Originally a deluxe in Polar white or was it Foam white
with a red interior. Little did it know the trial that lay ahead. That year I went to college and through one of the other students I and several of the others went along to the local car club meeting and got involved in navigational events. Second installment of student grant was the spent in Sportstune along with Stuart my navigators buying bucket seat and harnesses.
Along the way sports engine lid and roll cages were gifted/bought, second hand sports engines from the scrappies and we did pretty well, usually winning the newcomer class if we did not breakdown much to the annoyance of regular competetitors in an mk 1 RS2000. We continued to do well in non-expert class and progressed onto selectives and single venue stage rallying. Not being able to afford a 998 we struggled a bit against the 998 clan and stilleto that were also
regulars in our class. But a great time was had anyhow.
On one event, we rolled it when a competitor who had gone off at a 90 right was attempting to get his car out of the ditch but had not bothered putting out his warning triangle.
Well we arrived at full tilt to find the road blocked and the crew around the car, rather than hitting the car and crew we took to the gap and drove along the bank when the initial momentum had run out, the car gently rolled on to its roof and back on to its wheels. Bending a trailing arm, and pushing to roof over but not down, slight scrape on one side and a door handle pushed in. We did the right thing and ran back to put out our warning triangle. We drove to the finish and retired, one of the competitor lent us his car and trailer to take the car home. Car laid up for a while, but we need another to car on so went down south to pick up another in a mini van (in which the tow bar had been quickly welded to the sunframe) and 4 wheel trailer -the folly of youth.Well BKS974C was repaired and did more events mostly the stage rallying and took it's last trip under its own power to Aberdeen in 1984 when I moved there with work. Work was started on her stripping it to a bare shell in preparation for painting. Work, getting married, having kids, sorting other cars meant that BKS never got finished and was brought back still naked to Edinburgh when we again relocated due to work, It was left outside my dads for a long time under tarpaulin as we had no garage. Couple of years later, we bought a house with garage and BKS was able to come home a bit worse for wear.
Work recommenced, initially dealing with the rust, this was sorted and primed with zinc 182 before being thrown outside again to make room for my daughters Sunbeam Sport, this was to be her 18th birthday present and I said to Hazel that it won't take long 3 weeks and it will be back on the road. 3 years later it was ready for her 21st having had a full rebuid, bare-metal respray inside and out, custom interior and many modifications. Meanwhile BKS had been dragged from the drive through the woods behind our house, through the fence and dumped under the hedge because it was bring the neighbourhood down. Ps Karen now 27 -
Time to get it back in the garage - by this time it was needing some serious work ending up with a new roof because of being used as shelving. Ended up pulling out the old cage (which was welded in) as it no longer met current specification, new sills (again) and a long list of other work.
After seeing Karens car on the road, a major break through, Hazel (the wife) says it about time you were thinking about what car your going to get for Amy, she will be 16 soon and if it you take as long with hers as Karen etc, so Amy get to choose her car and its a Singer Chamois Coupe. Well this time BKS was not thrown out but the Chamois was fixed on the drive and available for Amy as soon as she passed her test in the meantime I got to play in it.
Its now 2007 and circumstances are changing Kids now all grown up, I have a bit of spare cash and decide I'd like to get back into rallying after a 20 year lay of- let have a go at this historic stuff - so bought a prepared IMP no Mot but with 998 twin 40's etc. Recommision this one and we now have 4 IMPS, and still BKS sits it the garage.
Again move house, and BKS has a new home but its not long before the tarpaulins are out and she back outdoors.
Having fun and doing reasonable well apart from the broken gearboxes, but imp too heavy to be fully competitive so thought I'd give a Clan a try and although never a great lover of them, I am won over so much that I went and bought another one.
4 Imps and two Clans, MADNESS. So one Clan now sold and goes to its new owner next week. Enjoy.
This brings us to Sunday the 14th Novemeber 2009 and looking at the 2010 season, do I sort the silver rally car, or rally prepare the Clan -------------- Noooooooooooooooooo . We get our finger out and finish BKS after 27 year, however the real challenge is that the first event is the 2nd January 2010, the Hangover Autotest and the one after that is the Johnston on the 10th January so I don't have much time but if I post it here maybe words of encouragement will get it done.
Will post pics shortly.
Scott
.
