Jump to content


Photo

A Vist From Williams F1


  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

#1 quagmire

quagmire

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 74 posts
  • Location: wigan

Posted 30 September 2016 - 09:54 PM

A nice surprise at work the other day when the plant had a vist from the guy's from Williams formula one they brought along two race cars.The championship winning car of Alan Jones and the 2015 car of valtteri Bottas Both cars were on display in our technology centre for the day allowing us to get some photos and to get up close to what are some amazing pieces of engineering and to compare a modern f1 car to FW07B the car that took Alan Jones to the 1980 World Championship.

#2 Orange-Phantom

Orange-Phantom

    Super Mini Mad

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 614 posts

Posted 01 October 2016 - 09:26 AM

Wow! Sounds amazing!
It's crazy the evolution the cars have gone through over the years, I do think that's the technology has overtaken everything though. If an F1 team were allowed to build a car without hardly any constraints then I think the drivers would have to wear Jet fighter type suits to keep the drivers from blacking out.
I do wish the cars were a bit more like the old FW07 with manual gear change etc, that's the ground effect car with the side skirts if I'm correct. Lots of downforce generated from the underbody. That would be great to bring back to allow closer racing but I suppose if one of the skirts lifts under hard cornering, well that's your downforce gone! Just when you need it most!

#3 quagmire

quagmire

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 74 posts
  • Location: wigan

Posted 01 October 2016 - 03:25 PM

Have to agree with you there, been a f1 fan for many years and always try to get down to Silverstone each year for 2 or 3 days been abroad to watch as well. Like many fans I feel f1 should be the pinnacle of Motorsport and although the speed of the cars remains awesome I think certain regulations restrict engineering to much, the sheer noise of of the normally aspirated engines of the pre 2014 cars for example Would be enough to turn even the most car hating person into a fan. The 2017 regs seem to be going in the right direction with the wider tyres and less restrictive exhaust system we'll just have to wait and see.

#4 AlexMozza

AlexMozza

    One Carb Or Two?

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,248 posts
  • Location: Bratton, Wiltshire
  • Local Club: Not Yet

Posted 02 October 2016 - 02:26 PM

Having worked on classic F1 cars, the evolution is incredible.

However, for full on engineering and technology you need to look at the Porsche, Audi and Toyota LMP1 cars!



#5 quagmire

quagmire

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 74 posts
  • Location: wigan

Posted 04 October 2016 - 09:23 PM

Sounds like a job made in heaven Alex which f1 cars have you had the pleasure of working on?

#6 AlexMozza

AlexMozza

    One Carb Or Two?

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 1,248 posts
  • Location: Bratton, Wiltshire
  • Local Club: Not Yet

Posted 04 October 2016 - 09:31 PM

I've worked on a few old Williams in the masters historic racing series. Along with can am cars and full blown v8 sports cars from the 60s!

#7 Spider

Spider

    Moved Into The Garage

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 13,845 posts
  • Location: NSW
  • Local Club: South Australian Moke Club

Posted 05 October 2016 - 08:05 PM



 the car that took Alan Jones to the 1980 World Championship.

 

Here's one of the engines, well, parts of it, from that car.

 

Cam Carrier, having new sleeves fitted for the Buckets

 

CamCarrierWM_zpskascixea.jpg

 

 

Cylinder Block and Head, cast one piece, so no head gasket problems, cast in a grade of aluminium, with electroplated bores

 

CylinderWM_zpsaxyeetsl.jpg

 

 

and the all important Cam Cover

 

RockerCoverWM_zpse4tldjct.jpg

 

 

Amazing bit of kit.



#8 quagmire

quagmire

    Stage One Kit Fitted

  • Noobies
  • PipPipPip
  • 74 posts
  • Location: wigan

Posted 06 October 2016 - 09:09 PM

The car has been up to the Leyland assembly plant before albeit some years ago when Leyland Vehicles first became involved with sponsorship of the Williams team,where it performed a series of short runs on the test track, and ending (from what I can gather,it was before My time there) rather unceremoniously in a break down lol still very impressive through. not sure who drove on the day will have to ask at work tomorrow. Moke Spider how did end up with one of the engine's?

#9 Spider

Spider

    Moved Into The Garage

  • Admin
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 13,845 posts
  • Location: NSW
  • Local Club: South Australian Moke Club

Posted 09 October 2016 - 06:03 AM

As relayed to me, the car is or was here a few years ago in the hands of a private collector, the real car, not a replica or one of the other cars from the team (? if there were any others). It was undergoing some work, the full extent of I am unsure of, but various parts of the engine, as above, were sent to a college who is one clever guy. One of the jobs that he was asked to look and was to fit and dress valve seats. Easy on something that the head come apart from, but I can assure you a very tricky job on this. I gave my friend a hand over a week to do that part of the job, the other items were pretty straight forward.

 

My friend gets sent all many of 'difficult' jobs from all corners of the motorsport industry.



#10 CMXCVIII

CMXCVIII

    Speeding Along Now

  • Members
  • PipPipPipPipPip
  • 374 posts
  • Location: Gaps in London Traffic

Posted 09 October 2016 - 12:16 PM

FWIW that Hart Turbo engine might once have pushed Alan Jones towards the horizon, but it wasn't in the back of a Williams. His Williams had Cosworth DFVs though that Hart could have been fitted into a Beatrice Lola that Jones drove unsuccessfully in 1985.

 

Either way, it's a dramatic bit of kit.

 

By the way, when it comes to integral cylinder heads, there are some motor cars that are even more annoying to work on than a bloody Mini! If you want to grind the valves in a Bugatti, you start by taking the back wheels off ... to remove the back axle, the propshaft, the gearbox and then when you've dropped the engine, you can take out the crank and rods and pistons and look up the bores to see the valves!

 

Just as well they didn't make five million of them!

 

Jon






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users