Vintage Thing No.146 - IRH2

As it is today, lovely and clean in a climate controlled garage

Ian Headon died in 2018 but I had the good fortune to meet him a couple of times. He was a true enthusiast and created a series of cars that he designed and built himself.

On his way to another clean of Blue Hills (Photo : Louise Ransome Headon)

The IRH2 is one the of the known survivors in the series and it's returning to competition thanks to the active involvement of Ian's daughter, Louise.

Ian gets some air in the IRH2 (Photo : Louise Ransome Headon)

I know Louise through the Hillman Imp Club and was interested to hear she shared my interest in trialling.

Literally, a few days after our exchange of trialling tales, I stumbled across this photograph in my jumbled up collection. 

Louise Ransome Headon piles up some zeds on the 1987 LET

I very rarely write on the back of my photos but this occasion I had written Miss L Headon, Ford 1172cc Special. 

Talk about serendipity! 

I must have been sufficiently impressed with it a the time and copied the details down from the programme for 1987 Land's End Trail.

Louise said this was the only long distance event she did in this car and that event was bitterly cold. By the time she got to Blue Hills, where I was spectating, she could barely stay awake. If you look closely, she might even be taking a nap. Let's say she was entering a state of mindfullness with her eyes close in preparation of a successful ascent of both BH1 and 2.

Ian Headon driving his IRH2 and passengered by ? (Photo : Louise Ransome Headon)

Anyway, back to the IRH2.

Stance works (Photo : Louise Ransome Headon)

Ian Reginald Headon built it in 1965 and its first event was on Boxing Day 1965. Although following the spartan nature of a sporting trials car, Ian  road registered it with the aim of competing in long distance classic MCC trials like the Exeter Trial and  the Land's End. He was very successful and won the first ever Field Trophy in the LET.

A wise investment during the sixties and seventies would have been silver polish. (Photo : Louise Ransome Headon)

Very much along the lines of a Cannon and built to the RAC Blue Book rules governing trials specials, the IRH2 is tiny and  - like the Ridge-Cannon of Brian Partridge - I can't fit behind the wheel.

The basic spec is Ford Pop front axle with a single central shock absorber and Ford brakes. At the rear is an Austin 8 rear axle, diff and brakes with Lotus 6 front coil over damper units. The engine is an 1172cc E93A motor with an Aquaplane manifold and twin 1½” SU carbs, mounted on Jaguar engine mounts front and back. It uses a 100E camshaft and has an Aquaplane high pressure oil pump.

The brave little engine has suffered some heavy handed use by pilots outside of the family but is about to be refurbished.

The gearbox is a Ford10 E93A with Ford E83W first motion shaft and lay shaft and E83 Ford van wheels

The radiator is from a 1960 Mini, latterly kitted out with an electric fan.

It runs a Ford sidevalve 1172cc motor with twin SUs and an aquaplane head. All the running gear is Ford Pop with a beam front axle featuring a single central shock absorber.

Wintry dawn chorus in the paddock (Photo : Louise Ransome Headon)

Ian had a lot of fun with this car but not without some problems. One at least one occasion he rebuilt the engine overnight and took part in a trial the following day.

The IRH2 currently needs some engine work to stop oil consumption and overheating so a mutual friend, Adrian Booth, will be looking at sorting this out for Louise, who currently campaigns a bright yellow supercharged MX5 in classic trials.

A successful attack on Beggar's Roost (Photo : Louise Ransome Headon)