NewsletterDecember 2012

GTMOC

2

Who’s WhoSecretary

Bob Snooks 73, Plough Lane Stoke Poges Buckinghamshire SL2 4JW

01753 662 951 0r 07730 703 180 generalsec@gtmownersclub.co.uk

Treasurer

Steve Bliss 17, Marti Close Melksham Wiltshire SN12 7JA

01225 793 121 treasurer@gtmownersclub.co.uk

Membership Secretary

Bob Hadlington 1 Callcott Drive Quarry Bank Brierley Hill West Midlands DY5 2NF

01384 894 366memsec@gtmownersclub.co.uk

Newsletter Editor

Roger Brown Brownhill House Ruyton XI Towns Shrewsbury Shropshire SY4 1LR

01939 261 121 Fax 01939 260 626 editor@gtmownersclub.co.uk www.eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.com

Editor’s columnMembers kindly tolerated a non-GTM on the clubpitch at Donington as Yoland and I arrived in ourBirkin, the Spyder having met with an unfortunateaccident. A car turned right in front of me leaving itrather too late for me to stop - result cracked/split /bentbonnet etc and a holed radiator. I would record thatthe Westfield response to get replacement mouldingswas excellent.

In the meantime, the local garage sourced a radiatorand the internet yielded a fan assembly so that, withthe help of some tape, we were mobile again.Nevertheless, it dampened the autumn motoring andwe have also been short of time for pleasure drivingdue to holidays and a week working in Italy (us retiredpeople still do our bit). However, we did visit a veryinteresting car show in the USA and also the factorywhere replica Cords and Auburns were produced.

At the time of the accident I was returning fromhaving new tyres fitted as the rears were very nearthe mark. It would be very interesting to hear whatother members fit for road use. Ours has Toyos whichare not exactly cheap and we were not impressed bythe mileage achieved.

The next copy date is the 10th February. As always,contributions of articles, technical tips andphotographs are needed. Text files in Word, OpenOffice or rtf please. Pictures do not have to be veryhigh definition.

We have hundreds of members but so far only sevenhave come forward with a photo of their car for thecover. So, lets see your pride and joy, shooting fromthe unconventional angle is a bonus.

Send contributions to: editor@gtmownersclub.co.uk

Thanks to Malcolm Jones, Bob Snooks, Steve Bliss,Don and Susan Stephenson, Roger Silcock andDonnie MacLean for contributions to this issue.

Front pageRoger Silcock’s Coupe built by amalgamating twokits, one knackered and one unfinished.

GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM

3

DoningtonThe club area, originally intended to be on the infield,was now on the outfield due to the poor state of theinfield. I felt this was a pity because it adds to the showbeing inside and close to the track action. However,the club area was well set out with ample space foreveryone. The exhibition hall was full but there wereno stalls outside apart from one catering van and anice cream van. Inside the hall there was a bar and acafe along with a lot of manufacturers stands and a fewparts stalls.

The Heritage stand was a real gem showing severalKit Car Classics at their best, especially as the Car andCar Conversions Cox/GTM was among them. Therewas also the 750 championship racing to watch on bothdays.

The Saturday was a bit chilly but dry with 10 Libras,2 Spyders and a Birkin on the club area [Roger'sSpyder met with an accident on the Thursday beforethe show]. I also spotted 1 Spyder/ 1 Libra parked withother clubs. There was also a Libra and a Cox/Coupeon show in the hall.

On the Saturday evening we had a dilemma, stay forthe entertainment/BBQ in the Complete Kit CarMarquee or go back to the hotel for a meal. The hotelwon for the majority of us and we had a very nice meal.John & Toni met up with us in the bar after they hadfinished entertaining the campers at the Complete KitCar showdown.

The Sunday was a lot warmer but we had a couple ofshowers.The sun finally came out about 3.30pm whenit got really warm. There were 2 Spyders, 9 Libras, aK3, Coupe and a Mazda [Alan & Anne were off toScotland direct from the show] on the club area.

A good time was had by all and hopefully CKC willimprove on the show next year to make it even biggerand better.

