Historic Touring Car

[Ian Brown]

Hi Folks, I thought i'd run through the rebuild of my Race Car which competes in the HSCC Historic Touring Car Championship for pre 1966 saloon cars, racing against Mini Cooper's, Hillman Imp's, Ford Anglia's, Lotus Cortina's, BMW 1800TiSA's, Alfa Giulia's, Ford Falcon's and Ford Mustang's at most of the major UK circuits such as Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park.



All the cars race together but are split into classes based on engine capacity. I'm in the 1150cc-1300cc class so i'm fighting a lone battle against a heap of Mini Cooper's which sounds impossible, but actually the Beetle has many advantages over the Mini's, so if there were 6 Mini's in the race I would usually finish ahead of 3 of them. Here's a taster so you can see what its all about, this was a race I didn't attend but it'll give you some idea what i'm up against (skip to 35 minutes in for the start of the race) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAb9Kaqm9CQ&t=2429s

And for those who haven't seen it, here's my last race (just a fun race, not a championship round) On lap two I managed to spin off on cold tyres (it was an icy cold day) but managed to catch back up with the Porsche and Mustang just before the throttle cable snapped. Car was handling unpredictably that day which turned out to be a leaking right rear damper which got worse as the race went on but here you go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loDjQb3DYV8&t=340s!



When the car was originally turned into a race car 10 years ago I didn't have the skills to do the work myself so the car was sent to a host of specialists to do the body, engine, suspension, wiring, paint etc who all did a wonderful job and the car performed way beyond my expectations, but there were lots of details on the car that I would have liked to have done differently if i'd only had the Skills/Time/Money.

The car handled amazingly for a swing axle Beetle and it was more than a match for the Mini's and Lotus Cortina's in the corners and i've finished ahead of V8's numerous times (not bad for a 1300cc flat four) but the Beetle was overweight so the best of the Mini's would always pull a gap on me on the straight's and reliability was an issue so i never had the track time I needed to develop the car and get the lap times down further. The 126bhp GAC motor was reliable but the engine ancillaries would often let me down (HT lead giving up, alternator bracket breaking, cooling fan explosion and in particular shredding and throwing fan belts) These were caused mainly by the high rpmsthat the engine ran (8000rpm) along with a lot of vibration caused by chassis flex and curb hopping.

I decided if i'm going to take on the fastest Mini's (which have spent more money on their engines than i've spent on my whole car!) i'm going to need to get the Beetle down to the minimum weight allowed for my class which is 695kg (1532lb) this is the weight of car and driver together, so the car will need to be around 595kg (1311lb) to be competitive...that's 80kg (176lb) lighter than it is now, not an easy task on a car that is already stripped bare with plastic windows. I also need to stiffen the body/floorpan to reduce flex and vibration whilst staying within the strict rules of the championship and make sure the engine ancillaries are bullet proof and can cope with the stresses of racing.



I've now gained some of the skills required (welding course's etc) to rebuild the car exactly how i'd like it and go into the details that I couldn't before as the only way you can get the maximum performance out of a car is by making improvements everywhere so its not going to be a quick rebuild, but i'll cover every stage of its development and fingers crossed once its completed we'll be able to not only take on the best of the Mini's, but take on the Mustangs too!

[WhiteTrash]

Nice to see a Beetle competing in historic motor racing. I'm planning on going to the 50th Anniversary at Thruxton where the HSCC also race.
I'm also a fan of the Classic Sports Car Club's sportsman racing and have thought about getting a car to take part in it sometime.
Good Luck with your rebuild and let us know how you're getting on.
Cheers Frank

[Ian Brown]

Hi Frank. I still haven't raced at Thruxton despite it being my nearest track. I was the first person in the UK to build a Beetle for Historic Touring Car Racing and everyone told me I was nuts and i'd be wasting my time as the car wouldn't be competitive, but its proved to be a bit of a weapon. These changes along with a fresh 8500rpm 1300cc engine will send its performance to another level, so hopefully it will encourage others to do the same...We need more beetles out there.
Cheers Ian

[brewsy]

Nice to see you here Ian.

Cant wait to see more and have already started reading your thoughts in the 'weight savings thread'.

Marc

[andy198712]

Amazing stuff!

is it steel wings, bonnet, decklid and doors?

[Ian Brown]

Amazing stuff!

is it steel wings, bonnet, decklid and doors?

