The Fairford Classic Car Club

The Chairman's Clatter

Right at this moment it seems that summer is really with us and for once I am in Fairford enjoying it. It was also made plain that Madam Treasurer was not going to bail me out this month and pen her own Treasurer’s Twitter! The ‘show scene’ is well upon us and although we missed most of the glorious Filkin’s “Garden Party” atmosphere, we had a very successful St Rose’s school show in Stroud and over 22 cars braved the drizzle to support the Fairford Festival Walnut Tree event (see pictures). It always surprises me that although good, sunny, weather adds the ‘icing on the cake’ to any event and consequently adds to the turnout, FCCC members still brave the inclement English weather and still have a good ‘natter’ and enjoyable time.

Whilst some of you were enjoying the aerial displays at the Kemble Air Day, myself, Mike Cox, Dave Apperley and two friends loaded ourselves and kit into an ex AA, bright yellow, VW van and headed across the channel to the Bikers Classic at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium. As reported before, this is a great chance to see 100’s of classic bikes, ridden in anger around one the most spectacular circuits in the world and often piloted by the sports greats e.g. Giacomo Agostini – even though there were many spectacles in evidence behind the visors and stiff legs on mounting their charges! However, on the Friday prior to the event, our intrepid band decided that a visit to the nearby, original, Nurburgring was in order. On arrival we found that it was open to the public and full of every type of semi race Porsche, BMW etc, as well the hordes of mad motorcycles. Now, we figured that some of these intrepid pilots might just be in need of mechanical assistance somewhere on the 14mile course, so it would be unjust if the AA (or ex AA) did not offer their services. Yes, you guessed it, we persuaded Olly (the owner) that we should take to the track, complete with fetching Union Jack hats and flags. We reckoned that a 17min time was pretty good, especially as we stuck to the right of the track dodging, or being dodged by, other cars/bikes. Mind you, it was an experience seeing Porsches at such close quarters and wondering why some bikers did not leave their helmets hanging on our wing mirrors!

Whilst in Spa we found ourselves inspecting some beautifully engineered front motorcycle brakes. One in particular was a ‘parallel paired’, twin leading shoe set up i.e. 4 leading shoes, whose complexity was in sharp contrast to the modern disk brakes with their 6 pot floating callipers and thin, notched and/or drilled disks. I have always found the engineering of brakes, especially on motor bikes, fascinating, much like the triple leading shoe, aluminium, Alfin, type drums on my fathers 1966 Alfa.

Whilst on the subject of brakes, that estimable publication ‘Real Classic’ (motorcycles) has had a number of letters/articles concerning how to improve the performance of drum brakes. This involves carefully machining drums to ensure matched contact with the shoes, altering pivot points to increase leverage and ensuring correct positioning of actuating levers. Maybe I have missed something, but many people with older cars fitted with seemingly inadequate cable/rod operated drum brakes, simply put up with them or at the most change shoe materials (difficult now we have to put up with non asbestos materials). Can we learn something from our motorcycling brothers? Certainly poor brakes on two wheels (bike or car) concentrates the mind, as well as other parts!

Next stop is our annual support to Hunter’s Care Home, so please try and come along, whatever the weather, as they put on a warm welcome (and barbeque) and it is in a good cause.

Malcolm Cutler – July 2009