History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[A.C.Clegg]

Irish road rallying looks good on YOUTUBE. I thought about that. What about something more Historical like Chateau Impney, Cholmondley etc?.
Tour Brittania etc looks interesting.

[andy97]

Dont think Tour Britannia runs any more. Sadly.

[MGDavid]

Does the Isle of Man still run their speed week? That always sounded like good craic....

[S griffin]

Well I don't know about that one, but it would be great if they still do

[911thillclimber]

You need a pre 60's car for the Chateau, and entry is by invitation!
I think if I stop hill climbing, then I'll stop totally and simply travel more.
Too old at 67 to start again!

[S griffin]

Interesting. Thanks for the info. You keep going as long as you can last

[911thillclimber]

At Shelsley Walsh this weekend, today is practice day.
Had 3 runs, most unusual and could have had 4 but I was out of steam.

Car went well. under and over 2 litres amalgamated, just the 4 of us.

The turbo V6 6R4 is there, 500+ bhp with an optional 700 if needed....

First run was really slippy, esp in the esses where the car got well out of shape, but by some luck I survived the fright.

Best run was the 3rd, 33.39/2.27 start, miles off the pb of 31 secs, but the cold got in the way as shown by the start time.



And in another Class to me:

[S griffin]

Glad to hear it. All the preparation was worth it. Good luck for more, the car looks the business

[911thillclimber]

Thank you!
Sunday, and one practice and 2 race runs.
Cold again but dry and all 3 runs were 'ok' but nothing stunning.
I was irritated to be doing 33's all Saturday, so being consistence most of the time, I did 3 more 33's!

Last run I thought I gave it some, but obviously using the wrong bravery pills, and the last run was a 33.00 dead, start of 2.28 and 96 mph across the finish.
Most were down a bit, maybe the chill air got in the way, or it is because I've had a birthday since I last run here.

Still, all home, present and correct, and it's red wine and Pizza tonight and some snooker to watch.
Nest race is back to Shelsley Walsh at the start of June, but showing the car the weekend before.

[S griffin]

Glad to say you still doing and giving it a good go. Hopefully you can continue to improve over the rest of the season. It shows commitment. More experience will help

[A.C.Clegg]

Looks like Prescott is in the past now. Glad that you had a good weekend!!

[911thillclimber]

Yes, 'THAT' incident is at the back of my mind, I learnt a lesson and many have said they too thought about how they rest the cars in the paddock.

I've replaced the damaged awning of the poor chap opposite me and I'm the new owner of a lightly bent one.
I'll straighten out the few arms and sell it later in the year.

I hope some speed can be found in June when back at Shelsley, but for this year at least I have no chance of taking the Class win in the Championship, but after the 3 consecutive wins engraved on the Trophy now can't be taken away!

[S griffin]

Seems a bit of a closer community the hillclimb. Glad everyone helped out. Glad it’s going well, I’m sure you can get the class title if you keep at it

[A.C.Clegg]

Keep going as you are and it should be ok.

[911thillclimber]

Alas I think not Andy.
The Pilbeam has 24 pints and I have 12 and we have only done 2 of the 9 events in 2019!
In the past many start the season in my class then fade away, just do not enter.
It is different in this case. The Pilbeam is professionally prepared and driven, likewise the Metro 6R4...

I'm doomed!

However, I don't feel bad about this, and this makes me think the edge has been lost in my approach to the sport and maybe time to wrap it up.
Not sure I'm actually 'having fun' or just doing it because I always have.

[911thillclimber]

On a FAR more positive note, the gearchange mods seem to have worked well.
No issues for the last 2 hill climbs esp at Prescott where I need to change gear far more often than other tracks.
The double spring 'stop' stopping the lever going into the 5th/rev plane is good and the 3rd to 2nd seems good too if I am deliberate with the movement.
Reverse is easy to select which helps with multi-point reversing into my paddock spot.

The more direct linkage rod path has eased the effort to change gear so sweeter all round.

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

In the past many start the season in my class then fade away, just do not enter.
It is different in this case. The Pilbeam is professionally prepared and driven, likewise the Metro 6R4...

I'm doomed!

However, I don't feel bad about this, and this makes me think the edge has been lost in my approach to the sport and maybe time to wrap it up.
Not sure I'm actually 'having fun' or just doing it because I always have.

That's happening throughout historic racing, more and more arrive and drive owners, who just hop in a car that has been warmed up for them.
The days of the mechanically skilled, knowledgeable enthusiast owner seem to be well behind us.

There are plenty of enthusiastic owners who are genuinely interested in the history of their cars (rather than will the history qualify me for that event) and happy/able to work on them but it is becoming more difficult to find them (I suspect the older the car the more they attract/need such owners).

[911thillclimber]

There is still a good smattering of diy in the garage car content in the UK hill climb circus, and some want the top cars, so you can only get there via a professionally made car, a Gould or a Pilbeam, an Empire, a Force.

Match these cars with a good driver and magic appears!

