Spare Parts - Constructors Car Club
Transcription
Spare Parts - Constructors Car Club
1 /.0 ~ ~ ~ i'\ o(])((a) ..... 1 ~ ~,. , ~.. -I ro. ~ , , .1 ..•• [j\ Spare Parts I.... , I: ~ ~ "'~' ~ ~. ., " o C u t Car Club (Inc) The Magazine of the Constructors Car Club Inc On the Cover: The Club's John Wayne to the rescue See page 10. March 2001 Issue 2 Volume 14 In This Issue Club Officials Sarnicol Engineering President: for all mechanical engineering 172 Eastern HuH Road Ph 5676 652 (opposite Taita Station) Brake & Chassis Specialists Custom-made Radiators & Repairs Custom Part Manufacturers Alloy & Steel Welding Drive Shaft Balancing Exhausts Steering Systems Engine & Gearbox Conversions all other Engineering Work Grant Major Secretary and Captain: Dave Clout Treasurer: Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Constructors Car Club (Inc). Brian Robinson Club Meetings The Constructors Car Club Inc meets at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of each month at The Vintage Car Club, 3 Halford Place, Petone (Eastern end of Jackson Street) Prospective members or others interested in building their own cars are welcome to attend. (The club does request a donation of $2 towards running the meeting.) Meetings generally include a guest speaker or demonstration followed by general discussion and supper. The Club Magazine "Spare Parts" is produced monthly from February to December each year. Contributions and advertisements are welcomed. Contact the Editor on Phone or fax: (04) 970 9763. Coming Events ....................................... Apologies ................................................ Club Captain/Secretary's report ............ President's report ................................... "Threadbare's Two Wheel Experience" Trivia ...................................................... Northern Sabre ...................................... Toyota Parts Identification Part 2 ......... 1996 Darwin to Adelaide ....................... For Sale .................................................. Skite Nite Pictures .................................. Kellison Astra ......................................... For Sale .................................................. Quiz Cars ................................................ President's Cup Points ........................... Letter to The Evening Post .................... Intermarque News .................................. New Members ......................................... Who's Who ............................................. "Imitation is the Sincerest..... ".............. MOHS .................................................... Opinionated ............................................ 2 2 3 6 8 10 11 14 19 23 22 26 32 33 34 36 37 40 41 44 47 48 Club Correspondence to: Typesetting, graphics and Editor Alan Stott Ph & Fax: (04) 970 9763 The Secretary Constructors Car Club Box 45-064 Epuni, Lower Hutt printing by: NSServices Silverstream, Upper Hutt Ph Ill. Fax: (04) 970-5056 e-mail:[email protected] Coming Events Club Captain's/Secretaries Column for March 2001 Tues 13 Mar - Club Night Tuesday 10 Apr - Club Night Postponed from last year because of his "Lord of the Rings" commitments, Peter Zivkovich will be here and speaking tonight. A racing engine man who can turn his hand to just about anything mechanical which recently has included specialised machines for the film industry. We also hope that he brings along as 'Car of the Night' his very fancy Mini. Sit back for a good night. I've written Paul Needham with his De Joux GT. I think that's right but if they haven't asked you Paul, pretend that you haven't read this. Oh and its the AGM night as well. All round Tuesday 10 April 2001 looks to have great potential- agreed? Sunday 18 Mar - Event Starting at 10.30am at Trentham Memorial Park, the all singing all dancing Dave Clout Grass Motorkhana. $7.00 per driver. If inclement same details but moved to Sunday 25 March. Great setting - great fun. Remember if its Clout its clever. Be there. Saturday yes Saturday 21 Apr - Event Another Dave Clout organised event (He never fails) a garage tour. I know very little about this other than it will be an especially good tour. Another 'Be there' event. (See page 4) Next Committee Meeting Tuesday 20 March Grant Majors Home, 13 Kaitangata Crescent, Kelson, Lower Hutt 7.30pm Apologies from February magazine (It was a good month/or aberrations!) Somehow our Christmas edition index re appeared in place of the correct February one. (You were not as mad as the typesetter about that. He had spent some time preparing the correct one only to find after printing that something must have crashed before saving.) Apology to Ron' Robertson for repeating his racing Sabre article instead of the next one he wrote. (See page 37.) The two photos of Rob and Mrs West should have read' "Rob and June West" not "Rob and Pam Wese Coming Events: (The dust was correctly labe[[ed) , Dave Bray did not submit a caption for 'himself and the wobbly blonde' competition. It was Brian Worboys. And finallY,Alan Price did not send us the "Nine different Models" quiz car, it was Ian Price; (Or should that have been a "bad month for aberrations?") Sorry to all. (See if you can spot the deliberate mistake this mOr)th,) Sharp-eyed members will have noted that there when signing on - I will not be carrying change are no minutes from the February club night with me, so you could end up waiting sometime meeting in this month's magazine. Grant tried to for change, depending how others pay. When call a quick meeting after the "Skite Night", but you carry everything required for a motorkhana the secretary refused to take minutes, so Grant in a "7" type car you only take the essentials relented and we had a coffee instead. What you have been warned. Grant didn't know was that the secretary had left Rules: Simple, since it is public land your vehicle all his 'minute' writing equipment at home in the should be registered and warranted, and fitted rush to get there early to unlock the rooms for with road tyres - we have to repair any damage the early birds - didn't work, as usual there was to the grass surface. There will be no practising a big crowd already there. Actually being a skite night I had thought we wouldn't have a meeting off the official course - no exceptions, especially since the Queenstown incident. Full after anyway - my memory must be failing me, supplementary regulations will be displayed at as I can't recall there being a short formal the event. meeting after the displays in recent years. This meant that I hadn't pre-written the minutes either Suggested entry point to event: Off Barton Ave/ - can't have a meeting without minutes. However Road. Drive through the car park at the park entry this fact didn't stop Doug Watt slipping me a and we will be somewhere northeast of the Upper written 'For Sale' note which I will include in this Hutt Axemans Club building. Our actual site will column since there are no minutes to include it depend on other users on the day. If last years in. site by the trees is not available we will move to the northern side of the trees. Don't be put off by For Sale: the gravel rally sprint being held further over by Doug Watt has a Fiat 1600cc Twin Cam engine, Bartons Bush or by kids playing cricket - there reconditioned 3 weeks ago (so that makes it are plenty of sites available to us. about 23 January), new rings, new valve guides, Cancellation: The event will be held if there are dressed pistons and valves, all new gaskets and only light showers. Persistent rain will result in seals. $250.00-$300.00. With it you get free the cancellation and the event will be postponed to Fiat Strada 105TC that the engine came from, our 'rain day' of Sunday 25 March. If there is any and spares. Phone (04) 972 1319. doubt phone Dave Clout on (04) 477 4356 or 025 224 0933. Doug is also after an Audi 5-speed trans-axle. Grass Motorkhana Sunday 18 March Where: Trentham Memorial Park Sign On: From 10.00am Start: 10.30am sharp Cost: $7.00 (not the $4.50 in my email to members - there is an extra $2.00 + GST levy because of the Queenstown incident) - covers MSNZ levies so we can have public liability insurance. And yes I know that makes it $6.75 but who would have that correct change on them! Please note that we would appreciate the correct change 2 Annual General Meeting: Tuesday 10 April President: Some of you maybe aware that Grant intends to stand down from the President's position this year. There have been a couple of suggestions mentioned at committee meetings but any member should consider the job if they feel that they have something to offer. Secretary: I am prepared to stay on and inflict myself on you all for another year if that is what members wish. Naturally I will step aside if someone else wants a turn. Club Captain: I should really let this position go 3 this time - I could not do the position justice. We may have a couple of possibilities here, but any member should consider it. Treasurer: Brian has had his turn and wishes to stand down. Anyone with a gift of manipulating money so that it stays in our account would be welcome. A bit of accounting knowledge would be a distinct advantage. have to limit the number of garages we can visit. Like Alan's method for obtaining magazine articles, if you don't approach me, I will chase you! These garage tours are a great way to see what fellow members are up to and a good source of help to both the constructor and viewers. Past Events: Editor: Alan has done a stirling job here for years Skite Night Tuesday 13 February: and quite rightly wants a break. We have had a volunteer already for this position so don't panic What did you all think of the 'skite night'? - you can quite safely attend the AGM, but the Personally I found the relaxed atmosphere great new editor will still be after articles - he may just and no one ended up getting stressed out having to chase members and other display vehicles. I have a different approach I hope this was the format that members Shop Steward: John wants a break and we have expressed that they missed from last year's also had a volunteer here also. event. The committee would welcome any All positions will be open for other nominations constructive comments. Thanks to all those on the AGM night - consider putting your name members who got their vehicles and projects to the display. Special thanks to those members forward or suggesting others. who helped out behind the scenes-you know who Garage Tour: you are, but particularly Roy who went well beyond the normal bounds. Saturday 21 April has been set aside for our next garage tour. Any prospective members who are At this point I must confess that I still haven't willing to host our group at their garages to view finished reading last months magazine! their projects under construction should contact Dave Clout as soon as possible. We have so Cheers, many vehicles under construction that we may The Ankle Biter Surgeon Generals Warning: CLASSIC CARS CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR WEALTH ~UJ1 Hju~(~ A tnE S\lRGER~ --- f~··· • RESTORATION. RUST SURGERY. REFINISHING. PHONE: 04 232 7543 FAX: 04 232 8543 • Quality Craftsmanship maintaining 100 years of family tradition • Professional service for all restoration and rust surgery operations • Full guarantee on rust repairs • Approved • Brian Nobbs attends to Graham Brown s Milano Special (without due regard for his