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Ben_nz · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 11:04 am Post subject: 33 demolition derby car

I'm entering my spare parts car in the demolition derby coming up on Saturday December 3rd.

The car had failed its warrant on things like play in the steering, rust in the wheel arches, brake trouble and bad suspension, plus it had been owned by careless people and was in rough condition. I took a few parts off it and decided to give it one last shot at glory...

So now together with some guys from work, I've pulled out the interior and the glass and the lights. We've bypassed the radiator fan switch so the fan will always run, and done the same thing for the ventilation fan. The idle speed has been increased to around 2000rpm. The car was originally a series 2 1.7QV but has a single carb solid lifter motor.
Once you pull out all the interior, door trims, roof lining, sound proofing etc the car starts looking pretty empty and very flimsy! Goes fast though! Twisted Evil

I'll get some pictures soon, when I find my digital camera charger.
What should I paint on the car?
And place your bets - how long will I last and what will happen to stop the car running? Wink

gritsop · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 11:24 am Post subject:

Hi,

It will stop running only if you manage to break the timing belts ... if the motor is the 1.2 lt then you will have a hard time breaking the motor Wink

And Ben remember: you have promised photos ...

Regards
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

Guest · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 11:59 am Post subject:

Sounds pretty dangerous without a roll cage! Is there a 'speed limit' in a demolition derby ring? Cause without a cage, I wouldn't want to be hit in the side at all! Let alone by a 1tonne car going 60km/h

Guest · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 12:03 pm Post subject:

Lol! I was just reading the rules for Demolition Derby's - NO head on's or drivers's door hits allowed. Also, the entry fee covers Death and dismemberment insurance! yay!

Mixsynth · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 1:03 pm Post subject:

They may not be 'allowed', but is that gonna stop them from happening? Surprised

_________________
Hugh B
'98 145 QV
'89 33 1.7 16V Veloce SportWagon (in hibernation)
16V conversion pics/videos - now updated with extra pictures and explanations

Ben_nz · Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 8:48 pm Post subject:

There's no speed limit, but they water the track first so it's muddy and you get no traction. No locked diffs, 4WD, or mud tyres allowed. You're required to fit a rollbar extending from floor to roof behind the drivers seat, and the headrest bolts to this. You wear a helmet and overalls, install a 5-point harness, and you're allowed to fit a 3mm steel plate on the drivers side protecting you from 'accidental' drivers door impacts.
Generally there are so many cars on the track that nobody gets up much speed. But I will be up against heavy old Holdens, Falcons, Valiants etc. Ones without crumple zones, where the engines weigh about as much as an Alfa 33!

icky · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 1:16 am Post subject:

Are you racing at Waikaraka Park?

My bets on that the third hit to the left front corner of the car will push the guard in, contact the wheel and break a cv joint, thereby allowing you to only go in clockwise circles...

But looking at the 33's they have a hell of a lot more structural support around the engine bay than even an old Valiant what with the second firewall and such that you should be able to do a fair amount of damage to the opposing cars. Just don't hit anything in the rear with a towbar or the radiators going to be toast..

As for paint colours, how about green from the rear post back, white from there to the A pillar and red for the front, ala italian flag colours..

And a driving hint, if you hit a Datsun 1200 at about 45 degs in the rear right corner from behind, it will ride up over your bonnet and flip him...

Best of luck and can't wait for the before and after pics.
Cheers

Ben_nz · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 11:02 am Post subject:

Yep, Waikaraka Park!

