History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[911thillclimber]

As it now draws close, and all the cards seem to have been exchanged, I thought i would wish you all a Happy Xmas, and a very healthy and prosperous New Year.

A very good year for me in the car, I've enjoyed it tremendously overall, and I deeply appreciate all the support this thread and it's details has bought me.

Over 230,000 hits is remarkable, and i hope this little sketch of mine will raise a smile!
I think it sums-up the story so far...

[911thillclimber]

Long spell in the den today with the plan to get the middle and front clams all together and on the tub.

Starting with the middle, there were lots of small cuts to make to clear lots of things, like the steering rack arms that came too close for my comfort, the top crossmember and a mirriad of other small cuts with my trusty coping saw. Must have had the section on and off 30+ times, but at last it sat there with the pip pins in the original holes made for the other body.

Of course, the front section was a different matter.....

Two cuts and it was on!
Stunned by this miracle, I fitted the top clips to pull it all tignt at the top of the wings and the front pip pins lined up and pushed in. Toooo easy.

Dropped the car to the floor and of course the drivers side front wheel sticks out, the passenger's sticks in. Not so easy....

Freeing the rear pip pins and the whole shell can be pulled across to split the difference over the tyres. This means re-working the rear pip pin holes or at least one of them.
Good start though, and the colour is growing on me.

[Clive Brown]

I am just any eensy-weensy bit concerned that if the body is square to the chassis, it is not square to the suspension, which is what I gather from your latest posting.

The suspension must be square to the chassis in roll, pitch, and yaw planes; only then can body work be fitted accurately.

Regards

Clive

[911thillclimber]

That thought has of course crossed my mind too before this shell arrived.

There is no room for adjustment at all on the front.
The lower wishbones are set and not adjustable.
The difference is about 20mm if you use the body to datum from.
All I can say is the car moves the same left to right in a hillclimb manner (hard changes of direction) and runs arrow straight.

For sure, there is nothing i can do about the tub. If it is bent then it stays like that!
There is however not a crease in sight anywhere.

I can even things up enough if I re-drill the pip pin holes at the roll cage end.

3 mm will correct it on one side and will skew the nose across enough.

Cosmetically, have decided not to apply the 908-3 Porsche orange arrows byt an interpretation of them in Martini colours (which the 908 also has for some races)

The quality of fit on this Equinox made shell is great.

[911thillclimber]

Had a ponder at 'work' today.

All the body alignment is datum'd off the pip pin locations that i made and positioned because the original Lola ones were removed for the wider Ghia body.

If i was out when I first fitted the body, then this one will be out too.
The blue shell is taken off an original Lola body based mold, and is #7 to be lifted from the molds.
I've worked-out how to cover the tyres equally now, but need to rest my crumpled knee for a few days, Xmas, then in the garage Boxing day etc to nail the front down.

The rear should be easy in comparison.

[spd(john)]

Liking the new look.

[911thillclimber]

6 hours in the garage today with the plan to get the rear clam on the car and fitted.

Job done!
Took a bit of messing with trimming here and there, but no worse than I expected. Clam went on and off 9 times thanks to Mrs hillclimber who actually came to my call half way through washing her hair for the Big Family Meeting tomorrow!

All the edges and cut outs now need a final fettle to even them up, radius the sharp corners and tidy the lot up.

Final job will be to turn the 4 location pins and bond them into the rear and middle sections. These should then keep the front wings evenly over the front wheels.

The whole body must be 1/2 the weight of the original (repro itself) body.
I hope it will be man enough to handle my off track adventures...

The orange arrows are off the menu, but I have 'approval' for a nice alternative, used by the Porsche factory. I hope these can be done on vynal rather than aerosol can!

[andy97]

It really does look very nice.

[911thillclimber]

Thank you Andy.
The body is a great fit and far better than I expected.
The Equinox body is far cheaper than the TW Mouldings body I had before (now in the shed as a spare I hope I never need)

Will add a few re-enforcing strips soon to stiffen a few areas.

Decals should be a bit like this:

http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119...80971small.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...OwcsbXaaUx40tw

[Andy Clegg]

Those colours would certainly enhance the look of it.

[911thillclimber]

I hope so too Andy! This blue is quite an area, but when the red body was new it had the same 'freshness' before the roundels go on and a few Championship stickers (sponsor's logos etc) which tend to break it up a touch.

