Stop Press 30th June 2008- latest Rally with ‘Kitty’
We are out again this coming weekend with Alan driving and me (Ron) once more in the navigator’s seat. It’s the Armstrong Massey Rally at Driffield Airfield, Yorkshire, just a short stride from where Imp08 is going to take place. Not sure whether spectators are allowed, but please check with the organisers, Beverley and District MC:
June 26th 2008 - Imp National 08 Slot Car Challenge
This year at the National I am sponsoring the Scalextric challenge which Gez Newman is organising. Gez is putting together a 4 lane track covering an area of 8 ft x 16 ft. The plan is to have timed laps all weekend with 2 classes - class I for entrants who use their own cars and class II for entrants who use supplied cars. The final on Sunday will consist of the two fastest entrants from each class. In the final the cars used will be Impspeed prepared imps from
www.traffic-modelcars.com, one painted in Fraser colours, one in Hartwell colours, one in Bevan colours and one in Impspeed’s Alan Kitson colours. The cars will be given to the finalists in unmarked boxes so nobody will know which car they will race. After the race the cars will be the finalists to keep and an award for the winner of the final.
The cars are now built and waiting for painting – see photo:
The unpainted cars behind their die-cast inspirations in L-R, Hartwell, Bevan, Kitson, Fraser colours
Friday 6th June 2008 - June UPDATE!!
Nice website,(thanks Gerry) shame about the lack of new stuff on there, could it be that I am so busy that the website is being ignored………. Yes.
Gerry Richards the infamous ‘web master’ is back in harness. He designed the site and got it up and running, then came up to give Lorraine and I a lesson in keeping on top of it, but as you can see that was a waste of time. So I will send updates to him and he will keep it up to date.
Work is still piling in. There is a Rally shell in the workshop with ‘history’, if only we can find out what the history is. The car is stripped ready for welding, just waiting for ‘the apprentice’ to start on the bodywork.
Gordon’s Stiletto is painted now and going back together and looking good, except that I had too much lacquer left in the pot and there are even more runs than usual.
I am not a fan of the colour Gold Bronze but freshly painted it looks very good. I have used a Rover colour which is very close to the original and can be repeated should we need.
Now the bits of missing powder coated parts are back I can carry on with it.
We are about to lift the body off John Taylor’s Ginetta G21 , I had originally planned to clean the chassis with the body still on but it seems a much better idea and easier to take the body off and do it properly, like the M series TVRs I used to do. I just hope it is as easy as the TVRs were.
Richard Gillespie’s Stiletto is over from Ireland which came as a fill in job just requiring painting but he job grew and grew. More welding required, new top tint screen, gearbox rebuild, shocks and Montes, paint the engine bay, strip the engine, get the head ported etc. etc.
Bob Ross’s Clan came back to have a dog box fitted and a few other small jobs. Then we have a day at Aintree with Gerry and I setting it up on the track (see ‘Competition’). Jim McKenzie’s Frasier is back with us without its engine fitted. I have since fitted the engine and hope to get it going.
Monday, February 04, 2008
We have been accepted on the North West Stages Rally on Saturday February 16 2008
In around Blackpool cant wait go to www.nwstages.co.uk for more info.
Monday, January 14, 2008
PLEASE NOTE NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS: impspeed@hotmail.co.uk
It gets longer and longer between write ups, so while I had a bit of spare time over Christmas I decided to try and summarise the year. I hope you all had a good Christmas and will have a prosperous 2008.
Jim McKenzies Fraser is almost complete now, just a few bits to finish off and it is down to Dennis at Transimp to have the engine fitted. We are hoping to take it up to Alan Fraser when it is finished because he is still showing interest in the project.
I also had a tidy up in the workshop over Christmas and sorted the stores upstairs, its never been tidy up there so everybody who comes in has to have the tour.
The workshop has just the Fraser and Gordons Stiletto in while I attempt to keep the projects down to a minimum and not litter the place up with work that is just collecting dust. I have promised Gordon that his Stiletto will be ready for April and I had better stick to that because he has been without it for too long. Being self employed, it is always difficult to turn work down when it is offered.
The paint problems appear to have a solution, restorers of cars over a certain age will still have supplies of two pack paint if they register with the local council, which may be the only stumbling block.
The rallying has been a highlight this year, even Anglesey, which was quite traumatic. The new circuit is stunning and the location must be the best in the country. Alan Kitson?s car is now in pieces (although not as many pieces as I would have liked). It has been six years since we built the car and it?s time we stripped the suspension and running gear to check it and rebuild it, replacing any parts worn. The gear box is already away because Alan had trouble selecting second gear going down the box and when I drained the oil out it was a lovely gold colour! We went to the Autosport Racing Car Show this weekend to collect some new seat belts and some other bits so that we can get the car finished in time for the next rally, which is hopefully the North West Stages on February 16th in and around Blackpool. It will be our first multi venue event and we are both looking forward to it, but that doesn?t give us much time.
We have added more weight than I would have liked with spot lights, horns, spare wheel, tools etc, so it seems that the two fat gits inside need to go on a diet as well. I weighed in at 13.5 stones after Christmas, the heaviest I have ever been , I will keep a record of how its going, but if you hear nothing you can assume its not going well.
It wont help that we are going to the ANWCC awards dinner, somebody won the award for novice co-driver (I must be the oldest novice ever). I think we may have to build an awards room, that?s 6 now. I promise not to drink too much, I promise not to drink too much, I promise to enjoy myself.
If we get an entry for the North West Stages any support will be welcome. There is always lots of interest in the Imp but its nice to see some of the Imp Club there. The rally is based at Pontins in Blackpool and anybody staying the night gets free entry to the stages so make a weekend of it. There are stages at six venues and two visits to the spectacular promenade stage.
Entrants are asked to obtain sponsorship for the Marie Curie Cancer Care, the chosen charity so anybody who wishes to help please donate, I will put details on the website.
Heres hoping we get an entry.
Ron.
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