Alan Jeffery

I truly have no idea how many individual cars I've run up on a dyno. I started in 1977 and I've been doing it daily ever since. I wouldn't be surprised at 75,000 plus.
Actual incidents have been very few, considering the potential of a car engine running in a confined space.
I've only been scared a couple of times, having sort of got used to it by now.

This one had us a treat this week!

Mk 3 Cortina 1.6 Crossflow.



Butter wouldn't melt in its mouth. Dear little car, 75bhp tops.
What could go wrong?



I fitted the electronic distributor the guy brought with him, and popped the car on the dyno for a timing swing. Piece of cake. Hand gripping the dizzy, Martyn's running it up, and I'm going for minimum best timing as a base line (maximum power, minimum advance, got to be good).
My eye is on the display on the screen, everything is sweet, Martyn is cool in the driver's seat, we're a well oiled machine at this one, a nice steaming cuppa is on the cards in the next five minutes.

All of a sudden, BANG BANG BANG BANG from underneath, the whole car shook violently, and you'd never heard a noise like it. Martyn went pale, I subconsiously backed off a foot or so and fell off the dyno bed. By the time Martyn had got the brake pedal sorted, the noise had stopped!

WHAT THE Fekk was that? Glancing underneath gave us the answer..



Propshaft gone adrift! It had broken away at the front and beat the hell out of the dyno bed, car and gearbox, oil dripping all over.

Quick 'phone call ..
"Hi there! about the Cortina, er, did you do anything with the propshaft?"

"Yes! I welded the front end on as I'd fitted a five speed box." "Was everything ok?"

Oh, sure, apart from the welding!!"
I then informed him that he's a lucky boy as that failure on the road could have flipped him end over end.. not to mention me on road test..

It just goes to show. I've had everything on the dyno including V8 Trikes and Quad bikes, Single seaters, Formula One stock cars, Yank Tanks, Ferraris and Bentleys with aero engines, and we're damn near killed by a Cortina..

Peedee

iTrader: (4)

Which would you say was the most memorable car you've had and for what reason??!!!!!

Alan Jeffery

That's a tough one!
I suppose it could be any car I didn't want to give back, or one or two I couldn't wait to get rid of.

I'll go for the first car that really impressed me. 1965 Sunbeam Tiger.
I'd driven a few already, but this one was special. It was owned by a Swede who really knew what he was doing. 302 motor, beautifully built and just needed setting up. It sounded amazing, and left black lines just anywhere you felt like. A perfect Summer day for road testing.
I could have hidden the car and killed the Swede. I'd be out by now.
Sigh...

jazzyjembreaze

iTrader: (11)

Very lucky the bed prob stopped it exiting sideways & taking your legs with it .
On a strange co
Fords European chief designer Paul wraith has been given the job of re inventing the cortina & bringing the (car & name ) back for the 21st century
Over 50 years since its 1962 launch
Good effort I say

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

And there's me thinking you were going to get zapped by a dodgy HT lead



(yes I had that happen...makes the chest tingle a bit )

dpb

Has he bought a new welder lol

Tony Harrington

iTrader: (8)

Could have been so so nasty that one Alan. You didn't mention that you had 'THE SCOOTER' on there! Could do with a pic for my desktop

tarmac terror

iTrader: (2)

Glad to hear no one was hurt.

PS - Your Union Flag is upside down!!!

Alan Jeffery

I've had stacks of those! can't say as I like it, although my old boss decades ago used to be able to hang on to a coil lead, and make a spark come out of his finger tip on the other arm!

Alan Jeffery

Yes, it's a distress signal, and only being rectified when the economy improves.
Or possibly when Carol, the BBC morning weather girl, finally succumbs to my advances..

BOB.T

I was born in 77

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Not Carol "Wee bit of rain" Kirkwood? Yuck.

Very lucky, glad to hear everyone is OK. Those old Ford propshafts weren't that strong. I had one start vibrating on a Mexico. The local Ford dealer said it needed a new propshaft. The local Ford RS dealer changed the UJ's.......

Alan Jeffery

And thus missed the Swinging Sixties!

Alan Jeffery

[QUOTE=alcazar;11022815]Not Carol "Wee bit of rain" Kirkwood? Yuck.


QUOTE]

That's cool, I don't need any competition at my age..

dunx

iTrader: (3)

That's the award winning CK if you don't mind....

According to "them" this morning.

dunx

P.S. I liked the Irish lass who brought us the cleavage revealing "dip" whilst persenting myself !

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Ste RB5138

I thought it might be something to do with the 5 air horns under bonnet!

Boro

iTrader: (1)

Amazes me how many people don't know which way the Union Flag should be flown.

Leslie

I wonder how well the propshaft was balanced after he welded it up! We used to balance them with jubilee clips-never a problem.

Les