BE475

[James Eastwood]

BE475 was out and about on daily driver duties yesterday which meant getting slightly wet as the roof and side screens are not serviceable. On my way from Brentwood over to Much Hadham I stopped by the RAF Sawbridgeworth Memorial. Most people on their way from Sawbridgeworth to the Hadham won't know that they're driving right through a WW2 airfield that had Spitfire Mk IXs flown from it. You need to know what to look for as the remains are well hidden, including the memorial which is off the main (Parsonage) road.

History moment over a couple of tech questions.
1) Did AC fit different speedo calibrations for the differential options or was it taken care of in the g'box speedo output gears. I have a 1280 speedo with a 3.91 final drive is this a correct pairing?
2) Rear view mirror vibration. Fairly difficult to see anything at 2500rpm and is going in circles by 4500rpm! Is there a trick to stop this?

Regards James

[James Eastwood]

A little over winter update on BE475.

December, I had a traditional roll hoop with removable diagonal fitted. In fact the hoop itself is also removable at the request of my Dad.

The work was undertaken by Andy Robinson Race Cars, and is very well constructed, being tied in to both chassis rails. The structure is all behind the rear bulk head with the hoop passing through the rear deck. We spent quite a while getting the position and height correct so that it would pass the 5cm above helmet requirement with the seat cushion removed, whilst also fitting under the hood. In the end the hood frame had to go up a quarter of an inch, and the hood itself just presses into the hood fabric by a half inch.

I also consulted a lot of period photos and screen shots from the Cobras in the Le Mans 66 (Ford vs Ferrari) film, to get the hoop diameter right.

[James Eastwood]

Roll hoop measuring.

[James Eastwood]

Lower frame connecting hoop to chassis rails. there was one further diagonal, that went across the centre of the diamond, which couldn't photo before the rear bulk head was refitted.

[James Eastwood]

Finished bar before powder coating. The head rest is a non-period option, but as Andy said, "You don't want you head going under the hoop"!

[James Eastwood]

From the front.