History of a Lola T492 Sports 2000 chassis?

[911thillclimber]

Seems this thread is in technical trouble as the last page(s) have been lost etc.

Mods on the case.

[911thillclimber]

And now it is all back!

No idea why or how...

Got my entry for Loton park in a few weeks time.
At last another car is in my class, a Fiat X1/9 supercharged 2 litre. Must be a bit special to be Sports Libre?
This is a one day clubbie so to get my backside in gear after a long layoff.

I need to get back in a posative mood as work is cruchingly bad at the moment. Sure I'm not alone.
It would be such a shame to loose the car if redundant, but I will keep the 911 till I'm dead!
So much for England today and the state of our manufacturing base.

[SAMD]

Commiserations, there are very few not feeling it in some way. Oh well! Such is life! Chin up.

[911thillclimber]

life must go on, so with the resumption of the hillclimb season starting next week for me, I took a look at the lola.

Charged the huge RedTop battery (it took no current worth talking about), turned it all on and the PMO's filled quickly.

After some churning it all fired up on 5 cylinders, and cleared to run on 6 till hot.
Popped the body back on and a set of race numbers, and that was the end of my race prep!

I also started my old 911 which has not run for about 4 months, and it started instantly with zero fuss.
What a car. 1973 with a 1985 engine, just the best.

[911thillclimber]

A little winter distraction just arrived....

[SAMD]

I think a flat 6 would be perfect

[MGDavid]

excellent - that sorts out our 'thread to follow' for the cold evenings then :-)

[911thillclimber]

Ha!
I've had a good interest in the karts since i was 16 and bought Karting magazine after my saturday job at Dixons.

Saw the historic Kart lot at Silverstone and thought i should do one before my personal igniton system went kaputt.

In the early days, many called the Lola a 'big go-kart' so here's a little one.

Ran the lola today after a lay-off of nearly 2 months and it was great.

Blasted up Loton hillclimb, every gear worked, scared myself 3 times and finished every run with a 360 deg smile.

I am settling into the car now and getting used to it and finding the brakes awsome. Need to be a lot smoother and hang onto the gears a lot lot longer and ignore the occational twitch that comes along as they seem to straighten themselves out...

Sean at McClurg motorsport certainly did this chassis well.

On the only really dry run I pulled a 2.02 sec start to cover the first 64 feet marker from a standing start, so close to 1G of accelleration.

Next weekend is the dreadded Shelsley Walsh, the only hill you need to close your eyes at in 3 places I can think of, but what a track.
Looking forward to the weekend there.

Will need to spend several long hours cleaning the whole car due to getting drowned 3 times in 24 hours

Really enjoyed today. Now, that is a change!

When the car links together, the charge of the flat six and the instant hit of torque with every gear change is addictive.

Mrs Hillclimber however saw another car she would swap the Lola for...

ps:
The flat 6 is bigger than the whole go-kart.

[911thillclimber]

Shelsley is a difficult hill, it is an old hill (over 100 years a race track) and it is bloody steep and hard to run fast.
Saturday was a bit wet/damp/dry/greasy/iffy so the 2 practice runs were a bit speculative (read slow) and lacking bite.

Sunday woke clear and fresh; good start.

First competative run was a shear blast. Every gear happened, and the pull in 3rd is truely awsome. The 'sound' in my ears as the engine just get going really is just fab, carbs, fan, wind rush everything is just so bloody intoxicating: fantastic!
Belting into the bottom Esse is breathtaking when you are on a mission, judging it is very hard and i'm sure there are another 10 car lengths before hitting the brakes. I really do have to find the spot with the huge brakes. I'm driving like I'm on my Driving Test.

A 35 sec climb was a bit dissapointing, but it all worked and i felt good with this machine for the second race running.

This afternoons conditions were far better, very dry, warm and well-rubbered it was time to get going and stop pratting about.

Did a great start, ran the hill with just one 1st-to-2nd missed gear off the start and hit it up the hill. My, what a motor!
Blatting up the steep straight (ish) section was sublime, too early braking to bottom Esse and up to top esse and squeeeeze the throttle in 3rd to the red line. (should i had taken 4th?)
Over the finishing line hard on the 6500 rev limiter and hit the brakes. 34 .21 a big improvement over this morning.

