Technical Days / Technical Help

Vintage Technical Day - Sunday 15th April, 2007.

Drivers and machinery appreciated this annual event taking place about one month later this year.  Instead of coping with cold frosty weather and salty roads we experienced clear blue sky and warm sunshine, ideal conditions for those of us driving our open vintage cars to the venue.  Having socialised over light refreshments we commenced; our tutors being the Medcalf duo William and Jimmy.  The morning session covered such items as steering ball joints and brakes.

We then adjourned for lunch.  As on previous occasions a superb sit down lunch was provided by the catering trio consisting of Gill Medcalf, Astra Minchin and Rossalind Jubb.  As a token of our appreciation each was presented with a bunch of flowers by Bill Medcalf.  (They do all like to get in on the act don't they!). We then had time to admire the vintage cars which were on display in the main workshop, consisting of 3Litre, 3/4 ½, 4.5, 4.5SC, Speed Six and 8Litre - the full line-up.  Next on the agenda was a great privilege and rather special. William introduced Stuart Forsey to us as probably the foremost authority on very early 3 litres, including the 1922 Indianapolis car chassis No.94 and the Isle of Man TT cars chassis No's 42, 72 and 74.  Stuart talked about them, plus his years of painstaking research, and searching for the “right bits”, then took the dust cover from the mystery car.  This was the recreation of 1922 chassis No.82 which has been in Stuart's posession for about 20 years.  At this stage it looks resplendent with its red chassis, wire wheels shod with narrow beaded edge tyres, an immaculately presented 3Litre engine and, to cap it all, one of the flat type radiators which were unique to these special cars.  A suitable body has been produced which awaits fitment in due course.  We all should applaud the time consuming and total dedication which has been lavished on the exciting project and look forward to seeing it at some future BDC National Concourse event.

With a degree of reluctance we all returned to the tutorial which covered such items as magneto timing and carburettors.

Thanks to Stuart this Technical Day was even more interesting and educational than usual.  This year the surplus proceeds made on the day, some £427, have been donated to the BDC new building. All 50 attendees departed into the remaining sunshine at their leisure.

Brian Robinson

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