MAGAZINE 114 SUMMER 2008
Capesthorne Show Following the Clubs withdrawal from organising this show a new organiser came forward, but it is with great sadness that we report that it all ended in tears. The following message was sent to our secretary:
Why did your club give up organising the Cheshire Kit car show? The new organiser, I use the word loosely, has cancelled it at the last minute. His pathetic reason was lack of manufacturer support, which only goes to show he didn't understand a thing about Cheshire Kit car show. Hundreds of people have had their day ruined due to this flybynight charlatan. Please come back and run the show in your own special way.
It is nice to know that this mag is read by at least one of the bodies to whom we send complimentary copies. The FBHVC was suitably impressed by Les Browns article on spraying a car using aerosols: For those of you with the patience and dedication of a monk the article in the Rochdale Owners Club magazine on respraying with aerosols is an invaluable read. The advice and information is of great interest and value to anyone who has the need to use aerosols: www.rochdale-owners-club.co.uk
TONY STANTONS EVENTS PAGE
E-mail tony-stanton@fsmail.net
South Midlands Classic Car/Bike Meet No1
The second Tuesday evening of the month in the Summer, at Britannic Assurance,1 Wythall Green Way, off Middle Lane, Wythall, Birmingham, B47 6WG. (From J3 on the M42 follow A435 north 1-mile turn left at 1st roundabout then mile turn left at mini-roundabout).
Tuesday 10th June, from 7pm.
Tuesday 8th July, from 7pm.
Tuesday 12th August, from 7pm.
Tuesday 9th September, from 7pm.
South Midlands Classic Car/Bike Meet No2
The last Thursday evening of the month in the Summer at The Moat House Inn, Birmingham Road (A435), Kings Coughton, Alcester, Warks, B49 5QF.
Thursday 26th June, from 7pm.
Thursday 31st July, from 7pm.
Thursday 28th August, from 7pm.
Thursday 25th September, from 7pm.
Stoneleigh Kit Car Show 4th & 5th May 2008
A good Bank Holiday event, the weather on Sunday was warm but overcast and Monday started off with heavy rain but by mid-day the sun came out and the afternoon was very warm. Displayed on the stand this year on Sunday were my own Olympic Duffy 902 DUF, Syd Bartrams Olympic PII 966 SJH, Brian Whitbys Olympic P1 291 FLM, James Farrington who brought the Olympic PII EWT 219H he is restoring on a trailer, with Russ Collins as co-driver. Russ is halfway through restoring my old Olympic PII EVH 273L. Paul Hutchings called on the stand to tell us he had just sold his two Olympics PII YTF
426J and PII AAW 840A. John Porter with his 1969 (Dr Who) Siva, Mark Butler who is restoring an Olympic PII JBU 888D brought his concourse Mk III Sprite and two young Ladies who decided my stand was the place to park their Frogeye Sprite replica.
On Monday displayed on the stand were my Olympic Duffy, Tony Wrights Olympic P1 779 CUG, Alan Farrers Olympic PII EKF 818L with Derek Bentley co-driving, Ken Robbins Turner 950S, Gordon
Mayers Turner Mk1, Richard Holdens Fairthorpe, Andy Downes with a nice white Gilbern Invader and Keith Pratts Scimitar GT; Keith is restoring his one owner Olympic PII HTE 726B.
On Monday Robert James, new owner of Olympic P1 590 MTT, called on the stand; it was good to meet you Robert. Derek and I also met Noel Cullen who owned an Olympic P1 109 WPJ from 1968 to 1971 when he lived in Rainham, Kent; the car was Yellow with a Black stripe down the centre of the bonnet and nose.
My thanks to everyone who supported the stand, but it would be nice to see more R.O.C. cars at this event, so with Capesthorne no more why do we not use this event to replace it?
CLASSIC CAR SHOW NEC 14th, 15th and 16th November 2008
I am pleased to inform club members that your clubs application for a stand at this years show has been successful. We are in Hall 4 stand C50. Andy Winston the organiser of the Fairthorpe Sports Car Club stand and I asked the show organisers if we could have our 2 stands side by side; that request was granted and the FSCC have the stand next door. The stand size is 49 by 16 so this should take 4 cars, so has anyone got a reasonably tidy GT, Olympic P1 and an Olympic PII that they would either like or be willing to have it put on show?
