zeolite

Sorry Ian Are you coming along to the autocross on the 20th. It is right on your doorstep. The way things are going I will probably be offshore on the 27th anyway.

I was there when they had a little " blowback". Cracked the logging unit that did!

Me Spooks, Rosie and Dougster marshalled at Edrom last year and had a fun time. although there were no crashes there were a couple of big moments. I have done a lot of marshalling over the years and had a lot of great times. Even made it to the heady heights of stage commander on the Granite city one year. Now that wasn't fun at all! Anyway apart from Dougster and Imprezapete I have been underwhelmed with the enthusiasm. Surely there must be a few more interested? I am off to dig holes in France for a week so if there are not a few more names by the time I get back there really is no point.

27th is the March Mad One. Surely you want to go to that?

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imprezapete...Thanks for that. Just spoke to George Hay who is running the Charterhall stages and he tells me that he will take as many marshals as I can find! So who is interested in this? I can post up as much info as you like but there is no point in me promising numbers for no-one to turn up on the day.

Thanks Scott!

Foz and I will be out racing on the 20th at Dalcrue farm near Pitcairngreen near Perth. The format is autocross and it is the best value motorsport there is. it can be good spectating too so come along and see how real men do it in the dirt. map on here

As an example for the above THe Border Counties is looking for marshals Saturday 19th March 2005 Whickham & District Motor Club and Hawick & Border Car Club are running the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally on Saturday 19th March 2005. The event is the 2nd round of the 2005 County Saab Scottish Rally Championship and the 2nd round of the inaugural MSA National Gravel Championship, which incorporates the Mitsubishi Evo and Peugeot 206 Challenges. Overall this should give a combined entry of up to 180 cars. The rally will once again be based in the Scottish Border town of Jedburgh and will include special stages in the Kielder Forest complex on both sides of the England-Scotland border. The Border Counties Rally for the Scottish Championship will include 5 special stages covering 45 stage miles, while the Border Counties National Rally for the MSA Gravel Championship will include 8 stages covering 72 stages miles. We expect the rally to be one of the biggest motor sport events in the region this year and will require the assistance of a large number of marshals to ensure that it runs smoothly. If you would like to assist in running the stages this year could you please contact me on 01772 722614 or e-mail to guy.wickham@btinternet.com and I will provide you with a timetable and further details. All marshals will receive goodies on the day and we are planning a marshal?s draw. Many thanks Guy Wickham Chief Marshal Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally Also The Charterhall Stages (Scottish Tarmack Championship) is on on April 2nd at a venue near Duns

Folks...Had a bit of a conversation at KH today with a couple of guys about marshalling at rallies. There seems to be a few people keen to get involved but lack information and contacts. So it was suggested that we try and get some marshal training organised. for those who have never done this I cannot tell you how much fun it is. (until you get to stage commander level that is!) Apart from getting to see from the best vantage points you also get to drive on the stages while setting up the rallies. you get to know the drivers and co-drivers as well as being right in the heart of the events. Rallies cannot run without marshals and they are always in short supply. So what I am going to do is have a wee chat with some of the car club organisers and see what is coming up. However I cannot be a regular co-ordinator due to my offshore irregular job so some volunteers will be required to be a main contact. I know there are a few folks already involved in scottish rallying and indeed our very own Corsa was club steward at the Palmerston rally last week. The plan is to get a few more people interested and trained so the SIDC marshals could be a seperate entity and on the Rally organisers list. Names, thoughts and good ideas please.

Just back home so thanks for the returns guys...I think! See you tomorrow at KH

WUZ....can't be any worse than Apache! I was on the first Forties Echo well. Got run off too thank goodness!. Only thing is we got the contract back!. Noooooooooo

How did the stewarding go on Saturday Davie? I got off the rig on the Saturday night. Any SIDC guys go to the rally?

aye right!!!!!

Not going to make it folks. Gonna be on this Gorilla until the 28th so I will miss it. C'est la vie. Have fun!

Howabout a part built Locost? I mean a chassis. Very cheap.

Is this in addition to an Alford day or instead of?

In the great tradition..I will be offshore!

I am offshore tomorrow so i am hoping to get back in a couple of weeks to go to the rally. This means that we need a co-ordinator. volunteers? can give corsa a shout for any probs. Hope to meet you there.

you need a job m8!

My favourite bit "the clutch clutches, the gears gear (5 fwd, 1 rev), the heater heats and the radiator radiates!"