When preparing the car we ended up cutting out too much of the wiring loom and the gauges stopped working. Only the temperature gauge would rise rapidly, hitting maximum in 10 seconds or so. After considerable testing, I found the earth wire for the gauges had been cut. It was one of the wires which headed down to the radio / electric window switch area, funny place to ground the instrument cluster!
I now need to find which wire one of the guys cut that stopped the fuel gauge from going... Evil or Very Mad

Here are a few pictures:
Spare Parts Car before being brutally attacked: http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/BEFORE2.JPG
(Love that drainpipe exhaust! That will strike terror into the hearts of my opponents!)
Interior minus the easy bits: http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/PROG_2.JPG
Funky series 2 QV mouldy red moulded carpet: http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/CARPET.JPG
Interior stripped down to the soundproofing: http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/PROG_3.JPG
Minus soundproofing, minus door trims, ready for a hoon around the parking lot: http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/PROG_4.JPG

After removing all that stuff from the car, I only found 55 cents and some information for extras/crew in the production of the awful TV series "Hercules"... Rolling Eyes

bobbber · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 12:15 pm Post subject:

Crikey Ben,

That 'second spare parts car' looks in better nick than my 'proper' car ! Laughing

_________________
Fiat Bravo 165 Sport

markgp4 · Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2005 10:41 pm Post subject:

yeah! send her off with a bang Smile

good luck at the derby... youre either very brave or a bit mad Wink

either way it sounds fun
_________________
make it go faster Smile

gritsop · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 1:06 am Post subject:

Hi,

Enjoy the car of a fellow member in Hellenic AROC who has painted his S2 QV in Italian colors.

Sorry for the low quality of the pic - it is captured from the DVD release of the specific Time Trial.

_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

icky · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 10:55 am Post subject:

Ben,
Love the pics,
Looking at the inside cabin stripped bare, was wondering if it is prudent to install a strut between the rear shocks to strengthen the rear end.

Reverse into the buggers and save your radiator.... Razz

And you need a fuel gauge because............???
Its not really an enduro is it???

Best of luck for the race and if you can dig up a helmet neck brace use it..

Cheers
_________________
Specialization is For Insects

1988 33 1.5 S 8V

Ben_nz · Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 11:05 am Post subject:

Unfortunately I'm not allowed to install any reinforcing. The 33 could really use it, but reinforcing would make the derby more dangerous.

I have decided to go with a more sinister theme for the car, because Italian flag colours would require too much paint and would make everyone think I was a fierce Italian patriot. So far I've done the bonnet:
http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/BONNET.JPG
I've got an old skull moneybox to bolt to the roof, and a rubber hand to close one of the doors onto.. Might put flames down the side, haven't decided yet.

Scott Sander · Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:16 pm Post subject:

Ben,

So do you have any after event photo's ?
_________________
Scott Sander
'91 Alfa 33 Boxer 16V Monza - Awesome
http://www.sanderfamily.com

gritsop · Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:19 pm Post subject:

Hi,

Scott where have you been ? it has been ages to hear from you! Hope you are OK.

Regards,
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

Scott Sander · Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:59 pm Post subject:

tvatavuk · Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:53 pm Post subject:

Hi Scott,
nice to read you're alive, ok and still own Alfa.

If you need more hits just say so, don't cover it with "..Worth having a look at the pic.." wrapper Wink

Last week I finaly found time to install front yellow Konis, but when tried to acces your site suspension area, there were only thumbnail size pics and no normal size ones.

P.S. Webmasters pic on AROC-NSW site looks a bit gray. Cool

P.S.2 Don't worry about hijacking thrread, many here are sure glad to see you write & you're still moderator.
_________________
Tino Vatavuk
Little black dress which replaced Alfa Romeo 33 S 16v Permanent 4 GMo

Scott Sander · Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:01 pm Post subject:

Tino,

Na, not worried about the extra hits, but the glowing brake discs on the 156 are interesting.

I haven't done anything with sanderfamily.com for a long time and since it is free hosted, who knows what has happened to it. Might have to look into it while I have some time.

