The Camaro Club (UK)

Dear Classic Camaro Enthusiast
Please bear with me here!

I just thought I would share my other love (other than Camaros and Jeeps) - which are classic old BMWs.

In fact I owned BMWs as daily drivers from 1978- 2004- the last one being my Hartge H26 ex compnay car from 1994 which I still own and which is being recommissioned right now after 5 years in my Scottish barn!
Of course we all know that modern BMWs are not a patch on the older stuff; and I have been on the look out for a rustfree totally tidy E21 Alpina or similar for about a year.
The plan is that it should be pre December 1981- to enable it to compete at Manx Classic events and also qualify for Manx Classic car road tax @ £10 pa. I had my chums in South Africa looking as well. This way I will save Butch from the inevitable drama of getting it ready for the Manx Classic so soon after arriving back from South Africa, as well as saving Butch's all important race clutch and undercarriage (on the Bumps)
But then I found one
And we spent the weekend driving it back across Europe, apart from a tendency to overheat at times the trip was brilliant, Over 1000 kms in 2 days.
Since the ferries are all full I have left it in England at my Girlfriend's house. To collect next week - in time for our Film evening at the Old Courthouse Wine bar Athol St Douglas Isle of Man 6 for 6.30 Wenesday 8 June
I said on the E21 Register the following:

"Dear E21 Team
Well we made it!
Over 1000 kms drive across Europe in slightly overheating Alpina.
I brought a racing radiator cap with me- which was a result.
Abiding memories remain a lovely lunch in St Dizier - which was crowded because it was Mother's Day in France yesterday, and how well it rides on Autoroute (it has KW lowered suspension system), but also how small it is!
I had 3 of these one after the other in the 1980's - one of which I bought off Dennis Nordern the TV guy; and criss- crossed Europe in them (as I was working in Germany at that time) and at no time did they feel small. But today an E21 really is small and very compact for such a large engine. Great!
Upon filling up - you need to have a large credit card. The guy at the Shell station couldn't believe that it cost £107 to fill up (@ 1.37 a gallon) for such a "small" car. Just goes to show that Alpina hides a very big additional fuel tank!
All the ferries are full up back to the Isle of Man and so have left "Herman" with my girlfriend until I collect Tuesday next week!
You can imagine all the memories driving back in Europe this weekend. I had a CSL in Black at the time LHD which we used all over France."

Anyway the main point of boring you guys (hopefully not) is that I can add pictures here (whereas I don't seem to be able to do so on the E21 website)!!
I am hoping to have it all Tested and registered in time for the Manx Drag Racing Association Meeting here on 10 and 11 June (which we are sponsoring!). I know I really should take Butch- but I know what Butch will do and it would be good to see what this Alpina does espacially if we line it up agaginst the Hartge?
And yes you guessed right it is called Herman hope I haven't upset anyone with this name.....................!!
best wishes

_________________
Kind Regards
TopCat
Secretary
Classic Camaro Club
Member of The Association of American Car Clubs UK
Email :tboles@strathnoon.co.uk Websites: http://www.classiccamaroclubuk.com and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhLJtR_ZY4

Dear All

we shall see this coming w/e where I shall take Herman The Alpina to the Manx Drag Racers' Association Drag meeting which we are sponsoring corporately see:
http://www.manxdragracing.com/Championship.htm

btw we are Equilibrium pensions Limited- and You can see plenty of pix of Butch the racing Camaro

What do we reckon on doing the 1/4 mile in? Please bear in mind that the track is rough and therefore favours the souped up Subarus with 4WD (even beat Butch!). Has anyone taken their E21s on the strip? What did they do?

We shall see.............
NB bear in mind that a) I don't know what I am doing and b) the car goes as it is- one of the reasons why we are not running Butch is that my trailer is being fixed TT is making roads chaotic and really I cannot convert Butch from being a monstrous rolling start race car to a drag car without much more expense and hassle- new drag tyres, loose shox etc! Thing is with Herman we turn up get everything out of the car reduce rear tyre pressures, increase front ones and away we go...........
all the best

_________________
Kind Regards
TopCat
Secretary
Classic Camaro Club
Member of The Association of American Car Clubs UK
Email :tboles@strathnoon.co.uk Websites: http://www.classiccamaroclubuk.com and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhLJtR_ZY4

Sounds like a really nice car & looks to be in good nick. It'll be interesting to see what it runs at the drags. Maybe we should have a competiton just for fun to see who gets the nearest time.

I'm going to say it'll run the 1/4 mile in 14.1 seconds @ 90 mph

ok guys over to you, what do you think it'll run??

cheers...Nige

ps what did Butch run the 1/4 mile in & what speed??

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Too much power...not enough hands!!

butch has done 13.1 @ 127 mph

can't get going until halfway down the track

just back from TT creg na bar all day

John Macguiness won races delayed for weather not accidents

off to dargs tomorrow!
expect Herman will be slower than that!!

_________________
Kind Regards
TopCat
Secretary
Classic Camaro Club
Member of The Association of American Car Clubs UK
Email :tboles@strathnoon.co.uk Websites: http://www.classiccamaroclubuk.com and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhLJtR_ZY4

Hi TC, I used an online calculator & assuming you could achieve traction, the terminal speed of 127 mph over the 1/4 mile gives a reading of 479 rear wheel horsepower & a 1/4 mile time of 10.73 seconds. That is really going some for a street car. No doubt with the new higher horsepower engine it'd be even quicker. You need to run some slicks on the car just to see what it can do

cheers...Nige

_________________
Too much power...not enough hands!!

Dear Nigel
First of all Butch-- You are quite right with proper Drag tyres and soft shock absorbers and drag race set-up I should certainly be in the 11sif not quicker- but quite frankly it really is not my scene this drag racing (despite being a sponsor!) since I do not want to do anything that would reduce Butch's effectiveness on the track

I think that terminal of 127 was a 12.80! The surface is loose and therefore favours the 4wd rally cars

Anyway you were very nearly spot on with your calculations

Herman did a 14.32 at 101 to win the 14.30 class including Skylines and 200sx as well as 2 Honda S2000s! It was the largest class and the most hotly contested!

Won the final by a whisker!

Had a very memorable drive over the mountain road 1 way course afterwards at full chat!

_________________
Kind Regards
TopCat
Secretary
Classic Camaro Club
Member of The Association of American Car Clubs UK
Email :tboles@strathnoon.co.uk Websites: http://www.classiccamaroclubuk.com and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhLJtR_ZY4

Congrats on the win, I bet that surprised a few of them

cheers...Nige

_________________
Too much power...not enough hands!!

dead right that surprised a fair few!

we have a track day all organised this sunday- but poor weather means I shall probably be a no show!

Thanks to Bob Ridgard I have now taken delivery of 5msq of lovely black leather for Herman's door panels - aim is to reproduce the ridged door panel in leather (and remove the naff blue suede)
point is that the standard door panels in the horizontal stripes are the same in an early BMW as Camaro!!

_________________
Kind Regards
TopCat
Secretary
Classic Camaro Club
Member of The Association of American Car Clubs UK
Email :tboles@strathnoon.co.uk Websites: http://www.classiccamaroclubuk.com and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhLJtR_ZY4

Photos from the Drag racing in "Herman" are below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59577851@N03/?saved=1

_________________
Kind Regards
TopCat
Secretary
Classic Camaro Club
Member of The Association of American Car Clubs UK
Email :tboles@strathnoon.co.uk Websites: http://www.classiccamaroclubuk.com and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdhLJtR_ZY4

Just to revive this thread with pics of my friend Mark's E21 ... it's quote modified with a later engine etc....

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”