First Rally!

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mrbushrat

New member
Joined
Aug 29, 2009
Messages
324
This year I will be fulfilling a dream I have had since as long as I can remember. Every October for over 30 years the annual pilgrimage to a small windswept rugged island on the west coast of Scotland. Usually started by a 5 hour drive from home up to Oban for the ferry over to Mull. I think my love for the island comes from my dad my first memory being on his shoulders watching the rally on the old road before Salen with the likes of Beecroft,MacKinnon and Pattison
Escorts,Sunbeams and Mini's flying by. The sounds of bda's and lotus twincams echoing of the hills the Cibie Oscar's lighting up the darkness waiting for the cars on Loch na keal you can hear the stags up in the hills until you see the lights weaving in and out of the loch screaming engine notes as the drivers occasionally let off for the crests and bridges. I can remember being late to set up our control in Craignure and following the closing car down the Glen road my dad driving our old red Manta (GUM 289Y) by the end of the Glen with the brakes stinking and a half inch scrubbed off the bottom of the towbar I knew then that one day I will get on that entry list.

Mull is harsh and very Unforgiving on both machinery and people. Having grown up on the west coast on a little island called Seil I have a good understanding of what the weather can be like but to people who have never been to the west coast you are in for a shock! Mull in October has it all sun,rain, gale force winds and snow and that's just in a day.
One side of the island can be lovely and dry the other as wet as an otters pocket.
The roads are harsh at best with crests,rocks, bridges and don't forget the deer!
If you get it wrong on Mull you will be very luck if you don't get away without damage. Large drops from the edges of the newly laid tarmac, rocks close to edge of the stage can puncture a tyre in an instant or worse. Drops strait into the sea round half of the stages. Ditches, bogs Mull has it all.

Brian Molyneux wrote a book called The Best Rally In The World all about the rally, Colin McRae regularly visited Mull when the rally was on before his tragic accident.
Imagine a cup final at Wembley that's what Tobermory is like during rally week.

My little Puma has served me well over the years as a road/road rally car. She has dun over 50 events including road rally's, 12 cars,auto tests and auto solo's. With many outright wins and top 10 finishes. Now with over 165,000 miles it's time for Mull and a few upgrades!

So far the spec is a
Standard 1700 puma engine and box.
Alcon puma racing 4pot front brakes.
Focus rear disc conversation.
Team Dynamics pro rally 15".
Yokohama and Dunlop tyres.
Safety Device bolt in cage.
Lifeline plumbed in extinguishers.
Electric cut offs
Window film.
Sparco evo seats.
Hydraulic handbrake.
Bais valve.
Belt cutters.
S1600 light pod with pia lights.

Jobs left to do.
Wire light pod.
Finish sump guard.
Belts.
Cambelt.
New clutch.

Woo hoo just got confirmation that my entry has been accepted 64 days left to finish the car and get testing!
 
Good luck bud, had ours out for the first time last weekend on the Tyneside. Engine sh#t itself after 3.5 miles, managed to bend all 16 valves haha. Mull 2016 for us!
 
Is it worth doing a smaller / cheaper event first to iron out any silly issues ?
 
The car has been on the road for some time and also have completed a track day with no issues. Only issue there has been has been I started off with Gaz Gold coilovers that were not going to be up to the Job so I got some Avo instead. When you put them side by side you can see a massive difference in the quality and build. Need to gather some more spare parts to take also. Doing an event beforehand will only test the components that I have already tested and I am happy with. Can't realy set the car up on another event as nothing else is quite like Mull.

Thankyou for your kind words Barry.

Sorry to hear about you luck on otterburn. Are you going up to Mull this year to spectate Phil?
 
I doubt it. Just put an entry in for the cheviot so all funds are going on that. Got a green puma im braking at the min if you want any spares off it.

Got to say the Avo's have been great so far. Done quite a bit of running on them now including a few big bumps & jumps and the car stays really settled.

Phil
 
Could do with alternator,starter motor, radiator and a horn if they are any good?
What sort of lbs are you running?

Graeme
 
Erm you got me there. Can't remember off the top of my head. Think the fronts are 275.

Defo got an alternator and horn, will check the radiator tomorrow when I pull the engine out.
 
m9m4xt.jpg

Starting to look like a rally car now! Light pod fitted and most of the wiring sorted. New belts,safety hammers and intercom's fitted.
 
Mull as a first rally is quite ambitious...still, there is a lot to be said for "learning by doing"!! Good luck and don't try and be a hero on SS1!
 
P.S. if there is one Top Tip from me, it would be that it's the crests that catch you out more than the corners, so pay special attention to them on the recce.
 
Yes I know Mull is ambitious for a first rally. For me it was always going to be my first as it means so much to me and my family. I think there is alway more you could do to prepare but I am happy with what we have dun so far and I now have more time on my hands now.
Now got a date for the car to be logbookd so all coming together nicely now.
 
Cheers is long as I keep it on the island I will be happy lol. Still got lots to do but I am only getting 1 day every other week to work on the car. But hopefully 5 of us will be attacking the rest of the jobs and sorting the recce car on Sunday so will do a better update next week.
 

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