Mally's Stock Cars, Bikes,Life, and Yaris happenings.

[Mally]

15 hours ago, big_al_granvia said:

Boy did well,3rd in whites and yellows. Well done

Yes, cancelled Saturday meeting, ran Sunday afternoon instead.

As said 3rd in w/y. Won trophy and a tyre. bust the rad, so gave the owner the tyre and he produced a new rad.

Came around half way in another race and 2 non finishes. was going hard for 3rd place in last event and spun.

Says they are hard work, steering very heavy. Was trying to pass the guy who owned it when he spun.

[Mally]

Been quiet for a good while, built a spare Yaris over winter.  Raced a couple of Autograss meetings for Amelia recently.  Ste's wife, Hannah has won a race or two.

Reason for this posting is I've just been told the Stephen will race an F2 at Kings Lynn on Saturday 6th April.

We were going watching, it's a big F1/F2 meeting. But a hire car was on offer,  so £550  and on you go. ( plus licence and whatever, he's not booked in yet).

Last time he raced an F2 was well over 2 years go. It's good to watch him, but I thought the worrying was over for me.

Next day,  Amelia races a Yaris at Nottingham Autograss, on the way back, which is much more sedate.

[big_al_granvia]

What colour top will be be as iirc he was s/s when he retired so red or blue??

[Mally]

1 hour ago, big_al_granvia said:

What colour top will be be as iirc he was s/s when he retired so red or blue??

Retired as red, I think s/s was year before?        Guaranteed red due to being European champion. Not sure how his points were at that time.

Had to get a new licence, not sure if he's got a temp, or season one, same number 788. 

Asked if he could start blue. and Bunter laughed and said no. So red it is then.

Can be better from the back, especially in a strange car. Never driven a TMR before, always Randell/TLF.

I'm a little worried he may do well. It's a qualifying round for the Word of Shale, and may not end here if he has points in the bag.

[big_al_granvia]

Just remember, age is no barrier. How old is lundy

[primeradoner]

13 hours ago, big_al_granvia said:

Just remember, age is no barrier. How old is lundy

Lundy was 68 when he won the final at Sheffield in June 2022 so he is either 70  or very nearly 70. 

[Mally]

On 03/04/2024 at 11:36, primeradoner said:

Lundy was 68 when he won the final at Sheffield in June 2022 so he is either 70  or very nearly 70. 

Sir John.

I was 67 at my last go. I'm not getting in a stock car again.

Auto grass?  never say never, but my knee is a bit dicey these days, and I enjoy being able to walk.

[Mally]

New * Yaris just back from having signs. Had a lot of scratches but they are all hidden now.

It's a spare car just in case.

Nothing much to report, recent weekends racing have been cancelled, next weekend is cancelled all because of rain.

Work on Luton van is progressing slowly. Photos of that after my hols, when I'm hoping for Sun.

[Matty]

7 minutes ago, Mally said:

New * Yaris just back from having signs. Had a lot of scratches but they are all hidden now.

It's a spare car just in case.

Nothing much to report, recent weekends racing have been cancelled, next weekend is cancelled all because of rain.

Work on Luton van is progressing slowly. Photos of that after my hols, when I'm hoping for Sun.

Still can't get head around you and ste turning out such beautifully presented cars then crashing them! Good job we're all differant 😁

[Mally]

9 minutes ago, Matty said:

Still can't get head around you and ste turning out such beautifully presented cars then crashing them! Good job we're all differant 😁

These tend to last. 

The Stock car  signs cost twice the price and could last one race if you rolled it.

About 3K there all in.  13K for a low spec F2

[Matty]

Any signs for the Crafter? Or is that a bad idea on the basis of advertising what might be in it if you break in (tools and stuff)?

[Mally]

1 hour ago, Matty said:

Any signs for the Crafter? Or is that a bad idea on the basis of advertising what might be in it if you break in (tools and stuff)?

Might get a Couple of stripes, motor home style. Has a few scratches high up. Wouldn't bother me, but it's not mine.

Won't be race van stickered, although it is insured as a race van.

[Matty]

35 minutes ago, Mally said:

Might get a Couple of stripes, motor home style. Has a few scratches high up. Wouldn't bother me, but it's not mine.

Won't be race van stickered, although it is insured as a race van.

