1979 Opel Monza "Rally Car Ex Austin McHale"

[bstardchild]

Aug 13, 2012 17:34:54 GMT jonnynitro said:

any more progress with this

heres a piccy of mchale in full flight in a manta 400


might gee ya up a bit

lol - always fancied a Manta but found a Monza first and fell in love with the 350 kg lump of pig iron up front!!!!

Rally car - real work is going to happen this winter - currently still "rescuing" panels from the donor car ;D Once the rest goes for fragging I don't want to find I could have kept a bit that would have been usefull

[jimspolicev8sd1]

Aug 13, 2012 18:00:55 GMT bstardchild said:

Rally car - real work is going to happen this winter - currently still "rescuing" panels from the donor car ;D Once the rest goes for fragging I don't want to find I could have kept a bit that would have been usefull

I hate throwing away stuff that I may need later. Hence the very thin line I'm treading with my dad. He wants his drive back and my donor car stripped and scrapped. I want to keep it for all those bit of the shell that I don't yet know if I need!

[jonnynitro]

Following on from earlier when I reshared this pic of McHale from Rally of the Lakes 1986, a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/335804_161994123916866_751000272_o.jpg I said he was flying ..... and so here is the next shot in the sequence I mentioned... I wasn't lying when I said how committed he must have been !! (I did say the shot would be blurry / out of focus, no wonder at the speed of him! and no, its not photoshopped)


as taken from fb where i found the piccys

[155ringman]

Found a few old pics of the 1985 Circuit of Ireland
My mate took them. Must ask him if he has any of the Monza..



The rest are here.

s404.photobucket.com/albums/pp129/155Ringman/1985%20Circuit%20of%20Ireland/

[bstardchild]

Haven't really had much to update this thread but a small purchase today means I have one of these complete with several packs of metal cutting blades



From a well known film

"You were only supposed to..........."

[jimspolicev8sd1]

Is that for the roof choppage then?

[bstardchild]

Sept 12, 2012 22:29:05 GMT jimspolicev8sd1 said:

Is that for the roof choppage then?

Well guessed ;D

[bigrod]

Aug 4, 2012 14:52:25 GMT darrenh said:

just taking a second look at the engine stand groaning under the 6 pot. I thought mine got a sweat on with the iron head landy engine

It's been bolted to that in the corner of my garage for four years!

I was dubious about leaving it on, but it managed ok! LOL

[bigrod]

Jul 31, 2012 23:38:48 GMT bstardchild said:

^ Thanks

This week I've been mainly seeing what's inside this......



So far

Re-ground/re-profiled cam - very little left on base circle so more lift but no real profile changes

Some ID marks looks like GM numbers but it's not OE compared to a std cam reckon

Arias forged Pistons - big lumps up top and underneath look balanced and could be a part number on one (may be the set build info/ID)

Lots of material removed from crank

Some material removed from rods

I'd say it's run for maybe 1-2 hours tops - pistons still shiney on top

Valves nearly touch each other in the head!!!

Vernier cam and I wouldn't mind betting that all the timing gear has done as little work as the pistons

Solid Lifters as well.........

So armed with a make of pistons I went internet searching - first I find Arias in the USA and after some email exchanges I discover that they made a set of six pistons once but their records don't go that far back but they were able to establish that in August 1997 they made one replacement from a damaged one sent back to them - the forging on this piston is very slightly different is you look real close but it looks like it's been balanced up by weight so no real issue. Arias USA did say they made the pistons fro their UK agents so another email enquiry followed.......

Today I find out thet the purchaser was a Mr Smith from Norwich - Arias UK are trying to help with an address but the purchase predates their computerised records so it maybe a paper chase or it may be a lost cause

An earlier picture in the thread rang a bell.....

The number sticker on the side of the car in the white and stripey yellow paint job also originate from the Norwich area from SCA

So it really seems like this car was down this way for a while or was active down here - but looking at the engine it seems like it might have been a problem child.......

It seems as always there are more questions raised than answered!!!

