F1 drivers Rover 620i / racing at 24h of lemons

[motorpunk]

 

[motorpunk]

Summary of today. 
Any help we can get from Shiters would be appreciated. We are behind schedule already…

[chaseracer]

In my experience of motor racing preparation, you're always behind schedule!  Where are you (and the Rover) based, Rich?

[motorpunk]

14 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

In my experience of motor racing preparation, you're always behind schedule!  Where are you (and the Rover) based, Rich?

We have a boat to catch! Car is in Milton Keynes now, I’m in Leicestershire, team mates are in Abu Dhabi and America, and elsewhere. This isn’t easy!

I want the car on a boat to America by mid summer, latest. Race is in October but we need to weld in the cage when it’s in America (long story to do with importing a ‘standard’ car for minimal admin hassle). We have some sexy brakes which mean the hubs need modifying, and then we need bigger wheels to go over those brakes (we have parts but not much time). Also - cambelt service (got the parts, no time), plus we accidentally cut a brake line, and there’s a small bit annoying fuel leak from somewhere.

Any help we can get would be massively appreciated. We might also have one last drivers slot available for anyone daft enough to fancy this race.

[motorpunk]

Started work at 5pm yesterday, climbed into bed at 2am today. This bastard shit heap is putting up a fight. I’m at the point of giving up - we fitted larger discs, callipers, and new uprights but need to build some shims to make it all fit and when it finally plonked back on its wheels the tracking and everything is a foot out. The damn thing is totally wonky. We are tired and fed up with this thing. Not sure what happens next. 

[St.Jude]

I can only suggest that going back at it with fresh eyes, and if you feel the bubbling dissatisfaction of it then go for a walk or polish the headlights.

Biggest enemy of mine is not realising when I'm angry at something until shit gets broken at which point I want to walk away from it. If you step away and look at something else, then come back to it, I think that often works better as you'll have fresh eyes and can see the face of the lion you couldn't see when you had your head in it's mouth inspecting it's tonsils.

[motorpunk]

Thanks, you’re right. We all have mental day jobs and the car is miles away from home so it’s difficult to get everyone together, tools, parts etc during daytime. I think we’ll fit the original uprights and swap out just the hubs. I’m watching the calendar and stressed to shit that we’ve barely started and have way too much to do…

[St.Jude]

What have you actually got to do though? The car needs to roll, it needs to run, it needs to stop. If it's got ATS on the side of it then that's a nice thing to have. But it won't make it run any faster. So don't get too caught up in shit like that. Says me.

I've flicked through the pages here. I'm welding my Lada for the next two days, but there are going to be weekends (fairly soon) where I am waiting parts for it and can't move with it. If there is welding to do on the car and no one else has stepped forward for it I don't mind offering a few weekends to sort out out the nasty stuff to help get it on the boat.

[motorpunk]

@St.Jude - that’s so kind. Quick reply as I’m flat out here but I 100% agree on doing the bare minimum. We agreed only to upgrade front brakes which took us down a horrible rabbithole of weird parts and rusty doom. No welding as no MOT needed, but ANY help we can get in shorting this Rover would be massively appreciated. 
 

I filmed a thing with JayEmm about the car last night too. Will share when it’s live.

[St.Jude]

I recall an episode of Car SOS where they went to EBC and they made a grippier brake pads or some shit that would fit standard brakes. It's something I want to do with the rear drums on the Lada as I don't want to do a disc conversion on it. So might be worth a gander at that.

I can be a dogs body yeah, no problem with that. Won't be this weekend obviously but just let me know when you're liable/able to meet up and let me know.

[rainagain]

On 09/03/2024 at 14:28, motorpunk said:

PAS cooler bodged. ✔️ 

If that's the power steering system it might not hold up to the pressure ask me and Dad's driveway how I know this:

https://autoshite.com/topic/48578-saab-9-5-fking-potholes/page/7/

 

[wesacosa]

if its the cooler its low pressure so should* be ok. I did a similar bodge on mine although admittedly I didn't race it in America

The metal cooler pipes are impossible to get as they all just rusted to fuck and get full of pin holes

Just make sure you put Hondamatic fluid or equivalent in and not dexron ATF

 

[horriblemercedes]

I'm not terribly far away and would lend some labour. It'll stop me actually doing anything to fix/improve my own cars and house, and that is just what I need

[motorpunk]

18 hours ago, rainagain said:

If that's the power steering system it might not hold up to the pressure ask me and Dad's driveway how I know this:

https://autoshite.com/topic/48578-saab-9-5-fking-potholes/page/7/

 

Thanks. I did the same on my old MX5 and it was fine, trackdays and all. 👍🏼

[motorpunk]

Stand by for a YouTube thing…

[motorpunk]

Want to support this hopeless cause? We’ve got expensive brakes, suspension, fire system and roll cage to pay for. Oh, and shipping this crap-heap to America. Wildly optimistic link below. Thanks;
 

https://pay.collctiv.com/out-on-a-slim-9218

[St.Jude]

Are you doing anything with it Saturday?

[motorpunk]

26 minutes ago, St.Jude said:

Are you doing anything with it Saturday?

Not this Saturday, no Sir. Will keep you in mind next time we have a session on it.

[St.Jude]

No worries!

[motorpunk]

£36 spent. Fight me, you crusty Longship of shite!

[motorpunk]

 

[motorpunk]

I’m a busy chap. Just published my book about Roy James, written a feature about the cars of bullseye for ClassicRetroModern mag, got burgled, went to London for work, Monaco to see the historic GP, spent 24 hours in A&E with my girlfriend, and managed to do a full time day job on top. And…. tried to get this ungrateful bastard heap of Cowley AIDS on wheels into a position where we can stick it in a container and ship it to America to race at Lemons this October. But… today was an arsehole of a day. Took my BMW to collect a trailer to move the car from MK to Notts. Trailer had seized wheel. Scrounged another trailer and the electrics didn’t work. Have fucked off the idea of moving it myself and might call @worldofceri to get it shifted at his convenience. Running out of time and money with this project….

Thats trailer 1, fucked.

Thats trailer 2. Also fucked

[Ghosty]

I think Ceri's out of the transport game now.

[High Jetter]

Burgled? A & E?

[motorpunk]

7 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Burgled? A & E?

Golf R, nicked to order and recovered almost straight away by the Police and scrote arrested (police were great), GF’s a&e thing now sorted too. An eventful month…

[St.Jude]

I think I've seen them, but isn't there a lightboard you can get for a few quid that would hook over the back of the car on the trailer? Wouldn't need the trailer's electrics to work then?

[motorpunk]

1 hour ago, St.Jude said:

I think I've seen them, but isn't there a lightboard you can get for a few quid that would hook over the back of the car on the trailer? Wouldn't need the trailer's electrics to work then?

Yes, we had one, it fitted the older trailer (which had a wheel jammed solid), the newer trailers electrics didn’t work and the cable wasn’t long enough to jerry-rig the light board up as I suspect the electrics on my towbar don’t work (modern connector but a bit crusty as I’ve never used it to tie before) And it was getting dark. And fuck old cars.

 

[motorpunk]

Car now with a Polish chap with a far better work ethic than the rest of the team.

 

[motorpunk]

Bad thing (no MOT needed so fuck it)

 

good thing (brakes and suspension all uprated)

 

shite thing…

Might be looking for a team member or two to join. If you can swear, spanner, and indulge in some BL themed race stupidity then drop me a line. Yes, it’s gonna be expensive, no, we’re not very organised.

[juular]

1 hour ago, motorpunk said: