As some of you will?remember from my posts to this list?and a couple of?feature
articles in both "Healey Marque" and "Austin-Healey" Magazines,?Michael Salter
and I?competed in?Blaire Harber's pre-production Healey 100 "AHX 12"?in the
2007 and 2008 challenging "Targa Newfoundland", a ten-day/several-thousand mile
long?European-style rallye run over the challenging roads of Eastern
Newfoundland.?
?
"12" was?purpose-built?to compete in and win this grueling event.?Those of you
who attended Conclave this past summer in Kingston, ONT?and took the
opportunity to attend our tech session certainly learned just how special a car
is 12.? The engine is destroked to about 2.5 liters in order to take advantage
of greater time allowances, the strengthened crank is?out of an?Austin?diesel
cab, all engine internals are first-rate w/Weber carbs and?a modified and
redundant ignition system.??Body panels are AL with disc brakes all around.?
The transmission is a Toyota 5-speed pushed through a diaphragm clutch and
sports a 3.5 final drive with a custom locking differential.? The car is a
screamer and a blast to drive.
?
Due to the high rates of speed?and the appalling nature of the roads in the
closed "Targa" sections, ground clearance is always THE issue?and both front
and rear suspensions have been designed to maximize road-holding and yet deal
with the numerous hard landings after the inevitable airborne
sessions?resulting from?the compressions, jumps,?wheel-eating potholes?and
generally shitty roads, all part of the fun!? Not much between the rear wheels
would look familiar to most of us, with four trailing?arms and a watts-type
link to locate the axle plus big coilovers to control vertical travel.? The
frame has been rebuilt to allow for additional vertical
movement--still?bottoming?out a few times a day?is the norm rather than the
exception.
?
In both efforts we won several awards, including first in class each year, and
last year finished 7th overall, having stood in first place briefly.? This year
we were back to?win--PERIOD--and the 2009 effort began about a week after
2008's finished.? Michael was again to drive and I to navigate, and we both
felt that we had become an effective and competitive team.? Our plan was to
meet in Montreal last week and we would drive out Nova Scotia and catch the
Ferry into Argentia, then drive into St. Johns NF Saturday and get set for the
prelude yesterday and start today.? But things were not to be:
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