History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[Gerard C]

live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn7df2xiabM

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn7df2xiabM

Good Luck Graham and thanks Gerard for the link.

[911thillclimber]

Luck was sort of not and was on my side today.

First practice was quite sharp considering the rain, 53.92.
Come the first timed run I was not in the mindset to take the run, it was WET and on 3 year old slicks, bit tricky at most speeds.

Got through most of the hill fine, grip was quite good considering, but out of the Esses well and off at speed to the dreaded Semi curve and struck the right hand side bank, first with the OS nose corner and then the OS rear corner.

Sounded and felt horrible and as my heart sank very quickly the car did seem to be 'ok' so almost coasted to the close finish line directly after Semi.

Returned to the paddock with all sort of ok, but the car seemed to have a bit of resistance to free rolling (downhill) so feared the worst damage...

On close inspection the car seemed ok at the rear, everything where it normally is but the OS front nose corner was not good, the retention pip pin was gone and the stay bent, BUT under all that it looked ok.

The fibre glass was cracked a bit, but considering things, not too bad.

Decided to call it a day though, the rain had gone but could come back so we escaped the paddock at lunch time and cruised home for an early shower.

Coulld have been far far worse.

Will clean the filthy car tomorrow and have a good look at the suspension. I fear the rear is a tad out of toe, but until I run strings down the sides I'll hold a judgement.

The car will go to Sean at McClurg Motorsport in the spring for his micrometer-eye inspection and tweeks as usual, the only man I trust this car to.

Thus the last 2024 meeting did not go to plan, but nothing lost.

We have won the Midland Championship Class G for the 7th time this year, what a smashing little club racer this Lola is, great fun.

It will go into safe storage in November for 2 month while i do the 911's engine rebuild which I'm looking forward to.

Sadly, the above link to the live stream does not show this adventure, it would have been good to see the impacts.

This morning there was a big oil loss at the very point I 'lost it'...maybe that caught me out, but I suspect Operator Error/enthusiasm was the issue.

Fresh slicks for next year!

[Gerard C]

Well done Graham, glad you both finished in one piece (well almost). Congratulations for the season.

[andy97]

Do you not have a set of wets or intermediates? I think I might be tempted to keep the slicks and buy a set of one or the other?
Congrats by the way!

[911thillclimber]

No, just the slicks.
Problem is the investment of the center lock wheels and then the tyres, but also lugging the 4 wheels to the paddock from the trailer and back.

This event was the first wet one this year, a record!

The best solution is to run all season on intermediate cut slicks.
The tyre compound is very soft that I use (not the softest) so not sure how well they would stand up, but hillclimbs are very short in time and distance, so it may be good.

A few years ago I tried some very open rain slot cuts and in the wet they made no difference at all to wet grip.

Best I discuss with BMTR who are sole suppliers of AVON rubber.

Thank you to all for the congratulations.

This year has been easy as I was really the only one in the class when Nigel/NG crashed earlier in the year so missing a lot of events, so the win is hardly due to my skills!

I am drawing close to finishing the hillclimb game, at least with this car, maybe another 3 years.

Started in 1991, so 33 years ago as we stand.

We will see!

I'll post when I've been through the car to check for any damage and when I've found my suit to wear at the presentation dinner, and remembered how to tie my tie....

[S griffin]

I'm sure you will find a solution. As long as you had fun rain or shine. Thanks for keeping us updated as ever.

[911thillclimber]

6 hours to clean the car right through today.

This gives me the chance to look very closely to the parts that clipped the muddy bank on Sunday, but all looks good.

Leveled the car stripped of it's bodywork and ran a fishing line down both sides on centered poles and all checked out perfectly.

I also have a Dunlop camber gauge and the cambers are right and true on all axles.

Rotated the off-side rear wheel and it is true as is the front, so I can only say the car is good. (Phew!)

The front body nose is split in several places and the pip pin bobbin has long gone with the pip pin itself on the impact.
It is all fixable and will cost about £5.

A new nose is £800...and I doubt the colour would be a perfect match.

I'll get the nose all done and dusted while the weather is kind and before it goes to storage.
Easy life.
As if.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

6 hours to clean the car right through today.This gives me the chance to look very closely to the parts that clipped the muddy bank on Sunday, but all looks good.
It is all fixable and will cost about £5.Easy life.

Lucky boy and car! All I see is a serious concern about your gala suit and the bloomy tie. I found this for you, as if… https://www.ties.com/how-to-tie-a-tie

[911thillclimber]

This could be a very very long winter 'wait' until mid April 2025 and the new season.

