Where to start,

 

Well since getting to Lossie I found out that there was an RAF Rally team based out of here and Kinloss that needed a Co-Driver. So I got in touch and have got the job. My non race National B license is on the way, as is all my racewear. The team is small, just Audrey the driver who owns the car and 2.5 engineers. I am really excited and the team was on the edge of chucking in the towel until I got in touch and now its go-go-go.

 

Last season in June they had a clutch failure 5 mins into a stage and that was them done for 2013. Audrey had been going to events and having to find a volunteer Nav, there was just no consistency. But now the 4 of us have been together and had a chat and a plan and we are in it together for 2 years. Audrey and I are considering swapping roles next year and I would buy the car off her and drive.

 

The car.

 

 

It is a Nova!

 

It is a 1400 Nova but, it's fairly well kitted out. I had a good poke around it the other day and found amongst other things,

 

1.4 nova engine with twin carbs that look pretty good bits of kit.

A fairly well flowed 4-2-1 exhaust system.

A LSD!

Reportedly the engine has "fancy pistons" shot peened and ballanced stock crank and rods. Kent 063 race cams.

 

 

Discs all round with twin master cylinders and a hydraulic handbrake.

Look to be uprated ARBs.

Gaz coilovers on the front.

Stripped back to metal with a weld in roll cage and strut bracing.

18 part worn toyo R888s.

racing fuel cell.

Intercom.

Fire extinguishers and isolator race stuff.

Rally trip computer.

 

Mudflaps...

 

So quite a neat little thing but...

 

The cluch didn't just fail, it did this...

 

 

Now the team bought a new 4 puck and were just going to fit it along with a new gearbox but I had a good look round and saw some damage to the flywheel (pics to follow) we got it skimmed on station but I reckon it will need ballancing too. the second isue is why on earth did it fail. I tried asking on Performance Nova Group but as a new kid with 18 posts I am trying not to be a pain. They have been quite helpful. I'll put some more pics up...

Damage to the flywheel above.

 

And below :-)

I really hope it is what I think it is. ( I would appreciate any advice on how to drive a LSD FWD car. I have learned how to left foot brake properly, over the throttle to bring the tail round a bit like a more gradual handbrake turn at speed. Hyundai coupe 2.0 lol, knackered front discs now) Audrey would like some coaching in the art of driving like a teenager and I am only too happy to help.

 

All the gear...

Nice one Tom and good luck with giving directions to a woman!

Lol just joking mate. Good luck.

Looking forward to following this. Best of luck with it all. Sounds like great fun!!

Cheers guys, there is a lot of stuff going on all at once. But things to do before the first race in April are:

 

1) Fix the car

2) Get our media sorted, Facebook, website, YouTube channel, twitter feed

3) With that start looking for sponsors

4) Practice and get Audrey up to pace

 

For my peace of mind I would like to know what happened with that last clutch to be fairly happy that it wont just happen again. Has anyone seen anything like that before. It cracked the gearbox housing and severed a pipe and knacked the radiator.

 

another picture of the friction plate [/img]

Today is the day. Well tomorrow is the day, today is the day before.

 

Just setting off for Ingleston for my first event. I'm moonlighting for another team as my driver isn't well but apparently he is rapid and has a rally 206, a good omen as my first car was a 206!

 

I have all my gear together and i'm ready to read! Just had a litre black costa coffee before heading to RAF Leuchars for a free bed, then scrutineering later today before a pint going over the roadbook with the driver. Then tomorrow, "100 easy right maybe" :biggrin:

 

Good luck buddy, hope everything goes well for you.....:thumbup1::clover:

Good luck Tom let us know how you get on.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

My favourite when navigating for Beth is "turn left.........no your other left......dooohhh"

That was the best thing I have ever done. It was pretty much what I expected, difficult but something I could do. The driver and I met for the first time just 12 hours before the event! I learned everything I needed to know in 2 hours over a Guinness with him then it was bed before an early start.

 

Don't know quite how to put it into a post but being at a proper motorsport event is like the best track day ever, the knowledge that I was fulfilling a dream kept me grinning all day. We did all 7 stages without incident and sat 4th/5th out of 26 all day, Phil can really drive! I am lucky that I took a lot from my day job across into this which made it easier for me.

 

The car is a Gp A 206 Sport (proper factory race car) 150 bhp, 1000kgs or so, proper close H-pattern box, remote oil resivour coilovers, Pzero racing slicks, Emerald ECU, 4 puck clutch, cage, rally bits and pieces. LSD!!!

 

 

 

You don't have to be a pilot to fly in the RAF!

 

 

This vid is rubbish quality but I have become fed up trying to crunch loads of 1080p together I'm gonna let Phil do it :lol:

I fluff the notes a bit by getting ahead of the car by 2 corners due to a map that was a bit pants and I SWEAR that Escort was not there when I looked!

 

 

Craig the team Mechanic, Me and Phil

Brilliant buddy, really pleased everything went well for you, keep the updates coming, of both your racing and your day job......lol.

Thanks mate :-) I have a lot of cool footage but its a pita cutting it up without a proper programme, I spent so long trying to get a dodgy free copy that I got fed up :lol:

The official photos are coming through one by one. It was so good, but bitter-sweet, it proved even more strongly that it is a rich mans game being a racing driver, there were a lot of medium speed doctors and MDs in £100'000 cars that Phil was demolishing. They would pull up to their massive caravans and throw the car at a team of engineers. I know I could be a driver but could only be at the level we are, that car cost Phil about 20 grand! I could 'possibly' do that some day.

 

Watch our heads, we are like a pair of owls!

lol, looks fantastic. I hope you get to own your own car one day buddy.

I have been bitten by the bug :biggrin: I really want to rally prep an MX5!

 

And as a side note, that is my 'patter' voice, it's like a super clear but slightly camp version of my normal one haha, it's reserved for keeping pilots and rally drivers calm and informed!

That looked like fun Tom and glad you had a great day without any incident's :thumbup1:

Fantastic news, I have another rally on the second, the speyside rally 45 stage miles on gravel. And!!! It is in a subaru :biggrin:

 

With this dude

RAF Spookworks Rally Team 2012 Champions in action:

 

I never really reported back on the Jim Clark rally, I will do that at some point with awesome onboard, we came 5th and it was nuts in short. Can not wait :)

Fantastic news, I have another rally on the second, the speyside rally 45 stage miles on gravel. And!!! It is in a subaru :biggrin:

 

With this dude

RAF Spookworks Rally Team 2012 Champions in action:

 

I never really reported back on the Jim Clark rally, I will do that at some point with awesome onboard, we came 5th and it was nuts in short. Can not wait :)

 

glad for u tom. Tom is the STIG

wow its been years i dont see a 206!!!! and to see it in rally even better. my aunt had a peugeot 206 in Dominican republic, if i recall well it was a really nice car. to bad america doesn't bring them here, or the Skoda felicia!

Haha, both those cars are common as hell over here. I tell you what il swap you a TransAM for a 206 sound fair?

http://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/4638220152.html

 

:P

Enjoy the price difference;

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds?Category=used-cars&Distance=2147483647&M=-1&M=502&Postcode=er.kf4.lzl.yps.f.kg.fv.vc.f.x4.o.h.g4.do.dw.g8re7hq.h.hr.k.s.kl9.e.ns.to.m.w.h.tvh.o.x.x.s.qcwp.i.v.d.s28rurs.d.on.cr4.h3.u.m.qhq!!&ResultsPerPage=15