back) See next month s Spare Parts for more on this exciting car. 4 ~ Autolack·Systeme W Tectyl applicator THE SURGERY ALL P LAC E, WELLINGTON, NEW • TAW A ZEALAND PO BOX 50-496, PORIRUA ~ Autolack·Systeme 5 PRES1DENTS REPOf{J - i\M\RCH 2001 Grant Major .. So, here we are again. Another month gone. I hunted around on my work PC for last months President's Report - but it must be on my home PC, like all the other reports of old. The only one I could find is from Dec 1998. Interesting - it was a review of the year gone, 1998 that is. subsequently faced and overcame to obstacles to continuing to scrutineer (and certify) our own vehicles. The vehicles of R Lowe, R Hoare, A Price, B Worboys, B Scott, and R West were making such good progress as to be nearing completion. (Of course in hindsight 4 of these 6 are now complete and road legal). Of course R Stroud and J Mander had completed their vehicle in that year. And that sets the mood for this report to some extent. As I look forward I see the April AGM looming up, and I know that next month will be my last routine President's Report, as I will The political hot potato for 1998 was what the be standing down from the position of eligibility criteria for the Costin Cup. Ultimately President this time round, having held the the Club Captain rules, as he still does. office for three years now. We noted with pride our swelling membership, I can see myself still being involved with the which had reached 90 (now around 150!) and technical aspects of the certification process, our 10th year anniversary. the LVV Certifiers and the Technical Committee. To this end it may be useful to And what of this year? Well I very much be on the club committee still, in order to be enjoyed the excellent turnout we had for the able to directly report the technical activities February Skite Nite. I appreciate the extra to our executive, and to carry out the effort that many went to - to dig their projects executive's wishes in organizing the technical out of the back of the garage and drag them along - in order to make this the club centered bods. affair that popular opinion had requested. It So let me ponder for a moment on 1998, just was a great turnout and as always a burst of to refresh your memory. It was our first year encouragement and enthusiasm for us all. in the VCC rooms, hence their present request Well done. to review and renew the rental agreement. Our February trip away was Castlepoint (more Other than that we have had the regular club dirt roads), and we had the usual Manfeild committee and certifiers' group meetings. day, grass gymkhana and sealed gymkhana. Stand by for a technical committee meeting, We had a trip away to the Manawatu, and saw we are certainly due one, as it has been some many things including Dave Short's operation. months. In addition our three certifiers and We had a Manawatu car show and a myself went to the ,recent certifiers training Wellington one, and we got rained out of the seminar, held by LVVTA in Motor Safe Hutt Park one. We had visitors including premises one afternoon a couple of weeks Graham Berry, The Surgery, the Fuelstar ago. This was useful and productive to keep people, and a Fuelstar rebuttal from G us up to date with the subtle changes in Fairburn of the AA. We annoyed the LVVTA documentation methods. For those of you with our strong opinions, and we watched as interested in the technical matters, there was they set up the certification company that was little of substance, as the focus was more on sUQsequently sold to Motor Safe. The clouds administration. of LW Certification were gathering, and we Now keep your eyes open for the Tri-Via at 6 the next grass gymkhana, coming up shortly. All being as it should, the car will be there with a registration plate on (at last). And congratulations to J Bell for having commenced his next project already, wouldn't want to let that spot on the garage floor be relegated to simple vehicle storage! The TriVia should be a hot competitor, albeit lacking a reverse gear, but look out for the 4-wheel drive enthusiasts in the club who may spring a surprise on us yet. Then there's the Japper contestants, like T Hutchinson in his road- l going 4-wheel drive Skyline (and maybe me in my 300ZX, no not 4-wheel drive but very tail-happy!). Are you ready to rule on this yet Mr. Club Captain? So don't be shy, we're not! Get you vehicle out and be there with us. If you think it's a club car, all the better. We love a good argument! (And nobody's going to stop you from competing either way). Till next month, ciao, il presidente. ifl1tR/Tk}UaUi1ltU# TO,!CZ, TYRES RA1 Enjoy the 'unfair advantage' with Toyo DOT approved tarmac tyres. You will be surprised how good they are and amazed at how well you go in all weather conditions. surf on in for more information www.racetyre.co.nz #FM9R # RA881 #R1R # choice of sizes # range of prices 0800 722 378 108 Hutt Rd, Petone FRASER CARS MEMBER COMPONENT CAR MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF NZ (Inc) 1/2 Kahika Rd, Beachhaven, Box 34610, Auckland 10, New Zealand Fax: (09) 482-0516 Telephone (09) 482-0071 7 Threadbare's Two Wheef Escapades Derrick Halford When started riding .....- - - - - - - - -......' ..- - - - - - - - - - - . , motorbikes, one or three years ago, it was a choice thing, not a cheap form of transport, not a quick and easy method to get to work and not because I could not afford anything else. In fact, I actually passed my car-driving test before I got my full bike license, though I was riding bikes before driving a ,......A~ car. .. ~'" So, as a choice, I still use a bike ~=========:! very often, good or bad weather, it matters not. The important thing is the ride, the destination may be a factor too, but often on a weekend or summer evening, I will take off, answering my wife's query of "where are you going" with the simple answer, "here, via any number of possible routes, but Ni ~ . . T'fo;!6 here is my destination". My wife, as understanding now as '--_.~ _ _ _ _~'''' _ _ _ _J she has always been, accepts that answer quite readily. ;=========~' .A$ • . . , alii 01Mi" ~~. 1.. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _- - ' to look where you are going, because, strange as it may sound, that is exactly where you do go. Cornering is a very good example, you look right through the corner, following the line with the eye that the bike will take, look to the outside of the road and that is where you will end up, look at where you think you might hit the wall/ fence, that is where you will hit! So the next question must be why? Simple really, adrenalin, just like that. I have heard that some people become addicted to running; they need to run to get a certain rush, so I am addicted to bike riding, I do get withdrawal symptoms if I don't get a ride in after just a day or so. I have spoken to others who ride I am sure the same technique can and is regularly and they are the same, they talk of applied to driving a car, but car driving, unless getting short tempered without realising why, at eight tenths, is usually something that most until they get on the bike and go for a quick of us do on autopilot, sit back and listen to the blat, then come back, both on a high but radio, chat to one's passengers and go with the flow. On a bike, that would be disaster and strangely calm too. I think points to one of the differences. I rarely One thing about riding a bike is it really have the radio on in the car as I find it a concentrates the mind. You cannot think of distraction, I hate background muzak, I want to much else except what you are doing, you have 8 pull from 2500RPM through to 12,500, provided the throttle is handled with a little care and attention. In fact, a full dresser Honda Gold From the old school, I still believe that the better Wing, you know, the armchair on two wheels, drivers learned to ride a bike first; they have a with a flat opposed 6 cylinder 1800cm motor better feel for the road, a better understanding with electric reverse gear, air compressor on of cornering techniques and a better board to raise (or lower) the suspension, CD understanding of other road users. Hell, next I radio, intercom, am/fm/stacker CD player, will will be advocating we all need Heavy Duty out accelerate a Diablo up to 100Kph. license training too! Tyre technology is exciting too, with dual The other thing about bikes is the technology, compound tyres (hard in the centre soft on the 250cm four cylinder double overhead cam four side) radial tyres, low profile and aramid cross valve motors that are redlined at 18,000 (yes banded radials are all hitting the street, in more 18,000) RPM! Desmodronic valve operation ways than one. (mechanical opening and closing), ceramiccoated cylinder walls, belt drive, chain drive, So, if you want technology, get a bike, if you shaft drive, two wheel drive and anti lock want some real fun, without going super fast, brakes. Engine covers made from carbon fibre get a bike, for a real adrenalin rush, well hey, and con rods from titanium, fuel injection, flat no substitutes, get a bike. Finally, remember, slide carbs and now fuel injection, even on a "Duct tape is like The Force-It has a light side, Ducati, you name it. A reasonable output for a a dark side and it binds the universe together". 750cm motorbike engine is in excess of 100 May the force go with you and keep the rubber bhp and will go to 155 at the rear wheel for one side down ..... set up for production racing. And that motor will hear it properly, listen to it or not hear it at all and this is reflected in the way I ride and drive. [[LMRt] Almac Cars P.O. Box 40483 Nicolaus Street ALMAC CARS UPPER HUll Tel/Fax: 04 528 8680 Contact: Alex McDonald for Brochure 9 Trivia - March 2001 Iohnndl I Work continues on TV3x2. It must be time that I did something about registering it with the club and requested a design check. I guess, equally appropriately, I should produce a profile. Which reminds me I have not yet done one for TV3xl. anything with a Bulb in it, Seatbelts and Anchorages are covered by VSR (Visual Safety Requirements) said John Wayne. I sort of lost track of the rapid verbal exchanges at that stage but I eventually deduced that some sort of agreement had been reached as Roy proceeded to fit The big news is that the TV3x1 VIN plate arrived the VI N plate. Then Ken and Roy were off to do together with the "Statement of Compliance a road test. They were away so long that I was under the Low Volume Vehicle Code" form beginning to think something was wrong. Howsuitably embossed with the Motor Safe stamp of ever they eventually turned up and I was happy approval. So off I went to "Belt Up" for to see a big wide smile on Kens face. "It's hard Compliance and WOF inspection and hopefully, to believe it handled so well" he said. Next a approval. Well things did not go too ~ell. more formal WOF type inspection. While Ken Flashers, high level stop light, and park lights and Roy lifted the various corners Bryan checked did not comply. The latter on two counts; lack of all the bits and pieces. And the sum total of things standards marking and location. They have to to do: be mounted towards the widest extremities at the front of the vehicle. Incidentally, the most • Replace the RR indicator lens.