Engine Punk

The Kayne Special III finds grip from the line at Werrington This machine caught my eye at Werrington Hillclimb. It's the Kayne Special, actually the last of a series of 3 built by John Cooper (not the one who did the Minis but another John Cooper whose world famous among MG owners)  using MGB components and this one had a Rover V8. It was originally built in 1983 as a tow car with a slushbox for the other Kayne Specials but when drivers were allowed to drive more than one car at meetings John changed to a manual box and got serious with it. Looking and sounding good, this Kayne Special has MGB IFS and semi-elliptic leaf springs It's been sold on now and sports a comprehensive roll cage which spoils its clean lines for me. So who ever heard of a hillclimb car rolling? Remember that Renault 5 Turbo in an earlier post about a meeting at Werrington? As I see more and more Locost Caterfields with cages like this, my eyes are becoming used to them but a traditionally ...

Although I appreciate their engineering, I don’t usually like single seater racing cars because two seaters seem more sociable with a passenger to – er – entertain with one’s driving but I’m more than willing to make an exception with this device. If you want a single seat vehicular conveyance you want a motorcycle, that's what you want. But I make an exception for this Vixen. Look at that engine. That's a Hillman Imp engine, that is. And look at that gearbox. That's an Imp gearbox - up-side-down! I’ve only ever seen a Vixen once before, many years ago at an Imp Club National, so imagine my surprise when one turned up at Wiscombe Park Hillclimb on 8th May 2010. It had so many features of constructional interest that I couldn’t stop photographing it in the paddock. Eventually my less than subtle activities came to attention of Penny and Andrew Coughlan, the owners and drivers, but this allowed me to ask them questions. The Vixen was originally built in 1968 for the...