KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Chat away, Classic Porsche related or otherwise

Moderators: hot66, Miggs, 58A - 71E, impmad2000, drummerboytom, Barry, Helen, Viv_Surby, Derek, KS, abm914, Mike Usiskin

Post Reply
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

I should warn you, this could get seriously boring, in which case, click away from here now... :lol:

Having just competed in my final hillclimb of the year – my first season in hillclimbing – I thought (probably erroneously) that it might be of vague interest to some folk considering taking up the sport to do a retrospective of the seven events (plus a school day…) I've competed in.

As some of you may be aware, I competed in drag racing for several years, winning three championships and setting a few class records along the way. Whenever I get the chance, I still race, driving other people's cars in Europe or southern California. But I've not seriously raced a car of my own since 1994, and I miss the buzz of motorsport. Cornwall's a long way from anywhere as far as drag racing is concerned but as I don't have a race car any more, or the funds to build one, that's fairly academic.

Not long after moving here, I fell in with a bunch of reprobate Porsche owners, among them our very own jwhillracer and 914-6, aka Jonathan Williamson and Ian McMath. Drunken, bun-throwing PCGB Christmas dinners with this lot and their fellow hillclimbing brethren sparked my interest in a sport about which I knew very little. Anyone who took delight in throwing a bread roll across the room and hitting a snooty black-tie-wearing PCGB knob squarely on the head mid-meal was fine by me...

It wasn't long before I was enticed to Wiscombe Park to watch jwhillracer, 914-6 and yellow491 (Paul Howells), and other local Porsche racers in action. But I was happy to stand on the sidelines and enjoy the spectacle. However, JW's repeated hints that I should have a go kept gnawing at my subconscious and after several years and several Porsches, I was running out of excuses.

At this stage, my 914 was running the 2056cc engine with dual 44IDF Webers, SSIs etc and showing 130bhp at the flywheel on Rawspeed's rolling road. The brakes were stock with the suspension running Bilsteins all round, with factory front and rear anti-roll bars, all with a good geo by Williams-Crawford. Tyres were 195/65 Dunlop Sport Blue Response on 6x15 Group 4 TT rims.

The other alternative, of course, was sprinting, of which there are several opportunities to compete down in the south west. I had done one embarrassingly unsuccessful sprint at Brands Hatch in my old '74 Carrera 2.7 backdate, where I spun in front of a large audience and was greeted by a round of applause as I drove back to the pits, and was persuaded to give it another go by Adrian Crawford (he of local specialists Williams-Crawford), himself an extremely experienced and highly competent racer with a long history of competition on both sides of the Atlantic. I entered a sprint at Portreath in September 2020 in the 914 but I have to admit I didn't take to it – driving a course marked out solely by cones didn't come naturally as I had a problem judging braking distances, etc.

Video:
https://youtu.be/hitW1aLwGgE

So that left hillclimbing…

And here endeth 2020.
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

Following my experience on the sprint, it was obvious that the stock seats were useless when it came to sideways support. You tend to sit on them, rather than in them, and end up bouncing around, held in place by the seat belt and a firm grip on the wheel. The day after that first sprint, I was knackered, with shoulders aching from bracing myself round the corners. The obvious solution was to swap the seat (or seats) for something more supportive, but the problem on a 914 is width.

Sure, you can buy off the peg bucket seats to fit a 914, but they are out of my price range. In the end, I purchased a pair of Cobra RSR buckets, which look very period and not unlike Recaros of the era. Along with a pair of STR five-point harnesses, they made an amazing difference to the way the car felt when pushing hard.

After a period of prevarication, I ran out of excuses and, with not too gentle pressure from Adrian Crawford and encouragement from JW, I entered the first hillclimb of the year at Wiscombe Park in April. Preparation for the car consisted of fitting a timing strut, sticking on some numbers and keeping my fingers crossed. I genuinely had no idea what to expect, although I was reasonably familiar with the course having walked it, driven up and down it at low speed in the past, and from watching online in-car videos.

