Gtm Newsletter13
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GTMOC Newsletter June 2014 Who’s Who Editor’s column Secretary My crossed fingers worked and Stoneleigh was blessed with about the best weather I can remember Bob Snooks there. I did get a bit cold on Saturday night when my 73, Plough Lane side of the airbed sprung a leak but otherwise it was Stoke Poges very comfortable. Buckinghamshire SL2 4JW What was not comfortable was some aspects of the organisation. How the Park could manage to have no 01753 662 951 0r 07730 703 180 restaurants open on Saturday evening is beyond [email protected] comprehension considering the number of people who come early. Last year they had a restaurant but failed to tell anyone. Even more incredulous was the number Treasurer of staff manning the bar on Sunday. A top rate band attracted lots of people and, notwithstanding the Steve Bliss dreadful acoustics, it was set for a good evening - apart 17, Marti Close from the queue of would-be drinkers stretching out of Melksham the door. Wiltshire SN12 7JA I had a very short shopping list this year but when I found that the man selling Superwrenches came from 01225 793 121 Portland where I was born I parted with my money. [email protected] Lets hope they live up to the hype and come in useful. The weather has also allowed a few joy rides although the Spyder’s hood has been more up than down. We Membership Secretary had one small setback when nasty noises at the back Juls Hickman developed which turned out to be the bearings of the 27 Cambourne Road alternator. Another dent in the wallet. Our most Rowley Regis interesting trip was to Portmeirion when we fulfilled West Midlands an ambition to drive the 7 through the The Village. B65 9EZ Our visit coincided with The Prisoner appreciation society having their convention but the weather was 0121 559 7856 too wet to see any antics. [email protected] The next copy date is the 10th August. As always, contributions of articles, reports, technical tips etc are needed. Text files in Word, Open Office or rtf please. Newsletter Editor Pictures do not have to be very high definition. Roger Brown Send contributions to: [email protected] Brownhill House Ruyton XI Towns Thanks to David Large, Bob Snooks, Steve Bliss, Shrewsbury Malcolm Jones, Dave Davies, Jim Davison, Colin Shropshire Howells and Mark Paddick for contributions to this SY4 1LR issue. 01939 261 121 GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM GTM Fax 01939 260 626 [email protected] www.eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.com Front page This is Kermit from the David Large stable photographed at Loton Park hill climb 2 Stoneleigh Stoneleigh this year was blessed with good weather. Having asked to move the club area away form the Westfield Slalom I thought I'd better get the sail banners ordered so everyone could find the new club pitch easier. They only arrived on the Friday before the show [phew]. I hope those who came to the show approved of them. Sunday saw 17 GTM's on the club area [slightly down on last year I think] but with Monday, usually a less attended day, having 12 cars, this made up for the shortfall on Sunday. Obviously people spread the attendance over the two days because of the good weather, so the overall attendance was about the same as previous years thanks mainly to the regular attending members. Sunday was very busy as we had the AGM as usual at 2pm and in the late afternoon we started the clubs annual barbeque. Quite a few of us retired to the marquee, with the patio heater, when it started getting cold. Although a few hardy soles stuck it out outside. We were entertained by club member John Dickens with his guitar, and all joined in the sing a long. A good time was had by all, I think. Thanks go to Steve, Anne, Marion and Phil & Sarah for their contributions in helping make the weekend go smoothly? and John for entertaining us. Bob Snooks The people by day 3 …and by night (photo Steve Bliss Plus the cars More car pictures from Malcolm Jones 4 After the AGM Julian Turner MD of Westfield Cars addressed the meeting with an update of the GTM project for this year. He stated that Westfield had produced, with government funding, a complete electric Libra using a Libra with no other modifications. The company had been designing a new vehicle in partnership with a Malaysian company, DRB. Julian stated that DRB has now purchased Proton and been given Lotus. Because of length of time the project was taking and the difficulties in complying with foreign regulations such as airbags, which meant they would not be able to sell to the Asian market, Westfield have recently decided to concentrate on producing a new GTM for IVA. He was unable to give a date for production as there was several options and no decisions made yet. Julian stated one option was for a carbon fibre tub with bolt on suspension. Julian stated that they hoped to get a car ready for the AutoSport show next January and expect a complete carbon fibre kit with all brand new parts to cost £25,000.00. They would be cheaper options for part kits. At the moment it is expected to be a gelcoat finish . Julian said they will try to make as much as they can interchangeable with existing Libras although he could give no guarantee. He said that the company is expecting to produce 50 - 100 a year without the Asian market and more if European regulations change. Julian stated that Westfield still have all the stock they inherited from RDM. It was suggested that Westfield held a GTM open day at the factory so members could look at the stock they held. Bob will contact Julian about arranging this. AGM The minutes of the AGM can be read on the Members Page of the club website www.gtmownersclub.co.uk Please note new password given later in the newsletter 5 Bumper fun Remember driving the bumper cars at amusement parks or a fair, don't you? They were so much fun..... Well, now what do you do with old Bumper Cars? - and check out the license plates!) Yes, you read that right; these little beasties are street legal. They run on either Kawasaki or Honda motorcycle engines and co-opt vintage bumper car bodies into the most awesome form of mini-car we've seen in too long. There are seven of these little monsters floating around California and they're all the creation of one man, Tom Wright, a builder in the outskirts of San Diego who figured the leftovers of the Long Beach Pike amusement park needed a more dignified end than the trash heap. They were originally powered by two cylinder Harley Davidson Motorcycle engines but they rattled like heck because of the two cylinder vibration and Tom replaces them with four cylinder Honda or Kawasaki 750's And a couple have been measured as capable of 160 MPH, which is terrifyingly fast in machines with such a short wheelbase. By the way, they are almost indestructible in accidents! Thanks to Dave Davies for these pics 6 Thoughts on Glass Fibre Monocoque Coupes Following our AGM at the Stoneleigh Kit Car Show, Richard Oakes actually says he drew inspiration from Julian Turner (MD of Westfield Sportscars) gave us the original Lotus 7 when designing the Libra since an update on Westfield’s plans for a new GTM. We he sought to create a modern day club racer that could are led to believe that it will be loosely based on the be driven on the road and used the original Lotus GTM Libra but with space frame construction rather philosophy for performance through low weight and than a glass fibre monocoque. Available fully built or simplicity. He added his own design flair and possibly as a kit drawing parts from a single donor innovation into the mix. The Libra is characterised by vehicle. The target price for a factory built car is £25k, its torsionally stiff composite monocoque shell, front which is below current Lotus Elise starting level but and rear clamshells, a rear suspension layout with the same money as the Toyota GT86. It therefore needs double trailing wishbones and an engine-mounting to be pretty special if it is to compete alongside highly frame fixed to the rear of the monocoque. The tub and developed sports cars from the high volume clamshell configuration provides better accessibility manufactures. Crucially, for it to be a worthy successor to the mechanical components and cheaper crash to the Libra, the new car must have a roof and doors, repair than a full outer body monocoque. both that add significant expense in terms of development and production for a low volume manufacturer. It should be relatively small, lightweight and true to the Grand Tourer theme, i.e. good for long distance spirited drives in relative comfort. It should also be at home on the track. This is quite a challenge for a kit car company, where Lotus 7 derivative cars are always the safer bet and far easier to produce. This got me thinking. What was the true spiritual predecessor of the GTM Libra? I know we had the Coupe, Rossa and K3, but in terms of small lightweight sporting coupes the car that most comes to mind besides the GTM Coupe is the Lotus Elite, which was The GTM Libra can certainly take some of its DNA the first road going Lotus from the then fledgling from the Lotus Elite, which used a highly innovative racing car company.