Lotus wins Irish National Hillclimb Championship

[Foxie]

After making the podium in 2nd and 3rd places over the last four years, I finally took 1st place in the Irish National Hillclimb Championship in the Historic Class 4, eventually beating last year's winner by 1 point on the last run of the last day of 13 days events, with up to 6 runs each day.

And drove the car to every event and drove home again

https://www.facebook.com/90118938007101 ... 41/?type=1

[StressCraxx]

Well done! Congratulations!

[Mazzini]

WELL DONE!!!!!!!

[nmauduit]

Bravo !

[JonB]

And it's a Plus 2...!

[pharriso]

woo hoo! Well done!!

[John Larkin]

Well done Sean!
John Larkin.

[Foxie]

Well done Sean!
John Larkin.

Thanks John !

[SENC]

Outstanding!

[Elan45]

Perseverance wins out!

[pcarew]

.....And drove the car to every event and drove home again

This is the best bit....Well done.
How modified a car is it?

[brettengelaz]

Congratulations!!

[Bombay Racing Green]

Grand job Sean.

How?s the other +2 doing?

Regards,

[alan.barker]

Is it a Zetec
Alan

[Foxie]

.....And drove the car to every event and drove home again

This is the best bit....Well done.
How modified a car is it?

Well Paul, I bought it out of a breaker's yard in 1985, and I've been improving it ever since.

It's still a fully road legal car, with all lights, electric windows, radio and heater, carpets and trim. We used to did a lot of touring, we did the MSAEuroclassic for 18 years http://www.msaclassics.co.uk/history/ms ... istory.php

Spyder chassis fitted a long time ago, Spyder adjustable wishbone fitted all round lately, as the original Lotus fixed settings were all over the place.

I recently built a new 1800 Lotus TC engine, using the new QED thick-wall 681F block, 82mm steel crank and rods. I am using Dave Bean low compression height pistons. I got caught out with these as the valve cut-outs were just not big enough for for the exhaust valves The engine turned freely by hand, ran for 3 events before dropping a valve which luckily immediately jammed in the port, causing minimal damage. All the exhaust valves were replaced, the heads were seen to be rubbing the side of the cut-outs.

The original head had to be replaced, as after numerous skims over 40 years the compression had gone to 11.8 and no amount of octane boost stopped it blowing gaskets. I'm using QED 450 cams and 45 Webers. It's remarkably tractable.

I dry-sumped it a few years ago for circuit racing, a small weight penalties for the hills no doubt.

I'm using an Alan Voigts 5-Speed T9 conversion gearbox, with the tall 1st gear.

Diff is standard Lotus 3.55 with Quaife ATB. Brakes (and so, bolt-on hubs) are Zetec (Sierra). Spyder made up special (CVJ) drive shafts to mate the original diff with the Zetec brakes.

Wheels are 14" bolt on Minilites on Yokohama Advan 048s

My secret weapon for next year is to fit the 4.55 diff, but I'll probably have to buy a trailer now.