SAAB SONETT V4 RALLY CAR- HILLCLIMB MEETING

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MORNING CHAPS,THOUGHT THIS MIGHT INTEREST YOU?

THE OLDEST ESTABLISHED HILLCLIMB IN THE UK,WAS OUR DESTINATION....

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/arti ... ling-moss/

AT 03.00HRS SATURDAY MORNING I GRABBED A CUP OF COFFEE,BEFORE HEADING SOUTH,TO MEET UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND...

THESE PICTURE'S WERE TAKEN AT 05.00HRS,WITH THE EARLY MORNING MIST,IN THE WELSH MOUNTAINS...

A 1967 V4 SONETT..........STAGE RALLY PREPARED,THIS LITTLE SWEDISH SPORTS CAR,HAS SPENT A VERY CHEQUERED LIFE IN BOTH CIRCUIT RACING IN SWEDEN,AND ALSO IN THE FOREST'S OF WALES,HERE IN THE 'UK'...IN IT'S LATER LIFE.

SOME 20 YEARS AGO,IT WAS ACQUIRED TO TRY AND PRESERVE IT'S HERITAGE.....AND WITH A RECENTLY 'NEWLY' BUILT V4 RALLY ENGINE FITTED& NOW FRESHLY JUST RUN IN?

IT WAS TIME FOR US, TO TAKE IT TO THE 'HILL'...

BUT? THAT INVOLVED,OVER ANOTHER TWO HOUR DRIVE FURTHER SOUTH, STILL....

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shels ... ?entry=ttu

RUNNING A 7.6 CAM,TWIN CHOKE DOWNDRAUGHT AND AN 'LSD' THE ENGINE IS INCREDIBLY TORQUEY....TRUNDLING ALONG AT 50 MPH IN 4TH THE ENGINE,IS AT IT'S SWEET SPOT.

WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A CONVERSATION,WITH THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED IN 'FREEWHEEL',THE PURPOSE MADE BUCKET SEATS ARE COSY,AND COMFORTABLE,WITH AN ARRAY OF INSTRUMENTS,FLICK SWITCHES AND GAUGES,FOR THE CO-DRIVER TO KEEP A BEADY EYE UPON.

AS YOU CLAMBER IN PAST THE ROLLCAGE, IT'S ONLY THEN.....THAT YOU BEGIN TO APPPRECIATE THE PAST 56 YEARS,THAT THIS LITTLE CAR,HAS SPENT HURTLING AROUND BENDS,WITH VARIOUS DRIVERS BEHIND THE WHEEL..IN FACT IT IS SOME MIRACLE,THAT THIS SONETT STILL EXISTS.IT WEARS IT'S BATTLE SCARS WITH PRIDE.....THE MORE YOU LOOK,THE MORE YOU SEE...

THIS A 'MOTORSPORT' CAR,THROUGH AND THROUGH...IT MAY WELL BE COSETTED IN THE GARAGE OVER WINTER TIME,BUT COME THE SUMMER MONTHS....? THE VIBRATIONS,AND NOISE INSIDE THE CAR TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW...

I WAS ABOUT TO BE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH,TO BE ALLOWED TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL,CRASH HELMET ON ......AND FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF 'STIRLING MOSS',UP THE VERY SAME HILL...

'SIGNED ON' WE MANAGED TO GRAB A BACON BUTTY,AND A COFFEE,SAT IN THE MORNING SUNSHINE ABSORBING THE SURROUNDINGS,RACE-ENGINES BEING WARMED UP,OVER IN THE PADDOCK,WHILST THE 'DRIVERS BRIEFING' EDGED EVER CLOSER AT 08.30 HRS....

THIS TWO-DAY 'MEETING' HAD BEEN ORGANISED,BY ONE OF THE FOREMOST CLASSIC CAR INSURER'S IN THE 'UK' FOR IT'S CUSTOMERS...

THE SPREAD OF CLASSIC&RALLY CARS,TOUCHING OVER 100 YEARS IN MOTORSPORT...

THIS IS PROBABLY,ONE OF THE MOST INTENSE 'MOTORSPORT' EXPERIENCE'S HERE IN THE 'UK' ...

