In which Sid, Doris, Teal and the invaluable mascots set out on a between journeys outing to Ireland and RtG’s Shamrock Rally.
Sadly, in May 2023 the 1937 Alvis 4.3 Special was not ready for the Shamrock rally for pre-war cars and S & D stayed home. In March 2023 Sid had asked if the engine was ready, to be told it
‘was coming along’. But in the end the car wasn’t ready. Ho and, indeed, hum.
But undaunted the doughy duo got an entry for 2024, leaving a year for Earley Engineering (Alvis Specialists) to get the car ready for May 2024. As if it wouldn’t have been fun to take the Special touring in 2023, do any number of VSCC events and the Pomeroy trial in February 2024…
The eagle eyed of you will have noticed that it is Teal-baby who is entered on this rally for pre-war cars. RtG have kindly said we can go along but will not be able to compete directly with the Alvises, Bentleys, Chryslers, Frazer Nashes, Lagondas, MGs and Talbots. The ‘2023 coming along’ engine is not ready.
Teal has been brought down from forest rally height to a normal tarmac ground clearance. His geometry has been fettled for eager turn-in on new 10” Yokohama 008s, definitely summer tyres. On reflection he may now be too low for Irish lanes and a bit of gravel.
On his last forest event the head gasket on his newly rebuilt engine failed, leading to horrifically loud and expensive sounding noises. But just a gasket.
That rebuild, to fixed scored bores, involved another rebore, lovely light pistons and rods, a head skim and a 1 ¾ “ SU in place of the twin 1 ½”s (for better air speed and pick up). On his Cooper S style 3.44 final drive ratio Teal struggled up the hills in the Alps on the Monte Carlo challenge so now sports a 3.77, as Sid had on his boyhood Mini van. This means lots of revs on the delivery runs just to get 60mph. It’s a compromise, but he does pick up. Yee hah.
We are going to the rolling road when we get back (yes, I know), and will tell you how we get on.
So, there we are. Tools are packed, spares are packed, nav tools are packed and there is still room for some clothes.
The rally starts on Monday in Johnstown, near Dublin. The plan is Saturday from Salisbury (new Adventure HQ) to Swansea (on the south coast of Wales, and more like Cannes than we had expected) to overnight by the port de plaisance and then on Sunday to the serious port at Fishguard. From Rosslare, Ireland, we aim to get near to Johnstown to be handy for Monday morning scrutineering at the Johnstown Estate.
We are looking forward to seeing old cars, old friends and new friends.