Milwaukee Midget

[fordboy628]

FB's buddy, Mike Hart, races a Spridget in Vintage.  He came up with a really cool driveshaft tunnel, which I'm in the process of replicating . . .

Small correction, Mike used to race a Spridget, now he races the "Turdner".   Powered by Ford Vs BLMC

 

Smaller correction -

The options are "BL" or "BMC"   

    

Three cheers - it's a holiday . . .

I was just trying to balance   F-O-R-D    with     B-L-M-C

Kinda yin and yang . . . . . . .   Even though, EVERYBODY knows the small Fords are "better" . . . . . .     


British
Leyland


British
Motors
Corporation


British
Leyland
Motor
Corporation


Any real Brits want to weigh in on this?

                  
Fullhouseofemojiboy

[Milwaukee Midget]

Those were dark days, undeserving of alliteration.

As bad as the Fiat X1/9 was, the best Leyland could counter with was the TR7?

I'll agree - a properly set up 2.0 Cortina would outrun and outcorner either.

For that matter, for less money, a little time, some sweat equity and a Racer Walsh catalog, the 2.0 Pinto or first gen Fiesta would be a serious threat.

[fordboy628]

Those were dark days, undeserving of alliteration.

As bad as the Fiat X1/9 was, the best Leyland could counter with was the TR7?

I'll agree - a properly set up 2.0 Cortina would outrun and outcorner either.

For that matter, for less money, a little time, some sweat equity and a Racer Walsh catalog, the 2.0 Pinto or first gen Fiesta would be a serious threat.

Too true . . . .

If you look at the competition results between the manufacturer's supported teams during the "gestation period", say 1958 to 1968, Ford went from "nowhere" with a new, unproven engine design.    The new "oversquare" design, bucked the "traditional" British designs, tractor engines really, designed around the UK "Road Use Tax".    That regressive tax was based on: the bore diameter of the engine.   That hampered the development of road car engines based off the knowledge gained from the successful "warbird" engine designs of WWII.

But the rising fortunes of Ford Competition revolved around some other people.   To wit:

A/    Colin Chapman
2/    Walter Hayes
d/    Keith Duckworth
z/    Mike Costin
zz/   The dozens of "unsung" production people at Cosworth Engineering

This is formidable, nay, World Class, competition.    Leyland's dependence on spreading their development among a variety of "tuners" fell short, as it would inevitably, given the handicaps of the engine's basic design.

So, once again, "Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it."



Duckworth's Golden Rules of normally aspirated racing engine design are:

B/    Sums, ALWAYS add up.    (You had better be correct!)
3/    Inlet valve area, is . . . . .  everything.
e/    When in "uncharted territory", trust your own engineering skills.    (But this method only works if you are "smart" . . . .)


In spite of the pool of very talented BMC tuners, the result fell short against the genius of the "New Racing Engine Order" . . . . . . .


    
Historyboy

[fordboy628]

Now we return to our regular programming . . . . . . .

midget,

No news yesterday from either Diamond or Holley.

Expecting arrival sometime this week.    Hopefully, in time for your Birthday!


58 eh?

Meh . . . NOT a prime number . . . . . . . .

Oh, and a friendly reminder, somewhat ahead of time:   Sexagenarian   doesn't mean what you think it does . . . . .  

    
Beenthereboy

[Milwaukee Midget]

No sweat - I'll drop by C&S this week and see if the rods have made it through customs.

Got one of the side panels for the driveshaft tunnel whittled out last night.

Accurate measurements, templates, a jigsaw, a tube of Firestop and some patience.

"Little by little, we fashion and whittle, and when the project is done,

We'll trailer it out to Western Utah, open it up, and run."

[Lemming Motors]

Mr Midget

I am travelling to the US on business in May - a few days near LA and then New Jersey - do you need any suitcase sized Spridget bits smuggling from these shores?

I am UK based though I grew up in NZ - I had a Mk1 (Morris Garages) Midget in 1976 while still at school - I acquired it with a blown motor by swapping for my Morris Minor 1000.
A friend had a Morrie with a 1200cc Datsun motor and box and telescopics all round - in the late 70's nothing modern came near it; but MoWoG saved pennies by using lever arms on everything - tradition is so important old bean.

