just got back from Harewood...a very serious track, and met some more Snetters, nice to see some faces to the 'names'.

Fell off the track twice trying too hard (and being a pratt) but the car is made for this track, really nice, pity about the driver....
TVR's were 'easy', the Audi Quattro was 4 secs faster, but the stunner was a Harewood instructor cutting a time a full 7 seconds quicker in a full hill climb spec E Type Jag.....51 secs in that car is so impressive.
The EVO's were there and mighty quick, but only by about 1.5 secs...there's hope yet.

400 raod mile over the weekend is hard going in this car, but got 25 mpg on the motorways.

Time for a bottle of Red

Some pics for you all:
A snoozy Barbon Manor




Harewood is different:





600 ish bhp...


Carlos: Box still ok, but I do have my doubts to be honest, but I'm not bothered, if it pops then will fit a 6 speeder.

Graham

 

Where did you fall off, before or after the farm house?

Mark

 

I hadnt realised that Graham had not raced at Harewood before. I think his first practice was a bit of a baptism of fire . He said he arrived late and wasnt able to walk the course. Viewing from the hillside it didnt look too bad but he said that put a couple of wheels on the grass at the blind 90 degree left after the bottom loop bend.

The second moment came on his second full timed run when he was trying to better his best time. Leaving the bottom bend, the back end stepped out, forcing him to back off the throttle and thus losing valuable momentum and time.

Graham, I dont know how long you stayed after I left you, but I watched the 205 and citroen AX brigade from my car just before I left. I was very impressed with the AX ( which looked like a chav mobile). It posted a time just less than a second behind you. It just shows, never judge a book by it cover.

Andy

 

Just as andy said above, Harewood is a serious hill climb venue and you can get into all ammounts of trouble....
I've seen the AX before, and light weight and keeping momentum is mighty effective, just look at that E Type.
Quicker than all the EVO's, the Audi and me..

got it all going yet Mark?

Graham.

 

Graham,

Good to have met you at Barbon, just got back to the office and will be back home tonight. I'll transfere the video to the computer and see how big the files end up, then I'll try and sort something out so people can see them.
Fantastic day all round although the bloke with the Peugeot may disagree.

Shame I didn't gte chance to say bye and wish you luck at Harewood but it's quite a trek back down after the top 10 run off finished. Then as I got to my car saw you leave about 4 infront of me!!

Steve

 

Thanks Steve!
The Peugoet guy is all ok, the car's a write-off, but he is thinking of an Impreza!
Harewood was hairy and a bit lurid, but I will be back....

Regards, Graham.

 

I got the Peugeots little moment on video too. He got out to a round of applaudes.

He may have been a little shaken but luckily it's a very slow corner. The roll on his second run seemed inevitable as he nearly did it on the first run (both the inside 2 wheels about 2ft in the air but he got it down again).

 

you see, blue wheels! i think you need to move up a class Graham

 

Yes, but that is some kind of Yellow!
Graham.

 

Graham, did you manage to get a photo of the shattered EVO gearbox which came out of that yellow EVO the day before.

 

No, but food for thought. Just hope mine won't end up like that one did!

For others: There was a competing EVO6 well tweeked that shreaded it's gearbox very big time, the gear set, all the casings and the diff all ready to be melted down to scrap.
Nothing was salvagable.

Graham.

 

What they stripped it down at the meeting?

Graham made some progress this Sunday and will start the engine install next week

Mark A

 

Out of interest is that the E type next to the Audi, if so I think I have pictures of this car when I attend Harewood in the 80s !! ( I was obviously in my pushchair)

 

Hi Mark

From the note next to the gearbox, it looked like it went bang the day before( saturday). The casing looked like someone had taken a sledge hammer to it. The casing was fractured into two large pieces and one smaller one. The main shaft that entered the gear box from the clutch had a main gear on it, this had a huge chunk missing from it and the interconnecting gears all had large sections of teeth missing.

It must have gone with a hell of a bang!!

Andy

 

I think the gearbox removed itself from the engine/car....
Yes, that is the E Type you speak of. There is some doubt about the timing as it was too fast for the class and the other strong runners, ie the AUDI and those evil EVO's are hardened experts.
Still, dosn't change anything for me.
4 Championship points for both days

This can't last much longer..

Graham.

 

This sounds like fun Graham. I may have to come and watch some time

F

 

Graham, your reputation is growing, before long you could have a small crowd following you around the hill climb circuit.



STi pit crew, just think no more lifting of spare wheels in and out of the car and if the unthinkable happens, gearbox! get it changed in 15 mins at the track side.



Andy

 

[QUOTE=andy97]Graham, your reputation is growing, before long you could have a small crowd following you around the hill climb circuit.

etc., etc.,

Just think 911 groupies hanging round outside your house all day and night. Paparazzi waiting for you outside KFC on Friday night!!

AaaaH The benefits of fame!

David APi Engines / APi Impreza
www.apiengines.com

 

[QUOTE=APIDavid]

 

Yes, all good fun, actually what the Hill climbing is meant to be about!

The effort to do the car with all the help and encouragement from the Snet is paying off.
The whole reason for the car is to win the class in the Championship and those who do/have raced will understand this all too well.
Luck has a lot to do with it, but the recent effort on the engine has paid off big-time, but the other participants in the class do have 'weaker' cars, so this is to my advantages.
Already planning Phase 4 for the winter coming, but this will cost about another £3K and the rebuild of the bathroom and redecorating the bedroom too....

Phase 4? Gearbox and slicks. Simple, but WHICH box? (Phase 5 = 2.33/2.5)

Graham

 

Do you use 5th much on hill climbs? If not then one option is the PPG gearset 1-4 and keep 5th std for your sanity driving to events. The others can be straight cut or heli, synchro or dog. Lots of options that way

 

dont bother with a 6spd IMHO.

5spd Dog.

 

You can't (reasonably) drive a 5 speed dog box 3000 miles a year...

Lots of return home drives from events are in Bank Holiday traffic, clunk crash all the time would certainly drive me mad(er)
As you know David, my memory is not too sharp, this would blunten it even more

The PAR does though offer a 'semi helical' synchro kit I think?
I'm scared to trust memory now, but didn't John B have a gearset failure, Harvey too?

The 6 speed has it all:
I know where you can get the box/diff/prop/links/X members etc for £1400 delivered
I know I can do the job
I know I could fit a 250mm paddle clutch to the bigger flywheel etc.

At 400x400 there have been no failure reports (?)

The option is a V6 Sti/Type R box (mine is an Sti v3) for £600 with a 4:444 diff
The Par/Possum Borne options are far more expensive, would need servicing, I can't fit it, and would take ages to get/have fitted in comparison.
A bullet proof Modena from TEG is £4.5K plus......
I could have a 6 speeder and a 2.5 short engine for that! (and buy the Avon slicks)

I would rather find myself in this position in October when the season is over, but I am thrashing the box off the startline/downchanges ATM so not too helpful.

I need a sponsor!

Graham.

 

drove a 5spd dog with syncro at the weekend, not as bad as everyone makes out 4th & 5th were helical so like standard on motorway/a roads

 

Graham
The PPG kits can be supplied with a mix and match of straight and helically cut gears plus you use the standard 5th gear so motorway cruise is fine.
I'm tyring to import a kit, going for 1-2 straight cut (where the box gets most of the abuse) and 3-4 helical all with syncro's. Will let you know what i think if it all comes off.

Dan.

 

Danny, that exactly the way I'm thinking of going, but undecided about the s/c 1-2, being a daily driver.

Would be interested to know how you get on, including costs.