Group B MG Metro 6R4 History

[RGM]

I was being a little vague in my previous posting as I was tired and posting from a telephone.

Quick history of my 6R4 times.

Worked for Nelson Engines and built perhaps a dozen or so metros for rallying.
Was with gartrac and Gillanders on the 1986 RAC in the chase car, he normally used a nelson engine but had a works developement clubman engine loaned to him for the RAC rally, a prototype resonance place welded into the plenum chamber cracked and was ingested, killing the engine.

Nelson motorsports ran Capdevilas car in both the spanish gravel series and also in tenerife with the Q plated car, painting it white for spanish rallies sponsored by tenerife tourist board and then flying the car back to the canaries and painting it yellow for the camel livery for that series.
In tenerife we won 12 rallies from 12 starts over two seasons.
He later damaged the engine on that and needed a replacement engine/car for the following weekend, so I flew to Holland and bought the Rothmans car from Hans te Pas, which after the street race in Oviedo where fernando came second to carlos sainz integrale by a second, the car was transported to tenerife, ran the last events of the year in camel colours, before defecting to marlboro for the following season.
If I can ever dig out photographs I will post them.

E264AAM was Nelsons car, as I said previous, ex gaydon test car with works type beefed up chassis. This is car that he pranged on Epynt with Nicky Grist in the co-drivers seat, the damage was superficial from that incident, but the chassis was a little off from the start following a prang at gaydon before Nelson bought it, it was damaged at the time of purchase but was close to being perfect when we ran it.
Yes second at the superprix sounds familiar, also second at silverstone, bad tyre choice, but first at donnington.

A20ROV is just a rolling shell and I have it here in sweden, if we can find an engine and diffs then we might get it running one day.

Chassis plates for 6R4's... as I recall the original chassis plates were never fitted to the cars at cowley, and in a strange coincidence, Sam Nelson bought a whole rack of shelves from the stores in the big auction when they shut down the motorsport department, and in amongst all the nuts and bolts and wishbone bushings were darned near all of the original prestamped chassis plates....

All the cars I ever saw only had the body number plates, with the three digit numbers on the right hand front turret, and on the rear below the oil tank, most cars had power steering tanks or kill switches fitted where the body number was located and they vanished.

A20ROV is one of the few metros I have seen with a chassis plate, although I assume it came off a regular MG Metro, but is now registered as a 3,0 liter.

Finally...

C84 RBD which is the car I renovated to perfect condition, but it had an ugly pikes peak type body fitted for hillclimbing, after the 1993-4 renovation it spent a lot of time in Iversens Glomma Papp "museum", I did retain 98% of the original rothmans parts, wiring looms, twin fuel cells etc. It also had the really rare schmidt 2-turns lock to lock quick-rack fitted, this wasn't on the original rothmans spec and I think only 6 of these racks were ever produced.
After the death of Iversen the car was sold (I couldn't afford it, but they did give me first option to buy), the new owner, sadly to say abused it pretty hard. The engine has blown recently. Oddly enough I got a call from the new owner this weekend asking me for help to repair it. There are no plans to restore it in Rothmans livery for a museum at the moment, although I have suggested it to all three of the previous owners...

More info and pictures if I find notebooks.....

mike at racing-green.com

[RGM]

Originally Posted by KA

If Bill Barton's car (#2- DNS) was his regular 1988-season rallycar, it was D999VFW

Yes, that was Bill Bartons car, they went mad trying to get it as light as possible for the racetrack events of the Esso Super challenge, trying to get the car as light and sorted for racetrack use as Nelsons car.

I remember that we spent quite a few days at different racetracks getting the suspension optimised for the track events in the superchallenge, as Sam Nelsons "thing" was racing...

Bills Bartons car was absolutely top notch when they came with it.... and I think he won one of the races..

Nelsons car had lost a rear window air scoop in either qualifying or race 1 (if there were 2 heats I dont remember), anyway, Nelson got pole position, but could not get anywhere close to Bill in the race, probably due to the airscoop breaking off and the engine bay was not getting enough cool fresh air....
For the next event we fitted larger scoops and ducting to the air filter and the car went much better.