Driven it yet? I liked mine tbf. Drove nice. Shit gear change mind.

[Mally]

13 hours ago, Matty said:

Driven it yet? I liked mine tbf. Drove nice. Shit gear change mind.

He did mention the gears.

I'm on the insurance  but I can't see me getting behind the wheel except in an emergency.

My old fella started trying to squeeze through gaps that weren't there aged 72 and I'm a little* older.

 

[Matty]

4 hours ago, Mally said:

He did mention the gears.

I'm on the insurance  but I can't see me getting behind the wheel except in an emergency.

My old fella started trying to squeeze through gaps that weren't there aged 72 and I'm a little* older.

 

New control cables and or adjustment can help but to be honest they are shit and notchy as standard. Most dash mounted shifts are. Vans have never been as nice since everyone bombed off floor change.

[Mally]

Here we go again.

Racing has continued, Ste has had  a trapped nerve in his neck which is affecting his right hand, so not raced for several weeks. Much better now though.

Hannah won £20 at weekend,  Amelia seems to have found the way round, had a good second place then actually won a race, Cost me £50 that! a long ago promise.

However.  On the way home via M6 the Crafter engine stopped, whilst travelling at the correct speed officer.

Avoiding action was taken at an adjacent escape route,  Ste coasted the van and trailer off the motorway and into the Premier Inn access road at Woolston.

Fortunately I was following in the 75.

Stuck the trailer on my car and  with his wife and kids, in the back, we carried on home.

Seems partially blocking Premier Inn is a good move. The AA arrived within the hour.

Yellow Truck took slightly longer, but all good. 

It's now in the yard at a trusted friends garage, who unlocked the gates for us at 10-30pm.

It seems the timing belt may have a malfunction, similar to our recent Transit episode, but it's early days and we are in a queue.

Belt is stamped in the service book as 2021 so should have been OK, but ho hum.

No racing next weekend then, as it's a 2 day event and nowhere to sleep.

Updates  as and when we know anything.  Estimate is 2 weeks minimum.

Last time 2 weeks estimate, at a different garage took around 6 weeks all in.

 

[bangernomics]

Nightmare

Re neck/hand be hasn’t bashed his elbow or forearm too?

[Mally]

10 hours ago, bangernomics said:

Nightmare

Re neck/hand be hasn’t bashed his elbow or forearm too?

Hes bashed everything over the years, but thinks the neck was caused when trying to drag a loaded trailer a few inches sideways to couple up the ball.

Trailer was stuck in mud and stayed put. Arm went dead then tingled.

Been just over 2 months now, had a couple of weeks off work then went back on light duties, basically using one arm.

Paid for MRI which shows a protruding disc in his neck.  Dr said should settle and can carry on racing if it repairs itself. 

Autograss is a lot less crashing than Brisca F2.

A fellow Autograss racer has the same problem and told him a few exercises to try.

One was a hot bath, rest your head on the top corner of the bath, press heels on bottom of bath and raise your body.

This seems to have done the trick. Was using many strong painkillers but is now tablet free and was hoping to race next week.

[Mally]

Small update, Ste's neck/arm is seemingly recovered,  He's back to fixing things instead of going to bed straight from work.

Diagnosis on Van is that likely a rocker broke and stopped the cams, the crank carried on and ripped a few teeth off the belt.

Head is under going repairs at a quote of £300. Until that's done who knows about the rest?

Ste is borrowing an F2 again shortly, has the licence and a free car offer so why not? I'll probably be on holiday which is better for my nerves.

Ian, my eldest who doesn't get much mention on here, has put a deposit on a Locost racing car for his son, who fancies a blast round Brands Hatch and wherever.

Hes good on grass and tells me he practises in his bedroom, so maybe he can reach the 69 mph average speed that I'm informed some achieve.

 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Mally said:

Hes good on grass and tells me he practises in his bedroom,

That could be taken 2 ways 😀

[bangernomics]

Hes bashed everything over the years, but thinks the neck was caused when trying to drag a loaded trailer a few inches sideways to couple up the ball.
Trailer was stuck in mud and stayed put. Arm went dead then tingled.
Been just over 2 months now, had a couple of weeks off work then went back on light duties, basically using one arm.
Paid for MRI which shows a protruding disc in his neck.  Dr said should settle and can carry on racing if it repairs itself. 
Autograss is a lot less crashing than Brisca F2.
A fellow Autograss racer has the same problem and told him a few exercises to try.
One was a hot bath, rest your head on the top corner of the bath, press heels on bottom of bath and raise your body.
This seems to have done the trick. Was using many strong painkillers but is now tablet free and was hoping to race next week.

