Tag Archives: Suzuki

50 mpg DIY Sportscar – Liege

In the late 1980’s Peter Leigh Davis set out to design a sporting all rounder which could be driven to work and used for competition at the weekends in much the same way as early Allard, Buckler, Dellow and Lotus cars to name but a few.

The aluminium motor and gearbox for the Liege were taken from a Reliant Robin and a variety of back axles were tried before settling on a Bedford/Suzuki unit from an ultra light commercial van.

Liege Reliant, Trials Car, Autumn Classic, Castle Combe

To prove his creation’s reliability Peter took the prototype on a 6500 mile reconnaissance trip for the Liege-Agadir-Liege Endurance Trial to the edge of the Sahara desert. The car carried two people tools and camping gear and ran faultlessly while averaging 50 mpg.

In all 60 Liege kits were built after plans to build a turn key car with Reliant fell through, 45 of these vehicles are thought to be on the road some running twin carbs or superchargers to boost the power while yet more have been fitted with Honda Fireblade, Fiat Fire and various Suzuki motors.

The prototype Liege won a bronze medal on the 1995 Lands End Trial and won the 2 lire class of Le Jog the same year.

The car seen here at last years Castle Combe Autumn Classic is listed as manufactured in 1989 and completed in 2005 with the Reliant power train and Suzuki back axle.

Thanks for joining me on this “50 mpg DIY Sportscar” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me tomorrow when I’ll be looking at the 1974 World Championship Winning McLaren M23. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Coffee, Croissant & Cars #3 – Avenue Drivers Club

Last Sunday being the second Sunday of the month it was time to amble down St Micheal’s Hill towards Queen Square for another Avenue Drivers club meeting.

Porsche 993 GT2, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Where I was greeted Ted who brought along his DP Motorsports tuned Porsche 993 GT2 which came complete with matching yellow dash instruments. If your looking for photographs of old competition cars in action Ted’s Ferret Fotographics is a great place to start.

Lanchester, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Keeping the Lanchester flag flying at the Avenue Drivers Club was this 3 liter / 183 cui 1925 Lanchester 21.

Porsche Boxster, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

With signs of tyre rub on both sides to the bumper there was no doubt this Porsche Boxster prepared by Porscheshop and driven by novice driver Stuart Ings. You can see an in car video of Stuart in action at Oulton Park a couple of weeks ago on this link.

Jaguar E-type, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Flying the flag for Jaguar was this lush E-type.

Austin 10, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

This Austin 10 motor powers an Austin 10/24 Ripley sport that is a regular at Avenue Drivers Club meetings and was featured in GALPOT blog early last year.

Triumph GT6, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

I’ve been meaning to write a blog about this Triumph GT6 Mk II for some time, it was great to see and hear it last weekend.

BMW 840 Ci, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol, Queen Square, Bristol

BMW had originally intended their entry level 8 series cars to be powered by 3 liter motor’s however it would appear they decided better of it by allegedly chopping most of the 18 built up and introducing the 4 liter V8 powered 840 Ci instead. Above is one of the last built in 1999 with a 4398 cc / 268 cui V8 with 5 speed automatic transmission.

Volkswagen Golf III, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol, Queen Square, Bristol

The Spirit of Starsky and Hutch is obviously alive and well in Bristol, for the second time in two days I saw a vehicle with a laser stripe ! Above on a humble Golf III.

Vauxhall, Nova, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol, Queen Square, Bristol

Entering into the ranks of classics, 20 years old this year, is the immaculate Vauxhall Nova Spin above, a badge engineered Opel Corsa which like it’s German badged counterpart was built in Spain.

Ferrari, F430, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol, Queen Square, Bristol

I first came across this wailing Ferrari F430 on my way to Sherborne Castle last month. The owner had just spent a considerable sum on a new exhaust, however the vacuum operated exhaust valve had been plumbed incorrectly and still needs sorting out, meantime the exhaust volume has been set permanently at volume 10 !

Suzuki RV 125 VanVan, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol, Queen Square, Bristol

Representation of two wheeled transport was very thin last week, however these matching Suzuki RV 125 VanVan’s reminded me of my schooldays, an older lad had one imported from Japan in the mid 70’s when RV 125’s were powered by two stroke motors.

TVR Cerbera, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol, Queen Square, Bristol

This 1997 TVR Cerbera powered by the larger 4578 cc / 279 cui TVR V8 motor turned up late in the morning just as I was leaving. The Cerebra name is derived from Cerberus the mythical Greek three headed beast that guarded Hades which is fitting for a car that is considered a three plus one thanks to it’s front passenger seat which moves further forward than the drivers seat to afford the rear passenger behind a little more leg room than on the drivers side.

Thanks for joining me on this Coffee, Croissant & Cars #3 edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Giving Up Is Hard To Do – Cross Trophy

Last Wednesday, after a break of some 20 years, I became a car owner again. Thanks to my folks purchasing a new Golf TSI, I found myself taking on their 12 year old Golf Estate.

Volkswagen Golf, Bristol Classic Car Show

My first adventure in it was on Saturday to the Bristol Classic Car Show at Shepton Mallet, see above, and on Sunday I drove my new pride and joy to Duncan’s farm just outside Bristol in Dundry and attempted to retain the Cross Trophy which I won at last years Bristol Pegasus Motor Club‘s production car trial meeting.

