FISCAR Trophy Race (MGCC Donington) 8th April 2012

Fiscar Trophy Race Donington

This was the first Fiscar race of the season for 50's sports and GT racing cars.


The main focus of the racing is based on teams as well as having fun with like minded racing drivers and very high standards of driving and no contact. If you are interested in racing with FISCAR contact them at (www.fiscar.org) It should be a very enjoyable season.


The Race meeting was organised by the MGCC.


Weather was mixed with light showers and a cool wind for most of the day but generally dry.


Qualifying was 15 mins.

Race:- 20 mins.

Race Car:- Aston Martin 2/4 MKII

Front end without bumper holes and new reg plate

Qualifying:-  The track was a little damp but drying quickly.


Grid Size:- 23


Qualifying Time:- 1.46.245

                     I managed to spin the car on the second corner at the bottom of the Craner curves just before the old hairpin. I think due to the very slow speed involved everyone behind had time to avoid me. I locked the back wheels completely I think due to the new brake shoe material we had used for the first time in this car.


I spent most of the qualifying session bedding in the shoes which seemed a lot better by the end of the session although my time was very slow and I was last on the grid of 23 cars.


This was the first time out with the car and the re-built engine,new clutch, gear box, suspension etc so the car had a very different feel, but the aim was to take it easy as the engine was still not fully run in but OK for racing.

New rear style back end now without bumper mounts

The Race:-


Position:- DNF.  12 Laps.


Best Lap:- 1.38.309

In the main an enjoyable race after a careful start.


Being at the back of the gird going into Redgate was an interesting experience but I was determined to make up some ground from my starting position.


I got past several cars on the first lap and caught up with Jim Campbell and finally got past, then passed an Austin Healey 100 which was tricky as it was very quick. 


I then caught up with the DB3S of DB and tried several attempts to get passed, but I did not wish to risk either car with a potential million pound plus bill if we crashed. We both gained on the DB2 of Ann Reed and I still had the Red and White Healey right in my mirrors. By the end of lap 10 we were a very close group all within a few cars length of each other.


Going into Redgate I noticed for the first time a splutter from the engine which the got worse and by the time I got to the Dunlop straight the engine was spluttering more and the Healey got passed. The car picked up again so I was able to keep very close and tried to re-over take on the Wheatcroft Straight.  


I was hoping to catch the other two Feltham Astons of Ann and Tim as I had been closing quickly and felt the car was good for about another 2 secs per lap but it was not to be.


The car kept missing more and more particularly up hill, I kept on going but the power was dropping and all the cars I had passed now started over taking and on my  13th lap the car decided to go no further and died coming out of coppice, I pulled over half way down the Dunlop straight only about 800m from the chequered flag.

The DAVRON DB2 driven by Ann next to my DB2/4 MKII

The car was looked after for the day by David from DAVRON

Thanks to DAVRON for their support on the day.


NEXT RACE IS THE AMOC CHAMPIONSHIP AT SILVERSTONE 28TH APRIL.

Aston Martin DB 2/4 LML/742 Restoration

Aston Martin DB 2/4. 1954. 3L.   Reg: 370AKP     LML/742 

The two Aston Martin DB 2/4 cars as they had been stored for the previous 30 years awaiting restoration. The car with the white bonnet is LML/50/742.

Finding the car:-


During the summer of 2008 I had a chance meeting with David Reed from DAVRON in the paddock at Silverstone during the Silverstone Classic meeting and asked him if he could keep his eye out for a Feltham car for restoration.


Somethime later David mentioned that two cars were for sale bt the owner would only sell both together. Both cars were purchased and it was a simple matter of selecting which of the two cars I would take on for restoration. The final selection was based on a more interesting and complete history, which included sprints and hill climbs with LML/50/742. This car was also in slightly better condition body wise than the other car. 


The other car LML/50/979  Reg: 11 LKM was sold to an enthusiast in Europe it is the car in the picture with the grey bonnet and white body.


Below are some pictures of both the cars when located:-

Once the cars had been moved down to DAVRON I selected the car I wanted to restore and came to an agreement with David from DAVRON on the processes and budget and time scales for the rebuild.


The car LML/50/742      was then taken to pieces to see what needed to be replaced and what could be restored and also what we needed to up grade as it was decided that the car would continue its racing/sprint/hill climb history but with the addition of road rallying so a fast rally/race engine would be required as well as safety cage etc.


The car LML/50/ 742  in pieces:-

A rig was made for the body work for easy moving and maintaining the correct body shape.

Once the car was in pieces the rig was made and the body work originally located in my garage as I intended to do the body work but due to my own work commitments with was not really an option so the job was out sourced to Andy Mitchell who has an excellent reputation for top class body work for high end historic and classic cars.

I will up date more on the body work as the work progresses over the next few months.

Building up the Chassis:-

Due to the poor condition of the bulkhead most of this was rebuilt and replaced by DAVRON. At the same time the chassis was straightened out as the car had been crashed in to a farm gate post in the 1950's which had bent the chassis, front suspension and bonnet. (The bent damaged bonnet was sold with the other car).

When we looked at the records with the car it was difficult to understand how the car had been in a crash in 1955 with the damage listed on the invoice from the period but the bonnet was perfect. We asked the long time owner of both cars about this and it was explained that he had swooped the bonnets over so as to make one good car from the two he had. This is why my car had the good bonnet from the other car and showed no damage.

Further chassis prep. work:-

Chassis and components assembly after cleaning,stripping,painting:-

The rolling chassis is now basically complete and is waiting to be married up with the body work during 2012.

Starting work on the engine rebuild:-