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Tour De Corsica – By Gordon Hick
Hi Folks,
I have returned in one piece. I was navigating for James Miles in his 400 BHP T.N.B. Lotus 7 type car.
I hadn't intended to enter the rally this year, but Carol Bury rang me; "James is desperate for a navigator!!!!"
"Sorry Carol, James & I decided some years ago that we would not be compatible in a car".
"It's all right Gordon. I promise you he has calmed down".
"NO CAROL, SORRY!"
Such is the power of women.
During the event we had a couple of breakdowns along the way, in a car which has only ever suffered from my
personal nemesis – alternator problems.
1. The Brantz trip meter (essential for accurate distance measurement, in conjunction with the tulip road
book), broke its drive pin – repaired. This involved borrowing the lift at a back street garage; (NEVER
GO TO A MAIN DEALER- THEY PANIC). We had to remove the gearbox mounting to get to the
repair. This done we were shooed away as they had been going to close the workshop of an hour
before. They would not take a cent for their work!!!!
2. The brand new Willwood clutch slave cylinder decided to dismantle itself internally, scored the bore
and made us stop 4 or 5 time a day to top up with clutch fluid. There is now a shortage of clutch fluid in
Corsica!!!!
3. The rear anti-roll bar mountings grounded on rougher roads in San Marino on the first day and departed
into history--- anti-roll bar removed!
4. Total electrical failure when a cable joint came apart in the navigators foot well at a lunch break; 30
minutes lost while we traced the problem. We arrived 11 minutes late at the first afternoon control, and
incurred a fail! James drove like a (safe) demon to the next control, and not only made up the 11
minutes, we had to wait out of sight for 2 minutes before our due time!!!
5. Going round a left hander (not particularly fast) the right front damper shaft sheared where it screws
into the top eye/spring retainer. – We limped along for a few miles until we saw a truck garage behind a
high fence. "Sure we can weld it for you". This done we were shooed away as they were due to close.
Again they would not take anything for the repair.
6. We were getting petrol at the lunch halt when someone pointed out oil pouring out from the left of the
bonnet. A bolt on the delivery side of the newly (professionally) built dry sump pump had stripped its
threads. A longer bolt fixed this.
We were not the unluckiest crew of the rally though; two brothers in a TVR had led the event from the start
until the last afternoon. They had a rear damper shaft break within miles of the finish. It even punched a hole
through the rear of the cabin floor!!!
The best bit of the whole event was finding ourselves behind the 000 car, opening a stage of The Rally
Historique de Corse. We followed him through the stage. He was on pace notes, moulded slicks, and driving the
most beautiful BASTOS liveried 1980's BMW M3. He didn't get away, and I was laughing so much by the
end, that I had tears in my eyes. If you want to see a bit of this drive, go to the Guild of Motor Endurance
website, and check out the Italia –Corse video section.
My thanks to James for a memorable event, even though he must have been wondering where the car was going
to kick him next???
Gordon.
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