94 mph down the finishing straight that is all of 12 feet wide focuses the eyes and clenches the ar$e

The big-guns hit 142 mph along the same section.....nuts.

A great weekend. A great bonding to the car, and a great feeling.

I continue to love this thing, and cannot wait now to Prescott hillclimb in Glostercestershire in 2 weeks time.

Getting ANOTHER go kart on tuesday. A complete, ready-to-race Barlotti for the winter months.

I have to say the to-do list on the Lola is very short.
An educated friend in things Porsche told me the two rear wheels lock up evenly and leave '11's' nicely, so maybe i will leave the box alone after all.

I should really do a bit to my trusty 911, buti'm bothered it might open-out to something a bit bigger...

Long time since I left a hillclimb feeling so good.
Some time ago I bought an on-board video camera for £25. The first run this morning was taken from the paddock to the top of the hill and the top paddock. I just wish i could up-load it for you...

Just got to go faster!

[911thillclimber]

With just 3 races to go before sutting-up for the season my thoughts are to the winter garage session.

Oddly, I cannot readily think of anything to do od significance other than a new gear shift rod from the lever to the bulkhead to get more throw. The lever throw is the same as the gearbox travel so the adjustment is critical. simple to do so a few days work...

Of course something might happen in the next 3 that changes that.

Thus i've bought another go kart!
A Barlotti and complete this time. An easy easy restoration done with a mind to show the kart and run it in the Historics Register 3 or 4 times next year.
Great little thing and so cheap and light and easy.

[911thillclimber]

What a surprise I've just had off my PM's this morning!
Very kindly, a 'reader' of this saga of the Lola has researched back to when Alan Humberstone crashed the original Toleman T 490 at Lydden (in pouring rain) with the Skoda body on.

He has found an advert asking for a T 490/2 replacement, then found an ad for a T 492 FROM HERNE BAY for sale!
I know for sure my car came from Herne Bay!

I have been given the phone number and a name of the seller....

I wil have to find the code for Herne Bay, give it a ring and see if i get a result.

All this is from the mid 80's, so he may have moved on.

Will report back with the findings!

Isn't the www fantastic?

[Tim Wilkinson]

01227.

Dennis Humphries Motorsport (Kent) Ltd was listed to an address in Westgate-on-Sea, which is just down the coast from Herne Bay, but now seems to be dissolved.

The donor definitely seems to have been a Thundersports car - now we just have to look back through the results (which handily are on the web already) and see which T492s raced prior to late '85, and which kept appearing afterwards. That is assuming it actually made it to a race! Confusingly there is another T492 Thundersports car, with modified Holbay, for sale not far away (Southfleet) at the same time. Plus someone hillclimbing / sprinting another T490/2 based Skoda!

Does anyone know if Alan Humberstone was associated with Colin Pool (Plumtree Racing), as CP had a damaged T490 less engine and 'box for sale not long after AH's accident in June '85.

[911thillclimber]

It is great that this has 're-appeared' and is yet again tided-up in people links!
Hopefully soon i can actually list it all out. Would make a good TV program...

I will over this weekend get these details onto 2 other web sites that might lever out some more details.
Thanks to Tim for this new input.

Graham.

[911thillclimber]

While I think about it; I know to Ian Fidoe hillclimbing a Pinto engined T 492 with a Claymore sponsored open body/wheel spats in the late 80's/ early 90's, but i recal also Graham Hickman (Rover V8 tuning magician) hillclimbing a Skoda Thunder saloon in the early/mid 80's just as i had 'discovered' hillclimbing.

Just found out the Hickman car was Royal based, not Lola.

[911thillclimber]

Just called the telephone number gen to me in Herne Bay, but Dennis Humphries is no longer there.
Indeed, the pleasent chap I spoke to was not aware of anyone by that name.
It was 1985 so 25 years ago!

Just a bit closer then.

The man who had a T 492 in Herne Bay was Dennis.
Alan Humberstone said the car used for the rebuild definitly came from Herne Bay so this must be my car.

How painfully close and so far away!

I'm pleased to say Driftwood is on the case too!

