Quinton Horiba Stages - Car 232 , DNF
Shell rebuilt and sporting the new colour scheme and an 8 port engine!
Trevor was navigated by Ian Harrop on this event
From the Coventry Automotive newsletter July 2003
The long awaited first event for the new eight port Mini took place on the Quinton Horiba Stages, based around the mid Wales town of Builth Wells. The eight port engined car had been prepared over the last year, using the rebuilt Coventry Automotive Group A car which was written off in Finland in 2000. A lot of development work had gone into the engine, which used four Amal carburettors of a type more normally associated with classic bikes. The eight-port configuration was used quite successfully in Minis during the sixties, but this installation had benefited from a few modernisations that were not available back then.
In typical rally fashion the car was only finished off just before the event, and was run in on the way across to scrutineering! A tentative start to the rally was soon replaced with a full out attack as confidence was gained and the car was really pulling well. As Trevor said “The engine has so much power I can pull out of hairpins in second, where before I was having to use first and struggling. The car is a thousand times better than previously”. Obviously happy then!
Just when things looked like they were going well the engine suddenly went off song and the car limped back into service. A terminal problem with the engine was diagnosed and an early bath was called for. Nevertheless, the team were not downhearted, as it was clear that there will be some development called for on this new installation.
Shell rebuilt and sporting the new colour scheme and an 8 port engine!
Trevor was navigated by Ian Harrop on this event
From the Coventry Automotive newsletter July 2003
The long awaited first event for the new eight port Mini took place on the Quinton Horiba Stages, based around the mid Wales town of Builth Wells. The eight port engined car had been prepared over the last year, using the rebuilt Coventry Automotive Group A car which was written off in Finland in 2000. A lot of development work had gone into the engine, which used four Amal carburettors of a type more normally associated with classic bikes. The eight-port configuration was used quite successfully in Minis during the sixties, but this installation had benefited from a few modernisations that were not available back then.
In typical rally fashion the car was only finished off just before the event, and was run in on the way across to scrutineering! A tentative start to the rally was soon replaced with a full out attack as confidence was gained and the car was really pulling well. As Trevor said “The engine has so much power I can pull out of hairpins in second, where before I was having to use first and struggling. The car is a thousand times better than previously”. Obviously happy then!
Just when things looked like they were going well the engine suddenly went off song and the car limped back into service. A terminal problem with the engine was diagnosed and an early bath was called for. Nevertheless, the team were not downhearted, as it was clear that there will be some development called for on this new installation.
Photographers Simon Clarke and the Coventry Automotive team
| quinton_entry_list_and_results_2003.docx |