( Found a commonly available lights 7 Navara? although used one with acceptable markings - I showing all the appropriate approvals in the parts think) - Fit park lights up front. (Fitted book do not have them embossed on the lens "Britax3) and if it can not be seen it can not be approved. However I have since found that Britax lamps • Provide the Reflectors '_ with something are well supplied with suitable markings on the that would reflect. (Fitted aluminium discs lens. A number of other aspects seemed to be faced with silver tape in behind. in the dubious category according to boss man Bryan Gibson. In the mean time Club member • Yet another bloody ball joint, This one part Ken ( Bryans 2ic) kept popping in and out of the of the Imp tie rod. Two years ago Coopers of fice talking about vehicle class LE2 or a LE2 Automotive Flew me one out from and there was a lot of discussion as to whether England. They no longer provide this Trivia was classed as a car or a trike or this LE2 service. A used one was likely to be just what ever that might be. All I know is that it as bad and I did not much like the idea of covers 3 wheeled vehicles weighing less than a having the ball joint stuffed with plastic so ton. I think? Things had reached a bit of a I opted for another rod end. There is only one of the 6 original bail joints left. stalemate and we were all awaiting the arrival Secure seats. They were only fastened of Roy with the VI N one side. (Fastened the other sides). plate and the form set. • Enter the Club John Wayne with all verbal guns blazing. The atmosphere immediately changed. items like Brakes, Hydraulics, 10 Now all I have to do is to take it back and get a WOF! 1 hope. Thanks again Roy for all your help. Without your John Wayne act we certainly would not have got this far. And thanks to, to Bryan Gibson for his patience and understanding. Work on the Sabre has been slow as usual over the last few months. As with most folks the career absorbs the hours of the day and of course there's being responsible for a house (cleaning duties) plus, I must play with the Internet. On December 31 my computer showed the signs of a virus infection and put it's booting ,ability to bed. I spent way too many hours trying to fix things. It took a full reinstall to do so but not after investing in a larger hard drive. Silly thing really as I couldn't recover the data from the other, at the time. Two weeks ago and I tried putting it on the other IDE bus with the CDROM. Yay, all my data was back but sheeeze there was a lot of other junk that I didn't need. My mates at work are waiting for the day when they see the Sabre in the carpark at work but I honestly tell them not to hold their combined breathes. Up and in goes the reco' d engine and box. 1 had to lift the rear of the car by quite a bit to help locate the box to its mount. Ifl'd been working over a pit this would've been easier. For some reason though, the box didn't make it... oh dear the bell housing interferes around the edge offirewall/trans-tunnel. The white stuff everywhere is fibreglass powder. Such apity grinding out Alex s careful layingjob. There s plenty of room for a bell housing now though all tidy and remolded 11 Left: Engine is in but if I place the carb here.... Nope there s no chance the bonnet will close. Hmmm ... The largest success has to be the hanging of the doors. I spent over three days at least per door messing around attempting to understand why they were binding as they were opened. I had to grind back some of the fibreglass to step the top hinge inward a bit and around the top edge area. At last both hinges operated in the same plane and stopped their binding action. This allowed me to position each door such that they lay well in line with the body. The shut lines look pretty good but a bit of filler will be needed. Next come the catches. Patrick has warned me I've only started. My biggest problem now is that it looks as though I will be changing houses. It's highly probable there won't be any nice big garage/workshop for a while. Storing the Sabre looks a necessary requirement but I want to have it assembled as much as possible so it will be 'kept together'. All spare time will be used preparing the house for market. There'll only be moments left that I can read my Spare Parts magazine! Until my next Auckland Nor;thern Sabre news, take care eve·ryone. 12 The darn thermostat housing lets the hose exit at the wrong angle and interferes with the bonnet. Solution? Make up my own pattern and have Go couple cast. Priced out to $18 each in the end! Remote oilfilters but why two? Because I had 'em. The pump connection was nothing but a heap of problems with adapters being ordered, paidfor and wrong type arriving What a costly exercise. I now have a huge collection ofvarious expensive hydraulic couplings. That standard Rover waterpump pulley is way to long and very ugly. There S not much room for the radiator. Lets shorten the pulley arrangement. It s a run of the mill Chevy pulley from a speedshop. All the pulleys align. The alternator fits where I want too. What size V-belt do I need? That alternator is a reco unit rated to 80Amps. Generally how things look now. That expansion tank is too small for the job. Have to change itfor something a little bit more substantial. I can't justifY a TIG welded unit in aluminum though. 13 A 'Short' Course in Toyota Parts Identification Part 2 (Part 1 was in Spare Parts Oct.OO) Phil Bradshaw BOX E153 S54 E51 E51 E154 E*5* ~ 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Rev Found behind 3.23 1.913 1.258 0.918 0.731 -3.545 91 MR2 turbo (3S-GTE) 3.285 1.96 1.322 1.028 0.82 -3.153 90 MR2 (3S-GE), 91 MR2 (5S -FE) 3.214 2.045 1.3 33 0.972 0.82 ? 89-95 AE90 (4AGZE) 3.230 2.045 1.333 0.972 0.82 ~ 87-89 MR2 3.38 1.913 1.333 0.972 0.731 ? 90, 94 Ce1ica GT4 (3S-GTE) Ratio Code Ratio Code Type A 138mm 1 3.3 23 6.833 2 2 Spider Open B 145mm 2 3.36 24 7.64 3 2 spider LSD C 6,25" 3 3.545 25 4.556 4 4 Spider Open D 6.62" 4 3.556 26 5.571 5 4 Spider LSD E 7.1 " 5 3.7 27 3.364 F 7.5 11 6 3.889 28 4.3 G 8" 7 3.9 29 4.1 a 4.1 ratio. I believe that IRS and live crown and pinions are interchangeable if the same diameter - this is on my list of things to do - but requires total disassembly. H 9" 8 4,]]1 30 3.727 J 9.25" 9 4.222 31 3.909 K 9.5" 10 4.375 32 6.591 LSD centres are relatively rare but exist for 6.7", 7.5" and 8" diffs. The former two are '2 spider' centres from factory, with aftermarket 4 spider units available; while 8" come with 4 spider LSD factory in some turbos. Some 4WDs and vans run 6.7", 7.5" or 8" diffs, frequently with LSD centres and 'short' gearing, so keep these in mind as well. Station wagons frequently offer a source of shorter diffs also. L 10.5" II 4.444 32 5.583 12.5" 12 4.625 33 7.503 13.5" 13 4.79 33 5.583 P 14" 14 4.875 34 6.781 R 162mm 15 5.125 34 4.786 5.286 35 7.636 1.333 0.972 0.731 -3.545 3.166 1.904 1.392 1.031 0.815 -3.25 AE 101 Corolla (20 Valve) Fig. 2 RWD rear axles basically come in disc or drum brake versions, and live or independent width widths to suit the parent vehicle. Some IRS have vented discs, while live axles come in leaf sprung and coil versions. There are a variety of crown and pinion sizes (and gear ratios), and some factory diffs have LSD centres. The common crown and pinion sizes are 6.38" (Starlet, small Corolla), 6. T' (Celica, Corona, performance Corolla), 7.5" (performance Celica, Supra) and 8.0" (Later Supra Turbo etc). Common ratios are 3.7,3.9,4.1 and 4.3, with 4AGE/2TG tending to run a 4.1 or 4.3 ratio (4.3 preferred) and 3TGTE 14 Fig. 3 Code 2.045 Rear Axles 'Rear axles are identified by a four character code, whereby the initial letter designates the crown wheel size, the next two digits the ratio, and the last digit the number of spider gears and whether it is a LSD centre or not. The following table identifies all the various codes, however, the most common ones are highlighted, (See Fig.3 below Diameter 3.5 83 I am not going to go into transaxles other than to include the following table, which describes the more common East-West transaxles and is useful as a means of establishing the factory gearing for various engines. The Tercel/Carib North-South unit may be useful for Formula Ford type 4AGE installati (See Fig. 2 above) centres are taller geared. I got the 4.5: 1 centre from a rare 4AGE powered AA63 Celica with a 7.5" IRS. Code 88, 90 Celica GT4 (STl65, ST185) Transaxles: AE86 and TE72 Corollas have virtually identical rear axles apart from the disc callipers, which are slightly different (as an aside, both models share a virtually identical floor pan). Early 1980 Celicas (RA, MA or TA 45 models) also run a 6.7" disc rear end, however, the pan hard rod and two upper link locations differ from the Corollas. The track is virtually identical. Rare Celicas of this vintage also run a 7.5" rear axle with stronger half shafts and bigger discs. I have one from a RA 45, however, I have yet to see another. I will use this rear axle with a 4.5:1 crown and pinion from an IRS and hopefully a LSD pack in the Corolla project. 3TGTE Celicas with IRS run a 4 1 1 ra f 10 7 5" IRS( some are LSD} mos t 7 5" In simple terms, a car such as a Lotus Seven replica should run a 6.7" disc brake rear axle (although you may get away with a 6.38" as it is much lighter, however, they are all drum brake), while for anything over say 220 horsepower you should consider a 7.5". The 8" diffs are practically indestructible. Apparently the 1985 facelift AE 86 rear axles have heavier duty half shafts than earlier models. M N S 6.38" 16 T 6.7" 17 5.6 35 5.6 5.714 36 4.778 U 6" 18 V 10.6" 19 5.833 37 3.583 W 15.5" 20 6.167 38 3.417 X 142mm 21 6.667 Y 158mm 22 6.78 15 An example to clear up any confusion: arguably the ideal rear axle for a 4AGE is T283 - ie 6.7" crown and pinion, 2 spider LSD centre with a 4.3: 1 ratio. If you are looking for an AE86 keep an eye out for T283 or T293 axles on the chassis plate. Some TA 4S Celicas (badged 'GT Rally') had 6.7" LSDs as an option. Chassis Plate Deciphering fitted with the 1JZGTE. The numbers in the body code relate to chassis differences, not body differences. In this manner, an AE8S is a RWD Corolla (Levin or Trueno) with a 3A engine, drum brake 6.38" rear end and solid disc front struts; while an AE86 is (in NZ and Japan at least) 4AGE, 6.7" disc brake rear and vented front discs. Note that the coupe and lift back are not differentiated in the model number, despite being radically different visually. The following table explains some of the more common Corolla versions: (See fig.S opposite) Now we are finally able to decode the firewall chassis plates. The plates contain a series of numbers, however, the main ones we are interested in are the car model 10, engine, trans and axle. As for the Celicas mentioned previously, some are IRS while others have live rear axles - this is First off is the car model 10 number. This also differentiated in the body model code. forms the first part of the chassis number, and typically comprises two letters and two or three What to Look For numbers. The first letter is the engine type, second letter is the body type, while the numbers To be honest, I am mainly familiar with the 4AGE, are just the generation of that model. The although I am now taking a greater interest in 3SGTEs as I intend using one in my Corolla following table lists some typical model codes: project. Engines such as the 18RGEU, 2TGEU, 3TGTEU and SMGE still offer good performance Code Model for in many cases very little investment, but their replacements (notably 4AGE, 4AGZE, 1GGE, RWD Celie a or Supra A 1 GGZE, 1GGTE, 7MGTE, 3SGE, 3SGTE, 1 JZGTE, 2JZGTE· and 1 UZFE) all offer FWD Celiea T considerable gains. E Corolla W MR2 P Starlet In this manner the boxy 'OX' Corolla of early 80's vintage (the last of the mainstream models before they went FWD, that were prone to rusting and caused Toyota huge headaches as a result) were actually KE70 models; ie K series engines in a Corolla (E) body. The Starlet available at the same time was a KP61; again a K series engine in the Starlet (P) body. Where it gets confusing is things like the 198286 RWD Celica/Supra family that came with a huge range of engine options. These includeTA63, RA63, SA61, MA63, GA61, AA63 ... Basically these were produced with damn nearly every engine Toyota made! The replacement model is the GA70 or MA70, however, a rare model is the JZA70, which was 16 The bottom line is that for most small RWD cars the 4AGE and 3SGE represent the most useful engines. I firmly believe that you should aim to install the newest engine possible into your project, in order to gain the most remaining life from it and to utilise any improvements in performance and reliability. That said, be careful that you don't install an engine that sits in an unfinished project for S years before being used in anger ... remember, the engines only ever become cheaper and more available. The same is not true of the .T-SO and W-SS series gearboxes, however, which are starting to become thin on the ground. 