(NZ) Southern Classic

[Mike Bell]

2nd of the NZ meetings that includes races for Formula Juniors from the rest of the world.

[Mike Bell]

The next destination for our intrepid Formula Junior globe-trotters!

Looked up the ‘Levels’ at Timaru on goggle maps, and found a circuit map (or maps) on South Canterbury Car Club website..... https://southcanterburycarclub.org.n...tivities/#maps

I see that the track is driven anti-clockwise. Is that generally the case in the S. hemisphere?

[Dan Rear]

Never mind about that Mike, what about the Canaries!!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Never mind about that Mike, what about the ********!!

Ssh, and anyway- Iain supports Reading.

[delta]

We have just arrived at a camp site in Timaru . Not much to report . The camp site could be something out of the 60’s . There is free Wi Fi

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

We have just arrived at a camp site in Timaru . Not much to report . The camp site could be something out of the 60’s . There is free Wi Fi

I’ll post the camp site pic. As you say, could be in the UK a while back!

BUT Free WiFi? We don’t even get that at most Euro circuits!

[Colin McKay]

31deg on Monday, 10 today! We've been hillwalking for a couple of days but no point today as the cloud is too low so now sitting in a very smart rv camp where we find ourselves next to another FJ, he had a more productive day than us having prepped his car in the trailer. Not sure what the posh neighbours think of that! Warming up for the weekend thank goodness.

[Colin McKay]

Very different rv site to Iain's, at this one they trim the lawn borders with nail scissors and sweep the path behind as you walk in case any grit drops out of your shoes😁 TBH I feel a bit uncomfortable in this sort of place, we and the mhome are pretty filthy having been 2 days in the hills and on dirt roads a lot of the time. Still £20 for hot showers, elec hookup, tanks emptied & refilled not a bad deal.

[Gerard C]

The pictures I saw from Iain's car, at least the Danish blue one, show an action cam. Will you make some video? From the race I mean, not the swim!!

[delta]

Morning Gerard . I am sure those who are close to me are having histericle laughter . I do not own a dash cam and would not have any idea how to work it or upload any film .Sorry to disappoint you . There are some good photos on the FJ face book page of me under car as she is hanging on the crane from up at Teratonga. Not allowed on the beech Mike . It’s shut at moment , they say due to bacteria .

[grantp]

Originally Posted by delta

Morning Gerard . I am sure those who are close to me are having histericle laughter . I do not own a dash cam and would not have any idea how to work it or upload any film .Sorry to disappoint you . There are some good photos on the FJ face book page of me under car as she is hanging on the crane from up at Teratonga. Not allowed on the beech Mike . It’s shut at moment , they say due to bacteria .

Whose bacteria?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by grantp

Whose bacteria?

My first thought....

[Gerard C]

Morning Iain! Yes of course I'm disappointed, thought it was an action cam! Not many solutions to find whether its my computer or my eyes… or the symptom of you driving "all balls out"! Just out of my curiosity how do they manage to close a beach over there? They put the sand upside down?

[I16]

Hope you don't mind - a link to the local paper.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-heral...uthern-classic

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by I16

Hope you don't mind - a link to the local paper.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-heral...uthern-classic

That’s great! And the Datsun is lovely......

[Colin McKay]

A different story for me sadly, mystery problem still unsolved meant poor qual and only 1 lap in each of the 3 races, pointless trying to keep up when it won't rev over 6k and splutters out of every corner but is annoyingly fine in the paddock. Team Delta has now replaced everything in fuel system, ignition, even the manifold gasket so we'll see what the morning brings. Remind me why I do this......?!!!

[delta]

Before anyone says anything , yes we have changed the coil.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by delta

Before anyone says anything , yes we have changed the coil.

Colin, its part of the game, we all do that for fun. And beer… Remember the Latin version for fighting spirit.: Numquam admittere clade!

[Colin McKay]

Originally Posted by delta

Before anyone says anything , yes we have changed the coil.

Ah, but perhaps that's not the whole story of the coil!

