Stylussprinter's Stylus

[Doggy]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Loved this car since the first time I saw a Striker. After your mods it look better than ever. Do you know what is happening with the manufacturer? Can you still get these kits? Might be interested now when I sold my caterham.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Loved this car since the first time I saw a Striker. After your mods it look better than ever. Do you know what is happening with the manufacturer? Can you still get these kits? Might be interested now when I sold my caterham.

Yes , I know the manufacturer very well and we keep in touch but he / Tim Benbow SSC / had to make a living back in his previous business after 2007 , due to such low sales . He developed it into a kit of ' modules ' in an attempt to improve the finished kit and to cut down on the huge ammount of supplies he needed to hold when people build as they go and phone for a half hour chat then order now't or something below 20 quid.
Tim's strong points were development and being a DEMON driver on track but being based in Llanidloes didn't help when kit sales fell. After an offer for SSC from me , he realised it wouldn't sell for a good price without orders on the books so I advised him to just shelve it but keep ownership --- with an ' eye ' to the future , so to speak . That's exactly what he chose to do which was a bit frustrating for guys in the middle of build but I've tried to help those that asked via our www.clubstylus.be forum .
Sometimes they come up for sale on our forum , so the history is often known plus I'm often PM'd regarding various questions.
Tim has a buildings refurbishment business plus gets asked to join various rally teams , one being JOHN LLYOD in the Moroccan rally in Oct 2010. He's been up north in the Historic rally/Scotland ? just last week , with the ESCORT M2 coming 2nd overall . So you can see he's still very much into motorsport.
If an order popped up he may be inclined to build a complete car or possibly a 4 module kit but I don't think he'd get the kit chassis and parts business going right now ---- too much effort and not enough profit plus he's doing a lot better now running his present business . Not his words but my oppinion
Two or three guys have recently bought Stylus's for pretty low prices and are busy rebuilding them with progress being written up on our forum.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Now the engine's all running sweet I'm getting withdrawal symtoms . Not had it on track since Sept 12th but I mostly run it up to temp ' every two weeks or so and that gets your emotions going .Can't see any chance till well into 2011 though ---- h'mmm . Been doing a bit of chassis cleaning which on these cars is vital if you want it to stay rust free . The 25mm tube's just 1.4mm thick so if wet gets under the powder coat , it romps away. I scratch around with a screw driver looking for bubbles or flakes then use two coats of bilthamber hydrate 80 . After 24 hrs I paint it with hamerite . It's usually where Ive hit it with something when getting at a tricky position otherwise 90% of the powdercoat is ok but if I ever built another chassis then I'd treat and paint it. Bilthamber's great to use being water based and world wide proven above any other treatment .

[duncan]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

wow small world indeed never knew you were on here rob
we met earlier this year when i dropped off some alleycat wheels for your friend.
when you showed me the car it was running on the button and sounded superb amazed you had such problems but glad to see its all fixed now.
regarding the computer skills wish i knew could have helped you there
hoping to finish off my locost early next year for some serious fun, still after one of the starter motors you bought do they have a website?

looks like you just need some decent weather....................... fat chance of that atm at least we not suffering the snow so bad, look forward to some updates next year

cheers
duncan

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Ah ! , know who you are now Duncan. My friend bought a geared starter like mine but never used it due to fitting a different engine than planned . It was for a Zetec but the adjustment plate can beoved or changed . Look on clubstylus.be and contact Matt Downes. The supplier is lukemotorsport Aylesbury , look them up on google , don't recall whether they are .com or . Co. UK . Great guy and races a yanky V8 at SPA . He can make up any face plate , pre engaged or otherwise .

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

I'll be at a Goodwood test day in the afternoon session on the 5th April , to see how my rebuilt engine performs with the secondhand head I had to use after the stripdown showed a tiny hole in exhaust port 2 . If she runs without issues then my first event will be the Bognor Regis Goodwood Sprint at the end of April . Fingers crossed

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

The testing was ok without any engine issues . The stars and stripes manta was also there so followed that round for 4 laps .
The Sprint at Goodwood on Saturday 30th went well for me but I really struggled to beat Nigel Baker's Escort this time . Apparently his engine has grown some more power over the winter from 260 to 284 bhp !!! That on a slick shod 625 kgs car makes real opposition . His practice was only 2 sec's slower than me whereas last year we were 8 or 10 sec's apart at practice , so both engine and Nigel were improved . In competition laps he neat me by 1 sec at 99 against my 100 sec's . I ran 98 down to 95 last year at this event from memory .
This convinced me that years were now catching up with me and expected him to win now . Anyway , as he was now fastest , he was first on the grid so I was let go second just after he'd disappeared round Madgewick . This seemed to help me because I caught sight of him going out of St Mary's as I was approaching no name after a change into 4th resulted in a tank slapper which I only just got control of before charging after him . He improved a tenth or so but luckily for me I'd made up 4 sec's on my previous lap which was enough to take the win at 96 sec's --- 3.05 sec's in front ------ phew !!!!

He is definitely going quicker though so with time in the car and 284 grunt , Goodwood in June might be his retribution ?

One thing puzzled me though -- no engine issues then on the day when starting her up for sound test there was a ticking noise from the top ? It did stop after 5 mins but ticked again when at home I started her up to show someone the next day ---- it's newly built so surely itcant be the hyd tappets ?????

