History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[911thillclimber]

Nice day 'off' for us.
Shame, the day started wet briefly, then cleared up a treat. Typical!

The Crono was off a bit, the NORMA was ballistic.
Mike in the Zolfe was 3rd and 4th in the race runs, so some nice points on the board.

Hope to get my clutch sorted by the weekend having found the right heavy duty unit on ebay of all places, but will be ready for Loton in 2 weeks time. Mike won't be there, but the others will Im sure, so could bag some points.

[911thillclimber]

Got my future set of slicks for 2024/25 as the AVON factory will be closed by Xmas.
The fronts are slightly different in size/diameter, but I'm sure Sean at McClurge Motorsport will advise on any suspension changes required. The fronts are different, 10mm smaller in diameter and 0.37" wider tread.
Rear size is the same.
Tempted to have Sean drop the rears a touch to keep the current rake in the car.

You may remember McCluge Motorsport 'serviced' the geo on the chassis after many years being left alone and found it needed a tweak in places to re-align the car slightly for the start of the year.
That was a wise move as the chassis as ever is so easy to drive and supper accurate to point.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Got my future set of slicks for 2024/25 as the AVON factory will be closed by Xmas.
The fronts are slightly different in size/diameter, but I'm sure Sean at McClurge Motorsport will advise on any suspension changes required. The fronts are different, 10mm smaller in diameter and 0.37" wider tread.
Rear size is the same.
Tempted to have Sean drop the rears a touch to keep the current rake in the car.

You may remember McCluge Motorsport 'serviced' the geo on the chassis after many years being left alone and found it needed a tweak in places to re-align the car slightly for the start of the year.
That was a wise move as the chassis as ever is so easy to drive and supper accurate to point.

It'll be interesting to see what differences the new tyres make, and I must say that I love the way you mix Imperial & Metric measurements! I do a similar thing, being an old school engineer 'small' measurements are in thousands of an inch, next size up I change to millimetres, beyond that I'm feet and inches (but never really 'understood' fractions of an inch like my Dad who would work in 64ths!)

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

It'll be interesting to see what differences the new tyres make, and I must say that I love the way you mix Imperial & Metric measurements! I do a similar thing, being an old school engineer 'small' measurements are in thousands of an inch, next size up I change to millimetres, beyond that I'm feet and inches (but never really 'understood' fractions of an inch like my Dad who would work in 64ths!)

It's the world that we live in here in the UK. When I ran my manufacturing company, we had to order materials measured in Metric for conversion to goods sold in Imperial, whilst the weight or thickness of the material could be measured grams per square inch or sometimes in microns.

You could never order something when half asleep very early in the morning or when really tired at the end of the day.

[911thillclimber]

I started my apprenticship in the very late 60's so imperial.
2 years in and the UK went metric, so had imperial and metric, college switched to metric totally, so had to re-learn all the units.

Spent all my engineering life 'metric' until 7 years ago when I retired early.
In work it was metric only, full stop.
Since retiring I'm slipping back to 'dual units'.....

Cripes, we have just turned over 900,000 hits.

New clutch arrives tomorrow, good parts at a demon price, cover plate, thrust bearing and Heavy Duty plate, £370.
I think I paid that 10 years ago(!).

Have removed all the bits n pieces around the box read to do the change over.

Will be interesting to see what it is all like in there.
Assessment to follow.

[Gerard C]

The plate you're waiting for is organic (heavy duty springs and HD material) I suppose. The ones having several metallic pads don't appreciate to be "slipped".

[911thillclimber]

Correct.
A paddle ceramic would be murder easing the car through the paddock and parking the car etc especially in reverse.
The disc is rated at 450Nm of torque, about the max I have from this engine.

The Lola is about 1/2 the weight of the 911 it is designed for, but has super sticky slicks, so will be on it's limit.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2kcAA...1G6/s-l140.jpg

[911thillclimber]

Post by 911hillclimber » Thu Aug 17, 2023 3:38 pm

The clutch failed in the heat of the moment at Shelsley Walsh costing me the whole event, no points gained!

Today was time to replace the duff clutch and fit a new 3 piece Sashs Heavy Duty unit.
It takes ages of removing bits on this race car to get to the clutch, thank goodness I'm doing it and not paying.

