Hi friends,
Here is a small project status update.
We have collected most of the parts and are on good track to obtain the rest.
Key parts we are still working on are the gr 4 tank and the gr 4 hard top (both currently ordered) . The 1.8 engine is already it will be build early January. The gear box will be original ( the regulations require original housing and original gear ratios) and but much reinforced for rally conditions.
The aluminum skins for the doors are absolutely fantastic. Perfect workmanship!!! Very high quality indeed!!!
For safety reasons we will fit onto the doors honey comb bars to reinforce ot and protect the crew from a side impact
We have all switches and gauges for the dash, too. So the dash is currently build planned and will be build starting after Christmas.
The car was recently stripped form all interior in preparation for body work to include: lowering seat mounts, replacing parts of rusted driver side floor plates , fitting a new current FIA specs safety cage, fitting of the hard top, old style rear lights, aluminum door skins, body weld reinforcements, fitting of the gr 4 fuel tank, relocating the battery, etc, etc.
We will replicate the original gr. 4 suspension arms to install copies. The originals will be hand in a garage wall as as decoration. (Recently one suspension arm "X reinforcements" on 131 Abarth was diagnosed to be half cracked. We fixed weld it before a rally but it reminded me these parts are all original and after so many years of being subject to normal rally "wear and tear" should be used with utmost care. We will also replicate the ones on 131 and use copies hanging the originals as "trophies" on the wall.
The current plan for the car to be rally ready at the end of March. This is very ambitious, but if you are not ambitious you never finish the project. Even if we get it ready a bit later than we currently plan we should be able run half of the 2016 rally season on this car.
Incidentally, all signs on the sky indicate we will have a Poland Historic Rally Cup with at least seven rallies each season. After several years of trying to get it under way is actually seems we will have it in 2016.
The rallied will be organized in FIA European Historic Rally Championship fashion the same categories same scoring and classification rules with two extra categories one for cars modified in excess of strict FIA historic car rules and one for so modified Polish and former COMECON block cars.
The rallies will require basic national rally sporting license. The rules, however, are written in such a manner ( I wrote them !) to allow for demonstration drives [for those who do not have such licenses and do not want to get them] as well as to allow earning such licenses for those who do not have them but would like to get them. [They will have to run six rallies without time measurement and pass a standard license exam.]
We have collected a nice group of 70 crews ready to start in this new rally series with cars between 1931 and 1990.
Among most interesting cars already enlisted there are such beauties as gr3 Lancia Fulvia Coupe 1300 of 1965, a gr 1 SAAB 96 V4 1500 of 1977 , gr 4 Ford Escort Mk2 1979 , as well as gr 2 Mercedes 280 CE "Ingvar Carlsson" replica of 1980, MGA Coupe of 1957, gr A Subaru Legacy 4WD turbo of 1990 and gr 4 Audio Quattro (short) of 1976.
I am not mentioning scores of Polski Fiats 125 and 126, Polonez as well as Wartburgs , Dacias, Zastavas, Fiat 500 Abarths, Fiats 128 coupe rally, etc, etc, etc.
What surprised me the most is how quickly our rally series became popular among rally organizers ( even before the formal decision has been announced !) We planned 5 rallies a year and now I have to choose from between 15 which want to run our series.
The series is historic not only in name. We want our and international and Polish rally masters and people of special importance to Historic Sports to appear as Star Guests at reach of our rallies. I hope that Guy Croft will accept such invitation one day.
At the end of this "short" update let me post a recent picture form the last rally of the season in Poland ( St. Barbara Rally) and wish GC as well as all of friends on this forum Very Merry Christmas and the Best Sports Season in The New Year
- St Barbara Rally.jpg (64.86 KiB) Viewed 37353 times
Miro