The images of the people are the same photo's used in the club magazine, that page is printed in B&W unfortunately.
_________________
Scott Sander
'91 Alfa 33 Boxer 16V Monza - Awesome
http://www.sanderfamily.com

tvatavuk · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:41 am Post subject:

I'm

to say that I looked at that front page more then once.
Shocked

OmG they realy glow. I haven't seen it before and I looked caliper size, shape, discs...front rear. Rolling Eyes

I don't know reason but, I find B/W pictures to have more proffesional look then color ones.
I like the site, it's clean, informative, Alfisti friendly.
_________________
Tino Vatavuk
Little black dress which replaced Alfa Romeo 33 S 16v Permanent 4 GMo

Ben_nz · Posted: Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:18 am Post subject:

Time to un-hijack this thread..
Here's the 33 ready to be loaded onto the trailer and taken to the track:

http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/PAINTED2.JPG

Some of the other participants:
http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/ENTRANTS.JPG
http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/SPEEDCAM.JPG
http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/JONO.JPG (Jono is a local radio and TV personality, he was doing an item on entering the derby and had a cameraman, sound recording gear in his car etc)

Me on the track waiting for the derby to start: http://www.axys.co.nz/ben/alfa33/DERBY/ME2.JPG

I aimed to last out the derby by puttering around staying out of trouble, pushing people into things or using the back of the car if I had the chance. But this being the first derby of the season, there were a lot of cars on the track and I got bashed about in some multi-car pileups.

The impacts would throw me about or spin the steering wheel out of my hands, and my feet would be thrown off the pedals and I'd stall the car. At one point I couldn't restart it and thought I was out, but the race had been temporarily stopped and that gave me time to get the car going again. By this stage it was making funny noises, which turned out to be the alternator grinding against the radiator which had been almost wrapped around the alternator by a collision. The radiator end tank must have sprung its leak by this stage but that was no big deal. I wheelspun my way around the muddy track being brutally assaulted by evil Ford Sierras:

One of these impacts must have broken the rusty old battery tray loose, because as I found out afterward the batteries had tipped backward and the positive terminal had shorted itself to the car body Exclamation

Smoke started to come from under the bonnet, first a little but steadily increasing until I worried there might be a fire. It was actually the battery earth cable getting really really hot and burning off all of its insulation! The car rolled to a stop.
I had little idea what the problem was, but I couldn't get the car started again. I must have been bumped and the batteries tipped back down, because the smoking stopped. Eventually a marshal in a stock car asked me if I was still running. I signaled that the car was dead and he shunted me into the infield. Sad

Throughout the rest of the race I kept trying and eventually got the car restarted, but I wasn't allowed to continue.

Serpent33 · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:45 am Post subject:

Hi there. Do you still happen to have the side skirts? And would you be interested to sell it? Thanks.
_________________
Each time I speed I say, "Dear lord, make me fast and accurate..."

Ben_nz · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:07 am Post subject:

One of the four side skirt pieces must have fallen off on the track somewhere.
They are easy to get hold of in New Zealand though... but you are in Singapore! Don't they have any over there?

The next demolition derby is this Saturday the 21st of January. My old 33 will be back, after a bit of panelbeating with a sledgehammer! I've replaced the melted wiring, secured the battery, hooked up the window washer jets to squirt out ahead of the car, got the fuel gauge going again, attached the rubber hand to the wiper mechanism (so it waves to my fans in the crowd), and have removed the bent front strut. Tomorrow I'll see if I can get the strut bent straightish again. If the wheel alignment can be mostly fixed, I'll be able to drive in the racing earlier in the evening before the demolition derby. Twisted Evil

Serpent33 · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:33 pm Post subject:

Mine is the only 1.7 twin carb in my country. Most have ended up else where, like New Zealand...
_________________
Each time I speed I say, "Dear lord, make me fast and accurate..."

Ben_nz · Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:17 pm Post subject:

I think they would end up being quite expensive side skirts if they were freighted to Singapore, cos they're quite bulky.. I've no idea how much it would cost though.

Serpent33 · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 1:12 pm Post subject:

Sigh... I would think so. Mabe I should just fit my 16V side skirts in. My country has the regulation to scrap 10 year old cars unless a sum of 20-30K$ is paid for another 10 year lease.
_________________
Each time I speed I say, "Dear lord, make me fast and accurate..."