The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

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 Post subject: Lightweight Parts
PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 8:07 pm 
Saw already some fibre made wings for the Dolly but nothing more. On the other hand there are several Sprints used on the world wide race tracks. Is there anywhere a source for wings (fenders for the US colleagues), doors, bonnet (US = hood), boot lid (trunk deck) and other parts in leightweight versions like alloy or carbon fiber?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 10:30 pm 
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Location: Forest of Dean
Jigsaw do alloy front hubs. I've heard of alloy engine backplates, one popped up on ebay last year. Ummm... struggling now!

Tinweevil

_________________
1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:35 am 
We own the absolute imakulate wing molds used by Sprint Spares, and the wing flares, you kan contact me about that of list.

I don't know any historical racing clas where non steel wings are alowed for the Dolomite.
Only in the STT (Germany) there is almost everything alowed.
The Yountimer class Germany and here in the Netherlands don't alow this, never been homologated. I gues the pre 74 won't alow it also.

the same with lexan side and rear windows, this did bring 18 Kg netto but after a lot of trouble we had to put the original extreem havy glass back in. with the lexan the car would be 845Kg, just the min. homologation waight, including a bit of petrol.

An alu engine plate is not to dificult to make and will bring several Kg, like small details like the head back plate ext. and ofcours a steel flyweel, including quatermaster 2 plate clutch only 6,9Kg together.

Be carfull to choice a strong alu material for the engine plate and use steel inserts.

An other pount to save waight is the useles starter motor, now a Quatermaster of about 2.5 kg, and the alternator, a Denso from an Alto or something also brings 40A plus and is much lighter, like the batery of such a car.
Even a batery from a Goldwing is strong enough, only the terminals are a bit small.

And probable the best waight saver are your eyes, look very carfull to details, shorten bolds to the absolute minimum lengt, maschine parts down to the minimum sise ext ext, no money involved, but buckets of time.

Hans


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:12 pm 
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Hi Hans,

I've no solid plans to make a backplate at the moment but have considered it. Can you suggest a good grade of aluminium to use? I've absolutely no knowledge of materials. On the inserts, are helicoils sufficient? The threads in the steel plate are UNF, do you use UNF inserts or change to UNC bolts and inserts?

Tinweevil

_________________
1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:45 pm 
About so caled aluminium, there are over 100 rigonised sorts.
A reel strong and stil good to machine alu is caled Constuctal stronger than mild steel.
A lot of silicium make it more rigid, but hard to weld.
Every seriously metal suply company kan tell you the data of the material they sell.
The insert are steel and do have te shape of a funnel, so you can't pull them trough.
it is wise to use good quality washers where the plate is connected to the block to spred the force.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 10:58 pm 
My uncle has a workmate who reputedly can form you any carbon fibre part you want, provided you send him the original...

Must get in touch, I quite fancy a CF bonnet off him :lol:


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:11 am 
Yer get a batch of them made up. Mart would want one :P


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 Post subject: Weight Reduction
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:01 am 
Reducing weight in a race is very important to try an improve performance. Less weight helps improve acceleration, road holding and braking. Before getting to carried away with weight reduction in a road work out the economics of the weight reduction.

If the car is both a road car used for racing, before spending money on lightweight parts think about what is not really needed. Saving 2kg in an engine plated probably is the same weight as the radio/CD and speakers. Spare wheel weighs a heaps, carpets are heavy, etc, etc.

The best weight reduction for most of us is the DRIVER. There is not many of use that don't need to lose 10kg or more, so eat less (saves money) smaller clothes, which are lighter and you have the improved health benefit as well as a faster car for no cost.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:23 am 
Quote:
My uncle has a workmate who reputedly can form you any carbon fibre part you want, provided you send him the original...

Must get in touch, I quite fancy a CF bonnet off him :lol:
:eyes4u: Must have one if a batch of these could be produced. Why not taking your Dolly apart and bring him the boot lid and wings and doors also :wink:


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:01 pm 
Guys, don't drif away with this carbon stuf, profesional made carbon parts are extreem expensive.
It will put your back several thousend pounds, just look at some smal carbon parts for modern bikes, this is not the type of car for it.
Still very expensive are the pro. made doors ext like used in Alfa 75' by the top teams, a complete door is under 5Kg, but again not alowed in competition use for the Sprint.

Consuming your whole budget on a carbon bonnet and a boothlid is extreem stupid in my opinion

Coman sence, and an eay for details brings the most.
Full steel car including glass, welded in cage, 9" wheels, plumbed in fire extinwicher ext, but just 860Kg. Still about 15Kg to go but that is getting dificult, and with 78Kg for me is in that corner also not much to loose.

Actualy did some of you have there cars on the scales, with you sitting in the car, you could be surprised though.

50Kg is about 15Hp in a straight line acelration with a 1000kg car, some test on our dyno did prove that.

Some year ago we had this team with 2 astra's and a diferance of about 10 Hp, only on the stages the less powerful one was always a bit quicker, with the same driver. We did put the cars on the scales, and the newer car was aprox 100 Kg havyer!! side impact ext ext made the diferance.

Hans


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 Post subject: Racing weight
PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:55 am 
Hans, I couldn't agree more, unless you have money to burn, there is better things to spend your money on. A new steel front guard only weighs a couple kg anyway.

I wish I could get my race car down to the weight of your cars. Different rules means different race specifications, as our cars weigh around 1080kg in race trim (with fuel etc) and no driver.

Mark


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 10:03 am 
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If I lost 10 kg I'd need hospital treatment!

This is loooong term planning for the sprintfire.

Tinweevil

_________________
1978 Pageant Sprint - the rustomite, 1972 Spitfire IV - sprintfire project, 1968 Valencia GT6 II - little Blue, 1980 Vermillion 1500HL - resting. 1974 Sienna 1500TC, Mrs Weevils big brown.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:20 pm 
Mark, I don't understand, we run by the FIA rouls for a GR2 car, and it have to be time period, so also in that case modern materials like this carbon is not on, and the lexan windows only when homologated.
In that respect the NSU tt have homologated lexan windows and they are older, but we can't, simply not homologated.

How is it posible this over 150Kg diferance, I gues you run GR1?

Hans


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 Post subject: Different rules
PostPosted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 5:40 am 
Hans, as you have guessed our car are closer to Group 1 rules (body and trim wise) than Group 2. Australian motorsport has rarely followed International Catergories for motor racing, tending to have "local catergories" for many classes of racing.

Both our race cars have a long history of motor sport, Philips car is an ex Broadspeed built ex BTCC car from 1974, where my race car has been racing in Australian motor sport since 1977. Due to their history we are reluctant to modify them far from there original specs, and many of our "update mods" are easily removed so they could be return to original build specs if we so desire.

The catergory that we currently compete in requires the cars to retain all original body panels and trim, except carpet and seats can be removed (and yes you do need a drivers seat). Bumper bars etc must be retained so for a little weight removed we add a lot more, roll cage, bigger brakes, bigger wheels and tyres, oil coolers, bigger sumps, girdle plates etc. The front and rear spoiler on my car are carbon fibre, the original fibreglass boot spoiler was so heavy that the boot lid would not stay open due to the weight. I think that I could lighten the front of the car by about 5kg if I removed all the body filler that has been added over the years.

Mark


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 7:52 am 
Quote:
50Kg is about 15Hp in a straight line acelration with a 1000kg car
I am inspired! I have removed my bumpers, non-functional stereo and speakers.

(I'm just trying to work out how much accelleration i'd gain by removing the weight of the engine!) :lol:

But seriously, to those of you who have gone sans-bumpers, do you have a trick for lighting the rear number plate?


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