Hartfords and the LCES

[Ian Grace]

I just enquired to Andy Tongue regarding the Hartfords on my Semi-sports, and its eligibility for LC events. Here's his reply:

"I’m no particular eligibility expert, but would have thought that fitting Hartfords would put you in the ‘Modified’ category. Whilst that would in principle preclude you from LC&ES events, in practice we probably wouldn’t enforce this for all events. For the Welsh Weekend and the navigational rally component of the Summer Rally, we like to stick to standard cars as they are the ‘showpiece’ events for the Section, but for the other events, the tour components in the Summer and the Autumn events, you would be fine.

As for the Light Car event on the Friday of Malvern week, and answer is, ‘I don’t know’ I’m afraid !! There has been quite a bit of talk about the entry for this event being opened up to other cars normally outside the Section, which would almost definitely let you in with no problems, but I don’t know where these negotiations have got to over the past few of weeks. However, an answer will emerge soon, because the Malvern Week ‘packs’ have now gone to press, and will be sent out to everybody any day now. Pending that, Tim Cork is the Malvern maestro, I’ll drop him a note and see if he can clarify. Am not sure what the scrutineers would say about running with none, even though this is probably not a great deal worse than using the Armstrongs!"

Hartfords put the car in the main club Modified category, but there is evidently a degree of flexibility in the LCES. I'll pass on anything further from Tim Cork.

[DF9053]

All I can say is that theory and practice often differ!

Cheers
Jeremy

[Ian Grace]

Yes, you're right there Jeremy, and I'm sure we could both cite numerous glaring examples - but won't!

I just wanted to know where I stood before coming all the way from the States to enter VSCC 75 and then being blackballed by the scroots!

I just put in my Buff Form to the main club and had to go Modified because of the shocks. I don't care about winning silverware, just want to be able to enter and have some fun. Mind you, my tankard from 1984 looks awfully lonely on the mantelpiece!

[prharris25]

Quite amazing ! Surely, even the VSCC must realise that Hartfords were available in vintage days and fitted as standard to better class cars. Many small car owners threw away the Armstrongs and Smiths units fitted to their cars because in real use they were truly awful. How can doing this possibly be "modified". Would the VSCC like you to run on original inner tubes and radiator water as well perhaps ??!!!!!

[Ian Grace]

Just heard back from Corky - the Semi-sports - with Hartfords - will be absolutely fine for LC/VSCC 75. Sshhhhhh!

[cammy]

Has anyone tried Smiths shockers with the new non cork type linings as purchased by Halbe and me recently? Obviously we are not quite in a position to test them yet. By the way, we have benn told that there is no need to fill them with that dreaded thick grease as the linings are more akin to brake lining material than cork. Obviously we will let everybody know how they work when we are running.

[Ian Grace]

I'll be interested to know. The problem with both the Smiths and the Armstrongs, as I understand it, are that they are both single acting - the band tightening on the drum only when the car rises, so you only get half the shock absorbing action of a friction disk type unit - like the Hartfords and the Austin 7 shocks.

Also, the Hartfords are more easily adjusted than a drum-type shocks. Hartfords were fitted to numerous cars in the late twenties/early thirties, but presumably were more expensive than the Smiths, so were not fitted to the Minor by Morris. And presumably, the Armstrongs were even cheaper, so became standard on the SV Minor - until 1933, when the '34 season cars gained the new technology (and double acting) hydraulic Armstrongs and friction shocks went out of vogue (and the Armstrongs gained a disk and spider adjuster for the '33 season, I think, so as to add a degree of double action).

On the other hand, Kimber fitted Hartfords to the M Type as one of his sporting upgrades to the standard Minor chassis - and was prepared to shoulder the additional cost, since the M sold for a lot more than the Minor. However, many Minor owners fitted Hartfords anyway, which were freely available as an aftermarket bolt-on goodie at the time.

[halbe]

Kimber also fitted many aluminium go faster goodies to the M , all with the MG logo on for increased efficiency
I'll just have to wait to get first hand experience of my Smith shock absorbers, but from just feeling what they are doing now I reckon that they are a lot more efficient than they used to be with the greased cork lining.
Also the Hartfords are not all that good if you want a decent ride on a bad surface
But then again , all of you might be right .
I still like the way the Smith dampers look, so I'll just have to get used to them when my car is ready

Regards,
Halbe