Bob Snooks

Spot the intruder

4

More DoningtonPictures by Malcolm Jones,

taken on Saturday

5

Another impressionOverall, we thought the show was remarkably good for a new event with a reasonable number ofmanufacturers and a good turnout of cars in the club area. We loved the heritage display but wished moreowners had been present to talk to. The cafes and toilets in the hall were very good but one burger vanoutside was a bit mean. We did receive a comment from one visitor that the show in the exhibition hall waspoor so you can’t please everybody. Admittedly, it was a pity that there were so few accessory stalls andwe missed the eclectic mix of Stoneleigh. However, these are hard times and a new start up can’t workmiracles immediately.

Where Donington scored over other shows was firstly having the Grand Prix Collection to view (a bargainat half price) and secondly the racing which more than made up for any perceived deficiency in the numberof commercial stands.

Donnington Park was a pris-oner of war camp for officersin the first world war and aduring the second world war itwas taken over by the War Of-fice who utilised the circuitand the park grounds as thelargest military vehicle depotin Europe - hence the militarycollection

Pictures by Yoland

6

Pictures from Newark missed out last time

This car was originally built for Norwich Union.I believe it was Brian Thompson whoreconstructed the mock-up on a UVA M6 chassisto be road legal. It was a 9 year job completed in2003.

Steve Bliss

7

Mini in the Park ExeterRatther than get on the road at the break of dawn totravel to the Exeter Kit Car Show on Saturdaymorning, we decided instead to travel down at ourleisure on the Friday. The weather forcast suggestedthat we should start the journey in Lincoln in the rainbut move into better weather as we traveled south. Infact the opposite was true; well done the met office.

We arrived safely at the Holiday Inn Express at thenorth of Exeter and after settling in we went to thepub next door to enjoy an evening meal.

After a good nights rest and a cooked breakfast weset off for the show, meeting up with Bob and Marionfrom London and Paul and Susan from Bournmouthso that the 3 Libras could enter the show in convoy.

Saturday was dry and bright but the wind was verycold, soon after we arrived we were joined byMalcolm in his Coup and Alan and Ann who hadparked their Mazda coupe in the main car park.

The show was a little disappointing this year with lessmanufacturers putting their cars on display, surprisingsince there are so many Manufacturers in the WestCountry. The number of Tool and Equipment stallsalso seemed to be down with none outside the hall atall this year. Having said that, what was on show wasinteresting and worth seeing. Later in the afternoonthe 3 Libras along with Alan and Ann in their Mazdaretired to our overnight accomodation and enjoyed afew bevies and a good evening meal together.

On Sunday morning we awoke to leadened skies andthe threat of rain so after breakfast the weatherpersuaded Paul and Susan to head for home while therest of us headed off in convoy for the show.

Although the weather was threatening, the rain heldoff until later in the afternoon and as the wind haddropped, it was definitely warmer. At the show wewere joined by Andrew in his Libra and Malcolm inhis Coupe but Malcolm put his car on show on the"Apple County Car Club" stand in the hall.

Of all the shows, Exeter seems to attract more of theSpecials and rare Kit Cars and it is always interestingto wander around the cars their owners have broughtalong to display. (See pictures)

By 2-00pm, we all decided that we had done and seenas much as we could and with the weather lookingeven more threatening we all decided to head forhome.

Don and Susan Stephenson.

Normally Marion and I take both the Libra and theMini to 'Mini in the Park' but as she had other thingsto do I had to choose which car to take. I decided totake the Libra.

The weather was kind to us with the sun shining allday and we had two Coupes, a Cox and two Librasattending. Not the most salubrious of club areas, nextto the oil storage tanks! I think they like to put us outof the way, but the cars got plenty of attention anyway.One of the Coupe's arrived with a handbrake problemwhich kept us occupied for a while dismantling it.

Stuart Poole's Cox only managed one run up the strip,breaking an engine steady bar and bending the othersteady bar, so his day was done. Neil Weston, in hisCoupe, had a good day with plenty of runs andwinning his class. But I think he was excluded on thebasis that a GTM is not a Mini?

