Sunbeam Lotus
New Member
Last Friday, my local Ford RS Owners' Club Group had arranged a factory visit to and tour around the Cosworth factory in Northampton. I set out in my Sapphire Cosworth but a coolant weep decided to turn into a torrent and I returned home and got the Clio out. I joined a gathering of Sapphire Cosworths (the trip was to mark 30 years since the model was introduced) and had an enjoyable morning. The tour was particularly good - an enthusiastic guide taking us round the facilities and it was rather eye opening to se how many pies the Cosworth fingers are in - Honda NSX egine blocks, heads and covers are cast in Northampton, shipped to a Cosworth factory in North America for the engine build and then moved across the States to be built into cars. Competition engine parts were quite something to behold - tiny stroke cranks from old normally aspirated 20,000rpm FI engines and very light, hollow camshafts that are centre driven (to reduce the effect of twist at such revs. Performance Ford magazine were there taking photographs of the RSOC cars under the Cosworth sign over Reception. The photographer snapped the Vee - when I get hold of the image, I'll post it up here. As our visit overlapped with Cosworth's lunch break, it was interesting to see plenty of their employees having a good look at my car, rather than the line of Sapphires!
On Saturday, I had volunteered to marshal on the Builth Wells Showground Stages in Mid Wales. I took the Vee as I was taking part in a Scenic Tour the following day. The early morning ( I left my house at 04.30hrs) was good fun as I was in quite twisty small Herefordshire roads for half of the way. Fourth and fifth gear in the Clio, benefitting from good lights, plenty of V6 torque and great brakes / turn-in. Sadly, the day was overcast and, eventually rather drizzly but I had a good place in the middle of the stage keeping an eye on the 55 rally cars pounding round. A usual club mix of Escorts, BMW E30s, Subarus, Sunbeams and others on a mainly sealed surface stage. It is a tight little place and the first two finishers were 1600cc Vauxhall Novas!
[album]19994[/album]
I stayed in a local B&B so I was good to start the European Classic Touring Club's Poppy Run which started at Llangoed Hall, just 10 miles from Builth Wells. There were only eighteen cars taking part - ranging from a Morris Minor to a 17 plate Audi TT. The tour headed over the edge of the famous Epynt ranges to a coffee halt at Brecon Cathedral.
[album]19995[/album]
The second section carried on over the Brecon Beacons (roads regularly used by the magazines and TV programmes) to the Penderyn Distillery where some very attractive (and expensive) bottles could be bought from the shop. From Penderyn, the route headed south to the Heads of the Valleys mountains. The Rhgos is a spectacular mountain pass after which we dropped down into Treorchy. I know of a particularly well named Fish and Chip shop there so I paused and took a souvenir picture of the car.
[album]19996[/album]
More mountain passes followed before our next stop at the Royal Mint experience in Llantrisant. This is where British coins (and those for 60 other countries across the world) are stamped, as well as other commissions (such as the 2012 Olympic medals). Our organisers had arranged for us to stamp our own, legal tender, £2 coins with a limited edition design for our tour sovenir. We then spent time in the museum (with a guide explaining what goes on) and more tea and coffee was taken!
While we were in Llantrisant, the weather took a distinctive turn for the worse. An overcast grey day had turned to rain and the dual carriageway run in to the finish in Cardiff Bay was very miserable indeed. We had been allowed access to use the Roald Dahl Plass in front of the Welsh Assembly Building and the Wales Millennium Centre. The onset of teeming rain meant that we were not met by hordes of enthusiastic passers-by, only a few hardy souls in wet weather gear, but all the participants had a chance for a last chat and to thank the organisers before heading for home.
[album]19997[/album]
I then had a 100 mile run home and am pleased to report that the rain relented. 400 miles done in 3 days and now a chance to wash the car! Other than the usual lack of space, the Vee makes an excellent travelling companion on all sorts of roads.
On Saturday, I had volunteered to marshal on the Builth Wells Showground Stages in Mid Wales. I took the Vee as I was taking part in a Scenic Tour the following day. The early morning ( I left my house at 04.30hrs) was good fun as I was in quite twisty small Herefordshire roads for half of the way. Fourth and fifth gear in the Clio, benefitting from good lights, plenty of V6 torque and great brakes / turn-in. Sadly, the day was overcast and, eventually rather drizzly but I had a good place in the middle of the stage keeping an eye on the 55 rally cars pounding round. A usual club mix of Escorts, BMW E30s, Subarus, Sunbeams and others on a mainly sealed surface stage. It is a tight little place and the first two finishers were 1600cc Vauxhall Novas!
[album]19994[/album]
I stayed in a local B&B so I was good to start the European Classic Touring Club's Poppy Run which started at Llangoed Hall, just 10 miles from Builth Wells. There were only eighteen cars taking part - ranging from a Morris Minor to a 17 plate Audi TT. The tour headed over the edge of the famous Epynt ranges to a coffee halt at Brecon Cathedral.
[album]19995[/album]
The second section carried on over the Brecon Beacons (roads regularly used by the magazines and TV programmes) to the Penderyn Distillery where some very attractive (and expensive) bottles could be bought from the shop. From Penderyn, the route headed south to the Heads of the Valleys mountains. The Rhgos is a spectacular mountain pass after which we dropped down into Treorchy. I know of a particularly well named Fish and Chip shop there so I paused and took a souvenir picture of the car.
[album]19996[/album]
More mountain passes followed before our next stop at the Royal Mint experience in Llantrisant. This is where British coins (and those for 60 other countries across the world) are stamped, as well as other commissions (such as the 2012 Olympic medals). Our organisers had arranged for us to stamp our own, legal tender, £2 coins with a limited edition design for our tour sovenir. We then spent time in the museum (with a guide explaining what goes on) and more tea and coffee was taken!
While we were in Llantrisant, the weather took a distinctive turn for the worse. An overcast grey day had turned to rain and the dual carriageway run in to the finish in Cardiff Bay was very miserable indeed. We had been allowed access to use the Roald Dahl Plass in front of the Welsh Assembly Building and the Wales Millennium Centre. The onset of teeming rain meant that we were not met by hordes of enthusiastic passers-by, only a few hardy souls in wet weather gear, but all the participants had a chance for a last chat and to thank the organisers before heading for home.
[album]19997[/album]
I then had a 100 mile run home and am pleased to report that the rain relented. 400 miles done in 3 days and now a chance to wash the car! Other than the usual lack of space, the Vee makes an excellent travelling companion on all sorts of roads.
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