Delta's Twentea-Twentea Break

[E.B]

Originally Posted by delta

I've got a few minuets before we head of to Bicester to test a car.
We had a nice day at Castle Combe way back in 1991.Loaded up and three of us in cab in the truck headed home. We just through Reading with around 10 miles to go back to workshop. Fuel pump packed up.
Hmmm, what to do. fear not.We rigged up a gallon can of petrol and my Brother in Law held the can resting on the window with a gravity feed to the carburetor.Took about an hour but we got back to work and as i recall still had time to get to the pub.
There you go Bob. headline news.

Great story Iain. Ah the memories we have all amassed thanks to motor racing through the years. Im sure you have more than most..

[bauble]

Originally Posted by delta

I've got a few minuets before we head of to Bicester to test a car.
We had a nice day at Castle Combe way back in 1991.Loaded up and three of us in cab in the truck headed home. We just through Reading with around 10 miles to go back to workshop. Fuel pump packed up.
Hmmm, what to do. fear not.We rigged up a gallon can of petrol and my Brother in Law held the can resting on the window with a gravity feed to the carburetor.Took about an hour but we got back to work and as i recall still had time to get to the pub.
There you go Bob. headline news.

Another episode in the Legend of Delta, eh? No doubt ladies tights were also removed on occasion for emergency repairs? Yeah!!

When windscreen washer became compulsory I had a Fairy Liquid bottle and a length of tubing in the drivers compartment. It replaced leaning out the window and squirting soapy water over the windscreen and down you coat sleeve.

On my first visit to Castle Combe we went down in my friends Morris Minor for a VSCC meeting, at the gate Eric handed over a ten bob note for two tickets, and drove in with two tickets and ten bob 'change'. Well chuffed. Only time we had appearance money.

[Tel 911S]

While we are still on transit stories , [ I realise that is like a red rag to a bu!!, ooops , hope he did not notice ].

But was doing a Rally in Holland , mid 80s . Some friends, who were also doing the event , rolled their Manta on one of the stages .
Then their tow vehicle , a V6 Transit , broke its distributer/ oil pump drive .
So they set off the ferry with the rolled manta , towing the Transit , towing the trailer .
We finished the event , got the ferry & met them back in Felixstowe .
Which was where he lived , so did not have far to go this end .

But it must have been a bit of a trip , across Holland to Zeebrugge with no glass in the rally car , & towing a road train .

[delta]

Originally Posted by bauble

Another episode in the Legend of Delta, eh? No doubt ladies tights were also removed on occasion for emergency repairs? Yeah!!

When windscreen washer became compulsory I had a Fairy Liquid bottle and a length of tubing in the drivers compartment. It replaced leaning out the window and squirting soapy water over the windscreen and down you coat sleeve.

On my first visit to Castle Combe we went down in my friends Morris Minor for a VSCC meeting, at the gate Eric handed over a ten bob note for two tickets, and drove in with two tickets and ten bob 'change'. Well chuffed. Only time we had appearance money.

Now that’s a great story . Here we go for the youngsters on here 10 bob is now50 pence .

[Mike Bell]

Here’s one for Gerard, under the ‘Who Knew?’ heading.....

1981 Renault 20 Paris-Dakar car for sale-

http://www.albionmotorcars.com/forsa...turbo-4x4-1981

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

While we are still on transit stories , [ I realise that is like a red rag to a bu!!, ooops , hope he did not notice ].

But was doing a Rally in Holland , mid 80s . Some friends, who were also doing the event , rolled their Manta on one of the stages .
Then their tow vehicle , a V6 Transit , broke its distributer/ oil pump drive .
So they set off the ferry with the rolled manta , towing the Transit , towing the trailer .
We finished the event , got the ferry & met them back in Felixstowe .
Which was where he lived , so did not have far to go this end .

But it must have been a bit of a trip , across Holland to Zeebrugge with no glass in the rally car , & towing a road train .

Sick Transit, Glorious Monday, then Tel?

[John Elwin]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Here’s one for Gerard, under the ‘Who Knew?’ heading.....

1981 Renault 20 Paris-Dakar car for sale-

http://www.albionmotorcars.com/forsa...turbo-4x4-1981

That one was Techno Classica Essen last year, & probably elsewhere as Albion do a lot of shows.

Funnily enough I saw an very original-looking Renault 20 in the supermarket last week. First one I'd seen for quite a while.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

While we are still on transit stories , [ I realise that is like a red rag to a bu!!, ooops , hope he did not notice ].