Got it all out and found the failure.
There are 3 straps that transmit the torque in the cover plate and one had not only failed (torn off) but had gone missing too!
The strap had come out of the bell housing (915 box) and long gone, there are deep marks where it had exited via the side holes in the bell housing, see pics.

Nice new unit in and house to re-fit everything else, whole job has taken 7 hours. (I work alone on cars).

Tomorrow will be test day, the real test will be at Loton Park hillclimb 26/27 August.

[Gerard C]

Strange case of failure I' say. You mean you got a real Sachs 3 piece HD unit for £370? Watta a bargain, I paid almost 850€ for my 944 T direct from Sachs Germany and the pilot bearing was not included. Great negociator you are! Lucky too…

[911thillclimber]

I've never seen it before, even heard of anyone until today when it happened to a 911 owning friend on his way to Classic Le Mans years ago.

The clutch kit, plate, cover, thrust bearing is all Sashs genuine parts and came from Frazerparts in the Wirral in a propper box.

that money inc VAT and delivery of quite a weight.

30 foot test drive tomorrow!

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

30 foot test drive tomorrow!

To and from?

[911thillclimber]

Garage to the road.
Can't risk it on the cul de sac, someone is bound to call the police!
Pouring with rain today, so hope to trundle the car around the front drive to work the clutch tomorrow. Tested that the pedal movement/stroke clears the gearbox when engaged today with assistance from The Boss which it does with 40mm over travel.

Need to be sure all is OK before Loton weekend after this one.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Garage to the road.
Can't risk it on the cul de sac, someone is bound to call the police!

How things and we change over the years. When I first started racing, once the engine was installed, which I did in the in the loading bay of my factory, I used to drive the unsilenced car to the lock-up garage which was about 3/4 of a mile away. Oh, and the garages were situated right behind the local police section house.

The young constables often came down to have a look at the car to see how it was shaping up, so were well aware of the fact that it was there, and the fact that sometimes it was driven elsewhere, but they didn't seem to care.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

How things and we change over the years.

Ho, yes. I cant remember how many cars we tested on the hyghway, day or night, when going to Paul Ricard or Ledenon coming from Paris area. Just after the toll gate, just put the racing on the road till next toll gate. What a good running-in it was! Slick tire or not, blanked headlamps if any fitted, side exhaust and the like. Wont mention what we did when several racers were involved… Really happy days and even more happy when the police gave help to check the maximum speed! As to your cul de sac, Graham, just spin the car at the end using the throttle and there you go. Don't be shy!

[Mike Harte]

Ah, Gérard, how the memories start flooding back.

During the early mid 60s, the John Wyer's boys would "test" the the real and original GT40s along the M4 from their place near Slough to Chiswick and then back to their base. Of course, back then and like Germany, speeds on motorways were unrestricted, and we would be shooting along with the right pedals fully depressed, only to be passed by these fabulous machines going flat out.

I should explain, I and most of my friends at that time were all wannabee amateur racing drivers, so we all worked day and evening jobs. So, after our Saturday night shifts, we would always go out partying as Sundays were our only days off. After we had had enough of partying, we would usually fancy and early breakfast and the convenient place for that was at Heathrow Airport which was why we saw the GT40s because the roads were virtually empty at that time of the early morning.

Seeing as how we were not working on Sunday nights, we used to go to one of our favourite pubs out in the countryside. One of these that we frequented on occasion was in the middle of nowhere and part of the trip there was on a single track road with high banks on both sides. One of us would be delegated to go to the top of this road so as to stop any traffic coming down towards us - although I cannot recall anyone ever wanting to drive down this road except us on a Sunday evening - and we would then have timed hillclimbs up this little road.

Although similar sorts of things do happen in the UK, often in shopping mall car parks and the like, nobody stopped us back then, because, I suppose, we weren't really causing much of a public nuisance.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Ah, Gérard, how the memories start flooding back.

During the early mid 60s, the John Wyer's boys would "test" the the real and original GT40s along the M4 from their place near Slough to Chiswick and then back to their base. Of course, back then and like Germany, speeds on motorways were unrestricted, and we would be shooting along with the right pedals fully depressed, only to be passed by these fabulous machines going flat out.

I should explain, I and most of my friends at that time were all wannabee amateur racing drivers, so we all worked day and evening jobs. So, after our Saturday night shifts, we would always go out partying as Sundays were our only days off. After we had had enough of partying, we would usually fancy and early breakfast and the convenient place for that was at Heathrow Airport which was why we saw the GT40s because the roads were virtually empty at that time of the early morning.

