DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Having secured an entry to a French Hill time in Jun it's time to make a few adjustments to the driver and car. This car is never going to win it's class because it's not a race but it will be interesting to see if we can go a bit quicker.

The focus

1) improve the handling
2) improve the driver
3) don't break the car and have fun

First up is a camber regulator from Vic Skirmants. Which has arrived. Now I need to fit . Vic was a pleasure to deal with. Unfortunately, postage and duty make this a little expensive

Arrived just before this are some racing boots

Next to be book into a few UK events and get some coaching

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I look forward to your Race Reports!

Just signed up for one of Tim Cross' driver training sessions. He was recommended by Graham. Early March. Should be an education day

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I'd be interested in your impressions of the camber regulator. I've been toying with buying one myself for quite a while.

As someone who vanished off the road backwards in a Beetle many moons ago, I'd like to know that the wheel tucking issue is being dealt with.

Could you PM me and let me know the current cost of one?

Happy to put the cost on here, because Mrs B doesn't visit, $570 posted from Vic then, I think another, £120 in duty etc.

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Tim will get you a long way and going quickly.
He was an instructor for me at the Loton School.
LOTS of experience.

Different car, but in the 70's I had a Herald and Triumph Spitfire, both with the same swing axles.
For then at the time a stiffer re-cambered transverse spring did a great job of holding a good level of negative camber.

Camber compensator does the same trick i think, reduces the travel of the rear suspension with a stiff leaf spring connected to the uprights?

Camber regulator installed. Not fun rising the car on a slope. Plus I had to jacket up car to get the ramps under the wheels then reverse up onto them. The back of the car is too low to clear them. Vic's instructions where pretty straight forward. Unfortunately no test drive as the door is in pieces.

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Just watched a video of the circuit

https://youtu.be/0hMc-c44NVs

I've changed my objective from progressing in time through the weekend to not crashing and dying

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Almost a tarmac stage. Is Mrs B working on the pace notes?

Neil, I don't think that's the best video to watch - a bike-engined super-light hillclimber doing sub-1m 50s runs is a little different to a road-legal 356, as barely half the field comes anywhere near that time. You and I will be battling it out for last place honours, but the crowds will love our cars as they will be a little different to the usual St Goueno fodder.

Try this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj_kmitpeyc

For interest, here are the results downloads for last year's event:
https://coursedecote-saintgoueno.fr/ind ... ers-gb-irl

Personally, I would be very vary about over analyzing this event (or any other), it will get you in a tense frame of mind. Easy to say, but go there to utterly enjoy the experience, lots of good pics of you and yours, and soak up the experience.
I know several who have done it in 911's and other quicker cars, and all they talk about is the overall experience being just fabulous.

We can't get to the event now for various reasons, headding in a different direction, so your reports need to be good!

Will be watching this thread with interest. I think there are quite a few people on here involved in hill-climbing - has anyone done a thread on how to get started (perhaps this thread might be it)?

Best of luck!

I think there are 6 time served hill climbers on DDK and a similar number who liketo do local events as suits them.

Getting started is the same for all and is not simple.
If nobody else starts a thread over the next few days then I'll start one and hope I don't miss any key points, but not here on Neil's thread, too easy to generate thread drift.

deano wrote:Will be watching this thread with interest. I think there are quite a few people on here involved in hill-climbing - has anyone done a thread on how to get started (perhaps this thread might be it)?

Best of luck!

I think I have another thread but

Get a clubman licence (which is free) or another one
Join a club
Get a helmet, gloves and race suit
Get race numbers for your car
Get a black timing bar. Which has to be the front point of the car
Get front and rear tow points
Get a slicker which shows the marshals how to turn off the ignition
Enter a race

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And have fun
And be ready to be seduced by it all, just look at Neil and KS!