Escort
The entry is now in for this years Kall Kwik Bradford Rally. This is a support event for the larger Roger Albert Clark Rally and runs on the 14th and 15th November 2008. The event starts at Elland Road Stadium, home of the mighty Leeds United, and the first stage is a floodlit Friday night stage at Temple Newsam near Leeds, which coincidently is the closest rally stage to my home and at a location I have pretty good knowledge of as I grew up playing and riding my bike around the ground to the park!
The following morning the event re-starts at Elland Road and has a second stage at Temple Newsam before moving onto the historical rally stages that were part of the original RAC rally at Langdale, Harwood Dale and Oliver’s Mount in Scarborough. We then make our way to Pickering for the service park before re-running the final three events of the morning.
Preparation on the car is continuing with a new drive shaft fitted this week and a few other changes and checks will take place over the coming weeks in preparation.
This is by far the largest event we have entered both in terms of the logistics involved and the cost (the credit crunch has just got a whole lot crunchier!) If you are able to offer any support (whether financial, parts or anything else!) please contact us as all help will be greatly appreciated!
Metro
The diff has exploded! HT Auto’s have taken the engine out and dismantled it and the problem we encounter at the Jane Cowling Memorial Phoenix Stages was due to the diff disintegrating in the gearbox! The box has been removed from the engine and cleaned out and I am getting the a new, stronger diff and a gasket set this weekend so it can be fitted in the coming weeks. Hopefully this will mean that I’ll finally be able to do a f**king Rally by the end of October!
Tuesday 16 September 2008
Friday 29 August 2008
Autumn 2008
OK.... after struggling to get the bloody clutch back on and the engine back into place, I finally admitted that I had neither the space, the time or the knowledge to fix the Metro and decided to take it down to HT Auto's in Garforth (see 'sponsors' for more info!) They've had a quick look at it and have said that a bolt has come of inside the mystical workings of the A series engine, so they're removing the engine, bolting it back on and then spot welding it into place... hopefully it is as simple as they make it sound! Fingers crossed and finances permitting, I'll finally be out again at the end of September.
The Escort is in (also to HT Auto's!) for it's MOT this Saturday. After it has (hopefully) passed we'll be putting our entry in for the Kall Kwik Rally in November. This will be our first Multi Venue Forest Rally so, not only will I need to work out how to use the Terratrip, but also how to read real proper pace notes (rather than using a route plan!) Watch this space for updates!
The Escort is in (also to HT Auto's!) for it's MOT this Saturday. After it has (hopefully) passed we'll be putting our entry in for the Kall Kwik Rally in November. This will be our first Multi Venue Forest Rally so, not only will I need to work out how to use the Terratrip, but also how to read real proper pace notes (rather than using a route plan!) Watch this space for updates!
Wednesday 18 June 2008
Progress Report...
It's been a while but here goes...
Escort
The Escort is back from the garage after having the bumps and bashes hammered out and the doors, which were pretty much destroyed, have been replaced with light weight ones. A new bonnet has also been fitted replacing the one damaged on the Jane Cowling in '07 and both extinguishers have been replaced. Work has now started getting the car competition ready with some minor re-wiring work and we hope to have her up and running by the end of June.
Metro
Up on axle stands in the garage at the moment with the engine half off and the flywheel and clutch in pieces on the living room floor (much to my g/f's disgust!) The clutch took ages to get off, partly due to my inexperience and partly due to the fact that the flywheel was jammed on pretty tight. I now need to check whether the problem is with the clutch - if so I'll be getting a new one and fitting it over the next two weeks, if not it looks like my gearbox is buggered so I'll swear a bit and pull the entire engine out in order to fit a new box.
Escort
The Escort is back from the garage after having the bumps and bashes hammered out and the doors, which were pretty much destroyed, have been replaced with light weight ones. A new bonnet has also been fitted replacing the one damaged on the Jane Cowling in '07 and both extinguishers have been replaced. Work has now started getting the car competition ready with some minor re-wiring work and we hope to have her up and running by the end of June.
