Update on my track car build

[Jon_Bmw]

I think the joking is all light hearted banter. If you can't laugh at yourself....etc etc.

[Simon13]

you've got to love battle damage on a track car. The rear looks to my eyes like it will go again. The only thing that would worry me as Gary has said is if the front chassis legs have moved. Yes you can jig it but that weak spot will still be there if there is another time.

The strongest shell is one that hasn't been welded due to rust, which is a hard thing to find these days on an E30.

Welded in cage is the only way to go if your serious enough to fit one

[northloop]

Some pro guys have looded at it and as said consider it a slap rather than a proper whack. As said the front legs can be put straight but there will always be a weak point there if I do it again. The engine moved about 4 inches in the impact, ripping the exhaust off all it's mounts and breaking an engine mount before it settled back into position again. New subrame required, the rack is bent like a banana.

Loads of stuff to do but a reshell is not the way forward.

The rear qtr will be repaired rather than replaced.

Car is already partially stripped. And so it begins

[Jhonno]

Could the chassis leg not be strengthened or braced in some way?

Weak point only means it will bend there again in future though I guess

[Trise30rally]

If you strenghthen the chassis leg you will most likely end up bending something further back that will be more difficult to fix.

Bad luck mate, these things happen!

[Jhonno]

I meant to say if it was going to be overly weak, as in to bring it back to what it should be, not strengthen it further..

[baptie0]

there is a 4 door rear 1/4 panel on ebay just now, might be cheap enough to cut up for a repair panel.

[greasy]

there is a 4 door rear 1/4 panel on ebay just now, might be cheap enough to cut up for a repair panel.

Can you post a link?? I can only find a 2 door one.

The humour is all lighthearted banter. The guys doing the ribbing run a race shop, and their idea of humour is very different to the norm. Most people want to sympathise and make you feel better in these situations. These guys think that the best way to get you back on the horse is to mock a little bit. Makes you want to prove them wrong about your talent and stops you dwelling on the "what if's" and "if only's"...
Not to everyones taste, I know, but they are a fantastic bunch of guys, and very handy mates to have...

[northloop]

I had no time to work on the Jaffa Cake today, as some paying work came through the door... Makes a change...

Took some pictures, although you can't really see much unless you know what you are looking at.

First off, a shot of as she now sits with the broken plastics removed.



A view down each side. You may be able to see the front moved over to the nearside. If not, just nod and say "yes, yes, I see the problem, Hmm..."





A quick look in the boot. Can't get the battery out yet... You can see the chassis rail has a small pinch in it. Or not. (do the yes thing again)





Poke around under the hood. You can see the kink in the chassis leg.... You're getting it now!!



When I got home, my 3 year old had created a 'Gary's crash tribute' diorama with my best Caterham 7 model on the living room floor...



Ahh, bless...

Grr.

[UweM3]

I must be blind, what kink in the front chassis leg??

[greasy]

This is spooky!! My words and pictures on another forum magically appear here!!

Uwe - you are supposed to nod and say yes, yes... Instructions were supplied...

[neamem]

northloop are you Gutman pug from snet?

Gutted to see that you had an off. Hope all is ok and that the car can be sorted out.

[northloop]

neamem - I am indeed and i'm fine thanks


greasy is my saviour, and the man who takes the piss out of me constantly when I do things wrong, which is often

[SteSE]

Nooo and thats just the 7.

Gutted to be seeing this Northloop but glad your ok. Here's to you coming back bigger and better

[northloop]

What happened was :whistle:

[jimmyspeed]

cool , i liked your car when i saw it finished , hope to see it tank slapping in angry stock motion again !!!!

[march109]

You big gay, you didn't even get it on its roof. 1/10 for style.

[zimmer-320i]

10/10 for effort!!

well you call ya self a e30 driver and you crash it in a fish tail... still at least its not as bad as it could be, you know you must remove that dvd player and screen from that car, it can be rather distracting lol

[Weeman]

Gay, I'd of had it over the catch fencing.

[northloop]

Gay, I'd of had it over the catch fencing.

318 wouldn't have got that far

[1an]

Gary sorry to hear you crashed your car after the amount of time and money that went into it.

[Davenotouring]

Gary,

You helmet!

[northloop]

Get you, Peter Perfect

[TobyM]

What a brilliant thread!

Hope you get it all fixed buddy!

[GrindCulture]

At least it ended up back on the track! Good luck with getting back up and running again.

[schuey]

Are you already on the brakes in the second pic?

[greasy]

Talking of lights, perhaps you should recount the tale of the drivers briefing, Gary...

[Jhonno]

Gary,

You helmet!

You'd never catch Dave doing anything quite so daft

[northloop]

Talking of lights, perhaps you should recount the tale of the drivers briefing, Gary...

Would that be the one where someone asked if we needed lights on when on track. The organisor said ''yes please''. Then someone asked if we should use fog lights too

[Jamese30]

Hi Gary,
Really sorry to hear about the smash, especially after the build up and effort you put into it. When are we going to see a rebuild...or reshell?

Out of interest...your brake ducts on the front. Did you make them up from grafting two single ducts together?

Cheers,

James

[juniorGT]

i just cringed big time at those pics !!! ouchy

[driftmonkey]

thats exactly the same place and pretty much way my friend crashed his scooby couple of years ago.

Backwards into that tyrewall, theres no run off on that corner, the big studs that hold the boards onto the tyres ripped a big hole down the side of his car.

But his wasnt a track car, had to drive home in it! Plastic bags taped on the windows, i'll dig out a pic

[driftmonkey]

[shorty73]

Talking of lights, perhaps you should recount the tale of the drivers briefing, Gary...

Would that be the one where someone asked if we needed lights on when on track. The organisor said ''yes please''. Then someone asked if we should use fog lights too

Seems like a valid question to me. The MSA make you put on your "two equally spaced high intensity rain lights" (fog lights to you and me!) if its declared a wet race. Rear lights aren't worth sh!t all in spray.

Then again there no use if you come round a bend to find a car side on across the track.

Unless its orange

[moggy]

Hope you get it back in some kind of racing order soon.