Clever exhaust

Mon.08.01.07. The old wheels have been bolted to the hubs and the chassis dropped to floor. This will enable the tracking as well as cast and camber to be rectified. Throughout January, whilst I have been journeying throughout Asia and Dubai, Chris has continued to enjoy the project. One suspension problem after another has been resolved enabling the car to sit perfectly straight and level.

The stage 2 head has been torqued into position along with many of the engine auxiliaries: the starter motor, alternator and water pump. The routing of exhaust system has proved to be biggest headache. Colin has once more been co-opted to determine the how best to reform the mixture of stainless steel exhaust pipe. The repositioning of the engine has thrown up yet another difficulty regarding the feasibility of fitting the manifold to the head. The manifold exhaust sections have had to be re-designed, re-cut and re-modelled so as to skirt the main tub as well as the box section of the central chassis. The single mid sectioned pipe will now split before the rear leaf spring suspension to accommodate the twin silencers which will now emerge either side of the petrol tank appearing externally on the outer edges of the of the inner rear wings. This will be the premier route of the exhaust, which should not interfere with the location of the petrol tank or necessitate chopping the bulkhead of the tub. Colin has been quite determined not to compromise his initial design of the system and, as before, his methodology will prove the only and correct approach. The eventual outcome will be worth the extra effort.

I have returned mid February, from my travels, to witness much of the technical details resolved. The careful measuring, balancing and alignment that I am totally ignorant of has been completed. I recall when I first made the car I simply demolished a Triumph 1360 estate, stripped down a rotting chassis, had an engine and gearbox rebuilt, bolted on a timber, alloy and fibreglass kit to an existing rolling. I lined up the body tub with my eye and bolted it down to the reclaimed box section, fixed the wings and nosecone, threw in some seats then finally, had the car painted. I was over the moon with my achievement, certainly proud of my resolve; I ran the car for nine years steeped in ignorant bliss without even the slightest knowledge about cast and camber, suspension tolerances or roadworthiness. It was quite a cute and unique toy that I had made, I was very content. My only genuine consideration was that if Triumph had spent millions of pounds developing an independent vehicle chassis plus a bolt on drive train. Therefore, to accept the premise that if their own body design was removed any other rigid body could replace the original without any major handling differences was facile logic. Anyway, the Burlington had been the brain child of an eccentric genius, Hadyn Davies, so it must be okay.
Knowing what I know now, and only what I have picked up from Chris and Colin over the previous year, the car would have been a long way from being the perfect little honey that I always imagined it to be. But, there is no doubt in my mind that this time around it will be.