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Smokey's JW4 Formula Four Rebuild Thread


Mark (smokey mow)

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  • 3 weeks later...

So it's been a few weeks since my last proper progress update. I started a new job in January but before then I had a couple of weeks off over Christmas which gave me a chance to make good headway with the drawings, and particularly finishing those for the rear axle.

I'm holding off on ordering the uprights at the moment but that hasn't stopped me from sorting out the rear drive axle and bearing carrier plates.

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The drawings are all prepped and ready for the laser cutters, but I'm waiting on a friend who's order I shall be piggybacking onto so as to help keep the costs down. Till then though I got handed these tonight which I wasn't expecting, all laser cut from MDF :cool: which will help me to mock up an test fit a few parts.

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I think they will handle the power fine if it doesn't rain :)

Just paint them with yacht varnish to keep them dry.

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  • 2 weeks later...

This has been a pretty promising week for progress. Firstly I received an unexpected phone call in the week which I'm hopeful will lead me towards some of my missing parts and then by chance a meeting with another owner of an F4 car at Race Retro has given me a good lead toward finding another owner of a JW4 :t-up:

I was hoping Race Retro would offer me some inspiration and ideas for my own car so it was a very nice surprise to find this Vixen F4 on the stand of Turrino Wheels.

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I enjoyed a pleasant chat with it's owner Sean who coincidentally as myself is a member of the 500 owners association and races it in their invitation class.

Up close the Vixen shares a remarkable similarity to my JW4 and it would appear also certain components. Notably at the rear the suspension castings and the fabricated components of the rear drive axle are the same as my own; the obvious exception is the inboard disc brake where mine is drum.

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Ironically however the Vixen still uses drum on the front, and visually the front uprights are the same as my own, but with the steering arms and rack mounted behind rather than in front of the axle.

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Up front the most notable difference is the inboard front suspension which Sean tells me is unusual for a Vixen and believed to be unique to this car.

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During our conversation Sean also mentioned that he had seen an advert a couple of months back in the classifieds of Motorsport Magazine for a JW4 and by chance the magazine had a stand in the same hall. 5 minutes thumbing through the forsale adverts and It was found :t-up:

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The car looks very similar to that which was being restored by Ken Edwards in 1988. 13" Revolution wheels are an unusual fitment for a car which originally would have had 10" rims and in a letter Ken had spoken about how he was trying to source something different and also still had the roll bar to fit.

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Any comment on that price? Is that a fair price? Sounds like a lot to me... :suspect:

Cheers.

 

Jos

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Any comment on that price? Is that a fair price? Sounds like a lot to me... :suspect:

Cheers.

 

Jos

If it sells then it is priced right :) I would totally expect mine to have cost me a good proportion of that figure by the time it's finished :oops:

There's a big following and resurgence for classic Motorsport's in this country and as a guide a 500 would set you back in the region of £25-30k and you could pay any where in the region of 40-80k for a formula junior car so IMO I think the asking price is very reasonable for such a rare and original car :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

It's been a few weeks since I posted much about the progress on the car and to be honest there's not too much to report at the moment while I'm still waiting to hear more back from the call I had about some parts.

In the mean time though the components I sent for laser cutting have returned and been welded.

Firstly the flanges for the driveshafts. I got a few spares made too :d

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And more significantly the two largest fabricated parts. One which form the driveshaft cradle for housing the bearings, drive sprocket and inboard drum brake and then the second that supports the engine cradle behind the seat.

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I've got a couple of holes to drill in the angle this weekend and then I'll drop them off at the painters :)

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On the kitchen floor too :d

which is exactly where the engine is right now too :d
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which is exactly where the engine is right now too :d

Respect to that :d

Why do guests think it's inappropriate for car parts to be in the house :oops:

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Kitchen floors are for car parts arent they?

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Or dining room

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It is all man cave area really :d

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