Metro
Up on axle stands in the garage at the moment with the engine half off and the flywheel and clutch in pieces on the living room floor (much to my g/f's disgust!) The clutch took ages to get off, partly due to my inexperience and partly due to the fact that the flywheel was jammed on pretty tight. I now need to check whether the problem is with the clutch - if so I'll be getting a new one and fitting it over the next two weeks, if not it looks like my gearbox is buggered so I'll swear a bit and pull the entire engine out in order to fit a new box.
Thursday 10 April 2008
Phoenix Stages - Manby (Metro) : Lookout Stages - Melbourne (Escort)
The last three weeks have been very busy for the Red Pig Rally Team... but unfortunately the outcome has been the same for both cars!
The Metro was due for it's first runout at The Jane Cowling Memorial Phoenix Stages at Manby on Easter Saturday. Preperation of the car was still taking place on Good Friday when it was finally loaded onto the trailer and taken to the venue where it eventually passed sound then flew through scrutineering. This is despite the fact that at some point the Hydragas Suspension on the front end of the car had given up the ghost on the left hand side...
Unfortunately by Saturday morning everything was not well. The engine was failing to fire with a weak battery being the problem and we when I tried to take the car out for a drive to get it warmed up it was pulling horribly to the left. We returned to the service area and jacked the car up and noticed that, when in gear, the left hand front wheel seemed to be catching. We lowered the car and Clive took it for a spin but only got 20 metres before he lost all gears. We spoke to some guys who were running a Mini and they had a quick look but they were as much at a loss as us. Rally over before we even got on stage.
This weekend saw the Escort take part in it's first event of the year at the Lookout Stages at Melbourne. The event started well for us, with the car running faultlessly on stages 1 and 2 (despite the co-driver having what he was assured was ManFlu, and not the plague). Stage 3 was going well but we were held up by a VW Polo at one point and after getting past it clipped a chicane but managed to avoid any serious damage.
Stage 4 started and we were immediately straight back on it and were flying, hoping to put in another good stage time before lunch, unfortunately when we were caught by a flying Pug 205 we went too hot into a chicane and side swiped the drivers side into it. We made it to the end of the stage without anymore excitement but the drivers door had taken a bit of a battering.
After lunch we again tried to hit the floor running but never really got back into it before the back end of the car stepped out at the split, Clive struggled and managed to just about bring it under control when we were t-boned by a Pug 106. They had seen us lose control and taken action to avoid us but, as the back end pulled itself back into shape we had ended up on the side of the road they had taken and they had nowhere to go. We limped out of stage (at speed) and surveyed the damage but it wasn't a pretty sight! The co-drivers door was completely stoved in and the sill had also been pushed in, triggering the extinguisher in the process and bending the door bar. With no extinguisher and a door bar resembling a banana we were forced to call it a day.
Both cars are now in their respective garages and work will start other the next few weeks on getting them up and running again. For the Metro, the first job is to charge the battery and then remove the clutch to see if it is that which has broken. If not it will mean a full gearbox removal. For the Escort, we have already had one quote for the repairs and will look at getting the work done within the next few weeks.
The Metro was due for it's first runout at The Jane Cowling Memorial Phoenix Stages at Manby on Easter Saturday. Preperation of the car was still taking place on Good Friday when it was finally loaded onto the trailer and taken to the venue where it eventually passed sound then flew through scrutineering. This is despite the fact that at some point the Hydragas Suspension on the front end of the car had given up the ghost on the left hand side...
Unfortunately by Saturday morning everything was not well. The engine was failing to fire with a weak battery being the problem and we when I tried to take the car out for a drive to get it warmed up it was pulling horribly to the left. We returned to the service area and jacked the car up and noticed that, when in gear, the left hand front wheel seemed to be catching. We lowered the car and Clive took it for a spin but only got 20 metres before he lost all gears. We spoke to some guys who were running a Mini and they had a quick look but they were as much at a loss as us. Rally over before we even got on stage.
