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Old 2 Feb 2004, 22:11 (Ref:860725)   #1
relativtortoise
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VSCC Pomeroy Trophy..

Ok here is your challenge..

You have a budget of £1200 to purchase a car off the street to take part in the Pom as a serious contender.

It appears that the ideal for the more moderns is to be around the two litres and that length is important, but what would you buy at the auction??

My top five tips in no particular order...

1. Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
2. MK2 Astra 16V or Cavalier SRi
3. Fiat Strada Abarth
4. Renault 5 Turbo
5. MG Maestro


My top five cars to make life difficult..also in no order

1. Reliant Scimitar
2. Jaguar XJS/XJ6
3. BMW 5 series
4. Ford Capri except maybe the 2.0 litre
5. Vauxhall Senator/Carlton

RT

Last edited by relativtortoise; 2 Feb 2004 at 22:12.
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 05:13 (Ref:861037)   #2
BugEyed
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RT

The "formula" penalises cars with forced induction, engines over two litres (the minimum calculated value), and takes into account the distance inside the car to the backseat. Taking all of these into account, I'd suggest that the R5 will not do well, but that the cavalier might be excellent if you get a 2wd GSi 2000. The FIAT sounds a hot tip, if you could find a good one.

Duncan
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 05:45 (Ref:861073)   #3
BugEyed
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Am I wrong on where the length is measured? I've read elsewhere that it is measured from the clutch pedal to the centreline of the rear axle. Which is correct?

Duncan :confused:
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 07:14 (Ref:861105)   #4
BugEyed
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.... and some alternative suggestions:

1. Peugeot 406 Mi16
2. Peugeot 309 GTi
3. Vauxhall VX 4/90 (Modified!)
4. Rover SD1 2 litre
5. Nissan Laurel (useful as spares for 240Z afterwards )

Duncan
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 07:42 (Ref:861113)   #5
relativtortoise
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PVMW promised an SD1 2 litre this year in place of the Nash but it now appears he has had a change of heart.

Length for front engined cars is from the rearmost part of the brake pedal to c/l rear axle, for mid engined machines it is something like brake pedal to bulkhead.

You're right the R5 may be a dodo, one was there last year I forget how successfully. Some years ago now Dave White ran an ex touring car MG Maestro which I thought would be perfect but he found it in his words 'surprisingly slow'

As a younger spectator I watched in disgust as Paul Channon in an SRi Cavalier drove around the outside of a DB4 Aston and shattered a whole load of illusions at once. For me that is what makes the event so intriguing seeing the such a mix of machines and how some seem to stand out so unexpectedly.

The Peugeots are certainly a possibility, they would come in on price, I wonder too if they can be easily 'chipped' like the Astra to transform their output?

RT
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 08:43 (Ref:861157)   #6
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The sight of a Cavalier driving round the outside of a DB4 must have been quite mortifying, but here you are all those years later, still enthusiastic about old machinery.There was that period after WW2 when every new model was worse than the previous one, especially when compared to the earlier well engineered limited production model. Suddenly, technology and engineering science developed to create what we have to day, small size mass production cars with extraordinary performance.
The Peugeot can be chipped. I know a guy who has a real penchant for it, but the engine is a bit fragile, particularly fairly high mileage examples. Still, the Pom is not exactly an endurance competition. Just imagine, win the Pom, first stop the scrap yard in Towcester and arrange a lift home with the Trophy.
Chris.
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 09:22 (Ref:861175)   #7
relativtortoise
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My father owned a DB4 at the time and I thought it was the best car in the world.

The Vauxhall 16V can be chipped to 195bhp and is utterly bullet proof which is what I use.

The forty minutes always feels a bit of an endurance, the last ten or twelve minutes seem to go on and on.