The British car industry spent a long time not realising it was dead: ZMC = Zombie Motor Corporation.

Austin + Morris = BMC (incl. Wolesley, MG and Riley and probably many others lost to history).
BMC + Jag = British Motor Holdings + Leyland Motor Corp = BLMC Ltd evolving with nationalisation.
The Phoenix group were ripped off buying Rover - I think they paid £1 for the corpse.
Somewhere along the way BMW got into Land Rover, nicked the tech, made the X3 and dumped Rover again but kept the Mini they developed at the Cowley works (should have named it Bini).
Ford nabbed Jag and Aston for a while but didn't really understand it - did they have Land Rover too - not sure.

And they made some horrendous engine decisions along the way - why make the under developed Triumph Stag V8 from two Dolomite sprints on a common crank (I think) when they had the potentially developable Daimler V8 in house.

Jag and Land Rover are now Indian owned (Tata) - poetic justice for the acquisition of that countries resources by the East India Company - though the popularisation of Indian Pale Ale almost justifies their endeavours. 

[manta22]

MM & Fordboy;

Regarding British Leyland, BMC, etc: here is a great video by Jeremy Clarkson: "Clarkson's Car Years - Who Killed The British Motor Industry?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ztUlve9jc

Clarkson produced dozens of good videos on a variety of non-automotive subjects. Here is an excellent one about a raid on the St Nazaire drydock in 1942. An incredible commando raid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXusKM5uX0s

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Milwaukee Midget]

Still one of the sharpest minds on the screen.  Thanks, Neil.

Just looking through the list, it appears that the last British owned auto manufacturers are Morgan, McClaran, TVR, and allegedly, Bristol.

Of the four, only Morgan's annual output might meet a production class requirement for SCTA-BNI.

[4-barrel Mike]

Mmmmm. TVR!  Had a couple fun rides in a Tuscan (?Griffith?) (289 Ford) in 67-68 in Monterey.  Lot more entertaining than my flathead-V8-powered '48 Jeepster.    

Mike

[Hoody]

Still one of the sharpest minds on the screen.  Thanks, Neil.

Just looking through the list, it appears that the last British owned auto manufacturers are Morgan, McClaran, TVR, and allegedly, Bristol.

Of the four, only Morgan's annual output might meet a production class requirement for SCTA-BNI.

TVR was owned by a Russian Iirc? then the company closed, not sure if it was sold?  McClaren is largely owned by a Bharianian consortium and Mansour Ojjeh Iirc? after Ron Dennis was forced out?

[Milwaukee Midget]

TVR was owned by a Russian Iirc? then the company closed, not sure if it was sold?  McClaren is largely owned by a Bharianian consortium and Mansour Ojjeh Iirc? after Ron Dennis was forced out?

Wouldn't be surprised.

So what's left of the backbone of the domestic British automobile industry is a company that restores more cars than it currently creates, and a company that hires more boatwrights than automotive engineers.

Got it.

[Hoody]

TVR was owned by a Russian Iirc? then the company closed, not sure if it was sold?  McClaren is largely owned by a Bharianian consortium and Mansour Ojjeh Iirc? after Ron Dennis was forced out?

Wouldn't be surprised.

So what's left of the backbone of the domestic British automobile industry is a company that restores more cars than it currently creates, and a company that hires more boatwrights than automotive engineers.

Got it.

Looks like James Dyson (Of the vacuum cleaner fame) may be about to do a Tesla?  Have been rumour of him getting in to auto production for a while and they now seem to be recruiting. https://jobs.dyson.com/jobs/JobDetail/Talent-Pool-Alan/6510

[forker]

Yep; Dyson has an automotive arm alongside its' domestic appliance division. New product is on the way; many are working diligently.

[Milwaukee Midget]

As long as the motors don't suck . . .

Rimshot, please . . .

Not too much of a stretch, though.  I wish them better luck than Kelvinator had with Nash.

[ggl205]

I wish them better luck than Kelvinator had with Nash.

Now, that really did suck.

John