MY FEEDLY

For Sale: Wrecked Body Panels From The Colin McRae 2001 Ford Focus RS WRC

The damage sustained to these Ford Focus RS WRC body panels tells the story of Colin McRae and Nicky Grist’s near win in the 2001 World Rally Championship. The two men went into the final rally of the year, the Rally of Great Britain, exceedingly close to Richard Burns in the points table – McRae and Grist just needed to finish ahead of Burns to win the title.

As you can probably tell by the condition of these four panels, a slight misjudgment sent McRae and Grist cartwheeling across the Welsh landscape in their Ford Focus and out of contention for the title. Grist kept the panels for decades as a reminder of their near win, however he’s now decided to downsize his collection and little and has placed the panels up for auction with Collecting Cars.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual piece of automotive history or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing. We’ve included Nicky Grist’s recollections of the events below as it makes great reading and it shows just how close they came to winning – in the end it came down to just two points, Burns on 44 and McRae on 42.

Nicky Grist Tells The Story Of Four Panels And A World Championship

At the time of the incident we were chasing the World Championship and it was just a case of finishing in front of Richard Burns to win the title. We were fastest on the super special stage the night before in Cardiff Bay. The next morning we were fastest on the opening test of the day, beating Burns comfortably. On the next stage we were beaten by Marcus Gronholm, but again finished in front of Burns.

The fateful stage started uphill and by the time we climbed to the level section of the stage, some low clouds moved over this section. We knew we had lost some time on this very section with such bad visibility, so when we exited the fog we set off at the correct pace. Colin was driving really well and was using all the road and carrying as much speed as possible – not easy on a wet loose gravel and mud surface – and after a few miles we entered a very fast section with a series of very fast corners, 6s in Colin’s notes, which was top gear and flat out!

The pace notes came out like bullets from a machine gun, such was the speed we were travelling: six right, six left, six right, into five right plus, and six left minus over crest cut. As we entered the five right plus, Colin had set the car in the grass at the edge of the road, slightly cutting the corner. He could have adjusted his line but decided it was good – but it wasn’t! What he could not see in the grass was a hole on the inside with a bank on the other side of it. We slammed into the bank that caused the car to fly up and literally corkscrew through the air. This then set us into a series of rolls. Looking through the windscreen I was seeing sky, trees, ground; sky, trees, ground – over and over again.

We eventually stopped on the right hand side of the road, facing the direction we came from. With steam pouring out of the front of the car and the bonnet crumpled up we knew that was the end of the rally and we were out. Richard Burns still had to finish the event, but with us out of the running his job was much easier. While we did not win the World Championship, we were delighted that a fellow Brit did.

Given its significance to the World Championship title, this was one of the most publicised accidents of its time; and it would turn out to be the last chance we had of winning the WRC, as the remaining years for Colin did not go anywhere near as well. While I have cherished these items as a reminder of that fateful day, I am now offering them to another enthusiast, as a significant piece of rally memorabilia from a very memorable season.

Words by Nicky Grist

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

The post For Sale: Wrecked Body Panels From The Colin McRae 2001 Ford Focus RS WRC appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/colin-mcrae-ford-focus-rs-wrc/
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1986 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 – A Freshly Restored Classic Overlander

This 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 has been both restored and upgraded for prolonged journeys off the asphalt, the work was done by the team at Legacy Overland and it’s just been listed for sale on their website.

The standard FJ60 is a highly capable off-roader, it was the successor to the wildly popular FJ40 series of Land Cruisers and it had achieved what some considered the impossible – it was as good or better than its forebear.

The team at Legacy Overland have years of experience rebuilding classic 4x4s including Land Rovers, Land Cruisers, and G Wagons. The project to rebuild the 1986 FJ60 you see here began as they all do, with a full disassembly and an inspection of all parts.

Both the engine and transmission were fully rebuilt, the engine being the bullet-proof Toyota 2F 6-cylinder gasoline engine and the transmission being the original 4-speed manual unit.

As some Land Cruisers had developed a reputation for some rust issues, particularly in the body, this FJ60 now benefits from a full repaint using modern paints that are better at protecting against rust and all-metal brackets, bolts, brackets, and other elements and been swapped out for galvanized replacements.

The original Toyota suspension has been replaced with Old Man Emu shock absorbers and uprated suspension components giving the vehicle 2 inches of lift and the resulting improved ground clearance.

The stock headlights were replaced with brighter LED units that draw less power, KC Hilites auxiliary lamps were also fitted on the bumper, and yellow LED auxiliary lamps were mounted to the roof rack. A Hi-Lift Jack was mounted to the front bumper on X-rack mounts and the truck benefits from BFG Mud Terrain 33 x 10.50r15 tires mounted on traditional steel wheels.

