A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

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911hillclimber
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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by 911hillclimber »

You have nearly driven ALL the cars in the paddock1
Had no idea all that was going on, but as Wayne says, hill climbing and climbers are the best!

Good luck for this year coming.
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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by carl »

What a fantastic inspiring story! Would love to see your car in action.
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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

Clive, you have plenty of time!! I have just heard that Ian Smith from Cumbria will be competing in his Alvis 12/70 once again this year . He is 86!!
Bill

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

Carl, I have entered all the meetings at Shelsley walsh this year so come along and say hello.
Bill

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

So, let's get back to the "FF" George and Andy said that I should bring it up to Yorkshire and they would sort it. Really nothing is beyond these two. There are no "ifs" in their vocabulary only "hows"

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We now had to assess what needed to be done, what needed replacing, what needed repairing, what needed checking for straightness, what needed improving etc etc.

As everything was stripped off the front, the good news was that the chassis was straight. All the comments such as " you can see it was built in Scotland on the Forth Rail Bridge principle" were justified. The wheels were undamaged. There were a number of wood fragments from the top of the sleepers to be dug out underneath. How did they get there?

There was a bit of fibreglassing to do - a new left wing, repair of the front apron and under tray, sort out the broken "A" pillar as well as general frontal repairs. The fibreglassing was delegated to me, since having made the body, it was thought that I might have slightly more knowledge of the art and had become immune to the smell of resin.

Mechanically, there was a lot to do - new bottom wishbones on both sides, replace the steering rack and track rods, sort out the bend in the bottom of the steering column, replace the oil cooler, fabricate a support for the nose.

The three pieces of the front apron were stuck back together in the original mould/jig.


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The exposed front of the chassis can be seen in the background.

The right wing was cut off and a new left wing was laid up in the mould. The wings were then attached to the body by rivets through aluminium plates on the underside.

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The wings were fibreglassed in position top and bottom and the rivets drilled out. A lot of rubbing down and blending in by Andy.


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The wheel arch extension on the right hand side was reattached.


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The scotsman in me then decided that we could finish off the repairs by rattle can aerosols. RAL 2002 cans were purchased and spraying commenced.


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You may see that in previous photos that a support framework was made up to support the front of the body. Previously there had been nothing and the front was self supporting. Hence the extensive damage to the fibreglass.

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We had had an incidence on start up when the oil filter before the dry sump tank had blown its seal and oil was pumped out over the rear. We couldn't decide whether this was due to a Chinese filter or excessive presure where it was located in the lines. To be safe the oil filter was moved to the front as can be seen above. The decision was also made only to use well known named brands of filters. A new larger oil cooler was fitted below the front apron.

The steering rack and track rods were replaced as well as the bottom of the steering column. The mounts for the rack were made stronger and slightly relocated to improve any bump steer.

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New right hand headlight, fog lamp, indicator lights and air horn trumpets were replaced and we were now ready, after tracking etc, for the 2019 season.
Bill

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

As usual, we made a trip to Blyton Park on 7th March 2019 to get a feel of the car with the new front wishbones etc. It seemed fine to me but it was cold and damp and not the best conditions for pushing it too hard. Also at this test day was Ewen Sergison who was shaking down a 1936 Maserati 6CM - a real racing car. He kindly taook the 904 out for two or three laps to see what he thought of the handling. When he came back he thought the engine was to die for but the car was too soft at the front. He recommended that the dampers be tightened up and longer bump stops fitted. The spring rates at the front seemed about right.

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The Blyton Brains Trust!

The first competitive meeting was at Ty Croes in Angelsey. What a wonderful circuit. If you have never been there put it on the bucket list. The dampers were screwed up, and longer bump stops added to the damper rods. As we speeded up in the practice runs , smoke started to drift from under a wheel arch. On investigation by Andy, who had come over from Norton for the weekend, it was found that the wheel was rubbing on the thickened fibreglass at the join of the new wing when braking hard and turning in. An angle grinder was borrowed and the problem was solved.

For the rest of the 2019 season, Jim Payne shared the driving with me and was usually quicker except for Shelsley Walsh, I am delighted to say. We had a full season and competed at Shelsley Walsh, Loton Park, Curborough, Bo'ness and MIRA. We both won some class awards usually in the target time classes but had great fun and were encouraging each other to better times.

At the Blyton meeting in May, Jim Collins was sharing with me, I had a first practice run then it was Jim's turn. Going into the Wiggler on the Eastern circuit at full chat, he hit the brake pedal which wasn't where he thought it would be and hit the clutch. Needless to say he arrived quicker than he intended and went straight on. On his return to the paddock there was superficial body damage but the left wishbone now had a kink in it. So back to Yorkshire to get that repaired.

