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Sept 25, 2010 18:38:33 GMT
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Update time. Car has sat for week in elements. Seems my cover is not water tight and the roof collapsed since it was crocodile clipped on - car came with roof and press studs but never fitted! Job 1 was my DIY tow strap. Take one middle rear seatbelt I had from a Rover 25: Dismantle the buckle and cut off the metal links either end (carefully to avoid cutting belt), then clamp to rear frame with spare and good exhaust clamp. Cut hole in bumper to allow it to pass through et voila one free towing strap for track use. Also fitted a battery isolator from one of those broken jump start air compressor combos that litter the tips: Then attempted to sort handbrake. Managed to get the drums off - TIP - if removing tight drums make sure you leave a wheel bolt on so when it goes it doesn't fly off into you! Sadly forgot to take photos but shoes were fine. So presumed cable was stretched. Mk2 Escort one arrived but was nothing like fitted so further evidence it's a Mk1. Shot of rear axle and lowering blocks fitted by previous owner. Checked the route of the cable and found the centre mount in front of the axle was via a split tube type holder. Over time this had opened and the sheath of the cable had forced it's way through hence slackening the cable (make sense?). So I removed the cable, smacked the tube closed,fed the cable back through then smack it tighter still to try and avoid a repeat. May stick a blob of weld on it if I even get my gasless mig out. Finished result. Also found evidence of a previous stripe paintjob which someone painted over but ran out of paint or enthusiasm inside the car behind seats.
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Anglia68
Posted a lot
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Posts: 2,049
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Sept 25, 2010 20:44:59 GMT
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Shot of rear axle and lowering blocks fitted by previous owner. Those lowering blocks have been fitted wrong. They should be between the axle and the springs.
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Sept 25, 2010 21:18:54 GMT
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Actually now you say that, yes! Ta!
Presume it was lowered and someone did this as a quick way to raise it and retain the longer u-bolts? Is there any other reason for doing it this way?
Does mean I have an easy 2" lowering to do!
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Anglia68
Posted a lot
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Posts: 2,049
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Sept 26, 2010 10:58:51 GMT
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Hard to say why it's been done like that but possibly the rear dampers are too long so the blocks were used to space the lower mounting point to allow the dampers to work without bottoming out.
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purplevanman
Posted a lot
Way too orangey for crows
Posts: 3,829
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Sept 26, 2010 19:44:58 GMT
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the rear dampers also look wrong? Are they not coil over units as they have a spring seat? could explain extra length as they were probably front ones? Glad I am not the only one suffering Dutton PO nightmares
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Sept 26, 2010 20:06:54 GMT
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Is there a thread on your Dutton? Not sure I've seen it? Forgot this photo of the daughter helping. She reckons is easily a 2+2 and was actually helpful with testing handbrake as she can apply it on instruction even at 2. Taking off is not yet possible though.
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Sept 27, 2010 9:20:37 GMT
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And in other news, today the nice man at the garage gave it an MOT pass! Wo-hoh! Was not the most obvious fun experience driving it without roof or drivers door (since mirror precludes door fitting, it's a choice of which to have!) in the rain for the MOT but was actually a grin a minute! Having to wipe the inside of the windscreen is a new experience as well. Noted on way back that tacho, speedo and fuel gauge work. Oil pressure is possibly a little low (30-40?), and volts and temp gauges all read zero so will need to do some digging. Here's our best attempt at keeping rain out whilst parked: DIY home brew frame: Over which we place the fabric roof held on with pegs. Then an all-over cover over the top, finally a strap to hold in place: Although water pools it stays mostly dry inside until we sort permanent solution.
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Sept 30, 2010 15:16:45 GMT
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Mini update: Bought a new steering wheel off of MiniDan on here as the other one was just way too small and slippery.
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Sept 30, 2010 16:58:28 GMT
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Yes those rear shocks remind me of the ones on my old Honda Superdream. There is a 'C' spanner you can get to adjust them. Though if they are anything like the Wet Dream ones, it made no difference to the handling!!
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Sept 30, 2010 20:37:26 GMT
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Moved the car to my mates tonight as registered in his name so will be keeping care of it. He's going for the Mr Toad of Toad Hall look in it: Note that I ditched the front bumper as well. Looks better but also about 6 miles off the deck now. Need to look at lowering or fitting a front bib of some sort. Front number plate arrangement if temp at moment, will look at some other way. Tempted by letters on the bonnet? Another view of steering wheel and controls. And the funny pedals. All one side of steering column. You get used to them but not a lot of room.
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Have our first track day booked Monday so needed to sort a few things. First one off list is a jack and wheel brace. Found a spider in the shed whilst tidying away so that's one down, and also a nice scissor jack off my old Celica. Downside is this is designed to grip the sill, the Dutton is box section. So after some pondering realised I would have to break out the gasless mig welder I've had for years and used about 3 times. I kinda suck with it. Don't get me wrong I'm not great with gassed MIG but better, although not done that in years either. Anyway some hunting found some unistrut and some hammering opened it up perfectly to grip the box section frame. So I had a go and got this: Welding is not pretty but is strong and jack is only for wheel changes at track not crawling under car so happy with my zero £ solution. Welding galvanized metal was never going to be great. There's penetration marks on inside of channel so I know it went through. This weekend need to sort some spare wheels, fit wing mirrors, tie down anything loose, get the gauges working, calibrate the speedo and we're off!