Finally got all the panels down on the car and aligned with all the bloody pip-pins in too, hate those things.

After cutting to top out of the rear clam for the carbs I had to bond in a strengthening/stiffener as the top would flap about too much. That effort came ot ok and so the body is actually done, until i turned the (narrow) wheels left and right to have then clash with the front leading edge of the arch by about 3mm. The tyres are currently 21" dia and right dia is 20", but too close nevertheless to leave, so...

Out with the trusty coping saw and two nifty slices on the lower lip (where the splitter will go) either side of the pip-pins and I spread the leading arch a full 15mm each side, with a simple alloy plate to bridge the cut (now 6mm wide) and then filled with resin the 21" tyres clear easy, and interestingly, the 10" rims (20" dia) also clear!

The thin ply splitter will also add some re-enforcement when fitted which is this weekends job along with fitting the old wind screen/deflector.

Pushed the car so finished outside to get the garage aired-out in the super sunshine and a good sweep out too.

I need to clean the chassis a bit for a trip to McClurg Motorsport soon so Sean can get the rear end back straight and check the front too. If anyone has seen the level of quality he turns out you will know my car will look a bit 'rustic' in appearance; can't have that!

Once Sean is happy there are the engine tweeks, a re-tune (DIY) of the carbs and that mappable ignition Black Box to sort out, fresh skinny slicks, and we are ready for the Loton Member's Practice Weekend in early April, my fav hill.

The trusty 911 needs some TLC too before the classic car season also kicks off.
I need to retire early, there is so much to do, and i have another project to get started/done before I'm too old to enjoy it...

A few sunny snaps:

[JasperClan]

Looks perfect for an introduction to French hillclimbing at the Saint Goueno Masters - 31st May/1st June.

Pete Richards

[911thillclimber]

The car could be (might overheat), but this driver certainly is not right.
I've seen FAR too many videos of that fantastic hillclimb and a mad speeds..

Very lucky for me I can be at Shelsley Walsh for a Championship meeting, so have a good excuse. I mean, I hit 105 mph one at Shelsley in the 32 second climb!

I've heard only good/rave reviews about the euro hill climbs by a few who have been and done them. They look truly an adventure; spectating is not quite the same.

It would need a BMW 6 pot, sequential box, a 30 year younger driver and a fat wallet.
(and Mrs Hillclimber would not approve...but would like to visit it)

UK hills are not of the same stuff:
Try this and pass to 1.57 min mark

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCbarI74Pnw#t=20

[delta]

Looks and handles lovely. Well done.

[JasperClan]

You'd be fine at the Masters. No need for BMW six pot, sequential box, younger driver or even a fat wallet.

Check out this 65 year old with approx 100bhp and definately not a fat wallet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxRgKG4DkEM

The hillclimb's fine, it's the social side of the weekend that takes it out of you!

Pete Richards



Pete Richards

[911thillclimber]

Thanks for the video, doesn't look to bad actually.

I usually get about 2 mins on the hill over a weekend, not per run!
Showed it to Mrs hillclimber.....zero reaction.

Body graphics look roughly like the very quick sketch. The Martini colours are vivid with a mix of the body blue, a dark royal blue and a vivid orange.
Thinking of having 'LOLA PORSCHE in a subtile darker orange in the classic 911 70's Porsche script just by where you climb in to go and drive the thing.

I'm waiting a call from a local body wrapping company for a quote to design, make and apply the stripes.
Got to have a white roundel on the nose and both sides to comply to the Blue Book.

Still miss those big wheels!

[911thillclimber]

Weather permitting, the car will go to McClurg Motorsort for a full alignment tweek as only Sean can this weekend, so i thought the car needed a few hours of TLC beforehand.

Tidied all the cuts to the fibreglass body on sunday so the body is all good though the pip-pins are tight again...

The one advantage with the narrow front wheels is that i can get a little more steering lock into the rack. It has always been VERY tight getting off the top of Prescott hill so a few more degrees would help.

This mean making two 6mm spacers to change the 'stroke/travel' of the rack, duely made today and fitted.

It is doing these things that let you appreciate the quality of the parts on this car at times. The original Lola had a Ford Escort Mk1 (LHD) rack with a few mods made, but Alan Humberstone told me they added a racing rack when the front end was modded with the F3000 Brembo brakes etc using Ralt uprights, probably why the track of the front is so wide.