Not planning much for the Lola, a new set of tyres, a tweak to the suspension by McClurg Motorsport to suit and a good looking over and service.

3 days tops!

In the mean time I've made 2 new race cars, and a long standing friend wants me to rebuild his rather valuable Porsche flat 6, so that may cater for a few months.

The 2 race cars are done, one for me, the first I've done and the other for a couple in the family as a Xmas present. Hope they like it!

These cars don't take very long, about 3 lazy days each so they have not solved my problem of Winter boredom.

Thought you might like to see what an old hillclimber does in the colder months...

[S griffin]

Ouch, that is a long time to wait. Hopefully though it gives more time to prepare the Lola. Love the models there, if only I could have one

[911thillclimber]

These will be the only 2 ever to be made!

They have been a bit of fun.

[911thillclimber]

Had the pleasure to collect the Class Win trophy last night for the Midland Hill Climb Championship, my 7th win with the Lola-Porsche, and marking 33 years of running in this Championship.

This season has been a bit false due to a real lack of others in the class. Just my old class mate Nigel in his hot NG GT V8, but after a chassis twisting shunt at Shelsley Walsh early in the year he was out and did just 3 events out of the 9 to count.

I has a few super quick class mates far in advance of me driver-wise and car wise, but they were running in a different Championship.

Thus, 2024 was almost a solo run of a year, so the win was rather hollow. It has been like his in other years, just me or sometimes 6 in the class.

Away from that, the car has been utterly superb, the DIY 320 bhp engine has been 100%, never missed a beat and has survived some very abusive runs and 9,000 rpm rev limiter bumps.

Had a small brush with the one muddy bank at Prescott which split the nose of the body, but the chassis survived; you just have to try for the PB's!

So, little to report but have had a huge amount of fun, costs have been around £3500 all in inc the bacon baps too, so about £350 per weekend event, but that also means just 200 seconds on track!

A few pics might make this more interesting:

[midgetman]

The images are superb and remind me what I have missed being out of the sport so long. I really enjoyed getting back into it this season even if just a "daily driver" standard car.

Despite the questionable value, I do prefer this to racing. The precision required to avoid the trees, the fact that a missed braking point can ruin a whole day, all add up to a lot of fun to me.

Plus you have to spend an awful lot of money to get such an adrenaline rush on an open race track.

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

[Gerard C]

When you think… all this for… a glass penis statue! Hope you have a more comfortable seat in sight for 2025, Graham! Cheers:

[911thillclimber]

Well!
Never seen it that way, but quite true all the same!

[911thillclimber]

A week to Xmas.

Overall, a very good year with a few surprises, my mother died at 103 years old expected but very sudden, the lights went out with people around her, what a good way to leave.

We are to be grand parents! Big surprise to say the least, so quite a change for 2015, around May time. It is to be a boy, so the Scalextric track is ready. (bought for my daughter before she was born...)
7th Class win the Midland Championship.
Finished the year in one piece.

Have a friend's 1973 Porsche flat 6 engine to rebuild, so there's 6 weeks gone after Xmas. We are both 72 and messing in the garages, mad!

Only 4 long months to the first event and little to do to the car.

Fit fresh tyres.
Take car to Sean at McClurg Motorsport for a chassis check/tweak.
Order and fit new seat belts to replace the perfect current ones....
Service the engine.
Maybe change the brake pads.
Polish.
Enter the first 6 events.

Hoping to enter and run my old 911, the car that started this 33 year old journey at the Classic Nostalgia meeting at Shelsley for a trip down memory lane.

Still, Xmas first.

I wish you all a very happy Xmas, and above all a healthy New Year!
Thank you for the support and the hits.
Thanks to Sean and above everything, everything to my wife Trish for always being there no matter what.

What a player!

A card for you all with a little tease in it: (the answer is detailed on the car)

[morninggents]

Best wishes to you too, Graham.
I've enjoyed your car's tale over the years. Did you get a Lola chassis plate in the end? I've re-read some of the earlier 2008 - 2010 pages as I thought you had got HU6 but I can't find that post now.

[911thillclimber]

That goes back a bit!

Yes, found the chassis number in the end, HU 62.
One of 2 x 492's made with the Kelly girl Green body colour and the stronger rear engine/suspension frame.
Part of the original body in green hangs on my garage wall, found in the roof of a barn on a farm in Essex!

HU6 was a red herring as were many avenues i followed back then, what a trail (trial?) it was.

Hard to believe I bought this car in 2008, 17 years ago.