I think Pete Slights won the race at Silverstone.... he qualified third of forth, and I gave him our suspension settings, thats what people did in those days... and he promptly went out and won the race, Nelson had gambled on tyres and fitted intermediates, but when the track dried out he fried the tyres and Pete passed him...


Does anyone remember that terrible accident at Longleat in the first round of the superchallenge, a co-driver lost his life, but I can't remember who was driving.....

mike

[RGM]

Another thing which might be of interest, D750PDM was an R-E-D car, and had the larger airscoops on the rear windows.... I think the oil coolers were mounted there.....
Interesting, flooding the engine bay with 110 degree c air..... we ran with fresh air ducting...!! Go figure...

Mike

[andy97]

Does anyone know any details of the TPR 4100 (or were they DAM 4100?) versions of the car, based on the Metro "Mk2" bodyshell. ie how did they differ in spec, how many were built, did they perform better/ worse.

I have to admit that I preferred the look at the time. Probably means I am considered a heretic now!

[RGM]

The TPR (Tony Pond Racing) DAM (David Appleby Motorsport) 4100 was a bodykit to replace the original 6R4 body panels, based around the Rover Mini series I believe and a sort of facelift for the 6R4, probably where they would have ended up had austin rover continued developing them.
The work was started at Tony Pond Racing in malmesbury (?) and finished off at David Appleby's workshops after the two companies parted.
I think that TPR was disbanded and DAM took over, seemingly overnight.
To say anything more than that would be pure gossip, so I'll leave it there.

The bodykits were really nice looking, according to DAM better airflow/cooling and lighter than the originals, I don't know if Williams were involved with thier windtunnel though, as they were with the original design. I prefer the ugly duckling original personally.
No real other differences were included with the DAM4100 kit. Although David did make a long wheelbase conversion, which was apparently very good, and I also saw at some stage when I was helping him, a double wishbone version, rather than the mcpherson struts. Not sure if that ever ran, but the fabrication was top class, it has a steel roof rather than the ally ones and some funky flanged chassis rails.

I did hear that a 4100 kit was fitted to one of Capdevilas cars and badged as a ford fiesta, as he was part owner in a ford dealership following the WRC seasons he ran in 1991-92.

Mike.

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by bigears

You got an email from me.

I did indeed 'bigears' but I was out last night so sisn't see it until later. I'll have a look around, and at your Excel document and see if there is anything I can help you with.

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by RGM

C84 RBD which is the car I renovated to perfect condition, but it had an ugly pikes peak type body fitted for hillclimbing, after the 1993-4 renovation it spent a lot of time in Iversens Glomma Papp "museum", I did retain 98% of the original rothmans parts, wiring looms, twin fuel cells etc. It also had the really rare schmidt 2-turns lock to lock quick-rack fitted, this wasn't on the original rothmans spec and I think only 6 of these racks were ever produced.
After the death of Iversen the car was sold (I couldn't afford it, but they did give me first option to buy), the new owner, sadly to say abused it pretty hard. The engine has blown recently. Oddly enough I got a call from the new owner this weekend asking me for help to repair it. There are no plans to restore it in Rothmans livery for a museum at the moment, although I have suggested it to all three of the previous owners...

So when does this photo fit within the car's past history then Mike? I am a little confused as this appears to be C84 RBD, and the article was dated December 2008...

[andy97]

Originally Posted by RGM

The TPR (Tony Pond Racing) DAM (David Appleby Motorsport) 4100 was a bodykit to replace the original 6R4 body panels, based around the Rover Mini series I believe and a sort of facelift for the 6R4, probably where they would have ended up had austin rover continued developing them.
The work was started at Tony Pond Racing in malmesbury (?) and finished off at David Appleby's workshops after the two companies parted.
I think that TPR was disbanded and DAM took over, seemingly overnight.
To say anything more than that would be pure gossip, so I'll leave it there.

The bodykits were really nice looking, according to DAM better airflow/cooling and lighter than the originals, I don't know if Williams were involved with thier windtunnel though, as they were with the original design. I prefer the ugly duckling original personally.
No real other differences were included with the DAM4100 kit. Although David did make a long wheelbase conversion, which was apparently very good, and I also saw at some stage when I was helping him, a double wishbone version, rather than the mcpherson struts. Not sure if that ever ran, but the fabrication was top class, it has a steel roof rather than the ally ones and some funky flanged chassis rails.