This weekend saw the Escort take part in it's first event of the year at the Lookout Stages at Melbourne. The event started well for us, with the car running faultlessly on stages 1 and 2 (despite the co-driver having what he was assured was ManFlu, and not the plague). Stage 3 was going well but we were held up by a VW Polo at one point and after getting past it clipped a chicane but managed to avoid any serious damage.
Stage 4 started and we were immediately straight back on it and were flying, hoping to put in another good stage time before lunch, unfortunately when we were caught by a flying Pug 205 we went too hot into a chicane and side swiped the drivers side into it. We made it to the end of the stage without anymore excitement but the drivers door had taken a bit of a battering.
After lunch we again tried to hit the floor running but never really got back into it before the back end of the car stepped out at the split, Clive struggled and managed to just about bring it under control when we were t-boned by a Pug 106. They had seen us lose control and taken action to avoid us but, as the back end pulled itself back into shape we had ended up on the side of the road they had taken and they had nowhere to go. We limped out of stage (at speed) and surveyed the damage but it wasn't a pretty sight! The co-drivers door was completely stoved in and the sill had also been pushed in, triggering the extinguisher in the process and bending the door bar. With no extinguisher and a door bar resembling a banana we were forced to call it a day.
Both cars are now in their respective garages and work will start other the next few weeks on getting them up and running again. For the Metro, the first job is to charge the battery and then remove the clutch to see if it is that which has broken. If not it will mean a full gearbox removal. For the Escort, we have already had one quote for the repairs and will look at getting the work done within the next few weeks.
Thursday 20 March 2008
Jane Cowling Memorial Phoenix Stages - Manby - Metro - Preview
UPDATE!
The finishing touches are now being made to the car in preperation for the Jane Cowling Memorial Phoenix Stages Rally taking place at Manby this weekend.
The wing has been fixed, painted and re-attached to the car.
The bodykit has been painted and bolted (or more often than not rivited) into place.
A new air horn and co-driver push has been fitted.
Harnesses and intercom are now fitted.
Brakes have been checks and we've made sure all the nuts in the engine bay are tightened.
Battery has been re-connected.
Tyres have been looked at and debated over (rubbish... rubbish... good... rubbish).
New choke has been fitted.
Paintwork has been 'touched up' (sore point - spray can are rubbish and wind makes for big overspray)
So we now have only to fit some mudflaps (which are apparently mandatory) and the decals and we'll be pretty much good to go!
If anybody is in the Manby area on Saturday feel free to bob in and say hello! The seeding has interestingly put us in Car 39 in the 'club' class with an Evo8 and a Vauxhall Calibra behind us. I think they must have thought I was joking when I said I wanted to run last on the road! Either that or they thing the Metro has been fitted with a jet engine! In addition the weather is forecasted to be wet and windy with a high chance of snow!
Anyhow, come Saturday evening I'll know whether the car can run and whether I have the ability to keep it on the road!
The finishing touches are now being made to the car in preperation for the Jane Cowling Memorial Phoenix Stages Rally taking place at Manby this weekend.
The wing has been fixed, painted and re-attached to the car.
The bodykit has been painted and bolted (or more often than not rivited) into place.
A new air horn and co-driver push has been fitted.
Harnesses and intercom are now fitted.
Brakes have been checks and we've made sure all the nuts in the engine bay are tightened.
Battery has been re-connected.
Tyres have been looked at and debated over (rubbish... rubbish... good... rubbish).
New choke has been fitted.
Paintwork has been 'touched up' (sore point - spray can are rubbish and wind makes for big overspray)
So we now have only to fit some mudflaps (which are apparently mandatory) and the decals and we'll be pretty much good to go!
