Jonny-Jimbo

Fair enough, just thought it was worth checking if that was required. Obviously on trackdays they say long sleeves and helmets... I hope not to end up in the pond by the car park at Gaydon...

I've just been on the blower to Custom Chrome and they'll do a decent enough discount if I order enough stuff for doing 10 systems - maybe less discount for less parts. For instance, they'd knock the cost of the Cherrybombs down from £33 each to £25 each including VAT.

Nope, just yourself and a car! I think long sleeves are required, not sure about helmets. Anyone clarify on that matter??

Mike, what's the H&H ignition kit like? How does it work etc? After the failure of my dizzy on HCR mine is currently with H&H for repairs.

Right, I've done some shopping around for materials, I could do the whole thing in either 44.5mm tube or 38mm tube (or a combination of). The 44.5mm size is much more common, with a wall thickness of 16swg (1.6mm). For the centre box I could either make a can using 88.9mm tube, and then having a perforated tube down the middle, with packing around it. I could make this serviceable so that people can either add more packing, or remove some if they want to make it rortier. This would have to be in mild steel. Other options would include buying an off the shelf centre box from Custom Chrome, with a 'Cherrybomb' mid-tube. I can also buy steel flanges that are laser cut, with gaskets to make a bolt together joint, but this would only be two bolts, not three. Alternatively, if you can still get the standard gaskets, I could use one of these to get the hole spacing, and then get a set of plates laser cut. The major struggle will be sorting the back box, if we are to keep it standard with the way it has offset inlet and outlet pipes that will have to be custom made. Again, I can do that, but would need to get sheet material cut and rolled to suit, then weld end plates on. If I bought all the materials from Custom Chrome (in Nuneaton, so very close to me) I could get the materials in MILD steel for £50 if I make the centre box, or around £80 with a ready made Cherrybomb. In STAINLESS (304) I could buy the materials for around £180 with a Cherrybomb, a bit less probably if I bought perf-tube and got the outside sections of the resonator rolled. Either way would need numbers adding to that for the backbox. Both of them are 'round numbers' - if there is much interest one way or the other I can do a better cost breakdown.

Good points and condenser in a GOOD dizzy does me. Have you checked your dizzy for freeplay in the shaft?

I'm not sure how much 'shove' you could get on one of those spanners before it rounds. Never used one myself, just pondering.

I see - the later ones follow the same path though don't they, just that some of the fitting types are different? I think doing two different exhausts could be a pain in the backside for the likely volumes that would sell. If a good exhaust could be made that would be common to both early and late cars that would be ideal. Simon, doing four wouldn't be too bad, plus I guess you'd add a few extras to that maybe for future interest. So maybe we'd currently be looking at around 5 sets, +1 prototype?

Stu - first off I would always use a ring spanner on the lock nuts, just for the better location and less likely to slip and round. Although I guess you may have used an open spanner to show the size issue. Off the top of my head the nuts look about right. What's the difference between a 1/2 and a 9/16? Will the half not fit at all and the 9/16 not even purchase?

Is that the clamp after the manifold Barry? What is the diameter of the pipe? 1.5" / 38mm, and does that continue for the length of the system? That leads to another interesting point - were the exhausts different on Triomatic cars, rather than manual? Ferny - the ones from Germany look to be quite poorly made, so I am hoping to do a bit better than that if I can, and I'd also hope to produce a full system from the end of the downpipe to the tailpipe, including silencers.

Have entered the Vitesse but it may not be ready, in which case I will be taking either the MX5 or the 540.

Hi Barry, That's fine. It's not like we're in a rush to get Acclaim exhausts to market! If you have a good solid example, that would be good to use as a jig and template, then when I have actually made one we could trial fit one to a car? Does the Mk1 type fit a Mk2 and visa-versa. To be honest, I would rather produce a good product than something that saves a few quid. I can understand saving a few quid when the company is in trouble and saving a a fiver per car could equate to half a million quid... BUT, if the flanged type is better I am happy to do that. The flexi-pipe should be easy to include as you can get weld in flex sections.

... I might have to watch Worlds Fastest Indian this weekend now... I was going to watch Adrenaline (The BMW Story). Interesting that the ambiant sounds around you are so different to here. It's not a surprise of course, but the bird calls were so different to the twittering you get here.

Hi Dave, No, not mine - I posted about it on the forum though. I liked the look of it myself though. My cars currently don't live in Warwick. If you ever see a loud, rusty old BMW 5 Series that's probably me in the daily.