Ideas for new and interesting material for the stand and the display boards would be most welcome, the theme for the show will be LAUNCHES not as in boats but as celebrating the original launch of the car, so if anybody has photos and details of the Olympics launch at the Racing Car Show, January 1960 please let me know as it would be nice to recreate the 1960 stand. Also offers of help with stand duty would be appreciated this would include a free admission ticket.
PLEASE contact Tony Stanton on tony-stanton@fsmail.net
ROCHDALE CALENDAR 2009
SAME REQUEST AS 3 MONTHS AGO. There are at least 30 club cars taxed, M.O.T. and on the road. I should have been sent enough photos for 3 years of calendars, but so far only 3 members have sent me photos. I need photos in the next few weeks if we are going to sell calendars at Burford and the NEC. I need 12 new photos, of good resolution around 1Mb and a nice interesting background.
Even if you don't own a computer you must have a child, grandchild, friend or workmate who will scan your photo and e-mail it to me, come on please make the effort.
NO PHOTOS BY THE END OF JUNE - NO CALENDAR
SILVERSTONE CLASSIC on July 25th, 26th & 27th 2008.
In conjunction with the F.S.C.C. we have secured a designated display area within the Historic Grand Prix circuit at this 3-day event, and we are seeking further club marque cars to join us on display during the weekend.
Featuring 22 races, 800+ competitors, and 600 of the most valuable racecars and motorcycles in the world. On top of the mouth-watering line-up of races lasting between 20minuites and 1 hour each, starring the very best single-seater, GT and Touring Cars from the past 80 years, the entire infield will be packed with more than 4000 classic cars showcasing in excess of 50 famous marques. There will also be a period funfair, air displays, trade stalls, live music, barbecues and more than 30 hot air balloons are set to fire up for their traditional morning and evening fly-outs.
To enter your club car in the FSCC/ROC display area please contact Tony Stanton on tony-stanton@fsmail.net and I will issue the club reference number to quote when booking tickets and Marque car passes. More race details at www.silverstone.co.uk/classic
James Farrington Olympic PII EWT 219H has set up a diary of his rebuild on www.rochdaleproject.co.uk well worth a look just to be envious of his workshop and equipment.
ROCHDALE OLYMPIC PAST OWNERS HISTORY
Over the past 3 months I have taken Dereks handwritten copy of past owners of Olympics and produced a computer database which makes it easy to update and cross-reference the information, so now we need more past history on your Olympic.
If you have an old style logbook or any past history, please pass the details no matter how small to Derek or myself - every little bit helps.
When I met Robert James at Stoneleigh he said he had some past history of 590 MTT. He has since sent Derek and me photocopies of the past history of the car. So for the records we now have 4 new past owners of the car including the original owner/builder, Mr Rowcliffe of Silverton Nr Exeter, and matched the car to the Factory Ledger Invioce No 1578 March 1961, thank you Robert.
Noel Cullen also sent me a photo of 109 WPJ at Brands Hatch in 1968, Tony Clough sent me a photo of JEC 605 in 1962, Russ Collins sent me photos of his and my old car EVH 273L in construction and completion in 1974 with a list of past owners including the original owner/builder Richard Scofield of Huddersfield, West Yorks. James Farrington of EWT 219H from the 1980s, Alan Farrer of 779 CUG from 1962, Keith Pratt of HTE 726B from the 1970s and Mark Butler sent me loads of photos of Olympics we had no photos of, to all of you who have sent details, thanks.
A little note to end on: My worst fear is that when I die my wife sells my car for what I told her it cost.
FBHVC NEWS
UK LEGISLATION David Hurley
V765/1 list
DVLA document numbers could probably provide sufficient subject material for a PhD thesis: they can cause the eyes of those not regularly involved with such matters to glaze over almost instantly. V765 is the reference number of the form that is used by those seeking to reclaim registration numbers that were lost in the final stages of computerisation of vehicle records in the early 1980s. For the sake of shorthand, the mechanism for recovering such numbers is referred to as the V765 scheme, and official documents associated solely with the scheme have reference numbers starting V765.
The scheme relies on applicants providing evidence of entitlement to the number and having their application verified by an approved body, usually a specialist club, that is expected to verify that the vehicle is what it claims to be. The bodies that have been approved to countersign these forms are listed on the V765/1 list. There is a mechanism for gaining such approval, and that involves completion of an application form, V765/2. There are also guidance notes, V765/3.
