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Cars out of the workshop, and a German too

9/10/2017

We've had a productive ten days since the fabulous CRS rally on our local turf (Preston Rally country!)
  • David's 120 arrived on Monday lunchtime, and left on Wednesday pm - it is remarkable just how efficient we are at replacing bushes, a delightful result of knowing these cars so well that benefits the customer.
    Rather delightfully David has a 1970's Carnatic Hall pass on his windscreen, the accommodation that Amy was in for her first year of Geophysics at Liverpool U.
    • Front suspension bushes all replaced
    • Geometry set
    • Brake hoses replaced
    • Tidied up a few other bits of make'n'ment: fitted the throttle bushes; corrected the clutch slave installation
    • Set up the brakes
  • Mark's 120 is ready to go, we expect him to collect late next week
    • The B20 fast road engine that we had built for his ES is now installed in the Amazon (the ES is a little behind schedule we're told)
    • The appalling steering (the worst we've experienced, think of Fordson Major levels of precision and feedback) is sorted, primarily the steering geometry.
      Getting the geometry right on these cars is so important, and the one everyone doesn't bother with (the caster angle) is the critical one: camber you can get away with, toe in to some extent, but get the caster wrong and the car is a dog.
  • Simon's Porsche 924 departed on schedule at midday Friday
    • He headed North to meet his navigator (Amy) in Liverpool
    • As I write he should be through scrutineering for the Devil's Own Rally in the Lake District
    • And they have a half day and half night of terrific competition ahead of them.
    • "Live" results should be available at their website from around 2pm Satuday, they're in car #36. There's also a few of our Volvos out today.
      http://www.devilsownrally.co.uk/event/results/
  • Why, you ask, am I discussing Stuttgart's finest in my Volvo 'site?
    • Well, I've only driven it a little bit, but the 924 looks to be a fabulous vehicle, particularly for Historic Rallying (Cat4)
    • The Audi powered 924 I suspect is the better rally car than the Porsche engined 924S:
      • there isn't a heap of vulnerable items like PAS pump hanging beneath the car
      •  it's lighter;
      • there's no PAS, so it's very tactile indeed; and it's
    • Basically, it's a car Volvo could have designed: powerful enough, simple, works brilliantly, with top build quality
    • Except: the electrics are horrible - the ceramic fuses have been added as an afterthought - I think it is just the area around the relays and fuses that is the problem, the rest of the electrics look fine.
      • We shall be ripping out all of Ferdinand's relay/fuse assemblies, and do the job properly with blade fuses...
    • Simon is looking ahead to doing the Preston, only the suspension will need attention
      • The rear ride height is good, but will it be too soft? Experience during the coming 12m will tell
      • The front needs to raise 20mm, easily achieved since we'll just call our spring man Neil and the perfect coilspring will arrive 4weeks later, however does it need to be heavier?
That's it, I'm off to meet Richard (my driver on the London2CapeTown in our 144 "Camel") at a country/woodcraft fair down near Bury St Edmund's.

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