Skoda Rally Blog

So, R477 KRU is a bit tired after WRGB and the Sunseeker. Nothing major, but the front panel of the “reinforced” bodyshell on later Felicias is nowhere near as strong as the older model; the lower section is just single thickness steel, and mounting the sumpguard to it and then doing a few front-heavy landings on WRGB and some big hits on the Sunseeker has meant the front needs fixing – it’s a couple of inches back from where it should be and obviously needs to be stronger. In addition the engine is a bit tired (and let’s face it, given the state of the cars owned by the guy I bought it from, it needs to be looked at as a matter of urgency!), and the box needs the diff sorting out as it’s really not locking up any more.

Which isn’t major work, but the problem is that since the intense part of the build of the car the garage has become somewhat of a dumping ground – there are all sorts of bits in many boxes, and also I stripped a LHD donor car when I got the new shell as well, so it’s a real nightmare. Add to that the fact that the garage hasn’t really had much done to it in 15 years, and it was time to get serious. If you’re going to build an engine, it needs to be done in the right environment if it’s going to work well. And work well it must! So I’ve spent the last week clearing out, sorting things out, fitting new (yes, NEW) cupboards to the wall, etc. I’ve got to wait for the paint to dry on the walls before putting the shelving back, because it took 5 coats to cover the oil – it’s really that bad there. But it’ll be worth it in the end as there will be a nice clean room to work in so I can do a top job on the engine.

But something far more exciting than that has happened. I’m the webmaster of my local car club – Bournemouth and District Car Club – and got an email on Monday which was saying that a member needed a navigator for a one-off event at Longcross. This, it transpired is a Quattro Turbo, and a quick one at that. I told Ray (the car’s owner and driver) that I’d done a season navigating as well as some other stuff and also drove a bit, and went to see the car last night. It’s awesome. Ray’s a really nice guy, as is his navigator Stuart, so I’m really looking forward to April 20th at Longcross. It should be fantastic. Pictures will definitely follow as this is a really awesome car – it snarls and chatters, and goes like a rocket. Wonderful.