I'm not sure what make it is but the parts are superb.

Anyway, spacers in and I have about 5 deg more turn on the outer wheel of the turn than before, about 12% more. I think I will notice that just about everywhere.

Getting close to being done.

Sean will have the car for a week in his shop, then time to do the ignition on the engine, bleed the brakes and clean every corner of the thing!

Fresh slicks, and we are ready to...start on a few tweeks to my 911 for a few summer adventures between the hills.

Can't wait!

[Clive Brown]

I do so hope that you haven't changed the distance between pivot points when you put the spacers in the rack.... this would give you bump steer.

[NinaGarwood]

Hi, i'm Nina Garwood, Bernie Garwoods daughter and i'm looking at your Lola in my family photo album!

[911thillclimber]

Clive:
Certainly have not.
The rack stops out on the hex locking nut. The spacer 'spaces' that position further out so allowing the rack to traverse further, in this case 6mm further.
So, the distance from the race end to the center of the inner control arm rose joints are the same, the distance from the inner joint to it's opposite number is still the same as when Alan had it sorted.

Nina;
Just seen your pm.
I would of course love to see that photo.
Your father's name is in the very early history of the car, about 1980.
I can't recall now how his name came about but there is mention of him in this giant Thread (is it a blog?)

The car should still be Kelly Girl Green if it is in colour.

Can you scan it at all? (please!)

[911thillclimber]

Search functions are great!

Bernie Garwood was the owner of the Lola before Paul Watkins (who kept the original front nose off the car)

Post # 1295 gets us back to the early history of the car.
I REALLY MUST write all this history up in a chronological manner...

Paul bought the lightly damaged car in dark red now off Bernie in around 1985. Bernie had the car for about 3 years, entered the car a few times but never raced it I think, certainly the car was no-show on 2 occasions I think.
Maybe Nina can help!

Most interesting how these topics come back around, thus the picture Nina has of her Dad's car, this Lola, could in fact be red OR Kelly Girl Green.

[NinaGarwood]

I have one photo of your car dated July 82 and the car is red. i have another Lola in a dark colour dated Feb 82, but not sure if its yours. i have scanned it on but am having trouble uploading it, bear with me!

[NinaGarwood]

It's amazing that we found each other. My mum brought round a bag of dad's racing photos yesterday and i decided to google him in the hope of finding any of his friends who might have photos of him and found your thread, quite amazing as he died before"the internet". I have read through your thread and even though i was only 7 years old in 1982, i can clarify a few things.
My dad was Bernie Garwood, based in Sayers Common, Sussex. He prepared and raced cars for himself and others.
He died on 28th June 1990 while testing a frog eyed sprite, on the road.
His friend was indeed Peter Newman from Redhill, i do not know where he is now, but would love to find him as he has photos and video footage of my dad. They used to go racing together cars and bikes.
Another friend he used to race with in this era was a Trevor Hunt an accountant/

I'm not sure if the 1st photo is yours.
The second photo definately is, i'm not sure where it was taken, but it looks like a race meeting?
I can also tell you that he was racing a Formula Ford Hawke DL15 in the 1979 and 1980 seasons. Then in 1981 they raced a Jaguar XK140 and Austin Healey Sprite, then went back to a Formula Ford Hawke DL15 for 1982 and 1983.

Hope this ties up a few loose ends

[Andy Clegg]

Top photo is Paddock Hill bend at Brands Hatch.

[911thillclimber]

I'm a bit gobsmacked!

I thought Nina that you must have found the thread doing a Google search and thank goodness you have.

The bottom pic is my Lola as you say, in red and the front arch is the dead giveaway. # 26 is still on the nose of the car and it was sold to Paul Wilkins in that form, # 26 number.
Paul gave me the picture of him with the car still on the trailer the day he bought it from your dad, #26 and that extended arch.
Brilliant.

Also I think the top pic is the car too.
The nose had a substantial front splitter with the alloy side nose 'winglets' (there is a tech name for those, Clive will tell me soon!)

It would be suberb if you could send me a direct copy of them nice and large for the hard-copy scrap book Nina if you have time. I will pm my home address to you.

Side view of the car looks great doesn't it?

What a great history this car has, one of the most endearing parts of my turn with the car.
Thank you very much, and I think also from those who have 'read' this story with me from the start.
What a great story it all is.