The Silverstone experience demonstrated that the external cut off switch on this car was utterly knackered. Jamming it with paper to force a bit more pressure onto the contacts is no way to run a car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is also time to lose the steering lock, and that is a relatively destructive process, which means we took the decision to do some more substantial rewiring of the car. It was a bit, ahem, circuitous to begin with, because this was a car that used to have the battery under the bonnet, but now has it in the boot, which means there is a great deal of electrical cable running up and down this car that seems to do little other than try to go wrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, we take it all out, and start again. First thing is to move the battery. Up high in the offside rear is no good, we want it low in the nearside rear, as low as we can get it. Relocating it allows us to be a better job of securing it, which is as simple as exhaust clamps and a small ratchet strap to supplement the battery retainer. No more Oulton Park tales of smashed batteries and leaking acid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With that moved we can lay the new main cable, which will now run through the cockpit, and that puts the master cut off switch inside the car within reach of the driver. We can fit a pull cable to the hole left in the exterior, and now the kill switch will not be exposed to the elements. Also some kid can’t switch the car off for you at the traffic lights.

 

A custom mount for the kill switch is put within easy reach of the tiny pilot, and the pull cable laid. Bear wires the thing up, and we’re in business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The steering lock is drilled off, and with some care an ignition switch is fitted next to the cruise control gubbins. The starter button is fitted in the hole left by the now-absent key, the whole things comes out quite neatly. The great thing is that with a good few electrical boxes and cable deleted, we lose about 5kg in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The diet continues, and with some peering about and some time, we find another 30kg. Some of it is small stuff, literally 100g saved here and there, but some is big and obvious. We finally have permission to remove the passenger seat and harnesses. Their presence for trackday use is all well and good, but given it’s only 4 bolts to put it back, it makes no sense to cart 15kg about all season just in case. It all adds up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, time to get a grip. The tyre wear has been heinous, and whilst much of that is unavoidable, we can give it more of a chance. The rear camber gets rather more aggressive. We have to balance what we can achieve against the inherent roll in the car, the lack of serious roll bars means a compromise is inevitable, but there are gains to make here, and the car loses another kilo of rotational weight in the process. Remarkable where it all comes from.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whilst camber is always achieved the same way, by removing or adding spacers and shims twixt diff and driveshaft, it is remarkable how the various combinations of parts varies your ability to accurately predict what you're going to get. It's only 4 nuts each side, but they are a bit of a pain in the neck to get to, and it's best to get it right first time out. Doing it twice is just annoying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Initial readings suggest our calculations have gone awry. I know it's a different diff, and that this is not XJS equipment we're working with, but that shouldn't matter at all, the process and dimensions of the driveshafts and uprights is the same. It is when we remember that this car carries 100kg+ of largely pointless spares in the boot between meetings that the high camber readings make sense. Unloading the car proves that we got it spot on. It cures so many ills. The tyres no longer threaten the rear arches, and even loading the car for transport is now simpler. Hopefully this will help improve rear grip, critical at Snetterton's slow corner onto long straight ethos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Snetterton then, lighter and with some general improvements. Matt proved that even with no testing he can now put this car mid-grid, and after two awful opening laps in both races he passed a huge number of cars to finish most respectably. It is a quantum leap forward on the race here back in April, and the car signs out 2011 with what would be, in automotive terms, a knowing smile…