List of Cars in sheds...

[msadyno]

Rebadge it as a fiat. Whats joe said's wheel base?

Bill Martin RX7 is another one, undergone a rebuild ?

[FalconEL]

I'd better add the ones from our stable then:

Chris Donnelly (Ford Escort MK1 Rotary) - For Sale (Waiting for someone that promises to come around to look at it.....)
Chris Donnelly (Falcon EB ) - For Sale (although this did race at the Island Magic meeting in 2009, so not sitting around for long....)
Shane Bradford (Mazda 323 Rotary) - For Sale (Waiting to be collected pending another sale.........)

Chris & John Donnelly (Falcon EL) - not really a car yet, half a frame with all the ex -Jameson panels attached (build completion pending sale of Escort and Falcon above).

I'll have to think of some more QLD cars sitting around doing nothing.....

[jd yort]

Bill Martin RX7 is another one, undergone a rebuild ?

That is too good a car to be sitting in a garage. He did use to bring it out for the Wakefield Park meetings a few years back.

I recall someone on here mentioning Bill Attard having his RX7 still ????.

[profi]

How about the '69 Camaro, run at sandown a few years back where it blew the box, it was quiet quick.

[Bomn]

Bill Martin RX7 is another one, undergone a rebuild ?

Bill had a massive shunt in the Mazda a couple of years ago. Last time I spoke to him he said that he is almost finished the repairs.

I believe Kevin Clark still has his Mustangs in his shed.

[Paul]

So many of you have questioned how could this happen, well here goes:
First of all. I'd like to start by thanking those who have contacted me re, my length.......of the DATTO chassis. And everyone for their words of encouragment etc. I really appreciate the interest shown, cause it really is a great lil' car.
Secondly, yes the chassis of the DATTO is 2440cm...it should be 2360mm. It's my car, my fault, MY CASH!!!, thats the way it is. As I said to John Manke, CAMS chief.....IT IS WHAT IT IS.
I'm not dirty on anyone or any one group...CAMS included. The rules are the rules.
I did however raise an eyebrow, when I was chastised for having the #22 on the roof!!
As I said, if it makes you feel better, I'll tear it off, it's only vinyl.
Also someone didn't like the idea of havin' the #22 on the front guards, behind the wheel arch & not on the door!!! Again that recieved a raised eyebrow.
So there is my confession.
Now the story of the naughty lil' DATTO.
Born as a sports sedan on 4-8-1988 by Paul Dible, the TRUELY Datsun 1000 raced a few meetings every year in VIC, then sold to Keith Linnell in 1994, until it grew up and left home to move north to QLD, under the watchful eye of Gary Hamilton, in 1999.
The car was right hand drive, powered by a 13B, with Mazda box & diff....it still had the transverse leaf front spring & leaf springs in the back.
Gary raced the car for 4yrs until 2003, creating mayhem at Lakeside & gaining TV coverage at the V8 QR round in 2002 with an exploding crutch oops I mean CLUTCH.
Gary then "palmed" the DATTO to Matty Mulquin, by then the car was pretty flogged....the phase DEATH TRAP was used many times to describe the BEAST.
Matty only raced the car once,.... I think. HE s*** HIM SELF & put the car on the market.
By 2003, I'd been racing Gemini's for a few years & wanted to go FASTER. The ol' man said, for christ sake don't come home with a rotary. It only took me 4 days...., I didn't heed Dads advise & I purchased the "bloody thing"....and that was the start of my "engineering apprenticeship & my doctoret in self management & control".
I raced the car... to the amazment of so many older motorsport heads.
It was all I could afford at the time....and in hind sight I should never of purchased the DATTO, I should of saved my cash & brought a REAL SPORTS SEDAN, a V8 maybe....just like Dad wanted, but I didn't and that was that.
It was decided in 2005 to give the now 17 YEAR OLD RACE CAR & 36 YEAR OLD car, a birthday & a proper tidy up.
With the help of my great mates Steve Manning & Chris Blunt, we took to the DATTO with our grinders & to our shock the FRONT END SIMPLY TORE AWAY, the car just broke in half.
We downed tools and conferenced about what direction we should go with this project.
We decided to commit to the rebuild & deliver what would be a great little car.
We worked so many, many hours, installing a Hilux rear end, Supra box, made the car left hand drive & my Dad & uncle designed & made the body kit, we ditched the 13 inches wheels for 16s. and went EFI with MoTeC all round. The DATTO lost the leaf spring & grew an indepentant front end & a WATTS linked arse end.
The only thing of the original race car left was the;
door frame & skins, A B & C pillar, rear boot lid & wing, & roof... if you look closely, after we sandblasted the body, the original "hail damage dints" are still in the roof. THAT IS WHY THE NUMBER 22 IS ON THE ROOF, to dilute the dented effect!!!
The glass bonnet & front guards were modified, made wider & longer. Remember this was 2005....it's now 2010.
On debut, the car looked great, on paper...it was a lil' JET....in realility it didn't handle well & was extremly vicsious to drive.
But we were having fun & I learned heaps about engineering, set up etc etc.
By the start of 2008, we decided to upgrade to a 20B & I was saving frantically for a HS6 box, cause the Supra box just couldn't cope.
We were literally REINVENTING THE WHEEL every time the DATTO hit the track.
In 2009, I/we bit the bullet, got the HS6 & 20B & set about putting all that into the DATSUN 1000.
Whilst at the same time, Gary Manning assited by designing the front end as you see it now, with the bell-crank arrangment & power steering etc.
After EVOLUTION number 17 thousand 8 hundred & 92!!!!!!!!!And many many close calls with the DIVORCE COURTS, the DATTO became what you all see now.
The measurement of 2440mm is 100mm longer than that of a 120Y & Datto 1200. Which is 2340mm
My decision to run with that measurement was based on several things:
1, My naivity to the ABSOLUTE adherment to the rule book, given the wild modifications, of both mechanical & cosmetics of so many other sport sedans.
2, motorsport in general, particalualy, SPORTS SEDANS needed as many cars on the grid as possible. And I was not about to go backwards & reverse what we had done.
3, Convenience of actually putting a 20B Fullhouse N/A motor, HS6 box etc into a lil' DATSUN 1000, IT IS A CRAMED SPACE. An interesting combo I think tho!!
And 4, I had "painted myself" into a corner with the car, all my CASH is tied up into the car as you see it.......as I said before, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
So we enter 2010, all phattened by the fact we are going to the "BIG SHOW", the Kerrick Nationals, something I'd been working towards for probably 5 years or so now.
I've got the best crew in pit lane, I have committed financially & assigned time to do the series. With the advent of the U3500N/A class it was to be a great year of motorsport...something I'd lacked for so long as most of my time was spent in the workshop, REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
We had just gotten the chassis to work and 2010, we would go forward as the national competitivness would "lift our game"....at Wakefield Park I found 3.8 sec in just 1 session, I was getting around in mid to low 4s & I reckon I would of busted into the 3s.....if we had of not over inflated the front tyres.
The rest you all know.
The future of the lil' DATTO is undecided. I will NOT shorten the chassis. 1, I don't have the time nor the money & 2, I have business comittments which don't include long sessions in the workshop, redesigning a motor car.
I will race the car at some local non CAMS sanctioned events this year. As it's all ready to go.
I am in a position to race a car that would be available. As I have assigned the time in 2010 to compete in the Kerrick Nationals.
So if you know of a car which needs a driver & crew, I have the infrasruture to run a racecar, I can certaintly help get a car OUT OF THE SHED.
For now thank you to everyone, it's all good.
O I almost forgot, the #22 DATTO 1000 racecar is 22 years old as a racecar & 41 years old as a car....
not quite as old as some of the finger pointers in paddock, who have so much to say, yet CAN'T, WON'T or ARE NOT CAPABLE of designing, funding, building & racing a car, regardless of the catagory. CHEERS Paul Hibberd.

