T Break thread 2023

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by rbs

Is it Facel Vega ?

Yes it is, it even says it on the front of the car in my picture. Although this isn't the one that belonged to my best mate and sponsor it is the same model. I have done a fair bit of work on it over the years.

[delta]

Kids came round this evening and we watched film called “ Bank of Dave “. Yes yes yes I hear you say but the film really is called Dave and it’s brilliant . Well worth a watch ?

[Gerard C]

Gordon, many prestigious clients owned an HK500 like Sir Stirling Moss, Maurice Trintignant and some amarican actors. I'm sure you noticed the dash board in a "trompe l'oeil" looks in wood but is made of steel. The RHD version was present in the catalogue. They make a lot of money, I suggest you contact the owners club in UK or France and may be an auction house.

[Gerard C]

Re the HK, our annual fair Retromobile will be held from 1 to 5th Feb. At least two forumers will go, John and I. I will cost nothing to ask. Would be easier if you make us a short brief, year, mileage, number of owners and of course actual state. You're a pro, give a mechanical rate if you want (clutch, engine,ancillaries…), I believe the car has a ZF gearbox but the CWP and clutch are said weak. Mind you there's a lot of predators and scavengers around…

[L-G Sjöberg]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Seems that each sale brings a 2CV Sahara, announced as a rarity but each time its a different one. How long can this last? There is a special dedicace to Mike H, a white 2300S coupé. If I could think I'd go for a Facel HK, the blue one looks good. Announced as concours condition its surprising to see that the spare wheel presents some rust…

The vid enhancing the 250 LM is really Hollywood style!

The Sahara at this year's Retromobile belongs to a friend of mine. I had no idea that the estimate would be that high. Not that he needs more money , but I still wish him success with the sale.

[Gerard C]

Hi L-G, your friend's car looks good. They are rare, sought after and now we have a specialist able to refurbish them (duplicate too!). They usually go for circa 100k whatever the currency, roubles and zloties excepted… It is said to belong to a Citroen dealer, Örebro Automobil Affär, going out of business. Needs some love to be brought back to its former glory I think.

[Derwent]

Re Bank of Dave. It's a true story and Dave Fishwick is a real character who set up his own bank for local people in Lancashire despite all sorts of barriers put in place by the big banks. He deserves a Knighthood.

[Gerard C]

Moving story I must admit, a kind of modern Robin Hood. Not surprising that the establishment did not welcome him…

[Gerard C]

Gordon: https://www.carandclassic.com/list/509/?page=1
A quick search gave only one RHD, its a Facel II sold by Justin Banks (https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1511869). Worth a call in my opinion. Will ask how many HK500 were made in RHD and ZF gearbox.
https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk...rds-facel+vega

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Derwent

Re Bank of Dave. It's a true story and Dave Fishwick is a real character who set up his own bank for local people in Lancashire despite all sorts of barriers put in place by the big banks. He deserves a Knighthood.

When I had my breakers yard I used to deal with Dave Fishwick, who then had a small used car sales patch in Nelson - I'd often take cars that he'd accepted as part-ex but couldn't retail. He was definitely a character, even then, and has done well over the years - definitely moved up the financial scale a lot more than I have. I always got on well with him.

[Lancsbreaker]

just seen a Facebook post that Max has been allowed up into our neck of the woods to have a go at Three Sisters, near Wigan. I've used it for testing, and on a stage rally,but its a bit small for cars - sure its great for Karts, though, which is what it started as......

[Derwent]

Which Max?
I've dome plenty of sprints on 3S. It's a good track and it's also used for stage rallies and recently for targa rallies. It got a bit run down under the previous tenants but much better now.

[Adam43]

In an XJS I chased Paul O’Neill in an MX-5 round there on a charity track day. Fun track, if silly for big cars.

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by Derwent

Which Max?
I've dome plenty of sprints on 3S. It's a good track and it's also used for stage rallies and recently for targa rallies. It got a bit run down under the previous tenants but much better now.

Max Tyler - or Midgetman

[grantp]

Originally Posted by E.B

Happy wife - Happy life springs to mind on the benefit scale!

Quite so E.B. .

If only the rather broad term "happy" could be more specific and so much less a rapidly moving target ...

Recently I have been suggesting, from time to time when verbal communication fails due to " I can't hear you", that a hearing test might be worth considering. Just in case ... There must be a reason for the often rather loud TV volume these days compared to what was deemed acceptable in the past.

But she doesn't hear me.