Previous years I've felt a bit of hostility from the showorganisers towards the Libra as it's not a mini[although they let BMW 'minis' run] so I didn't botherto run. Whereas GTM's are welcomed at the BritishMini Showdown at Avon. Being a Mini owner also,my loyalties are split and I enjoy going to the Minishows as well. I did notice that club areas seemed tobe dominated by BMW Minis rather than the propermini which I find sad. But then we seem to get veryfew Coupes and Rossas at Kit Car shows since thearrival of the Libra/Spyder. Bob Snooks

8

Don’s Saturday pictures

9

Due 1st January to 31st March 2013

Blair Askew 1122

Richard Benjamin 291

Anne Britton 638

Robin Brown 119

Andy Coghill 131

Andrew Craystone 808

John Dickens 1008

Andy Dumelow 1223

Paul Elliment 1247

Alexander Gibson 1141

Craig Kenyon 1091

Jonathon Kimberley 569

Daniel Lewis 1219

Gillian Macmillion 1240

Darren Mansell 1245

Alan Marcon 1241

Nick March 692

Robert Medhurst 1221

Keith Phillips 1261

Stuart Poole 767

Martin Price 1120

Steve Shield 238

Julia Wag 274

Peter Webster 1244

Melvyn Woodman 565

Membership renewals

Bob Snooks found some brightness on Sunday

10

Two firstsDonnie MacLean wrote to say that he has been aGTM man for 40 years but this is his firstcontribution to the newsletter. His K3 was the firstin Scotland.

These are photos of my pride and joy K3 -Registration D'S GTM! ( OK - D5 GTM really! ).Chassis 009.

I bought and stripped/rebuilt a 1100cc Stage 2 GTMCoupe in 1971 and still have it ( Reg LJS 777 - thiswas the registration from my first ever car - a WillowGreen Minivan bought for £90 to which I fitted a997cc engine and 6inch steel wheels. I paid £5 to keepthe registration when I scrapped it - a lot of moneyfor a poor student in those days!). I always said Iwould build another GTM when time permitted hencethe K3.

I took great pride in adding my personal touches tothe build of the K3. In the engine photo - I filled theindents of the oil dipstick, etc with Blutac, sprayedthe top then peeled out the Blutac to give thered/black contrast.

Fitting the doors was a problem re getting the finaldoors with all fittings, etc to tie in with the body lines.To get the hinges lined up and holes drilled it was notpossible to do this with window mechanism, etc fittedso I weighed all the parts which would be part of thefinal door structure then added weights/bricks to thesame weight to the door carcass and used that to fittwo out of the three hinge holes. Logic was to keepthe third hole undrilled for final adjustment. This

worked very well as you can see in the lines of thedoor on the open bonnet/boot photo.

The steering wheel boss I built myself using an extraGTM badge. I built in a little area behind the driver'sseat at the end of the petrol tank to house a First Aid

kit and Fire Extinguisher. I also fitted theengine cover release handle there,.Thecompartment was covered with a velcrolid with an opening tab made of Connollyleather from a local Rolls Royce restorerwho was working on a Rolls Royce fromthe States at the time I popped in to seehim, and he gave me some bits he couldspare!

Not in any photo, but maybe of interestto other K3 owners, is that the sparewheel tool unit, ie jack, etc, circular insertis from a Renault Clio circa 2005 and fitsperfectly into a Metro wheel with minormodifications so I've used that too in thefront spare wheel area under the frontstorage area.

11

I've built 6 x 4 speakers into the vertical body sectionsbehind the seats and the solidity of the structure givesgreat performance. I also built small self designedspeaker housings for the front which I fitted at kneeheight on the door pillars. I coupled the lot up with aBlaupunkt CD/Radio unit and the sound is superb.

