The Way Things Were

*****Please note - Rubber Duck wrote this BEFORE the 2013 Street Racer championship***

Things are not the way they used to be. Shows have moved, gone, and been replaced many times over. Our hobby is in fact the one escape from the hum drum of everyday life. I was at a show a while back and the topic of conversation was how our scene has shrunk over the last 10 years, but on that note I would have to say I disagree completely. Over the last few years at shows I have seen many times where it has only been big money cars winning, over and over again, but when they say the scene is not as big as it used to be, they are just talking about the show and shine side, because if you lump ‘Our Scene’ all into one group - drag racing, show'n'shine, 50s retro and all that together - I think in fact you will find it's growing. I don’t see it as a “them and us”; we are all part of the same thing, whether your angle is parking on a field, or running the nuts off your motor down the quarter mile. It all comes from the same roots.

New blood is picking up spanners all over the country and attacking old bangers and turning them into drivable, streetable, road legal cars and popping down to the local drag strip or nearest show. The cars that are being run now are usable, everyday cars. The only problem I see is when these cars and young people turn up to shows, they don’t get the credit that’s due to them, with such big money cars always winning, and I’m not saying they shouldn’t, but what can we do to give them a boost? I have never been to a show and seen a trophy given out for Best Effort, or Young Restorer. Times have changed, not everyone can point at a crusty rod dumped in a bush and say, “build that for me, money is no object”. The one thing I love about drag racing is that you see a 18/19 year old, foot to the floor in a Pop or Prefect they are working on, but people still go round and look at it, talk to them. The Street Racer challenge at York raceway is a perfect example, you can have a 9-second road-legal car, but would it stand the challenge of constant runs next to a Pop with a 2-litre motor that can do a 300-mile trip in one shot with only fuel stops? Now that sounds like a good event to me!

We are all part of the same thing, when you see a half-built rod or yank, just think: you were at that stage at one time. Give them some support and let’s keep the flow of our hobby the way it was, the way it is, and the way it will be in years to come, FUN.

RubberDuck

Retro Rides Gathering - a woman's tale

It’s nice to be out of the house with no kids in tow, for once in a while, even though it’s an early start: looking forward to meeting up with friends and having a good old catch-up. For us women who have men seriously addicted to cars, it’s a case of ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ (and we can NEVER beat them), so unless you enjoy being dumped for a couple of tons of mobile metal on a regular basis, ‘join ‘em’ it is!

Even though I had been going to many car events with my other half for quite a few years, neither of us had been to this one before. Driving through the beautiful little villages was charming, to say the least, and the sun was shining: it was promising to be a good day, despite the inevitable queue to get in and the size of the event. The interesting ‘stuff’ was queuing with us, and my other half was starting to get as excited as a kid on the run up to Christmas. I have to admit, I was rather excited too. I love old and ‘interesting’ cars of all types and my definition of ‘interesting’ is rather eclectic. What interesting wonders would we find?

The show field was rather extensive and we didn’t have time to cover much of it, especially since my other half had decided he was up for having a go at the hill climb. This was one of those ‘beat them or join them’ moments, so, since signing up as a passenger was free, and I had no one to worry about but myself, ‘join them’ it was! This, however, meant that we were sitting in queues most of the afternoon instead of pottering about. Never mind, the ‘interesting’ stuff was coming to us, as were our friends... life is good. The hill climb itself was quite exciting, especially when my other half put the boot in, but as a Northern lass, I did think of the countryside I drove round in years past, and this course was nothing more than a stroll in the park!

The cars in the show ground were lovely. All of them loved and cared for in their owner’s unique way. Race cars and restorations alike, were all lovely. However, I was constantly on the lookout for the cars I liked most, but none were there. I mentioned this to my other half and he very gently pointed out, that this was about ‘retro’ cars and not classic cars. That is when it dawned on me.... I was getting OLD! These lovely cars, which, in my mind, were rather new, were in fact 30 years old and the ‘retro’ in Retro Rides.

Overall, Retro Rides Gathering 2013 was a great event. I thoroughly enjoyed it! But I suppose my next step is reconciling myself with the fact my teenage years are further behind me than I thought

~ Jessica Rabbit

No fuel (like an old fuel)

The Fox let me down the other day. I shouldn't be too mad - I've had the car for nearly three years, it's hardly the picture of health, but this is the first time it's ever let me down. Previously, all faults have been traced to something that I've done...

In this instance, it had driven about 100 miles, then suddenly decided that that was far enough when the time came for the return journey. After much chuffing about, with help from nearby Dave Evans, plus Mark and Hoppy who happened to be passing, we determined that the fuel pump had pumped its last. Damn ... it came home on an AA wagon.

Mark, the picture of helpful generosity (and a Yorkshireman, too!), had offered me his old fuel pump as a replacement, so I was sorted. I got the chuff-end up in the air, removed the towbar and dropped the tank which was pretty easy. It would have been easier if it was empty. Well, it wouldn't have been easier, but would have hurt less when I dropped it on my head. The pump is an in-tank pump on a hanger bracket, and it seemed that the positive wire had chafed away against the bracket. It hadn't blown a fuse or anything, though. It was a simple enough job to open the bracket, and swap in Mark's old pump (which, after Googling the part number, turned out to be a Walbro 255lph pump! Result!) but the little plastic filter on the end was of the disposable, 'not designed to be removed' design and the grab-ring dropped off inside the filter.

Some copper wire-based ingenuity saw it reattached. Then I fitted everything back together, reinstalled the tank, turned the key and ... bugger all. I tested the voltage (again) at the multiplug nearest the pump, and, sure enough, it was 12v when the ignition was switched on, dropping to about 7v after a second or two. I phoned James who confirmed that this is normal - if there's no tacho signal to the ECU it drops the voltage to the pump after a second. I connected the old pump up to 12v and it fired right up.

So, I dropped the tank again. There was 12 volts right to the pump terminal on top of the tank, but still no pumping. So I took the pump out again, and connected the pump direct to 12 volts. Sure, it begins spinning.

More dicking around with the multimeter showed that somewhere between the top of the hanger bracket and the crimped join to the new pump wiring, there was a break in continuity. Tits. Where the wires go through the metal top of the hanger, the positive side had slightly melted the insulation, and the riveted connection was slightly loose. If I pressed it with my thumb, I got 12v; the second I let go, back to 0v. I looked on Rockauto.com for a new hanger - £39, but with postage, £93. I looked on USAutomotive's website, and they had one in stock, a snip at £330 plus P&P. Not on your life ... honestly, I can only assume that it was gold plated and came with a platinum fuel tank full of 110-octane Sunoco.

So butchery is called for. I carefully and delicately smashed the shite out of the multiplug at the top of the hanger with a pair of mole grips, which left two wire-sized holes. I Super-Glued the insulators back on either side of the holes, pulled the wires through the holes and hey presto.

I cut the other side of the multiplug off the loom, soldered the wires, covered them with insulating tape and put everything back together. First turn of the key, the pump pumps and the motor fires... Result. Should be all fired up for Prescott this weekend.