History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[911thillclimber]

Thanks, I think they are all lined.
After some races the car looks like it's been on a loose rally so needs a mega clean down. I do this and add a drop of oil.
I feel like a steam engine driver...

That oil smear then attracts dust and dirt which will contaminate the joint.
I've seen so many cars at the hills with red rust joints, dry as a bone etc.

The WD40 at least leaves a thin coating but I thought it was slightly abrasive?
Probably me just worrying too much....

[911thillclimber]

With the Lola all done for the 2018 season I'm busy on the old 911 keeping it up to scratch and the Lola is all covered over.

I have had a few thoughts about it (oddly not including selling it), but as the car is, it is just so nice, but needs an FT200 gearbox!

Anyway, thoughts go to the festive season and one of my Xmas sketches.

May I wish you all a Happy Christmas, and above all a very health New Year for 2018!
Graham.

[Tim Barry]

Great picture! Merry Christmas to you, Graham! Wish I could get Santa's elves working on our F5000!!

[Andy Clegg]

Merry Christmas to everyone.

[911thillclimber]

Seems to have been a very long hibernation!
Have been doing a lot of work on my first hill climb car, my old 911 and messing with an old 1950 Frence motorcycle that drives me mad...

Car is all checked over and nearly ready to race.
The first practice day is March 31 at Loton park, good day to clear things up and get back to the race weekend routines.

Have been given a permission for a new set of slicks!
This would have been the 5th year for the current set, but I think they are past their best.



Going to try an A92 compound on the front, A15 on the back.
Previous set were A15 all round.
The A92 is softer so good for front end grip, esp in the wet.


Carbs need a tune up but other than that ready for 2018!

There are 2 new cars with fast drivers coming to the class this year, and Nigel, my class mate for years says he is jacking it in, so I'm not sure this year will be mine, but time will tell with my demon tyres.
One new comer has a hard running Saker with 400 bhp and likes to go fast, and the driver is 10 years older than even me!
Other car is Nick in his turbocharged Jaguare V6 engined Lotus Esprit who will do a full season this time.
He was really fast even on road tyres....

[Andy Clegg]

Hi, welcome back.

[911thillclimber]

There has always been a slow leak in the one rear wheel but last year it was getting worse.
This was the tyre or the wheel, and I suspected the wheel..


Put 15 psi in the offending wheel. Dabbed soapy water on the obvious places and then on the outer rim surface to be met with a very fine stream of bubbles and the discovery of a 20mm crack in the rim.

I was worried that these 1970's mag alloy rims had a pin hole that was progressing and I was right.
For now, the rim is scrap. (though I might have a Plan B)

When I first built he car I had huge width rims on it as the chassis came to me with them on, 10" wide fronts and 14" wide rears. Looked good but restricted the turning circle such that getting off Prescott at the top was nearly impossible.
With the new Blue body came the narrower wheels, 7.5" Fr and 10" rear.

I kept the 'big' rims as a set and today massaged those rims from the front for the rear to substitute for the leaky rear as a pair.

Bit of careful drilling and such like and all it well, the old wheels are the same size/off-set as the current rims, so everything lines up.

I obviously checked for leaks and they are air tight.

So, every cloud has a silver lining and I saved the cost of the new slicks today avoiding a set of rims for the rear @ £1000.

Of course, the rims on the rear are still 1970's magnesium, so the search goes on for a set like the have for the fronts.

[Andy Clegg]

Where would you get wheels like yours from?

[911thillclimber]

Indeed, Dymags mostly have all gone back into the melting pot long ago.
The current fronts are ATS centres (cast alum) with MB Wheels' spun rims and BBS inside spun rims.

They themselves are hyper rare it seems, so much so I think I have the world's only pair..
No point looking for another set, so it would mean a visit to MB Wheels or Image wheels to replicate geometrically the dymags..
Cost is £816 for the pair.

This means they will have to wait a bit.

The re-fettled rims from yesterday's frantic recovery to get them to fit all seem ok, they have held 15 psi for 24 hours, so presuming I can get through the snow we are promised I can get to BMTR for the new tyres.