4AGE/4AGZE If you are planning on using a 4AGE engine then there are two easy gearbox choices: the T-SO and K-SO. K-SO is ideal if you are using the engine in stock form and a cable clutch is easier for the installation. Be warned that only a K-SO from an A-series engine will mate to your engine. The T- Body Code Year Description Comment KE25 71-75? Early Corolla with 13" Wheels 3K? TE27 71-75? 2TG powered versions (Levin/Trueno) 2TG on Carbs, 6.7" drum rear. KE35 75-79? 3K powered? Some twin carbo KE70 79-83? 4K powered AE70 81-83? 3A engine model Use subframe for 4AGE conversions. TE71 79-83? 2TG LevinJTrueno 81 on EFI. 4 Wheel discs. AE86 83-87 4AGE. Last RWD Corolla. Vented front discs. Some factory LSD. AE85 83-87 3A Shopping basket model of above. Drum rear, smaller dif( mostly cable clutch and sameT -50 or autos AE82 83-87 First FWD Corolla. 2A, 3A, 4A. 4AGE versions. EE82 83-87 4E powered Corolla. Easy to swap 4EFTE turbo in (But why?) AE92 87-91 Introduction of 4AGZE to TruenolLevin. AE101 91-95 Introduction of silver top 20 valve to GTs. AE111 95-99 Introduction of black top 20 valve. Last model with supercharged 4AGZE. Fig. 5 SO is really the only choice for any serious use, and by using either a 3A or 4AG bell housing you can select which side the clutch mechanism lies on. your own bellhousing to suit, or else try Conversion Components in Waihi, who apparently cast and sell4AGE to Supra gearbox bell housings. The good news is that either gearbox will bolt up to any of the 4AGE derivatives, however, some engines (notably the supercharged ones) need their flywheel changed to standard as it is too big to fit within the bellhousing. Note that 3A engines have 6 bolt flywheels, while 4AGE all use 8 bolts. All FWD engines require a spigot bearing in the back of the crank to help locate the input shaft for the gearbox. Luckily all cranks are machined to take one and so it is merely a case of fitting the standard bearing. 3SGE/3SGTE If you are going to develop over 200 horsepower (as in my friend's turbo and supercharged 4AGE will) then the best option is a supra gearbox, however, you will most likely have to fabricate There are two gearbox choices for the 3S family of engines. Both T-SO and Supra gearboxes can be relatively easily bolted to the 3S engine. The key to both is a bell housing from a 1S engine, which was connected to either gearbox dependent on the car. A trap for young players is the spigot bearing in the back of the crankshaft, in that the 3SGE etc do not have a bearing, and the design of the crank is such that the input shaft of either gearbox will not locate sufficiently into the bearing once fitted. The common solution is to machine the front lip of the bell housing back some 7mm to gain added engagement. 17 The next issue concerns that fact that all 3SGEs have the starter motor mount from the gearbox end of the engine, hence when you bolt a RWD starter motor to the RWD bellhousing the pinion does not line up with the ring gear on the flywheel. Two actions are required: firstly the ring gear must be removed and rotated 180 degrees to match the engaging tooth profiles between the ring gear and starter, and a spacer is required to pack the starter motor (and hence the pinion) into the correct alignment. An added complication concerns the 3SGTE in that the turbo and starter motor now want to occupy the same space. The solution here is to cut out the out-bossing for the starter (and an identical patch on the opposite side of the bell housing) and swap them this takes careful measurement, cutting and welding, but can be done. The thin steel cover plate that goes between the engine block and flywheel can be reversed and used as a guide. Be warned that 1S bell housings to suit W55s etc are extremely rare, and so hard to get. If you are going to run more than about 200 horsepower then you really need to use the Supra gearbox. The W57 and W58 .ratios are excellent once underway, however, the first gear is rather tall. My personal preference is for the W58, given the taller 5th gear, however, I have had to satisfy myself with a W57 so far. 1996 (DarWin to Adelaide} World Solar Cycle Challenge (\AlSCC): The New Zealand Entry. NevileBaxter Conclusion This 'brief' article has hopefully served to explain the myriad of Toyota engine, transmission, axle and body combinations that exist out there, and provided an idea of what to look for and how to find it. The large number of permutations available from the factory enable a 'pick and mix' approach to be taken to concoct almost any mechanical combination you want using largely factory parts - it just takes some time and effort to research the ideal combination and what vehicles the parts hide in. CHEVRON SPORTS AND PERFORMANCE CARS For more information call at or write to: Chevron Engineering Specialities Ltd 55 Victoria Street Onehunga Auckland PO BOX 13 571, Onehunga ph 09 6343328 fax 09 6369342 Web page http://www.webdesign.co.nVchevron 1 Here are some details and photos of my World Solar Cycle Challenge trike (which was not finished in time) taken in Darwin before the start of the 1996 race. This is a C class vehicle (minimum of 3 wheels, streamlining, non-production). The other, four entries in this class were from Japan, the USA, Australia and Italy, finishing in that order. Brief design details: Concept: At the outset, I intended to make this a race vehicle for the first WSCC, then afterwards, this or a second machine would become a demonstrator for advanced vehicle features in miniature. With light weight and clean aerodynamics, it could be fitted with various combinations of pedals, electric drive, lithium-ion and other batteries, fuel, cells, solar cells, generator set, supercapacitors etc. Having component powers of around 1 percent of a full-size road car, the cost would be relatively low. Designer Country Cost ($US) Project time Neville Baxter New Zealand 7000 (vehicle) 6 months Performance Predicted average speed (km/h) 60 18 630 Chassis/body Semi-monocoque body shell and interior panels of carbon fibre/epoxy with Aramid honeycomb core. Moulded acrylic windows and a fin enclosing the rear suspension steering head. The shape is a teardrop having a fairly blunt nose (in planform) and a slightly truncated tail, with ellipsoidal body sections to achieve a clean shape within a length of 3000 mm (the maximum allowed by the 1996 rules). Rider position is recumbent (eye height 600 mm off ground) and body depth 630 mm (not roomy). Aerodynamics Drag area (m2): Frontal area (m2): Drag coefficient: 0.044 (Estimated) 0.44 0.10 (Estimated) Solar array Small monocrystalline silicon screen printed cells (BP Solar) (12.5-14% encapsulated eff.) in small, curved modules (flush with body) of 72 cells (24 Volt system) bonded directly to top and sides of upper shell, encapsulated with silicone resin having smooth surface. Diode on each module, no MPPTs. Expected total power 100 W with 1.2 m2 of solar panel area. Motor and Transmission Dimensions: Vehicle weight (kg) Length (mm) Width (mm) Height (mm) Wheelbase (mm) Track (mm) Ground clearance (mm) Body depth: (mm) 55 3000 810 1010 1730 620 135 Motor: Ametek brush DC 30 volt, 90 W continuous at 24 V, 600 rpm, 2.9 kg. Controller: Custom, chopper type, no regeneration. Transmission Drive via cycle chains and cross-shaft from pedals and brushed dc motor to left front wheel. 21 gearing ratios from pedals, 19 7 ratios from motor. This required very clean aerodynamics, light weight and low rolling resistance. Batteries: Up to 8 kg of lead-acid batteries or lesser weight of other battery types for equivalent energy capacity. 24 V system. The layout was inspired by Buckminster Fuller's 1933 Dymaxion vehicle, but with the rear steering, it has marginal directional stability. Suspension and steering History Wheel layout: 2 front, 1 rear 1996: Project time was six months. Plugs, moulds and Suspension: Welded aluminium forked leading swing-arms with MTB coil spring/damper units and anti-roll torsion bar (front), MTB sprung front forks (rear). Steering: Rear wheel steering with centring springs and damper Operation by Bowden cables from central stem-mounted handle bars. Brakes, wheels and tyres Brakes: Bicycle caliper brakes on all wheels. Left hand lever for linked front brakes, right lever for rear. Wheels: 650 AI alloy rims with 28 stainless steel blade spokes, normal bicycle axles. Tyres: Continental 650x20 tubed Kevlar grooved slicks. 700kPa A nice side view with the upper shell removed bodywork were built by professionals. Funding was by myself with assistance from supplier discounts and volunteer helpers, but I was unable to obtain sponsorship money, so very short of resources. A team of two travelled to Darwin, hoping to finish it adequately and get more people. Some of the photos show the trike supported on foam blocks at the rear of the starting grid in Darwin (front suspension units were not yet attached). 1997: An Australian high school imposed their own unique design concepts on it in 1997 and attempted the 1997 WSCC (Adelaide to Alice Springs, return). And a view of the nose 1998-'99 As a result of my subsequent sighting on recovery to New Zealand in early 1998, it was stripped and returned to the original body shape, using the spare upper shell. Future use is currently uncertain (minimal funds), but I intend to fit linear or oval pedal drive and smaller wheels with conventional front steer, rear drive layout. The workshop scene at the Darwin showgrounds. The Malaysian solar car team moved into the next bay shortly afterwards. Rolling resistance: 0.0045 (estimate) on Stuart highway. Trike 2 days after return from Oz 22 Feb 98 System control Hand throttle, ammeter, voltmeter and cycle gear selection. Hand-operated caliper brakes. Comments: At speed, the narrow wheel well cutouts would be aerodynamically very clean. When turning more tightly (at low speed), spring-hinged side panels at the rear would allow the rear wheel to turn further. I intended this to be as fast as the Japanese Super Tonkachi (assuming equivalent cyclists) in spite of much less (cheaper) solar panel power. 