Might try that one myself. Glad he is recovered.

[Mally]

On 12/08/2024 at 20:03, Mally said:

 Amelia seems to have found the way round, had a good second place then actually won a race, Cost me £50 that! a long ago promise.

However.  On the way home via M6 the Crafter engine stopped, whilst travelling at the correct speed officer.

Avoiding action was taken at an adjacent escape route,  Ste coasted the van and trailer off the motorway and into the Premier Inn access road at Woolston.

Fortunately I was following in the 75.

Stuck the trailer on my car and  with his wife and kids, in the back, we carried on home.

Seems partially blocking Premier Inn is a good move. The AA arrived within the hour.

Yellow Truck took slightly longer, but all good. 

It's now in the yard at a trusted friends garage, who unlocked the gates for us at 10-30pm.

 

 

Apologies for quoting myself, but I hear on the grapevine, that by the wonders of technology and Google,  Amelia has found this topic.

Some of my posts are seemingly harsh on her driving ability in the past.

Should she find this post, its proof that I did indeed complement her  in the end, ....and gave her 50 quid!

She has now got the bit between her teeth and qualified for the A final at her last meeting. 

It was a big meeting and is a massive achievement.

She is now at Secondary school, teacher asked hobbies? and was rather amazed,, but seemingly she follows F1.

The Van  has been repaired, new rockers, 1 cam, 2 valves. £280. Labour £650.   Vast improvement on the Tranny bill, but still a fair wedge.

I'm off to Sunny Beach soon, so likely be a while before my next post.

Apologies for any bad language you may find Amelia, my account must have been hacked.

[Mally]

Been quiet and still is. I'm still doing bits, but no one wants to know about changing tyres and seats.

Ste's special was rolled end over end last season, but is now ready to go again, Both Yaris are ready to race.

Amelia is keen to race this season again, her sister is now 9 so will be old enough next year. She has expressed a wish for a test drive this year.

"So I know if I want to race".  We know of a practise track so it may well happen.

If she likes it, The Special will have to go, as Both Yaris's   will need to be taken next year, and there's a limit to how many cars you can handle.

It's very rare for me to go now, unless they need me to tow.  Long days, often wet and cold. 

Eldest son Ian has twins, just 17. Passed theory test and now having road tuition, lessons by instructor and a Panda from home.

Rory is racing  a Locost with 750 motor club  this year.

Had a few goes in practise cars,  was in an MX5 at Mallory Park recently, going quite fast I hear.

I'm not keen on Circuits, I like crash and bang, but I sincerely hope he doesn't crash at that speed.

I've been working on their trailer for a while, and may take photos in a few weeks.

There is a Hymer about to arrive to drag the  trailers around it seems.   

Sister Evie will race their Yaris on grass as time allows.

More after Blackpool and Benidorm maybe. 

[Mally]

Not sure where to put this so it goes here, It's life related and may drag on a bit. Feel free to  skip to the end, but don't miss the last bit.

As many will know I'm totally deaf in my right ear, have a hearing aid in my left, had difficulty conversing all my life, but worse now. 

I like music, Beatles, U2. Bryan Adams, Coldplay. Killers, Guns and Roses... Simon and Garfunkel, whatever.......

It's difficult to hear music, tends to be just distorted noise, but some can be quite clear.

So, I lie on my couch back to the TV, and listen to music on Youtube.  I start on Cranberries,  Zombie, then the algorithm feeds me.

Some tunes I get, most I don't, but I'm on here  reading, so it's just in the background.

John Lennon, Imagine, comes on. It's perfect. I get music and vocals.  He's on piano it's clear as a bell. 

Bit later I get another piano, it's not my thing, but sounds perfect. I turn round to the TV.

I don't watch news or TV so I miss many things that most of you will know about.

It's Lucy on the piano, blind girl, who also has other problems, lives quite close but I was unaware of her.

