Kick Those Shoes Off and Relax. It's the Delta 2017 Tea Break

[andy97]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

....
Weren't the Skoda Super Saloons based on Chevron & the like sports car chassis?

Sorry Bauble!


http://www.specialsaloons.co.uk/skoda/4582841441

From the CSCC Special Saloon and Modsports register website.

Bob Claxton's car is still seen out sometimes.

His chassis is a replica of a B8; others may have been Sports 2000 or similar based and one was maguire space frame, I thimble.

[delta]

My old single seater the "Cirrus004" built my Alan Morgan and his dad ended up as a Skoda special saloon .

[Mike Harte]

Anyone up for a game of snowballs? First appearance of the white stuff in the garden overnight, and it's not even December yet!

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I was wondering how much of the Alpine stuff bolted straight on, Gerard? Certainly a performance boost over the standard car!

Yep, quite a challenge Mike! Mainly you can fit a lot from the Alpine under the bonnet but you have to relocate the fuel tank, battery and put a radiator in the front trunk. Bearing in mind that the first Alpines were derivated from the 4CV or Dauphine, what you have is either an Alpine in 4CV guise or a 4CV mid engineered
If my memory serves well, Bob is much more focused on Steyr Puch!

[Malcolm Smith]

Originally Posted by andy97

Sorry Bauble!


http://www.specialsaloons.co.uk/skoda/4582841441

From the CSCC Special Saloon and Modsports register website.

Bob Claxton's car is still seen out sometimes.

His chassis is a replica of a B8; others may have been Sports 2000 or similar based and one was maguire space frame, I thimble.

I always liked the look of the Skoda coupe silhouette racers, photos attached:

#47 Brian Walker, 2.5L Hart engine, Strathclyde Park hill climb, 1984

#46 Unknown driver, Doune Hill Climb, 1987. I think this was 1300BDH powered. Looks very similar to the Bob Claxton car in link provided by Andy.

#21 C. Wilson, Knockhill, 1991. Engine unknown.

[bauble]

That's wot I fink abaht it!

[delta]

Is that a quiz victory photo our Bob .?

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by delta

Is that a quiz victory photo our Bob .?

He's reported elsewhere that they deliberately settled for a gentlemanly 7th so as not to embarass the regulars......

[GORDON STREETER]

Having been in the motor trade since 1962 as a mechanic I was thinking the other day whilst fitting a coil spring on a Vauxhall Corsa that had only done 24000 miles, that we never used to get coil springs break with the regularity that we do these days. I know the roads around my neck of the woods in the UK are pretty dire for potholes but they always have been !
Is it because of the very low profile tyres that seem to be the norm even on "shopping" cars or are the springs "crap" or a combination of both ?
I don't remember fitting so many when most cars had 80 profile tyres !

[bauble]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Having been in the motor trade since 1962 as a mechanic I was thinking the other day whilst fitting a coil spring on a Vauxhall Corsa that had only done 24000 miles, that we never used to get coil springs break with the regularity that we do these days. I know the roads around my neck of the woods in the UK are pretty dire for potholes but they always have been !
Is it because of the very low profile tyres that seem to be the norm even on "shopping" cars or are the springs "crap" or a combination of both ?
I don't remember fitting so many when most cars had 80 profile tyres !

Thanks for that encouraging news Gordon, cheered me up no end.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

Having been in the motor trade since 1962 as a mechanic I was thinking the other day whilst fitting a coil spring on a Vauxhall Corsa that had only done 24000 miles, that we never used to get coil springs break with the regularity that we do these days. I know the roads around my neck of the woods in the UK are pretty dire for potholes but they always have been !
Is it because of the very low profile tyres that seem to be the norm even on "shopping" cars or are the springs "crap" or a combination of both ?
I don't remember fitting so many when most cars had 80 profile tyres !

I put it down to a combination of things Gordon. potholes as you say have always been around, but now we have the added 'bonus' of speed humps everywhere. Plus as all of the manufacturers are looking to save costs, modern coil springs don't have as many coils as in the good old days, so I think the material had to be stronger to give the same spring rate, and it's therefore also more brittle.

[MGDavid]

Sure I read somewhere that this is due to modern cheap design & manufacturing. Springs are made in a continuous coil and simply chopped off at the right length, so when in use the forces are not applied concentric and the uneveness eventually results in breakage.
The old / proper way is to compress and shape the end coils to a taper so the spring has a flat top and bottom which sits evenly in the retainers thus spreading the loads evenly hence they don't break.
sorry baubs, 'not a lotta people know that'

[bauble]

I shall just have to wait for my Corsa to spring a surprise on me.

"Springs are busting out all over"

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by bauble

I shall just have to wait for my Corsa to spring a surprise on me.

"Springs are busting out all over"

Boing, boing!!

Don't worry Bob, just to put a damper on your fears, it's a while before spring will be in the air.

