Take a 2019 Tea Break with Delta

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

We have a large out of town shopping centre not far from here (called Fosse Park if anyone is interested). Primark moved into there a few years ago, taking over the old BHS. That store was also completely rebuilt before they moved in but I was amazed how slowly the work appeared to be done. I would have expected them to want to have it completed ASAP so they could get the place open & selling so they could earn the new income.
A similar thing is also happening now where the shopping park is being extended which has required closing part of the existing area as that will be used for access. This is not expected to re-open for another 12 months yet, I just don't see why there's a lack of urgency. As Mike says, there must be more 'spare' money in retail than they're letting on.

Sorry, I meant BHS in my post, not BHM.... The new/old store is located in about the most prime spot in Norwich it could be, on ‘Gentleman’s Walk’ (pedestrian only), and that’s been pretty chaotic for two years with massive trucks, cranes etc mixing it among all the shoppers! Must slow the job down even more....

[John Elwin]

You should see the shopping centre at Noyelle Godault. Must have put several high streets out of business!

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that the large shopping centre between the two railway stations in Lille is a Westfield. Isn't that a British company?

[grantp]

Originally Posted by John Elwin

You should see the shopping centre at Noyelle Godault. Must have put several high streets out of business!

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that the large shopping centre between the two railway stations in Lille is a Westfield. Isn't that a British company?

Was Australian.


Now, in America and Europe, American.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westfield_Group

[Peter Mallett]

Wasn't Rob Cox's Black Brick a V8 Westfield?

[Gerard C]

Must have put several high streets out of business! Not sure, John, when my daughter was living in Lille, some areas like rue de Béthune, la Grand Place and Wazemmes area were always busy places. Les gens du Nord sont attachés Ã* leur traditions. But when it comes to buy beer for cheap money, some of them tend to forget about!

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

But when it comes to buy beer for cheap money, some of them tend to forget about!

I tend to forget things after cheap beer.

[GCCheddaris]

Rob Cox's Black Bricks were based on Caterhams . As far as I'm aware he was the first person to race one . Can't remember how many were built , but I think the last one was powered by a Hart 420R Formula Two engine .

[Peter Mallett]

Ah yes correct. Then I think it was the hillclimb V8 run by Mike Hunt. https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...ssQsAR6BAgJEAE

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by GCCheddaris

Rob Cox's Black Bricks were based on Caterhams . As far as I'm aware he was the first person to race one . Can't remember how many were built , but I think the last one was powered by a Hart 420R Formula Two engine .

Pretty sure the Black Brick(s) get mentioned in SuperSaloon / Modsports threads in the History forum. Seem to recollect one was being restored a while back?

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Pretty sure the Black Brick(s) get mentioned in SuperSaloon / Modsports threads in the History forum. Seem to recollect one was being restored a while back?

Yes, in Germany, ISTR, but it has all gone quiet.

I think that some of the original 3(?) had Dastle built chassis.

[GCCheddaris]

Rob Cox's Black Bricks have their own thread at 'Blackbrick'-Rob Cox-Allison's Caterham Modsports cars ! Ten years or so ago I rewired Rob's house and got to know him quite well . He raced several Black Bricks starting off with a Modsports car and ending with a Donington GT Caterham which looked more like a front engined Group 6 car with a roof ! He also raced the lovely 'Black Bullet' Lotus Elan , the 'Black Thunder' Thundersaloon Sierra , an ex Roberto Moreno Ralt RH6 ( he replaced the Honda V6 engine with a Ford GAA ) and a Lola LC88 Grand Prix car when it was only a year old . I haven't seen Rob for a few years , but he often mentioned a German chap who had one of his old cars and that he was going to test it one day , but sadly the chaps wife unfortunately passed away and that seemed to put paid to their plans .

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Talk about rarified circles! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...ides-entitled/

I'll stick to MGBs I think.

You'd have thought that if you'd paid £37M for the car, paying £19K for the gearbox and bunging Fedex a few hundred to ship it would be small change, wouldn't you?



Of course as Carl is a lawyer he's probably billing himself a huge amount which he'll want to claim from Fisken

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by GCCheddaris

Rob Cox's Black Bricks have their own thread at 'Blackbrick'-Rob Cox-Allison's Caterham Modsports cars ! Ten years or so ago I rewired Rob's house and got to know him quite well . He raced several Black Bricks starting off with a Modsports car and ending with a Donington GT Caterham which looked more like a front engined Group 6 car with a roof ! He also raced the lovely 'Black Bullet' Lotus Elan , the 'Black Thunder' Thundersaloon Sierra , an ex Roberto Moreno Ralt RH6 ( he replaced the Honda V6 engine with a Ford GAA ) and a Lola LC88 Grand Prix car when it was only a year old . I haven't seen Rob for a few years , but he often mentioned a German chap who had one of his old cars and that he was going to test it one day , but sadly the chaps wife unfortunately passed away and that seemed to put paid to their plans .

Cheers GCC for all the info!

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by GCCheddaris

Rob Cox's Black Bricks have their own thread at 'Blackbrick'-Rob Cox-Allison's Caterham Modsports cars ! Ten years or so ago I rewired Rob's house and got to know him quite well . He raced several Black Bricks starting off with a Modsports car and ending with a Donington GT Caterham which looked more like a front engined Group 6 car with a roof ! He also raced the lovely 'Black Bullet' Lotus Elan , the 'Black Thunder' Thundersaloon Sierra , an ex Roberto Moreno Ralt RH6 ( he replaced the Honda V6 engine with a Ford GAA ) and a Lola LC88 Grand Prix car when it was only a year old . I haven't seen Rob for a few years , but he often mentioned a German chap who had one of his old cars and that he was going to test it one day , but sadly the chaps wife unfortunately passed away and that seemed to put paid to their plans .