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

A different story for me sadly, mystery problem still unsolved meant poor qual and only 1 lap in each of the 3 races, pointless trying to keep up when it won't rev over 6k and splutters out of every corner but is annoyingly fine in the paddock. Team Delta has now replaced everything in fuel system, ignition, even the manifold gasket so we'll see what the morning brings. Remind me why I do this......?!!!

Anything possibly connected with your dodgy fuel tank leak or have you somehow fixed that? (Or have I mis-remembered what that was about?)

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

A different story for me sadly, mystery problem still unsolved meant poor qual and only 1 lap in each of the 3 races, pointless trying to keep up when it won't rev over 6k and splutters out of every corner but is annoyingly fine in the paddock. Team Delta has now replaced everything in fuel system, ignition, even the manifold gasket so we'll see what the morning brings. Remind me why I do this......?!!!

Reminds me of a story about a brand new Bedford CF chassis based Motorhome we were PDI' ing for a customer back in the '70s.

On test it wouldn't pull more that 40mph and the chief mechanic suspected tight valve settings ofter a test drive. (Bear in mind this thing had been delivered to the location on the road and may have done around 300 miles since the coach built body was dropped onto the chassis.)

So he had whipped the rocker cover off and adjusted the tappets (seemed a bit tight) and arrived back on the forecourt just after the family buying the thing had turned up to collect it. They watched him leap out, grab a fire extinguisher and spray the engine bay from which which smoke and a suggestion of flame had appeared. The reason for the fire was that the very thin running-in oil had seeped out of the rocker cover gasket and dripped directly on to the hot exhaust manifold below. The exhaust was extra hot because the engine was running very lean at the 40mph maximum speed the thing could manage.

We agreed to attempt the delivery again the following week.

Not finding any obvious problems, the following week the family took delivery and immediately set off for a weekend away to try it out. They didn't get far and were back first thing on the Monday morning.

The thing still would not do more than 40 mph and took about an hour to half fill the tank. Not happy.

The fill problem was an easy spot in the end - the manufacturer fitted flexi pipe for coachbuilt bodywork to tank connection was simply too long and so easily kinked in the middle. Simple fix. But the running problem had us stumped for a while.

They had managed to fill the tank in the end so, having failed to come up with any other discoveries, we had to drain it all out before peering into the tank. Looked OK. A few flakes of red oxide paint around from the inside of the tank but nothing unusual ... until we took it off the chassis and realised that the gauze filter over the end of the pickup pipe was jammed on right into one corner of a gauze material. So it was trying to pick up fuel through multiple layers of gauze all folded up and stitched with the pipe rammed tightly in to one corner. Once the filter was removed the problem was solved.

We put everything back together (without a tank pickup pipe filter iirc but I may be wrong), tested it and delivered it to the customer and so far as I can recall we never heard from them again.

No great surprise since they told us they came to an agreement with their children (both under 10 iirc) every year about what they would do with family weekend leisure time. So each "project" only lasted a year. Or in effect, a summer season.

Not saying your problem is the same, Colin, but that CF appeared to run just fine up to whatever revs represented 40mph in 4th gear and absent a flow measurement device the flow of fuel to the carb (electric pump iirc) looked more than adequate when tested.

Just thought I would mention it in case it prompted some ideas.

[Gerard C]

Aaah, Colin is in trouble with his RV. Sorry, didn't understand. May be you can look for a conflict between the wiper motor and the overdrive switch; I've heard about that once. Or twice. If not, remove some water from the rad to avoid any leak and add some water to the battery because you never know…

Originally Posted by grantp

So far as I can recall we never heard from them again.

I have a suggestion for you but guess you won't like it… Anyway, they must be grown up adults if they've survived! Was your garage located in Essex?

[Gerard C]

Where did the car spent its winter? Any mouse there? Ignition kill switch? Keep an eye on the CV joint……

[Colin McKay]

Thanks for all the suggestions, we've been through all the obvious. The combined brainpower of 20 FJ luminaries has failed to come up with anything new so out again in an hour and see what happens. New dizzy probably next on the job list.

[Mike Harte]

Colin, I don't know if you have had a look/tried replacing a) the condenser and b) the dizzy cap?