If anybody is in the Manby area on Saturday feel free to bob in and say hello! The seeding has interestingly put us in Car 39 in the 'club' class with an Evo8 and a Vauxhall Calibra behind us. I think they must have thought I was joking when I said I wanted to run last on the road! Either that or they thing the Metro has been fitted with a jet engine! In addition the weather is forecasted to be wet and windy with a high chance of snow!
Anyhow, come Saturday evening I'll know whether the car can run and whether I have the ability to keep it on the road!
Tuesday 19 February 2008
Entries in...
The entry for for the Lookout Stages Rally, run by Trackrod Motorclub http://www.trackrodmotorclub.co.uk is now in for the Escort and the entry form for the Metro to compete in the Phoenix Stages Rally at Manby will be completed and dispatched within the coming week! Yes... we finally have the confidence that both cars are as ready as they will ever be to compete!
I picked up an extra 5 wheels for the 'tro at the weekend and will be picking up a set of arches at the weekend and will be picking up a bodykit next weekend, so the car might not be the fastest but at least we'll look good! Or as good as is possible in a battered Metro!
The bits of electrical work have been completed and the Tacho fitted so hopefully I'll be able to avoid destroying my engine, the wing it in the final stages of being fixed after I spent a night last week fibreglassing and filling it (probably a little over enthusiastic with the filler - I'm sure it shouldn't have ended up an inch fluch of the wing!) - it's now being sanded and then will be painted at the weekend. The Oil and Oil Filter have been changed after a great deat of swearing and not a small amount of brute force - the filter was pretty much welded in place and the plug for the filter was solid. The seats need re-fitting, and other bits like the harnesses, helmet hammock and intercom need fitting but we're pretty much good to go!
I picked up an extra 5 wheels for the 'tro at the weekend and will be picking up a set of arches at the weekend and will be picking up a bodykit next weekend, so the car might not be the fastest but at least we'll look good! Or as good as is possible in a battered Metro!
The bits of electrical work have been completed and the Tacho fitted so hopefully I'll be able to avoid destroying my engine, the wing it in the final stages of being fixed after I spent a night last week fibreglassing and filling it (probably a little over enthusiastic with the filler - I'm sure it shouldn't have ended up an inch fluch of the wing!) - it's now being sanded and then will be painted at the weekend. The Oil and Oil Filter have been changed after a great deat of swearing and not a small amount of brute force - the filter was pretty much welded in place and the plug for the filter was solid. The seats need re-fitting, and other bits like the harnesses, helmet hammock and intercom need fitting but we're pretty much good to go!
Monday 4 February 2008
Rock and Roll!
It looks like things are finally starting to come together. The Escort is back up and running with the clutch looking like it has finally decided to work and the Metro has finally made it back from the garage with a full MOT.
The plan now is to enter two events - the Bill Cammack Rally at the end of February in the Metro and the Phoenix Stages Rally at the end of March in the Mark II. Both events are at Manby, a venue that is well used but new to both myself and Clive.
The Metro still needs a bit of work doing on it - there are a few electrical gremlins that we're hoping to sort (basically by re-wiring parts of the car to find the faults!) and the wing is a mess from where the wheel fell off. We're also looking at whether we should be cutting the wing back a bit to give the wheel a bit more room, should we encounter any significant bumps and lumps. This will be carried out over the next few weeks hopefully. Failing that we will reverse cars and do the Bill Cammack Stages in the Escort and the Phoenix Stages in the Metro!
Many thanks to HT AUTO'S in Garforth. They have been a massive help in getting the Metro up and running whilst keeping the cost within reason and can be strongly recommended for all you automotive needs! We use them for our regular cars as well as our the rally cars and they've always done a good job. Give them a call on 0113 287 2081 and let them know where you saw their name so they know that sponsoring us is a good idea!
The plan now is to enter two events - the Bill Cammack Rally at the end of February in the Metro and the Phoenix Stages Rally at the end of March in the Mark II. Both events are at Manby, a venue that is well used but new to both myself and Clive.