This one shows the brake pipe system The onessupplied with the kit were coiled Kunifer ones whichproved impossible to get straight without kinks so Ibought Stainless Steel braided lines and pipe fittingswhich worked really well and look great. Things likethe brake balance valves, etc I cleaned with a wirebrush then sprayed with lacquer which has been agreat success 6 years on

The boot and bonnet grills + all metal parts suppliedwith the kit were coated by a firm who do work forthe North Sea oil industry using their PTFE coatingtechnique. In photo 4 bottom left you can see one ofthe bicycle brake rubber units I fitted on either sideof the car as supports for the boot when closed - a

very slightly undersize hole was drilled in the fibreglass and the brake rubber unit screwed in verticallyusing a locking nut to fix the suitable height. While inCanada on holiday I bought a cargo net and it is fitted

across the full width of the car behindthe seats - great for additional storagespace safely restrained!

I was at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in1998 and in the evening after the racewe had a wander round the paddock andgarage areas. The garage used by AllanMcNish was still open so we popped inand I found a bolt lying on the floor. Itis fitted to my K3 and I like to think itwas from his No 26 Le Mans winningPorsche 911 GT1-98!

The Clio 'tool' unit in place in thecentre of the spare wheel which Imentioned earlier can be seen in thephoto above.

The clutch master cylinder, brakevalves, etc were all wire brushed then sprayed with anaerosol varnish to great effect still.

Donnie MacLean

12

TechnicalPROBLEMS SOLVED

First one is a note of caution. I have for some time hadan intermittent partial breakdown of ignition obviouslycausing momentary loss of power but could never quitepin it down until the other day when I was surveyingthe engine bay of my coupé with the engine runningand detected a flash short between the positive feedside of the H/T coil and the metal sleeved outer of thehand brake cable. A plastic cable tie strap strategicallylocated to hold the offending cable out of the way hassolved that problem.

Next, back to my long running saga of oil leaking frommy Coupé new engine.

I purchased an MED 1380 type R kit together with newgearbox back in April 2010, after the build andinstallation the new engine has leaked oil ever sincefrom near the front end to the tune of about a pint every200 miles. During the last two years I've had at leastthree attempts to correct the problem involving partialstrip down to replace the timing cover oil seal andgasket. Then, a complete engine removal and split fromthe gearbox to reseal the half round rubber sealbetween front main bearing cap and the gearbox.Replaced the dip stick with an "O"ring seal type. Noneof these attempts has worked.

I have now identified the problem and cured it. WhenI bought the engine kit it was an A+ replacement formy A type block but I used my A type engine end coverand the original set screws to secure it to the block withnew gasket. On recent close examination I found thatthe set screws were very slightly too long and werebottoming in the blind tapped holes in the new blocknot allowing sufficient compression of the gasketedjoint when torqued up and that's where the leakoccurred. On this final occasion I bought new setscrews 3/4" long instead of 1" long and remade thejoint face and all is now well. I have a leak free engineat last. It's only taken just over two years and a lot ofhead scratching and perseverance.

"Remember Experience is what you get just after youneeded it"

I hope this helps someone save a lot of time. Be carefulof blind tapped holes!.

Malcolm JonesCoupe Member 181

SPRAY STATION

Malcolm Rush has nothing to do with GTMs but hedoes have a Reliant Kitten that has a paint finish thatwins prizes at shows. He told me it was done with arelatively cheap spray station that operates on thebasis of a large volume of air throughput at lowpressure and requires no compressor. I could thinkof several uses for such a tool and when my sonneeded a caravan respraying that tipped the scales andI invested £85 plus VAT. I was absolutely astonishedby the quality achieved with minimal effort.

The tool is an Apollo Spraymate system that can befound at www.apollospray.co.uk

BOOT RACK

We tend to run out of space in the Spyder so a bootrack seemed a good idea - were it not for the pricesthat people are charging. Hence, the DIY syndromekicked in.

The strips of aluminium are 25 mm x 3 mm, readilyobtainable via the web and useful for many jobs, Theyare mounted onto the boot lid with bolts and rubberspacers. The strips of wood are nominally 50 mm x15 mm. Luggage attaches with leather straps.

13

SHOCK ABSORBERS

At MOT time the Spyder unexpectedly failedwhen the rear shock absorbers were found tobe no longer connected to the car at theirbottom end. We were very fortunate that abump had not caused them to become totallydisengaged. It looks like corrosion but youwould not expect it to that degree in normaluse.

Has anyone else seen this problem and /orknows what caused it? Could we have had apair of shocks made with substandard metal?