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Oct 25, 2010 20:26:59 GMT
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First track day done: Need a few more PSI in tyres....
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Oct 25, 2010 21:32:41 GMT
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Or lower aspect tyres. It looks like fun, though. Might have to do with the massive roll angle
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Click picture for more
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Embrace the sidewall flex! ;D It's a good thing for learning to drive a race car, as it lets you feel when the tyres are about to let go. Definitely experiment with tyre pressures though once you're doing consistent laps. A couple more psi probably won't fix that kind of tyre flex, it looks to me like it needs more camber, more roll stiffness and lower profile tyres. Still looks like fun as is though!
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Oct 26, 2010 19:55:58 GMT
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That was we later learnt 10PSI! Went up to 25 and was much less squelly, surer-footed but when it went it was a bit more sudden!
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Time for an update and a write up! This weekend we prepped it for the first track day on Monday. Saturday we checked it over and fitted two Escort Alloys on the front so we had a pair of spare wheels for it. Took it for a quick spin around 10pm after some dinner. Second roundabout we came to, both front wheels parted company with car and shot off into undergrowth! We skidded along on the drums and sumps, mounted kerb and came to rest feeling lucky to be right way up and wondering what we would find when out of the car. Looked at the car and found the wheel nuts had been pulled straight through the alloys and wheels had flown off. Managed to get the spare steel on the drivers side, and run back home for the other spare. When we came to fit that we found two of the wheel studs were bent. Feck. Front arch also very damaged. Managed to hammer these straight and got the wheel on. Checked under car and although sump was looking scraped it was still sound. Started car up and all seemed good, so limped home at around 20mph with our other car providing cover from the rear. Moral of the story - make sure you use the right nuts for the wheels.Sunday we could look at the car and see if we could do anything for the track day on the Monday. The studs, this is how straight they were after my hammer efforts on side of dual carraigeway. Couldn't get any replacements on a Sunday so I took both other, straightened in a vice and put one back in each side so if they were weakened by the bending I would have three perfect one's each side. Have painted them white so when I get new one's I know which to replace. This is a rubbed patch on the rear passenger arch caused by we think the front wheel bouncing back onto it. It's worryingly close to wear the passengers arm could have been. Small crack on wing is duct taped. The front arch. I duct taped at side of road to hold it together to get home. It didn't look good and was held together by maybe 2" of fibreglass. Exhaust manifold we noted was cracked, could have been result of the accident but has always been noisy. So I broke out my MIG and had a go at filling with bird poo to pass noise test at track. Check out the engine access: The front arch we cut a metal plate for the inside, covered in no more nails and clamped and rivetted it on. Worked well and with a coat of paint looked presentable(ish). Sump we checked and beside looking a little dented was sound and oil pressure still good. Oddly enough a sump guard was on the to do list. Also had time to fit the tonneau cover for the trip to the track and then took for a spin to check it over:
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Oct 27, 2010 10:06:34 GMT
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Part 2 - The Track Day
Monday we had day off work to go to novice track day at Bedford Autodrome. Have done one here myself in a Dolly Sprint and liked the course and the massive run off. Was Dan's first track day so seemed a nice safe bet. Loaded car up and set off. We were worried by the noise test (101dBA static) but passed. Helped by a tacho that was reading 2x so took test at actual 2000rpm. Sad awaiting the briefing. Note the number of Porsches in the background. Last minute checks on carb as was smelling a little rich: Then we went out on the track and besides a brief running out of petrol incident (gauge only ever reads 1/2 full at best so you have half a tank in the red) we did a solid 3 hours on the track, one of only a few cars not to park up for a 'rest'. We mixed it well with the Elises, Boxsters etc. Managed to 'do' an Evo, a Porsche 911, couple of BMWs etc but were outrun on the straights as we were maxing around 80mph as expected. Through the bends we were very competitive and had a good serious of laps following a 1.6CVH Westfield that could not shake us despite pulling a gap on the straights and only being 1 up. Car was a laugh and we had a great day. Sadly it was only after checking the photos towards the end we saw we were having too much sidewall flex and were running at 10PSI! Pumped up to 25PSI it ran even better but was a little more sudden on breakaway. Would like a little more top speed in future and better seats but otherwise it is a great car for trackdays! Photos show the lowest part of car is the exhaust downpipe and the sump. If we can redo the exhaust a bit and fit a sump guard will look to lower it. Also on lookout for Mondeo steels or similars to keep the rolling radius but with bigger wheels and less sidewall flex.
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Colonelk
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,740
Club RR Member Number: 83
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Oct 27, 2010 17:00:59 GMT
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nightmare! looks a fun track tool though, and I guess now you don't have to worry about any scrapes on track
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Yeah we keep a roll of duct tape in the car for any track 'offs' but didn't expect to be using it on the road.
Looking for next track day now.
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Dec 18, 2010 19:43:39 GMT
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2nd Trackday Dan, Mark and I were booked in for another half day at Bedford. Woke up at 6am to freezing weather but Dan and I braved elements to get there in the Dutton whilst Mark who was due to travel in a normal car girled out and stayed at home. Unbelieavbly cold but good session, only 6 cars on the track most of the time so we could properly go for it. Few piccies. Snowed on the way home and eventually had a good covering in the car by the time we (just) managed to get it onto the drive. Has snowed solidly since and now looking at nearer a foot of snow.
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