I did hear that a 4100 kit was fitted to one of Capdevilas cars and badged as a ford fiesta, as he was part owner in a ford dealership following the WRC seasons he ran in 1991-92.

Mike.

Interesting stuff. I assume that several "proper" 6R4s were converted into TPR/DAM 4100s, or were they new build? Have they been converted back to 6R4 spec now (as I'd expect them to be worth more as 6R4s!)

I thought all 4100s were about 6 inches longer in wheel base.

[MG Rover Sport]

To add to what Mike said earlier, the TPR / DAM 4100s were styled to incorporate the bonnet, bumpers, tailgate, lights and grille of the early 1990s Rover 100 - which was little more than a facelifted / rebadged Metro in all honesty. Hence the name includes 4 for four wheel drive, and 100 to refer to the Rover 100 that it was based upon - making a four wheel drive Rover 100.

Two 4100 versions existed...

a) The repanelled Metro 6R4 version, which involved removing the bonnet, front wings, sills, door boxes, rear wings, tailgate, front and rear aerofoils, front grille and any lights from an original 1985 6R4 and replacing it with the new more-rounded TPR / DAM style bodywork and rear wing. Having a normal bonnet and tailgate, there is one which features a one-piece flip front and back for increased access. The latter was a feature of the spaceframe version (b).

b) The spaceframe long wheelbase scratch built version, which was based on a custom spaceframe which featured a longer wheelbase for increased stability. It was then clothed in similar bodywork as mentioned for version (a) above - although there were differences in the panels due to the increased wheelbase.

By my reckoning there were about six or seven of version (a) built, and only three of version (b). Some of the cars have indeed had their 4100 bodywork removed and replaced with the original 6R4 bodywork.

[MG Rover Sport]

A few 4100s to keep you going...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dprphoto/3563113440/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wembley_1966/2310000135/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/srtrallybob/2291374034/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19193662@N00/2289621912/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19193662@N00/2289463358/

...but give me a clean white 1985 MG Metro 6R4 lowered on tarmac Dymag wheels any day!

[andy97]

I have a copy of CAR magazine somwhere at home from many years ago - can't remember the year - with a road test of a yellow road going 6R4, and I have a vague recollection of someone advertising a batch of white "road" cars in the same issue for about £25K each. Oh how I wish I could turn the clock back!

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by RGM

E264AAM was Nelsons car, as I said previous, ex gaydon test car with works type beefed up chassis. This is car that he pranged on Epynt with Nicky Grist in the co-drivers seat, the damage was superficial from that incident, but the chassis was a little off from the start following a prang at gaydon before Nelson bought it, it was damaged at the time of purchase but was close to being perfect when we ran it.
Yes second at the superprix sounds familiar, also second at silverstone, bad tyre choice, but first at donnington.

A couple of photos of Sam's E264 AAM after the Epynt crash, and as it originally appeared 'borrowing' Bill Barton's D999 VFW registration number...

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by bigears

My research of the 1988 and 1989 MG Metro 6R4 races at the Birmingham Superprix is incomplete. Could anyone kindly help me to plug in the missing details.

Here is the Excel file:

1988_1989_BSP_Metro6R4

I've had a look through the 1988 pages, and here are a few more details to fill in your gaps - mainly individual sponsors. As the race was actually 'on the back of' the 1988 Esso Metro Superchallenge - although not actually part of it - I see little point in mentioning Esso or Dunlop as an individual sponsor. Likewise, quite a few cars had Radio WM stickers on them for the weekend, so I won't bother with that either...

#1 SLIGHTS :
Direct Windows / SRS (Slights Rally Sport) / Duckhams QXR

#2 BARTON :
No major sponsors!

#3 PRICE :
John Price Rallying / Zenith Motorsport / Duckhams QXR / Ordinance

#4 BEVERIDGE :
QCR Motors / Inmont

#5 SHARAM :
Gloplas / Duckhams QXR

#6 HARRIS :
Auto Plas / SMAC Group / Carrera Contracts

#7 NELSON :
Nelson Engine Services

#8 LAWRENCE :
Wednesbusy Motors / Freight Rover / Autoglass

#9 BENNETT :
MJ Fews Ltd Land Rover Sales

#10 HOLMES :
Sharp Centre Sutton Coldfield / Central / Enterprise Racing / RH Auto Sales / LK Car Auctions

#11 HUTTON :
Price Check Rallying

#12 FAINE :
No major sponsors!