The Metro still needs a bit of work doing on it - there are a few electrical gremlins that we're hoping to sort (basically by re-wiring parts of the car to find the faults!) and the wing is a mess from where the wheel fell off. We're also looking at whether we should be cutting the wing back a bit to give the wheel a bit more room, should we encounter any significant bumps and lumps. This will be carried out over the next few weeks hopefully. Failing that we will reverse cars and do the Bill Cammack Stages in the Escort and the Phoenix Stages in the Metro!
Many thanks to HT AUTO'S in Garforth. They have been a massive help in getting the Metro up and running whilst keeping the cost within reason and can be strongly recommended for all you automotive needs! We use them for our regular cars as well as our the rally cars and they've always done a good job. Give them a call on 0113 287 2081 and let them know where you saw their name so they know that sponsoring us is a good idea!
Monday 14 January 2008
Happy New Year?
The new year is only 14 days old and already we've suffered setbacks!
The original plan was to give both cars a run out at Croft - the Escort for the Christmas Stages and the Metro for the Jack Frost. Unfortunately, as with even the best laid plans, things have gone slightly awry...
The continuing issues with the Escorts clutch meant that we decided not to risk taking the car out until we had a chance to give it a proper shakedown. With this in mind we opted to look at entering the Riponian Rally instead. However, when the car was taken out for a test drive it was discovered that the clutch pedal itself had suffered damage at some point - this means that we have to refabricate the connection between the pedal and the clutch cable. With the extreme cost involved for a small team like ourselves to enter a forest rally we have therefore decided to give it a miss for now and have a run out in a single venue event instead. Watch this space to find out where and when!
The Metro went in for some welding doing before Christmas and suffered a minor mishap on the way when I discovered that I hadn't fastened the wheel nuts on fully. This came to light when the wheel fell off the car damaging the wing in the process! Anyhow... the car finally made it to the garage and had the welding done and went in for it's MOT and promptly failed. Two pieces of work needed to and have been carried out to get it through the test - a new piece needed to be fabricated to fasten the front wing on as this had been damaged at some point and basically rusted away, and the car needed a new rear radius arm fitting. These have been done and the car is in for the re-test today.
So the end of '07 and the beginning of '08 have brought a few niggly problems that will hopefully be pretty simple to iron out over the next week or two. We're looking to give the Metro it's debut at Manby at the end of February and the Escort should hopefully be out and about around the same time.
The original plan was to give both cars a run out at Croft - the Escort for the Christmas Stages and the Metro for the Jack Frost. Unfortunately, as with even the best laid plans, things have gone slightly awry...
The continuing issues with the Escorts clutch meant that we decided not to risk taking the car out until we had a chance to give it a proper shakedown. With this in mind we opted to look at entering the Riponian Rally instead. However, when the car was taken out for a test drive it was discovered that the clutch pedal itself had suffered damage at some point - this means that we have to refabricate the connection between the pedal and the clutch cable. With the extreme cost involved for a small team like ourselves to enter a forest rally we have therefore decided to give it a miss for now and have a run out in a single venue event instead. Watch this space to find out where and when!
The Metro went in for some welding doing before Christmas and suffered a minor mishap on the way when I discovered that I hadn't fastened the wheel nuts on fully. This came to light when the wheel fell off the car damaging the wing in the process! Anyhow... the car finally made it to the garage and had the welding done and went in for it's MOT and promptly failed. Two pieces of work needed to and have been carried out to get it through the test - a new piece needed to be fabricated to fasten the front wing on as this had been damaged at some point and basically rusted away, and the car needed a new rear radius arm fitting. These have been done and the car is in for the re-test today.
So the end of '07 and the beginning of '08 have brought a few niggly problems that will hopefully be pretty simple to iron out over the next week or two. We're looking to give the Metro it's debut at Manby at the end of February and the Escort should hopefully be out and about around the same time.
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