History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis? - Page 88

Andy Clegg · 17 Jul 2018, 06:55 (Ref:3837063)

I was thinking last night that it was good that it wasn't a Championship Round.

911thillclimber · 17 Jul 2018, 17:04 (Ref:3837149)

Not a problem Andy as I already have the class win in the bag ages ago on points.
Only really me in the class!

Could be a few others in the class at Shelsley Walsh soon, but not in my Championship.
Shame nobody else is a consistent class runner.
Maybe next year..

andy97 · 18 Jul 2018, 11:38 (Ref:3837294)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Things have not been too dormant in the garage, I've cleaned the car yet again...
I'm a bit worried about the wear in both drive shafts.
I have found out that they are off a March mid 70's formula car, and a 741 F1 at that I think.

I cannot find any details about these drive shafts except that they are incredibly rare so a worry if one breaks.
I hope to find a real specialist who knows what he is dealing with and can advise on rebuilding them.
The special part is the non-sliding hub that goes into the rear uprights. It all looks custom made possibly by March but certainly custom.

Anyone with a contact for such a rebuild, please pm details to me.

The car will be on the Club's stand at the Chateaux Impney hillclimb next weekend, so if you are there please come along and say hello.
Met several 10-10th'ers there last year.

Weekend after we are entered in a one day Clubbie at Loton Park.

Only me in the class, but I want to use the event to try some ideas out.

Sometimes demon tweeks can be demonic!

Seen on Racecarsdirect:

https://racecarsdirect.com/Advert/De...2-f3-f1-and-sp

Might have driveshafts, too. Any help?

911thillclimber · 18 Jul 2018, 18:45 (Ref:3837372)

Ah..
I saw that ad a few weeks ago.
Tried to contact the seller, no luck (racecarsdirect issue)
Just tried again with success!

You never know.
Thanks for the reminder.

911thillclimber · 7 Aug 2018, 06:42 (Ref:3841999)

It's a long hot summer, but at last the rest of the Midland Hill Climb Championship rounds re-start for us with Shelsley Walsh this weekend.
The meeting has 2 Championships running and my class is quite large, quite daunting and it could rain!

Other than that all ok...

I have the mighty 5 litre Pilbeam with 2 expert drivers who are after my blood for going faster than them at twisty Loton Park, the return of the Metro 6R4 with husband and wife drivers, Allan as ever in his blindingly fast Mini EVO and my fellow Championship class mate Nigel in his NG V8.

Easy.

Just 2 more after this, Prescott and Loton and it is all over for 2018!

Andy Clegg · 7 Aug 2018, 07:48 (Ref:3842010)

Seems to have gone quickly.

911thillclimber · 7 Aug 2018, 12:15 (Ref:3842073)

Indeed, just 9 rounds we do and maybe a little Clubbie or 2 at Loton Park.

So, 9 meetings, 4 runs/meeting = 36 runs.
Each run is about 42 seconds on average, so about 25 minutes of actual track time....

Each meeting costs about £220 to do, thus £79 per run!!!!!!!!!!!

Andy Clegg · 7 Aug 2018, 14:54 (Ref:3842120)

I used to navigate a few times in road rallying in the North of England. We used to halve the petrol, I paid for the entry and the driver kept the Trophy etc.
Yours isn't a cheap sport is it?

911thillclimber · 7 Aug 2018, 15:16 (Ref:3842127)

No, it isn't, and on top there are repairs if required.
Tyres are £1250 a set, but the Lola uses a £300 road clutch, the brakes are hardly used, and sometimes the running costs can be very low.

As with all speed events (drag racing, sprints and hill climbs as well as rallies) you do your best to minimise the time you spend racing!

Also, there is nobody else on the track, just the Armco and trees to keep you company and awake.

MGDavid · 7 Aug 2018, 21:41 (Ref:3842203)

You can do it Graham.
'Big balls Murray...'