20 A rear view with the upper shell removed at rear of starting grid Two solar bicycles and the Italian trike (Ferrari tech school's Pinocchio) are visible in the background Trike at Sweetwaters '99 21 SKITE NITE - FEBRUARY 2001 SKITE NITE - FEBRUARY 2001 Rob & June Wests McLaren M6 Paul Woodfiel's Saker at Skite Night 22 .Pat Harlow and Alex McDonald's Sabres 23 SKITE NITE - FEBRUARY 2001 John Cumming s Fraser Skite Night Crowd 24 SKITE NITE - FEBRUARY 2001 Bruce Turnbull s Saker John Wilson s Ferrari GTO Replica 25 I K e l l i s o n Astra As a follow on to the January Sparse Parts article on the American Kellison Astra J-5 and the "freely borrowed, from Jim's highly advanced ludicrous idea that "it was the most copied coupe design cues". design for decades to come" plus Ron Stroud's I was relecting on the above as I worked on the response 'By design' in February's Spare parts, pieces of my Cockram SS100 and suddenly it Ian Macrae has submitted the following Costin came to me. Jim was once sitting in his article, the car that Ron gave space to in his pushchair, somewhere in America, when a article. It is, of course, not only about the Maserati 1930's SS car went past, possibly an SS 100 and but also about our past Patron the late Frank he thought, "Darn me! that long bonnet (probably Costin and comes from Dennis Ortenburgers hood) and short boot (possibly trunk) book on Frank, 'Flying on four wheels'. The configuration sure looks like it's licensed to prowl Kellison 'Design Cues'and 'Styling Elements' the streets. One day I'll copy that idea." So he were not for Frank. This was just so much hype, did! what mattered to him was "Does it work?' Somehow on reading this you suspect that "a Well! its as likely as Jaguar copying a Kellison. wild and exciting animal slightly tamed to obey However, you look at it. and licensed to prowl the streets" was not quite For the real world, read on. his idea of a car, nor I suspect did the designers of all the other cars that were purported to have Ed The Costin Maserati Le Mans coupe Acknowledging "Flying on Four Wheels" by Dennis E. Ortenburger ... For race goers a disappointing change came to the sport in 1957. The FIA decreed that beginning the following year there was going to be a three litre limit on engine capacity for international events. This decision eliminated, for a while at least, the exciting and popular big-engined sports raCing cars. It was the end of the line for the Maserati 4.5 litre (four cam V8) developed to produce a reported 400 bhp and to power their famous 450-S Spyders. Probably the fastest two seat racing car of the era, the 450-S suffered the same reputation of its smaller brother, the 300-S, which was either to win or break. The 4.5 litre cars had a chassis typical of pre-Birdcage Maseratis. The Birdcage was a bizarre attempt at a spaceframe whereas the 4.5 cars were more conventional and were constructed of large diameter tubes at the bottom and smaller ones at the top placing it 26 somewhere between a spaceframe and a ladder type. While commendably robust, it was also a little on the heavy side. Huge drum brakes were installed because stopping power had been a problem with the earlier 3.5 litre cars. These brakes were so large they had to be located inboard of the wheel rim for clearance. The gearbox was a five speed transaxle. On some of the cars a gear set on the end of the clutch gave two ratios which provided ten forward speeds! The body was made of alloy and the style was typical of Italian thinking of the period, but more of that later. Maserati held high hopes for 1957; the company would have liked nothing better than to capture the Sports Car Championship before the change to the new formula. The plan was to field as many 3.5 and 4.5 cars as they could in each of the international races and to include something very special for Le Mans. Maserati had taken keen notice of the significant advances in race car aerodynamics seen at the French Classic and decided to try something along similar lines. Stirling Moss was under contract to drive the 24-hour race and was asked if there was anyone he knew that could do the job. Indeed he did. The man was Frank Costin. Conceived in haste It was only three months before Le Mans when Costin received a call from Moss' business manager, Ken Gregory. As it happened, Le Mans had become Costin's favourite race and the opportunity to design the bodywork on a big Maserati for Moss was definitely a coup. With a car like the Maserati an overall win at one of the most prestigious races in the world appeared to be within his grasp. After the financial agreement was set, Costin went to London to pick up the drawings of the engine, chassis and suspension layouts. Upon reviewing them he received his first of many disappointments. They were almost completely lacking in critical dimensions, precisely the details he needed for his calculations so Gregory was sent back to Italy to obtain the necessary information. Eventually the specifications arrived and with them the news that Zagato would build the body, but construction needed to begin in four weeks. A month of burning the midnight oil was precious little time to work with but he was committed so he set to work in earnest. To save a little time he decided that the basic shape would follow a proven winner-the Lotus Eleven. All of his previous calculations could be more or less scaled up for the larger car. He chose a coupe configuration for two reasons; the elements for drag reduction were more favourable in a closed car and he did not have to bother with the new Le Mans windscreen regulations for open cars which had all the race car builders up in arms. This controversy started in 1956 when the Le Mans organisers set minimum height requirements. Even though they relented in 1957 and allowed a 6 in minimum, reduced from the previous 8 in, it still required most drivers to look through the screen rather than over it. The problem of keeping plexiglass dean after a 24-hour accumulation of filth gave designers and drivers fits. Even though the rules were slightly different for closed cars, Costin had in mind a very short windscreen to keep as Iowa body profile as possible. Stirling Moss was always being solicited by a wide variety of road car manufacturers looking for his endorsement. As a result he always had a number of cars at his disposal and Costin asked him to conduct some experiments. The plan was to tape over the inside of the windscreens and then peel away strips until Moss had just enough visibility to drive safely. The experiment resulted in a col- WaF TYRES BALANCING PUNCTURE REPAIRS MAG WHEELS WHEEL ALIGNMENT BRAKES SHOCKS MUFFLERS LUBES Mon - Fri 7.45am - 5.30pm Sat 9am -lpm 27 lection of visual angles which he could live with in racing conditions. When Moss was finished, Costin designed the Maserati's windscreen opening, taking into account the seat position and Stirling's height. With this information and the specifications from Maserati, Costin computed his sums and laid out the body shape in full scale. The car emerged squat, bulbous and purposeful yet the front of the car was very reminiscent of the diminutive Lotus, including the elliptical air intake. Another feature it shared was a fully enclosed belly pan but the roof, of course, was something new and it extended almost straight back to the tail. In this way, the reverse camber line was maintained and there was more than sufficient rear body side area to control the car's centre of pressure. Although Frank had used a Kamm back on the Elite he wasn't convinced it was all that effective so he chose to use a curved tail on the Maserati. Costin designed intake ducts to cool the driver and to provide air for the carburettors. The latter was done by means of a hole, covered with wire screen, at the point of highest pressure on the bonnet slope. Frank would have preferred a NACA duct but in order to keep a low bonnet line over a tall engine he ran out of sufficient room for the submerged type of inlet. He also ducted the radiator so that air was exhausted into the wheelwells. The V8 called for enormous exhaust pipes which presented a problem of heat transfer into the cockpit. Frank designed them to fit inside a secondary pipe with an air wall of 3/8 in separation. This secondary pipe was ducted so that a constant flow of air passed along the length of the exhaust pipe thereby producing a thermal insulator from the driver. These pipes were then tucked neatly inside the sill boxes to exhaust ahead of the rear wheels. ; The interface of windscreen to body was also given careful consideration. The normal 28 rubber moldings presented a hurdle to the airflow which created turbulence over the top and sides of the roof. As with his Elite modifications Costin designed a flush fitting windscreen which was held in place by a sheet alloy surround. The glass was to be sealed with a slow move plastic filler. When the drawings were finally completed, Frank rolled them into a large bundle. He called Ken Gregory and arranged to meet him at London's Heathrow Airport where Gregory would immediately deliver the schematics to Zagato. Costin had heard stories questioning Gregory's business manner so the agreement was that each would arrive with their own bundle of paper, one bearing the likeness of the automobile and the other inscriptions of pound notes. In the dead of night, out on the tarmac under the roar of aircraft engines, each held out his roll. Hardly a word passed as Gregory went straight to Milan and Costin shot straight off for a pint! Born into antipathy About three weeks later FAC was called to oversee Zagato's construction of the Le Mans coupe. He managed to get some time off from De Havilland and flew to Italy. When he arrived at the Zagato shops he was surprised by the noise of the place. There wasn't a shaping wheel in sight, metal forming was accomplished by dozens of smiling Italians wielding hammers. But the shock to his ears was nothing compared to what he saw on the wall. Zagato had laid out the car's full scale side view on a plywood sheet but Costin's lines had been altered. The exhaust pipe ducting was gone and some fillets were changed but worst of all they'd raised the roof and the windscreen with it. Why? 'Because none of us could possibly see out of it.' Frank had been unprepared for some basic philosophical differences. It seems that Maserati could not entirely accept the idea of an English design being built by an Italian firm so they allowed Zagato to change it as they liked. 