#14 DONALDSON :
No major sponsors!

#15 DORANS :
Elf Oils / KJ Dorans & Co / Glasurit / Burgess Motor Services

#16 POND :
Metro Gets You Going (Rover marketing slogan of the time) / British Car Rental / London Rally Centre

#17 HARVEY :
Istel / Langer Park Service Station

#18 SUTHERLAND :
RFM Sunroofs / The Sea-Band / Riverframe Motorsport

#19 TURNER :
No major sponsors!

#20 MIDWINTER :
Frames Window Copmpany / Solaglass / Fastfix Fittings

#21 OATES :
John Price Rallying / Zenith Motorsport / Duckhams QXR / Ordinance

#22 UNDERHILL :
No major sponsors!

#23 BANYARD :
No major sponsors!

#24 FRASER-KERR :
Unsure as never appeared as far as I can recall?

#25 CORRY :
Infolink Intouch Tutorials

#26 LEWIS :
Ellard Sign & Design / Stakis / Trevor Lewis Racing / Swift Motorsport / Showplace / Neiman

I hope that helps 'bigears' and I'll have a look through the 1989 pages and see if I can fill in any similar gaps for you. I'll also try and get a few photos scanned in.

[MG Rover Sport]

Sorry Mike, but I don't mean to turn this into a 'look how many times Sam Nelson crashed' thread, but here are a couple of my photos of E264 AAM following a high speed off at Woodcote in qualifying for the 1989 Esso Metro Superchallenge race meeting at Silverstone...





...that looks like Sam kneeling down with the white shirt on, but are you any of the other two chaps Mike?

[RGM]

No I wasn't at that event and as I remember it was a front strut nut that split and the damper pulled out causing the off....

The C84RBD rebuild picture has stumped me, as far as i know the car is still yellow in hillclimb bodywork. Can you send the link to the 2008 article?

This could turn into what happened to the real C84RBD.
I have got pictures of it when it came to norway originally, some rothmans paint still on it and i found the old colours under the paint when i restored it, but whether it's the "real one" who knows. How many C84RBD's might there have been and who is the current registered owner?
Mike.

ps. Any pics of Nelsons Cornwall stages off....?

[MG Rover Sport]

But isn't that a complete nearside front suspension on the left hand side of both of the photos that I poosted at the top of this page Mike - Page 5 and Post #62? Wouldn't that tie in with your comment about '...as I remember it was a front strut nut that split and the damper pulled out...'?

In fact, I have just looked back into my files, and I have virtually all of the events listed that this car competed on since it debuted on the 1987 Nelson Azimghur Stages Rally on 12 July. On the latter the car carried the Reg No B697 CMG - I even have the large framed colour print that Sam used to have on his office wall! - and the car finished 3rd Overall with Jean Blackford alongside.

The 2nd event was the 1987 Merlin Fireplaces Epynt Stages on 8 August. For that event the car carried Bill Barton's Reg No D999 VFW, was Entry No 5, and Sam finished 2nd Overall with Blackford alongside again.

It's 3rd event was the 1987 Rally Radio Link Mewla Stages the day after on 9 August. For that event the car also carried Bill's Reg No D999 VFW again, was Entry No 12, Sam had Nicky Grist alongside him, and they crashed on Stage 6 when lying 2nd Overall at the time.

The car was then reshelled into the ex-temperature test car that you mentioned over the winter of 1987/1988 and wasn't finished till 3am on the morning of it's next rally - the 1988 John Price Rallying Longleat Stages on 27/28 February. On this occasion it carried the Reg No E264 AAM, and this is the event that you mentioned earlier that someone died on. It was in fact Dave Adams who was Steve Whiteford's co-driver. They crashed their 6R4 into a tree, and the co-driver's door took the full impact from what I remember.