HERE,EVERYBODY IS A DRIVER....A PASSENGER,OR SIMPLY A SPANNER WIELDING NUTCASE,OR ALL THREE !

THE ATMOSPHERE,IS ASTOUNDING...A TRUE HIT ON YOUR EMOTIONS,OF YEARS GONE BY...

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AS YOU CAN SEE,THE ACCESS HATCH INTO THE REAR OF THE SONETT II,IS RATHER RESTRICTIVE?

SO BESDIES A SPARE WHEEL,BASIC TOOLKIT WE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GET TWO CRASH HELMETS IN THERE? AND TRAVELLING 'LIGHT' TWO SMALL OVERNIGHT BAGS...

NEXT TO US IN THE 'PADDOCK'? A FULLY BLOWN RS200 RALLYCROSS MACHINE,WITH A BORG-WARNER TWIN SCROLL TURBO WAS ASTRIDE IT'S SIDE MOUNT SUPPORTS,SUSPENDED EIGHTEN INCHES IN THE AIR,WHILST THE DRIVER RAN THE CAR AND IT'S POWER/DRIVETRAIN UP TO TEMPERATURE...EVERYTHING BEING MONITORED VIA 'LAPTOP'.

WHATEVER FUEL THEY WERE USING? EVEN WHEN IT WAS EMITTED IN 'SPENT' FORM,FROM THE EXHAUST MADE YOUR EYES SMART....

MECHANICAL CACOPHONY ENSUED,AS SOME HEAT WAS ALSO PUT INTO THE BRAKES.....THE WHOLE RS200 SHUDDERING,AND SHAKING....FLAMES SPITTING FROM THE REAR...

FORTUNATE ENOUGH FOR US TO BE SITUATED ADJACENT TO THE 'GROUP B' PADDOCK,THERE WAS PLENTY OF 'EXOTICA' WARMING IT'S ENGINES...

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BUT,WE MUST REMEMBER THIS WAS JUST THE ERA OF THE MID-EIGHTIES? AND ALTHOUGH 'GROUP-B' WAS CONSIDERED THE 'PINNACLE' OF RALLYING,OF THAT TIME? THERE IS SO MUCH MORE BEFORE IT....

FORD'S ILL-FATED ESCORT RS1700T,LATER EVOLVED INTO THE RS200....

THERE ARE VERY FEW EXAMPLES LEFT OF THIS 'PROJECT' FORD. MOST WERE DESTROYED AT THE BEHEST OF 'FORDS' TEAM MANAGEMENT....

LAST YEAR WE WERE INVITED ON A 'TOUR' OF THE FACILITIES,UP AT 'M-SPORT'(UK) WHICH IS SITUATED AROUND TWO HOURS DRIVE NORTH OF LIVERPOOL.
A SMALL 'PRIVATE' MUSEUM EXISTS ON SITE,WITH SOME OF 'MALCOM WILSON'S' (M-SPORT) MOTORSPORT ACHIEVEMENTS,RALLY AND ROAD CARS....

ONE OF THEM BEING AN ORIGINAL ROAD-GOING FORD ESCORT MK III,RS1700T

ALSO IN THE MUSEUM IS 'COLIN MCRAE'S' ORIGINAL SAFARI RALLY WINNING FORD FOCUS....

BACK IN 1997 'MALCOLM WILSON' HAD JUST SECURED THE BACKING OF 'FORD' TO TAKE-ON THE BUILDING OF THE CURRENT 'ESCORT COSWORTH',UP IN CUMBRIA WITH THE NEWLY FORMED 'M-SPORT' COMAPNY. THE SUBSEQUENT PROGRESSION BEING TO DEVELOP THE 'ALL' NEW FORD FOCUS....INTO FULL RALLY GUISE...

AGED 26 AT THIS TIME,EVEN THOUGH I HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP AROUND CAR'S AND MOTORSPORT? I HAD ONLY BEEN RALLYING,AT THIS POINT, FOR 3 YEARS,IN A 'LHD' SAAB V4....

'M-SPORT'AT THIS TIME, WERE EAGER TO RECRUIT MECHANICS....
AFTER PROGRESSING THROUGH THE FIRST STAGES OF A RATHER BRUTAL,RUTHLESS 'SELECTION' PROCESS? I WAS ONE OF THE REMAINING CANDIDATES,ALLOWED ONTO THE 'WORKSHOP FLOOR'.