RT
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 09:59 (Ref:861189)   #8
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Quote:
Originally posted by Riley Imp
There was that period after WW2 when every new model was worse than the previous one, especially when compared to the earlier well engineered limited production model. Chris.
Actually after the Wall St crash in 1929, leading to the formation in 1934 of the VSCC.
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 10:06 (Ref:861195)   #9
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BMW 2002 Tii or even better an ordinary 2002 with decent carbs and head. Stock the Tii is better but if you are going to do some development there doesn't seem to be much that you can do with the injection side - mechanical kuglefischer (sp??) seems to give most people the screaming heebie jeebies and is therefore best dealt with on a "if it ain't broke don't touch it" basis. Cars are a bit staid to look at but wonderful to drive - as long as you put decent brake pads on them.
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 10:10 (Ref:861198)   #10
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I seem to remember that in 2003, the hot tip was an Audi (A6, I think?) as it has a huge brake pedal to back axle measurement.
Most fun has to be Dougal in the Cortina, best chance of success however is probably still Diffy in that lunatic BMW.
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 10:39 (Ref:861223)   #11
relativtortoise
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Crikey ...an A6 or 2002 for £1200

Which auctions do you got to?

RT
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 11:13 (Ref:861245)   #12
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A6 sounds a bit hopeful but you can get an BMW 02 for a lot less than that and have money left to patch it up to pass scrutineering for the pom including some new secondhand tyres - used yokohama's imported from Japan say, some new plugs, carb kits and brake pads. It may well blow up before the end on the other hand you won't have nagging doubts about using your daily driver as you thrash it mercilessly. I thought I was made of sterner stuff but found myself getting very paranoid during the laps the year that I did the Pom down under in my own 2 month old car!!
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 11:24 (Ref:861257)   #13
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Exilegaas,
You are right of course, I always thought that was what lay behind the VSCC make and dating policy. Somewhere in an early Bulletin, I thought there was an article on this philosphy, but I have been unable to locate it. After the WS crash, first cost became an imperative and the most noticeable change in 1931 was a decline in dash-board instrumentation, followed by heavier and heavier bodywork and the use of recycled steels. The worst thing about post-war cars was the adoption of so called IFS to improve ride comfort. Having learned to drive on a Riley, I remember driving through the Highlands of Scotland in a borrowed Standard Vanguard. It was independant in every sense of the word !
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 11:35 (Ref:861265)   #14
relativtortoise
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A local VSCC friend is running his original and stock Tii this year.

It should be 130bhp but may well be down on that these days and at just over a metric ton their power to weight is not brilliant.

RT
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 12:16 (Ref:861292)   #15
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Mine was 1040kg on the weigh bridge and 172hp on the rolling road (had KN filters and nice exhaust and a little bit of valve and port work done on the gas flow bench other wise just set with everything spot on) hp is not astounding but lovely wide spread of torque and nicely balanced so very nice car for the Pom. Tel him to put some good pads in the brakes - not necessarily full on race ones but better than stock road ones. They can be a bit tricky because Tii have bigger brakes than ordinary 02's so you can't just go to the local factor, Jaymic should be able to help with something off the shelf though.
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 17:03 (Ref:861561)   #16
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Whilst on the morning commute, a nagging thought appeared that there is another alternative .....

This is not advice, and is I'm sure would not be recommended by:
  • Me
  • Ten-Tenths
  • The VSCC
Back in the '60's a number of well known racing drivers of the period would fly to near a circuit and then hire a car to drive to the circuit. "Allegedly" some of these cars would have the numberplates removed and be entered in the saloon car race.

Has this ever happened at the Pom? Do you have to "prove" that the car is yours?

For £1,200 you could hire something like a Honda Civic (or Accord) Type "R", pay for a set of very soft tyres and some uprated pads, and as long as you don't bend it .....

Duncan
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 17:13 (Ref:861569)   #17
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It does occur to me that the VSCC has a quite unique competitive motoring event in the Pom. One of the problems of spectating at the event is understanding what is going on and putting each section in context. I know it is a closed event and the Club Notes suggest that non-members need to be accompanied, but should we not attempt to provide people with a picture of what it is all about. I recall a descriptive piece from the past. Would we not be doing a good service to everybody if we were to post that on this site with perhaps some notes to support it from one of you more knowledgeable people. Perhaps in the future, with a viewable control centre at Silverstone, the event might be opened up for broader viewing. Just an idea, no one else has an event where the results produce such intrigue and challenge to perception.
Chris.
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 17:18 (Ref:861574)   #18
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At the risk of taking this thread off on a bit of a tangent ... As I understand it, the purpose of the Pom is (was) to identify the "best" car for touring. If that's right, how do the various elements of the regulations contribute towards that ideal ? Bigger engine, yes - but why a smaller limit for PVT; what's the rationale (not that there necessarily has to be a rationale) behind the relevance of the distance from brake pedal to rear axle ?

