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Messing About With A Welder

Medium Dave

By Medium Dave,
in Fabrication

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EliseViv Enthusiast

EliseViv

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I built one from a kit a few years ago, and LOOOOOVVVVVEEEE it. There is nothing even close to a Clubman to drive (On this side of $20,000). It beats the hell out of a motorbike because you can decide to have a drive in the middle of winter and you get the wind in your face, without having to worry about being cold, the fact the road is wet, or getting all the leathers on.

firststart.jpg

A fun (and very amaturish) build diary is at www.geocities.com/westfieldseven

To understand what its like to drive on simply go down to the local rentagocart place and do a few powerslides, then you have a clubman. They are not all that fast, as they have the aerodynamics of a broken brick, and typically they have 120 or so Hp. Traffic poses no problem as accelleration between 60-140km/h approaches supercar status. To got extreme hp is not in the philosophy of a clubman. Ive driven a 320 hp car, and it wasnt fun to drive. You loose the carefree nature of the car. This is the reason I got a R32. I wanted something which I could gate 200rwkw out of so I can enjoy it. And the homebuilt car is not the right place for that.

I drive to work sometimes, suit, tie and helmet (Ive no windscreen), and you get to work feeling invigourated, better than a motorbike because you dont have the hassle of getting dressed, and you have a heater to keep the toes warm.

I have inspired 5 cars to be acquired. How? They simply took my car for a drive. Nuff said. They either built from kit. from scratch or bought outright.

If I feel shitty with the world, I get in the clubman and drive to Strahan on the westcoast and back, just for the hell of it (Often at 2 in the morning.... I have a shitty job). Come up to a hairpin, plant the right foot, pile on the opposite lock and leave a pair of black marks 10 feet long.

If you truely enjoy the act of driving, beg, borrow or steal a clubman, and take a few days off :-).

Cheers

Brett

Edited by EliseViv
Medium Dave Proficient

Medium Dave

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Just had a look at your website Brett, nice build - but the link to the "why" quote does'nt work tho, now I am curious :)

On aerodynamics I was reading that a good drag coeficient is about 0.3, a truck is 0.6 and a clubbie... 0.7! :)

EliseViv Enthusiast

EliseViv

Posted
Posted (edited)
Just had a look at your website Brett, nice build - but the link to the "why" quote does'nt work tho, now I am curious :)

On aerodynamics I was reading that a good drag coeficient is about 0.3, a truck is 0.6 and a clubbie... 0.7! :)

Dave here is the reason....

The reason :-)

"Why a Seven Here is One more reason??

The following article has been borrowed from an article out of Sports and Classic Cars – October November 1998, and the article was titled, "Open for Business" (author unknown)

The article is about a Mazda MX5 but the reason for discussion is relevant,

"A few months ago I found myself on the receiving end of a salutary lesson in the pure essence of sports car driving. The experience brought with it a sharp reminder of an almost forgotten time when motoring thrills were not the exclusive preserve of forced induction engines, multiple valves and twin, or even quad overhead camshafts. Four wheel drive was strictly limited to Land Rovers and military jeeps and any futurologist who mentioned the impending importance of a ‘blow off valve’ would probably have been goaled as a sex offender.

Doing a ‘Nuvolari’

The memory jogging was provided by a humble Austin Healey Sprite Mk IV, a car which hardly portrays an image of tyre-shredding terror. And yet, with only a paltry 65hp, this Sprite possessed an innate sense of charm which seems to have been overlooked a car manufacturers pile on the gizmos and the horsepower. Zip the sprite around with casual abandon and sharp cornering, even at low speeds, will produce a symphony of tyre chirps and howls. Hang on until the car’s limits are exceeded, you don’t have to wait long, and the reward is almost instantaneous – the sprites rear end slides outwards, is easily caught with a flick of opposite lock and you quickly find yourself doing a ‘Nuvolari’ as you exit the corner. This, I feel perfectly illustrates the enduring appeal of cheap, basic sports cars, such as the Sprite – the fun happens a relatively low speeds. There isn’t going to be too much trouble ahead if you overstep the limit, and even a novice driver rapidly builds up enough confidence to really exploit the car’s handling characteristics."

Combine all these factors with a snappy gear change, responsive rack and pinion steering - and the ability to wrist-flick your way through traffic or other road obstacles, and there you have the perfect recipe for a sports car. The fact that the Sprite is flat knacker at rather less than 100mph is completely immaterial - its the driving thrills that count and the little Austin-Healey proves that you dont need to be travelling at light-speed to get a buzz from your motoring.

What a pity the British lost the plot during the early 1970s........ "

Im not all that old..... (I still have a 3 in front of my age) but I really do enjoy driving unaided... an XU1 Torana, an Alfa 105 or the Clubman (No PS, No Brake assist, no AC, no LSD, no ABS, noTC.. The driving is all down to me..... . The R32 is much much much faster than all three of these, but it doesnt have the something that they have. In saying that now Ive driven a Turbo car, Im never going back to NA for a daily car!!!! Horses for courses.

As to the broken brick.... The clubbies have a (very) bad CD, but fortunately they dont have the frontal area of a truck :-). To demonstrate this not having a windscreen improves my time at Winton by nearly 2 secs!

Cheers

Brett

Edited by EliseViv
Medium Dave Proficient

Medium Dave

Posted
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Thanks Brett, that has pretty much summed up why I want to build this car - the most fun I have had behind the wheel was an alfa gtv6, not terribly fast, but good fun. As Colin Chapman said "simplificate, then add lightness," Damn straight - mine isnt even going to have the luxury of a radio ;)

EliseViv Enthusiast

EliseViv

Posted
Posted
Thanks Brett, that has pretty much summed up why I want to build this car - the most fun I have had behind the wheel was an alfa gtv6, not terribly fast, but good fun. As Colin Chapman said "simplificate, then add lightness," Damn straight - mine isnt even going to have the luxury of a radio ;)

Oh and yes I deleted the radio option on my clubman LOOOONG ago. Couldnt here it anyway from the wind rushing past the head :-).

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