The car was eligible to run in class A3 – Production Cars 1800-2600cc – with most cars recording times in the low 50s and high 40s. I decided that I'd be happy if I could end the day with a sub-60 second run, so I was elated when the very first practice run was a 59.48. After that, things improved on each run, going from 57.28, 56.35 and on to 55.92. It was smiles all round in the Seume pits, even though I finished resolutely last in class.

Looking back at an in car video of my last run, it's easy to see loads of ways I could improve, but not so easy to see is that the road tyres lacked grip and the car felt like it was on marbles. Hmmm, more expense on the horizon...

Video:
https://youtu.be/f530aCaAHcY

The quickest run in class? Rodney Eyles in his Alfa 4C with 43.63! A full twelve seconds faster… That was something I was going to have to get used to.
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

Still with me? You are a glutton for punishment... After that first foray to Wiscombe, next stop was the annual Werrington hillclimb in May. It's a very different course to Wiscombe, more open and very much a game of two halves. The lower part of the course is a steady uphill climb, with sweeping bends, followed by a very twisty level section, ending with a flat-out blast to the finish line. It was a beautiful misty spring morning when I arrived and I soon learnt why many drivers use waterproof overshoes with their driving boots – my feet were saturated within minutes of walking on the paddock's dew-sodden grass!

Two things were immediately evident: the tyres simply weren't up to the job and neither was the driver! :lol: To be honest, it wasn't too bad, but my lack of experience showed as I was far too cautious. I guess until you meet and exceed the limits of traction, you never quite know where those limits are. I was about to get a lesson about that – of which more anon.

At the end of the day, I was in my customary last place, although I had progressively been getting better until the last run when it rained. Once again, Rod Eyles won the class, some 14 seconds faster! Now, where did I put that four-wheel drive turbo conversion, and those extra 100+bhp? Oh, and years of experience?

Image

Video:
https://youtu.be/CkRJFOnGJdY
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

Back to school…

Our very own Graham Loakes (911hillclimber) ran the Loton Park hillclimb school up near Shrewsbury, and he kindly offered me the opportunity to take part in the one-day course in an effort to further my hillclimb career. I had bought myself a set of sticky 195/55 x 15 Toyo R888R tyres to improve the grip situation, but decided not to use those as the drive to and from Loton Park amounted to not far short of 600 miles. The R888Rs are incredible in the dry, OK in the damp but scary in the very wet – and it looked like rain on the journey up. So I stuck with the Dunlops.

Unfortunately, Covid restrictions meant that the normal format of doing runs with the instructor couldn't take place, observers along the course critiquing your driving prior to a post-run conflab. Markers showed ideal turn-in and exit points and the first two runs went OK, although I did miss the markers a couple of times. And then I screwed up...

As I entered the quaintly-named Logger Heads left-hander, the damp surface under the trees caught me out and the 914 decided it wanted to give me a lesson in how not to react to the tail stepping out of line. I ended up going off the course on the left of the track, sideway on the grass and then over a two-foot drop with a resounding thump! My first words are clearly audible on the video clip, so turn the volume down if your kids are around...

As I exited the car, I expected to find the left front wheel tucked under, but it was OK – as was the back wheel. Let's take a look at the right side. Ah, the rear wheel now had a few extra degrees of camber (see the photo below) but the front wheel looked OK. I thought the I'd broken a CV joint, too, so didn't think the car would be drivable. Instead, I gave the marshalls the opportunity to exercise their car recovery skills while I was winched unceremoniously onto their flatbed. And that was that.

Embarrassing video:
https://youtu.be/piM0qsmb8os

ImageImage

To say I was embarrassed is an understatement, but now I had to work out how to get the car 270+ miles home. The AA came out within minutes of my call but on spotting the grass jammed between the tyres and the rims, made it clear that they wouldn't recover me for free as it was classed as an RTA. They did quote for taking the car back to Cornwall – £875! I said I'd rather push it… A call to Adrian Crawford saw a contact of theirs drive all the way up from Devon to collect me and the car, delivering it to Williams-Crawford where my wife Sarah was waiting to pick me up. Bless her – I mean, it was only one o'clock in the morning. The £500 'mates rates' bill was a little easier to swallow than the AA's quote.
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
Lightweight_911
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 16793
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2003 10:48 pm
Location: Worcs/W Mids border

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by Lightweight_911 »

.