But was doing a Rally in Holland , mid 80s . Some friends, who were also doing the event , rolled their Manta on one of the stages .
Then their tow vehicle , a V6 Transit , broke its distributer/ oil pump drive .
So they set off the ferry with the rolled manta , towing the Transit , towing the trailer .
We finished the event , got the ferry & met them back in Felixstowe .
Which was where he lived , so did not have far to go this end .

But it must have been a bit of a trip , across Holland to Zeebrugge with no glass in the rally car , & towing a road train .

I had a similar experience in the late 80's on the way to Brands for a BTCC meeting. I was driving a P100 with one of the race cars on a trailer behind and one of my colleagues was driving a Transit hire van full of tables & chairs (we also did full hospitality for our sponsors) towing a caravan (that was our accommodation for the race weekend). On the M1 the Transit lost all indirect gears but would drive in 4th, so my mate continued the journey travelling like that. This all went well until we hit the stop-start queues for the Dartford Tunnel, there was no way the Transit would move away from a stand still in 4th. So we attached the Transit to the back of 'my' trailer and I pulled the lot through the tunnel and at the toll booth, explained to the man that I'd be paying for both sets of vehicles (but it was really just one long one! Apparently the look of surprise on his face when the Transit & caravan went past on the end of a rope was something to behold!

[Gerard C]

The Marreau bros Renault 20 from Mike's link was the ultimate evolution in the rally raid field.. Who can remember when a single R4 was enough to go cross the Sahara? Well, with some Sinpar parts we must admit! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtsL1JT86eo What a piece of kit!!
Remember the Iltis semi official team?

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by bauble

Sick Transit, Glorious Monday, then Tel?

" All good things come to an end " , roughly from Latin .

Both the rally car & Transit were repaired , so I suppose you could say " Nillus Mort "

[Gerard C]

Tu quoque, Tel?
Pictures in #167 and 170 bring this kind of memories:
https://www.caradisiac.com/les-24h-d...ole-108676.htm When the works teams had to rent "facilities" to fix the cars before the race. Facilities not for everybody because the Porsche team had to cope with a great lack of toilets…

[Gerard C]

Who can remember the rules edicated by ACO for the 24 H of Le Mans? The driver could fix his car but only with the spares and tools attached in the trunk…*Or along the guard rail when the guy was lucky! During the 1939 edition the driver of the leading Delage couldn't make profit with his sandwich containing a valve spring! Hard to swallow, Bob ?

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Tu quoque, Tel?
Pictures in #167 and 170 bring this kind of memories:
https://www.caradisiac.com/les-24h-d...ole-108676.htm When the works teams had to rent "facilities" to fix the cars before the race. Facilities not for everybody because the Porsche team had to cope with a great lack of toilets…

Like your link to the story about early Le Mans Facilities Gerard .
Here is a picture of the Hotel De France from just a few years ago when some of our cars were there , & the owner was very pleased to have this picture taken to remember back to over 50 years ago .

[Gerard C]

Wahoo, that's a picture. If you remove the ugly Renault thing and convert it in B&W, nobody can say about the year. Fantastic cars. Thank you! How is it to drive?

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Wahoo, that's a picture. If you remove the ugly Renault thing and convert it in B&W, nobody can say about the year. Fantastic cars. Thank you! How is it to drive?

The original factory cars were at the Hotel De France in 1959 when they won .
Unfortunately these are replicas , which I help to build .
http://www.asmotorsport.co.uk/

But they do drive very well , & a lot of time has been spent to make them enjoyable to use . They are a lot better to drive than cars of that era were normally .

[Gerard C]

I think very few had the chance to drive any, period or continuation. So its only my imagination and taking in count what had been done back in the day. I imagine the engine having a lot of torque and enough power, tough gearbox, predictable road holding and few brakes. But from what you say, this is all wrong! Making the drivers real men.

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

The original factory cars were at the Hotel De France in 1959 when they won .
Unfortunately these are replicas , which I help to build .
http://www.asmotorsport.co.uk/

But they do drive very well , & a lot of time has been spent to make them enjoyable to use . They are a lot better to drive than cars of that era were normally .

I can thoroughly recommend 'A Gentleman's Motor Racing Diary' a series of four DVDs of cine footage from the late 40's through to early 60's. The films are the work of John Tate (of Tate & Lyle Sugar), who combined a love of motor racing with his hobby, cine films. John was an ex-fighter pilot, and was an Aston Martin owner and fan, his films include much footage of the works team at Le Mans and the farm where they were based. There is coverage from the first Members Meeting, and much from National and International events at Silverstone, Goodwood, Aintree etc.