Need to 'time' my approach to The Boss for the MB wheels.

[Andy Clegg]

So that will be with a cup of tea and some new snow boots for her then.

[911thillclimber]

Err....
x 100 for the right Brownie Points and I'm in with a chance, or just sell my old 1950 French motorcycle.

[911thillclimber]

With rac cars there is always a last minute glitch!

I contacted Ian Jemison in York to repair the leaky Dymag and it is on its way there (slowly) using DPD.
£60 + 35 in postage seems a good deal.
Wife happy.

Fuelled and started the engine from dry yesterday, and after a splutter it ran on all 6.
Thought I would warm it up and check the flow rates on each choke as it was not quite a clean as usual late last year.
One throttle was down on flow, 7 were giving '5' and the other remaining on 4. Could not get the '4' up to '5' so suspected a leak....

With it running I gave the manifold/head gasket are a little whetting of carb cleaner spray and the note changed.
Repeated 3 times, note change every time with the spray in one spot.
A leak!

This engine uses a phenolic heat spacer between the carb manifold and the hot cylinder head, a paper gasket each side to seal things.
One is breaking down.
This has happened before, 3 years ago when several gaskets failed due to them breaking down with fuel contamination.

I always use Shell V Power 97 ron which I think has ethanol and maybe this is why they fail (?).
So, just ordered some gasket paper for the job and will make some new ones.
None are available in the UK and to get spares from PMO in the USA you have to FAX them!

Things always come in sets for me, brakes on the 911 and the Lol at the same time, air leaks on the Lola carbs and wheel at the same time..

I have 4 weeks to fix things, so easy.

When new they look like these. Material is paper impregnated with a graphite-like coating.

[911thillclimber]

No response from the USa supplier, little response from the UK specialists bar one, so have decided to make my own gaskets, all 12 of them.

Today I pulled the carbs off.
The gaskets had indeed started to break down, all 12 of them, so all now removed and all mating surfaces clean.

The plastic heat spacers are not really flat enough to simply re fit using Blue Hylomar, so waiting on the gasket material to arrive.

Everyone I've contacted to ask if they can make me 12 gaskets have failed to respond...except one who wants to discuss things first, not a good sign.
So, making by own.
I hope the paper arrives tomorrow so I can get the job done and the engine tuned using my air meter and trusty Colour Tune. (remember them?)

Here are today's gaskets showing rather clearly the degeneration of the gasket material from the side that was leaking air.

[JasperClan]

If you have trouble getting gasket paper contact me and I can send you some. I have loads of sections cut from making outer gaskets for Imp engines fitted with wills rings. The inner section is waste and although I use them for making other gaskets I have loads which I can't bear to throw away. Approx 350mm x 80/100mm.

Pete Richards

[911thillclimber]

Thank you Pete.
The paper was ordered 2 days ago, so should be here tomorrow.
If it goes pear shaped, I'll let you know.
Graham.

[911thillclimber]

Just to bring this little saga to a happy finish:
Cut the paper gaskets today using two of the 6 plastic heat insulators as a cutting jig, worked a treat, and 30 mins later all 12 were done.
Having a scalpel-sharp Xacto modelling knife worked wonders.
The 2 x 8mm dia stud holes were cut using my hole punch which was a god send in the task.
Cleaned the surfaces and rubbed the plastic sealing faces on some fine W&D paper on a good flat surface to remove any high spots and to roughen the surface a touch.
Assembled the lot and fired the engine up...
Fantastic!
Sound great, the pulses coming from the twin silencers are as even as can be, instant throttle response.
Just to be sure, I sprayed some brake cleaner on the spot that was leaking, no a slightest of engine tone change.
All cylinders now at '5' on the meter scale across all 6 pots.
Job done, if only I could get the little 2 stroke engine to run (at all) in my 1950 French motorcycle the world would be perfect.
Thank you all for your help and suggestions.
I am now actually ready for the practice day at Loton!