Of course there's interest !!

.
Andy

“Adding power makes you faster on the straights;
- subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere”
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

On the lift at Williams-Crawford, it became clear that I had in fact escaped very lightly. I was afraid that I'd bent something serious, like a suspension pick-up point, but in fact I'd twisted the right-side trailing arm – they're welded box sections and are notoriously easy to bend, which is why many people weld gussets and strengthening plates to them. Phoning around, I managed to find a pair of good used arms at Roger Bray Restoration, which Roger kindly donated to the cause. They both needed new bushes and shafts, and after a lot of faffing around, I bit the bullet and ordered a pair of poly-bronze bushes and stainless shafts from Redline in the USA. Ordered Monday afternoon, they arrived two days later!

However, in the meantime I had an entry in for an event at Wiscombe in June, which it looked like I was going to have to miss – until good old jwhillracer kindly stepped in and offered me a 'double drive' in his 914/6 (his 911 was still off the road following a rebuild). That would be interesting, as not only would I be able to compare my 'four' with his 'six', but also this rookie's performance with that of the old master.

Image

The first obvious difference between the two cars was the brakes – the 'S' calipers and trick brake pads meant the 'six' stopped far better than my 'four'. Tyre-wise, JW's car was running Avons, which clearly had far more grip than my Dunlops (I had yet to use the Toyos in anger). But the greater torque of the 914/6's 2.4-litre motor was obvious – the car pulled hard out of Sawbench and Martini, the two hairpins which always see my car struggling.

My first timed run was a 53.94 (compared to JW's 51.66), followed by a 53.42 and finally a 51.98 – my quickest run up Wiscombe to date, despite starting in third gear! JW beat that with a 51.04, but the next day went on to record a 50.37. But I was seriously happy with my time driving a different car, and it gave me confidence to push a little harder in mine.

Video:
https://youtu.be/hauSKxzlvbQ
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
jwhillracer
Me and DDK sitting in a tree! KISSING
Posts: 2618
Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2008 5:58 pm
Location: Sunny Somerset, just above the water....

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by jwhillracer »

Cold wet afternoon in Lostwithiel as well, KS?? :wink:

JW
Life's a single timed run with no practice....
1970 914/6 2.4E/Webers
1970 VW Beetle project
1972 911 Hillclimber 3.2 MFI. Part of the family for 30+ years!
2006 Hymer Merc Starline 630
2000 T4 Van LPG
2000 Golf V5 Estate GT (Greyhound Transport!)
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

jwhillracer wrote:Cold wet afternoon in Lostwithiel as well, KS?? :wink:

JW
Most miserable day of the year! :lol:
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
middlefour1
DDK rules my life!
Posts: 1079
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2003 8:14 am
Location: Northamptonshire...but only just!!

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by middlefour1 »

Great stuff Keith, keep it coming!!
Steve
1970 Silver 914 - Gone but never forgotten........
#1200
Nine One One
Put a fork in me, I'm done!
Posts: 1619
Joined: Fri Mar 01, 2013 11:45 am
Location: Kernow - good old Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by Nine One One »

Excellent!!
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

So, back to Wiscombe and first time back out in my own car, now with the Toyo R888Rs, poly-bronze rear suspension bushes and, as a little extra, a pair of 140lb rear springs to replace the previous 100lb coils which one of the previous owners had fitted. This was a busy weekend as Sunday was a round of the British Hillclimb Championship, but I had only entered Saturday as, to be honest, I didn't think I'd get an entry for the BHCC round. As it turns out, I was contacted a couple of days ahead and offered a drive, but I declined as it would have meant staying away overnight and thus adding to the cost. Racing on a budget? Moi? :)

The car felt a whole lot better and the tyres really inspired confidence, but the big problem of fuel surge at both hairpins reared its head now that I was faster through the Esses than before. My efforts to cure this by extending the float chamber vents and dropping the float level didn't work, so I needed to have a rethink...

