45 replies to this topic

[merther]

I'm looking for tips on preparing a car for the hrcr daylight road rallies and the like. I plan on fitting a 1293 to the car (if I can find one!) with a mild spec. I have seats, belts, sump guard fitted. Can anyone shed any light on the 'do's and dont's on preparing a car for these type of events. The car will run in cat1.
Thanks.

[Cooperman]

Run the brake, fuel and electrical lines inside the car.

Fit a battery box shield

Make sure the exhaust is quiet and well mounted. Fit skids to the front of the exhaust boxes.

Fit better brake pads - e.g. Mintex 1166

Slightly raise the ride height and fit adjustable dampers and Hi-Lo's.

Add strengthening triangular plates about 3 to 4 mm thick to the front tie-bar mounting brackets on the sub-frame.

The front sub-frame must be solid mounted.

Have a twin trip meter, e.g. Brantz International 2, plus 2 easy to see & read stop watches,.

Have 2 power take off sockets on the navigator's panel.

Weld the handbrake lever mounting bracket firmly to the body-shell.

Fit twin electric fuel pumps with each separately fused, wired and switched.

Fit a 10-row oil cooler.

Best cam is either a Kent 266 or 276 with a cylinder head with 35.6 mm inlet valves and 29.5 mm ex. valves

If staying with a standard gearbox, fit a 3.76:1 FDR with a cross-pin diff.

Consider competition driveshafts - expensive but worthwhile.

Make sure the suspension settings are accurate:  Front: 1.5 degs neg camber, 3 to 3.5 degs caster and 1 mm toe-out, Rear: zero to 0.5 degs neg camber and 1 mm to 1.5 mm toe-in

Quick-release grill with grill buttons.

Bonnet safety straps or hooks.

Standard size or 14" steering wheel - no smaller.

A top quality clutch plate, ideally a competition clutch unit on a pre-Verto flywheel, slightly lightened.

4.5" wide wheels, no wheel arch extensions (less to knock off or break) and 165 section width tyres.

 

I hope this helps.

[merther]

Thanks for help

What shock absorbers would you suggest ?

[rally1380]

I use GAZ shocks on mine, but anything adjustable will do the job....SPAX, AVO, Koni etc

 

Rather than me listing any aditions to the list above, have a read through this......

 

http://www.theminifo...-project/page-1

 

We have competed in 2 HRCR events in my clubman and won our class both times so give it a read and see what you think.

 

One thing I would say, is not all the above modifications are 'essential' as you can compete on the HRCR events in a fairly standard car without much trouble.  You will come unstuck when the test sections are a bit rougher - hense the need for sumpguard and running lines inside (but these could just be plated).

 

The main thing is to keep everything 'in period' and safe otherwise the scrutineers will throw the book at you.  Make sure your front seats are bolted down properly and the firewalls are sealed. Don't go running fiesta brakes on the front or a digital bike speedo with average speed readout otherwise they won't allow you to run......you'd be surprised what people have tried!!.

 

Tyres is a funny one as there isn't really much choice...if you are running 10" wheels, most use either a forestry tyre or Yokohamas.  If you are new to the sport then you will be running at the back of the field and therefore on a rougher event, it will be even rougher at the back of the field by the time you get there so worth considering that. 

 

As for events....enter the Tour of Cheshire as you first one. I'm biased as my motorclub organise it, but also it runs a beginner class (below novice) so you have a better chance of going home with an award (if that motivates you). The navigation is less complicated than other events too and the HRCR run training events on the run up to the ToC between new year and march so you can get to grips with the things to expect.  The tests are smoother too so won't wreck your car.

 

Any questions just fire away.

[merther]

Thanks for your help. The car is a mk1 so im planning to build a 1293 for it, i believe a plus blocks can be used now. (If anyone has a complete a plus pls let me know!)
My next concern was the lines thanks for advice. I dont live far from the toc so that was my planned event, the vale of clwyd isnt far away either but the car wont be done in time. How do they seed you on events? I have some stage rally experience would that effect my seeding?

[rally1380]

Thanks for your help. The car is a mk1 so im planning to build a 1293 for it, i believe a plus blocks can be used now. (If anyone has a complete a plus pls let me know!)
My next concern was the lines thanks for advice. I dont live far from the toc so that was my planned event, the vale of clwyd isnt far away either but the car wont be done in time. How do they seed you on events? I have some stage rally experience would that effect my seeding?

 

You must live near me then as they are my local events.

 

How long ago was/is the stage experience?  It might effect the seeding - they ask you when applying what events you have done in the past 5 years and go from there. If you go on the VoCC website and have a look at the entry form you will get a better idea.

 

A+ blocks are allowed now....bit of a shame as i built an MG metro engine a few years back and sold it thinking i couldn't run it, so bought a pretty sketchy 1293 A series block and box (still sat under my bench in reserve!) but then luckily my car came with a 1380 A series in it.

 

The biggest thing with HRCR events is getting the navigation right.  You can run a fully prepped car but do really badly due to a nav who doesn't have a clue, whereas a standard car will do well with a nav who 'gets it'.

[craigallanmcwilliams]

 

Thanks for your help. The car is a mk1 so im planning to build a 1293 for it, i believe a plus blocks can be used now. (If anyone has a complete a plus pls let me know!)
My next concern was the lines thanks for advice. I dont live far from the toc so that was my planned event, the vale of clwyd isnt far away either but the car wont be done in time. How do they seed you on events? I have some stage rally experience would that effect my seeding?