Well, what'd'ya know? My garage!! LOL

I'd always suspected the inside to be as grimy as the outside to be honest.

Funny, the description you gave of the head is almost word for word how the guy that sold me the stuff described the 'Blydenstein' head he also had for sale at the time. He wanted too much moolah for it so didn't take it so it's probably still in his loft beside the Manta 400 diff' that I removed from the Flamer all that time ago. I'm wondering if I got the Blydenstein head by accident.

The guy I bought the car and stuff from is called Pat Tortolani. I have a number for him if you want some info' on the cars more recent history. I think I remember him saying he bought it from down your way actually.

I can't remember for sure, but the guy I spoke to at that 'Trioomph' place might've been called Smith but I think all he did was the head work.

Keep up the good work chief!

'Tis a shame about the blue one, but hey it wasn't doing anything up here huh?

[bigrod]

I guess that'll be the ally roll cage you took away with the blue car...



I wonder if that sticker's one of the ones that is still on it?

[bstardchild]

Sept 13, 2012 15:15:41 GMT bigrod said:

I guess that'll be the ally roll cage you took away with the blue car...



I wonder if that sticker's one of the ones that is still on it?

Nope that was the steel one in that shot

[bstardchild]

Sept 13, 2012 13:14:34 GMT bigrod said:

I'd always suspected the inside to be as grimy as the outside to be honest.

Funny, the description you gave of the head is almost word for word how the guy that sold me the stuff described the 'Blydenstein' head he also had for sale at the time. He wanted too much moolah for it so didn't take it so it's probably still in his loft beside the Manta 400 diff' that I removed from the Flamer all that time ago. I'm wondering if I got the Blydenstein head by accident.

It's a seriously fettled head

And yes the engine needs a full strip down and re-build but it'll go again I'm sure

I'd like that number as I'd like to re-unit it with the diff although I suspect it will be silly money

Sept 13, 2012 13:14:34 GMT bigrod said:

The guy I bought the car and stuff from is called Pat Tortolani. I have a number for him if you want some info' on the cars more recent history. I think I remember him saying he bought it from down your way actually.

It keeps coming back to Norfolk doesn't it

Sept 13, 2012 13:14:34 GMT bigrod said:

I can't remember for sure, but the guy I spoke to at that 'Trioomph' place might've been called Smith but I think all he did was the head work.

Ties in nicely with the Mr Smith from Norwich who bought the pistons from Arias

Sept 13, 2012 13:14:34 GMT bigrod said:

Keep up the good work chief!

'Tis a shame about the blue one, but hey it wasn't doing anything up here huh?

It's got no rear end now - rear quarters or roof next can't make up my mind

[Davenger]

This is gonna be awesome when it's done

[bigrod]

Will PM you the number I have.

If it 'ent that one, I've other means to get in touch so let me know.

[bigrod]

Sept 13, 2012 22:13:17 GMT bstardchild said:

It keeps coming back to Norfolk doesn't it

Ties in nicely with the Mr Smith from Norwich who bought the pistons from Arias

Can't guarantee it, but I'm sure that's what he said.

[hairymel]

I was pouring spiced rum and coke down my throat while flicking through the pile of old mags by my bedside
collating information in my library and came across this in the feb 98 issue of ccc

[bstardchild]

Sept 21, 2012 21:37:27 GMT hairymel said:

I was pouring spiced rum and coke down my throat while flicking through the pile of old mags by my bedside
collating information in my library and came across this in the feb 98 issue of ccc

You star ;D

[bstardchild]

Well I've now Spoken to Graham Smith - yep the number was still his and I have information overload on the missing history from 1987 when the car left Ireland to 1998 when he sold the car.

Just digesting the info but one thing we have established is the engine with the Arias Pistons is the original one that came with the car when he bought it as he had to replace one piston after a head gasket went during the time he owned it.

Awsome result and I'm just going to try and make sense of the conversation

[CR500Dom]

It's a long Stratton number so it is a local car after Ireland

[hairymel]

Sept 22, 2012 15:53:34 GMT bstardchild said:

......information overload....

yay ;D