I even have a note in my files to say that the original car was damaged when it got hit on a trailer on it's way to Donington with Austin Rover - which also ties in with your original comment about it being damaged previously.

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by RGM

The C84RBD rebuild picture has stumped me, as far as i know the car is still yellow in hillclimb bodywork. Can you send the link to the 2008 article?

This could turn into what happened to the real C84RBD. I have got pictures of it when it came to norway originally, some rothmans paint still on it and i found the old colours under the paint when i restored it, but whether it's the "real one" who knows. How many C84RBD's might there have been and who is the current registered owner?

Through the powers of Google translating tools - OK I appreciate they are not fantastic, but it should be enough to get the jist - I reckon the paragraph of Norwegian text translates to something along the lines of...

It is not the only Group B vehicle that is in Bærum, they also bought an MG Metro 6R4 from Jan Arthur Iversen, better known as "Glomma Papp" in Rallycross environment. This is now composed of the original Rally finish and only a few details gjesnstår before the car is ready for Bjørklunds small museum, where there already is an NSU TT, which was run by Jan Bjorklund Hroar.

Thinking about it now, I think it is my mistake! I have added 2 and 2 and ended up with 5! Sorry about that.

Reading it again it states that the car was bought from Jan Arthur Iversen. Knowing that he acquired C84 RBD from Tore Bratlie in 1991, and seeing the car in the photos being rebuilt in fresh Rothmans livery I jumped to the conclusion that it was indeed C84 RBD. Sorry - me bad!

My reckoning is that the car in the photos being rebuilt in Rothmans livery is in fact Jan Arthur Iversen's own Glomma Papp sponsored rallycross, ice-racing and hillclimb car.

Sorry all - I have fallen for the oldest trick in the 'researchers' book - I have jumped to a conclusion!

[KA]

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

My reckoning is that the car in the photos being rebuilt in Rothmans livery is in fact Jan Arthur Iversen's own Glomma Papp sponsored rallycross, ice-racing and hillclimb car.

Sorry all - I have fallen for the oldest trick in the 'researchers' book - I have jumped to a conclusion!

The Iversens had quite a lot of cars IIRC- father and son ran a pair of RS200s, (later with very distinctive reworked rear bodywork that seemed to be unique to their cars) in the European Rallycross championship, and also, as you mentioned, had at least one 6R4, and a 2wd Porsche. Sponsorship always came from 'Glomma Papp' (think they were in the paper business?)

From vague memory, the 6R4 turned up to at least one UK event- think it may have been a Brands Rallycross GP, and with one of the RS200s out of action (either a shunt or an engine failure), either the father or son entered the Metro instead- as you do....

[RGM]

Originally Posted by MG Rover Sport

But isn't that a complete nearside front suspension on the left hand side of both of the photos that I poosted at the top of this page Mike - Page 5 and Post #62? Wouldn't that tie in with your comment about '...as I remember it was a front strut nut that split and the damper pulled out...'?

The nut that split caused the off at Silverstone, the picture at the top of the page was from the Mewla/Epynt off... which was caused by too much speed...! :-) The strut was removed to enable the car to be moved as the wheel was jammed in the wheelarch.

Originally Posted by In fact, I have just looked back into my files, and I have virtually all of the events listed that this car competed on since it debuted on the [U

1987 Nelson Azimghur Stages Rally[/U] on 12 July. On the latter the car carried the Reg No B697 CMG - I even have the large framed colour print that Sam used to have on his office wall! - and the car finished 3rd Overall with Jean Blackford alongside.

The 2nd event was the 1987 Merlin Fireplaces Epynt Stages on 8 August. For that event the car carried Bill Barton's Reg No D999 VFW, was Entry No 5, and Sam finished 2nd Overall with Blackford alongside again.

It's 3rd event was the 1987 Rally Radio Link Mewla Stages the day after on 9 August. For that event the car also carried Bill's Reg No D999 VFW again, was Entry No 12, Sam had Nicky Grist alongside him, and they crashed on Stage 6 when lying 2nd Overall at the time.

John Blackford, not jean. John had/has the company Wessington Cabins which was/is based in Calne Wiltshire and is a very long standing friend of Sams. Lovely bloke.

