Newsletter Issue Number 11, Summer 2002

The 289 Register
Cobra 289 outline (6 Kb)

http://www.289register.com/ / http://www.289register.de/
http://www.289cobra.com/ / http://www.cobra289.de/

Newsletter Issue Number 11, Summer 2002

Three wheels on my 289 ( Kb)

Andy Shepherd demonstrates how to save on tyre wear during the Silverstone Historic Festival 2001
Contents
The 289 Register 'Officials'
Editorial - David Butcher
Technical Tips - Side Repeaters - Gerry Hawkridge
Technical Tips - Grab Handles - Gerry Hawkridge
Technical Tips - Rear Indicator - Gerry Hawkridge
Technical Tips - Camber Gauge - Gerry Hawkridge
(Don't) Get Lost - Fit a Navigation System - David Butcher
Del Boy's page (Regalia) - Paul Alexander
New Products
For Sale
Cars For Sale
Wanted
Assorted E-Mails
Events for 2002
Next Newsletter
The Last Word - David Pilbeam

The 289 Register 'Officials'

Secretary - David Pilbeam
7 Coney Croft, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 4EW
tel - 0044-1403-269083
email - mailto:DWPilbeam@aol.com

Treasurer - Geoff Law
23 Ponds Road, Galleywood, Essex, CM2 8QP
tel - 0044-1245-283535
email - mailto:GTL@gtlaw.freeserve.co.uk

Meetings Coordinator - Graham Fry
Woodview, Sheepstreet Lane, Etchingham, East Sussex, TN19 7AY
tel - 0044-1580-819228
email - mailto:GF289@aol.com

Shows Coordinator - John Cooke
The Coach House, Chapel Road, Hothfield, Ashford, Kent, TN25 4LN
tel - 0044-1233-713878
email - mailto:cookie-2000@fsbdial.co.uk

For Sale/Wanted & Regalia - Paul (Del Boy) Alexander
9 Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 8QE
tel - 0044-1273-562727

Newsletter and Web Site Custodians - David & Andrea Butcher
Praelet-Lewen Strasse 30, 53819 Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, Germany
tel - 0049-2247-300165
fax - 0049-2247-300299
email - mailto:david@289register.com

Membership:	Contact the Secretary (David Pilbeam). Membership runs from January to December. UK membership £10 per year. Overseas membership £15.
Copy:	Preferably in electronic format to the Editor (David Butcher)
Disclaimer:	Opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editor or other club officials. Neither the 289 Register nor its Officers accept responsibility or liability for the result of following contributor's advice.

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Editorial
by David Butcher
Firstly, many thanks for the supportive and congratulatory e-mails that I received after the last Newsletter arrived in your letterboxes - it was good to hear how much you all enjoy the belated bumper edition. But in order to keep future copies of this Newsletter interesting and varied, I need further articles from yourselves - it doesn't matter if you haven't written anything like this before, I'm sure that the other members will enjoy and benefit from your advice, tips or experience.

By the time that you receive this edition, summer will be over - I hope that you too managed to get out and about to enjoy some sunny 289'ing. We missed our regular trip across to the Historic Festival at Silverstone (and will watch with interest to see whether the event returns to Silverstone or stays at Oulton Park for that circuits' 50^th anniversary in 2003), but managed to get to the Ardennes Circuit 100^th anniversary meeting in July, plus the usual superb weekend trips to the OldTimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in August and Oracle Cars' track event at Zolder in September. There will be a report on these events in the next Newsletter - a summary of 2002.
The weather was glorious on every occasion - in fact, despite having driven over 3225 miles, we haven't assembled the hood once this year (including a two-week drive around the Castles of the Loire Valley in France !!)

New E-Mail Addresses
There were no complaints after the transfer of the web site onto the new server - aside from a cock-up on my part that removed part of the access code to the Members Area of the web site (sorry, Tass), so that all seemed to go very smoothly.
This change has allowed me to add a number of e-mail addresses which should ensure that you receive a quicker response - these are detailed below ....

webmaster@289register.com - for any problems or comments relating to the web site.
newsletter@289register.com - for any articles or items to be submitted for inclusion in the next Newsletter.
sales@289register.com - for details of any cars or items for sale or wanted, for inclusion on the relevant page of the web site and in the next newsletter. Please also inform me as soon as your listed item has been sold / found, so that I can keep this correctly updated.
stop-press@289register.com - for any items to be submitted for inclusion in (or removal from) the Stop Press section of this web site and in the next Newsletter.
events@289register.com - for any items to be submitted for inclusion in (or removal from) the Events section of this web site and in the next Newsletter.
membership@289register.com - for any enquiries about Membership of the "289 Register" (this will be automatically forwarded to David Pilbeam)
secretary@289register.com - for any general enquiries about the "289 Register" (this will be automatically forwarded to David Pilbeam)
public@289register.com - for any e-mails to be made public by inclusion in the next Newsletter.
david@289register.com - general English e-mail (f.a.o. David Butcher)
andrea@289register.com - allgemeine Deutsche E-Mail (z.Hd. Andrea Butcher)

The original addresses (david@289register.de and andrea@289register.de) are still valid.

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Technical Tips - Side Repeaters
by Gerry Hawkridge
A neat way to fit side repeaters to your Cobra replica without drilling your bodywork.

Side Indicator (13 Kb)

A neat narrow repeater light is available, made by LEP, and with care it can be squeezed between the side louvres on a 427 or 289.

Side Indicator (13 Kb)

It has a self adhesive type backing, which can be easily attached to a simple aluminium bracket, which in turn can be attached to one "blade" of the louvres with double sided tape.

Side Indicator (8 Kb)

First make up a cardboard template as shown in the picture,

Side Indicator (18 Kb)

and then when you are happy that it fits your car, make two up, one left handed and one right handed out of thin alumium sheet. So easy and neat !!!