Currently my car is all steel....In the 1960's Touring cars didn't have any external body modifications, so the regulations say our cars must look factory (so no scoops, wide arches and no peppering the body full of holes!) The wings must remain steel but we can remove the bumpers and replace the bonnet, boot lid and doors with ally or fibreglass (so long as they are exact replica's of the factory panels) so that's where i'm heading...I've ordered a fibreglass 'race weight' bonnet and deck lid and i'm picking up a pair of fibreglass doors from Cotsweld Racing when I drop the car off for the new roll cage....The fibreglass panels should shed at least 20kg's (44lb)

[volkskris]

Are you still running original fenders? Because the cheap repro fenders are a lot lighter while still being steel 

[richie]

Currently my car is all steel....In the 1960's Touring cars didn't have any external body modifications, so the regulations say our cars must look factory (so no scoops, wide arches and no peppering the body full of holes!) The wings must remain steel but we can remove the bumpers and replace the bonnet, boot lid and doors with ally or fibreglass (so long as they are exact replica's of the factory panels) so that's where i'm heading...I've ordered a fibreglass 'race weight' bonnet and deck lid and i'm picking up a pair of fibreglass carbon doors from Cotsweld Racing when I drop the car off for the new roll cage....The fibreglass panels should shed at least 20kg's (44lb)

 

[Ian Brown]

Richie: If I fitted carbon doors they'd throw me out...I'm already sailing close to the wind with my "Ahem, body trimming "

[Ian Brown]

Are you still running original fenders? Because the cheap repro fenders are a lot lighter while still being steel 

Yep...running cheapy fenders. I'm being a bit sneaky though and trimming the mounting edge (where the fender meets the body) so the only edge that's left is where the bolt holes are. By trimming that edge the total weight saving on all four fenders is around 1140g. I'm also trimming the wing beading in the same way saving another 212g. Then double sneaky i'm cutting off the headlight bowls and making fibreglass ones and i'll just have to hope the eligibility scrutineer doesn't catch on  !

[richie]

Richie: If I fitted carbon doors they'd throw me out...I'm already sailing close to the wind with my "Ahem, body trimming "

Where's you sense of 

But seriously if fiberglass is ok why not carbon?

[Ian Brown]

Richie: If I fitted carbon doors they'd throw me out...I'm already sailing close to the wind with my "Ahem, body trimming "

Where's you sense of  

But seriously if fiberglass is ok why not carbon?

Here's the Regs I have to work to (I've deleted any blurb that doesn't apply to the Beetle)

CHASSIS/BODYSHELL: No Modifications are allowed
The exceptions are those strictly necessary for the fitting of a brake pedal box as per 5(11).1, for the purpose of attaching damper mountings and other items as per 5(6).2 and work strictly related to the fitment of a gear change extension under 5(9).1 Apart from work limited strictly to those areas, it is specifically prohibited to remove or modify any fixed
panels from the standard floor pan, front and rear inner wheel arches, and front and rear bulkheads for the purpose of mounting or giving clearance to suspension components and/or roll cages.

5.6 BODYWORK:
Must be to original shape, outward appearance and silhouette, as per manufacturer’s original production within the cut-off date.
5.6.1 Modifications permitted
The location of the dry sump tanks and petrol tanks are free provided that they are not in the cockpit. Inflammable foam and/or plastic covers may be removed from the dashboard housing and replaced by a covering of a less flammable type. Also the instrument panel may be changed for another panel of identical size, carrying other instruments. No holes or gaps may be left and the installation must entirely replace the original panel. Doors, bonnets, bootlids and bumpers may be substituted by aluminium or fibreglass provided that these are an exact replica of the original panels that they replace.

The use of carbon fibre, Kevlar or similar composite material in any part of the car except for the driver’s
seat is expressly forbidden.

Front and rear bumpers may be removed. If removed, supports must also be removed and resulting sharp edges covered. Perspex side and rear windows are allowed. The metal or plastic edges of the wing panels may be folded back or trimmed if they protrude inside the wheel housing.
5.6.2 Modifications Prohibited
Removal of or alteration to front inner wing panels, all or any part of the dashboard housing (except as in 5.6.1) or any other structural body panel The cutting of or changing of shape of any original internal or external bodywork to accommodate the installation of dry sump tanks, petrol tanks and radiators is prohibited. The exception is for the making of holes of just sufficient size to pass pipes and electrical connections associated with these items or with the braking system through, for instance, bulkheads. The cockpit must be separated from both the engine bay and from the fuel tank by a liquid and fireproof bulkhead. Non-metal wings are prohibited. Aerodynamic devices, power bulges or any bodywork extensions are prohibited.
Internal panels, sub-assemblies and chassis members must remain as originally manufactured.


