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HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe

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10 years 10 months ago #34265 by Martin Rutter
HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe was created by Martin Rutter
Managed to get the car to the first round of the HSA champonship at a sunny Castle Combe on Saturday. Ran out of time to fit the new coil-over suspension and the new engine and gearbox will not be ready for a while. On the plus side, the additional brake master and bias system was in and working well to dial in more rear bias, and I just managed to get the new wheels and tyres in time for the event and get the new alloy fuel tank fitted up front

. Unfotunately we had no time to actual turn a wheel before we were heading for the circiut early on Saturday only to discover a big fuelling issue under max load. We were going to check it quickly on the rolling road on Friday but ran out of time. So I was basically running a standard engine (with serious issue) and box and fairly standard suspension. Castle Combe is a real highspeed and power circuit so with my fuelling issue I was having to lift all the time to allow the engine it to recover. I ended up 3rd in class so wasn't the slowest but had the fastest 64 feet time at 2.63 seconds as in 1st and 2nd gears from the line I wasn't starved of fuel. Considering 2 of the other cars had 150+ bhp to my standard 60bhp, it shows that off the line it is going to be its strong point and when I get the new engine and all the other bit sorted it should be close to the front. Round the corners it was awsome even without the new suspension. Lots of work to do before the next event.

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10 years 10 months ago #34267 by W. GORDON FOGARTY
Replied by W. GORDON FOGARTY on topic HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe
Good to get a 1st run in. No breakages? What are those tyres? any good so far?
Fiat x1/9 hillclimb car (competition modded)
Fiat X1/9 road car (basically standard)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf
Porsche 911 (996)

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10 years 10 months ago #34269 by Martin Rutter
Replied by Martin Rutter on topic HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe
Hi Gordon,
ACB10 - awesome. Very soft so won't last that long. Had to get them off the car in the pits fairly quickly as they were sinking into the rough tarmac in my pit area. I'm now happy that the 8J rims on the rear was the correct choice with 6.5J upfront.
Nothing broke on the car - it was just a massive pain about the fuelling issue otherwise I would not have been too far behind the best in class despite giving away 100bhp. Can't wait to get the car fully sorted and the new engine in place. A big bonus was that by actually turning for the first event and managing 3rd place, I was the only point scorer in the HSA A1 class so am currently class championship leader after 1st round and 19th in the overall championship. This won't last I am sure but it made the long hours preparation worthwhile.

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10 years 10 months ago #34270 by W. GORDON FOGARTY
Replied by W. GORDON FOGARTY on topic HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe
Interesting, I must send you some more pics of my car in detail.

Dependent on the rules you are running within I can see your car could loose a lot of weight, though is that a half roll-cage I see? .

I have just spent weekend replacing 3rd gear syncro on my car and inspecting a few other thing in box too, all good now.

My 7x13 Wheels are imminent I understand from supplier, tyres not yet sorted.

Cheers
Fiat x1/9 hillclimb car (competition modded)
Fiat X1/9 road car (basically standard)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf
Porsche 911 (996)

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10 years 10 months ago #34272 by W. GORDON FOGARTY
Replied by W. GORDON FOGARTY on topic HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe
64ft time is good I can manage about 2.40 seconds in flat conditions looking back to 2014 events.

www.anicc.org.uk/Discipline.aspx?d=4

Your tyre/gearing/clutch combo in std. format seems to be working.

X1/9 starts are a strength.
I have historically then lost this advantage in the rest of a hillclimb event through a lack of overall BHP.

Perhaps it will be different in 2015 season ....
Fiat x1/9 hillclimb car (competition modded)
Fiat X1/9 road car (basically standard)
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Cloverleaf
Porsche 911 (996)

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10 years 10 months ago #34273 by Martin Rutter
Replied by Martin Rutter on topic HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe
Further weight reduction is planned: single skin FG bonnet, boot and engine cover, boot floor and rear rails to be cut out to make way for 4:1 exhaust system and side draught 45s, excess from doors, rear and side glass replaced, alloy radiator, to name but a few mods.
The roll cage is going to be modified to pick up the turrets at the back rather than the parcel shelf and then the front cage added,. With this work, I will probably have to move to the C1 class as I will be pushing the limit for A1.
My 64 foot time is remarkable considering the standard engine and clutch - it must be due to the tremendous grip of the tyres as it was impossible to get any wheel spin. With another 90 bhp I will be aiming to get as close as possible to 2.0 seconds on the flat.
Interested to see more details of your car.

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10 years 10 months ago #34275 by Speedy Fiat
Replied by Speedy Fiat on topic HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe
Great to see an other exxy in competition, if only I was so organised to be out so early. I aim to be out for either Loton on the 19th April or more likely Snetterton or MIRA, no doubt we'll catch up at some time over the season. With another 90hp you would probably need to look for a better clutch as mine complained badly when running at around 130hp - I have always found Helix paddle clutches to be excellent. I wonder how much power an X19 gearbox can take off the line given the amazing amount of grip, I tend to avoid the tyre warming until the last run for fear of destroying the gearbox - I'm saving up for a decent set of competition gears. Be careful with the regs regarding fibreglass panels as that may put you in the modified class which can mean serious money and modifications. I have seen someone take the inner skin/strengthener off a bonnet and boot to great effect for weight saving, cheap and keeps within the regs

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10 years 10 months ago #34277 by Martin Rutter
Replied by Martin Rutter on topic HSA 1st Round Sprint - Castle Combe
The clutch will be uprated when the new engine and gearbox are fitted. I am expecting close to 150 bhp based on the head flow figures as measured on the bench. The new box has internals from the turbo so should take the power.
Tyre warming is pretty much banned at events this year and with these tyres there is no need. The rules don't exclude FG panels for boot and bonnet. However, I will probably end up in C1 class anyway at some point. Serious money has already been spent! I just need all the bits on the car.

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