B697CMG was Sams wifes MG Montego Estate... number plates and tax disc borrowed for the Rally at Colerne Airfield, stupid rules about rally cars having to be taxed to run on single venue events where none of the event took place on public roads.

Originally Posted by The car was then reshelled into the ex-temperature test car that you mentioned over the winter of 1987/1988 and wasn't finished till 3am on the morning of it's next rally - the [U

1988 John Price Rallying Longleat Stages[/U] on 27/28 February. On this occasion it carried the Reg No E264 AAM, and this is the event that you mentioned earlier that someone died on. It was in fact Dave Adams who was Steve Whiteford's co-driver. They crashed their 6R4 into a tree, and the co-driver's door took the full impact from what I remember.

I even have a note in my files to say that the original car was damaged when it got hit on a trailer on it's way to Donington with Austin Rover - which also ties in with your original comment about it being damaged previously.

The car wasn't reshelled following the Mewla prang, stripped to a bare shell, painted inside and out and repaired. The only Metro Nelson Engines had was the temperature test car. But enough parts were "new" (painted and refurbished) to satisfy the authorities that E264AAM was a "new" car.
Quite remarkable that you know what time in the morning we finished building the car for Longleat, I don't remember and I was there building it!

I was prepping Mark (?) Bennets car at the same time, if I remember correctly, it was his first event with the metro, that he later rolled down a hillside in Wales, still one of the most violent crashes for a 6R4 I think.....

I didn't actually know that the temperature test car was hit during transport to Donington prior to Sam buying it, just remember picking it up from a seedy bodyshop just outside London, who had jigged it up and painted it to sams specifications.... I also managed to be given some computervision bodypanels from a works car, which they were throwing out... and like a muppet I gave them to Sam Nelson, when I could have saved at least a door pod as a momento...

Terrible business that accident at Longleat.... peoples lives changed forever in an instant.... it was the first fatality that I had experienced at an event, and it haunts me even today. The rally just continued and I remember John Price at the prizegiving saying words to the effect of "life goes on and these things happen, we all love rallying and it is what he would ahve wanted that we continue".
I remember thinking.... what about his family... apparently Dave Adams had stepped in at the last minute, I can't start to image how the original co-driver felt when he heard the news, and as I recall, Steve was never really the same following the accident either.

Mike

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by KA

The Iversens had quite a lot of cars IIRC- father and son ran a pair of RS200s, (later with very distinctive reworked rear bodywork that seemed to be unique to their cars) in the European Rallycross championship, and also, as you mentioned, had at least one 6R4, and a 2wd Porsche. Sponsorship always came from 'Glomma Papp' (think they were in the paper business?)

From vague memory, the 6R4 turned up to at least one UK event- think it may have been a Brands Rallycross GP, and with one of the RS200s out of action (either a shunt or an engine failure), either the father or son entered the Metro instead- as you do....

True KA, and I have a handful of photos of their 6R4 here somewhere. I'll dig them out over the next couple of days and get them scanned in.

[MG Rover Sport]

Originally Posted by RGM

The nut that split caused the off at Silverstone, the picture at the top of the page was from the Mewla/Epynt off... which was caused by too much speed...! :-) The strut was removed to enable the car to be moved as the wheel was jammed in the wheelarch.

Many thanks for the clarification of the two crashes Mike, and your previous posts. Reading them back through again, it all makes perfect sense now.

Originally Posted by RGM

John Blackford, not jean. John had/has the company Wessington Cabins which was/is based in Calne Wiltshire and is a very long standing friend of Sams. Lovely bloke.

Agree, John not Jean. Added his first name from memory, so can I be forgiven?

Originally Posted by RGM

B697CMG was Sams wifes MG Montego Estate... number plates and tax disc borrowed for the Rally at Colerne Airfield, stupid rules about rally cars having to be taxed to run on single venue events where none of the event took place on public roads.

Thanks for that Mike - never knew the Reg No came from Sam's wife's Montego!

Originally Posted by RGM

The car wasn't reshelled following the Mewla prang, stripped to a bare shell, painted inside and out and repaired. The only Metro Nelson Engines had was the temperature test car. But enough parts were "new" (painted and refurbished) to satisfy the authorities that E264AAM was a "new" car. Quite remarkable that you know what time in the morning we finished building the car for Longleat, I don't remember and I was there building it!