The reason for the strict rules is between 1950 and 1966 the Touring Cars were completely stock bodied. Fibreglass did at least exist back then so they are allowing us to use it for a few panels, but Carbon/Kevlar didn't exist, so its seen as being 'not inkeeping with the spirit of historic racing' plus it would put the costs of building cars up and scare future entrants away...As you can see i'm limited in what I can do and i'm flirting pretty heavily with the rule book as it is! There's no point in cheating as they won't let me race so i'll have to get most of my weight savings in other areas (brakes, wheels, seat, wiring, engine, gearbox etc)

[andy198712]

Pretty sure fibreglass is classed as a composite material isn’t it?! But if their happy
They don’t let you get away with much!! I guess it keeps it fair

[Ian Brown]

Pretty sure fibreglass is classed as a composite material isn’t it?! But if their happy
They don’t let you get away with much!! I guess it keeps it fair

I think Carbon/Kevlar are seen as too modern. We aren't allowed to run split rim wheels either for the same reason (they want the cars looking 'period')
Having said all of that, I know of a 1964 Ford Falcon which has an exhaust system made on Inconel (almost as light as titanium and used in current Formula One cars)...Yep, very 'Period' but somehow he's getting away with it.

[henk]

Inconel is also used in aircraft engines.
Anyway,like what you do,are there other beetles racing aswel?

Henk!!!

[andrewlandon67]

Any progress on this car? I'd love to see how far its come by now!

[Nico86]

Awesome project, I have loved watching the video, you car is quite fast !

I'm curious about the car specs, it seems to handle well for a swing-axle! What are your chassis/suspension specs ? (sway bars, camber compensator, shocks, tires/wheels...?)

As for saving weight, maybe this thread will give you a few ideas : http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,5293.0.html

[Ian Brown]

Sorry its been a while...Its been a busy year so far but i'll run you through some of the changes I've made since the last update.

The new rollcage is in....The old bolt-in 'Roll Centre' cage has made way for a custom 6 point weld-in cage from Jim Smith at Cotsweld Racecars.

The reasons for changing the cage are as follows. I wanted to shed some weight and a weld-in cage (would) be lighter as it eliminates all the flanges, nuts and bolts. This weight saving didn't actually materialize as I'd asked Jim to add a cross bar under the dash with a mount for the steering column and this extra bar (which the original cage didn't have) undone any weight savings I would have had. That said the new cage is far more substantial than the old one and that was the second reason for the change...Extra safety.
The third reason was stiffness, I wanted the rear points of the cage to be welded as close to the rear shock towers as possible to reduce chassis flex at the rear and now simply by picking the bodyshell up you can feel how much stiffer it is, which is going to help the cars handling no end.

Finally the new cage looks the nuts....The picture really doesn't do it justice, but Jim Smith is a genius and the cage is simply a work of art and I'd recommend anyone who's thinking of building a race car or installing a rollcage to give him a call....And he's a good all round bloke which is a bonus! (Cotsweld Race Cars 01242 232084)

[Ian Brown]

Awesome project, I have loved watching the video, you car is quite fast !

I'm curious about the car specs, it seems to handle well for a swing-axle! What are your chassis/suspension specs ? (sway bars, camber compensator, shocks, tires/wheels...?)

As for saving weight, maybe this thread will give you a few ideas : http://cal-look.no/lounge/index.php/topic,5293.0.html

Sorry for the late reply and yes i'm all over the weight saving thread, its given me lots to think about.

Yep!...the handling is amazing. It wasn't too good at Silverstone that day (in the movie) as one of the seals in the right rear damper let go making the car very unpredictable (hence the out of character spin) Spec is a follows:

Tyres: Must be historic Dunlops which are tall, narrow and treaded. fronts are 120mm wide and rears are 135mm wide (and that's not a typo!)
Suspension: All stock with rubber bushes except...
Front Spindles: 2.5" dropped spindles with modified camber nuts for extra camber
Front anti-roll bar: Custom made thicker bar (stiffness adjustable)
Rear Z-bar: Custom made thicker Z-bar (stiffness adjustable)
Dampers: Custom made motorsport dampers, one-offs made specifically for my car (adjustable for bump and rebound) £500 each!
Ride height: Front approx 2" lower, rear approx 2.5" lower (any lower than this and the handling really goes to shit on a swing axle VW or Porsche)



In the picture you'll see I've now added front axle adjusters to the beam, these were added simply to fine tune the ride height as the car may sit slightly higher than before due to the drastic diet i've recently put the car on. The ride height will still remain as it did before with the front slightly higher than the rear (which is how you get a rear engined car to remain stable at speed) Also in the picture is one of the front dampers, heavy duty adjustable steering damper and front anti-roll bar. The front beam strengtheners (in the foreground) are a new addition. These reduce flex in the front beam and front floorpan so should sharpen up the handling. It'll be interesting to see what effect the extra chassis stiffness will have on handling but one things for sure the front inside wheel is going to be waving in the breeze which'll look good at least,

[Ian Brown]