As it happened, due to the number of entries, we only got one practice and two timed runs, but I ended the day with a 54.33, which was my best time so far. Still over ten seconds slower than Rod Eyles and his Alfa 4C! Oh well...

Image

Video (complete with missed gear change...):
https://youtu.be/PGhbM650nYk
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
911hillclimber
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 18855
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:26 pm
Location: West Midlands

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by 911hillclimber »

My first year was 30 years ago this year, and I can remember it well and tended to follow your very own experiences though I survived Prescott school day unscathed.

For those who do not know Loton Park hill, the sweeping bend Keith fell off is adverse camber and quite hard to see where it actually goes as you approach it and very easy to fall foul of it. There are far more challenges further up the hill...

Good account of the year, 6 months left to get the car sharper, start now as time will fly. :)
73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L
Lola t 492 / 3.2 hillclimb racer
Boxster 987 Gen II 2.9
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

The brakes on the 914 aren't the most inspiring – they have a 'soft pedal' feel which I know is not a problem as they will lock the wheels anyway, but I just prefer the feel of a hard pedal. The most common mod in this regard is to fit a 19mm master cylinder in place of the stock 17mm item. Fortunately, as Porsche/VW raided a lot of parts bins when building the 914, an early 911 master cylinder is a direct swap for that of the 914. The difference is obvious, with a firm pedal and less travel.

Now most events are a fair trek from my home in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, with Wiscombe being around 92 miles each way. Normally that means I'm setting off at about 5.45am to get there in time to get settled, walk the hill and relax a little. But the next event was on my doorstep – Castle Hill in Lostwithiel! It's literally a few minutes drive from home (I can hear cars from my house) and that meant I could enter both days without having to stop over somewhere. The fly in the ointment was the weather forecast, which didn't look promising.

In fact, rain on Saturday was a bit of a problem as the paddock entrance quickly turned into a quagmire meaning that the startline soon became muddy and slippery. However, The event was great fun as a couple of friends turned up to watch, which helped brighten the day.

Castle is deceptive – I've ridden up it on my bike a number of times and you'd be forgiven thinking that it didn't really present any challenge for a well-driven car. Well, even jwhillracer admitted that the final long left-hander can be a bit of a bum-clencher in the wet, and he's right. I just didn't have the confidence to keep the hammer down at the top of the course on either day, which is annoying in retrospect as I actually finished third from last on both days when I might have finished fourth from last if I'd had more courage! :lol:

Image

Once again, though, it was becoming clear that the car is well down on power (and torque) compared to more modern machinery – there is no special class for 'classics', so I run in the same class as such things as Rod's Alfa 4C, Toyota Yaris GRs, Audi TTs, Mazda MX-5s and Audi S3s. It's a little like taking a knife to a gunfight but the car gets a lot of attention, with several people stopping to take a look and have a chat about it. And, after all, one of the glories of hillclimbing is that you're racing against yourself…

Video:
https://youtu.be/-74V7QfJOgw

Time for a breather (AKA beer time!)
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
BILLY BEAN
DDK 1st, 2nd and 3rd for me!
Posts: 2103
Joined: Sat Oct 26, 2013 12:42 am
Location: Oxfordshire

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by BILLY BEAN »

Thoroughly enjoyable prose.......ever thought of writing for a living?
Rust Never Sleeps
User avatar
KS
Nurse, I think I need some assistance
Posts: 14916
Joined: Fri May 07, 2004 3:12 pm
Location: Cornwall

Re: KS's hillclimbing odyssey

Post by KS »

BILLY BEAN wrote:Thoroughly enjoyable prose.......ever thought of writing for a living?
Nah, didn't you know print is dead? :cry:

Allegedly. ;)
Keith Seume
Follow on Instagram @orange914
My YouTube channel
Post Reply