How many record breakers are in running order?

[f1steveuk]

[ According to Wikipedia

Yes, if you look down at the bottom of that article you'll he got most of if from me anyway, and although it was R11, it was after it was re-built to 1931 spec' from 1929 spec', and was re-numbered to R41. The R is a minefield!!

I know a guy who is building a working R, but it's 1/12th!!!!!!

[Renegadenemo]

I finally made it to Beaulieu yesterday for a look at the big tin car. The guys there were fantastic suffice to say that I got rather a long way into the machine and everything looks to be in first class mechanical order. Oh for the chance to have a couple of weeks bringing her back to life...

Got a look at Malcolm Campbell's 350hp Sunbeam too. It's well on the way to recovery and a beautiful job by the folk who are doing the work on it.

[peugeot143]

I finally made it to Beaulieu yesterday for a look at the big tin car. The guys there were fantastic suffice to say that I got rather a long way into the machine and everything looks to be in first class mechanical order. Oh for the chance to have a couple of weeks bringing her back to life...

Got a look at Malcolm Campbell's 350hp Sunbeam too. It's well on the way to recovery and a beautiful job by the folk who are doing the work on it.

Any pics ?

It would be great to have both of these cars running again.

Seeing the 350hp Sunbeam run alongside the big Eldridge Fiat and LSR Delage would be fantastic.

[Renegadenemo]

The Sunbeam will certainly work and a few weeks of effort would get CN7 into some semblance of order. I took a few with my phone as I was travelling light.

This is CN7's underside complete with digs, dings and scratches from being offed into a field.

Scratches on Underside.jpg

Below is a shot inside the right-hand body just aft of the front wheel. It's a tank - don't know what for - but interestingly it's made by the same company that made K7's fuel tank.

Henderson Tank.jpg

And here's something typically Leo. Or typically Campbell / Norris / Villa. Switches hanging off the ends of wires, notice the lightbulb hung off its wires and lapped around with some red sparkie's tape. It was like coming home, seeing all that.

Leo Wiring.jpg

CN7's very lived in cockpit is absolutely tiny and reeks of oil and inhibitor though neither photograph very well.

Instrument Panel.jpg

Our steering wheel is in there too.

Steering Wheel.jpg

There's a rather forlorn and sad looking panel for the air system under a cover on the left-hand side. All gauges read zero.

Hyd Gauges.jpg

And, finally, a glimpse of the 350hp Sunbeam engine...

Sunbeam Engine.jpg

And a huge thanks to the great chaps at Beaulieu for kindly allowing me to crawl around their awesome machines.

[f1steveuk]

I do hope they didn't call it a Manitou in the 350 HP!!!

I have a sneaky feeling the Oleo Pneumatic struts have been replaced with solid rods on CN7, or at least locked struts, as after all this time, sh would have sagged a bit!

[peugeot143]

Thanks for the pics

The 350HP Sunbeam engine looks fantastic.

Are they giving the rest of the car some TLC during the strip down too?

I just wish they would rework the front radiator cowl as I've always thought it is the wrong shape?

I wonder what shade of "Bluebird blue" the 350HP is painted?!

[Renegadenemo]

The sunbeam engine threw a rod through the block and a chunk had to be stitched back in and a new set of rods made. They're a beautiful piece of work. The gearbox is a replacement but other than that it all seems to be original and they're doing a first class job.
We won't be able to help them with BB blue because 1954 is our earliest confirmed version.
Regarding CN7, the oleos have been replaced with solid struts because she was 'beginning to sag'. Nothing a few o-rings, seals and a careful rebuild wouldn't fix though. They have all the parts tucked away. The more I saw the more I decided that it's a crime to keep such a machine in a stuffed and mounted condition. At least that won't happen to K7.

[Dominic Owen]

I just wish they would rework the front radiator cowl as I've always thought it is the wrong shape?

There were a couple of visible variations when Sir Malcolm ran her, including two different radiator cowls. I suspect you're thinking of the slightly more slender of the two. Due to my not being anything even vaguely resembling an expert on that car and some rather spurious dates on photographs, I've never figured out which was fitted when.

[peugeot143]

I just wish they would rework the front radiator cowl as I've always thought it is the wrong shape?

There were a couple of visible variations when Sir Malcolm ran her, including two different radiator cowls. I suspect you're thinking of the slightly more slender of the two. Due to my not being anything even vaguely resembling an expert on that car and some rather spurious dates on photographs, I've never figured out which was fitted when.

The front opening to the cowl on the car at the moment just looks too wide to me, and it spoils the lines of this beautiful machine. And it would be such an easy thing to fix...

Have you seen the cuff links available which have been made using original metal (melted down original pistons?) from the car? Very nice but, coo, very expensive too

[Renegadenemo]

Have you seen the cuff links available which have been made using original metal (melted down original pistons?) from the car? Very nice but, coo, very expensive too

The simple answer to that is buttons, velcro or, the most obvious, sleeves without loose, flappy bits at the bottom that require fastening together again in the first place - technology has dealt with this. Or, as I prefer, do away with sleeves altogether. In order to cater for those who prefer the dark ages, several companies who deal in man-bling have tried to fulfill your desires by attempting to part us from our LOOF but we've none to spare even at this stage so that idea crashed and burned.
But for those who really want to fasten their sleeves back together with an awkward, fiddly anachronism take heart, because one day when the big tin machine is finished we'll empty all the Henry hoover bags, collect the rivets and swarf, and melt and file them into just such widgets... Maybe.