Weston Supermare Rally Sprint 31st October

[notax]

Good to see some healthy debate

The guess of £50k for the new car isn't far off - and that's before its sequential box

Having said that, unlike most of you I don't have the time or ability to do the work myself - hence relying on Granville and he has been working on the car full time for months...

As always with these things I had no idea how much I would end up spending. I initially wanted a new shell built as we thought it would be easier than removing the original OMP cage in the blue car and replacing it with a better one - but as it turned out that one now has a new cage too!

I haven't built the car to win, but I do want to drive something different, RWD, and fast that will be competitive and a challenge to drive. As mentioned above, the new car may not initially be that much faster than the blue one - although I hope the Aston Martin brakes and sequential gearbox (when fitted) will make a substantial difference once I get used to them. I could have bought a decent MK2 but wanted a newer car where I could source a replacement shell easily if necessary - and the blue car proved the concept works for the type of rallying I currently do. Our stage times are often top 10 or 15 - and we would have had some good results this year were it not for annoying issues - ie engine mountings breaking two events in a row and me just clipping a concrete lump with a wheel at another event and breaking a driveshaft. The engine mounting issue is now sorted in both cars

The feedback about the new car has been fantastic and Granville and I are both proud of what has been achieved so far.

I'm confident that in the hands of a good driver either car is capable of a top 3 finish at a suitable SV (dry and fast) although the closest I've come so far is 1st in class and 6th overall at Emcos 2009. We'll see what next year brings

[Spaceman]

P.S Regarding the 50k escort comment - remember that this car been commissioned to be built and isn't a home build, In cases like this I think its fair to double the price one would be forking out. Im sure that If he'd had an escort built to a similar standard/power it would have been knocking on the door door of 6 figures. Of course you can buy one ready built/used for that money but everyone nows that you'd spend money changing numerous things down the line anyway, just becuase they aren't as you would have them 'if you did it yoour way' so to speak.

For the record this is a home built car the only difference is that I was allready working on it part time last year when I seperated from my partner of 25 years then imy contract ended in febuary at the MOD chris and I discussed it and decided that it was the right time to jump on the car and get it built also I have no formal motor engineering qualifications I have a apprenticehip in sheet metal work a hnc in mecanical engineering and my background is research and development. This car was built with the usual handtools eceryone has a tig welder a second hand brigeport and determination

[martine30rally]

Fair play, makes you look over qualified compared to me then , up until recently I was an accountant for a large corporate organisation and now I manage a dog kennel. I have never had any experience in engineering,fabrication or the motor trade and all my skills are self tought, I also do my work at home in a converted greenhouse because planning wont let me build a proper garage

However, regardless of the facts above and whether my qualifiaction to work on rally cars comes into doubt, whenever I take on work for a third party for remuneration it still qualifies as being comissioned to do it.

I know you are in no way a proffessional car builder with tens of staff underneath you to boss around, but as they say, its the standard of finish and not who does the work or much you pay them that constitutes a professional build

[phiwp66]

For the record this is a home built car the only difference is that I was allready working on it part time last year when I seperated from my partner of 25 years then imy contract ended in febuary at the MOD chris and I discussed it and decided that it was the right time to jump on the car and get it built also I have no formal motor engineering qualifications I have a apprenticehip in sheet metal work a hnc in mecanical engineering and my background is research and development. This car was built with the usual handtools eceryone has a tig welder a second hand brigeport and determination

just aswell i know what im doing then

[is-si]

If you could find some time Notax, it would be nice to have some photo's on your thread (If only to get on topic )
> http://www.bmw-rallying.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=856&p=21241#p21241
Perhaps you can task Miss NT with the chore (if shes still speaking to you )
I understand that there is only so many hours in the day for you and Granville.

Besides being a good advert for Granvilles services, reports on its maiden campaign should make for some interesting reading

I appreciate this rally was more of shakedown, are you going to fit in a `trial' rally before the end of the year?
and then . . .
What about registering on a championship for a decent season at it next year? A complete season whilst the car is fresh could bag you some bonus pewter

[Spaceman]

For the record this is a home built car the only difference is that I was allready working on it part time last year when I seperated from my partner of 25 years then imy contract ended in febuary at the MOD chris and I discussed it and decided that it was the right time to jump on the car and get it built also I have no formal motor engineering qualifications I have a apprenticehip in sheet metal work a hnc in mecanical engineering and my background is research and development. This car was built with the usual handtools eceryone has a tig welder a second hand brigeport and determination

just aswell i know what im doing then

Yes well done ted !!!! Excuse my spelling but posting using a blackberry is hard work ill get on the laptop and edit it lol

Rally report we are at the digs !

[miss notax]

Perhaps you can task Miss NT with the chore (if shes still speaking to you )
I understand that there is only so many hours in the day for you and Granville.

There's only so many hours in the day for Miss Notax too!

I'll see what we can do