[Paul]

[quote]He wont be allowed to run any CAMS event if the car is not legal. It would be marked in his log book. If the car is long due to a massive caster angle adjustment on the lower arm, maybe he can wind it back to be legal? 60mm is a big irregularity though. Maybe he could find another chassis to run his hardware or modify his? An application to accept the wheel base maybe possible temporarily or permanently??? Maybe he could get an "invitation" to race...

Looks like I did hit a nerve...

PM sent.

Thanks for your input on my length....of the chassis.
It's got nothing to do with massive caster angle etc......the geomentry is spot-on.
Simply to accomodate the bell-crack suspension & set-up, 20B & HS6,, we lengthen the chassis from the firewall forward. As smiple as that.
However, to "shorten" the chassis is easier said than done, as the bellhousing & part of the motor will came thru the cockpit, thus having to redesign the that area to than fit the driver in. Also we'd probably have more than 50% of the engine behind the firewall line........now thats breakin' the rules.
We will have cut & move cross members as the oil pan is 5mm from the first cross member, than fuel tank would need to be relocated plus shift the gearbox back, shorten the tailshaft, but you'd have to be careful that there is enough movement for the tailshaft......the list goes on & on, and I don't have the time do devote to that.

[toranaracer]

Paul we certainly hope to see you back soon.
We had some great fun skidding around together at Wakefield.
We were chasing set up with the new bigger tyres and were hoping to go faster.
Both of us were to be very competitive at the next round at Mallala and also at Morgan Park.
The introduction of the U3500 class was to entice many of these vehicles that we know that are sitting in sheds.
C'mon guys, is there anyone near to Paul that can help to keep this car out of the shed?

toranaracer

[Corolla52]

Hope something can be worked out as it was great
seeing the car out there.

Stefan

[Ricey88]

if there is no performance advantage and no safety disadvantage why can't Paul be given 6 months to address the illegality.

PS Rules must be inforced but not necessary to send them straight to the sin bin.