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Technical Tips - Grab Handles
by Gerry Hawkridge
The original 289 Cobras, FIAs, and some of the 427 road cars were fitted with grab handles for the passenger. Recently we were dismantling an untouched original car, and so we were able to obtain the following bits of info. for you.
The handles (part no:1/242 HP2) were secured with 2 off 3/16" raised head countersunk slotted screws and nuts.
The body was drilled through on the cockpit edge, so that the screws passed through the aluminium and the tubular substructure.

Grab Handle ( Kb)

The photograph clearly shows the positions of the holes (Car shown is Left Hand Drive).

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Technical Tips - Rear Indicator
by Gerry Hawkridge
The original Cobras had the rear indicator filament shared with the brake light filament in the rear light. Back in the 60's this was quite OK, but many replicas produced later, or indeed original cars registered in other countries may be required to fit a separate amber indicator. It is nice to be able to keep the original L542 rear lights, but if you are required to fit an additional rear indicator, it is nice, especially on an original car, not to cut more holes in the bodywork.

Rear Indicator ( Kb)

These photographs show the installation of indicators on a 1964 original Mark 2 289 car, which was required to have them for T.U.V. in Germany. The installation is neat, easily reversed, and nice period lights chosen, although these early Lucas ones have, in fact, been modified to take a pontoon bulb and fitting. Very neat.

Rear Indicator ( Kb)

Those after that little bit of special detail, should notice the nice curved ends on the rear bumper tubes, where top and bottom tubes are welded during manufacture. They do not come to a sharp point, as on some replica rear bumpers.

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Technical Tips - Camber Gauge for less than 2 quid !!!!
by Gerry Hawkridge
Adjusting suspension for some of us is quite a mystery, or can be ! Most readers probably end up taking their car to a specialist, then if they want to experiment, every change can become quite expensive. Some of the more affluent among us probably shell out for "all the gear".

For track days, it can be quite beneficial to put a bit more negative camber on the wheels, pushing that much harder can cause a bit more wear on the outside of the tyres, often by introducing more negative camber, then you can present the tread more evenly to the road, improving grip and reducing tyre wear. For road use, it is important to run less negative camber, to reduce the wear on the inside of the tyres.

Likewise, for track days it is a good idea to increase tyre pressures to stop the tyres "rolling off the wheels", but, obviously for road use this will cause the centres of the tyres to wear more quickly.

For years I have set camber using an old spirit level, first making sure that the car is sitting on a level piece of concrete, usually my garage floor. I then set the camber by measuring carefully the distance at top and bottom of the rim to the vertical side of the spirit level. Not quite to F1 standards, but still amazingly accurate if done carefully, and certainly good enough for most of us !!!

However, it is a bit fiddly and tricky measuring, and holding the spirit level steadily to do this, so I came up with the following idea.

Camber Gauge ( Kb)

I purchased a nice 24" aluminium spirit level for only £1.69 in our local DIY superstore.

Camber Gauge ( Kb)

I then drilled (4.2 mm) and tapped (5mm) two holes in one side, to accept a couple of 5mm x 40mm long pan head screws, I positioned them exactly 15 3/8" apart, to suit the 15" rims on my car, but obviously you could drill and tap a series of holes at 1" intervals, to suit any particular wheel size. By a little bit of messing about, I worked out that on a 15" wheel, 1/8" or 3.2mm is as near as dammit 1/2 a degree.

Camber Gauge ( Kb)

So, if you carefully set the screws with a ruler, or better still a vernier caliper, so that one protrudes by say 1/8" more than the other, you can use this simple tool to adjust your camber to 1/2 a degree, obviously 1/4" or 6.4mm gives 1 degree and so on.

Camber Gauge ( Kb)

Ten minutes work, and less than two quid, can't be bad.
Update
by Ian Hopley
Nice idea and just a quick couple of thoughts:

1. If you tap an M6 coarse thread instead of the 5mm thread, the pitch of an M6x1.00 bolt is, well, 1.00mm so one complete turn of an M6 screw is exactly 1mm. This may help people rather than messing about with verniers.

2. If this was going into a kit car article, you could produce a handy table of distance between screws against no. of turns difference to give angles and save calculating it (STATUS could do this if you want but you'd have to give us a range of distances between screws).

3. Most people will put the spirit level on the floor to check that it's level. I think that this only really tells you that the bit the spirit level is on is level. It's worth putting it on a STRAIGHT piece of box section at least as wide as the car is so that it spans a lot of the floor. This will also tell you if the floor is flat because you will see the gaps under the bar.

4. I'm not sure how accurate (or sensetive) a £1.69 spirit level is so it might be worth doing some tests on a known vertical surface. Do you know of any engineering workshops near you that have a surface table and an angle plate you could use for a few minutes? Alternatively, post one up to the university if you want.

5. I've been wondering about making tracking gauges using the same sort of principle but with those cheap spirit levels you can buy with a laser in one end. Although the lasers aren't especially accurate from one level to the next, I'm sure you could get sufficient accuracy by shining the dot on to a card or scale just in front of the car. Any thoughts?

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(Don't) Get Lost
by David Butcher
Despite having spent years training Andrea how to read a map and navigate (beginning from basic principles - which hand is LEFT or RIGHT, and please do NOT rotate the map faster than a spinning top), I often found myself alone in the car (I wonder why?) in unfamiliar surroundings, trying to follow the map on the passenger seat whilst negotiating the everyday hazards on the road. My life was to change completely in December 2000 when a woman, whilst driving from her office Christmas party to a private Christmas party and holding a mobile phone to her ear for directions, suddenly changed lanes on a roundabout and collided into the side of my company car! The resultant damage meant that I had the loan of an Audi A8 4.2 quattro for one week (couldn't they have taken any longer to repair my A4?), which had a Blaupunkt navigation system fitted to it. During this week, I found myself taking a different road home every evening (not always the shortest or quickest!) - the voice and map displays of my new "digital girlfriend" found roads (even in our neighbourhood) that I never knew existed, and suddenly I was in love with this mistress!