From time to time, DVLA carries out a review of the V765/1 list and is doing so this year. DVLA will be sending new V765/2 forms accompanied by V765/3 notes to bodies that are listed in the current V765/1 shortly. These forms, of course, will go to the address in the current V765/1 list (go to
www.dvla.gov.uk, follow links to forms and then leaflets).
Clubs that do not submit a V765/2 will be dropped, as many were when the list was last revised. The message for V765 clubs is - check that the address on the V765/1 list is correct, and if it isn't, or if your club is not listed at all, advise the FBHVC secretary who will ensure you receive a form.
Registering Historic Vehicles
For those that don't know, the V765 scheme is a mechanism where an owner can get back the right to display the original registration number on the vehicle. If there is insufficient documentary evidence for that, then possibly an age-related number will be issued. There are circumstances where DVLA may allocate a Q plate. Further information is contained in two DVLA information sheets, (V848) How to register your old vehicle, and (INF 26) Guidelines for the registration of rebuilt or radically altered vehicles and kit cars.
I think that some owners may not be aware of these DVLA information sheets, particularly when they have been claiming to have their vehicle registered under its original number. There needs to be a documentary link between that particular vehicle and that particular registration number. Typically this would be an old style logbook, or a certified photocopy of the original vehicle register. These documents are ideal, because they link the chassis number to the registration number. Sometimes these original documents have been destroyed. Alternative documentary evidence could be, for example, a pre1983 tax disc or MoT.
Some owners appear to be under the impression, (or it may be wishful thinking), that if you want to get back the original registration number, all you need is just the original registration plate attached to the vehicle, without any associated contemporary documentation. Not so. In circumstances like this, provided the conditions of the above two information sheets are complied with, you will be allocated an age-related number. As said above, some original vehicle registers still exist, typically in the original local taxation authority archives. A comprehensive list of which records still exists is listed in a book, now unfortunately out of print, called How to Trace the History of Your Car by Philip Riden (second edition 1998). Despite the title, it is equally applicable to commercial vehicles.
Paint
At the time of writing (early 2008), it is not known how DEFRA will react to the recommendation made by the British Coatings Federation, and supported by FBHVC, that vehicle refinishing products such as cellulose should be considered as special finishes. FBHVCs response to the recent consultation on establishing a licensing scheme for the continued sale of non-compliant products (such as cellulose) closed with this support for the BCF position:
We urge that serious consideration is given to the point made by the British Coatings Federation that classifying historic vehicle re-finishing products as special finishes within the meaning of paragraph 2 (e) of Schedule 1 of SI 2005/2773 would obviate the need to implement a licensing scheme for non-compliant products in respect of historic vehicles. We believe such classification can be justified on the basis that the products are designed for use as topcoats in situations where special properties are required, in this instance the special property being to provide the correct appearance for an historic vehicle.
The latest news from DEFRA is that the licensing scheme to allow the continued sale of non-compliant vehicle refinishing products and domestic paints is unlikely to be introduced before mid-summer. Meanwhile, the DEFRA team is taking seriously the proposal that cellulose and non-compliant coach enamel should be classified as special finishes (which would obviate the need for a licensing scheme as far as vehicle paints are concerned) and, at the time of writing, is planning a meeting with experts from the British Coatings Federation to discuss the detail. This is, of course, good news, but it would be unwise to count those chickens just yet as there are many technical and legal hurdles that the DEFRA team have to negotiate.
In closing on this topic, I'd like to pay tribute to the team at DEFRA - whilst being scrupulously correct in following their obligations under the law, they have done everything in their power to support our arguments, first giving strong support to our application (through FIVA) to the European Commission for a derogation to allow the continued sale of non-compliant products for use on historic vehicles, then ensuring that the UK government would give effect to that derogation, and finally supporting our case that the mechanism for activating the derogation should be simple. We hope that their political masters will also recognise the merit of our arguments.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Brake Bleeding Methods
I had been suffering from a soft pedal on my Phase 2 from the beginning but, remembering an article in mag 99 page 19 on the different methods that should be used when bleeding Girling and Lockheed brakes, decided to give it a go. The usual way is to press the pedal firmly to the floor then release slowly, then repeat as necessary. This is recommended for Lockheed systems and, with a 3 second pause between actions, for Girling CB cast iron master cylinders.