[911thillclimber]

Finally, at last got the Lola to a hill climb!
What a LONG winter this has been.

Saturday just was a Club Practice Day, entre and you might get 6 to 8 runs to check all is working.
I am involved in this hill and the club so on Friday had some errands to do on the hill itself and get the car in it's place in the large paddock.

Saturday dawned and it was POURING down, all the way from home to the track which is a few 100 m from the Welsh boarders.
And it carried on raining, running and standing water on the track, evil if you are on fresh slicks.

Passed by on the morning runs, the rain eased and stopped and slowly the track started to semi-dry.

Took my run in turn.

Everything started, every thing worked, got to the top of the mile-long hill and came down.
Packed up and went home!

All that for one run, but all is well for Prescott on 28/29 April if I get an entry.
I want this Ferrari.

[911thillclimber]

FINALY the Championship kicks off this weekend, what a long wait it seems.
We are at Prescott, nice hill and a very full meeting.
My one and only class mate in his EVO Mini will slaughter me on the day, but the points will be split out after as he is doing another Championship.
The people I was told were coming into the class have not arrived (yet), at Prescott, or Shelsley Walsh next weekend. In fact, at Shelsley I'm on my own.
The class there has been amalgamated with the 2 Under 2000cc Libre runners and I usually have quite a tussle with them both, so a bit of excitement there.

Feel excited for these meetings, not nervy, just excited.

The Lola looks great sitting in the garage I must admit.
Lovely little car.
Will it be fast enough?

My plan (rather obviously) is to win the Class in the Championship for the 3rd time running. Might be a tall order.

[Andy Clegg]

Hope that you have a successful season. I wait for the first report.

[MGDavid]

Good luck for the season; done any upgrades or tuning to the driver over the winter?

[911thillclimber]

Thank you both for the good wishes.

I have thought a lot about upgrades to the car and the driver, but, of course, just a lot of thinking!
For a short time my thoughts included selling the Lola and buying for hillclimbs an old FF as there is a growing and thriving class for them.
Even managed to overcome my embarrassment and asked to sit in one at Loton.
Fits me well I must admit, very easy cars to live with, but it is the simple 4 pot engine with the FoMoCo silencer that kills it for me.
Another thought was to sell and return with a warm Subaru Impreza or even to return to my 911, drive there, do a bit, drive back just like how I started as I still have the 911, it just needs some Kumho V70 tyres and it is away.
Those thoughts came to nothing more than that.
The 911 is a nice weekend sunny day classic, I did well in my Impreza, but have done best of all in the Lola, so it stays.

I still hanker to put a Boxster engine and box into the Lola, only needs water but I fear the bell housing is too wide to fit in the Lola chassis.
300bhp, slick box and fuel injection makes for a tempting change.

The current engine and box are worth about 10K in old Porsche circles, so I would end up with some cash too!

[911thillclimber]

Saturday, practice.
Can sum this up as Orrid and Muddy.
Wet, mud, green moss the lot. What a mess.
You should see the poor car....

No idea how to get the trailer out of the quagmire that is the trailer park.
Might be drier tomorrow.
My class mate, Allen, is about 3 light years ahead, bloody nutter.

[Andy Clegg]

Hopefully you'll have found things drier today!!!

[911thillclimber]

Well....
Sunday, and a practice this morning, in the spitting rain, but drier than 'Awful Saturday'.
56.88 secs on the table, not good, but everyone was off, inc my class mate with a huge oil spill.
First race run and much drier but a bitter breeze netted a better 50.36, and the final run was drier still at 48.07.
So the day concluded in a very muddy mess of a car, even muddier tow car and trailer (towed out of the trailer park with a HUGE tractor) but...

It all worked a dream, car ran great, sounded very gutsy and the new tyres show a lot of promise!

Shelsley next weekend as long as it's not called off due to water logged fields.
Nice to see 10/10ths'er Graham today.

I think this picture of the engine sums it up.

[Andy Clegg]

Sounds that you had a good start to the season.