Might get another pleasent surprise again?

[911thillclimber]

Ran in the Midland Championship this weekend at Prescott hillclimb.
Actually had a class 'competition this time, so no 'billy-no-mates' today.

I say competition loosely as it was a Puma 4x4 with 600+ bhp Cossie and an ex Rally cross car with a current champion rallycross driver......
Bloody quick.
The weekend was variable, but practiced at 50.6 in the dry (pb is 49.2) and the car was great (again!).
Hoping for the same conditions and a much harder charge today fell foul of the gods and it rained hard.

12'' slicks in the wet is not ideal, but to shock Driftwood (who sometimes reads this drivvel) I went up in the wet. Ran a huge 58 secs and was glad to get back to the paddock, Car was great considering, but just no grip.

Lunch time dried, then chucked it down hard.

Took my second run and did a 56 so an improvement.

Car was good, I felt better (I moved the seat forward one hole (1'') and things were far less stretched.

We race again at National level in 2 weeks time at my favorite hill, Loton Park (www.hdlcc.com).
I will modify the throw of the gear lever before the event as I hope this is the root cause for some difficulty still.

Mrs Hillclimber wants me to have the gearbox rebuilt (£1500) so I might argue a bit, but not that much.
I have a Barlotti to fix up afterall.(about £500)

Talking of which, I went to Little Rissington on sat to collect a restored steering wheel for the Kart and to see the historics run again in a huge kart meeting. Never seen a real kart meeting before ever. Talk about frantic and fast, and that was the under 10's......

This picture about summs the day up!

[911thillclimber]

Yet another surprise from Steve Wilkinson this time through another web site:
He has spoken to a gent who still has the Karmann Ghia moulds used by Harry/Alan Humberstone from 1985!

Now, there's a thought.....

(any colour, but not in pink!)

Such a body change would be a big undertaking to mount as I've narrowed the tub to match the petit Lola form, a new front cage would be needed as the body had doors.
Wiper motor and de-mister (or heated screen).
Paint
Cost
Mess
Space to do it all.

Mrs Hillclimber is quite keen!

A distraction, but would look good.

[oneofapair]

Not sure if you,ve seen this before.Thought it might help you to make a decision!!
Good Luck!!!!????? John

[911thillclimber]

Oh yes!
Tony Harman sent it and quite a few others to me when i was chasing the origins of the car here.

So tempting.
I now have the name and number of the man with the moulds....
I would never get it re-bodied over Xmas, but through next year maybe!

Take a look at the pics, AND the little video clip at the bottom.





View My Video

[911thillclimber]

Last Championship hillclimb this weekend, and saturday, today, was practice day, race tomorrow at my favorite track, Loton Park near Shrewsbury.
Fabulous weather but 12 deg C at best, but dry.

Lola started and we were off on the first run. always do the first run nice and easy, and the time was 61.7 sec for the mile course.
Car ran well and the demon tweek on the gear lever seemed good but no reverse..

Anyway; the second run I thought I would try harder (at last) and pushed the braking a bit deeper and dropped-in a 59.7. Nice.

Some hacksawing on the gear selector plate cleared the way for reverse.

Third and final run I thought I would try harder (my mantra now) and engine was started, helmet on, gloves on and ready. Mrs Hillclimber said 'sounds noisey'- ha, what does she know?

5 seconds later she was right as the fuel pump started to buzzzz hard. Out of fuel!
Quick frantic dash and 2 gallons went in and just made it in time for the run to the start line with a nice humming smooooth 911 flat 6 in the back.

Dumped the clutch and off we went. Pull to 2nd was very smooth (demon tweek remember?) and floored the throttle and was met with a huge gust of accelleration. Wow!

Dashed to the first 90 deg left and flew round it, along the back twisty section still revving the t!ts off the engine and through the Fletchers Dellow complex to third after a little squirm off the back-end. Hard in third to Triangle and hard on the brakes. The front of the chassis hits the deck with the resultant dive, pinch 2nd out of the box and along the short blatt to Keepers and the dreaded Cedar Straight (which is not straight), nipp through the kink keeping off the grass and over the top to Fallow at speed. Steady.....
Tap the brakes, down to second (now easy to select) and round the 90 left up to Museum, a fab bend that rises blind to a sudden 80 deg right.
Car lurched a bit and came back straight and through second, snatch third and absolutly floor the throttle to the finish.