Cross Trophy, Dundry

Arriving promptly at mid day the first problem, thanks to the wettest drought on record, was to get all the competitors on to that part of the field where the competition was scheduled to take place. Pete, one of the marshals, thoughtfully brought his Land Rover with him so that Andy, in the Citroen Saxo above and I could, with the aid of a tow, at least make it to the start line of the first test.

Volkswagen Beetle, Cross Trophy

My next problem was to find a passenger, fortunately Zoë from the Bristol Motor Club, who had come along to help with the marshaling and watch her 15 year old daughter Clare make her production car trial debut with her father Mark in the 1967 Beetle above, kindly volunteered to forgo standing in the rain and agreed to be my passenger.

Marlin, Cross Trophy

After a short drivers briefing with event organiser Mal we dispersed to the four competitive sections of the event. Laura my passenger last year is seen above in her Dad’s Marlin Roadster.

Suzuki X-90, Cross Trophy

Alan who has recovered from inverting his Parsons on the recent Exeter Trial was sharing his newly acquired Suzuki X-90 named ‘Barbie’ with Pat who is seen at the wheel above with Pete observing on the first section.

Citroen AX, Cross Trophy

Winner of the National Class B event was Chris in his Citroen AX seen here trying to clear the second section which like all the sections got progressively more difficult through the afternoon as the rain came and went and then came back again.

Volkswagen Golf, Cross Trophy

Despite competing in the lower Clubsport event Paul in the Golf II above just managed to pip National Class B winner Chris to win the overall event. I managed to come 3rd in class the front wheel drive Clubsport class and 7th overall in the Clubsport event and 12th overall in the two combined events.

Volkswagen Golf, Cross Trophy

Afterwards I was joined at the nearest garage by Chris who had driven his Nissan Micra 145 miles from Gravesend for a long engagement with the steam cleaner.

My thanks to Mal, Pete and everyone involved in the organisation and marshaling of this veritable mud bath of an event, to Tim for the results, and Zoë my passenger who did her bit to dispel the myth that the Bristol Motor Club is ‘the enemy’ of the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club.

Giving up the Cross Trophy at the end of the year will be hard to do even though Paul took a well deserved victory, I look forward to attempting to win it back again next year !

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Giving Up Is Hard To Do’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Spirit of the 60’s – Dyrham Park

On Sunday I ambled through the back lanes of Gloucestershire with a couple of friends to visit Dyrham Park a Neo Classic country mansion, that was built for William III’s Secretary at War William Blathwayt, set in a 274 acre deer park.

Dyrham Park

The house was made over to the state in the late 1950’s and the National Trust subsequently took over the running of the estate in 1961. That same year the Bristol Motor Cycle & Light Car Club organised a hillclimb on an 800 yard course that started at the Mansion house and went up the winding front drive towards the main gates of the estate.

Lotus 69, Dyrham Park

To celebrate the centenary of what is now known as the Bristol Motor Club a Spirit of the 60’s demonstration was organised at Dyrham Park to mark the six events that were organised from 1961 – 1966. Not all the vehicles present on Sunday, like Tony Wallens 1971 Lotus 69 were strictly of the correct period but they all added to flavour on another Indian Summers day.

Brabham BT18 Buick V8, Chris Merrick, Dyrham Park

Making his way through the hairpin to the start line is Chris Merrick in a Brabham BT18 / Buick V8 that once belonged to Bryan Eccles who set, probably for all time, the course record of 30.05 secs in 1966.

Berkley B105, Neil Barber, Dyrham Park

Some of you may remember I stumbled across a Berkeley B105 earlier this year at the Silverstone Classic, this 1959 example heading for the assembly area belongs to Neil Barber.

Ford Mustang, 302, Steve Hillcox, Dyrham Park

Steve Hillcox in the 302 cui Mustang Fastback can is seen above preparing to leave the assembly area for his run up the narrow 800 yard course.

Dyrham Park

Following the Suzuki Pace Car heading for the sweeps on one of the demonstration runs are Jeffrey Allen in his 1967 Mini Cooper, Steve Dowling in his 1959 Austin A35 and David Valsler in his Turner which he found in Ohio.

Volkswagen, Notchback, John Robbins, Dyrham Park

John Robbins above negotiates the hairpin in his 1967 VW Notchback ahead of Colin Gale in his 1966 Austin Healey Sprite.

Morgan Super Sport, Ron Clements, Dyrham Park

I believe this is Ron Clements in his 1933 Morgan Super Sport which bears a quote from two time Le Mans winner Sir Tim Birkin on the side “Better to die at full throttle than to live behind a desk.” Sir Tim died from as a result of burns sustained while racing a Maserati in the 1933 Tripoli Grand Prix.

Monkey Bike, Vince Woodman, Dyrham Park

One of the slower passes up the hill had they been timed would possibly have gone to former British Saloon car stalwart Vince Woodman on this Honda monkey bike,

Ford Cologne Capri, Vince Woodman, Dyrham Park

though without doubt had the event been timed he would have been in the running for top tin top with his 3.4 litre 1973 Cologne Capri seen here rounding Neptune before the finish straight.

Porsche Boxter, Dyrham Park

Somewhere between 4-5000 spectators are thought to have been entertained by over one hundred cars that each made several runs up the hill, apparently at one point the gates had to be closed because the A46 Bath Road had become blocked. At 4 pm the course car passed for the last time bringing an entertaining day to an end.

Thanks for joining me on this Dyrham Park edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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