I suspect the efforts to introduce a CD player or push for conversion to a USB stick will fail. The question is whether the failure will be before or after obtaining the appropriate hardware.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by delta

BTW GP I am testing at your place March 5th.

That's a Sunday according to the calendar? Trackday testing?

I assume Donington rather than Mallory? (Though either should be fine that weekend.)

[grantp]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

You can buy a CD/DVD player for peanuts that will plug into a laptop via a USB port and I have one, so you could plug it into a car radio also that has one.

The challenge is where to put it and whether it would work reasonably well in a moving vehicle and stay reliable. Also whether the head unit in the car will manage the player.

That said I probably need one for my newest notebook anyway since it has nothing and the drive in the previous laptop seems to be very selective about what will work with it.

[delta]

Donington GP . 750 M/C

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Derwent

Which Max?

I've dome plenty of sprints on 3S. It's a good track and it's also used for stage rallies and recently for targa rallies. It got a bit run down under the previous tenants but much better now.

This one.

I've got to go there again and even further this year with a couple of visits to Rowrah which for those that don't know is Cockermouth area. It's not much closer than Spa for me, and the topography of the circuit is very similar which makes the trip worthwhile.

Not bad for a soft southerner!

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[The Fat Clerk]

Originally Posted by midgetman

This one.

I've got to go there again and even further this year with a couple of visits to Rowrah which for those that don't know is Cockermouth area. It's not much closer than Spa for me, and the topography of the circuit is very similar which makes the trip worthwhile.

Not bad for a soft southerner!

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In my opinion, the best Kart track there is, superb view looking down onto the track, and the fells (Marion & Malcolm) are two of the nicest, most helpful people you'll ever meet in motorsport anywhere.

[Lancsbreaker]

Haven't been to Rowrah for many, many years. You'll have to let us know when next you are up this way and I'll reacquaint myself with Karting - something I haven't had involvement in for 50+ years, since I scared myself silly trying a friend's 200cc Bultaco.......

[Derwent]

Rowrah is a great track, just about 8 miles from me. WE use it for tests days and a targa rally.
Just about everything now is done by the Fells and there has been constant investment in improving the place. Nearly all the karting is Indy rather than MSUK these days.

[Paul D]

I also did a few single-venue stage rallies at Three Sisters back in the day. It was pretty tight & twisty for cars as I remember - not too bad if you were circulating on your own, but the rallies were always 'split stages'. For those not familiar with stage rallying, that means that you would typically do a couple of laps of each particular stage layout, which might take you, let's say, three minutes.

But cars were released into the stage at 30 second intervals and fed in via a sort of coned off 'slip road' (cars left the stage in a similar manner), if you can imagine that - which means, taking this example, there could be six cars in the stage at any given time. And, although technically, you were against the clock, you would often find yourself wanting the same piece of tarmac as another competitor. And around somewhere as tight as Three Sisters, it could (and did, at times!) prove problematic finding a way past.

I guess it was red mist for some drivers, but nevertheless, I never understood those would defend to the hilt against another, obviously quicker, car, to the point of costing themselves time as well as delaying the faster car. If you came across another car on such a stage, then you wouldn't even be at the same point in the stage - one would be on its first lap, the other on its second. It's not like a race where track position can be king - against the clock, if you slow someone down, by definition you've lost the same amount of time too, so nothing gained. Also, unlike racing, it was made clear that you were not supposed to 'race' other cars - it was strictly against the clock.

I would always let an obviously quicker car go through, on the basis that it would be out of my way and I could get on with my own thing. But even this could present one with an unexpected situation. I remember one time when a fairly well developed Sierra Cosworth joined the stage behind me as I was beginning my second lap. Now, my car was never going to give even a standard Cossie a run for its money, so when he caught me, I duly let him through. Down the back straight they'd put chicanes in to keep the speeds down. I'd just let the Sierra through on the run up to one of these, but he braked so early for it that he caught me completely by surprise. I'm still not sure to this day how I avoided smashing into the back of him!

That was a lesson learned: never assume that fast car = fast driver!

[midgetman]

I did a couple of sprints at Dunkeswell (now Mansell) kart track. When my drivers complain about understeer in turn 1 I show them the photo of my Montego Turbo there

It is tight in a big car, but I managed to spin without touching anything in an area where they tell me *I hit the barrier because it's so narrow"!

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[Derwent]

The issue with kart tracks for sprints is the oil that lies in the tarmac. When it rains it becomes like ice. I remember at 3S starting my first practice lap and spinning at the first corner and then even with more care spinning at the second at quite low speed!