Bernard

Editted to say that I was clearly typing this at the same time as Riley Imp, to whom I say - yes please !

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Old 3 Feb 2004, 17:30 (Ref:861590)   #19
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On similar lines, perhaps we should check with the VSCC Club Office before posting specific details about VSCC "Members only" events on a public Forum?

Following the changes to the VSCC Forum (the logic of which I still fail to understand and hence do not feel qualified to interpret in this situation) and the use of similar security methods being used to restrict access to information about events, the club may have concerns about what is posted. Anyone care to ask - I don't think I'm the right person to do so at present?

Duncan :confused:
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 17:41 (Ref:861597)   #20
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This may not really be true but I believe that in the sixties one hire company in the States made the mistake of having one of the high powered Mustangs available which when hired by the unscrupulous were not actually used to race but the engines were; then replaced post meeting and the car returned.

Would a Type R on Yoko's be good enough?

Years ago one of our members entered his company car; a Mercedes 190 Cosworth and spent the whole day in mild panic in case it got dinged and he had to explain what he'd been up to to his board/insurers.

RT

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Old 3 Feb 2004, 17:48 (Ref:861605)   #21
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Quote:
Originally posted by BugEyed
On similar lines, perhaps we should check with the VSCC Club Office before posting specific details about VSCC "Members only" events on a public Forum?
In the case of the Pom, there is normally press coverage (in either Classic & Sportscar and / or Classic Cars) of the event anyway. These 'specific details' that Duncan refers to, due to their interesting nature (especially the Pom ), have the effect of raising the clubs profile. For prospective members, especially those who own eligible vehicles, surely highlighting what they are missing out on will encourage them to join?

Just a thought

IIRC, the Mustangs which RT refers to were the Shelby 350Hs, the H standing for Hertz.

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Old 3 Feb 2004, 17:51 (Ref:861610)   #22
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Duncan,

I cannot think that there could be any problem with discussing the event, as long as no-one discloses its date. Of course if one were to type "pomeroy trophy" into Google and find a link directly to the regulations within a certain club's site, then that would presumably be something with which said club were perfectly happy !

Bernard
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 18:00 (Ref:861614)   #23
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Bernard

I'm sure that the Club Office will be grateful to you for exposing the hole in their security that is still there. I presume it is deliberate as it was pointed out to them many months ago.

Does anyone know when the 2004 Membership cards will be issued - or are they trying to tell me something?

Duncan
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 19:22 (Ref:861696)   #24
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Upon reflection at this time of sensitivity my idea was probably unwise. What motivated me towards it was the feeling that a lot of people on this site must be quite mistified as to what the " Pom " is. It must have a greater appeal than "vintagents," but it encapsulates so well the eccentricity and all that is best about the ethos of the Club. But to enjoy, one does have to understand the way the event works.
Maybe next year, Chris
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Old 3 Feb 2004, 20:43 (Ref:861798)   #25
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Quote:
Originally posted by relativtortoise
PVMW promised an SD1 2 litre this year in place of the Nash but it now appears he has had a change of heart........

I'm half wishing I had - and the other half of me will also be wishing I had if it snows.

To be pedantic (surely not they all cry), my SD1 is actually a 2.6, not a 2 litre. I've never driven one, but I'm told the 2 litre couldn't drag itself out of bed - only thing possibly more gutless would be the diesel. Hard to imagine, a diesel SD1. What were they thinking of?

Maybe next year. I reckon the SD1 could be quite fun. The pedal to rear axle measurement will be in its favour at least. Considering they are so easy to find (I'm on my second free one, the owners can't bear to see them scrapped and you can't give away a 6 cyl. SD1 - er, actually thats not quite true, give them away is exactly what they do do) p'haps we should try to put together a team of them!!!

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