Aims for 2012

Happy new year everyone!

I thought it might be interesting to see what people are planning to do with their cars in 2012 in terms of project completion, development or simply just racing them!

We will finish fitting the rear coil overs in the next month, the front end is more or less done. After that the new engine will need fitting once it arrives including the dry sump plumbing, revised wiring and exhaust system.

Then it's windows and a paint job, BRG of course! We are going with a replica Sebring look for the cars exterior including bonnet straps ect.... Should be a nice contrast to the more modern suspension and engine mods.

After that the hard work really begins, learning how to set the car up and get the most out of it, really can't wait!

Have a great 2012!

Tom

New front valance (Tony's new valance), some minor changes to the roll cage, get the O2 gauge up and running, new VTO 14x6 wheels, try new tire (Nitto NT-01), maybe a tweak here or there. Nothing too drastic, the car is already pretty well developed and running like a scalded cat :)

I'd like to lower the car a bit and perhaps try a different rear sway bar. Most effort will be working on the GT, I gotta get that thing on the track.

The Quaife Rocket box will arrive shortly from England and will be installed by my race prep shop. I will get the same valence that Hap is getting. Then I will combine a Colorado ski trip with a pilgrimage to Dave Headley's Mecca in Cortez, where He (intentional caps there) will install His ( ditto) front and rear suspension and do a hybrid axle for me, and corner weight the car. I am still debating adjustable shocks and will decide after I re-read Carol Smith's Tune To Win.

Then I"ll put a Chevy 454 in 'er.

Hap,
Your car does look awesome from the pics and videos :) so I'm not surprised its just a matter of a few tweaks! I'm sure we will be hearing about some v good race results later on in the year from you.

Don you'll have to let us know how you get on with the Quaife Rocket box its something we are considering in the future, I'm sure you'll leave Dave's with some v v nice bits, the Hybrid axle he did for us is a fantastic bit of work. But please don't go to the dark side an put a V8 in it!

I have to say is everyone on here having one of Tonys valances! iv gone with the plain version (no centre cut outs) but with a lower lip, to try and cut down the front end lift i have experienced on long sweeping turns

Tom

We can't run the lip spoiler over here in vintage racing, so just the valance.

Tom, if your race class allows free valences/spoilers, take a look at the car in my profile. The flat spoiler with a splitter creates front downforce. I can't say how much but some!

Hap I'm sure your car will be more than fast enough without ;)

Thanks Dave I have had a good look at your profile pic car, the rules are more than abit vague with regard to valences an spoilers so I was considering making a version up and seeing if we get pulled up on it.

It's important to get it as low as possible W/O road damage. To that end, you might start out with a flat spoiler and sacrificial plastic across the lower couple of inches and let it seek it's final height. Then build a lipped one to suit.>:D<

In the SCCA prod classes, a splitter, or air dam can't protrude any further outboard than the most forward part of the bodywork, on Spridgets we ran a fiberglass bumper/air dam, since the bumper section of this was the more outboard section we could run a bit of a splitter. Some guys in the SCCA achieve this by using the fiberglass version of the RB on the MGBs. If you don't have to contend with these type rules, then you can use a bigger splitter.

The rules for one series state the silhouette of the body must remain the same from all angles, nothing more specific than that. The other series we are considering entering makes no mention at all to body work except that flared arches are allowed.


Like most regulations of this type its always a matter of interpretation :)

My avatar also has a simple air dam which has slotted holes that let it "find it's own height." in addition, it doesn't get much cheaper than plastic. This material is the same stuff used on many late model stock cars.

For 2012 I'm entering the new MGB50 European Series that's being run by Julius Thurgood with my FIA car. I'm hoping we will be competitive from the first race because I have organised a good team and driver to go with the good car. It also helps that the first race is at Castle Combe which is about 30 minutes drive from my house so we are very familiar with the circuit. Series website: http://www.hrdc.eu/mgb50.html

I will use my other car to race in the BCV8, PBIC or the CSCC Swinging Sixties series as and when time allows.

If we can find a suitable rally car then we might do a couple of competitive road rallies later in the year.

It should be busy but hopefully good fun.

Hi Joe it sounds like you will be having a busy year!

Re the valance we have a standard Sebring valance on at the moment and i have ordered one from Tony that is very similar but with a lower lip. I agree some series may not like a Dave's style flat valance but it would be interesting to see if it made a difference in testing.

There are a couple of series we have been in contact with for next year obviously the number of modifications means we have to contact the organisers and ask specifically if the car would be allowed. Most have been very supportive including the Classic sports car championship who have stated the car would be allowed in the swinging sixties class due to the open nature of the rules it does not actually breach any of the regulations i.e the car will run with either a 48 weber or Su carbs, the block is MG in origin and it will run on approved tyres.

Most organisers agree it would bring something different to the grid, obviously we don't know yet how competitive it will be as i don't know of many similar cars to compare it against in the UK.

It should certainly be a interesting year and we really can't wait to finally get it on track

Tom,

I think your car is very interesting as I'm sure a lot of other people reading this forum do. I would love to build a car to the same spec as yours. However, I sent the CSCC some info on Dave's suspension a couple of years ago when the grids were a little stronger and they weren't happy with allowing such a modified car to compete. With most clubs struggling to fill the grids I'm sure they will let you race but if they can fill the grid easily then unfortunately I think a car built to the spec of your would be the first to be refused an entry.