I SPENT 3 DAYS THERE,PULLING 'CARLOS SAINZ'S'' ESCORT COSWORTH GRAVEL 'TEST' CAR TO BITS....

AFTER THIS WE WERE SUMMONED,ONE BY ONE....

IT SEEMED THAT MY FORMATIVE YEARS SPENT DELVING INTO THE WORKINGS OF ALL THING'S MECHANCIAL, PROVED A LITTLE TOO MUCH FOR M-SPORT TEAM MANAGEMENT.....AND MAYBE, I WAS ALREADY A LITTLE TOO 'SET' IN MY WAYS?

HAVING SPENT JUST 3 YEARS RALLYING AND PREPARING MY OWN SAAB V4? YOU TEND TO LEARN VERY QUICKLY, BEING YOUR OWN 'TEAM MANAGER', AND ALSO MECHANIC,DRIVER(OR CO-DRIVER),OPERATIONAL LOGISTSICS,PARTS ACQUISITION AND ORGANSING ACCOMODATION,AND TRAVEL 'TO AND FROM' AN EVENT...

THE COMMENT,AS I SAT RATHER UNCOMFORATBLY, FROM ACROSS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 'M-SPORT' OFFICE DESK....

'' JULIAN,WE ARE LOOKING FOR INDIANS......NOT CHIEFTAINS''

AND THAT, WAS THAT...

WAS IT A 'MISSED' OPPORTUNITY IN LIFE?

I HAVE ANOTHER GOOD FRIEND THE SAME AGE AS ME,WHOM COINCEDENTALLY NOW LIVES JUST TEN MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD...

HE 'WAS' MORE SUCCESSFULL,IN HIS QUEST TO WORK FOR 'M-SPORT', BUT SPENT ONLY A FEW YEARS THERE.....

WE SOMETIMES 'RECALL' THOSE TIMES FROM 25 YEARS AGO...? AS HE ALSO HAS RATHER A FETISH FOR 'SAAB' RALLY CARS,INEVTIABLY 'SAAB' PARTS GET SWAPPED BETWEEN US,FOR VARIOUS SAAB PROJECTS ETC...

YEP,I 'COULD' HAVE TRAVELLED THE WORLD,AND SEEN MANY SIGHTS WITH THE 'FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM' 'IF' IT HAD HAPPENED?

BUT INSTEAD,I GOT TO TRAVEL EUROPE ON MY OWN TERMS,IN MY OWN TIME....AND STILL CONTINUE WITH MY OWN MOTORSPORT TEAM,WITH SAAB'S AND COLLEAGUES,ASSOCIATES AND FRIENDS OVER THE YEARS...

AND THIS IS THE VERY REASON,I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE A VERY 'SPECIAL' 1967 V4 SONETT II,UP 'SHELSLEY WALSH'.....

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OF COURSE,THERE WERE PLENTY MORE 'CLASSIC' CARS IN MOTORSPORT.....

JUST SOME OF THE STUFF 'RUNNIN UP THAT HILL' AS 'KATE BUSH' WOULD SAY...

AS WE NEARED 09.00 THE FIRST BATCH OF EARLY 1900'S VINTAGE STUFF,BEGAIN TO ASCEND THE HILL....

MOST OF THESE VEHICLE'S ARE 'PUSH' STARTED,WITH EXPOSED 'ENGINE' VALVEGEAR AND LARGE SPROCKETS,DRIVING CLATTERING CHAINS ASIDE THE DRIVER... WITH BATTERED,DENTED ALLOY SKINNED BESPOKE BODYWORK,THAT HAS SEEN MAYBE 100 YEARS OF MOTORSPORT....

IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE WE HAD TO CLAMBER BACK IN THE SONETT,AND GET BELTED UP.
THERE IS RATHER AN 'ART' TO INSTALLING ONESELF INTO THIS TINY FIBREGLASS BODIED SWEDISH MACHINE,WITH BODY CONTORTIONS NECESSARY TO SLITHER INTO THE COCKPIT,IN A RATHER PRECISE PROCESS,OTHERWISE SOME LIMBS CAN DANGLE PRECARIOUSLY OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE,IN A SOMWEHAT UNORTHODOX MANNER...