However, for Girling CV (centre valve) alloy master cylinders, eg as fitted to Triumph Spitfire and Phase 2 Olympics the method recommended is a sort of cha-cha-cha on the pedal, where the pedal is first pushed firmly to the floor followed by three short rapid pedal strokes. The explanation given is that bubbles form around the return spring which are dislodged by the quick action.
Hey presto, less slack and a firmer pedal. It works! I wondered if there might also be an additional effect: in the Olympic the master cylinder is mounted more than a foot above the floor and thus to the pipe to the rear brakes. If a bubble of air in the vertical pipe does not reach the horizontal section in one pedal push and rises to the top before the next push it will never escape, so several pushes in quick succession may drive it down and out in time.
Another way to drive out such a bubble is to use an Eezibleed or similar, where the master cylinder is pressurised and the bleeding is continuous. I intended to use this, but my master cylinder reservoir has a large diameter cap and I lacked the necessary adaptor, so I tried the method above. Alan Farrer
L E T T E R S
Derek,
Just a quick line to let you know what has been happening in the 'chicken shed' with the various Rochdales we are looking after.
My cars: -
Rochdale Olympic phase 1 WFV 812. This one is still with me and according to my son Simon will be till I shuffle off this mortal coil, at which point it will be 'willed' to him. Currently undergoing a minor (yes I know, 8 year) restoration, we now have ready to fit a Rover 'K' series and 5 speed Ford type 9 gearbox, otherwise it is the same car that I was driving around in 10 years ago.
Phase 1 lightweight JJH 20G, we now have all suspension components refurbished, as original, i.e. Lola Rejo front hubs brakes etc. rose jointed rear end. Unfortunately, the Lola / Brabham magnesium wheels are far from saving so we will have to use Minilite pattern alloys.
One interesting bit for this car is the engine / gearbox: in its early days it ran a 997cc Ford 'Cosworth' built formula Junior screamer and Hewland 5 speed gearbox. These went the way of all things race many years ago. I have just come across a Hewland 5 speed gearbox so with a little luck we will be returning the car to its original 1963 specification as it was when John Anstice brown raced it. The hope is to have it ready for the Gold Cup in 2009 when it can celebrate a return to Oulton Park 45 years after competing in that race meeting.
Rochdale Olympic phase 2 WGH 364R. I have the remains of this car which had been very badly damaged, the bulk of the component parts are still with me but the body is beyond saving. One thought which had crossed my mind was to re-mould a shell using one of my cars as a buck, but lack of time and workload has currently put this idea on hold.
Other cars: -
Rochdale Olympic phase 1 AAB 81A. Now fully restored and about to go to its new owner Conrad Cunningham. Largely standard phase 1, running Rover 'K' series and Ford type 9 box, discs all round and Compomotive ML 6" x 14" wheels with 185 tyres under standard arches.
Rochdale Olympic phase 1 TBF 966. This car belongs to Alistair Banks and is currently undergoing a substantial restoration with some modification of running gear and bodywork to cope with a Scholar built 1900cc Lotus Exige 'K' series producing 248BHP at the wheels. This engine is running straight to head throttle bodies and an Emerald fully mapable ECU.
Rochdale Olympic phase 1 PAX 44. This one belongs to Jason Hoffman (my race engineer) and is undergoing a full restoration in preparation for our trip to Nurburgring next year.
Rochdale GT Customer car belonging to Moraigh Butler. This is a GT running on a modified Triumph chassis, the chassis has been restored as standard at the front, the rear having a 5 link system fitted to a live rear axle which has allowed us to reduce the track to fit the GT body properly. It will be running a more modern Ford engine and 4 speed gearbox to make it drivable in modern traffic conditions.
Kind regards,
Keith Hamer
PS Reading through the last mag I noticed that one of the recently restored cars featured a vinyl graphic. Just to let you know we have a vinyl cutter and can do any type of lettering, pictures, badges etc. Lettering comes in at about 16p per letter for 50mm high letters, in primary colours including, black, white, and silver. Special colours including chrome can be done too, but would have to be quoted separately depending on size, type, colour etc.