Found on another forum VW POLO for sale! Poor fools, I fear you will be unable to resist the allure of what is surely the finest automobile ever to have the registration number M254 BRP. For 10 years this Volkswagen Polo CL Coupé has graced the roads of the United Kingdom, in the careful and capable hands of a multitude of proud owners, at least one of which has been under the age of 65. For 116000 joyous miles, its lively and torquey 1272cc petroleum motor has reliably pumped out slightly in excess of 50bhp, whilst delivering on average 42Mpg. You want this car. It was purchased by its current owner 20 months and 22000 miles ago for £500. Since then it has had an exciting life to say the least. Exactly what a car needs, if you ask me. Soundly thrashed from pillar to post, from ditch to deer, from yump to sump (eh?), it still begs for more. It loves it. It's just completed an epic trip to the four corners of this fine island without so much as a whimper. It made it from Edinburgh to Plymouth in 7.5 hours. How? No one knows... But whether it was down to good maintenance or black magic, it did it all the same. You know you want this car. BAD NEWS But I'll be honest. I'm an honest guy. It's not quite what you might call a Polo 'mint'. Here's what's wrong with it that I'm aware of: - There's 'something funny' about the front suspension. It makes nasty noises at slow speeds when it's under load in certain directions. It's done that since it had a impact against a bank on a very snowy rally in Fife last February. It's passed an MoT like that, and hasn't got any worse since. Hmmm... Top mount? I don't know. - I hit a baby deer. I done hit it good, paw. But it managed to break some bits of the front left of my car while it enjoyed it final breath, god bless it. The bits have been replaced, except the wing. And the bonnet. - The exhausts a bit leaky at the manifold-downpipe gasket. S'not too bad though. Easy fixed, probably. But it doesn't bother me, so I don't bother it. - It has a few rusty bits. Don't we all. And here's some more general bad things: - The handbrake's rubbish - It doesn't really 'handle'. Not in the conventional sense anyway. - The boot's tiny, and there ain't much space in the back. - The brakes are bad. All Polos are like that. - It's white. Except below the trim, where it's black. It should be white, but it's not. Someone painted it. GOOD NEWS: Here's some bit's that have been replaced since I've owned it: - plugs, dizzy & HT leads - timing belt - brake pipes - rear brakes (all but the drums themselves) (about 5000 miles ago) - front pads (about 4000 miles ago) - front springs (about 8000 miles ago) - rear springs and shocks (Nice Bilstein ones - about 8000 miles ago) - rear bearings - exhaust middle section (other sections are still OK) - thermostat - wiper blades, a few weeks ago. ...there's loads more, but I'll never remember them all. Here's some more good things: - It has decent tyres all round (including spare) - Pirelli P3000s. The fronts are about 8 weeks old. I've got a couple of spare tyres on rims too. - It's taxed and tested 'till the end of Feb. - It's had frequent oil changes. I've done five on it. Apparently these old engines like that. - On the subject of oil... It doesn't seem to use any. Hardly ever. The level always seems about the same on the dipstick, and I never have to top it up. - It never ever ever EVER overheats or runs cool. The needle just rises to temperature and sits there. It's downright dull. - It's cheap to insure, and it's in a cheap tax bracket. - It's got driving lamps attached, which turn night into day (almost). - It's simple to work on, and parts are cheap. There's loads of them at the breakers yards (I wonder why?...) - You can tell people you own a coupé. - It just works! Despite what I've put it through. It's starts all the time, it drives in a straight line, it brakes in a straight line, the clutch clutches, the gears gear (5 fwd, 1 rev), the heater heats and the radiator radiates! It's efficient - it's German! I'm trusting it to take me home for Xmas tomorrow: north through the Cairngorms in the depths of winter. I know it'll make it, too. If you're a skint student, this car is for you. If you want a piece-of-crap car to drive to the shops or to work, this car is for you. If you want a car to push off a cliff, this car fits the bill! Hell, you could even do rallys in it! Oh go on. Just buy it for a laugh! So, who wants it? Go on, make me an offer. I'll give you clue - I don't expect to get what I paid for it. No where near. Now don't be scared... Reason for sale - where I'm going, they don't have roads

Rally marshalling is another option. There are some members very active in motorsport and some very keen marshals too. There is a road rallying thread running also. Again there is a fair bit of experience available in the club. Track days are excellent. The Alford day particularly. I was on the Loch Lomond run last year and it was excellent. Plenty of simple people to talk to as well. (I know there was a comma!)

Seems there will be some Italian exotica there.

Cheers John. I have it placed now.