When I tearfully had to return the A8, I began to investigate the navigation system market. I quickly decided that I did not want a system with a display built into a radio/CD unit - because these have three significant disadvantages

the display is small, and the radio is usually positioned fairly low in the centre console - not ideal as a driving aid, since you have to take your eyes a long way off the road ahead

you usually only get an assortment of arrows (plus speech) as guidance, so have to follow these blindly. If you think that you can do better than the "digital girlfriend", you cannot pick your own alternative route, but have to follow her blindly (or switch her off).

the internal CD player can be used EITHER to listen to audio CDs OR to read the navigation CD map - unless you go for the additional expense and hassle of fitting an external audio CD changer.

So, the system must have a large external LCD display which can be mounted on the top of the dashboard,

and must be capable of showing the simple arrow guidance OR the preferable zoomable maps
- in this mode, you can ignore the advised route, and easily deviate off on side-roads, forcing the "digital girlfriend" to recalculate the route for you (and she never gets ratty or argues with you, just politely redirects you - eh, Andrea!). Oh, and the system must be affordable - i.e. available secondhand (and there must also be a good selection of "cheap" digital maps available in the chosen CD-ROM format).

The best system that I looked at was the Alpine, with a display that neatly sinks into the dashboard when not in use (available on new Volvos, amongst others) - but this is almost impossible to retrofit in most cars, and they very seldom appear on the secondhand market. The Philips CARiN (now VDO-Mannesmann-Siemens) system has a very elegant 3D graphical display of the road ahead (similar to the Alpine), as does the even rarer Pioneer system, but I kept coming back to the Blaupunkt RGS range - the display is only in 2D and not as flashy, but is nevertheless very clear and easy to read, and there is a good secondhand availability of these systems and relevant digital maps (and at a significantly lower price than any of the other systems).

So, I logged on to http://www.ebay.de/ - and for the bid price of Euro464,72 (£295), which became Euro488,36 (£310) with the auction fees and postage, I was soon the proud owner of a Blaupunkt Travelpilot RGS 05 navigation system - but with a tangle of cables and no installation instructions. Imagine my horror when the local Bosch/Blaupunkt dealer informed me that these systems can only be installed and calibrated by authorised dealers, at an additional cost of at least Euro255 (£160) !! This statement was confirmed by the German Blaupunkt Hotline Helpdesk - so I became all-the-more determined to achieve the "impossible". I searched the Internet high and low in vain for a web site that could offer me some assistance (I am in the process of adding this information to my web site at http://www.off-me-trolley.com/ now), and I eventually resorted to posting a plea on the satellite navigation Newsgroup. This led to a telephone conversation with the UK Blaupunkt Hotline Helpdesk, where a friendly American (Bob, from Texas?) promptly faxed through all the information that I needed (and lots more besides) in seven pages. Guess what I did the next weekend? Yes, the "impossible" soon became reality - and even the calibration is simple (more on this later!)

Through this installation, I established that all Blaupunkt navigation systems require an external speed sensor to confirm both that the vehicle is moving, and how fast - although this information is available from the Global Positioning Satellites (and is displayed on my hand-held Garmin GPS III unit), this only works if signals can be received from at least 3 of the 27 orbiting satellites. The Blaupunkt systems continue navigating - with astonishing accuracy - even if the satellite signals are lost, using only their own gyroscope and the speed sensor(s) inputs. On the first generation of the RGS series (i.e. my newly acquired RGS 05), the gyroscope is a small external box, but for the speed sensors, you are required to fit a magnetic strip inside each on the two (non-driven) wheels, and mount the two hall-effect sensors nearby (using the brake caliper bolts). This would have entailed drilling several holes in the company car - but I then established that the later RGS 06 and RGS 08 have internal gyroscopes and can use either one of these wheel sensors or a signal from an electronic speedometer, an ABS sensor or a hall-effect sensor fitted in the mechanical speedometer cable.
Since my company car (Alfa 156) has an electronic speedometer, and I had already fitted a hall-effect sensor to the BRA speedometer cable (for the Brantz tripmeter for the Liege-Corse Rally last year), the RGS 05 was quickly resold (at a profit!) on http://www.ebay.de/, and I successfully bid for a later model, the RGS 08 (there is also an RGS 06 unit, which is physically identical to the RGS 08, but was usually supplied with the smaller 4" LCD external display from the RGS 05, as opposed to the better 5" LCD display of the RGS 08).

Bosch/Blaupunkt Germany were just as incompetent/unhelpful when it came to connecting the RGS 08 to the company car speedometer, but an enthusiastic Alfa dealer showed me (on an accident-damaged 156) which pin on which plug had the required signal (I later found that this information is available for almost all cars - at http://www.tempi.de/). After a few hours installing the RGS 08, we went out to play - and came back several hours later, amazed by how accurate and easy the "digital girlfriend" is to use. The bug had bitten, and it was obvious that we needed to buy a few more systems - to fit in the rest of our fleet. Andrea's Mini Cooper was next in line (the worst part of the installation here was fitting the expensive VDO hall-effect sensor in the speedometer cable), and then it was the turn of the BRA 289, to be documented here ....

These are the individual components that make up the system ....

( Kb)

The main processor, with internal gyroscope and CD reader, plus NVRAM memory for storing up to 99 chosen locations. This can be mounted anywhere in the vehicle, but should be as near as possible to horizontal (preferred by the CD drive).

( Kb)

Control is via a hand-held unit, with verbal instructions (in any major European language of your choice, plus Americanese) given through the loudspeaker ....

RGS08 5

.... and visual instructions via the 5" LCD display (which automatically adjusts its brightness and contrast to compensate for ambient lighting levels).

( Kb)

The GPS receiver must be mounted anywhere where it has a clear "sight" of the orbiting satellites.

( Kb)

This is the wheel hall-effect sensor and magnetic strip - two are ALWAYS required for the RGS 05.
Only one will be required for the RGS 06 and RGS 08 systems ....