The other reason why I went down the FIA route was because, while I agree a car like your is actually more interesting to build, will probably handle significantly better due to the Headley parts and is more unique it doesn't have any value. The main problem is that while Dave's parts are great and in demand in the USA they are actually pretty worthless this side of the pond. The reason is purely because you can't use them in any of the big race series meaning no Silverstone Classic, no Spa 6 hours etc and no HTP. This means that Dave's parts are only really of interest to track day guys and some club racers here in the UK and they don't generally spend big money on their cars, so the demand is very small. Hence why I think you are the only person in the UK going down this route. I think even the best CSCC or track day B like your will top out at around 15K whereas a competitive FIA car with no period history will go for 35K and be significantly cheaper to build. There is a championship winning class B BCV8 car on the market at the moment that has just been fully rebuild to a very nice standard. The estimate is 16-19k and it will be interesting to see what it actually goes for.

Are the CSCC racing at Castle Combe this year? If they are then I'll probably come up and spectate.

Joe,
I'm glad your finding the project interesting to follow. I should explain what prompted the final evolution of the car from the lever arm, previous engine stage.
We attended a number of race meetings last year and to be honest against other makes the mgb's on the whole did very badly. So the choice was go down the fia route and abandon the GT project or build a mgb not to compete against other mgs but against the alfas, jags, astons ect...
We chose the later and felt and still feel Daves part's and advice was the best if not only way to achieve this.

As for the cars value that doesn't matter this car is as it were the final effort in quite a long line of previous race cars and will not be sold.

Yes we have built a car with a limited number of championships in mind but we are happy with the ones we can enter and we have hopefully achieved our aim of building one of the highest spec GTs we can.

Its just a matter of seeing what its like on track later this year.

Tom,

An MGB won the HSCC guards trophy outright in 2011, a certain blue BCV8 Class B car used to regularly beat more powerful machines in the Thoroughbred Sportscars Championship and you normally see one in or around the top ten in the Spa 6 hours. To say they don't perform well against other makes is wrong. That said, an MGB will always be an MGB, no matter how much money you chuck at it it will never be a sports racer.

I think if I was building a car like yours I would definitely have used Dave Headley's parts, but as great as Dave is even he can't transform a B so that it is capable of beating fast Jags, Astons or even Lotus Elans... slow, poorly driven or badly prepared ones then maybe.

I know the value of a car doesn't really come into it because it's just a hobby, but it sure is nice when the value of the car exceeds the build cost.

It's also nice to be able to race almost every weekend of the year in a variety of series and championships. You can't do that with anything other than an FIA spec car.

Anyway, hopefully we will finally see your car on track this year and I will watch with interest to see how fast it is.

While the car is set up now for the Headley suspension, is it not possible to revert to the original and open the number of opportunities to race?

Of course you have that nice roadster to do that don't you?

To a club race spec, yes, but not FIA. FIA cars are all period F pre 66 with a narrow tunnel. You could build a 66 or 67 car with a narrow tunnel and get an HTP (Historical Technical Passport) because it's essentially the same car. You could get an HTP for a later car if it complied with homolgation form 508 which is for the post 66 group 3 regs but no one runs any race series for these cars, hence the dramatically lower value.

Joe, I know mgb's can and are successful in many championships I was just saying they were not especially so in the couple of meetings we attended last year at about the time we were finalising the spec of the car.

I totally agree there will be some cars that will always be out of reach in terms of pace no matter what we do however part of the fun is seeing what's possible and we certainly like a challenge!

An yea we do have the 65 roadster side project which is coming along very nicely and will be fully fia spec when complete. So that will cover the championships we cannot enter with the GT.

This would be a great car for a successful 2012 season:

https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/1973-mgb-race-car

And one of the fastest Lotus Cortinas in Europe is for sale in the same auction:

https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/1964-ford-lotus-cortina-race-car

Here in the states, the guys in Florida have a 5 week off season - which has ended - with the first SCCA race at Sebring finished this past weekend. California may never stop racing :)

I couldn't imagine such a short off season, but probably because I undergo a lot of development work every winter. My MG was stripped and on a rotisserie this time last year, but long winters can permit comprehensive rebuilds.

I am starting something different in 2012. I am restoring an old Canadian built Formula Ford. A 1970 Chinook #24(old photo). I started racing in Formula Fords and this one is a worthy candidate for restoration.
The MGB is running great ... needs some minor cosmetic tweaking ... but may only go racing once or twice in 2012, and only to events that would be "fun"

Mike Adams

Awesome Mike. Love seeing cars field stripped. Neat stand.

The idea of two engine stands worked so well for my MGB rotiserie, that I might as well do it again.
Two engine stands, $33 ea., scrap 2x2 angle adjustable between stands, scrap 2x2 angle bolted to the block rotator, 4 castors under, $5 ea. For under $100 a simple Formula Ford cart that breaks down and stands in the corner when not in use ... and still two usable engine stands.

Mike Adams