SimonS

The car was sold as a 2.0, with a free flow manifold and running on twin SUs. The paperwork includes an article that is highlighted referencing a Cam with a higher lift on the inlet valve, but there is no evidence that it was fitted.

Firstly, No-one was hurt in this incident, no prangs or bumps behind. I'm sad to say I have first hand knowledge of this car, I was driving along the 'slow' lane (never quite sure if its it's the inside or outside lane). I was cruising at about 65mph according to the GPS speedo that is fitted to the car. Happy as Larry and grinning like an idiot. I'd picked up the car that morning, and was driving back home, a long journey, but I had just bought a long distance rally car, so felt that I should get to know it - and I was loving it. The car was converted to rally spec in 2008, and carries a FIVA passport having competed in 10-12 regularity rallies, a few club events and charity runs. It wold have been driven hard. As a new owner I was very aware of any bumps squeaks or rattles, I was listening for them. I was seriously impressed with this car, it was taught, went where I pointed it, stopped and went. All with uncharacteristic and very untriumph like complete lack of bumps, squeaks, rattles, groans, thrums or wobbles. In the previous 6 hours I had travelled just under 250 miles, stopping twice to check on the car and making sure that everything was OK. 14:34 last Tuesday. It went wrong, at first I thought it was a rear drivers side puncture (although the car was on brand new tyres), I was next to the hard should so thought, no drama, lift off and get onto the hard shoulder, stop and assess. The extra drag on the rear drivers side pushed the front of the car to my right, and `I steered into it, and caught the slide. I think I must have overused the legendary Vitesse turning circle, because the front suspension objected and collapsed. Two wheels down, the front drivers side acts as a fulcrum and the car begins to spin anticlockwise across the carriageways. At some point on this section of the trip the nearside rear tyre gave in, and I was down to one wheel going sideways across the carriageway. No brakes because the rear drum was gone and no control with no tyres. I kissed the central reservation with the nearside rear corner, that then span the car clockwise for a harder impact on the drivers side., coming to a stop in the middle/fast lanes of the motorway. As yet I don't know what happened to the front suspension, I've not yet got the car back to take a look. The rear suspension sheared at the threaded end of the drive shaft. I have checked the receipts for this car, and this driveshaft was replaced in January 2020, with a new part, and it was installed professionally by a garage.