( Kb)

.... and only if no hall-effect sensor is fitted into the speedometer cable (or no other electronic signal is available from the speedometer or ABS system on modern cars).
Ideally, the processor should also be connected to the reversing light wiring, but in practice (because I don't drive very far or fast backwards) this is not an issue (I didn't bother wiring this up on either our Mini, Clio or BRA).

( Kb)

For reasons of security, I have fitted the processor inside the boot of the BRA - secured to the petrol tank with velcro tape - and drilled a 12mm hole behind the passenger seat to run the required cables through.

( Kb)

Here is the monitor and remote control unit on the gooseneck - all ready to guide us to wherever !!

( Kb)

The map scale can be quickly zoomed in or out - here it is at 1:500,000 ....

( Kb)

.... 1:10,000 ....

( Kb)

.... and 1:1,000.

As far as calibrating the system is concerned, you just need to switch the Travelpilot into the calibration mode, enter a distance between 100 and 2000 metres, and then drive exactly that distance at under 20 mph (yes, a 289 can go that slowly, albeit in first gear) in a straight line, and then stop - hey presto, calibration completed! So that's what the marker posts along the hard shoulders are meant for! (but having been severely told off by the German Polizei on Christmas Day 1999 for driving too slowly on the Autobahn at 170 kph (105 mph) in sub-zero °C temperatures(!!), I decided it was safer to use my Garmin GPS III hand-held system and a quiet country lane for the calibration over here). This increased the potential inaccuracy - a domestic GPS system is only capable of +/- 15 metre resolution, limited simply by the satellite bandwidth released for consumer use by the American military authorities - but over a distance of 1000 metres, the error is minimal and seems to have no adverse affects on the Travelpilot functionality.

If the above has whet your appetite (rather than put you off completely), as a price guide - the older RGS 05 (with the smaller 4" LCD monitor and requirement to fit two wheel sensors) usually sell for about Euro500 (£320); the RGS 06 (with the smaller 4" LCD monitor and ability to accept other speed inputs) usually sell for about Euro600 (£385); and the RGS 08 (with the larger 5" LCD monitor and ability to accept other speed inputs) usually sells for about Euro750 (£480) (all on http://www.ebay.de/).
In addition, you will need a hall-effect sensor (to fit into the mechanical speedometer cable of your 289), which costs between Euro40 (£25) - for a secondhand but unused unit - and Euro80 (£50) - new from Bosch, plus a selection of digital maps. The TeleAtlas CDs cost between Euro130 (£80) and Euro165 (£105) new, but if you can live with an older version (how many roads have been moved or built in the last few years?), secondhand copies of the maps are available for between Euro10 (£6) for a 1998 edition and Euro60 (£40) for a 2001 edition. A gentleman in Belgium (illegally) offers "backup" copies for Euro15 (£10) each, with various release dates.
( Kb)

Another useful accessory is a goose-neck support for the monitor - this one is for the 4" (RGS05) monitor.
This allows you to drill small inconspicuous holes in the side of the transmission tunnel (or make up an additional bracket to fix the goose-neck to the seat mounting point), as opposed to having to drill holes in the dashboard for the monitor bracket and cable feed. However, the goose-neck includes the rear cover for the monitor (seen on the left side of this photograph), so there is a difference between the 4" and 5" versions, and both flavours of gooseneck are as rare as a snowstorm in hell. Expect to pay about Euro60 (£40) for a secondhand item (again on http://www.ebay.de/, if you can find one).

Before purchasing a unit, make sure that all the required cables are supplied and intact (unless you are very handy with a soldering iron). A number of cowboys remove these systems from written-off cars in breakers yards, cutting through the cables to save time (and forget to remove the wheel sensors for the RGS05 - and the loudspeaker and GPS receiver in the process). A new set of cables will cost almost half as much as the average system price! Also, if you intend to mount the main processor unit more than 2 metres away from the LCD display (i.e. in the boot - this is tidier, but is less convenient for changing CD maps on cross-continental journeys), ensure that the optional extension cables (for the monitor and remote control) are supplied. These too are expensive items from Bosch/Blaupunkt.

If you are interested, but don't fancy bidding on a German internet auction site, please send me an e-mail
- I have a number of the Blaupunkt Travelpilot units (mostly the later RGS 08) available, with a few surplus CD maps to get you started on the digital route.

So, if anyone now tells me to get lost, I'll have to borrow the keys of their car first (unless they too have a Blaupunkt navigation system fitted!).

P.S. One point to be careful of - Blaupunkt manufactured, in addition to the RGS range of Travelpilot systems, the RGN range. The RGN models have the same processor unit, CD drive, remote control and GPS receiver as the RGS range, but no graphics card is fitted, so they do not support the external LCD monitors - they only work in conjunction with some of the Blaupunkt radios, which have a built-in (smaller) display.
Blaupunkt replaced the RGS 08 system about two years ago by the DX range - this requires another set of CD maps (in DX format - I believe that these are downwards-compatible with an RGS system), and the navigation system has to be connected to an RDS-compatible radio. It will then re-calculate your route, based upon the latest traffic information received via the RDS reports, thereby removing any requirement for you to think (and the soon-to-be-announced SX range will also be connected to your steering wheel, throttle and braking systems, thereby removing any requirement for mental or physical input from you in the driving process).

P.P.S. There is another toy that I have sourced on http://www.ebay.de/ and installed in the company car recently - going by the catchy name of "Traxdata MStation", it is a 10Mb hard disc drive with two base stations - one for installation in your PC at home, the other for the car. Using the supplied software, when docked into the PC, it converts any audio CD tracks into MP3 format and stores these on its hard disc (you can change the titles, directories or delete tracks as desired). You can even define the compression rate - a compromise between quality and capacity, but with the default value, very few compression artefacts can be heard with pop or rock music (these appear as a whooshing noise in quiet passages of music, so a lower compression rate - and hence less storage capacity - would be required for classical music). When the hard disc is docked into the car, it plays your selection of tracks either through the auxiliary input to your car hi-fi system (if available), or via the RF modulator (included) as a new radio station. You can choose whether the tracks are played at random or in sequence across the whole disc drive, or just stay in one chosen directory (music style, artist, album title, whatever). For about the same cost as an average CD changer (Euro 250, £160), you can have your choice of tracks from over 200 CDs on-line - and if about 3000 tracks (or over 150 hours) of music is insufficient, you can always fit a larger hard disc drive .... (60 Gb = 1200 CDs or 1000 hours of music!)