[gary396]

I've just found out that I've been running my MGB GT on rear springs from a roadster - wondered why it was a bit low at the back!

[Robert Farrell]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I was wondering how much of the Alpine stuff bolted straight on, Gerard? Certainly a performance boost over the standard car!

If Bob doesn’t want us to talk about Skoda, better make it 4CV instead- As long as it winds him up....

Had a 4CV in 1966 paid a local garage £15 for it. The engine from a Dauphine (or was it an Ondine) Gordini went straight in no problem, one night after work It was rather quick for its day, it would outrun a 998 Cooper, but we never seemed to get the brakes to match the performance of the engine. I think it was on 135x15 Michelin X which together with a 6v lighting system made for an exciting experience particularly on the night road rallies of the time! It suffered near terminal damage having gone backwards through a hedge somewhere near Castle Carrock(Can`t remember the name of the rally) The Coup de Grace was administered when we ran into the back of the Transit pickup that was towing us back to Carlisle. Never did have any brakes.

[Mike Bell]

Great story, Robert. My mother had a standard 750 / 4CV for a short while in the ‘50s. Trouble was she tried to drive it like the Connaught L2 that was her previous car, and the poor Renault finished up embedded in the front of a neighbour farmer’s pick up when the two met on a particularly narrow lane! Mother wasn’t too badly damaged fortunately, she suffered more injuries falling off scooters in the bad winters that seemed to be normal in my youth, or playing hockey.....

[Mike Bell]

I know the MSA come in for a lot of stick, some of it justified , but (once again) I'm impressed by the licence dept. Un-noticed by me, the Doc incorrectly dated my medical form, rendering it outside the 3 months or whatever to be accepted. The licence dept phoned me to check when it had been done, then emailed in case I needed to contact the doctor for clarification. Fortunately I had a proper receipt correctly dated, so a quick scan and email back to the licencing guys had the job sorted. Thank you, MSA!

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

Sure I read somewhere that this is due to modern cheap design & manufacturing. Springs are made in a continuous coil and simply chopped off at the right length, so when in use the forces are not applied concentric and the uneveness eventually results in breakage.
The old / proper way is to compress and shape the end coils to a taper so the spring has a flat top and bottom which sits evenly in the retainers thus spreading the loads evenly hence they don't break.
sorry baubs, 'not a lotta people know that'

Yes they are just "chopped off", what else I have noticed is that the break point is normally started by a stone chip and slowly starts the breaking process.
Just about all the broken springs are never a "clean" snap if you look at them with a magnifying glass.
The silliest ones are the "pig tail" ones that have a smaller diameter on the bottom coil with a small diameter saddle on the strut, so if the spring breaks on one of the larger coils the spring goes strait down the strut breaking ABS wires and brake hoses and normally the tyre bends the front wing up. If I had a car with such a stupid design I would make up a modified in diameter saddle so that you could still drive the car if it broke.

[Mike Bell]

I was reminded by a racing friend today while we were discussing our licence renewals that it's questionable how necessary a 2018 one is, as this season he presented his 2016 licence in error at every event without it being picked up on!

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I was reminded by a racing friend today while we were discussing our licence renewals that it's questionable how necessary a 2018 one is, as this season he presented his 2016 licence in error at every event without it being picked up on!

When we used to have to have an international road driving licence for the continent I had a picture of my mate in mine that looked "similar" to me

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

When we used to have to have an international road driving licence for the continent I had a picture of my mate in mine that looked "similar" to me

Milady went on a coach trip to Paris, and back, using my passport, which she had taken by mistake............and she hasn't even got a beard

She does object to me calling her an "illegal immigrant" however

[terence]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I was reminded by a racing friend today while we were discussing our licence renewals that it's questionable how necessary a 2018 one is, as this season he presented his 2016 licence in error at every event without it being picked up on!

You need stress related or just an eye test??😂😂

[Mike Bell]

Being serious for a moment (sorry bauble), if you think about it, at most ‘signings on’ there is a queue, and the staff (usually volunteers) are trying to keep the thing moving. Most of the time they will know the drivers, and checking the licence number against that written on their sheets is usually first priority.

Hopefully if anyone tried to purposely race with an out of date licence it would get noticed!

[bauble]

Mike, there is nothing wrong with 'serious', however, there is a time and place for everything, and so I urge Gordon to launch in 2018;

Delta's Sad Story, Bad News, Heartbreak, Weighty Discussion, and General Moaning and Whining Tea Break

There you could all indulge your predilection for gloomy and threatening news stories,

Maybe Gordon would consider a; Bauble's Chuckle and Guffaw Sojourn. to ensure that the likes of Mike H and Viv have a continuing outlet for their particular line in drivel?

PS; I think we are in for a hard Brexit, and the weather looks threatening, while Kim Jong I'm Il will probably launch his missiles at Snetterton any day now.

You're all doomed.