To be fair to Jim the pedals are very offset to the right for a left hand drive car but Jim Payne and I have got used to them.

This time round Andy made an extra pair which are carried in the trailer as insurance.

I went off at Loton.

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Just about to depart rearwards into the trees!

The weather varied considerably over the season but the worst of all was at Bo'ness in early September.

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At one of the Shelsley meetings, Jim had locked the rears changing down to 2nd going into bottom "S" and had mounted the bank but with no apparent damage.

You may have noticed that the car now has proper transparent headlight covers. An earlier attempt by Plastics4Performance near Bolton, by using my mould which had been used to make the fibreglass cover, had not really worked. A vist to Martin and Walker at Thruxton who make a really accurate 904 replica had led me to Lucas Mitchenall in Durrington near Amesbury They advised me to make a plug and they could then draw the plastic over that. They were able to make two pairs but needed me to extend the plug if I required any more. At the other end of the car the carbs had now ben fitted with air cleaners and the holes cut in the tail for clearance had been finished off with some laser cut surrounds supplied via Jim Collins.

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After Bo'ness, Pete Bentley and I returned to Lincolnshire and after power washing the Scottish mud away, set off next day for Cadwell Park. The family had bought me a track day at Caldwell for and on my 80th Birthday.

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As you will have realised by now nothing about race cars is simple. With an instructor on board, we again had smoke pouring from a wheel arch as we braked and turned in. This time the hose from the fuel tank to the IVA spec fuel filler on the mudguard was being ground away by the tyre.

I also took Pete as a passengerfor a few laps. He could not believe a race car on proper tyres could corner so hard and was convinced that we were heading for the boondocks at the first corner.

Again, if you have never been to Cadwell, put it on your bucket list!
Bill

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by PeterK »

Luv’in this thread. Thanks
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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by KS »

PeterK wrote:Luv’in this thread. Thanks
Me too!
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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

When the modifications had been made to the chassis and rear suspension to allow the fitment of the 2.4S engine, for some reason the anti-roll bar was not fitted. As you will see from the previous post the rear view at Cadwell illustrates a fair amount of body roll without the anti-roll bar. There was considerable discussion amongst us all with some saying it was essential and others warning that if it stepped out of line with a ant-roll bar fitted then break away was very sudden. On the basis that if it was there it could be disconnected but if it was not there, it could not be connected, Andy was asked to do the necessary to mount it once more.

Also high on the list for the winter of 2019/2020, was the need to stop the fuel filler hose being grooved by the right hand tyre. There were a number of little jobs that Andy would sort out i.e. raise the height of the catch tank since breather oil was running down into it rather than falling back into the dy sump tank.

However, once Andy started to have a good look round, he phoned to tell me that another wishbone was kinked and was wondering when that had occurred. Neither Jim and I were aware of it and thought the car was handling as well as ever! That shows how much we know! He blamed me for going off at Loton and I was sure that it had been caused by him going up the bank at bottom "S". Looking back over the records, when the wishbone that Jim Collins had bent was replaced we had gone to 1" diameter T45 tube for its replacement. The one that was now kinked was not T45. It was replaced by a T45 one and it was at this stage that the insurance pair was made, not earlier as I said before.

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There is always this dilemma with wishbones in that you want them to buckle under excess loads to prevent damage to the chassis but not too weak that they kink on running over a stone. Compromise on Compromise.

Andy made up the necessary brackets and link for the anti-roll bar.

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The anti-roll bar is a Rally Design unit for a Ford Sierra. The 1" bar is available in 8g, 10g and 12g wall thickness to vary roll stiffness .

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The fuel filler was sorted out using a replica 904 filler cap and neck purchased from California 15 years previously and lost in the workshop. It turned up after the move from Scotland!

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A neat aluminium surround was fitted round the cap.

Andy changed the oil and filters and we were now ready for the 2020 season. Off to Blyton in de course!
Bill

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

The 904FF was picked up from Yorkshire on 21st January 2020 and I started doing a few small jobs myself.

A number of people had said that I had not got the side widows quite right in the moulds in that they were too small compared to the original. So a reversion to the testicular rubber bands and out with the angle grinder to enlarge the opening in the door by cutting away the steel tube framework and the relevant fibreglass. Larger Lexan widows were made up and fitted with adjustable vents which I found later would deposit buckets of water on one's lap if they were facing forwards when it was raining.

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Still work in progress!

I was able to tidy up the wiring behind the instument panel which is now only a "mouse nest" The balance bar adjuster was pinned in place in view of a possible IVA test in the future. The fibreglass sill and side of the seat backrest were trimmed in vinyl which I had purchased years ago when I had intended the car to be a road vehicle only.

