Well after missing a couple of updates hopefully things will become a little more settled moving forward. To begin with we didn't really have a plan for what to do with both the 53a and 73a cars. The off season began with both cars being parked up, well 73a was still sitting in the transporter from the last night up until a couple of weeks ago and the 53a car was sitting outside wrapped up in plastic.

Focus shifted from the cars and they sat and waited for someone to give them attention. Bryce has started to build a new house and I went off to Europe for a few weeks. Upon returning I looked around at the cars for sale and thought maybe I would get rid of the 53a machine and spend some time and money on my corvette which has been left in the shed covered in dust for the past 3 years.

But then things changed and we got offered a good deal on enough steel to build a car, I had another cheap engine turn up from Japan. So while the costs of those items in the grand scale of things is a small percentage, I made a crazy decision and we now have a new chassis being built in the workshop. The 73a car was rolled out of the transporter and placed on the hoist so we could take measurements from it. With the exception of a few bars the new 53a car will be just like 73a.

After creating a level base in the shed work began and at the end of week 1 this was the result.

Then at the end of week 2, this was the result.

That was how the car looked on the 15/07/05 after 2 weeks of construction. The head plate has now been cut, but other jobs have taken priority so construction has slowed up.

But along with the new engine other parts have started to arrive also, such as a new set of billet camshafts from Kelfords and an oil accumulator from Cardwells.

Work on the heads should begin soon and to start the season we will use the block from the engine currently in the existing 53a chassis along with the inlet manifold, carb and HPX ignition system. I was hoping to level the 53a car complete and running so I could let others have a turn, but by myself I just can't afford to buy 2 of everything.

So now I am on the look out for a quick change diff to suit the car, I need a hollow axle, so if anyone knows of one around complete with birdcages and arms etc I'd be very interested. Once the car has made some more progress I'll make sure I get another update done.

Catch ya...MadPhil