 

You must live near me then as they are my local events.

 

How long ago was/is the stage experience?  It might effect the seeding - they ask you when applying what events you have done in the past 5 years and go from there. If you go on the VoCC website and have a look at the entry form you will get a better idea.

 

A+ blocks are allowed now....bit of a shame as i built an MG metro engine a few years back and sold it thinking i couldn't run it, so bought a pretty sketchy 1293 A series block and box (still sat under my bench in reserve!) but then luckily my car came with a 1380 A series in it.

 

The biggest thing with HRCR events is getting the navigation right.  You can run a fully prepped car but do really badly due to a nav who doesn't have a clue, whereas a standard car will do well with a nav who 'gets it'.

 

 

You can't be far from me either, toc was my first ever this year, then straight after sold the MGB Roadster and bought a mini, the next one will be vale of clwyd which isn't far from home, my son's first rally and I am throwing him at the deep end navigating.

 

Same as yourself, I bought a 1275 A series block, still trying to work out what it is though, it's either a allegro or a Austin 1300 S Mk3 and then I discovered A+ blocks are allowed now, thankfully just before I started stripping the engine out, so the A series block is also sat in the garage in reserve.

 

Getting the car right in period is always a worry, I remember the HRCR training day back in January and remembering things like the roof colour on the mini in the tent having to be changed to match cars of the period. What would be great for newcomers is a day/evening where you can bring your car along and have someone help to point out things that may need changed or looked at before an event.

[rally1380]

 

Getting the car right in period is always a worry, I remember the HRCR training day back in January and remembering things like the roof colour on the mini in the tent having to be changed to match cars of the period. What would be great for newcomers is a day/evening where you can bring your car along and have someone help to point out things that may need changed or looked at before an event.

 

 

I know some of the HRCR North west blokes and very friendly with a high up scute, so may well suggest that to them as it's a very good idea.  They do meet on one evening a month somewhere in cheshire (bit vague sorry!) at a pub so you could pop along.

 

How do you mean regarding the roof colour?  That is my car and don't remember much being said. Although someone did point out the wing mirrors!!!! 

[craigallanmcwilliams]

It would have been your clubman in the tent then.

 

Was the roof not white or another colour at one time or another, then you had to have the roof resprayed to the same as the body? my memory is a bit vauge but something along the lines of period colours and style stuck in my head, Mk1-Mk3 minis could have white roofs but not clubmans, funny the things that stick in your head? I have a MK3 Mini 1000 and still unsure if the white roof can stay or not. 

 

Of all the obvious things in the car that day, hammer, tax disc etc. someone picked out the wing mirrors as being wrong for the car. 

[rally1380]

It would have been your clubman in the tent then.

 

Was the roof not white or another colour at one time or another, then you had to have the roof resprayed to the same as the body? my memory is a bit vauge but something along the lines of period colours and style stuck in my head, Mk1-Mk3 minis could have white roofs but not clubmans, funny the things that stick in your head? I have a MK3 Mini 1000 and still unsure if the white roof can stay or not. 

 

Of all the obvious things in the car that day, hammer, tax disc etc. someone picked out the wing mirrors as being wrong for the car. 

 

And the SAT NAV!!!! ha ha

 

The roof is still black and never had a scrute pick it up. There are loads of iffy things like that which get through...the vale of clwyd last year had a rather suspect car competing.....but i shall stay quiet on that one as i don't want to upset the CoC (again!!!) as i've entered again this year.

 

Originally the roof has been white (doubt it left the factory like that, but i do have an old photo of it) and the main body was Aqua.

 

With regards to the roof colours...I think everyone thinks that every mini came out of the factory with a white or black roof, and 99% of scrutes won't know that much about specific cars...of course, sods law will no doubt raise it's head on an event and you will get the mini geek scrute that will point out issues!!  In my very short time of competing, I find the best way to act towards a scrutineer is being friendly and crack a joke or two. It also helps that my nav (and wife) is very attractive so the scrutes loose focus and start chatting her up instead!!!

 

I'd leave your roof white unless you don't like it of course.

Edited by rally1380, 17 July 2014 - 02:45 PM.

[GraemeC]

From memory, the blur book states manufacturers colour scheme not manufacturers colours. I've always stood by this and the fact that Austin/Morris used a body colour with contrasting roof on some Mini models from the factory.

[Cooperman]

In fact, red with a white roof was not a 'manufacturer's standard scheme' in the '60's or '70's. It was private owners and later the 'works' who painted the roof white on a red Mini, so if the historic regs were original manufacturer's colours, all the red/white Minis (like mine) would be ineligible and that ain't gonna happen any time soon!

It is reliability and good mid-range torque which is good for historic road rallies.

[rally1380]

Another tip after doing this weekends Ross Traders Histroic rally....

 

Make sure whatever you build is water proof!!!  With the rain we had during the morning, i'm surprised more cars didn't fall fowl of the amount of water on the roads and falling from the sky!

 

At the finish, the crew in the Lotus Elan got out and were soaked!!!! The driver was wearing waterproof trousers in the car!!!!!

[Cooperman]

This gives a flavour as to the action:

 

[keefr22]

Lovely pic - like time traveling back to the sixties...!!