Of course by March we were in total lockdown with no prospect of any meetings taking place but I had the need to move the car on one occasion to find a pool of oil on the floor. Andy was persuded to do a quick job to replace the oil drain tubes which had been repaired earlier. He was able to lift the engine sufficiently to get in and fit new telescopic tubes. That was a great relief because we were always anxious about leaving any oil on the track.

We finally got to Blyton in July and both Jim Payne and I tried the car with and without the anti-roll bar connected. It was marginally better with so we decided to continue with it hooked up in future. I tried it with and without at Shelsley later in the year and the car felt much tighter round Kennel when it was connected

The MAC did a marvelous job in getting events running at Shelsley Walsh but unfortunately Jim had to watch the first livestream from his bed in hospital. He had been rushed to hospital with a tumour blocking his colon. Bloody Cancer!!

I was able to get to Shelsley in the rest of the year but obviously without Jim as co-driver or pit man. Initially, Anna May Furness was volunteered to help and when she was competing, Mike Tompkins stepped into the breach. More of Mike later.

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The 2020 season as very strange but at least we were able to get out for some wekends, meet a few pals and potter up the hill.

As a total aside, some have enquired why the car now has a blue nose. It's very simple, as the "old timers disease" gets worse, I was determined that if another orange 904 appeared in the paddock, I would know mine is the one with I believe the yellow nose! Have I got confused again?

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Final run of the season, made it to the top every time by staying on the black stuff and no issues with the car.

Well done MAC.

Now, what needed doing in the 2020/2021 winter.-
Bill

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Hugo 356 »

Oh look, the red one on the left in that last photo; another 904 replica

Great story, thanks for writing up
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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

No - unfortunately not. It's a Ferrari !
Bill

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by 911hillclimber »

Never saw you/904 last year, never got to Shels but did 2 Lotons.
You must have been trying hard to fall off after Keepers!

Glad you attacked the window height, much better 'picture' of the car now.
:)
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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Kirklands 904 »

The main job that I asked Andy to do in the winter of 2020/2021 was to change the transmission. I had been running for the last two years on a box that Mike Bainbridge had loaned me when he had built up the engine. This as you will remember has two first gears. Over the 2020 and 2021 seasons the change mechanism that George had engineered had proven to be bullet proof, at least it was Jim and Bill proof. In one of the 2021 trips up Shelsley, Mike West who is normally marshalling at bottom "S" was of the opinion that the engine had enough torque to pull through the Esses in third and there was no need to change down into second. He was right!

The MB ratios ware shown below. Over the finishing line it was pulling 6,200/6,300 revs in 4th and maximum speed over the line was 75mph.

904FF Previous transmission at 7,000 RPM with 7/31 final drive



1st A 3.09 39.2 MPH

2nd A 3.09 39.2MPH

3rd H 1.68 72.0 MPH

4th M 1.32 92.0 MPH

5th S 1.04 116.6 MPH




Mike built a box out of my original 914 unit and a box that I had purchased at his request adding new components as needed with the following ratios. It now has a Quaife ATB diff.


904FF New Transmission with 7/31 CWP @ 7,000 RPM



1st A 3.09 39.2 MPH

2nd F 2.00 60.6 MPH

3rd ZD R 1.41 86.0 MPH

4th Q 1.13 107.7 MPH

5th Z 0.89 136.4 MPH

Note that 3rd gear is a ZD set but reversed. 5th is basically an overdrive for potential road use or continental hills such as Floriopoli - Cerda hill climb in Sicily.


The new box has a lower 3rd than the old 4th to get through the Esses more readily and get nearer to 7,000 revs on the final straight.

When Andy had the engine out to get at the transmission, he modified the exhaust system slightly so that it did not have to be detached from the engine to get the engine out. When it was out Sam Lander came round and set the tappets, Why you ask? It's so bloody tight that the cam covers cannot be removed in situ!

Andy did the usual spanner check, changed oil and filters and I picked it up on 12th March. We are off to a test day at Blyton on April 6th and I am hoping that Jim Payne will be fit enough to come over and get a few laps in. Also invited to be present are Olly Wright and Mike West from Shelsley. I have asked Olly if he would like to drive the car at Shelsley and he wisely said " Only if I am comfortable in it" He must have been listening to Jim Collins' excuses re the pedals! Hence his coming to the test day. Since Ewen Sergison has tried it before, he is also coming to advise on set up.

With a young hotshot in the car, we shall see what sort of time the car will do with a non-geriatric pilote. Alex Brown reckons it is a 35/36 sec at Shelsley. We shall see!.

That's us up to date. I shall now post from time to time as the 2021 season unfolds.
Bill

904FF (Mike Bainbridge 2.4S engine and transmission)

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Re: A Dream Fulfilled - MY 904FF

Post by Barry »

Fantastic thread, thank you :)
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