2025 Calendar, Classic Sports Car Club, Swinging 60s

[JohnD]

The CSCC has announced the 2025 calendar for all series.    The Swinging 60s dates are:

and at C:\Users\Hannah\AppData\Local\Temp\msoAF4D.tmp

I won't be doing Spa (been there, done that!) or Snetterton (a circuit too far!) but if I can I'll do the others.    All Sidewaysers most welcome, and with notice a few free tickets will be available.

Bests,

John 

[Hamish]

Good luck John

live streaming on some too. 
fame at last. 

[JohnD]

Notoriety more like!

[PeteStupps]

Good to see Cadwell on the list again. Will try to make it, if I can negotiate a Saturday without the kids

[JohnD]

I missed the first two meets, the car was ready but not the TRansit race truck, but I am entered for Cadwell, 17th May, full entry list not announced as yet. 

Nearer the time, hope to have some spare tickets.   Please let me know if you're coming (Pete?)

John

[PeteStupps]

On 5/2/2025 at 11:31 AM, JohnD said:

Please let me know if you're coming (Pete?)

I'm keen for Cadwell John but pesky family commitments make me unsure. It's do-able but I need my daughter to confirm her weekend plans first. Will let you know as soon as I can.

[JohnD]

No probs, Pete, no tickets yet!

[egret]

I'm going to try to get to Cadwell.  Still a few bits and pieces to sort so I can get there, but I'll let you know as soon as I do.

[JohnD]

Entry list for Cadwell out:  Swinging 60s, Class 1, 32 car grid!!  Apart from me, three other Triumphs, Andrew Hall's TR6, the TR4 of Mark Campbell and Ben Ferguson, and a Spitfire with Ben Robinson.  The rest of class "SF" comprises two Reliant Sabres  and two Datsun 240Zs.  Also on grid, Jon Wolfe, once of this parish but now driving his Tuscan V8 and Sprites, Cortinas, Elans, MGBs, etc etc .  Only one Mini !

All the fun  of the fair!

John

PS Bloody car wouldn't start this PM.  Diagnosis, blocked fuel filter, removing it and rejoining the hoses gets it going.    But on dissecting it, no blockage! Few flecks of tiny bits, nothing else.  Strange.   J.

Edited May 8 by JohnD

[egret]

Strange, does it drive ok without the filter? I wonder if its a pump on its way out that can't overcome the filter pressure drop?  If so it might only just prove enough fuel to idle.

[JohnD]

New filter on its way, Test drive tomorrow without it.

My fuel system isn't standard!   Lucas Pi, but with a Bosch pump fed from a swirl pot  kept full by a Facet.     It wasn't just 'won't start' but the Facet wouldn't run - they are designed to stop if pressure rises downstream, but it shouldn't as it's just circulating fuel through the swirl pot.    Disconnect it from the filter between it and the pot and it ran fine.

The PRV return goes through a cooler under the boot floor back to the tank.  I added that this winter, and haven't run the car since then, but I can't see how that can cause the above.

John

[egret]

Might be the filter is collapsing under pressure and causing the blockage. Hopefully new filter sorts it, but it's always nice to know why the system failed!

It's looking good for me turning up at Cadwell Park, so hopefully I'll see you there!

[Nick Jones]

8 minutes ago, egret said:

Might be the filter is collapsing under pressure and causing the blockage

Any sign of water present?  Some filters are nearly impervious to water due to fine pore size so a little water could give the impression of blockage.

[egret]

That's far more likely!

[JohnD]

Arrived Cadwell, but someone's done the weather in.  It's cold, windy and the sun's disappeared.   Anyone coming, bring yer winter wollies!

John

[PeteStupps]

Weather turned out better than expected but wasn't a great day for the John Davies race team. John I hope you don't mind me describing the scene!

I arrived to find an ominous degree of activity in the paddock, with various people under and inside John's car trying to tighten a bolt between bell-housing adaptor plate and gearbox. Apparently an oil leak had curtailed his practice session, and the likely source was found to be gearbox. The type-9 adaptor wasn't tight to the box, but there was no way of getting a socket or spanner on the loose bolt. We managed to get a socket on but the bell-housing wouldn't permit you to tighten it up beyond fingers.

I did wonder whether that would be the source of the leak but it was academic anyway, because whatever it was we weren't going to solve it. So unfortunately John had to pull out of the race and we all had a very welcome beer instead!

Good day apart from that. Will post some pics when I get sorted. Lovely to see @JohnD, @egretand others. And good fun to meet the 'honey badger' race team with their Spitfire. 

[PeteStupps]

Oops, I see John had already posted this here. Apologies I wasn't paying attention!

Here's some Triumph-themed photos from the day anyway. Bizarrely named Honey Badger team Spitfire with Lenham hardtop, then Steve Adams in his pale blue Spit, rightfully outpacing an MG. The badger boys had their first successful race day, after attempting Anglesey last year but having to pull out. Seemed like a great bunch of lads, who built the car up from a rust-bucket. They were a bit off the pace in the first race but much more competitive in the second. Good to watch anyway

 

 

[Nick Jones]

10 hours ago, PeteStupps said:

Bizarrely named Honey Badger team

Famously aggressive, fearless and unstoppable…… “Honey badger don’t care”!

Looks like a fun day out, but sorry to hear that the team were not able to resolve John’s problem!

[egret]

I did manage to get a shot of the Vitesse looking magnificent cresting the mountain.

 

[JohnD]

With absolutely NO ^%$&^% SMOKE!

John 

Maybe Silverback Racing should adopt the HoneyBadger name - certainly you guys were in there determined to find the problem come what may!

Edited May 18 by JohnD

[Spit131]

Certainly looks very appealing ( when things go well John ! 😄 ) 

Will Race Ltd come up with the goods before Brands in August ???

Drive shafts are currently being made up from EN24T but still loads to do . ( If anyone needs a set to link R160 to MGF let me know )

I can dream . 😴 

[JohnD]

Spit131,

The problem with Triumph half shafts when stressed in competition is their design, not the material.

This is the image that Rimmers use to sell their new replacements, and you can see the abrupt change in diameter for the hub nut threads.   That's just where the damn things break!  Don't tell me, I know!

Unless you can design a shaft that doesn't have that stress raiser, you will go on losing wheels on the track.    The Rotaflex suspension avoids this, but the proper Metalastik donuts are difficult to find, very expensive and need replacing annually for competition and the OE wishbones weigh a ton. The purists will cry foul, but many have gone with alternatives,  such as the one I chose, MGF uprights with CV joints in and out.  

Good luck!

John

[Spit131]

I’ll post pics as soon as they return John . 
Hopefully they will have blended them better .

All though the original Roto lower arm was heavy  it was only a small percentage of what are very heavy rear unsprung corners . 

At the end of the day , does your vehicle provide you with ‘ FUN ‘ and is it relatively safe ?

Sorting the rear end on these cars is going to be a compromise without major surgery . I am still contemplating further changes to my current set up but perhaps trial it first in case it actually works reasonably well .

Room for improvement is eternal but you won’t necessarily get any more ‘ FUN ‘ .

[JohnD]

Fun?  FUN???   "Racing is Life, the  rest is just waiting."

In reality, what is not fun is DNF due to car failure.  Colin Chapman and 'just add lightness' was right, but not if it makes the car unreliable!

John 

[egret]

Less weight means less stress on the various components. Tyres and brakes should last longer too! What's not to like?