'You have no soul,' they said 'only Italians have the feeling for designing really fast cars.' Try as he might, Costin couldn't make them understand the aerodynamic losses in the changes they proposed for the windscreen. The car was nearly 6 ft wide so it was unfathomable to show how 2~ in added height could affect the speed. Frank decided later that besides Zagato's pride they had been 'Gregoried' into doing a big job for a small fee. They got paid win or lose. Costin's frustration culminated in an exchange of sharp words in which he called Zagato 'a bunch of burps who would actually build a car slower than it could be'. He wondered what more could they do? Frank was hardly their hero by then but he decided to stay and make the best of the rest of the week. Unfortunately, he grew more disheartened by the day and almost in a trance observed the panel beaters hammer on. Each panel went through stages defined by the age of the worker and the size of his hammer. The older, more experienced men had the largest mallets and did the initial forming to obtain the overall contours. The younger apprentices used small hammers to smooth out the bumps and undulations caused by the first operation. When the shape was finally about right it was marked by countless dimples and waves. To get a surface ready for paint they would lather the whole thing up with body filler and sand it smooth. At the time Zagato's 'bread and butter' was the little Fiat Abarth coupe and Costin noted that some of their contours were built up by almost 3/16 in of bondo. To no one's amusement, he remarked that they were really building filler cars with metal centres. By the end of the week only a few panels were on the Maserati coupe and Costin had to return to England. The car was still 'a pig's breakfast', to quote him, but there was nothing more that he could do. He had never experienced so little understanding or so much reluctance to follow his instructions and as a result Costin would never again undertake the design of an Italian car. The first person to greet him was Colin Chapman. After an exchange of 'How's it going?' Chapman grinned from ear to ear and said: 'You'd better go over and see your sieve.' 'What do you mean sieve?' enquired Costin. 'Well, it has more holes in it than a sieve and you'd better go have a look.' Chapman was apparently tickled to death and thought what Maserati had done was extraordinarily funny. Now more anxious than ever, Francis walked over to the Maserati pits and spied the car being pushed out for practice. 'Aw, God! he thought to himself 'it was absolutely diabolical'. The first thing he saw was the windscreen and its sealer. He could understand the flat panels because there wasn't enough time to mould a curved piece of glass, but instead of the proper slow move plastic they had used a brown 'gunge' (for lack of a more technical term) which was extruding itself out around the windshield surround. This brown and sticky goo had formed tendrils which had crept back over the red roof and bodywork. It looked like something out of a low budget horror movie. Chapman was right. The Maserati mechanics had cut holes here, there and everywhere. Moss came over, obviously distraught, and informed Costin they'd got the engine underbonnet air piped onto his feet and the radiator ducting was bodged so hot air was going into the carburettor intakes and the engine didn't like preheated air and oh, it was a mess. As detailed earlier Costin had originally designed the bonnet to fit closely over the four 29 Weber downdraft carburettors with a duct to feed them. Zagato, on the other hand, had paid no attention to the drawings at all and besides fitting an airscoop with too small an opening, it was also way off the site of maximum air pressure. The radiator cap access hole was uncovered and allowed the radiator air to go straight up the bonnet and into the carburettor air scoop. This combination resulted in the engine only pulling 6,200 rpm instead of its expected 7,000. The exhaust pipes weren't in their tubes and only an outside cover had been attached which conducted its heat right into the cockpit. No matter, the covers were to fall offend be run over in practice anyway. Zagato hastily cut an air scoop to cool the interior. Again, it was in a low pressure region down stream of the engine so, of course, only hot air got to the driver. Costin had taken great pains to specify both the type and supplier of a De Havilland aircraft windscreen wiper, just the thing for flying on four wheels. Zagato, however, had taken no notice of that either and fitted a regular automobile wiper assembly, probably from a Fiat. On a practice lap near the end of Mulsanne it broke offend flew away. Moss shot into his pit and said: 'I really don't care anymore what falls off, it's too bloody hot to drive anyway.' Costin shrugged when he saw the fuel filler sticking up like a flag pole but the final straw came when he looked underneath the car and saw the chassis tubes! It was completely open and there was no underbody enclosure at all except a hastily pop riveted sheet smack under the driver. Unable to stomach any more he walked away swearing. Costin's meticulous attention to every detail had been completely misunderstood and almost totally ignored. Even the perpetually enthusiastic Harry : Schell, who was to co-drive with Moss couldn't o o 30 cheer him. 'You shouldn't get too drunk you know, it might be alright.' Costin took Schell's advice and only got a little drunk. The Costin Maserati was, nonetheless, tremendously fast and held second place until the rear axle failed. Both the coupe and the one 4.5 litre Spyder which was entered were felled by the same cause. A rubber cover that held the grease in an outboard universal joint had split. When all the lubricant spun out the U-joint seized and broke. This was not a happy story for Frank Costin but there is still a twinkle in his eye. 'Had it been done right and proper the monster would have walked away from everything else. The Spyder was good for 180 mph so the coupe should have done 200, hell, it would have done 200 miles an hour.' Looked after in old age The Costin Maserati was a car that quickened the pulse of most enthusiasts who had a chance to see it. Le Mans has had many exciting coupes but few were as hairy as this one. Most everyone who had a hand in the project, however, simply wanted to forget about it, including Maserati. After Le Mans the car was stripped of the internals and suspension and relegated to the scrap pile back of the works. In 1958 An American visiting Maserati spotted the car, recognised it and knew he must have it. Enough money was flashed which convinced the factory to do a restoration. Fantozzi was commissioned to do the work and he added various bits including a wraparound windscreen, rear quarter windows and some interior trim. Curiously, the car was lengthened, by exactly 25 cm, by stretching the cockpit. Even so the coupe retained much of the Costin line and certainly all the visual excitement it first generated. .... The Costin Maserati travelled around the United States, passing through the hands of several owners, each caring for another detail. The engine and the transaxle were overhauled, the brakes and hydraulics were renewed, various trim items were chrome plated and the interior was tidied up for road use. Inevitably, the car was entered in Concours competition and took a win in the Car and Driver magazine show in 1963. In 1978 the Maserati was purchased by Peter Kaus in Frankfurt, Germany. In addition to an occasional blast down the The Costin Maserati Le mans Coupe Car and Engine autobahn, he entered the car at the Nurburgring Historic races in 1979. An engine slightly off song and intense cockpit heat (Kaus hasn't yet incorporated the original Costin design elements) kept him from seeing 200 mph. Otherwise, the experience was thoroughly exhilarating. It is obvious that great care and detail have been lavished on the Costin Maserati over the years. What a pity it wasn't done in preparation for Le Mans. 31 Last Month's Quiz Car For Sale This Month's Quiz Car Chevron - powered by slightly modified 13b Mazda - adjustable shocks, braking etc. suit hearing ilnpaired speed freak under 5' 10" with small feet and some auto electrical skills. $8500 ono tel Trevor 9711752 work. Wrap-around bubble windscreen for project car Genuine Ultima front screen (Saker/McLaren style) standards compliant - fire sale price as previously fitted (and the only local Ultima has been exported) contact Dave at Continental Car Services on 04 3843484 Supra Gearbox 1 five speed close ratio gearbox for $350-00 contact Roy Hoare ph (hID 564-597&) Valley Platers Linl.ited Okay, stop looking, its not nine cars that you are looking for in Ian Price's clever quiz car. the Editor has NOW been told it's SEVEN! They are: VW Daytona Beach Buggy, Citroen 2CV, Mini, Ford Corsair, RR Wraith, Lincoln Continental, and, an American Ford of unknown type Enquire of our 2 year Guarantee 162 Gracefleld Road, Lower Hutt Phone 04 568 5924 (j",~ta Chrome, Nickel & Zinc Plating. Metal Polishing Steve Roberts 04569-2222 32 Bruce Wright 04564-5070 Please supply manufacturer and model names only. s\c ~UTO INl"EIi Skilled in the repair and refurbishment of all aspects of automotive interiors. lOIl~ REPAIRS AND RECOVERING: Headlinings. Carpets, Side Trims, Dash-Boards, Seats, Boot Liners (Fabriline) WELDING: Metal, Vinyl, Plastic. PAINTING: Vinyl, Leather recolouring. CONVERTIBLE TOPS: Repaired recovered or built from scratch. Call for free advice and professional service and give your car the inside edge. 9a Wall Place, Linden, Wellington, Ph/Fax: 042328619 33 --------- ~ Presidents' Cup Points as of 28th February 2001 Brian Robinson Brian Worboys Patrick Harlow Roy Hoare Alex McDonald Dave Bray Terry Buffery Ron Stroud Paul Woodfiled Neville Baxter Ross Bridson Terry Buffery Dave Clout Glen Collins Darryl Cooley John Cummings Barry Dawe Dave Frost Barry Scott Jon Loar Ron Lowe Martin Lucas John Mander Chris McAdam Ian Mcrae Kit Peverill Barry Rosser Steve Strain John Thomson Bruce Turnbull Ron Stroud Rob West Jon Woolf 45 45 35 35 35 30 20 20 25 10 10 10 10 10 20 10 10 10 10 10 20 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 20 3xCN 3xCN 2xCN 2xCN 2xCN 3xCN 2xCN 2xCN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 xCN 2xCN 1 x CN 1 xCN 1 xCN 1 x CN 1 x CN 2xCN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 xCN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 xCN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 x CN 1 x CN 2xCN MACLENNAN AUTOMOTIVE & PERFORMANCE CENTRE LIMITED 1 xCO 1 xCO 1 xCO 1 xCO 1 xCO Telephone (041) 801 5140 Fax (04) 801 6665 30B Willis Street, Wellington PO Box 13368, Johnsonville WE CAN HELP WITH YOUR PROJECT 1 xCO • Shock Absorber & Spring Specialists, • Race Seats, Suits & Harnesses • Momo Steering Wheels & Accessories • Big Bore Exhaust Systems • Electric Fans & Gauges CLASSIC CLASSIC & PERFORMANCE ALLOY WHEELS • Road & Race Tyres • RA1 Toyo Race • Hoosier Race Tyres • Hankook Z2000 KEY: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 GIVEUSACALLF;C'JR THE. ". SE$T'P~/C;F;$IN;r()WN 10 Points Club Nights (CN) 15 Points Garage Tours, (GT) Club Outings. eg Bowling, Trips etc (CO) 15 Points 15 Points Attendance at Parades (AP) 15 Points Display at CCC Show (OS) 20 Points Road Sporting Events (RS) 25 Points Off Road Events (OE) YOKOHAMA - FALKEN - TOYO - BRIDGESTONE - UNIROYAL 35 34 '} :.' ;:',..