Just out of interest I have only done 1 bonnet in the (possibly) 10 years we have had the moulds ready. Keith Hamer keith@scholar-racing96.com
RE-ROOFING AN OLYMPIC
To change a roof or to fix a roof, that is the question
One of the major challenges I was faced with on my Rochdale Olympic was the amount of gel coat cracking in the roof. During the years that this car has been languishing in my garage, I may have been slightly guilty of using it as a storage area, which probably hasn't helped! There had also been a sunroof fitted at some time and I felt that it didn't fit in with the overall character of the car and the finish I wanted to achieve. So, to repair or replace the roof was the question.
Now, as I've found after talking to a few Rochdale owners, the fibreglass cloth thickness on the roofs of their Rochdales looks like it may have been applied on a Friday Afternoon in the Factory, ie. non-existent! If you put a 10 pence piece on my roof it would have probably developed another gel coat crack! With this in mind and with the thought of trying to re-profile a roof as thick as a postage stamp it was decided to replace the whole thing.
Luckily for me, the Owners Club happened to have a Phase 1 roof moulding in stock. Unfortunately for me, the spares officer Nigel Whittaker wasn't able to meet me at the Rochdale AGM so it meant a round trip to Devon to pick this roof up! The moulding was really well laid up and much thicker than my original roof. This should improve overall stiffness and soundproofing when fitted. The moulding consisted of the entire roof with 6 inches down each pillar. I loaded this into the van and added a few Rochdale club magazine binders to my shopping list while I was there.
The artwork
The weekend was planned for the fitment and I enlisted the help of the previous owner and my father in law David Allen. I am currently working in a GRP Glider repair facility and am in the fortunate position to have space and tools at my disposal. The addition of an excellent dust extraction system certainly makes work with fibreglass a lot more comfortable!
We rolled the Rochdale into my workplace and started the day with a cup of tea and drew a few lines around the shell. We then had another cup of tea and drew a few more lines followed by more measuring. We marked datum points on the body shell and measured up to the left middle and right hand side top of the front screen. We also measured the length of the B posts before we took the roof off. Two heads are better than one and the rule of measure twice cut once carried out by both of us meant that no incorrect cuts were carried out!
As this moulding was for a phase 1 and mine is a phase 2 the rear hatch opening on the mould didn't exist. Our plan was to join the mould at the roof posts but as the rear posts are different we had to join the mould onto the roof 3 inches forward of the rear hatch opening. This meant that we could leave the rear hatch hinges fitted and have enough space to create a grind angle when joining the roof. Another cup of tea and a few more lines followed by more measuring and we we're ready for the first cut. With the right tools to hand the roof came off remarkably easy. We cut along our 3 inch line marked at the rear of the car and carried the cut around the roof just inside of the support tubes. We also made a cut at the top of the A and B posts.
This left us with about 2 inches of Fibreglass all around the roof attached to the support tubes. Once the middle section had been cut out we moved on to the job of removing the fibreglass from around the support tubes. Surprisingly easy! Once a cut had been placed in the top of the skin above the support tubes it was just a case of prising off the fibreglass with a screwdriver.
Having the right facilities makes a world of difference to a job. James in his operating theatre.
My support tubes were in a really good condition and cleaned up really well. We then put the roof in position and fettled the A and B post pillar lengths so that the roof tallied up with our previous measurements. Once the roof was in position we bonded the support bars to the new moulding with some cloth, had a cup of tea admiring our handiwork and then off home to leave the resin to go off overnight,
New roof section being bonded to the support bars
Sunday morning, an early morning start. was hinted but we got to the GRP bay at around 10.00am. As the Grand prix was on this weekend we set up a TV in the corner so we could watch it while we worked. Today I put the grind angles on all the joins of the roof. Normally I work on a 30 to 1 grind angle but as the thickness of the roof varies along its length I gave myself 3 inches for each join. Once the grind angles had been put on all the joins I applied three layers of woven cloth graduated in size over the joins. I also put a layer of cover cloth over all 3 cloths previously laid. Everyone has their own preferences when using cloth and chopped strand mat will do just as well but as I had access to a little bit of woven cloth I thought I'd use it!
Once all the resin had cured we tucked the old girl into the garage and downed those celebration pints we'd been promising ourselves when finished! All that is left now is some more bonding on the inside and some smoothing down on the outside followed by a bit of gel coat. Although a fairly big piece of moulding I'm sure that what could have been weeks of work for me has come down to days of work and I'm really happy with the outcome. If you want to see some more pictures of the work carried out on this car or more detail of the roof fitment then go to www.rochdaleproject.co.uk and have a look at my diary.
James Farrington