The interior of the vehicle has been considerably improved over stock, with new distressed full-grain furniture leather and custom Harris Tweed from Outer Hebrides (Scotland) covering the seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel was fitted along with custom shifter and handbrake boots.

The sun visors are also now upholstered with leather and the floor has been carpeted in vintage Porsche square weave. The completed interior now has a suitably retro look and feel with all the modern amenities you’d want, like air conditioning and power steering. A CB-style long antenna has also been fitted to ensure good reception when you’re out in the wilderness, working with the Bluetooth-enabled 1980s style Continental receiver and eight JBL speakers with an active subwoofer and amplifier.

Legacy Overland make a point of building their vehicles to actually go off road, not just look the part, so this Land Cruiser has been equipped with additional items like the above mentioned Hi-Lift Jack, a Toyota tool kit bag with OEM tools, front locking wheel hubs, and a spare mounted up under the rear.

If you’d like to read more about this unusual FJ60 or enquire about buying it you can click here to visit the listing on Legacy Overland, at the time of writing it is for sale and there’s a contact form at the bottom of the listing page.

The post 1986 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60 – A Freshly Restored Classic Overlander appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/toyota-land-cruiser-fj60-restored/
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BSA B50 MX – The Last Competition Motorcycle Ever Built By BSA

The BSA B50 MX was the final competition motorcycle ever built by BSA, a proud British motorcycle manufacturer who had built a staggering number of race winning motorcycles over its decades long history.

As the name suggests, the B50 MX was the motocross version of the standard B50. It was designed exclusively for off road competition with as much weight saving as possible, the final production motorcycle tipped the scales at approximately 300 lbs or 136 kgs.

The B50 is powered by a single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled 499cc OHV unit-construction engine producing 34 hp and sending power to the rear wheel via a 4-speed transmission. The model uses a tubular steel duplex cradle frame with oil stored in the top tube, and it has standard drum brakes front and back.

BSA produced the B50 in three distinct model variations, the BSA B50SS (Street Scrambler), the BSA B50T (Trail), and the BSA B50MX (Motocross). Production lasted from 1971 until 1973, after which time BSA ceased to function but a small number of B50s were still sold rebadged as the Triumph TR5T Trophy.

Despite the relatively low production numbers the B50 did still enjoy some successes on the race track thanks to specially modified bikes built by Mead & Tomkinson in England. These bikes would win the Zolder 24 Hour race outright and take class wins in the 1971 Thruxton 500 Miler and the Barcelona 24 Hours, they also set a class lap record in the Production Isle of Man TT.

By the time BSA released the B50 series of motorcycles in 1971 the British had enjoyed decades of dominance as one of the world’s leading motorcycle producers, and one of the most successful builders of four-stroke, off-road racing motorcycles.

Above Image: The B50MX is a popular lightweight scrambler with a reliable 500cc single-cylinder engine, and this one is fully road legal.

It would be the late 1960s and early 1970s that would see this period of success come to an end for the Brits, two stroke motorcycles from the likes of Husqvarna and other European manufacturers had been chipping away at their lead but it would be the arrival of fast, inexpensive motorcycles from Japan that would mark the end of the British motorcycle industry.

Sadly for the B50 it wasn’t able to compete with the inexpensive, lightweight, and very quick two-stroke motorcycles that had come to dominate off-road motorcycle racing. The downfall of BSA and many other marques was directly attributable to poor company management and product planning, whereas the actual motorcycles themselves were often great.

The BSA B50 has now become a popular lightweight vintage scrambler with plenty of torque and a much lighter, more manageable construction that makes it easier to ride off road than other British off roaders of the era like the Triumph TR6 and the Norton P11.

The BSA B50MX you see here was first registered in the USA in April of 1974, it was later imported back into Britain and re-registered with the DVLA. It now benefits from a top-end engine rebuild including new piston rings, full gearbox and clutch inspections, and the fitment of lights and a horn to ensure that it’s now road legal.

The bike is currently listed for sale on Collecting Cars with 6 days left to bid, bidding currently sits at £4,000 with 4 bids cast. If you’d like to read more about it or make a bid you can click here to visit the listing.

Images courtesy of Collecting Cars

The post BSA B50 MX – The Last Competition Motorcycle Ever Built By BSA appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/bsa-b50-mx/
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For Sale: A Goggomobil Cutaway Engine

This is a Goggomobil cutaway engine, it’s had parts cut out to show the internal workings, probably either for mechanic training or public display for promotional purposes.

The engine itself is an air-cooled, parallel twin two-stroke that would have originally been intended for installation into the back of one of the must endearing German cars of its time – the Goggomobil (pronounced “Go Go Mobile”).

Microcars like the Goggomobil model family proved hugely popular in the years after World War II in Europe. The entire continent was suffering under a heavy burden of austerity, meaning that access to things like steel, glass, rubber, and gasoline were severely limited.