The one I heard, then watched, was 'Lucy at  the Royal Albert Hall'. Shes also performed at several other famous venues.

If you don't know what I'm on about, please watch her.

 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Mally said:

If you don't know what I'm on about, please watch her.

She first appeared on 'The Piano', the competition with Mika and Yang Yang. Plays brilliantly, but I find it hard to watch her.

Is this new, that you hear piano tones clearly? If so, maybe something has changed in your hearing? 

[Mally]

3 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

She first appeared on 'The Piano', the competition with Mika and Yang Yang. Plays brilliantly, but I find it hard to watch her.

Is this new, that you hear piano tones clearly? If so, maybe something has changed in your hearing? 

Not new, but I tend to listen to Rock and heavy stuff which is difficult.  Acoustic has always come across better.

It's a well known thing with hearing aids, but I used to be able to distinguish lyrics above the music, and now I can't.

This is a good link to Lucy if it works.

 

[Marshall2810]

13 hours ago, Mally said:

Not new, but I tend to listen to Rock and heavy stuff which is difficult.  Acoustic has always come across better.

It's a well known thing with hearing aids, but I used to be able to distinguish lyrics above the music, and now I can't.

This is a good link to Lucy if it works.

 

Glad you've found this Mally. It's certainly a soothing sound to me anyway! Possibly it's because there is a lot going on in normal music, vocals, drum beat, actual notes being played. It may be just easier to focus on singular notes and keys being struck by a single instrument?  Also a Bryan Adams fan btw 

[Mally]

Been quiet on here for a while, racing continues and reports will appear infrequently. At 79, I only do 3 days a week in the garage now.

It's 4 am and my recent posts regarding my late wife prevent me from sleeping. 

I mention my late wife now and then and feel she deserves more, so here goes.

I met Ann at age 17, I was driving a Reliant and had 4 front teeth missing.

She was with my 'mate' at the time.  He set her hair on fire in the Reliant, so I unfriended him and decided she needed someone better.

I was 21 when we married, she was 20, had to get consent in those days, but her Mam liked me.

She was a Weaver int'mill. A good one it seems. She wove the fibreglass for Concorde's nose (google Concorde nose, Fothergills).

Was decent money so she bought a brand new 205. An improvement on the Minor van she learned in.

She also worked as a cleaner, became manager over cleaners at 4 sites, the fuel allowance was higher than the wage.

She despised people who looked down on cleaners, said most of them are salt of the earth.

Also worked as a School dinner lady whilst kids were young, and repaired TV's at Rediffusion.

A couple of years later I started racing cars. They had Ladies races, she was as daft as me.

She got a mention in the Daily Mirror once and there was an article in the local press at the time, I may add it later if I find it.

From then on we raced. Stock cars and Autograss. All my family are still involved, and the Ladies all race.

I'm an only child, slightly withdrawn deafness didn't help. She was outgoing and helped me in very many ways.

We had little spare cash in the early days, but many holidays. Butlins, Caravans, Tents. 

In later years Premier Inns and Hotels. 

She injured her back at work,  They said it would get better, but it never did. 

She became wheelchair reliant, in constant pain, and as you would expect very depressed.

We sold our house in the hills and bought a Bungalow closer to the village centre.

I had a massive garage built in the back garden. It's not massive when full of stuff.

I retired and divided my time between garage and caring. I made the meals, showered her, everything.

She never complained, racing is a drug, she still had it and wanted to be involved.

She rarely mentioned pain, but you get used to seeing it in their face. 

Me and my two sons still raced, she went with us often.

Travelling hurt her, but she wanted to go. We would race, then stay in a Travel Inn a couple of nights before the return trip.

KIds raced in Holland a few times, Me and Ann flew over and made a weeks holiday out of the trips.

She made the best of what she had, rarely complained, was always grateful, good with money. perfect Mother, perfect Wife.

I've said this before, I've had a charmed life. 

Her, not so much.

 

 

 

 

 

[Spottedlaurel]

It sounds like you made a great team with an awful lot to be proud of in the family you have now and what you have to look back on.

Keep using this place for support, even if it's just a distraction and keeping us informed about the family's racing exploits.

[Matty]

I'd imagine it took a lot to type that out. A good marriage is like being born to a good family. A win in the lottery of life.