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Del Boy's page - Regalia
by Paul Alexander

Item	Show Price	Mail Order
Baseball caps - all one size (black with gold embroidery)	£6.00	£7.50
T-shirts (XL) (grey with logo screen printed on rear)	£8.00	£10.00
Polo shirts (L / XL) (black with gold embroidery)	£15.00	£17.00
Sweatshirts (black with gold embroidery)	£17.00	£20.00

Give me a call or write, cheques with order, please.

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New Products
When the original rear lights, L542, are fitted to Cobras and Cobra replicas, the bulb is visible and unprotected in the boot. Now whilst this very convenient in some respects - for example it makes an excellent boot interior light and it is very easy to change the bulb !! - it does have a couple of disadvantages. The bulb is easily displaced or broken by various items that you may have jammed in your boot, but probably the main problem is that when the bulb is illuminated, either as tail light or brake light, or even, as on original, the brake light filament also being the indicator, the majority of the light shines in the boot area itself.

Rear lamp cover (27 Kb)

By making a small aluminium box to fit behind the lamp, the bulb can be protected, and also the light reflected so as to shine out through the lens, giving a brighter, safer light.

Rear lamp cover (25 Kb)

The template for producing this box was provided in a previous feature, but now, in order to satisfy demand, Hawk Cars have produced the boxes as a pre-cut blank, for builders / owners to fold up and fit.

Rear lamp cover (22 Kb)

Price £8-25 per pair, + p&p and vodka and tonic.

Hawk Cars are now able to supply the original pattern demister vents, formed in aluminium, just like the originals, for that extra finishing touch !!!

Demister Vent ( Kb)

Priced at only £28 per pair plus vat.

Hydraulic clutch conversion for Ford 302 / T5 or Tremec gearbox.
Engineered properly with external Girling alloy slave cylinder. Includes forks, cylinder, adjustable push rod, mounting bracket, spring, nuts bolts washers etc. £167.50 + VAT.

Sump temperature sender boss.
Requires NO welding. Simply drill a 3/4" hole in a suitable location the side of the sump. Accepts Smiths sender unit.

Accelerator pedal.
Cast in LM25 aluminium and heat treated, adjustable blade. As original fitted to real Cobras! £129 + VAT.

Rover SD1 gearbox rubber mountings to CORRECT specification.
Rubber mountings of correct spec are impossible to get hold of. Current alternatives are smaller and can cause clearance problems. Genuine part price is at least £18.50.
Hawk Cars are having a batch made to correct spec but they will need to have quite a large number made up.
Hawk Cars are offering Register members a special deal for advance orders. They are available at a special price of £8.25 each for a block order through the club. Normal retail will be almost double that.

New MGB rear axle telescopic conversion kit. Includes brackets and all fittings plus Spax adjustable dampers. Designed and tested by "Lead Foot" Fry. Dump those old lever arms and prepare yourself for a more controlled ride. An absolute steal at £158.50 + VAT.

New gearbox selector shaft oil seal kit - solves SD1 oil leaks. Designed by "Lead Foot" Fry.
£14.95 inc. + postage.

New prop-shaft hoop for both Jag and MGB rear ends. Protect yourself in the event of a breakage. £48 +VAT.

New original looking choke cables. C engraved in white on black plastic.

Contact Hawk Cars - +44-1892-750341 or e-mail

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Rear disc brake conversion
Designed especially for the Hawk chassis and MGB wire wheel axle. Uses existing Hawk handbrake mechanism and Ford single piston floating caliper. Easy fitting, direct replacement, no welding. From £310

Contact David Pilbeam - 0044-1403-731091 evenings and weekends only

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For Sale
Unused dash panel (later SVA approved type) from Hawk.
No longer required.

£75

Please contact Brian Crisp via e-mail or telephone (+44-1672 521212, Wiltshire).

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Rover SD1 V8 5 speed gearbox
including bell housing, flywheel and clutch. £395
Headers (new)
for Hawk / Rover V8. £100
John Wood, tel: 0044-1323-893178 (Seaford, East Sussex)

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Rover P5/6 parts
a) Very early block rebored to 020, reasonable condition - SVA smoke test only!
b) Crankshaft 020 reasonable condition
c) Heads, con rods etc
d) Knackered standard pistons (free to a good home)
e) Distributor, timing cover
Holley 370 4 barrel Carb
Lightly roasted. Needs new plastic bits and possibly new electric choke, however definately repairable. £50.
Call for details.
Charles Fox, tel: 0044-1264-850259 or Email: charles.fox@coreis.co.uk

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Hardtops to clear (mouldings only). £250
Hawk 'A' frame covers and door panels in magnolia leather. £100 to clear
Set of 4 x 15" 5½J wire wheels suitable for an Ace 1.8/2.6 with used tyres. Ideal for slave wheels, spares or refurbishing if on a tight budget. £100
Contact Hawk Cars, tel: 0044-1892-750341 (East Sussex)

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Solex Stromberg carbs
On Range Rover inlet manifold and new K&N filters.
Contact Peter Lee, tel: 0044-1732-700272 (Edenbridge)

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Wheel spinners - I have got 2 useable but a bit dog eared and they are only for use with the spare wheel.
Sensible offers.
Reply to Peter Coombes, tel: 0044-1483-531051 (Guildford) or Email: Peter.Coombes@NEU-NEL.com

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Rear leaf springs, unused
pair Chat 20s
pair MGB competition 1" lowered
sensible offers.
Paul Alexander, tel: 0044-1273-562727 (Brighton)

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1 x Rover 3500 engine, complete but dis-mantled, may need a new crank due to corrosion £80:00
2 x Rover 3500 inlet manifolds c\w carbs £35:00
1 x MGBV8 radiator, new core approx 150 miles old, c\w mounting plates for hawk 289. £80:00
1 x Rover 5spd gearbox, c\w bell housing\gear lever\clutch fork and rod. £200:00
or near offer on all the above.
Contact Roger Hardley via Rhardley@aol.com.

