Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

[novadave]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

I have been getting the car ready for the next event, The ross Endurance at the end of April. Not too much to do really, mainly removing mud and cleaning things after out muddy puddle incident. One of the bigger issues was the crud in the headlights, I couldn't get it out very well, luckily a fellow weston motor club member had a spare pair he let me have, brand new but dusty! So we went from this.



To this.



I managed to get a new PIAA harness of ebay for a bargain price so fitted that, the loom is really well made and includes switches allowing a choice from permanently on to dip beam activated etc.



I took the opportunity to re do my switches internally as well, one of them shorted along with the relay so had to come out any way. I made up a new panel and fixed it into the radio slot, which was just a hole in the dash before. Not quite finished in this pic, bit of tidying of wires to do.



All thats left now is to change the handbrake cable, which kept seizing in the outer on the last event, so much so you couldn't even pull it on at one point!!

[novadave]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Well sorted the handbrake issue today. The new one I fitted was nearly impossible to move through the outer, indeed I couldn't move it all off the car. I think a combination of heat and water have caused the issue. So the new one has been thoroughly heat shielded, a layer of heat proof reflective tape covered in a heat proof sleeve, that should do the trick. Once flitted the handbrake is back to its normal self once again!

[novadave]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Well were all loaded and ready to go for the Ross endurance tomorrow, a late scare today on the test drive when it started misfiring again. Crawled home and stripped the carb for the third time to find some more crap in there. Blew it all out with the airline and petrol. Seems to have done the trick!

I' leashed out on some ds3000 pads, which came highly recomended. So far I'm impressed a nice solid pedal and lots of stopping power.

If anyone's in the area Ross motor club are still looking for Marshall's. First car is at 11:45 from Ross cattle market if you fancy it.

[madragon199]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

good luck...nice write up..mark

[mario r h santos]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

How did it went?

Cheers,

Mário Santos.

[novadave]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Well after non finishing our last two endurance events we both agreed that finish was the aim for the Ross, which we managed! It took me four tests to get warmed up, and nearly ended our event on the first corner in Goodrich, carried too much sped through and ended up on the inside of the corner going up the bank at a very odd angle.

Bishopswood felt like a car trial at times, just trying to keep going up the steep bendy section was a real challenge, sad to see Jim Llewellyn out here in the focus. Quite liked the second Bishopswood, even stalling at at the PC we set 10th fastest I think.

In the past I have not really enjoyed Whitfield, just too rough, especially last year. However this year I really enjoyed it, I would say it was Bumpy rather than rough, with the exception of the hole I hit in one of the dips, my shoulder is still aching this morning from that one! The first section was interesting, so bumpy I couldn't keep my foot on the loud pedal, bouncing on and off the throttle. Second run through ruined any chance of a good result for us a low tension lead broke off the coil. Took us six minutes to find and fix it and get going again. According to the results we had been up to ninth at this point but that dropped us right back down the order.

We had an ok regularity, only getting slowed by one member of the public pulling out of his drive backwards in front of us and driving on slower than us for the next few miles.

I really enjoyed the road rally, even with some vague steering at his point, the top mounts are seriously shot it seems, only two events old. One misplot from Dave though and we missed an irtc, that 30 minute penalty cost us the class win and dropped us down to third. Nevermind we finished!!

We had a great battle all day with Yan in the Micra and we were even swapping times with Chris and Paul in the Rover ahead of us. So we ended up 16th o/a and 3rd in class, but it could so easily have been a top ten finish for us.

I haven't really enjoyed the Ross in the past but this year I really did enjoy it, less rough than in the past and very slickly organised. A big thanks and well done to Simon and all his team for a great event.

[novadave]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

A couple of small issues to sort before the next round of the championship. Had yet another ball joint bolt come loose, locative, lick wired and nyloc nut all failed to stop it. So new ball joint and I'm replacing the tca as a precaution, it's the other side to the one I had issues with last year.

I fitted some ds3000 pads for this event and they were much better than the minted I ran previously, however they require very little pedal pressure, which takes some getting used too. They lock up very easily which resulted in a couple of stalls and also nudging a bank. Anyone got any thoughts on this, it seems way too easy to lock the wheels to me.

[anotherdeadhero]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Don't use the brakes Dave - they only slow you down

[mexicotait]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

You still run a brake servo?

[novadave]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Yes, I have to to comply with the technical regs.

[mexicotait]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Could you fit a choke in it to limit the vacuum if the servo

[GavinR]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Or find a broken one...

[mexicotait]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Does it need to be connected ?

[novadave]

Re: Nova SR Endurance Rally Car

Brakes are now sorted. It was all down to an ovalled rear wheel bearing, meaning what I thought was the brakes just binding was the bearing!!! Once I adjusted the brake a massive amount the brakes are now superb.

We were out on the bullnose rally last weekend managed 13th overall and first in class, with nine top tens along the way, three under bogie. Well pleased, it's our first properly clean run in 18 months and the result has put a huge smile on my face.