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@Scott Young - WSCC ChairmanWell - Muchly Muchly Ta! Well Chuffed As I already get free membership, I would like to donate my 'prize' to the driver who agreed to me puting it forward despite it being an 'off track' excursion.

Hmm, never even really thought about it. but just ordering a present for someone through Amazon.co.uk and, presumably because I signed up for the months trial of Prime, I got both a free Sunday Delivery and a fiver off a fifteen pound item. The penny is slowly dropping that if I shop via Amazon for a year, where I might otherwise use eBay, most if not all the GT subscription could be saved back on discounts and delivery. Amazon's happy, I'm happy and the three old gits are happy. Win, win, win!

And I though that was just me...

only been done four weeks or so - so you cannot use that excuse Russ

+1 for Prime here too. We've had it a couple of years now, and order quite a bit on-line (yes I know the local high street shops are struggling along with the Polar Bears but hey-ho) and as Dave has found out, if you're anything more than a casual user, the £70-odd quid is paid for easily over the course of the year. The wife recently discovered Amazons music streaming and playlist capabilities. With her smart phone linking to a bluetooth system she enjoys fantastic music streamed around our house. And then there's the Prime movies and box-sets...... The Grand Tour is simply a nice bonus. Each to their own.

I'd been neglecting to update this thread over the last few months, and whilst I've not really been making much progress on the car thats not to say I've been doing nothing so I thought a proper update is a little overdue. Those of you who have been following this thread from the start, will recall that all this began about 3 years ago with an impulse purchase of a car from eBay. Since then I set about to research it's history and seek out what few spare parts remain tucked away in sheds and garages around the world. Luck has played a major part in me getting to where I am now, but also importantly my research has allowed me to piece together the History of Formula IV and Johnny Walker. Earlier in the year I acquired some more of the History of Johnny Walker's business and the production drawings for the various cars he produced through the years. From the beginning Johnny Walker produced approximately 56 car (excluding the karts) and over the next few posts I plan to give a brief chronological history of each of his cars. 1965 - Walker Special (Telstar) - Class 4 Kart 1965 - Type 65 Walker (JW4 Mk1) - 250cc Formula IV 1966 - JW4 Mk2 - 250cc Formula IV 1966 - JW4 Mk3 - 650cc Formula IV 1966 - Walker Special (Winsmore) - Class 4 Kart 1967 - JW4 Mk3 Imp - Formula IV 1967 - JW4 Mk4 SAAB - Formula IV / Formula SAAB 1968 - JW4 Mk5 IMP - Formula Libre 1969 - Costin Walker/ Type AH/ JW4 Mk6 - Formula IV/ Formula Ford Type65 Walker (JW4 Mark1) Johnny Walker's first venture into car manufacturing came in the early 1960's with his own Telstar karts in which he competed to promote his engineering machinery business, however his first F4 car was to come in 1965 with the Type65 Walker (later to me known as the JW4 Mark1). Keen to bring Formula IV to Britain, Walker had advertised for a designer and David Peers who was then an R&D engineer with Villiers Engines applied for the role. Peers had brought along to the interview a model of the proposed car and was promptly given the job. With his experience a contacts at Villiers, Peers chose to use a 250cc Starmaker Engine which he mounted into the rear of 20 gauge round tube space frame chassis. Steering was by bespoke magnesium uprights but unconventionally there was no steering rack, instead Peers adopted a design more commonly found on Karts using two spades welded to the end of the steering column which operated long track rods connected to the uprights. Front braking were cable operated outboard drums with bond minicar wheels with a single inboard drum at the rear. The car had a short rather stubby appearance as it was penned to suit David Peers diminutive figure, somewhat in contrast to Johnny Walker's 6ft height which created difficulty for him getting into the car. Walker had spent much of the time during the cars development working aboard and was said to be so furious that the car was not comfortable for him and their customers that he fired Peers from the project. In January 1966 Johnny Walker exhibited the Type65 at the Olympia Motorsports Show. Whist many prospective customers had been put off by the design of the steering and its cramped size enough interest had been expressed to warrant the project being developed further and so was born the Mk2. The JW4 Mk1

Ta - it shall be done! Calling @matt turner to the forums please, Dave's given you an early Christmas present!

Have a fun weekend Q

A pointless debate, if you like it, and I do, you like it, if you don't, you don't.

Okay, I've made a decision regarding the WSCC Photo of the Year from the calendar. For the terrific action shot in the main March photo, the prize of one years free membership Is awarded to David Richings. As David already gets free membership as an AO, I'll add a note to his account backstage so that he can enjoy the free year if he ever retires like wot I'm doing in a few months. Well done David! @Dave (OnliestSmeg) - Joint Manchester AO

Nope.

I might go to Silverstone as well, simple cct. but hey ho it's Silverstone. Went 2 years ago and loved it.

Loved this epic excerpt

@marcusb You can also see in your profile how many times you've won a day with a most liked post of the day - don't forget to add a photo for your profile cover as well! Here's mine, for example:

Looks like we get trophies as well

When did that happen? Details please.

Not sure if anyone's mentioned it - but I love the new Search facility (soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better than the old Google thing)

I'll come across on Friday for some pax laps.

I think it shows how badly Rosberg lost the psychological battle as well as every head to head he ever had on track with Lewis. He knows he had the run of luck with reliability. He was 40+ points ahead at the half way stage and 30 odd points adrift at two thirds. If Lewis hadn't had the mechanicals Rosberg would have been nowhere near and he knows it. He signed the new deal because even at that stage he was not confident he could beat Lewis. And even the team got involved, moving engineers from Lewis to Rosberg in the latter stages, I suspect as much to try to mess with Lewis as anything else. In other words, Rosberg was beaten in every way except in the points tally.

Too many!

Come on Matt......... How many sleeps?

I was there last weekend, and I thought that was pushing my luck weather wise but turned out to be a pretty good day, if a little cold! I was lucky as they were using different drive by mics which were on the opposite side to my exhaust, but still registered 102db which was the limit. So I've bought a 7inch silencer to fit over the winter which needs some modification to the manifold outlet to fit since the current one is only 5 inch. Have fun guys!!!!

I'm another fan of the A8. I've had two, a 3.7 petrol (that model would be pretty old now) and a 4.2 diesel. Both were boringly reliable, laden with workable gadgets, and very comfortable. I know people who love(d) their big petrol Lexi -- but I always found them just too boring. Pretty good reliability record though

Nick Algar has an A8 and is a big fan of it.

Don't let anyone give you that nonsense about flares adding more drag than cycle wings either! You get hold of my flares and lift, they rise an inch or two easily, yet watch them on a track and they don't rise at all - they do wobble, but not rise! I wanted a proper Lotus Seven (S3) as a student but had no money despite them being about £645.2s.6d as a kit. Once I had the wherewithall they had become so stupidly expensive that I wasn't prepared to risk a divorce for one although my Good Lady is a real fan too. A Westfield looked to be a good alternative especially with flared wings so here we are! Thirteen years owner ship and no regrets.

flares are the future!

Quite right too, 'tis a beautiful flowing look, as I and Mr Eastwood can attest.

I am delighted to see that I'm not the only member still firmly wedded to flares! Old pic, old trailer, old house, old rollbar... Later picture, later rollbar, new(er) house, different wheels and tyres, shell driver's seat, same old flares!.

I'm doing this one by typing the text, then clicking on "choose files..." - after I've chosen the photo I want, I left-click and hold on the image and then drag it into the text box, and it drops in automatically: and I can keep on typing afterwards.