<" ,':,' ,.:i. 48 Kings Crescent LOWER HUn 6 March 2001 The Editor EVENING POST Box 3740 WELLINGTON Dear Madam I would like to record, through your newspaper, an uplifting experience that I have recently had on SHI about 2kms north of Paraparaumu whilst driving south from Ohau. This occurred at 5pm last Thursday, .1 st March when due to a faulty fuel gauge I ran out of petrol and the car stopped. This was on a high speed .righthand bend with double yellow lines and virtually no shoulder. I could not get my off-sidewheels off the lane by about 30cm.Traffic was heavy and fasUn both directions and I was horribly aware of the hazard my car was causing. An accident wafting to happen and a nasty one at that. Desperate for help I switched on the hazard lamps and hopped out of the car and tried to flag down someone hoping to get the use of a cellphone but no one stopped. They were travelling too fast and would not risk stopping in such an awkward situation. Except for two young men in a truck who pulled in past the bend and ran back to see what assistance they could render. And render it they did. The car was on anjncl1ne, it is large and weighs 1% tonne. "Getin and steer" they said to me (another IOOkg), but to my surprise and delight they pushed it up that slope for about 70 meters to the safety of a driveway. Iwas virtually shaking with relief but they hadn't finiShed yet We're coming back through in about 20 minutes, can we bring some gas?" I couJdn't get my wallet open fast enough but had only $15 in it which I gave them and off they went. They were back inside the 20 minutes and actually poured in the $10 worth of petrol, While I held the funnel. Then they tried to hand me back the $5 change. Peeling like all kinds of a cheapskate I thrust it back at them and told them to .have abeeron me. Such generosity! Such appalling meanness. In the trauma of the inddent I didn't take their names or where I could contact them and will probably never see them again. But this day I have sent a donation to the Crippled Chidren's Society at Mana. Because, but for those two guys, crippled children is the least j could have expected. Yours sincerely, John Mander 36 ,,' .~; "'" ':"'\"" .". '~. ",'. ", INTERI\II.A~QlJE··NEWS Well, summer is almost over and it's time to start preparing for this year's Intermarque sprint series held at Manfeild Autocourse. (anticlockwise) is totally awesome and very quickly brings everybody down to earth and on a totally equal footing. The sprint series is a low-key start up event designed to give the total novice and the seasoned racer a good run for their money. The event is run with only 8-10 cars on the track at anyone time. The cars are set off in pairs with a large gap between each set of pairs. This enables the driver to go as fast or as slow as they are comfortable with. Standard road cars when running in this type of event are no more stressed than a good hard run on the motorway. The safety side is dependant on the individual driver and not by the closeness of other competitors. The safety of your car in respect of panel damage is determined by your own driving skills and techniques as the chance of being struck by another competing vehicle is very remote due to the interval at which the cars are set off. For the total novice to motorsport this is an excellent way to become involved even if it is only assisting in flag marshalling or time keeping. For the learner or first timer there is an opportunity to go out with an experienced driver before the sprints start. This is usually run between 9.00am and 10.00am. As this is before sprinting gets underway it must be stressed that driver training is as the words imply and must be done at a speed that is safe and sensible. This training will be observed and race speeds will not be permitted. Any drivers who abuse this for either high speed training or testing will be removed from the circuit. The entry fee for the event is $45 (plus MSNZ levy). This fee gives you an interesting day at Manfeild with a minimum of 3 practice laps and 3 sprints consisting of a warm up and 3 flying laps. It is agreed by all the Clubs that run rounds of the Intermarque that a passenger during sprints for the purpose of driver training will be allowed based on vehicle eligibility and driver suitability. This means that the car must be of the standard as specified by the MotorSport Association (MSNZ). The event is designed to teach and improve driver's skill. IF a passenger is being carried the driver must behave in a responsible and safe fashion. Carrying a passenger is deemed to be a privilege and anyone considered abusing that privilege will be removed from the circuit. One of the concessions in the track hire fee is that the organisers are able to vary the manner in which the sprints are run. In the past when Manfeild was hired we were required to specify what portions we were intending to use. If the long circuit was used Car Preparation a substantially higher fee was payable. Now when the track is hired, all facilities are Car preparation is a relatively simple thing and available. It is intended depending on interest if your car has a current warrant of fitness then shown by competitors to utilise the short it should be of a standard suitable for a sprint ci rcuit, the long circuit and/or the new series. extension which is a short circuit on its own. We may even, if sufficient interest is shown, A scrutineer from the organizing Club run in a reverse direction. Manfeild in reverse examines each car. The basic examination consists of a warrant of fitness check with 37 particular interest on things such as brakes, steering and suspension. The check concentrates on aspects of safety. There is no reason to be concerned because if any fault is found it will be explained in a quiet manner and ample opportunity is given to rectify any small faults found. It is always advisable to try and maintain the exterior and engine compartment of your car. This shows the scrutineer that you are interested in keeping the car neat and tidy. If your car is an open car you will also need MSNZ approved rollover protection. These modifications are all that are required to your car to spend many happy hours whirring away at Manfeild. Driver Preparation Personal safety equipment consists of good stout leather shoes (not synthetic), a pair of cotton or fireproof overalls and a crash helmet of good safe construction. Most helmets purchased in NZ are of a standard suitable for motor racing. If you are purchasing a crash helmet tell the shop you intend to use it for motor racing and they will be able to advise you. It is important to remember that if a helmet is to do its job then it must fit and be correctly worn at all times. The cotton overalls must be clean and free of grease, oil and old paint. Small modifications are required for track use. One is the installation of a small approved fire extinguisher which must be bolted in place with a minimum of 2 x 6mm bolts. The bolts must have a flat penny or panel washer, a spring washer or a nylock lock nut. PK Screws or self tapping screws are not permitted. If your car is fitted with an after market carburetor it must be fitted with dual return springs or alternatively the linkages should be designed so that if the main spring should A Clubsport Licence which is obtained from snap the butterfly will return to the closed MSNZ upon payment of a fee (but no exam) position. On most factory installations this is required as well as a log book for your car. happens automatically and so it is not necessary to fit a second return spring. Total Tyre Care Service New & Used Alloy Wheels New & Used Steel Belted Tyres A Tyre to Finance available to approved Suit Your Budget customers on New Alloy Wheels 045685989 62 Waione St, Petone Wheel Trims - alloy wheels - new tyres used tyres Fitting & Balancing in store SAKER CARS Saker Sprint 2001 Intermarque Dates Saturday 28 April Sunday 27 May Sunday 29 July Sunday 26 August Sunday 7 October Sunday 2 December For any enquiries regarding the sprint series feel free to contact Ron Robertson phone 564 8389 38 Saker SVI By TURNBUll ENGINEERING P.O. Box 9, Bunnythorpe, Manawatu, New Zealand Phone/Fax: 06 329 2923 web site: http://www.saker.co.nz e-mail: [email protected] 39 ~ (04) 902 3862 Carole Dave Frost 586-5050 Toni Dave Frow * 239-9369 Anne Ken Grace 970-6462 Margaret Jack Hadley 938-4924 Colin Hainsworth Marnie 970-4028 Sylvia Derrick Halford 971-6368 Brian Hanaray * (09) 833-7214 Julie Ross Hannah 382-4630 David Hanson 565-0993 Heather Patrick Harlow * 570-1257 Joy Guy Harper 564-5990 Pauline Murray Hewitt 232-8444 Jo Steve Hill 383-6377 Vivienne John Hill 564-5978 Eleanor Roy Hoare# 577-2557 Warren Horne 389-6121 Barbara Alan Hoverd 479-2140 Jane Ian Howie (03) 225-7220 Harbans Doug Hurst 237-6193 Tim Hutchinson # 938-4002 Brian Hutchison 973-8888 Trevor Hyde 526-2584 Chris Nik James (07) 883-5705 Ann Brian Jenkins (04) 298-7422 Sonya Ryan Terry Johnson (03) 313-8128 Patricia Martin Kavanagh 922-1157 Meredith Richard Kelly 568-8397 Michael Kerr 239-9951 Julie Murray Kilpatrick 934-2916 Carl Klitscher Lynda Manning (07) 577-9104 Stephen Lawson 934-2267 Megan Jon Loar * (04) 905 6636 Anne Andy Lovell 388-6971 Kate Ron Lowe Megan Davis 562-6036 Martin Lucas (06) 867-2082 Lyn Sam Lyle (04) 298-8267 George MacDonald 234-1190 Paul MacKay 563-7222 Marie Ian Macrae 565-3459 Robyn Grant Major*# 904-6546 Vicki John Mander# 526-9405 Liz John Marechal Tess Mackie 477-6222 Tony Martin 939-8921 Shelly Ken McAdam NA Harold McCarthy Karen 970-8225 Diana Alex McDonald (07) 843-7512 Jill Geoff McMillan 528-3406 Brenda Robert Milne (04) 904-3366 Duane Moul (06) 357-7853 Anthony Moult # 527-8429 John Moynihan (07) 843-0108 t"iI David Nation 479-2707 Michelle N Paul Needham 234-7153 Janet N David Nixon F F G H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H J J J K K K K K L L L L L L M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M 42 021992825 025-430-765 025-305122 498-4643 384-0121 025782-557 302-4630 567-8721 566-3396 496-0814 939-3263 568-6213 0252857153 463-5529 472-6881 (03) 225-7220 499-9021 237-1877 (07) 883-5705 237-1082 (03) 374-7128 (025) 2773021 471-7104 237-6146 576-5892 (07) 533-2358 470-8216 (04) 902-5596 388-0427 568-4345 (06) 867-6233 (025) 261-0761 570-1923 563-7222 477-0000 526-9405 570-5426 570-6039 (06) 376-5632 528-8680 (025) 738-437 0800803865 (04) 237-2771 (06) 351-3610 527-8429 (07) 834-6767 570-4943 232-8080 Almac Cobra Leitch Lotus 23 Replica Lotus Elan + 2 Special Fiat 127 GT Almac SabreIDH002 N N 0 0 P P P Lotus 7 Replica Almac Sabre AlmacTC JC Midge Heron/Urba Car F/27 Morris Minor Traveller Porsche RSK Replica "Heron, Lotus 7 Replica" Chevron Classic Chevron Lotus 7 Replica Almac Sabre 'T' Car Lowcost 11 Lotus 7 Replica SB Veloce Pirahina Sphinx Eclipse Mk2 Midtec Spyder 'T' Car Almac Sabre Leitch Lotus 23 Replica S.L. Pontiac Firebird Fraser Widget&Fidget ?? Napier Ruxton GT 'X' Lotus 7 Replica 4x4 JBA Falcon Almac Sabre JBA Falcon James Gulf7 Meridian Sylva Striker Mk 4 DeJoux Gran Turismo Mini Moke P P P P P P P P P R R R R R R R R R R S S S S S S S S S T T T T U W W W W W W W W W W W W Y 569-7972 Brian Nobbs Russ Noble 528-8144 Roger O'Brien # Heather (07) 3228759 Cathy Peter Olifiers (06) 377-3353 Frank Parker Bernice (021) 117-2602 Peter Parnell Judith 475-7589 Rhonda Julian Parsons 971-7313 David Pattie # Sandi (03) 385-5156 Brian Pearce (03) 472-7720 Peter Petchey (03) 327-9362 Kit Peverill Carol 475-9820 Matthew Porritt 586-6137 Lorene Alan Price # 389-3941 Joan Roger Price Sonya 920-2454 Ian Price * Andrew Priest Margaret 570-1817 Shirley 389-4910 Lester Reader 567-8676 John Richardson Naomi Bray 564-8389 Ron Robertson 233-1445 Janet Brian Robinson* Chris (06) 356-3076 Grant Robinson Margaret 970-8237 Kenneth Rogers (06) 357-5640 Sue Barry Rosser 477-6007 David Rowe 801-5890 Dennis Rowe Jennie Natasha hansen Liam Ryan Lorraine 566-8010 David Saxby (06) 364-3909 Christine Bary Scott 971-9389 Nick Sparrow Tanya (06) 344-7162 Garth Stevenson 970-9763 Pamela Alan Stott * Carole 479-3038 Steve Strain * 479-6370 Ron Stroud * Adele (07) 887-1713 Carina Tye Craig Summers Francie 564-5373 Ron Sutherland 