There’s been a definite lack of updates here so far this year, but that doesn’t mean things haven’t been happening.
First up, early in the year, I completed the winter jobs I had planned. The new metal grille in the nose was fitted using small blobs of adhesive and metal rings. This was much neater than how the original plastic one was fitted which seemed to be with a whole tube of adhesive all over the place. I’m sure this has saved me a couple of lbs of the weight!
I then went on to mask and repaint the front suspension and steering arms while the nose was off & out of the way. This was pretty easy with some light sanding, pain prep wipes and then some satin black spay paint. The sawdust on the floor is soaking up some oil that was spilled when the filter was changed.
Next up was some new harnesses. Previous MOT’s had advised the current ones were a little worn and ‘not up-to modern standards’ and since safety comes first some new ones were ordered and installed. This was pretty straight forward once the seats were out. Hardest part being the removal of the original harness bolts which were a little stubborn. We then sailed through another year’s MOT with no issues. Add added bonus is that the new ones are ‘aircraft style’ buckle which releases all 4 straps. This makes them easier to put on an remove, particularly in a hurry.
The Original Willians Harnesses
The replacement Sabelt harness
With all that done and some great weather we were out and about quite a bit. The highlight being the annual trip to the National Kit Car Show at Stoneleigh Park (Warwickshire). Due to the house move I had missed last years show so was keen to get back and stuck into the running of the club stand and surrounding area.
This year I was fortunate enough to be asked to display my car in the club marquee as an example of an ‘older car’ still running the Ford Zetec and Webber Carbs combination. I don’t think its ever been so clean!
It was another great weekend although the show itself is starting to show signs of a setback in the kit car economy, with some marques having a reduced display and others not there at all. In a fit of enthusiasm I have volunteered to be part of the organising committee for next year and a key focus will be building on the years before by making our part of the show really stand out and highlight what a great club we are. Closer working with the factory will also be a factor.
Finally this month has seen 4 new tyres. Again an MOT discussion this year highlighted that the 2 front tyres were starting to degrade due to age rather than wear. The popular road and occasional track tyre on within the community has always been the Toyo R1R however these are now end of sale and getting harder to find in the right sizes. I was also concerned that if in the future one tyre was damaged and needed replacement I would struggle to find another to match. After some discussion and internet research I went for the new Yokohama Advan Neova AD08RS which is a similar style and compound to the R1R. Hopefully these will be of a similar or better standard – the drive home form the fitting certainly seemed good.
Toyo R1R
shropshirewestie 