Ease the pedal back and breath a sigh of relieve and a few swear words.
Ok; a lot of them.

A 58.7...oh my, that was a good run.

The car was alive and dancing, sure and sometimes a fidget to drive and the engine noise! Sounds very Porsche sports racer in the Targa Florio.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

If Sean is reading this from McClurg Motorsport:
The chassis is great!
A whisper of understeer now
A twitch is easy to catch.

Will race day give me my goal?

I want a 57.
I did a 57 in my Impreza
I want a 57. (or a 57.99)

What will tomorrow bring, or have I peaked in Practice (again)

Will post a few pics tomorrow but I only get 'action' shots in printed form so may be a bit blurry.
I wish I could upload the on-car video clips of these runs.

[911thillclimber]

Interesting Race Day...

First run was not too good. Trying to shift gear on this road box results in bulking big time and I cruised to the finish line in 60.42.

Still, there is always the afternoon run.

Team boss (aka Mrs Hillclimber) gave me a pep talk and off we went. Good start at 2.17 secs to cover the 64 feet marker and on to the run. A few screeches here and there and slow 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 2nd gave me crisp runs on this twisty hill.
Third is simply awsome as it is in the 911 road car, stunning pace and I had to keep up with it.

The car was just great and was on full song (maybe, see later) and I swept up the hill to a personal best of 58.16.
No 57 today, but close!

Several marshals commented that the car sounded much smoother and crisper and why was this? What had i changed?

nothing.
However I am now wondering about the throttle pedal.

Sat in the car i can only press so far and I'm sure this is not full throttle position, thus I need to re-position the throttle cable connection to the Lola pedal so my 'natural' foot movement = full throttle.

Or I need to press down a lot further!

Time for a bit of Garage time before the last meeting, Saturday next week at Prescott hillclimb 'clubbie'.

[haggispeed]

Originally Posted by 911thillclimber

Yet another surprise from Steve Wilkinson this time through another web site:
He has spoken to a gent who still has the Karmann Ghia moulds used by Harry/Alan Humberstone from 1985!.

Hi Graham (yep still here, just never time to post) Unless Alan H had another set of body moulds taken after he got the car there was only ever one set which were made for David Enderby, and as far as I know he still has in storage somewhere. So wondering what other name you've been given ?

[911thillclimber]

Hello Tony:

Thought you had gone off somewhere for a long AWOL.
The contact came from Steve Wilkinson so very reliable, but i thought the same as you when I was told. Dr E told me he had the moulds!

Have you seen # 736, and those after, above?

Any memories to Dennis Humphries at all? (Herne Bay, seller of a T 492 Thundersport, 1985)?

Saw a lot of your alloy wings at Loton yesterday!

Graham.

[haggispeed]

more like "absent while being snowed under at work" !!
I'm sure the only moulds were David's, are you sure they're Karamann Ghia moulds not Beetle ? there were a few of those around in period.

Sadly not "my" wings at Loton I'm afraid. Haggispeed wings were widely used in Hillclimb but not in race for some strange reason, and nearly all Clubmans cars use full width fronts. You may have seen the only other Haggispeed car at Loton though, a Mk6 run by Stuart Nelson.
Have our finall round of Classic Clubmans next weekend at Mallory, then most likely putting the Mk10 up for sale so I can restore the Mk6D car I have (in boxes....)

[911thillclimber]

Fixing 'car-in-a-box' projects = hard work and hard cash!

With mine half was missing....
And the Chassis plate.

This saga is almost 50,000 hits; amazing really.
I wonder just how many are reading all this stuff and where will it all end?

Will the 'Who dunnit' question ever get answered?

Just who did drill-out the pop rivits and remove the chassis plate.

I had hoped I'd cracked it with the Dennis Humphries lead as it all fits, so I'm sure the car was his that Alan bought for you and John to convert.

Kevan was following a lead, but not sure where that has gone to, but he does read this every now and then, so I might get a surprise one day!