Dave Silcock Jags

[Dave Silcock]

The Weber thing is a bit unusual I have to admit, when I worked for the Ransleys they were the agents for them and had a general sort of manual on them which stated that they could be mounted a certain number of degrees in any direction. Trouble is can't remember what the angle was but do remember it was a lot. This car was designed to run Lucas timed injection but switched to Webers to try and save time, which it did not, so the angle was something I was stuck with. I had to forget setting the float level buy the book and do it with a dip stick and reference to a set mounted level. The speedo /tacho were made here buy Parrots from a photo of the real thing I down loaded from E bay!

[Dave Silcock]

Yeah Rod that would be fine,thanks for your complements Glad to here Lyall is still creating his magic. He painted my 120 FHC the MK2 and my 3.8 E roadster. I even flew him down to Ch CH to paint out some accident damage on the E. Man he is good!

[Dave Silcock]

I think I can remember seeing and admiring that car but no more. Terry Mc Grath's book will have it in it I am sure.

[Rod Grimwood]

Dave, a couple of shots of Lyall and another bit of magic he did about 5 years back. As you can see he still looks reasonably as he did back then and his skill is the same. Know this is not Jag but Lyall thinks he may have some photos of your cars and he having a look. PS i did a "bit" of rubbing on the 120 along with Robin and Lyall down at Archers Rd way back then. That was a beautiful car when finished, one of my favorites.

[Dave Silcock]

Your right Rod the old bugger looks good, dose he not , when I come up to race the blue car we will have to have a reunion would 'nt that be a hoot?

[Rod Grimwood]

Yea, be great to catch up after all these years. Lyall is keen to come out. will keep intouch with you.

[AMCO72]

Dave, you say....'when I come UP to race the blue car'. Are you planning to attend the Denny Hulme festival in January 13? Am really looking forward to seeing and hearing it. Are you going to keep calling it the 'blue car', or perhaps you will dream up some exotic name for it!!

[jim short]

You can bet it will never be the Millen car as the other one is now called!!

[Dave Silcock]

Dave, you say....'when I come UP to race the blue car'. Are you planning to attend the Denny Hulme festival in January 13? Am really looking forward to seeing and hearing it. Are you going to keep calling it the 'blue car', or perhaps you will dream up some exotic name for it!!

Yes Gerald I am planning to do the NI starting at Manfield in Nov and move on up.I am only about what I enjoy, and Manfield is my favorite track followed by Pukekohe. I have ridden around HD courtesy of some ones video on U tube and I'm sure I'll like that as well. You have to under stand that the cylinder head on this car, is the cars only reason for being, and is very experimental. Reliability is not a given till tested . If you and Jim play your cards right you may get a drive in it, I have no problem with your age, I'm in my 70th year myself.,and still doing the mechanic thing 40 hours a week. And I think it will always be the blue car, now I'd better go and see why we have water in No 1 cylinder our you won't get to drive it.

[AMCO72]

Woops, dont like the sound of that Dave. That head you have designed and constructed is certainly rather special, but as you say reliability is what is needed now. As you know Angus has built this very exotic, well exotic for a Mini, engine incorporating the original Arden 8 port head that was on the car in 1972. He and Lyn Rogers have spent countless hours welding, fixing,machining, etc etc etc, and here we are dealing with old alloy, which is a problem in itself. The engine, like yours is now putting out DOUBLE it's original horse-power, and with a 13:1+ compression ratio, she is stressed to within an inch of it's life. These things take time and some testing, and I hope you can get a few hours on the track to sort things out. Meantime I might attend some gym classes to get myself fit and able to get behind the wheel!!!!! And Jim, no more cheeky wines for you.

[jim short]

Gee Amco after reading about shaky leg ect.I never would have guessed.I think you would enjoy a larger car with pow. steer. I mean 130mph in a little front drive brick cant be easy,perhaps if you had a trailor on the back its not that hard to do I beleive.As to the wine used to be a ladies drink once. then in the early 80s I had my E Type down at the country gents wigram and met a real hard case friend of Daves refusing to let some yuppy trying to enter his Lambo? after entries had closed but its a Lambo he said over and over I dont give a f///k you cant run!!.Wow hes my sort of chap old mate.He was a conersure conersure? real man and he drank wine even gave a book on the stuff to Dave who in turn passed on to me.and my leg doesent shake anymore.plus the Italians drank it during pit stpsin the 50s. as to your eyes I had that with one eye the left one at bay park only in the porsche .man that thing was quick and the cure was in the end was to block of half the visor so that eye could not see .never had any more trouble

[Rod Grimwood]

The right one was too busy looking in the mirror Jim. Lucky you were just quicker than us or you would have been looking out the front with tears in them.

[jim short]

Gee Rod I forgot about that those Escort did fume a lot when driven hard

[Rod Grimwood]

Now having re-read your bit about the left eye at Bay Park, this was in a left hand drive car on a left hand corner track (except one) and you had the left half of visor blocked out. I always thought "christ Jim's blocking again and got some strange lines driving around the middle of the turns" but it was all part of the plan Jim. Always the crafty one ah.
My poor old girl never got to fume Jim, it was either up there or only one cough and reasonable puff and then the dreaded noise around your feet.

[jim short]

You know Rod I think the laughs I get of here there might somrthing wrong with me. but apart from the bulls//t I had 5good yrs in that class .Bay park thanks to the vidio its still there.I pity these ST no fun unless they hit each other.and here we are nealy 30yrs. later still enjoying it.looks like I will be in the red Juno next yr.!!!??

[jim short]

Sorry meant to mention when my eyes and tears that was from the fumes??

[AMCO72]

Jim, I always knew you were 'one-eyed', but if we dont get focused again on the subject of this thread...Dave and his Jags, things will all turn to custard, and we wont get that drive which you and I so desire.

[jim short]

hey dont include me in your desires

[Rod Grimwood]

Yea sorry to diverse maybe 'yards and yarns"

Back to Jaguars

Now here is one for you Jaguar boy's to work out. This photo was in a collection given to me by Robin Irving and he said it was along time ago and he can only remember it came from a family (he thinks name Foster) had an engineering business in South Auckland. Apparently it is the car that Angus Hyslop raced (then white) and the family had it for ages stored away. Robin thinks it went to Southerby's and was sold.
You guy's will know more.

[AMCO72]

Boys, I think, in fact I know, that Jim from Tok will be able to give you 'chapter and verse' on that car, and yes it did go back to the UK.