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

I talked with Paul Dunnell about the ' ticking ' and after telling him I had to use Redline 5w 30 after the rebuild as they had no race straight 30 in stock , he said in the past he'd tried it but it wasn't suitable for a developed hyd tappets engine but the race 30 was fine . So on his advice I'm changing to Millers CFS 5w 40 three ester full synthetic Competition oil .
We'll see what happens --- he reckons it could take at least one event to clear and refill the tappets . I Hate Noises !!!!!! Brings back expensive memories ?
Ive been invited to the RAF motorsports club's Festival held at Dalton Barracks , Abingdon on the 17th May for a free thrash as long as I give rides to any RAF staff who ask . Hopefully the ticking will have sorted itself out by the day's end ? Then it will be ok for the TWMC June Goodwood sprint .

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Millers oil arrived yesterday so the Redline got drained and saved for the machinery (well it's only done 80 miles) . Started her up and no ticking but then of course the block and water was still hot from running before the drain . Dunnell said at least one event so perhaps it'll tick when started cold , we'll see ?

[Retromotorsport]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Age and experience can make up for grunt... and remember, you've had a lot of out time with the car, so more seat time and you'll improve.. your in front now so good luck with staying in front

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Age and experience can make up for grunt... and remember, you've had a lot of out time with the car, so more seat time and you'll improve.. your in front now so good luck with staying in front

Thank you for those encouraging words , I certainly shall be trying hard . You've hit on one truth too --- before I retired , I was competing 15 times a year between March and October , from the South to the North and the West country . Now I just do Goodwood events maybe twice and sometimes three times a year plus a test day --- the rest of the time ' she's ' in the shed .

It's hard to be on the pace at sprinting without the twice a month competition but it's too much of a buzz to stop doing it

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Goodwood yesterday was greasy as hell in the morning runs , not like very wet conditions but just like driving over oil . Maybe MISTRAL RACING's session the day before in dry conditions left some rubber/oil around then the rain all Friday night and Saturday morning . The lap times told the story too ---- my first practice was --- wait for it , 134 sec's and the Escort SF 284BHP did a 130 sec's on full wets . It was lethal out there .

In our class were ---
RX7 5.7lt full wets / two drivers , one didn't arrive
TR6 3.9lt didn't practice
Escort SF 284bhp full wets
Stylus 2lt 231bhp R888's ---------- me

The RX7 failed sound testing twice then borrowed an angle grinder and promptly put slots 3 inches deep all around his 5 inch tailpipe THEN bent them all in towards each other nearly touching . Passed sound ok , went out for a run after it dried a touch , doing a 113 sec's time . Next out it crept back into the paddock rattling and smoking having buggered the engine overheating ------------------------------------------- well what did he expect blocking up the only exit for the engine's heat to get out ? Apparently he'd only borrowed it from his son for the day !!!
So that sorted the really big opposition , leaving Nigel /Escort SF chasing my time as per usual over the last few years . After it dried a little but still very greasy we both did an identical time at 108.91 sec's so he was very enthusiastic after lunch when it dried almost totally with just the odd puddle . Off came his wets and slicks were fitted so with all our banter over lunch he was looking really confident and I was preparing to politely shake his hand after he'd beaten me ------- and try to smile .
As this was going to be my last chance I just gritted my teeth , sat in the car driving the circuit in my head while waiting in line . He dropped some 9 sec's or so but fortunately I dropped over 12 sec's from the last wet run and managed a 96.26sec's beating his 99.23sec's -------------------- phew , got away with it again !

We've competed against each other now for 3 seasons so although I was elated to beat him again , I sort of felt sorry for him as I could see the confidence fall to a dejected and frustrated guy at the presentation . Having said that we do get on well and bantor flows back and forth inbetween being on track . We'll compete again at Goodwood on the BRIGHTON & HOVE Sprint on the 6th of August .

Overall classes , I was 10th and he was 13th .

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Had a bit of trouble starting the car just as I was called to the startline twice on Saturday which seemed electrical ----- half engaging the ring gear then engaging but whizzing round for 30 plus seconds before it would star , push starting didn't help either. Once it was back in the shed I took the geared starter off only to find the first 3mm's of ring gear was crunched up a good bit. I assumed it would be engine out yet again just to change the ring gear .
Did a bit of measuring from ring gear to bellhousing face = 30mm's then measured the starter cog end to starter bolting edge = 22mm's !!!!!! Then looking at the cog I could see it had never been fully engaged anyway as the throw had only reached half way into the ring gear . Took it off to LUKEMOTORSPORT and Luke machined off 5mm from the starter body , replaced the adjustment plate which then gave full engagement ------------------ re-fitted and she started first time , job done .

[exboyracer]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Sounds like the same problem Sambo's having with his starter at the moment.

[Stylussprinter]

Re: Stylussprinter's Stylus

Made one or two minor adjustments ready for Goodwood on 6th Aug. B&H MC sprint . There's no testing at Goodwood before then so have booked a General Test Day at Mallory for £30 less . Only snag being it's morning session only for cars then bikes in the afternoon . So will be leaving at 6-00am to get up there for 8-00am signing on . Never driven Mallory so it'll be an education for me !!!
At least I'll be able to feel the car out before Goodwood plus brush off some ' rust ' from the driver !