"E"s at the Ace. 20/07/19

Pete

A few more







You have to love the Lotus powered one at the bottom.

Nice Pictures Pete, Lotus Sunbeam I believe.

Nice collection, looks like good weather too.

Brett.
        The weather started off dull and damp, and got better as the day went on.








Pete

Not to good a day for me Brett, started of with drizzle at first and then chucked it down, mine was the dirtiest car there, which was nothing to what happen next. I was approaching the Blackwall tunnel and had just passed the turn off for the A2 when I heard a loud noise and a lot of banging from the car, I pulled straight over and lucky for me was a hard shoulder to pull up on. I had a pretty good idea what it was even before I looked, looking underneath my fears were confirmed. Last August when the Prefect went through its Mot part of the exhaust was blowing where the two parts of the pipe had been welded together, I thought I had enough time on my hands to get it sorted, boy was I wrong. I have a two box system, originally it was only a single box system made by Piper exhausts which was made for a 105e Anglia so had to altered to fit my Prefect, at this time I thought it was best to add an extra silencer which just sat forward of the rear axle. What made things worse it sheared off in front of the box, this meant both silencers were separated from the front pipe.
    Lucky for me I carry a small trolley jack, overalls and gloves, I jacked the car up enough to get under, what didn't help I had left my spider wheel brace out of the car, this must of been when I had to remove the wheels on my Pop to get in and out of the garage to swap the Pop and Thames around, so having to work around the rear wheel in situ made it harder. There is a joint between both silencers about the rear axle which I managed to remove the exhaust clamp, but that is where my luck ended as there was no way I could crack the joint. My only way of trying to remove it was by  jacking the car up a bit higher as to give me more room to move. My biggest concern doing all of this was the speed of the cars going pass and how close I was to them. What made it even more awkward was the tow bar I had fitted restricting any moment I had, after some struggle I just managed to pull it over the rear axle.
    I think a lot of people would of just called the AA or the RAC and got recovered home, not me I hadn't come this far to give up, so I carried on to the Ace Café be it with a car sounding like a dragster on open headers which basically what it was, with the A2 cam fitted you could here all the unburnt fuel igniting in the exhaust when I took my foot of the throttle, I got many a look in doing so.
    On the way home I had to call into Rochester to pick up some keys from the job I'm managing, on the way out looking in my mirror I had Police van behind me, trying to use the least amount of throttle I could it passed me. I must of done at least 120 miles home with basically open headers I had many people looking and listening with windows wound down, thankfully I got home okay.
    I spent yesterday separating the two silencers offering up the rear one and working out the bends and straight pipe I needed as the extra is being left off. I ordered last night two 30 degree bends, a 500mm straight pipe all with the ends flared, three extra exhaust clips, costing me just over £70, which I hoping to have this week so I can fit it on Sunday.

I've just notice on my emails the parts have been dispatched, hows that for service.

A few more.







Pete

Lotus 300e wrote:Not to good a day for me Brett, started of with drizzle at first and then chucked it down, mine was the dirtiest car there, which was nothing to what happen next. I was approaching the Blackwall tunnel and had just passed the turn off for the A2 when I heard a loud noise and a lot of banging from the car, I pulled straight over and lucky for me was a hard shoulder to pull up on. I had a pretty good idea what it was even before I looked, looking underneath my fears were confirmed. Last August when the Prefect went through its Mot part of the exhaust was blowing where the two parts of the pipe had been welded together, I thought I had enough time on my hands to get it sorted, boy was I wrong. I have a two box system, originally it was only a single box system made by Piper exhausts which was made for a 105e Anglia so had to altered to fit my Prefect, at this time I thought it was best to add an extra silencer which just sat forward of the rear axle. What made things worse it sheared off in front of the box, this meant both silencers were separated from the front pipe.
    Lucky for me I carry a small trolley jack, overalls and gloves, I jacked the car up enough to get under, what didn't help I had left my spider wheel brace out of the car, this must of been when I had to remove the wheels on my Pop to get in and out of the garage to swap the Pop and Thames around, so having to work around the rear wheel in situ made it harder. There is a joint between both silencers about the rear axle which I managed to remove the exhaust clamp, but that is where my luck ended as there was no way I could crack the joint. My only way of trying to remove it was by  jacking the car up a bit higher as to give me more room to move. My biggest concern doing all of this was the speed of the cars going pass and how close I was to them. What made it even more awkward was the tow bar I had fitted restricting any moment I had, after some struggle I just managed to pull it over the rear axle.
    I think a lot of people would of just called the AA or the RAC and got recovered home, not me I hadn't come this far to give up, so I carried on to the Ace Café be it with a car sounding like a dragster on open headers which basically what it was, with the A2 cam fitted you could here all the unburnt fuel igniting in the exhaust when I took my foot of the throttle, I got many a look in doing so.
    On the way home I had to call into Rochester to pick up some keys from the job I'm managing, on the way out looking in my mirror I had Police van behind me, trying to use the least amount of throttle I could it passed me. I must of done at least 120 miles home with basically open headers I had many people looking and listening with windows wound down, thankfully I got home okay.
    I spent yesterday separating the two silencers offering up the rear one and working out the bends and straight pipe I needed as the extra is being left off. I ordered last night two 30 degree bends, a 500mm straight pipe all with the ends flared, three extra exhaust clips, costing me just over £70, which I hoping to have this week so I can fit it on Sunday.