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	Hand-drawn poster (49cm x 49cm) of a Cobra 427 and Carroll Shelby, hand-signed by the artist, and individually numbered as part of a limited run of only 500. Each poster costs only Euro 26 (£17), including a protective cardboard condom.
	Hand-drawn poster (70cm x 100cm) of a Cobra 289 FIA at full chat on the Targa-Florio Rally, hand-signed by the artist, and individually numbered as part of a limited run of only 250. Each poster costs only Euro 26 (£17), including a protective cardboard condom. Postage from Germany must be added to the prices (£5 per poster to UK).

Front suspension with lever-arm shocks for MGB, Euro 60 / DM 120 / £ 40
Rover SD1 Vitesse 3.5 litre V8 short engine, unknown history, Euro 150 / DM 300 / £ 100
Rover SD1 3.6 litre V8 short engine, Rimmers rebuild, only 2000 miles, just run in, Euro 375 / DM 750 / £ 250
Kent 234 fast road/rally camshaft for Rover V8, under 2000 miles, Euro 60 / DM 120 / £ 40 (NP £ 120)
MGB front discs, pair for Euro 15 / DM 30 / £ 10
MGB front brake calipers, pair for Euro 15 / DM 30 / £ 10
Holley 390 4165 carb., jetted for tuned Rover 3.5 V8, Euro 150 / DM 300 / £ 100
All above prices could include delivery within Germany, Holland, Belgium, Northern France and Southern England
Contact David and Andrea Butcher by david@289register.com or tel. 0049-2247-300165

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Cars For Sale

BRA 289 Mark II
Original UK registration plate BGC 710 G, currently located and registered in Stockholm (Sweden) as a 1969 MG BRA
Built in 1981 by BRA factory (Gerry Hawkridge), Right hand drive
MGB suspension, MGB V8 rear springs (new koni shocks), Spax adjustable shocks on front
Rover SDI V8 lightened and balanced, Offy manifold, Holly four-barrel carb., headers, relatively new exhaust system
MGB four speed gearbox with electric overdrive, new clutch last year
Anti-tramp kit, Panhard rod kit (both BRA), top and side curtains, heater/demister, new chrome wire wheels with AC spinners
Stored covered in a climate controlled garage during winters, imported from England before the SVA regulations
Shown in Trevor Legate's book "Cobra The real thing"

£10,000

If interested, please contact Daniel Rounsaville via e-mail

Further details and photos under www.289register.com/rounsavillee.html.

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BRA 289, Rover 3.5 V8 engine.
Dark blue, new MOT, car is in Pulborough.

£10,000

Please contact Tom Dallyn via tomdallyn@hotmail.com or telephone (+44-1798 872106).

Further details and photos under www.289register.com/dallyne.html.

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Joe Noble's beautiful Hawk AC Ace
Owner and builder sadly deceased.
Built over past 5 years to a very high standard. Recently sprayed by Sovereign Coachworks in Sapphire Blue.
All brightwork new and in boxes. Requires screen and brightwork replacing following re-spray, and trimming.
Pre-SVA example with correct registration and historic status, so exempt from road tax.
Hardly used due to illness but complete, 40 miles on the clock.
Fitted with Triumph 2500 6 cylinder lump.
Currently stored and can be viewed at Sovereign Coachworks in Hastings.
Must go to a good home where Joe's work will be driven and enjoyed.
Offers to £15,000.
Mrs Noble tel: 0044-1689-855528 - work hours (Surrey)

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Hawk 289, Graphite metallic grey, Ford 302 engine, Toyota Supra 5 Speed gearbox, Moss vented front discs with 4 pot calipers, Jaguar IRS, Chrome wires, Pirelli P4000 205/70 tyres, leather trim, full weather gear, bulkhead/footwells covered in stainless steel.
£22,000.
Contact Philip Pallot tel: 0044-1249-720444 (Wiltshire, England)

Further details and photos under www.289register.com/pallote.html

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Hawk 289, Built 1996/97 - now completed 12,500 trouble free miles. Rover 4 litre V8 by R.P.I, Holley 4 barrel carb, Offenhauser manifold [build spec available], oil cooler rad., auto gearbox (with touring in mind), MGB front end with ventilated discs & 4 pot callipers, dual braking system with Tilton balance bar, custom converted Jaguar Independent back end. Stainless steel throughout, all equipment to Gerry Hawkridges` specs., Dunlop wire wheels, very ample tread on tyres, unused spare wheel in boot, totally undersealed, weather proofed with sound insulation. Hood, sidescreens and tonneau cover supplied and fitted by Hawk Cars trimmer, windwings and sunscreens. Burgundy metallic paint, Biscuit leather interior with matching carpeting, black leather dash.
John Tullett tel: 0044-1603-758120 (Norfolk)

Further details and photos under www.289register.com/tullette.html

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Jonathan Scott-Barrett's Hawk 289 (31 Kb)

This Hawk 289 is beautifully built and is in cracking condition with tonneau, full weather equipment etc.
The registration is KWP 429 D, mileage is 2,800, and the MOT runs for another 11 months.
Fitted with a Rover V8 engine and Jaguar rear axle, the car is located in Romsey, Hampshire, England.

If you would like to purchase this car, please contact Jonathan Scott-Barrett via e-mail.