MY GOOD COMPATRIOT,WAS TAKING THE 'SONETT' UP THE HILL FIRST,WHILST I SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.....EAGERLY TAKING IN ALL AROUND,AND WATCHING WITH SOME INTENT,HOW EXACTLY HE WAS GOING TO GET THIS RATHER UNRULY LITTLE BEAST,OFF THE 'START' LINE WITH THE MINIMUM OF FUSS,LITTLE WHEELSPIN,AS THE STEERING WHEEL TUGGED IN EITHER DIRECTION,AS THE 'LSD' FOUGHT AGAINST THE SCRABBLE FOR GRIP,ON THE WARM 'SUN-BLESSED' TARMAC...

I DID HOWEVER,HAVE THE GOOD FORTUNE,TO 'ENDURE'(IF THAT IS THE CORRECT TERM) AROUND HALF AN HOURS DRIVE,ON THE WAY DOWN TO THE HILLCLIMB VENUE,TO FAMILIARISE ONCE AGAIN,THE COLUMN CHANGE OF THE LEFT HAND DRIVE SET UP? THAT I HAD BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO IN MY FIRST V4 RALLY CAR,28 YEARS AGO!!

SO HOW DID THE 'SONETT' BEHAVE ON IT'S FIRST RUN UP THE HILL...?

AS WE APPROACHED THE FINISH LINE,A LITTLE 'TAP' ON THE DASHBOARD,FROM THE DRIVER......INDICATED THAT ALL WAS WELL,ALL THE GAUGES WERE POINTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS,AND WE HADN'T COLLECTED ANY SCENERY..

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NOW THEN,AS WE KNOW 'SAABS' IN MOTORSPORT,ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN? ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE UK....

SO I WAS QUITE REFRESHING TO SEE A RATHER NICE 900 TURBO THERE,ALSO COMPETING IN 16V 185BHP FORM....ALBEIT IN JUST ROAD-GOING SPEC. WITH 200,000 MILES ON THE CLOCK.

THE GENERAL MOTORS VEHICLE IN THE PICTURE,IS THE 'SOUTH AFRICAN' VERSION,WITH A HUGE V8 UNDER THE BONNET....

IT SOUNDS AND GOES EXTREMELY WELL!!

RATHER ODDLY,IT WOULD SEEM THAT WHEN THESE TWO CARS WERE BUILT? THAT IT HAD NEVER CROSSED ANYBODY'S MIND THAT ONE CAR COMPANY WOULD ONE DAY ,BE TAKEN OVER BY ANOTHER...

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ONCE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL,AND THE 'BATCH' OF CARS HAS RUN THE COURSE.WE ALL DRIVE BACK DOWN AGAIN.....TO THE PADDOCK.

THIS TIME,I SLID THE DRIVERS SEAT FORWARD,ADJUSTED THE HARNESSES'S.......AND THROUGH NO OTHER REASON,TAPPED THE BRAKE PEDAL,TO ENSURE THERE WAS STILL PRESSURE (ITS A RALLY DRIVER THING)

ENGINE STARTED,ON THE 'PUSH' BUTTON,INTO A RATHER GRUMPY TICKOVER....

MY COMPATRIOT,SEEMED TO BE NOTICABLY 'ABSENT' FROM THE PASSENGER SEAT AT THIS POINT , BUT OPENED THE PASSENGER DOOR FROM OUTSIDE,STUCK HIS HEAD IN,POINTED AT A FEW SWITCHES THAT I SHOULD TAKE NOTICE OF(ONE BEING FOR THE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS!),SMILED AND SLAMMED THE DOOR,WITH HIM STILL ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT...

ER WOW!! NOT ONLY HAD I BEEN OFFERED A DRIVE IN THIS THING? BUT, I WAS GOING IT ALONE....

I HAD TRIED TO 'TAKE IN' THE SURROUNDING VEHICLES EARLIER THAT MORNING? A CERTAIN 1965 FORD MUSTANG HAD TAKEN MY FANCY,WITH THE WHITE HAIRED,BESPECTACLED BEARDED DRIVER QUITE EAGERLY WANTED TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS,ABOUT HIS PURCHASE FROM THE 'STATES' SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER?