The car started life as a 1970 but to be eligible to race in a pre-1966 Touring Car Championship I had to fill the old fuel filler flap in the front panel and fit early body panels to make it resemble a 1965 model. Originally I was able to get away with 1970 front and rear valences but with this rebuild I decided to replace these with early panels so the car looks more like a genuine 65, not like a 1970 with 60's bits stuck to it.
The downside of replacing the front spare wheel well with a new early style version is that it requires a little 'tweaking' to join the early and late parts which at the lower part especially, don't line up at all (good job I bought a hammer and dolly set). To check everything was where it should be I made a home brewed jig to line up the top correctly which utilized the fuel tank mounting holes in addition to bolting the new panels to the front suspension beam and endlessly offering up the 60's front wings...The bonus to all this fannying about is that the 1960's spare wheel well is 2kg (4.4lbs) lighter than the one than came off.
I love it when a plan comes together! 

[Ian Brown]

The floorpan is finally finished and ready for paint. Its been treated to new floorpan halves...cheap ones as they are 2kg (4.4lbs) lighter than the heavier gauge quality ones. and at the front a new Napolean's hat and framehead bottom plate as the tin worm had got to those. The base plate of the central spine was removed so the insides could be gutted.
First I cut the handbrake mounting plate out (A line-lock will replace the handbrake system to save weight) and the resulting hole will be where the fuse box will sit. Most of the cars electrics will be in a box next to the driver which halves the weight of the wiring. Inside the tunnel the clutch and throttle cable conduits were removed to be replaced with lighter versions and the hard fuel line will now be aluminium. One of the unused seatbelt mounting point brackets has been removed and all four of the heater cable conduits have been cut out (you wouldn't believe how much these weigh as they are made of very heavy gauge tubing). To save even more weight the jacking points were removed along with the mounting brackets for the second external oil cooler. I'm going to try with one external oil cooler now I'm using a more efficient Porsche 911 cooling fan (losing one oil cooler will save around 7kg (15.5lbs) of oil cooler, oil hoses and indeed oil).

All in i'm looking at saving somewhere around 20kg (44lbs) off just the floorpan alone, then on top of that I have lighter suspension, brakes and wheels. The goal is to get the weight well below the minimum weight allowed for the racing which is 695kg (1532lbs) including the driver, so that I can add some lead to the front of the floorpan. The extra weight there will help the front tyres to stick better and reduce the understeer you always get in a rear engined, rear weight biased car.

The floorpan and suspension should be getting painted satin black in the next week or so and then the real fun starts...Reasembly.

[brewsy]

Ian,
Loving your work!!

Do you think you'll make it to the track this year?

[Ian Brown]

Ian,
Loving your work!!

Do you think you'll make it to the track this year?

No Chance....I think this project may linger a bit. four reasons:
1. Cash (I bought a 1965 Mini Cooper as an investment and its sucked me dry!)
2. A new business venture (Cash and Time)
3. Building a car transporter for my race car out of a T25 pickup (More Cash and Time)
4. And finally just the sheer number of items i've got to change/modify on the race car (In order to lose 80+kg off the car i've got to literally rethink every last nut and bolt)

Hold in there though, it's gonna be a killer race car when its finished.

[brewsy]

4. And finally just the sheer number of items i've got to change/modify on the race car (In order to lose 80+kg off the car i've got to literally rethink every last nut and bolt)

Hold in there though, it's gonna be a killer race car when its finished.

Can I have a go when its finished?? 

[Ian Brown]

Can I have a go when its finished?? 
[/quote]

If anyone's gonna roll it into a ball, it's gonna be me   

[nicolas]

Hold in there though, it's gonna be a killer race car when its finished.

THAT, I am sure of. keep us posted, I think a lot of your ideas and 'tweaks' from your tracker can be used/adapted to streetcars and draggers 

[andy198712]

What did you do with your old cage?.....

Also what tyres are you using that are that small and actually grip?

[Ian Brown]

What did you do with your old cage?.....

Also what tyres are you using that are that small and actually grip?

The original RollCentre 'Beetle Cup' cage was sold and is now being installed into an Oval Beetle that's being built to compete in the HRDC 'Touring Greats' pre-1960 Historic Touring Car Championship (These are the 1950's Touring Cars that race at the Goodwood Revival)

The tyres we are limited to are the same tyre that the Championship above must use, which is a CR65 Dunlop treaded crossply. These are the tyres that single seater's, saloon's and GT's raced on in the 1950's and 60's. A soft grippy compound but very narrow with tall side walls and despite being treaded they aren't road legal. Being a crossply the tread doesn't run the full width of the tyre so for example my front tyres look similar in size to a standard 165 section radial tyre but the tread width is actually only 120mm.

Grip?...There is some grip due to the soft compound but on the faster corners the car is basically drifting sideways...Which is where the fun is!

[Nico86]

Thanks for all the additional infos!