Further details and photos under www.289register.com/scottbarrette.html

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Wanted
Mechanical to Electrical Connector
from Rover gearbox to electronic speedometer (as supplied by Gerry)
Richard Quirk, Email: richard.quirk@baesystems.com

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Rover SD1 sump and distributor.
Charles Fox, tel: 01264 850259 or Email: charles.fox@coreis.co.uk

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Hawk 289 or FIA with short block Ford
Abandoned or completed project.
Stuart Gilbert, tel: 0044-1795-843116 (Sittingbourne)

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2 eared MGB wheel spinners, 1 off LH and 1 off RH for use with spare wire wheel only. Must be serviceable.
Peter Coombes, tel: 0044-1483-531051 (Guildford) or Email: Peter.Coombes@NEU-NEL.com

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Hawk 289
Completed car with V8 power, £15,000+
Eddie Jackson, tel: 0044-1273-298898 (Brighton) or mob: 0044-7973-343520

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1. Rover V8 wanted (any size) for Hawk 289 build.
2. LT77 transmission wanted for Rover V8, preferably to include bell housing and gear selector.
Dave Woodward, tel. 0044-7973-269748 or Email: dave@dwoodwar.demon.co.uk>

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Assorted E-Mails

Date:	May 15, 2002 6:07 PM
From:	Andrew Denny
To:	mailto:DWPilbeam@aol.com
Subj:	Kit Car News from Adrian Flux
	KIT CAR COVER: FLUX'S 'TOTAL PACKAGE' From build-up, via SVA/MOT and on to the road. Kit car insurance cover can be complicated. Unlike 'ordinary' car drivers, who just worry about on-the-road cover, kit car owners also need to protect their motor during its construction. Then, once it's roadworthy, there's the nutty problem of insuring it while it is en route for a SVA or MOT. Luckily, Adrian Flux Insurance has all the answers. The company pioneered the first kit car insurance schemes, and now it offers a total package to cover every eventuality. What's more, Flux works hard to deliver the best value and most competitive pricing around. "We developed our Build Up Kit-Cover scheme to answer these very problems," says Gerry Bucke, who heads Flux's Kit Car division. The Build Up policy gives cover during construction and, as Gerry points out, "Anyone taking out a policy can add 'Transit Cover', so they can transport the kit on a trailer. It costs just £21 per day, covering accidental damage, fire and theft, and is ideal for SVA and MOT trips." Another MOT/SVA option offered by Flux is to arrange a normal kit car policy on the vehicle, covering it on its chassis number. Once everything is sorted, the client simply calls Flux, who will transfer the policy over to the registration number. Adrian Flux has a huge range of policies for the motoring enthusiast. For details contact the Adrian Flux quote line on (08700) 777888, email the company at mailto:"quotes@adrianflux.co.uk", or see the Flux homepage on http://www.adrianflux.co.uk/. ************************************************************************************************
Date:	June 05, 2002 10:39 PM
From:	John Abel
To:	David Butcher
Subj:	Useful Web Addresses for 289 Cobra’s
	I spend a large amount of time on Web Sites, looking for 289 Cobra information, so I thought I might share some useful URL’s. They may help people, and some have excellent information. I have provided a small description of the site, I hope they all still work and help you! http://www.289register.com/http.//www.cobra289.com; well I thought I would start with my site, just to get things going. I will get a chance to update in the future. Provides details of my build story. http://www.289register.com/; this should be known by all 289 people by now, so no description required. http://www.ac427.com/; The UK Cobra Replica Club, useful information, does contain some information on 289’s. It is worth looking in the directory, really good links to parts, and other member web sites. www.hawk289.f9.co.uk/; Mike’s build story about his Hawk 289!. www.cobraforum.com/; US cobra forum, if you are considering American engine’s try this one, also a great forum. www.cobraspares.com/; Cobra parts, never used them, but you might find them useful!. www.xs4all.nl/~luukb/image.html; AC Cobra (Real and Replica) picture archive, some useful pictures. www.racecar.co.uk/acoc/intro.htm; AC owners club site www.motorsportshalloffame.com/main/03_halloffame_main.htm; interesting site, covers the history of famous racing drivers, etc. You will find Mr. Shelby in the list. www.cobrapics.com/thumbCobra/Cobras.htm; Cobra Pictures including some 289 snaps. www.clubcobra.com/index.php; This site has really good information, some really nice pictures!, one of the largest Cobra sites on the Internet. www.motorbase.com/vehicle/5/0/; Some pictures of real Cobra’s, with technical data. http://users.pipeline.com.au/bryanw/a_guideline_to_building_an_authe.htm; Some information which shows Cobra 289 Dashboard layout and more. www.shelbyamerican.com/; Mr. Shelby’s web site, some interesting information. www.mgussin.freeuk.com/1-32ACCobra.htm; Shows a 1/32 scale model of the "Coventry Cobra". I think this is one of the best looking cobra’s!. http://roadsters.com/cobra/; Interesting Web Site, mostly Mr Shelby’s stuff, some good links!. Most other sites, have links from one of the above. This selection is small and there are more, but I find the ones above most useful. Nearly forgot www.hawkcars.co.uk/, this one needs no description. If you have more, well get them on paper and send to David!. ************************************************************************************************
Date:	June 10, 2002 10:48 AM
From:	John Rutter
To:	Gerry Hawkridge
Subj:	Abingdon
	Just to let you how things went at the sprint on Saturday. The weather held off for the day, so it was at least dry (unlike Sunday, when it chucked it down for the rally). Jerry Bailey won the sprint, with his 24-valve Transformer. David Watson came second, with his V6 Allora. I came third with my V6 Hawk. Gary Lomas came fourth with his V6 Corse. Rowland came fifth with his V6 Transformer. I've got excuses for not winning - no great surprise there! Jerry had a set of soft slicks on the (Group 4) rear of his car, as well as a limited slip diff. Dave had some 'moulded slick' rally tyres, plus an l.s.d. I had my well-worn Toyo's and an open diff. Gary Lomas had rally slicks and also tried some full slicks, with an lsd. Rowland had road tyres too (Group 4 width) and an open diff, plus a lot more caution. The results weren't really all that important though (except I was pleased to beat Gary and put an end to his comments), as it was a fun day/evening/weekend. Shame you weren't along there at all. Quite a few other cars were around for display too. I've attached a couple of photos of the line-up at the end, with Jerry's car at the front, being the winner of the event. Regards, J.R. ************************************************************************************************
Date:	July 08, 2002 7:24 AM
From:	David Pilbeam
To:	David Butcher
Subj:	letter from Douglas Cutler - aged 78 (the oldest member?)
	16 Haughgate Close Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1LQ 18.05.02 Dear Geoff, I enclose my subscription for 2002. I have taken out a standing order on my bank for future payments. I see the next letter will contain current members. Will you kindly pass on to David Butcher the fact that my ACE is on the road as MBD 804 P. As I am now 78 years old (oldest member?) I had trouble getting insurance but eventually through Adrian Flux I got my 2.5 ACE insured for £404 with CORINTHIAN Insurance. I mention this in case any other old codgers are having trouble. Apparently the trouble starts at 74. Yours sincerely, W. D. Cutler I thought you might like this snippett.....I hope I have the same problem getting insurance eventually. And yes Douglas, I believe you are the oldest member. Unless anyone else can beat that. Older age hasn't affected your good taste in cars, fortunately! - DavidP ************************************************************************************************
Date:	July 09, 2002 2:35 PM
From:	name withheld
To:	mailto:Gerry@hawkcars.co.uk
Subj:	Info
	Dear Sir / Madame, I am writing to ask you if it will be possible to have a guided tour of the Hawk factory during the period going from August 1^st to August 6^th. During the abovementioned period with a friend we will be travelling in England and since both of us are keen on English cars we would like to visit your factory. I hope that you could satisfy my request and I am really looking forward to discover the Hawk myth. Best regards P.S. In case this will not be possible, could you be so kind to suggest me some alternatives?
Date:	July 09, 2002 4:46 PM
From:	Graham Fry
To:	Gerry Hawkridge
Subj:	Factory Tours
	What a great idea!.......... will start to operate tours on a daily basis. Any possibility visitors could have lunch in the staff canteen?. Be warned though....... as a lad I visited Vauxhall Motors at Luton with the school, on departure I think we all had enough parts to build at least half a Cresta!!. Have fun Graham ************************************************************************************************
Date:	July 16, 2002 9:59 PM
From:	Eric Wouters
To:	David Butcher
Subj:	Oracle Newsletter 1 - July 16th, 2002
	Oracle has opened a kit-car parts shop in Lokeren, Belgium The Oracle team has opened a new shop in the building next to the showroom, specialised in kit-car parts. It is the first high street kit-car-shop in Europe and probably the world. Parts for all kit cars are available, with emphasis on sevenesque sportscars, Speedsters and Cobra's. We are carefull to make sure the exclusiveness of certain makes is met, and no cross-mixture of parts is possible. This way we can maintain the priviledged relationship we have with some upmarket manufacturers. In addition to this special range, a number of styling parts for mainstream production cars are available. The idea is to get the tuning- and styling-scene familiar with the kit-car options available on the market today. Stock is constantly growing, owing to the fact that facing demands, more specific parts are supplied. Contact Oracle: http://www.oracle-cars.be/, http://www.oracle-kit-cars.be/ Info: info@Oracle-cars.be Address: Zand 32 B-9160 Lokeren Belgium Tel/fax: +32 9 349 16 55