AIR SCOOP

In the early days of running my coupe shortly after thebuild, engine bay cooling was a problem causingoverheating and fuel vaporisation etc. The solutionwas to make an air scoop assembly which channelledair from under the floor without loss of groundclearance.

The coupe seats sit in sloping channels in the floor,the rear edge of which are 40 mm or so, I think, lowerat the rear edge only of each seat channel relative tothe main floor. These for each seat are the lowestpoints of the coupe floor.

Please excuse the lack of finesse but I have tried toillustrate and sketch the layout and positioning of theair scoop in order to explain how it was made. Thereare three different shapes needed.

1. A double curve aerofoil plate2. A rear scoop deflector& 3. Four spacers to hold all the parts together

All parts with the exception of the four spacers aremoulded in GRP. The front and rear mouldings arescrewed to wooden 2” x 1” short battens for the fourspacers before covering them also with GRP for finalintegration. Cut out various clearance bits for thejacking points and gear change rods etc. and thereyou have it. Self tapping screws and tank washerssecure it to the floor (Only 4 or 6 required) and awayyou go. My scoop does not look very smooth andprofessionally finished since I didn’t bother with gelcoat or whatever but it works just fine.

The front double curve aerofoil plate is made byfixing a batten across the edge of a base boardworking surface the same thickness as the drop at therear of the seat channels. Form the double curvedshape by securing the edge if a suitably flexible sheet,(I was luckily about to scrap off a copper hot watercylinder at the time so I cut a suitable sheet of copperfrom it) the double curved shape is formed naturallyby just securing the other edge to the base workingsurface. Make up with GRP, peel off and trim withangle grinder when cured.

14

The scoop is made by moulding GRP around ¼diameter of a plumbing drainage pipe for the widthof the car before trimming in a similar manner.

Screw each finished moulding to four 2” x 1” woodenbattens before covering with GRP to integrate thewhole assembly.

Malcolm Jones

CoupeMember 181I

LetterDon Stephenson wrote a splendid letter about theconnections between Westfield, Lotus, Caterham andDRB-HICOM. However, as it has already been printedin Complete Kit Car Magazine I have not repeated ithere. I can let you have a copy if you missed it in CKC.

It finishes with the intriguing question “So, who isgoing to manufacture the new Elise/Libra replacement,Lotus. Caterham or Westfield?”.

GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM

15

Regional GroupsThe Southern group meet on the first Tuesday ofthe month at The Fishery, Elstree, Watford WD63BE. The pub serves good, reasonably priced, food.

The venue was picked because it is handy for the M1and M25 as most of the regulars have about an hoursjourney to get there. We are a friendly bunch andwould love to have some other members join us. Youdon't have to come every month but would be nice tosee as many of you as possible.

Don Stephenson organises the East Midlands meetat The Roman Way, Newark (junction of A1/A46)on the second Tuesday of the month.

No interest has been forthcoming on a Shropshireand mid Wales area section but if you are in thearea, contact me (Roger Brown) oneditor@gtmowndersclub.co.uk.

Why not organise a gathering in your area?Volumteers are wanted to act as regionalorganiser/convenor/or whatever you wish to call it.It should be a a very enjoyable job that is not tooonerous.

Web siteThe club’s web site is at www.gtmownersclub.co.uk

Summer activities have contributed to it not havingany development recently, and we still need yoursuggestions as to what you would like to be includedor, even better, produce some content. The areas thatI would like to see are technical articles/advice andmore historical information and photographs.Another possibility is a gallery of members’ cars.

Currently, the Members Only section has links to thenewsletters and committee contact details. Let usknow if you think there should be change there. Emailto editor@gtmownersclub.co.uk

Although the newsletter can be accessed from themembers area of the web site, it is more convenientto receive it by email, so if you have not yet done sosee the instruction on the last page.

The password to enter the members page is

tempest4

GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM

GTM Rossa K3 1.4 k series 16v twin cam engine,manual 5-speed gearbox

- Cat-C (due to slow speed impact a couple of yearsago from near-side rear cracking the rear clam/bodywork, it still drove perfectly). Talon SportsCars quoted £2700 to remould a new rear clam –hence insurance company considered it uneconomicto repair. I purchased the car and repaired the rearclam myself.)