If you want to know what motor sport was like in the days of Fangio, Moss, Hawthorn, Brooks, etc. this is the thing for you.

Bob.

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

I think very few had the chance to drive any, period or continuation. So its only my imagination and taking in count what had been done back in the day. I imagine the engine having a lot of torque and enough power, tough gearbox, predictable road holding and few brakes. But from what you say, this is all wrong! Making the drivers real men.

You are right Gerard , most people cannot remember , or did not drive performance cars of that era .
There are many things which are now better , tyres , brakes & suspension parts . They make a car a lot better/safer to drive .

So I think that perhaps drivers of that period were a bit more " living life on the edge " .

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by bauble

I can thoroughly recommend 'A Gentleman's Motor Racing Diary' a series of four DVDs of cine footage from the late 40's through to early 60's. The films are the work of John Tate (of Tate & Lyle Sugar), who combined a love of motor racing with his hobby, cine films. John was an ex-fighter pilot, and was an Aston Martin owner and fan, his films include much footage of the works team at Le Mans and the farm where they were based. There is coverage from the first Members Meeting, and much from National and International events at Silverstone, Goodwood, Aintree etc.

If you want to know what motor sport was like in the days of Fangio, Moss, Hawthorn, Brooks, etc. this is the thing for you.

Bob.

Thanks for that idea Bob . I will see if I can Andrew , [ who business it is with the cars ,] to get his hands on some copies .

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Who can remember the rules edicated by ACO for the 24 H of Le Mans? The driver could fix his car but only with the spares and tools attached in the trunk…*Or along the guard rail when the guy was lucky! During the 1939 edition the driver of the leading Delage couldn't make profit with his sandwich containing a valve spring! Hard to swallow, Bob ?

Gerard, I well remember from my youthful reading of the Bentley team at Le Mans, when Chassagne ran back to the pits from Mulsanne or somewhere, and rushed into the pits shouting 'Maintenance c'est le moi'

Famous incident back then.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Tel 911S

So I think that perhaps drivers of that period were a bit more " living life on the edge " .

Yes only performance was targeted, safety being somewhat virtual. As to the F1 of this era I think that some races could last more than four hours. Did you ever see images of refueling with a driver asking for… a cigarette! Not mentioning the crowd on the track! Crazy days!
Bob, not politically correct to reproduce many "strong" word that have been said when a driver was not happy with the car or a team mate I'm afraid. Nowadays, whatever they really think, all the drivers have to congrat the team, engine builder, tyre maker, family, even the mother in law!

[Gerard C]

I had a very close relationship with many marshals. The favorite joke about Le Mans race was "You can't imagine the kind of growing flowers you could find in the grass near a stopped car… " Instead of dafs, you had spanners, spark plugs or even carbs parts!

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Impossible for me to forget EART, Peter, as Roger Taylor was the benchmark I used to monitor my progress. Bert Avard, and his cohorts from Boreham, were very kind to me over the years, often coming up with spares that we didn't have or to give a helping hand when in a bind.

Roger's dad was actually a member of the Ford UK board of directors, and I am fairly certain that all his exploits were funded by Fords UK. And Roger, plus fellow team drivers, were at times entered by Dagenham Motors as well as other Ford dealers. I think that it was a case of which dealer Fords felt could benefit from a promotional boost. And regardless of who "entered" the car/s, Bert was always there at the helm along with their Transit van stacked to the gills with every conceivable spare and more.

I used to watch most of the racing back in those days especially the EART team who had some rapid Anglia's, at one time the manager of them was Len Dixon who went on to design his own suspension parts firm calling it LEDA suspension. I would think at one time most of you 10thers used them for shocks n springs as I did.

[justracing]

Originally Posted by bauble

Gerard, I well remember from my youthful reading of the Bentley team at Le Mans, when Chassagne ran back to the pits from Mulsanne or somewhere, and rushed into the pits shouting 'Maintenance c'est le moi'

Famous incident back then.

I remember reading such an incident where the driver(Chassagne?) ran back from Arnage to the pits, grabbing a replacement part and returning to the scene of his "off" courtesy of a policeman's bike borrowed en route! If I remember correctly he actually cycled on the track against the flow of traffic! although this last part may have been elaborate reporting.

[Gerard C]

Funny days, strong men! Many things could be done when the car was out of the pits but only by the driver himself. Safety fences, guard rails had to be discovered that's why you can see big sandpits outside curves like tertre Rouge for instance. Isn't it delta who had the surprise to discover a shovel in the trunk of his Cadillac Le Monstre?