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Events for 2002
The shows and meetings sections have been combined in order to provide greater clarity.
Shows are listed as a matter of information only as we realise attendance is a matter of personal choice and convenience.
Show entries in bold are those where the Register intends to have a significant presence or where we may be doing something special. 289 Register meetings and events are also shown in bold.
For more show information contact John "Cookie" Cooke.
For meetings and club events information contact Graham "Lead Foot" Fry.

For those of you with Internet access, stay updated with http://www.totalkitcar.com/, http://www.kitcar-shows.co.uk/ and http://www.car-shows.co.uk/

October 12^th Saturday	Track Day Goodwood, Sussex Info: 0044-1737-225857 / http://www.limelight-exhibitions.co.uk/
November 16^th & 17^th weekend	Great Western Kit and Sports Car Show Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter, Devon Info: 0044-1233-713878

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Next Newsletter
Due:
Autumn / Winter 2002 (aiming for early December at the printers, mid-December on your doormats)

Includes:
A look back at the Continental Highlights of 2002 ....
An article in the Italian "Ruoteclassiche" magazine on the Hawk 289 of Giacomo Ceccato
Report on the OldTimer Grand Prix at the Nürburgring Circuit in Germany - David Butcher
Report on the meeting for the 100^th anniversary of the Ardennes Road Race Circuit in Belgium - David Butcher
Report on the Oracle Cars track weekend at Zolder in Belgium - David Butcher
Report on the Oracle Cars Open Day at Lokeren in Belgium - David Butcher
What has been happening with AC Cars ? (hopefully the current rumours will be either confirmed or denied, but printable by December !!)

Other Articles Wanted ….. PLEASE !!!

Deadline for Inclusion:
November 30^th 2002

Please send all Articles or Items either by
E-MAIL mailto:david@289register.com
or
POST (Praelat-Lewen-Strasse 30, 53819 Neunkirchen, Germany)

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The Last Word
by David Pilbeam
Please note that due to David B's sterling prolific efforts this newsletter is far too big to also include a list of members. The postage alone is going to be horrible this time around. If David B can restrict his output in the next issue I will include a list of members and their details next time. I have updated the contact details form in preparation so we can collect more detailed information regarding members cars. A copy of the new form is included. Pease complete and return asap in order that I can use it to update the member's database in time to include in the next issue. I shall only be publishing location details and phone numbers together with brief car details. No full addresses will be published. If anyone would prefer their summary details not to be published please let me know. In the meantime if any of you are looking for local contacts or members with particular types of cars or fitments please contact me and I'll put you in touch.

And finally, as Douglas Cutler has found, Adrian Flux are a definite must when it comes to researching insurance. Although there are other brokers out there be sure to include them in your considerations. You might be surprised by the result.

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