Graeme,
What do you race? What has your experiance of scruitneering and the
catagory structure been? Have you competed with the HSCC? Have you an opinion
of any other UK based clubs or series?
Sorry for so many questions but its great to see UK representation on the
list. If you are in London I'd buy beers to here the answers in person else am
more than happy to run up my phone bill.
In Feb this year I bought an Aurelia that was raced in the 70s but needing
quite a bit of work. I've yet to make sense of Appendix K no matter how many
times I read it... I'm at the stage of having choices but choices in
ignorance. To date I've taken the car a club track day at Goodwood where I
found it so much fun I continued on the 'track' path. In many ways I was hoping
it I would not enjoy it on the track and it would stay a road car but I got
hooked!! I've done one competitive event but only a sprint at Crystal Palace
where it won the class. Later this month I'm off to the Isle of Man for a
couple of sprints, a hillclimb, and its first race. At the moment all very
informal clubbie sorts of things but I hope one day to enter events where
Appendix K will matter. In particular the longer races, and in particular the
'great' tracks like Spa.
The problems with the car at the moment are that I think the cam is non
standard, I think the valves are oversize, it has telescopic dampers at the rear
which were only fitted to later Aurelias, and wider 15in wheels in place of
rolled edge 400s. On the safety side I'm way over the spec. The roll cage is
fine. I've fitted a plumbed in electrical trigger extinguisher and solid state
electical cutout and was grateful for the 'buttons in rear window'
dispensation. Harnesses are overspec. Firewall where its only an advise. I'm
keeping it so it can return to standard and where possible the practicality is
retained and it at least looks standard. Fire bottle is tucked in the boot,
harness mounts and cage permit use of back seat, seats on subframes into
original mounts. Its still on standard manifolds, a single carb, standard
brakes, gear ratios and I'm not in a hurry to modify those things.
Are there enough 'slow' cars to make preparing to a very standard spec
worthwhile? Do people howl round in heavy cars on balloon profile 165s? Is the
trouble worthwhile for the events where it matters or am I best just doing the
regular mods as one might if just a fast road car? Do people turn a blind eye
to items like spring rates?
A final question. I'm looking for 'non contact' racing and definately have
a finite budget - any clubs and series to keep clear of?
David
PS - I also compete with an Austin 7 with the VSCC, enjoy her MG Midget, and
sorely miss my Fiat 124 Coupe...
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