INDEED THE 'MUSTANG' WAS ORIGINALLY A 3 SPEED AUTO TRANSMISSION ALL IT'S LIFE,BUT HAD BEEN CONVERTED TO A FOUR SPEED MANUAL,WITH A FRESHLY BUILT V8 DROPPED IN COSTING AROUND £12,000 LAST YEAR.OH,AND IT'S HIS DAILY DRIVER,WITH 57 YEARS OF 'PATINA' ADORNING THE BODYWORK....

MAYBE ? THE MUSTANG WAS ABOUT THE ONLY THING,WE COULD COMPARABLY RUN THE LITTLE 820KG SONETT AGAINST,AND SEE JUST WHAT TIMES WERE POSSIBLE,WITH BOTH CARS?

THERE WERE MINI'S,AND LOTS OF THEM....I HAD TO HELP 'PUSH' A RATHER NICE 1965 COOPER'S' BACK TO THE TRAILER PARK,AS THE ROCKER COVER GASKET HAD FAILED...ENGINE OIL EVERYWHERE! A RATHER DISGRUNTLED DRIVER BEHIND THE WHEEL...

BUT BACK TO THE MY FIRST DRIVE UP THE HILL?

REAR WHEEL CHOCKED BY MARSHALS,ALL I HAD TO DO ,WAS WAIT ON THE GREEN LIGHT.....

BLIPPING THE THROTTLE,LEFT FOOT HOVERING ON THE FLOOR-MOUNTED CLUTCH PEDAL....

LIGHTS GO GREEN,SLIP THE CLUTCH.....GET A LITTLE MOMENTUM GOING,MATCH THE RENGINE REVS AND LAUNCH OFF THE STARTLINE WITH NO WHEELSPIN? ALL GOOD, DOWN INTO SECOND....THE KUMHO SOFT COMPOUND TYRES SCRABBLING AGAINST THE 'LIMITED SLIP DIFF',AS I HAVE TO JUST LIFT MOMENTARILY,INTO THE FIRST LEFT HANDER,THEN UP INTO THIRD,THE HILL KINKS LEFT INTO A BLIND CORNER.....ITS SOLID BANKING EITHER SIDE,NO ROOM FOR ERROR...
THE LITTLE SONETT,SKIPS ABOUT.....IT'S SO LIGHT AND AGILE!

FLAT IN THIRD NOW APPROACHING REV LIMITER,AND INTO THE SWICTHBACK LEFT ,THEN RIGHT.....THE COURSE OPENS OUT FOR 200 YARDS,AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE FIRST BEND! ,HEAVY ON THE BRAKES(NO SERVO!!)DOWN INTO SECOND,THE CARS PULLS STRONGLY HERE,NOT JUST WITH ENGINE TORQUE,BUT THE 'DIFF' IS DOING IT'S JOB,AND EVEN WITH GLOVES ON,YOU HAVE TO REALLY HANG ONTO THE STEERING WHEEL.....

TIGHT INTO THE GRASS BANKING ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE,HUG THE APEX....YOU CAN'T SEE THE TURN IN POINT.....THEN IT OPENS OUT,WITH A STRAIGHT DASH TO THE FINISH,UP INTO 3RD,THEN 4TH.......OVER THE LINE,WITH STUNNING VIEWS OF THE 'MALVERN HILLS' FROM THE TOP OF THE HILL.....

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MY COMPATRIOT SEEMED SO PLEASED THAT I HAD RETURNED HIS 'PRIDE&JOY' BACK DOWN THE HILL IN ONE PIECE? THAT HE SUGGESTED I SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER GO?

BUT THIS TIME I WOULD HAVE A PASSENGER? THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY NEVER MET.....?

A FATHER AND DAUGHTER,HAD ATTENED THE HILLCLIMB(PURELY TO SPECTATE),AND SHE WAS RATHER INTENT OF FINDING A CAR(NUMBER) ADORNED WITH HER AGE OF 24?

WHICH JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE 'SONETT'

SO,WITH A YOUNG LADY NOW FASTENED IN THE PASSENGER SEAT....AT THE START LINE? WAS THAT GOING TO BE AN 'ADDITIONAL' DISTRACTION?

