AAC567X

Quoted from Batch

Good to hear that plans are already afoot for next year,

There may be a few changes next year, but it'll be evolution not revolution. Any feedback on most favoured and least favoured parts of this year's weekend would certainly be welcomed.

Apologies to everyone who was promised that a picture of their car would appear today. I was contacted by a senior committee member and asked to shrink the pictures so that they didn't do odd things to the thread. Unfortunately, when I attempt to do that the quality suffers to the point where the images are almost indecipherable. I'll keep working on it. Otherwise, if there are any G.I.M.P. experts out there who could offer tips....

Group shot of the first dozen cars to arrive, taken in the lower car park. More pictures to follow later....

Have found that I am working this weekend, so I'll only be available for the OST social parts of the weekend, not the drive.

(dissappointed)

Quoted from Stuart Wilson

I'm thinking I my treat the TR to a new battery to go with the starter I'm going to get.

You could look at a slightly higher capacity if you live in a dark, cold or wet area and need to run lights, heater or wipers more often. I put a 60Ah on, but had to modify the clamp on the carrier tray to secure the larger item.

Quoted from kelvin45

I would start with wheel balancing first and see if that resolves it.

It didn't, that's why the job ended up being new track control arms, ball joints and bushes - which did resolve it.

Quoted from Beans

Good luck with finding the culprit 😉

Heard the terrible news about Martin when I took the 7 in for new track control arms, ball joints and bushes today.

Thanks to everyone for the comments. As mentioned in the original post, I'll be fitting 195/55R15 85H tyres to a TR7 on a set of Montego Turbo 6J diamond-lattice-style rims and using them for moderately rapid driving in one of the wettest parts of the UK.

Scrapman: Which exact product are you using? EfficientGrip, Optigrip or Vector?

Thanks Ferny.

Thanks, Mike. I'll add those to my options.

When I got AAC, it came with a set of new Firestone Firehawk 195/55 15 85H tyres. I'd never driven on Firestone tyres before, but they had plenty of tread and seemed a match for the car. During the winter I've found that their adhesion, especially in the wet, is far less than the Goodyear Hydragrip of a similar size that I used on the Volvo 940ST for nearly a decade (over multiple front/rear pairs). They seem to be more suited for the school run in a Ka 1·2 or Fiat 500.

I'm looking ahead to the options I'll have when the Firestones are ready for replacement. Unfortunately, Goodyear have dropped the Hydragrip and introduced the Eagle Vector 2+ which I have never used.

Does anyone have experience of the Vector 2+ on a lightweight sports - or any suggestions for an alternative with excellent wet grip?

Quoted from Beans

<lots of very helpful suggestions>

Thanks, as always, Theo.

Driving along normally at about 40 - 45 mph. Suddenly the front end starts shimmying like an epileptic belly-dancer. After 15 or 20 seconds, everything settles down again and it drives perfectly for the next half an hour. Repeat at irregular intervals.

1) Tyres are worn to slightly different diameters and sometimes come into destructive resonance.
2) One or both front tyres have lost balance weights.
3) Loose nuts.
4) Worn bearings.
5) Worn steering mechanism.
6) Other cause?

Quoted from Raider

Quoted from Greta

Martin - if you can find me a co driver I'd love to do this in my GT6
Nuala

Hi there mate. We'll see if we can get someone to volunteer 😉

<waves>

Quoted from Raider

Back up? Well we are a 3 man crew so the TR7 won't do

Why not? You can get 4 in a TR7.  

Quoted from Wilfrid

As a previous organiser and participant in 14 runs I suggest - leave it alone! And leave it to the experienced organising team to keep it going on its traditional course. This discussion, particularly when people who have never done it or even seen it are concerned, should cease forthwith!

As its obvious that there are people who don't understand the messages that they are responding to or the purpose of discussion, perhaps the use of the forum should cease forthwith. Let's leave everything to the same long-standing Club officers and don't offer new ideas or energy, after all "nanny knows best".

Quoted from ferny

It's a good idea. The problem lays with needing to be at John O'Groats and Lands End for breakfasts. The reasons for being there at those times are a mixture of tradition and helping control the route. If you stager the start locations but continue to start the event at 6pm, you'll alter the times you're driving on some roads. That impacts both the average speed and safety on the single track roads around the lochs in Scotland and going through Dartmoor.

Thank you for that informative reply with more rational reasons than simply "nothing else will do". Does the need to be at LE & JoG at sunrise preclude a start at the current halfway point and a reversal of the route to "clockwise"?

Quoted from JohnD

I know that 'daily rest' may be taken in the cab - that's why many trucks have a bunk compartment, but does the driver on a break have a sleep somewhere?
Do your long distance coaches have bunks for the off-duty driver?  

JOhn

<off topic>

PCV and LGV practices differ, as do the interpretations of the regulations by DVSA, employers and drivers. Daily rest is one of those disputed areas. Employers (especially haulage companies) will insist that rest can be taken in a vehicle, as they do not want to bear the extra cost of proper accommodation. Many (coach) drivers are equally certain that daily rest can not be taken on board because if the coach is stationary the passengers will be in a hotel and the on-board bunk (if one is fitted) is "unsuitable".

The relevant quotes from publication 375 "Rules on Drivers' Hours and Tachographs" are:

"A rest is an uninterrupted period where a driver may freely dispose of his time. Time spent working in other employment or under obligation to, or instruction from, an employer regardless of the employment type, can not be counted as rest."

and

"Daily rest may be taken in a stationary vehicle, as long as it has suitable sleeping facilities."

As far as rest during the day is concerned:

Statutory breaks should be taken "when the driver is free to recuperate" and may only be on a moving vehicle "provided no other work (such as navigation) is undertaken".

Advice from DVSA officers is that during dual manning the person in the crew seat can take the first 45 minutes after changeover as a break.

With respect to your other points:

Fewer coaches have bunks now. Although it can't be described as sound sleep, dozing in the crew seat for a couple of hours is enough to recover for the same amount of time behind the wheel.

</off topic>

David.

Quoted from Dannyb

The only Start point suitable is the Start.

There must be hundreds of suitable places to start and finish. Its only 200 cars, not 2,000. They might not be at the existing checkpoints, but fairly close by. Many attractions would welcome a spectacular event such as the RBRR start and finish as a finalé to their season.

<Twopenn'orth>

I haven't done the RBRR (yet) but for 10 winters I used to regularly drive coaches between Calais and the alpine ski resorts.
Legally, the most a two driver team in a PCV can drive is 10 hours each during a 21 hour period. They must then have 9 hours rest.
Although the maximum continuous driving period is 4½ hours, I found that 2½ on / 2½ off (x4) with a shared 1 hour meal break after 2 turns gave the best compromise for not getting over-tired behind the wheel and having a sound sleep in the crew seat.
I never arrived in Austria/Switzerland/Italy too tired to function, indeed often was last to bed on the first night in the hotel.
The above regulations do not apply to private vehicles, but obviously provide good guidance to build on.
I would suggest that the above pattern, but with 2 hour breaks after each 10 hours, could provide sufficient rest for experienced drivers to safely complete 48 hours. As always, personal circumstances and preferences will vary.

With regard to the issue of some teams having an extra 500/600 miles to complete every year, how about moving the start point along by one checkpoint every time the event occurs?

<Twopenn'orth>

Not sure which order these go in:

Find passport (for Scottish section).
Save up enough money for fuel, etc.
Find a co-driver or offer my skills and experience.
Get back into the habit of driving 1,300 miles in 21 hours.