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But isn't that a complete nearside front suspension on the left hand side of both of the photos that I poosted at the top of this page Mike - Page 5 and Post #62? Wouldn't that tie in with your comment about '...as I remember it was a front strut nut that split and the damper pulled out...'?
In fact, I have just looked back into my files, and I have virtually all of the events listed that this car competed on since it debuted on the 1987 Nelson Azimghur Stages Rally on 12 July. On the latter the car carried the Reg No B697 CMG - I even have the large framed colour print that Sam used to have on his office wall! - and the car finished 3rd Overall with Jean Blackford alongside.
The 2nd event was the 1987 Merlin Fireplaces Epynt Stages on 8 August. For that event the car carried Bill Barton's Reg No D999 VFW, was Entry No 5, and Sam finished 2nd Overall with Blackford alongside again.
It's 3rd event was the 1987 Rally Radio Link Mewla Stages the day after on 9 August. For that event the car also carried Bill's Reg No D999 VFW again, was Entry No 12, Sam had Nicky Grist alongside him, and they crashed on Stage 6 when lying 2nd Overall at the time.
The car was then reshelled into the ex-temperature test car that you mentioned over the winter of 1987/1988 and wasn't finished till 3am on the morning of it's next rally - the 1988 John Price Rallying Longleat Stages on 27/28 February. On this occasion it carried the Reg No E264 AAM, and this is the event that you mentioned earlier that someone died on. It was in fact Dave Adams who was Steve Whiteford's co-driver. They crashed their 6R4 into a tree, and the co-driver's door took the full impact from what I remember.
I even have a note in my files to say that the original car was damaged when it got hit on a trailer on it's way to Donington with Austin Rover - which also ties in with your original comment about it being damaged previously.
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