911thillclimber · 7 Aug 2018, 21:50 (Ref:3842205)

Not sure but will be trying!
Shelsley is very steep and the Pilbeam is mighty powerful.
I have never beaten Allan unless he breaks.
The Metro is unknown, and Nigel is usually close enough to irritate!

I recon on a cool dry weekend I might bag 3rd in class.

911thillclimber · 12 Aug 2018, 17:40 (Ref:3843196)

What a miserable weekend of hillclimbing for many, and me too!
Car back into the garage in one dirty piece, but not good for the results.

Saturday was dry and a good track, the 2 practices netted a near identicle pair of 32.6's a full second off the pb.

Sunday started wet.
And then rained some more, and the first timed run was awful. I simply did not want to take the car up so cruised to a pedestrian 43.35 and 7th in a class of 8. Terrible.

The second run was delayed with a car on it's roof, gearbox oil everywhere and a dicey track and more spins etc, so I chicken'ed out and put the car on the trailer.
Rest of the class had mixed results, so missed nothing.

A meeting best put behind me, clean the car tomorrow for 4 hours ready for hopefully a more fulfilling Prescott, 1/2nd Sept.

Good to see Brooksie and hear his Porsche engined Nike is progressing well and should be on the hills next year.

MGDavid · 12 Aug 2018, 20:59 (Ref:3843244)

sounds a real bummer - but that's motorsport!

911thillclimber · 12 Aug 2018, 21:36 (Ref:3843253)

Since the car now 'works' with me I've increasingly become sensitive to any damage that might occur during a climb.
I get attached to some cars, I am 'married' to my 911, now 30 years in my family and my first hill climb car.
I did not have this attachment with my Impreza.

This Lola is a bit special to me and this gets in the way.
It was a real test for me to get working and the chase for the Chassis Number was special to me too.

I'm a bit disappointed in myself for not trying, but there was nothing to be gained in the Championship, the Class Win is already mine for the 3rd year running. This has eroded the competitive feel this year.

A lot of this is all about what is in the mind on the day, at the time you drop the clutch at the start line.

Should be on a better tac for Prescott!

911thillclimber · 28 Aug 2018, 06:31 (Ref:3846668)

Prescott entry finally has arrived, and a reasonably full class, 5 drivers.
The Metro is there, the EVO Mini and Nigel in the NG V8, weather forecast is good, so I hope to have a normal weekend.

Based on previous results on a fair day, should get 2nd in class, but we shall see as the Metro continues to get better!

Went to the Oulton Park Gold Cup over the weekend, bit of a pilgrimage for us.
There was a big class of Sports racers including a sole Lola T492, but a great March racing sports car of mid 70's vintage.
Same drive shafts as my car!

I sort of know the driver when he has a tidy T492, now has somewhat progressed.
Chatted to him about refurbishment of the shafts, and he promptly showed me a complete upgrade set of parts that convert the odd March design to a conventional CV/GKN joint in a card box!

Made by the company who preps his car, G Cat Racing, and the CV part os a separate machined 'boss' that looks to fit original parts.
Needless to say, email sent the G Cat.

Lucky to find the car, the drive shaft design and a solution in steel all at the same time!

Andy Clegg · 28 Aug 2018, 07:47 (Ref:3846683)

This looks very promising. Seems like it all went quiet with your other enquiries.

MGDavid · 28 Aug 2018, 08:35 (Ref:3846692)

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

..........
Lucky to find the car, the drive shaft design and a solution in steel all at the same time!

Result!
If you hadn't gone looking you wouldn't have known.
You make your luck...

911thillclimber · 1 Sep 2018, 16:53 (Ref:3847413)

At Prescott hill climb this weekend for the penultimate round of the Championship.
Nice hill this, and suits the car and me well as there are no fast bits...

Big class and if all goes to history/plan will come second in class.
Great weather, and an even better frame of mind today.