Once work around for this was to build very, very small cars that used minimal materials in their construction and sipped fuel abstemiously.

The Goggomobil T250 was first introduced to the world at the 1954 IFMA International Bicycle and Motorcycle Show to a bemused audience. The tiny little car had undeniably cute styling, seating for two, independent swing axle front and rear suspension, and a rear mounted two-stroke engine.

Above Image: The original engines were built with swept capacities ranging from 245cc, to 293cc, to 392cc and power levels including 13.6 hp, 14.8 hp, and 18.5 hp.

The Goggomobil was originally developed by Hans Glas GmbH which was later sold to BMW, and the Goggomobil would stay in production from 1955 until 1969 across three main model lines. There was also an unusual antipodean member of the family, the Goggomobil Dart, which had a body developed in Australia fitted to a chassis from Germany.

Original surviving Goggomobils are now sought after by collectors, and it’ll likely be a collector who buys this unusual piece of microcar history when it crosses the auction block with RM Sotheby’s in May.

If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing, at the time of writing there’s no price guide and the weight is listed as 110 lbs.

The post For Sale: A Goggomobil Cutaway Engine appeared first on Silodrome.

from Silodrome https://silodrome.com/goggomobil-cutaway-engine/
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Willys Jeep Station Wagon Camper – An Original Overlanding Rig From 1949

This Willys Jeep Station Wagon was converted into an overlanding and camping vehicle using many of the same additions that people add to their vehicles nowadays, including a roof mounted A-frame tent with ladder, roof rack mounted storage, and roof rack mounted water tanks.

The concept of motor vehicle camping has been around almost as long as the automobile, and of course many of our ancestors ventured out on long cross-country journeys in horse drawn carts that were set up with canvas roofs and living accommodations.

The Arrival Of The Willys Jeep Station Wagon

The camping and outdoor recreational boom that occurred in the United States and many other western nations in the years after WWII led to a surge in new companies offering a wide variety of camping equipment and other accessories for Americans setting off on adventures.

American automobile manufacturers weren’t slow to cash in on this trend either, with Willys quickly producing civilian versions of their indestructible WWII-era Jeep. Countless GIs had driven and/or ridden in Jeeps in the war, the tough little 4×4 was deployed across Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific meaning that it became a familiar sight to millions.

Many of these GIs had fallen in love with the challenge of off-road driving during the war and in the post war years they went in search of Jeeps they could use for weekend adventures. Willys unveiled the Jeep Station Wagon in 1946, just a year after the war had ended. It was the world’s first mass-produced, all-steel station wagon and it proved an instant success – with over 300,000 built between 1946 and 1964.

The body of the new Willys Station Wagon was designed by Brooks Stevens, one of America’s most highly respected industrial designers and a man who singlehandedly designed a staggering range of products. Stevens designed everything from cars and motorcycles to trains, bicycles, boats, and even some things you may not have expected, like the Miller beer logo and the Weinermobile.

Above Image: The tent folds away for transport, in this image you can also more clearly see the cylindrical water tank on the side of the roof rack.

Many of the parts used under the steel Brooks Stevens body were sourced from the Willys Jeep initially as there was no shortage of supply after wartime production had ended. The first Willys Station Wagon was powered by the L-134 Go Devil flathead inline-four cylinder engine, and a slew of other components from the original Jeep were used. This had the added benefit of keeping costs down, ensuring there was no shortage of mechanics who could work on the vehicle, and it meant that there were plenty of spare parts available.

Willys updated the model relatively quickly over its early life, with uprated engines and a growing options list. Four-wheel drive was offered for the first time in 1949 and the considerably more powerful 6-226 Super Hurricane flathead inline-six engine was offered in 1954.

It would be the Willys Jeep Station Wagon that would establish the company as a major manufacturer of civilian off-road vehicles, a role that it continues to fulfill today, albeit after the original company has been bought and sold a number of times.

The Station Wagon Camper Shown Here

The Station Wagon you see here is an excellent example of the kind of camping set up that was available to people back in the mid-20th century. The beautiful roof rack mounted tent folds open to reveal a classic A-frame structure that can sleep two comfortably, with occupants getting in and out via a small steel side ladder.

There are cylindrical water tanks on either side of the roof rack, they’re mounted up high so that they will have a little water pressure for rinsing pots and pans, showering, and washing the sand off after a trip to the beach. Around the back of the tent you’ll find a lockable storage box for things you might not want to store in the car, like fishing rods or wet clothing.

If you’re in the market for a 1940s-era adventure wagon this one is due to cross the auction block with RM Sotheby’s in May. At the time of writing there’s no price guide listed, you can click here if you’d like to visit the listing.