I'll check my files again regarding Sam's car(s), and come back to you with what I have jotted down because I see no reason for having inaccurate information recorded!

Originally Posted by RGM

I was prepping Mark (?) Bennets car at the same time, if I remember correctly, it was his first event with the metro, that he later rolled down a hillside in Wales, still one of the most violent crashes for a 6R4 I think.....

It was Paul & Brent Bennetts' car that you must have been working on, and I agree that it didn't look a pretty sight once it had stopped! I have some photos here that Paul's son sent to me in 1989, but I think I'll refrain from posting them on this occasion. Paul debuted his rebuilt car at the same Silverstone race meeting that Sam crashed at in August 1989.

Originally Posted by RGM

I didn't actually know that the temperature test car was hit during transport to Donington prior to Sam buying it, just remember picking it up from a seedy bodyshop just outside London, who had jigged it up and painted it to sams specifications.... I also managed to be given some computervision bodypanels from a works car, which they were throwing out... and like a muppet I gave them to Sam Nelson, when I could have saved at least a door pod as a momento...

Don't talk to me about 'ifs and buts' Mike - I have a 48 volume encyclopedia full of them!

Originally Posted by RGM

Terrible business that accident at Longleat.... peoples lives changed forever in an instant.... it was the first fatality that I had experienced at an event, and it haunts me even today. The rally just continued and I remember John Price at the prizegiving saying words to the effect of "life goes on and these things happen, we all love rallying and it is what he would ahve wanted that we continue".
I remember thinking.... what about his family... apparently Dave Adams had stepped in at the last minute, I can't start to image how the original co-driver felt when he heard the news, and as I recall, Steve was never really the same following the accident either.

I couldn't agree more with you on this Mike. To be honest I didn't really know Steve or Dave that well, but our paths had crossed a couple of times the year before when the 6R4 Owners Club was established. It was certainly a very sad time amongst anyone connected with rallying, the Superchallenge, or the 6R4.

[RGM]

Originally Posted by KA

The Iversens had quite a lot of cars IIRC- father and son ran a pair of RS200s, (later with very distinctive reworked rear bodywork that seemed to be unique to their cars) in the European Rallycross championship, and also, as you mentioned, had at least one 6R4, and a 2wd Porsche. Sponsorship always came from 'Glomma Papp' (think they were in the paper business?)

From vague memory, the 6R4 turned up to at least one UK event- think it may have been a Brands Rallycross GP, and with one of the RS200s out of action (either a shunt or an engine failure), either the father or son entered the Metro instead- as you do....

I spent a few years working for Nelson Engines, and built cars there, then moved to sweden in 1992 and started my own business, where one of my customers was Glomma Papp Racing/Iversen.

Iversen had 2 metros, 2 RS200 evolutions with stroker engines and 700+bhp, and one standard swedish registered RS200 in factory colours.

The standard RS200 never turned a wheel in anger all the time I was there. I went on a few events with them running the RS200's.

I met up with Iversen at a Rally cross event in sweden, just popped into his awning to introduce myself as we had talked about metros and had made contact previously in the uk when Nelson Engines built the 3,5 liter engine for ice racing.
As I walked into his awning and angry little man barged past me and stormed out.... little did I know that was his mechanic who had just quit.
So I was hired on the spot more or less..........!

Iversen wanted me to look at his Metro's.

One looked pretty tidy it was only a standard clubmans shelled car with standard castor turrets, engine driven power steering and had the 3,5 engine and was set up for ice racing and hillclimbing, they had robbed all the uprated transmission parts off the Rothmans car along the way. He didn't want anything doing with that car other than to check it over. It had recently won the Dynamite Hillclimb in Sweden with his son Martin at the wheel.

The other car was stashed away in the back of a warehouse, on pallets, filthy and robbed of parts... but I saw immediately that it was a factory type shell, and later they told me it was a Rothmans car. The only Metro I had ever seen with a Tilton pedal box. (I later saw Capdevilas C727 DYL(?) which also had Tilton Pedalbox, so I assume that was a Rothmans "thing".)
Iversen wanted the Rothmans car thrown together with spareparts so he could sell it.

