Building, racing, crashing and setting fire to various kit cars…
…whatever one of those is. (Actually, it turns out that it’s a small explosive device.) It’s what the Birkett turned out to be.
I’d got myself all ready well in advance, here’s the car sitting on the trailer and, after a morning lecturing to students. I jumped on the train, zoomed down to Cambridge and drove to Silverstone. There, miracles of miracles (they must have got some new security guards) we got in easily and parked up for the night.
And so, after a season of frenetic car building, engine swaps and sundry other excitements the RGB year ground to a halt at Cadwell at the weekend. It was, yet again, a wet weekend although a very enjoyable one. That the club managed to get 26 races on track over the 2 days, along with all the qualifying sessions, is a testament to how well organised it is. For something that only has two paid staff (and lots and lots of volunteers) this is pretty miraculous.
Well, at least I hope it does.
Since I was last here I’ve been pressing onwards, and missed the RGB meeting at Donington last weekend. Anthea and I went up to watch and got burnt in the sunshine while watching the RGBers swooping down the Craner Curves. What’s to bet that when we go back there later in the year it’ll be raining, like it’s doing at the moment? More importantly, it’s now not long until the meeting at Snetterton which I’m aiming at for the newly engined car.
So, on with the tale of the engine upgrade.
As a couple of people suggested to me, I made a support for the standard-sump equipped engine as in the photo here. This allowed me to support the engine in position to see what I was going to have to do to make some engine mounts.
Note that I’m using a motor sport magazine to get the support at the right height.
So, you will remember from last time’s gripping installment that I’d decided to bite the bullet and get an ’08 engine. But, before rambling about that, here’s a half decent photo of the car at Brands earlier this year, albeit before aero mods and the improved oil cooler ducting.