PB is 46.58

1st practice gave a start of 2.24 and a time of 47.11. Encouraging, car went well, driver changed gear correctly and got a nice clean run close to the PB.
2nd practice was nicer, 2.19 and 46.52, whoo! a new PB!

Car was great, few operator errors and sitting 2nd in class after practice.

The Metro is in mechanical trouble, the NGV8 is with an unhappy driver, Alan in the EVO Mini is ballistic (1.88/43.29), so a typical hill climb group.

Spanners crossed for tomorrow and the weather is looking good.
Hope I have not Peaked-in-Practice.

I used to be really good at that....

Andy Clegg · 2 Sep 2018, 06:56 (Ref:3847526)

Enjoy today and hope all goes well.

911thillclimber · 2 Sep 2018, 17:54 (Ref:3847683)

Thanks Andy, just got back from Prescott.

Great day for many including me!

We had the luxury of a sunday practice run @ 2.28/ 46.76 not too shabby, in the 46's and not far off the PB of yesterday.

1st race run, and drove the car too hard resulting in a disappointing 2.21/ 46.99.
Came into the start of the tricky Esses FAR to slow going from 3rd to 4th instead of going 3rd to 2nd...Operator error to the fore!

2nd race run and I was focused, I was determines and I was verging on the foolish, but...

2.15 / 46.29 sec finish and a new PB..Ha! starting to get the hang of this little car.

So, second in class on both rounds, and confirmation from the organisers that I have won the Class in the Midland Hillclimb Championship, 2018.

This will be my 3rd year with this result, so mighty pleased, chuffed etc., my name on the big trophy for the third time in a row, far more than I ever dreamt 8 years ago.

Just one more meeting 22/23 Sept at my fav hill, Loton Park and the end of the hill climb season for 2018.

MGDavid · 2 Sep 2018, 20:33 (Ref:3847712)

well done, congrats :-)

Andy Clegg · 3 Sep 2018, 06:58 (Ref:3847819)

Well done Graham. I've watched quite a lot from Loton Park on youtube.

brookesy · 3 Sep 2018, 09:12 (Ref:3847839)

excellent result Graham, all your hard work is paying off.

911thillclimber · 3 Sep 2018, 11:59 (Ref:3847882)

Thank you all.
Those early years sorting the gear change and a few other things do seem a bit distant now!

Thought you all would like to see how the hill time splits down betwwen the Lola and Allan's EVO Mini.

The hills are all split into sections and the car is clocked to 1/100 sec at each point and some speeds logged too. This makes for a log of the whole run and you can compare where things went 'wrong'.

Here is my Sunday practice
2.28, 70mph,14.66, 21.44 29.39 46.76

Best race run

2.15 72mph 14.36 21.05 28.95 46.29

Allan's best run

1.85 79mph 13.37 18.98 26.18 42.42

You have to see his '1.18' sec start to appreciate the traction of 4x4 and about 400 bhp!

Maybe 2019 will yield a 45 sec bracket run?

911thillclimber · 15 Sep 2018, 07:21 (Ref:3850261)

The finals for the final Championship hill climb have arrived for my Club's track, Loton Park.
My class has the usual people, Allan in the Mini, the two Metro drivers and me.
Plan is to come second as Allan is uncatchable anywhere as long as he does not break.
In the sub 2 litre class the Norma is back and the Maguire Mini and Martin's demon Sylva Riot, who I can sometimes beat, but not often!

Pig roast and a band on the usually chilly Sat evening and the season will be over!

The Lola will then go into secure storage for the winter while I do my old 911, going in for a self prepared re-paint after 28 years wearing my DIY paint job.
Poor thing needs a good fresh coat of professional paint.

www.hdlcc.com

Have to say there is a hint of bordom creeping in with the Lola, 'the same old, same old' things, not sure what to do about that, but could just be the end-of-season blues.

It is said absence makes the heart grow fonder, so with it away for 4 months the sight of it next year will say it all.

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