What a bad turn of luck, I don't know why but it always seems to happen on a long haul from home?? In my own bad luck history I have twice had my silencer fall off over 100 miles from home and more recently I toasted my 100e rear axle, luckily, like yourself I managed to limp it back again. I know about that (trying to stay quiet) style of driving, it can be entertaining.

wilkie wrote:

Lotus 300e wrote:Not to good a day for me Brett, started of with drizzle at first and then chucked it down, mine was the dirtiest car there, which was nothing to what happen next. I was approaching the Blackwall tunnel and had just passed the turn off for the A2 when I heard a loud noise and a lot of banging from the car, I pulled straight over and lucky for me was a hard shoulder to pull up on. I had a pretty good idea what it was even before I looked, looking underneath my fears were confirmed. Last August when the Prefect went through its Mot part of the exhaust was blowing where the two parts of the pipe had been welded together, I thought I had enough time on my hands to get it sorted, boy was I wrong. I have a two box system, originally it was only a single box system made by Piper exhausts which was made for a 105e Anglia so had to altered to fit my Prefect, at this time I thought it was best to add an extra silencer which just sat forward of the rear axle. What made things worse it sheared off in front of the box, this meant both silencers were separated from the front pipe.
    Lucky for me I carry a small trolley jack, overalls and gloves, I jacked the car up enough to get under, what didn't help I had left my spider wheel brace out of the car, this must of been when I had to remove the wheels on my Pop to get in and out of the garage to swap the Pop and Thames around, so having to work around the rear wheel in situ made it harder. There is a joint between both silencers about the rear axle which I managed to remove the exhaust clamp, but that is where my luck ended as there was no way I could crack the joint. My only way of trying to remove it was by  jacking the car up a bit higher as to give me more room to move. My biggest concern doing all of this was the speed of the cars going pass and how close I was to them. What made it even more awkward was the tow bar I had fitted restricting any moment I had, after some struggle I just managed to pull it over the rear axle.
    I think a lot of people would of just called the AA or the RAC and got recovered home, not me I hadn't come this far to give up, so I carried on to the Ace Café be it with a car sounding like a dragster on open headers which basically what it was, with the A2 cam fitted you could here all the unburnt fuel igniting in the exhaust when I took my foot of the throttle, I got many a look in doing so.
    On the way home I had to call into Rochester to pick up some keys from the job I'm managing, on the way out looking in my mirror I had Police van behind me, trying to use the least amount of throttle I could it passed me. I must of done at least 120 miles home with basically open headers I had many people looking and listening with windows wound down, thankfully I got home okay.
    I spent yesterday separating the two silencers offering up the rear one and working out the bends and straight pipe I needed as the extra is being left off. I ordered last night two 30 degree bends, a 500mm straight pipe all with the ends flared, three extra exhaust clips, costing me just over £70, which I hoping to have this week so I can fit it on Sunday.

What a bad turn of luck, I don't know why but it always seems to happen on a long haul from home?? In my own bad luck history I have twice had my silencer fall off over 100 miles from home and more recently I toasted my 100e rear axle, luckily, like yourself I managed to limp it back again. I know about that (trying to stay quiet) style of driving, it can be entertaining.

It's one of those job I left till I could get over my pit, but as you say always happens a long way away. I once had a company van with about five miles to get home the rear silencer broke free, it wasn't to much fun taking it off in the dark, I then drove back up to London the following morning as I had to leave for work at 4.45am so had no chance to get it fixed, one of the drivers at work wasn't impressed when he found out. It did sound noisy going through the Blackwall tunnel, this has a maximum speed limit of 30mph, it's hard just to keep your foot on the throttle without having to lift off, when I did it was crackling and popping, got a few looks from the next lane. I would of been in with a shout if they had a bad luck award.

Thanks Pete.



Loved the Thames next door.

You're welcome Andrew.

Cracking day out,I finally got round to driving my own car there after 3 years of hospital visits and illness, which had left me unable to enjoy the car I had built.so after 3 years me a Nigel had our own convoy down to the ace via the A10 and the back roads.. Es on the hill next

Dave 
       Good to see you again. Also looking forward to you (and Nigel) jumping on the convoy. :-)






Pete