I 'DID' HOPE SHE WASN'T GOING TO BE THE TYPE,THAT NEVER SHUT'S UP?

MAYBE I SHOULD ALSO MENTION,AT THIS POINT? THAT WE HAD JUST ENDURED A 'LUNCH BREAK'......AND AT THIS POINT,WITH THE BONNET OPEN ON THE SONETT,I WAS CASTING A BEADY EYE,OVER THE ENGINE&ANCILLIARIES.....WHICH FOR ME,JUST AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD?

SOMETHING CAUGHT MY EYE,AND THE OFFSIDE ENGINE MOUNTING LOOKED A LITTLE SKEWIFF? FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS,REVELAED AN M8 BOLT AND WASHER SAT ATOP THE ENGINE MOUNT? NOW,I AM NO EXPERT....BUT,IT RATHER LOOKED TO ME,THAT MAYBE THAT WASN'T THE BEST PLACE TO BE KEEPING A 'SPARE' BOLT AND WASHER?

ON HAND'S AND KNEE'S PEERING THROUGH THE INNER WING,INDEED.....THERE WAS INDEED A VACANT THREADED HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK,WHERE 'SAID' BOLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN...?

HMMM,ENGINE 'SUMP' WAS NOW SAT ON THE 'ALLOY' SUMP GUARD

AROUND HALF AN HOUR, WAS SPENT. WE HAD TO PHYSICALLY LIFT THE ENGINE,JAM A SCREWDRIVER HANDLE UNDER THE ENGINE SUMP,AND LOOSEN THE ENGINE MOUNT,TO RE-INSERT THE WAYWARD BOLT. MORE THAN THAT,THE VIBRATIONS HAD CHEWED THE THREAD ON THE BOLT......AND WITH NO SPARE BOLTS,I HAD TO SURVEY THE ENGINE BAY,TO FIND A SUITABLE NON-ESSENTIAL IDENTICAL FASTENING,THAT WE COULD 'STEAL&SWAP'' AND RE-INSTATE THE OFFSIDE ENGINE MOUNT...

SOME TOOLS WERE BORROWED,FROM OTHER COMPETITORS....

CHECKED THE NEARSIDE ENGINE MOUNT,AND THAT WAS ALSO COMING LOOSE. EVERYTHING CHECKED AND RE-TIGHTENED WE WERE GOOD TO GO.....

THE VIRTUALLY SOLID-MOUNTED 'LUMP' UNDER THE BONNET,GIVES THE DRIVETRAIN ETC,A REALLY HARD TIME.....WITH VIBRATION ETC...

WE CONCLUDED,THAT MAYBE A SUMP GUARD HAS A DUAL USE? AS IT ALSO STOP'S THE ENGINE FALLING OUT...


SO,TO MY SECOND RUN UP THE HILL,WITH A RATHER MORE ATTRACTIVE CO-DRIVER,THAN MY MALE COMPATRIOT?

I NEED NOT HAVE WORRIED,THE YOUNG LADY WAS A 'FASHIONED' CO-DRIVER,WITH SEVERAL YEARS EXPERIENCE UP THE HILL....AND INDEED SHE VOLUNTEER'S TO MAINTAIN THE VENUE,BE IT PAINTING,OR HELPING OUT.... TO KEEP EVERYTHING ORDERLY

SO HOW DID WE DO? IN A LITTLE 'ODDBALL' SWEDISH MACHINE....?

MY SECOND RUN,WAS THE FASTER OF THE TWO,EVEN WITH A PASSENGER...

WE TOOK 0.5 SECONDS OF THE SAAB 16V TURBO,AND WERE JUST OVER A SECOND DOWN ON THE 1965 FORD MUSTANG.......

BUT, THE THING IS...?

'IF' I HAD BEEN OFFERED THE JOB AT 'M-SPORT' WITH THE FORD RALLY TEAM,ALL THOSE YEARS AGO?

I MAY NEVER HAVE MET MY 'COMPATRIOT',OR A LITTLE YELLOW 'SAAB V4 SONETT'

THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN LIFE YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR.....

'' TACK SA MYCKET.....''

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