I managed to sell Iversen on the idea to rebuild the Rothmans car and keep it, selling the clubmans car, he wouldn't restore it to Rothmans livery as he was a very strict anti-smoking campaigner, but he was up for prepping it for hillclimbing, fitting the 3,5 engine, uprated diffs and split bellhousing gearbox etc.

So I started off by stripping both cars, building the clubmans car with spareparts and fitted the ex-rothmans 3,0 liter engine. Reluctantly the original Rothmans seats and steering wheel went into that car too.

Then I set about the Rothmans car, stripped and sandblasted, fixed up, painted and a new alluminium roof skin was fitted, also uprated the main rollcage hoop to a larger diameter with gussets to the latest regulations at that time.
I kept the works wiring harness, and labelled everything ready to fit lights and tailgate fans etc.
We made a carbon kevlar bulkhead with window for the engine bay to cockpit and I fitted the twin fuel tanks (unusual) twin oil coolers and all of the proper big bolt suspension arms.
He has also managed to get hold of one of the very very rare 2 turns lock to lock steering racks that schmidt motorsports had made for Eklunds car.
(Eklund has one, Pauli Silvanoinen had one, and Capdevila almost got one... he paid Silvanoinen 2 grand for it and silvanoinen sent him a broken standard rack in the post...!)

When the car was completed, Iversen tested it at Rudskogen race track in Norway, did 3 laps, said that the car was perfect and decided that it was too nice to drive, so it got parked in his collection and was never used again, until he passed away and his family sold his collection.
Åge Flugre bought it, ran it and abused it pretty bad, I went to Lillehammar hillclimb to see the car in action and it still sounded amazing.
I once again started my campaign to restore the car to Rothmans livery and I do not know if Åge Flugre ever did, but it is possible that they have and it might explain the picture and norwegian article showing the car in rothmans livery once again.

I speak fluent swedish and norwegian, so would appreciate a link to the article if anyone has it.

What I do know about the car is that the 3,5 engine is now blown up and a representitive for the new owner contacted me about rebuilding it.
Once again I have started my campaign to restore it to full Rothmans Glory..... it must be one of the 5 most desireable and historically important 6R4's in my opinion.

My 5 cents.... as they say!

Mike.

heres a picture of it just after arriving in Norway with a combination of Glomma Papp and Rothmans livery! I don't know who took the picture, or who is driving or owning the car at the time the picture was taken.
The current owner sent the picture to me.

[RGM]

Chassis plate



Tilton Pedalbox, note also the crossflow radiator coolant pipes that enter the footwell instead of wiggling around the front propshaft UJ as on the standard cars. All works type cars I saw were like this.



Still in Glomma Papp colours, but after being sold to Åge Flugre. Ciggarettes Kill decals applied on all of Iversens cars are still on there!



One of the many pictures that Bratlie was sent before he bought the car from DRM (David Richards Motorsport)

[MG Rover Sport]

An excellent post there Mike - which I need quite some time to take it all in!

A quick question, although on a different car. What do you know of Fernando Capdevilla's Ford Fiesta Si looking DAM 4100, and in particular what previous history the car had prior to DAM building it?

[MG Rover Sport]

A few photos taken at the 1988 Birmingham Superprix Metro 6R4 Trophy race - especially for 'bigears'!

BELOW : Tony Pond's #16 car in the paddock with Ian Beveridge (behind the car with blue / green Austin Rover Motorsport jacket on), Tony Pond himself (behind the car with yellow jumper on) and Steve Whiteford (blond hair and leather jacket on)...



BELOW : Alistair Sutherland's #18 car on track...



BELOW : Paul Bennett's #9 car on track...



BELOW : Bev Oates' #21 (yellow) car and Steve Harris' #6 (red) car on track...



BELOW : John Price's #3 car on track...



BELOW : Rob Lawrence's #8 car in the wet paddock...



BELOW : The victor, Tony Pond in circa 1986 Austin Rover / Computervision overalls!...



BELOW : The victor, Tony Pond (with helmet) chatting to Andy Sharam in the paddock...



BELOW : 21 MG Metro 6R4s lined up in the enclosure waiting for their turn on track!...



BELOW : More track action...