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Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 8:21 pm
by jbz23
Hi all

What's the general basic rules to a appendix k mk1 racer ?

I'm going to build one. And wondered on the rules

Are you aloud fully adjustable suspension ?

Any help/info will be great

Thanks

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 8:25 pm
by rich@minispares.com
jbz23 wrote:Hi all

What's the general basic rules to a appendix k mk1 racer ?

I'm going to build one. And wondered on the rules

Are you aloud fully adjustable suspension ?

Any help/info will be great

Thanks
if your going to build one then is probably best to sit down and read the regs

a correct, competitive appendix k car is both complicated and difficult to build as so many parts need to be standard, none of the suspension can be standard, so it takes a lot of skill and time to set the suspension up to make the car handle correctly.

if you are new to this, you will be better to build a hssc class d car as so much more of the stuff is easier and cheaper to do.

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 8:29 pm
by GeorgeA

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 8:33 pm
by jbz23
Hi

Cheers I've raced mini 7s for 10 years with reasonable success so lm not new to it all

There a temparmental beast so I'm sure an historic won't be any worse

I will look into to the hssc also

Cheers

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:26 pm
by YMJ
Take it from me...don't build a FIA car.
Buy Dan Wheeler's FIA car for 30k, put a decent lump in, buy 4 new doughnuts and you might just walk away without spending 70k+
If you're reasonably successful in an uber-competitive series like M7, you'll find it's all about the motor unit and you won't like tootling around at the back with a underpowered cheap unit.

Cue loads of people posting that it doesn't cost that much to build an FIA car. No, it doesn't but if you're looking to show the same level of success, it'll be that sort of money. Ask Endaf if he's got any prepped shells available if you're really set on a self build

Richie is correct also...a class D car is much easier and cheaper to build. And simple to "upgrade" if you ever wish make the step "up".

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 10:30 pm
by jbz23
Cheers for the great info

I've already got a solid shell ready to cage , brakes , roll bar , shockers

New swifty box, rods, crank, flywheel and diff , I've been gradually collecting bits over the last couple years

So will gradually build up over the next 12months

Will defo look into hssc

Cheers

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 10:38 pm
by Pete
Not sure whats going on with App K Minis but there seem to have been loads built but not that many being raced currently? Yes you need a big budget but the theory is the car might just be worth the build costs if it's looked after.What's a competative Swifty engine now, £20K? A pal of mine had Jonathan Lewis build him a front runner last year, mid 50ks I think. Not noticed too many new drivers getting into Class D.

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 10:52 pm
by YMJ
Pete. Now you come to mention it, you're right. The World and his wife are building historic cars at the moment...but no one's really having a go at racing them.
ClassD definitely the club racer formula, with the front row of the AppK grid strictly for the professional Goodwood touring car drivers, aged rock musicians and celebrity chefs.

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Sun Jul 16, 2017 11:18 pm
by Pete
I remember not that many years ago when an App K couldn't get near a top Class D at Oulton. Now it's the other way round and it's only a few years ago that Peter Morgan was a front runner in Class D and his race winning immaculate car sold for £28K? You'd really struggle to build a competative car for anything like that now.

Apparently those rear ARBs Jonathan Lewis was selling recently are transformative. Aren't they tubular? Loads of trick but standard looking bits about.

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 9:09 am
by rich@minispares.com
Pete wrote: Loads of trick but standard looking bits about.
and that it why it costs so much to build a competitive k

its the level of data that you need to acquire to make one handle was well as the top boys, the engine is only a small part of it.

hscc is much easier, as long as you build a car that falls within their remit you can do that, a series all stars, sprint it, hill climb it, plenty to do with it

appendix k is just hassle unless you want to be a fully paperupped member of the 'sharp end'

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:20 am
by jbz23
Cheers all

Some good useful info here

So basically why would it be cheaper to build a hscc over appendix k ?

Thanks

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 10:44 am
by rich@minispares.com
jbz23 wrote:Cheers all

Some good useful info here

So basically why would it be cheaper to build a hscc over appendix k ?

Thanks
easy and cheap adjustable suspension

no expensive papers needed

cheaper engines

cheaper entry fees

if you can set up a 7 you will be able to set up a class d car - a couple of hours on the scales and the gauges and its done - you have to strip and rebuild a k to get the suspension tweeked - a horrid job - be like doing a mighty mini but worse

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:41 am
by surfblue63

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 11:48 am
by jbz23
Cheers

This is sounding a more sensible option , I would go for a miglia but not 100% sure with support of cars in the championship and I'm sure the value in an historic would be stronger investment .

Let's say I do brands mini festival what class would a hscc be in compared to appendix k ?

Cheers

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 12:26 pm
by jbz23
Hi
Just found out info on that one , it would be pre 66 race

Cheers for everyone's input I think hscc could be the route to go down

Thanks all

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:14 am
by mk1
Just to clarify a point made by Rich early on.

The reason App K suspension is so difficult to set up is that you MUST USE STANDARD COMPONENTS, not as he says "none of the suspension can be standard".

This means that you have do do a lot of part matching & "semi illegal" tweeks to get it sorted.

HSCC Class D is certainly the way to go.

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:02 am
by Pete
Not a bad idea at all, new Class D Minis have been few and far between in recent years with the rise of App K but as Peter Morgan proved only a few years ago with a car costing alot less they can win races outright!

Tim Harber's the man to ask about Class D.

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 6:13 am
by phil82
Now how do they sort the lower front suspension arms in App K cars? Are there undrilled versions available?
Cheers!

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:03 am
by mk1
Now how do they sort the lower front suspension arms in App K cars? Are there undrilled versions available?

There are variuos ways of doing it,I am sure that people do have blank ones made, you can also bend the front frame to give the correct geometry, I am sure there are many ways to do it, all of which are strictly speaking against the rules.

Re: Appendix k racer

Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:07 am
by rich@minispares.com
bending the front frames was an old mighty mini / class one autograss trick as the bottom arms they use are (or where in mighty minis, they can use the on cars adjustable ones now)) 1.5 neg or std in grassers, you wont have to do that in a appendix k as you would probably fall outside the track width if you did it, plus with 2 degree arms and some other parts you will be able to get the camber where it needs to be.