I like the spanner side but some cannot do that, but can raise the money to get in the right car.

[PeterMorley]

Several restorers/engine builders, that have been involved for decades, have told me they get much more excited about hillclimbs than other events these days because of the people and atmosphere, and they say it is much closer to "the good old days" of ciruit racing.

[911thillclimber]

I'm biased of course, but a sunny hill climb, maximum entry with cars from mild to wild, modern to ancient and everyone and car totally approachable is key and contact with the interested public is a joy.
Kids from 6 years old to 66 years old having a trial fit in a race car just warms the spirit further.
Last year I had an enchanted 19 year old actually going " brummm, Brum" while sitting in the Lola, not knowing his farther had it all on camera....that will be worth a fortune later on in Dad's life.

For some, the only dampener is all race cars must be silenced to less than 108 dB at 2/3 red line rpm, some many runs are quite quiet, though the speeds of 130+ mph on a track of 15 feet wide is enough to make people gasp.

[S griffin]

Hillclimbing is proper grassroots motorsport and what helps is that so many different vehicles can compete in it. And it must be quite cheap too and you are closer to the action than most forms of motorsport. No wonder you love it so much, it's a professional hobby where money doesn't influence things quite so much

What are you thinking of doing with the car if you decide to pack it in? How much do you think you will get for it if you decide to sell it for example?

[911thillclimber]

If it does go for sale, then as a whole car it is very limited in its eligibility.
It can obviously run in any hill climb or sprint.
Might be ok for track days, but would doubt the cooling is sufficient, different tyres needed too!

In Porsche circles ( that I roam around in for the last 30 years) the engine is worth about £6k, any air coooled classic engine is valuable.
The flat cooling fan could be another 2k, it is unique, there is not another.

The box is special and can be readily changed over for 911 fitment instead of mid engine. It has a nice lsd and some custom insides and a magnesium case, so about 4K there.
Thus, the car would yield me more broken down to a rolling chassis which could be further standardised to S2000 spec (suspension and brakes are very modified) and new wheels for S2000.

As a whole it might give 25k tops.
Porsche drive train around 13 or 14k
Rolling chassis about 12k, maybe a touch more as the body is good.

It has cost me more, but I've also had 10 years with the build and the de-bugging fun with 6 years or so of good hillclimbing.

To sell would be a heart wrench, but might be sensible...
We shall take stock in October when the season is all done.

If I continue with the sport after all these years, I started in 1991, the car will need to advance.
This could be a big rebuild of the engine to run to 8k rpm which will give about 300 bhp and keep the clunky box, a bill of about 6k.

Or, remove the drive train and fit the drivetrain from a Porsche Boxster, a 3.2 and its box, around 6k but selling the existing set up would cover the costs.

The later is a big job with water cooling etc, the engine build I can diy easily and would be the simplest move, but hard to justify the cost.

Finally, just submit to having fun with the old thing is another option which has been the plan this year, so far so good but a bit dull.

[morninggents]

I have read this thread with much interest since you bought the car all those years ago and commenced the task of tracing it's original history. I would miss following your adventures if you packed it all in. I was involved with motor sport for over 50 years until packing it in during 2015 and I do miss competing even if I don't miss the hassle of prepping/transporting the car to events.
I started in hillclimbs at Harewood, Castle Howard and Oliver's Mount in 1964 (and was involved as a spectator as my dad raced, rallied and hill climbed in the 1950s) and then went special saloon car racing at Rufforth and Croft - all these circuits/hillclimb venues being near to home. Eventually, of course, the lure of going to Oulton, Brands and Silverstone (even Spa and Croix) soon called and we spent many weekends travelling to far flung circuits and spending more than we should have to get our fix of clubbie motorsport.
I have noticed that you tend to compete at only your local venues so I wondered if you travelled further afield (Harewood, for instance) and tried new venues your enthusiasm may be re-kindled. The downside of course is the extra costs of transport/hotels but I found that worth it when we tried new circuits. Even a round trip of 450 miles from Yorkshire to Brands in the mid-70s for a 10 lap clubbie (race time approx 8 mins 30 secs plus a 10 minute practice) was well worth while the experience of a new place to race.
Sorry for the ramble.

[MGDavid]

I might have suggested it before, but I really do think that a season of the European Hillclimb Championship would be a fitting swansong for you and the car - nothing less, you deserve the best :-)

[911thillclimber]

Thank you all for the comments, and there are some home truths in there too!
I've done Harewood twice in my car before the Lola, a hot road driven Impreza.
It is a great hill.
I also have done Barbon, even held the hill class record for one year!

The wife is not keen going further afield for the reasons stated, time and cost now we are retired.
There same reasons preclude us from Europe...

This thread is about 10 years old! That I should a very long time and the early years were fascinating to me in tracking the chassis number down, great fun and a story that has entertained many outside of this forum.

Crunch time in October, or maybe an anticlimax and I simply leave it as is and enjoy my investments.

I'm actually over in Italy watching the Mille Miglia and the older cars are starting to 'call'.....