Hi Dave, Firstly, welcome from a fellow Warwickian! I'm hoping to get a local area meet going soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that (won't have to be a club member to attend) So, to your Herald; If the wheels are 'in' at the bottom this is positive camber, and if they are 'out' at the bottom this is negative camber. Fitting a lowering block will give more negative camber, so the wheels are 'out' at the bottom. If you want to reduce negative camber, check that there isn't already a spacer block, if there isn't, then the only option is to fit a stronger spring - if this is what you wish to do, I can assist as I have some spare springs in store. Also, a 3/4" lowering block will not lower the car by 3/4", it will probably be more as it is not a direct ratio of 'block height' to 'ride height'.

Hoping to arrange a viewing of a workshop tomorrow - a tadge smaller than my current one, but better condition (newly refurbished in fact!). Barry, if you could offer an Acclaim, with a good exhaust on that would be grand. Obviously having an original one to work from would be a great help. Just to get the ball rolling, could you tell me the diameter of the pipe and the approximate overall length so I can look into material costs? Also would 100% originality be important? For example, the silencer box might be hard to find, and a slip joint would be much easier to produce than a bolted flange. I can do it, but just thinking of ways to keep complexity down.

Try and find Boyse's Aston Martin Silouette car, that is a carbon kevlar bodied car, looks like a normal Aston, but I remember seeing some trick hinges and latches. Lots of Billet aluminium, which would save weight a lot, could always make some hinges up with aluminium plate and a bolt for a pin etc. JohnD's cars are all vaguely Vitesse type cars, not Spitfire.

Looks simple enough! If I wasn't getting kicked out my workshop I'd have a good go at making one myself either in mild or stainless... Sadly, I may be selling everything up. If I get anything sorted we can disucss making a short production run if I can get an Acclaim to trial fit it on to. Have made exhausts before for single seaters and touring cars etc. I think the biggest issue would be finding a back-box with offset inlet and outlets.

A lot of modern-ish manual gearboxes are specced to use ATF - my 5 series does. I don't know about later cars so much as they tend to be sealed for life units these days.

Hi all, Just out of interest, what is the correct dissy for a TR5, and what should the advance be set to? I ask as my Mk1 has a TR5 cam and HS6 carbs on a long intake manifold, so I thought the TR5 is about the nearest to stock. Following issues on the HCR I am trying to ascertain if I should get the standard 22D dissy rebuilt, and then what it should be timed to. Thanks, Jon

It's not advertised on the home page - that might help somewhat!

Going down the list on Flikr; W. J. Coe Ltd of Ipswich does no longer exist. Holway Garage of Hollywell, Flintshire Does exist, although remodelled. The other end of the garage gives the game away a bit more, but the pumps have changed little. Now a Texaco filling station. - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Pullan and Son, Gainsborough may exist now as a wheel alignment place, but with no period photo it's hard to say. There are various garages in Ilkeston, but non are called 'New Oakwell Garage'. Protheroe's of Market Harborough still exists as a car sales room, now a VW specialist - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....9:0x397ca03df4dba160 Byatt's of Fenton does not exist as far as I can see, but there are car dealerships along the road but all look too new. M W Crisp does exist as a dealership, see previous post. Mylchreests on the Westmoreland Road, Douglas may exist. The frontage is probably now a small shop, but there is a workshop to one side and a Subaru garage behind, so a possibility. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 Arthur Prince of Loughborough exists, now VW, and almost certainly NOT the original building, or has been substantially altered. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 The Austin Garage of Wadham Stringer is there, but now a Sainsbury's Local, but the building is now called 'Austin House'. - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1 Kitchen Bros of Diss I can't find, but there is a small leisure centre that could once have been a sales room. Newton Baker of Braunston Gate I think is long gone, no real trace. LF Dove is there in Croydon just about, now a Volvo dealership - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1 Whites of Grimsby may exist, but hard to say exactly where it was as an exact address isn't given in the advert. Murray of Stratford St Andrew may exist, now a service station (Where I frequently filled up when I lived in Suffolk!) - https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....b:0x260e1ca9dad04f52 Harry R Fisk of Stoke Holy Cross has gone, no sign of it that I can see. Can't find Ashby's of Cobham as the address is too vague on the sticker...

Good good Mike, found some nice roads last night for you and Colin!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/.....g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 At least one of them still exists!

Ah, I see. I didn't have any play in the bearing that I could detect, but will check again more carefully now I know that., and will also check that the caliper is centralised over the disc. In my head it was, but will check.