Ah the German customer tallies then.....in 2007 I raced the MG at the Ring. We were testing with the VLN cars and something low, black and looking vaguely like a 7 went past me as if it was on rails. So fast that I could barely see it.

I wonder if that's what it was?.

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[E.B]

Originally Posted by andy97

Yes, in Germany, ISTR, but it has all gone quiet.

I think that some of the original 3(?) had Dastle built chassis.

I certainly remember seeing Rob Cox's car at Geoff Rumble's (Dastle) place near Guildford when a colleague and I ran a Dastle F1300 car coverted to a 1600cc for hillclimbs, back in probably the late 70's. It (Cox's car) certainly had Dastle (front) open wheeler suspension on it but I am sure Geoff did more than just that on it.
(FWIW the Dastle I was mentioning was sold to Murray and Joy Rainey, becoming the famous (on Hillclimbs) 'Murrain' (by then powered by an FVC 2.0L)

[andy97]

Originally Posted by GCCheddaris

Rob Cox's Black Bricks have their own thread at 'Blackbrick'-Rob Cox-Allison's Caterham Modsports cars ! Ten years or so ago I rewired Rob's house and got to know him quite well . He raced several Black Bricks starting off with a Modsports car and ending with a Donington GT Caterham which looked more like a front engined Group 6 car with a roof ! He also raced the lovely 'Black Bullet' Lotus Elan , the 'Black Thunder' Thundersaloon Sierra , an ex Roberto Moreno Ralt RH6 ( he replaced the Honda V6 engine with a Ford GAA ) and a Lola LC88 Grand Prix car when it was only a year old . I haven't seen Rob for a few years , but he often mentioned a German chap who had one of his old cars and that he was going to test it one day , but sadly the chaps wife unfortunately passed away and that seemed to put paid to their plans .

Thomas Böbel is the German chap who now owns Black Brick 1.

All discussed here https://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=129950
But the trail has gone a bit cold. I think that Thomas now lives in Mallorca or somewhere like that. He does very occasionally post on the CSCC Special Saloons and Modsports FB site but not seen any BB updates.

[GCCheddaris]

Looking back at the original 'Blackbrick' thread from 2011 Andy very kindly supplied a translation of an article which appeared in the German Lotus Owners Club magazine . My favourite memory of Rob and his Black Bricks was a very wet early season Modsports race at Thruxton in 1981 or 1982 where he took on Steve Soper in the Radbourne Racing Fiat X1-9 . Lap after lap they came past nose to tail until the pressure from Soper told on the penultimate lap and Rob spun exiting the chicane , ending up going backwards down the pit lane !

[GORDON STREETER]

I don't know if any of you are still following "Project Binky" on YouTube but episode 27 seems to be the latest one that is available. I just wonder if it will ever get finished in my lifetime or indeed theirs ! A crazy idea but I just hope that when (and if) it actually drives on a track or off road or whatever, that they don't crash it !
I would think that the man hours spent would buy a works WRC !
The one thing that I would say is that after building and altering loads of different cars myself for various motorsports over the years is that you want to keep it simple so that you can easily work on them at a meeting when you have limited time and it's p****ng with rain. I always found that the things that break and pack up like cables/pumps/electrical items and things that will stop you going in a race should be available from your local motor factors and adapt the car to make them fit (not the other way round) and not make bespoke parts unless you are prepared to make several for spares.
Saying all that I still find myself wasting loads of time watching it after all it's only taken 5 years so far

[grantp]

I think they only in tend to use it for road purposes and the odd track day.

Presumably paint next time, after stripping it all down, and then wait while all the mechanical bits get refurbished.

Have you been following their truck remanufacturing project?

[Mike Bell]

Picture yourself taking an electric powered flight? Getting closer to reality! (Watch the vid, very interesting)…….

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/techa...cid=spartandhp

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

You'd have thought that if you'd paid £37M for the car, paying £19K for the gearbox and bunging Fedex a few hundred to ship it would be small change, wouldn't you?



Of course as Carl is a lawyer he's probably billing himself a huge amount which he'll want to claim from Fisken

Yes indeed. I suspect Fiskin's customer has something to do with it.

[midgetman]

It's a terrible thing, "principle". Probably the most destructive emotion ever.

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[Mike Harte]

Gordon, Project Binky is not too dissimilar to the "recreation" that Retromobile are doing on the Escort for Gordon Murray. Goodness knows how much money has been sunk into that car, and I really do ask myself, why?

[justracing]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

I don't know if any of you are still following "Project Binky" on YouTube but episode 27 seems to be the latest one that is available. I just wonder if it will ever get finished in my lifetime or indeed theirs ! A crazy idea but I just hope that when (and if) it actually drives on a track or off road or whatever, that they don't crash it !
I would think that the man hours spent would buy a works WRC !

Got to love a bracket or two!

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Gordon, Project Binky is not too dissimilar to the "recreation" that Retromobile are doing on the Escort for Gordon Murray. Goodness knows how much money has been sunk into that car, and I really do ask myself, why?

I know what you mean Mike although I have found that series compulsive viewing, just seeing the lengths that they've gone to on many fine details. However, from what I've seen of their work, Retromobile do seem to go to extremes in everything they do, it all must cost a fortune!