First there was to be seven. Now it’s five to Spa Francorchamps

I know someone who bought a GT40 replica. It looked fantastic but, in reality, it was bloody awful. He sold it and bought a Jaguar XJ220 in its place.
Shame on the poor GT40 replica, when I was looking for a kitcar I went round a few of the Cobra dealers and realised that decent ones were expensive for a reason. I was looking at a cheaper version, but even that was going to be more money than i could save up and then I found the Ginetta G20 cuold be had as a complete knock down kit with a new 1.8L Zetec and the drive train modified to suit already. We built up the rolling chassis and my Dad got the body ready in gleaming British Racing Green, but I realised I was a bit out of my depth for mounting the body as the instructions from the factory were for a different car, so I had mine transported back to Ginetta for a factory body alignment.

It took a while longer (the two weeks bit from Total Recall became a running joke in my house) than ideal but I did end up borrowing a G27 demonstrator so I could deliver it to a charity track day, and when I finally got the heads up mine was ready I finished work early, cadged a lift over to Sheffield and drove it back across the Snake pass with no number plates! It was so low to the road, I felt a fallen branch smack the under side of the seat tray.

The following day I took it to work, again with no plates, as I'd arranged to have the plates made local and delivered to me. The front was meant to be a vinyl sticker but the machine broke so I only had the rear plate by the time I came home... and nearly destroyed it leaving the estate!

The main road was busy, so I was looking left and right and judging the gaps, knowing I was clear to the left, I looked right and it was clear so I applied the throttle, and in the time it took to look straight ahead I'd gone across the hump of the road and spun 180° facing back where I'd come from!
 
I got home this afternoon. At the campsite I used there were a number of Triumph drivers who stayed the weekend in lodges. They told me they only paid £25 having booked in January. Whether that was £25 each or in total I didn’t ask, but that’s definitely something I’ll be looking into for next year.

 
The Healey was fine all the way there and back, using a mixture of motorway, decent N and D roads and some goat tracks. The new throttle linkage has improved it no end.

I think though that the ignition switch might have had its day. The key turns just fine, lighting the single ignition light. It will though sometimes not ignite the engine. I can though juggle the key a little and the car starts.

There is meant to be a rubber button on the starter solenoid, which can be pushed with the ignition on (car in neutral) to ‘jump start’ the engine, but my car doesn’t have the rubber button. I guess I could bridge the solenoid with a screwdriver, to see if it’ll start?
 


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