- Built 1996. Nearly 12 months MOT. Whitebodywork. Runs very well.

- Hard top (no soft top)

- Previous owner told me that the engine has doneabout 10,000 miles (plus 3,000 more by me). Theengine was purchased from a club member - I willtry and get hold of his name.

- Hydraulic clutch conversion

- Alloy wheels and good tyres

- Lots of paperwork including original build manual

- Full details and lots of photos atwww.details1.co.uk

- £1250

- Email: petercracknell@yahoo.com or contact:07818492420

For Sale

16

Club RegaliaAll of the following regalia can be bought by mail order (postage and packing extra) with theexception of the mugs and glasses which are only available at shows. Please make your chequespayable to ‘GTM Owners Club’.All garments have an embroidered owners club badge and are available in several colours and sizes.Please phone/e-mail to check choices available. If you are thinking of purchasing items at a Kit Car,show please contact me beforehand so that I can ensure that I bring the relevant stock as space in theLibra is limited.

Waterproof jacket £44.00

Fleeces £27.00

Sweatshirts - Round Neck £13.00Sweatshirts – V Neck £14.00

T- Shirts - Round Neck £8.00T- Shirts – V Neck £9.00Ladies T – Shirts £9.00

Polo Shirts £14.00

Baseball Caps £9.00

GTMOC Tax Disc Holders (stick on) £1.50GTMOC Mugs £4.00GTMOC pint glass £4.00GTMOC Leather Key Fobs with enamel badge £3.00GTMOC Enamel Badges £2.00GTMOC Window Stickers (3” dia.) £1.00GTMOC Embroidered Badges £2.00

Enquiries to Bob Snooks

01753 662951 or 07730 703180e-mail – bobsnooks@supanet.com

Prices are for stock items and are subject to change with new orders.

17

Events Calendar 2013Information to date

JANUARY10-13 Autosport International at the NEC

APRIL13-14 The Kent Kit Car Show, Detling - club area, no marquee

MAY5-6 The National Kit Car Motor Show, Stoneleigh - club area, large marquee,

AGM 2.00 PM and evening barbecue on Sunday

JUNE2 Kit Car London to Brighton

14-16 Pageant of Power – Cholmondeley Castle15-16 National Kit Car Festival, Newark - club area, small marquee

22-23 Le Mans 24 hour

2JULY4-7 Goodwood Festival of Speed

? British Mini Showdown, Shakespeare County Raceway, - club area?

26-28 Silverstone Classic - club area?

AUGUST11 Mini in the Park, Santa Pod Raceway - club area?

31 Donington Kit Car Show, medium marquee

SEPTEMBER1 Donington Kit Car Show - club area, medium marquee

13-15 Goodwood Revival meeting – bringing the 1940s, 50’s and 60’s to life!

OCTOBER? The Great Western Kit Car Show, Exeter - unable to book club area

Would you like to see a wider range of events listed? A comprehensive list with a strong bias to theShropshire/Welsh borders area can be found at www.shacc.org.uk

GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM

18

If you have not done so please register your email address so thatyou can have the newsletters sent to you.

Send your name, membership number and email address to theClub Secretary (Bob Snooks) at generalsec@gtmownersclub.co.uk

7H15 M3554G3

> 53RV35 7O

> PR0V3 H0W 0UR

> M1ND5 C4N D0

> 4M4Z1NG

> 7H1NG5!

> 1MPR3551V3

> 7H1NG5! 1N 7H3

> B3G1NN1NG 17

> WA5 H4RD BU7

> N0W, 0N 7H15

> LIN3 Y0UR M1ND

> 1S R34D1NG 17

> 4U70M471C4LLY Other people can mend cars

> W17H 0U7 3V3N

> 7H1NK1NG 4B0U7

> 17, B3 PROUD!

> 0NLY C3R741N

> P30PL3 C4N

> R3AD 7H15.

> PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F U C4N R34D 7H15.

>

Very clever

GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM