First outing for the race car.

General Chat with an emphasis on BMC Minis & Other iconic cars of the 1960's.
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360gts
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First outing for the race car.

Post by 360gts »

Off to compete in a big hillclimb this weekend....car is all loaded up...ready to hit the highway in the morning.
Will be the first outing for the car this year....hoping it continues to go as well as it did last year.
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Workinprogress
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by Workinprogress »

Good luck. Say hi to Larry.
Bruce
Tagus
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by Tagus »

Must be Knox Mtn, see you there!
360gts
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by 360gts »

Tagus wrote: Thu May 16, 2024 12:50 am Must be Knox Mtn, see you there!
Yep, make sure you drop by for a chat.
D
360gts
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by 360gts »

Workinprogress wrote: Thu May 16, 2024 12:28 am Good luck. Say hi to Larry.
Bruce
Thanks Bruce...will definitely see Larry.
Cheers
D
Mudhen
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by Mudhen »

❤️. Good luck!
360gts
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by 360gts »

Mudhen wrote: Thu May 16, 2024 12:20 pm ❤️. Good luck!
Thanks for that Mudhen...

Back home safely....had a terrific time.
The hill is 2.5 miles and has three very steep switchbacks......all 1st gear. My best time was a 2.29....was a bit unlucky as there were showers on and off all weekend...never did get one full dry run.
Car was phenominal.....the short stroke engine really did put on a show. Tell tale needle on the tach was showing just over 9600....incredibly strong sound unit. Was a real crowd pleaser as many of the spectators had never seen a REAL old Cooper S and they sure enjoyed the screaming sound.
One person came up to me and said it reminded him of the old 1960's rally minis....for me......that was a big compliment.
I was entered in the Vintage race class as there were so many different classes....so cunfusing.....so, just threw it into vintage.
Ended up with a 3rd place....narrowly missing 2nd as there was shower as I 3/4 of the way up the hill....darn near lost it twice.
Anyway...1st place was a race prepared Sunbeam Tiger....2nd place was a race prepared MGB with a Rover 3500 engine.
So, can't be bad to that.....BTW, the Rover/MG only beat me by a few tenths.

Next year I will go with a much different FD...maybe 4.2ish......have the revs to use something like that.

On the down side....water pump belt exploded....had a spare with me...and of course....the wonderful LUCAS solenoid packed it in. Had another with me and it was a dud as well.
A fellow competitor donated an old original...worked like a dream.
All in all.....a fantastic time.....an adrenaline rush like no other.
Last edited by 360gts on Wed May 22, 2024 1:35 am, edited 3 times in total.
Workinprogress
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by Workinprogress »

Glad to hear all issues were minor and you well able to overcome. Way to go.
Bruce
360gts
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by 360gts »

Workinprogress wrote: Wed May 22, 2024 12:16 am Glad to hear all issues were minor and you well able to overcome. Way to go.
Bruce
Thanks Bruce....would have been great to have you there as well.....mine was the only original Cooper S....maybe next year you can make the trip.
Cheers
D
CooperTune
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Re: First outing for the race car.

Post by CooperTune »

I have a UK classic mini 66 998 Cooper which I had considered building into a hill climb car. I purchased it as a barely rolling shell, no doors, boot or bonnet. It does include a vin plate in place with V5C and UK Hill climb log book. If I can ask a couple of questions? What gear set, CWP and Diff are you running to have you in first gear? You also mention high revs, what stroke crank are you using? Also what tires are you running. Thanks Steve (CTR)
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