934-8417 Russell Thompson Alena 478-7587 John Thomson 564-8793 Lance Thomson (06) 329-2923 Bruce Turnbull Jane 970-6110 George Ulyate Verity Turner 577-1319 Doug Watt Marie Bruce Weeks (04) 297-1062 Rob West June Michael Whitehouse 934-7562 Sue Bill Whitley 233-9286 Brendon Wilson Adele (06) 358-2959 Vicki Paul Woodfield (06) 362-6390 Beverly Jon Woolf 476-3799 Sireena Brian Worboys # (06) 329-0907 Susan Andrew Worth 025-2704471 Betty Bernard Wright Kali Barton-Wri 972-1566 Justin Wright 234-8080 Vicki Colin Young 566-4515 (03) 384-9023 528-8144 (025) 778-759 (06) 377-1217 494-8673 472-4587 025975175 (03) 379-3999 025397-368 (03) 388-1765 494-4279 920-2434 389-3941 025458-007 389-4910 568-8975 025-439969 (06) 355-2754 528-5873 025418081 474-7262 801-5890 (09) 846 1230 384-8045 914-5454 025 216-1171 Macrae Special The Flying 1? AlmacTG Plus 3 Fraser 7 Fraser 7 Triumph Special Lotus 7 Replica Lotus 7 replica Sabre/Sherman Beattie Clubman Daimler SP250 TVR TasminlTuscan Almac 427 S.C. Almac Super Sabre AlmacTG Lotus 7 Replica SS100 Swallow (09) 302-0901 Snafu Seven Aristocat XK140 Locost Marcos/Scimitar Lancia Stratos Replica McRae 550 Spyder Purvis Eureka/Scopion Cougar 479-3039 473-7551 (07) 887-71207 021 2154636 970-8417 "Lotus 7A, Mach 7 Tomcat" 385-9549 McLaren M6GTR Replica 528-7041 Saker SV-1 (06) 329-2923 Monoposto 025 269-6608 Sylva Striker (07) 839-2325 McLaren M6GTR Replica (04) 297-1062 564-6018 938-2561 Austin-Buckler 470-3425 Sylva Striker Mk 4 025400-436 Saker SV-1 (06) 358-2959 Leitch 025 260-6530 Road Rat II 471-7191 Lynx (06) 357-5863 Jaguar Mk2 939-9356 Almac Cobra 569-2145 Chevron 237-1101 43 Imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery Dave Bray Back in the mid to late 1920s, Ferdinand Porsche ways, but with such luxuries and creature designed the first Mercedes-Benz S-type, a four- comforts as doors, a proper windscreen and seater tourer and the forerunner of the SS, SSK facilities for a convertible top. (Kurz or 'short') and the SSKL (Leicht meaning I have no doubt that this will prove to be as superb 'Iight'). a job as the one we saw, and in the meantime I The SSK has been described as 'the ultimate in have made tentative approaches to Doug for him blood and thunder vintage sports cars, with well to bring the SSK down to a club night sometime. over 200bhp in a 116ins wheelbase, producing Hamilton is a long way, but if you don't ask ....... . something over 110mph' - an amazing beast which was driven to third place in the '29 Monaco GP by Carraciola. Of the 37 made only seven are thought to have survived (the brakes of the day really weren't up to the task of stopping this monster) and most of them are tucked away safely in museums, and they're in the serious millionaire-owner bracket. Being a fan of most of Porsche's handiwork I was delighted therefore to come across a very convincing SSK replica at the Starship Car Trek event in Rotorua recently, and even more pleased to be able to picture it alongside our own replication of a Porsche product. Boy oh boy, did Porsche change his ideas in the 30 years between the two designs! The SSK in question is not the South American turnkey car that came along to the Club a year or two ago, but was scratch-built by Doug Bunting, a property manager of Hamilton with much of the mechanicals being derived from a 1970/71 Mercedes 280 saloon, with the body being turned out by hand, almost entirely in steel. I could rave on at length about the quality of the workmanship and the apparent accuracy of this enormous vehicle which is registered as a 'reproduction' of the 1928 model, without even getting close to doing it justice, so for now we'll let the photographs speak for themselves. Doug and his wife Myrlene are no longer in the first flush of youth (like so many of us) so they ;are now starting work on a replica of the 1927 SS, a very similar vehicle to the SSK in many 44 Now there are replicas which can be seen as being almost the real thing, and there are socalled replicas which are reminiscent of the original without quite 'making it'. While tastes may vary, I don't want to be judgmental as my view is that if it's what the owner/builder wants then by definition it just has to be OK. Nevertheless, it is difficult not to make comparisons between Doug Bunting's '28 SSK and that of David Rogers of New Plymouth, which is an Excalibur kit from America - described as a '29 SSK - which was at the same event. Again, I let the photographs tell the story. Excalibur version a/the 1929 SSK owned by David Rogers a/New Plymouth I have been involved with classic car events in one way or another for a long time now and I suspect that the overall attitude towards replicas is slowly maturing somewhat from the earlier 'it isn't real, so it must be rubbish' sort of approach that we've experienced. There were 125 cars involved over this particular weekend, 42 of which received votes towards the Meguiars Entrants' Choice award (a very classy book 'The Art of the Automobile') and the overall winner of this award turned out to be the Bunting SSK 'reproduction'. I found this particularly pleasing as Myrlene had earlier mentioned to me that they had found a lot of people to be quite disparaging when they discovered that the SSK wasn't 'genuine', (a narrow-minded attitude that we are certainly familiar with) and the fact that their work had been recognised at last - what's more recognised by 'car people' - was obviously a great thrill to both of them. Wheel within wheel 45 January Sparse Parts Quiz Car For those of you who still haven't caught up with the Mytery car from the January Sparse Parts - it was a MOHS. The picture shows the man himself (Mr Mohs) standing by the Mohs Ostentatienne, of which the sales brochure said "A totally new concept, the Mohs shares no components or design philosophy with any other car". Of course it doesn't - it was built on a truck chassis! No wonder there was only one of them at the time of print. The vehicle in the background is a SafariKar. Similar concepts, but note the drawer-like door that slides directly out from the car. It had a padded vinyl body, to muffle the mechnical noise, so as not to frighten the game when you went shooting! Pictures and detail courtesy Motor Trend, August 1976. Porsche-Inspired Replicas; DEs 1957 Speedster and DEs 1928 SSK The Starship event itself was held over four days Sample question: "What is on the roof of the and comprised a goodly mixture of basic 'hub' Convention Centre?" rallying out and back from Rotorua to Tauranga, Answers included: "Pigeon guano"; "Sparrow Whakatane and Taupo, mostly on back roads shit"; "The roof - dummy!"; and even a detailed which were new to us, car shows at each place rundown of its construction by a bloke who where funds were raised by taking people for worked for BHP and couldn't resist the rides, and evening functions where participants advertising opportunity. well and truly let their hair down. The aim of the whole exercise - as well as having The on-road sections of the event were laid out a lot of fun - was to raise money for the Starship by Ross Church, he of Link Rally fame and a Children'S Hospital and the various efforts recent visitor on Club night with his Morgan V8 brought in between $12/13,000 on top of a (h " Morgan - that's with a Big M cheque for $30,000 (!) donated by the event's and a small organ'') and covered many roads prinCipal sponsor MotorUp. which we had not previously encountered. Ian and Sonya Price were also on the event with For example, on one section we covered 140 the SP250 and as well as having a lot of fun, we kms between Rotorua and Taupo, all on sealed might even have achieved something useful; it's roads with only the briefest of touches on SH 1. shaping up to be an annual event, and if so we'll Great stuff, no pressure, and irreverent answers be there again next year. were actively sought to all questions. How about you? Another picture from Skite Nite Ross Bridson s Morgan Plus 8 Replica under construction 46 47 POWDER COATING .lERVICEI LTD Epoxy and Polyester Powder Coating Specialists First of all - Ankle Biter. In last months mag. he I'm Confused [not that that's unusual] had the downright cheek to indicate that he had "this guy, he and himself' sorted out. How dare The name of the club is the Constructors Car he assume that I'm a mere male. I will swap my Club, OK. Unfortunatly most of us do not have PMT for a G and T any day. So think again or the abilities of the Worboys, Hoares, and else it might not be just your ankle that gets bitten. Macraes of this world, and are forever relegated To quote Mae West "Come up and see me some to assembling someone elses bits and pieces like Frasers, Almacs, Sakers, etc. Now this time big boy". doesn't take anything away from the skills, Angry doesn't describe how I feel about those devotion and patience of these people but to my new signs up the gorge. For the millions it cost I tiny mind this group is in reality assemblers. The could have screamed up and down the gorge in other group own such interesting cars as Lotus the Lada changing a nice little sign for the rest Scimitar, Jaguar, Marcos, SP 250s and the like of my life. What a bloody waste of our money. and could rightly be considered to be custodians We are all getting technology overload, if it ain't or conservationists of interesting pieces of hi-tech its no good. motoring history. Each of these groups must be Angry! I changed my address and now reside in seen to be both equal and valued, as their skills splendor under the Moera Rail bridge but that and more importantly interests are exactly what super sleuth Alan Stott found me and hence this club is based on. Personally I would like to these ramblings. He tells me that he is giving up see more emphasis on the slogan "The being editor, pass my phone number on to the Alternative Drive Style" as this more accurately incoming editor at your very great peril. Sincerely, indicitive of the membership. No I'm not thanks for a job well down, you will be hard to advocating a name change. The emphasis must replace and I will miss your threatening phone stay with quirky cars and in some cases very calls. By the way come and collect your quirky people. Own something different and we are your spiritual home, yes, join the Marque toothbrush. club, if one exists by all means but here is an interesting and vibrant alternative[that word again] I'm Heartened There has been a hugh input from many people on the road safety issue, some of which I don't QUESTIONS agree with, but are generally sensible and reasoned arguments. All very well spouting off 1 Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the tube in the magazine but does this esteemed 2 If you invent a universal solvent what would publication get sent to the Minister of Transport you keep it in and his opposite numbers in other parties. Our opinions must be put in front of those who stir 3 If they make fish oil out of fish ,olive oil out of : the pot on these issues or else the little man with olives what do they make baby oil out of? the red flag will back soon. 48 Automotive componentry, wheels, chassis, suspension, both old and new our speciality J Zinc and Iron Phosphate pre-treatment for superior adhesion and corrosion resistance J Chemical Stripping Service J Sand Blasting Service Contact Jim Longstaff or Dave Beazer 51 Port Road Seaview LOWER HUTT PhonefFax (04) 9392222 Mter Hours (04) 564 3943 or 021543943 (Dave)