Seeing as how we were not working on Sunday nights, we used to go to one of our favourite pubs out in the countryside. One of these that we frequented on occasion was in the middle of nowhere and part of the trip there was on a single track road with high banks on both sides. One of us would be delegated to go to the top of this road so as to stop any traffic coming down towards us - although I cannot recall anyone ever wanting to drive down this road except us on a Sunday evening - and we would then have timed hillclimbs up this little road.

Although similar sorts of things do happen in the UK, often in shopping mall car parks and the like, nobody stopped us back then, because, I suppose, we weren't really causing much of a public nuisance.

That sounds about right. Back when most race cars could also be driven on the road. And drivers had more free time on their hands. I'm sure it wasn't all great, but it certainly was different. Easier to do things like that in those days, although I suppose there was still a chance you get caught doing something you shouldn't. Certainly don't see much of that these days, but glad you had fun doing it

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Ah, Gérard, how the memories start flooding back.

Great story, Mike. Hope there's prescription by now. And if tomorrow morning whe read about a wonderful blue Lola speeding at night, we wont be suprised to see Graham's name in the headlines!

[911thillclimber]

What a bunch of Rebbles!

Back in the early 70's when I built my first USA style hot rod (1937 Ford Y Type, Jag rear suspension, HA Viva front with VX90 discs, Capri V6 and BW auto etc etc etc we and several others met at the Cock at Wishaw in the West Midlands, a posh area, but all knew each other, all had 'nice' cars, and everyone just got on with it.

Zoooom forward now 50+ years on, the world is different.

I would not spray my old 911 2 years ago at home due to the smell offending a few, the noise of the compressor and all that.
In 1989 I did spray it in my single garage, no probs at all.

Today, the rain stopped(!) so started the Lola up, sounded sweeeet, and trundled around my drive in 1st/reverse as if in the race paddock, all smooooth as a babies bum.

All seems ok!

That done, and the car dusted down for Loton I could resume work on my other 'distraction, another restoration of a delightful Yamaha YB1, 50cc 2T, 1999 and totally rust free, what a treat it is to take apart!

[Gerard C]

Hey, she looks mint and, even more important, complete including the side knobs holding the side panels. I guess the sound is half a TwinJet, the famous 100 cc? Did you ever listen to an YDS3? Wonderful.

[911thillclimber]

It is a Yamaha YB1, JDM only 'sports' version.
No salty roads = amazing condition.
Running when I bought it and it just needs a good deep cosmetic rebuild.
Fabulously light and beautiful details in the design.

Might even ride it when done!

[Gerard C]

Yep, looks already pristine condition. Can't say enough how much I appreciate period details like chromed mudguards. The braking system should be enough to stop it given the engine displacement and the dry weiht (circa 80 Kilos??). Is the induction system via a small carb and a rotary valve?

[midgetman]

What year did you say that was Graham? It's a lovely thing, and reminds me of my old "Fizzy" back in the day.

We *may* have practised push starting MiniMM's 100cc kart around the cul de sac where we live :innocent whistle:

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

[911thillclimber]

It is 75Kg and carb'valve induction encased in the side of the engine, all super neatly done.

The bike is fully engineered for rapid production.

It has nice details like a locking helmet strap hook, chrome is 'just enough' and well executed in 1999.

The model is the continuation to the fabled FS1E but with a braced frame and only one seat position.
When it was delived by the seller (ebay purchase) he kick started it with one light kick and it ticked-over so steady, esp for a 2 stroke.

Horn does not work or the tiny 'peep' buzzer, less in your face than the horn.

Parts supply is not great, but have a web site that lists all the part numbers for the bike so you can compare to FS1E parts, many are the same.
As said, the bike is 1999 and I think it gave way to another design in 2002.

It was made in 100cc and 4 stroke for the tearaways.

Talking Karts:

http://www.barlotti.co.uk/images/Kar...a201520010.jpg

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

It is a Yamaha YB1, JDM only 'sports' version. Might even ride it when done!

With management on pillion?

[911thillclimber]

Ha! lol!
I think not. Doubt it would take a gradient with 2 on, but a single position seat.
She can barely ride a bike let alone something like this.