Trip to England - Page 2

sc_rufctr · 05-28-2023, 03:18 PM

Great story and photos Shaun... Well done!

and "Captain Ahab Jr"... You're a gentleman of the highest order!

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-28-2023, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

Great story and photos Shaun... Well done!

and "Captain Ahab Jr"... You're a gentleman of the highest order!

It only gets better Peter.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-28-2023, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

That can't be where I live, there is just too much sunshine in the photos

This was our ride to the German car night evening, my son's 1st car, a 1991 Audi 80 2.0ltr 16V, same engine as the Golf GTi from that era but in an Audi saloon FWD car body

Shaun, it was a busy fun 2.5 days but you forgot to mention on our way to the German car evening we spotted and followed the world's fastest shed that lives in the next village to us

https://www.google.com/amp/s/uk.motor1.com/news/359701/world-fastest-shed-video/amp/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastest_Shed

Amazing weather all week, thanks again for arranging it!

Loved your sons car and again, very impressed with his driving skills. I doubt many, if any, kids in the U.S. could drive as well as he at his age. Great kid!

And thanks for posting about the shed. Honestly, there's sooooo much to remember on the trip and my brain has very limited capacity.

It was quite a sight.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-28-2023, 04:52 PM

That was Wednesday night. Thursday we went to Gordon Murray Automotive. Gordon Murray is the father of the incredible McLaren F1. And our own Mr. Ahab Jr. is an automotive celebrity among us joining McLaren right after university as a composite project engineer on Gordon's technical team. He worked on the F1 from the very first prototype to nearly the last car and all of the racing cars.

Mr. Ahab Jr. (MAJ) was kind and thoughtful enough to contact an F1 colleague of his who is working at Gordon Murray today. We first went to the prototyping shop where (I think) a few carbon T.33 and T.50 monocoques were on dollies and a V12 on an engine stand. MAJ can fill in more details about those, certainly better than I. As you would expect, no pics. We spent some time there, it was a real pleasure talking with his engineer friend Graham. We went to lunch (there's this amazing fizzy lemonade orange juice drink I have to learn how to make) and then went over to the Top Gear track where Gordon Murray assembles cars. The prototype shop was very cool. The assembly shop doubly so. The materials and components and sub-assemblies of a few cars being built truly mind-blowing. Again, no pics.

BUT, the last bay we entered had fully built T.33s and T.50s that I was allowed to photograph. Pics don't do these cars justice. They works of art in every aspect.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-28-2023, 04:55 PM

A few more.

April 4 video from YT. Same car I photographed in that very bay.

Baz · Baz's Garage

Thanks, Shaun - really nice story and pics. And hats off to Captain A and family - well done all around!

astrochex · 05-28-2023, 06:28 PM

Ho lee crap

That is once in a lifetime material, Shaun. Thanks much for sharing.

Team Captain for the win.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05:46 PM

Paul, it was really a very special treat. The Captain took very good care of me.

Pic for scale, I'm only 5'10" or so.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-30-2023, 05:23 PM

After Gordon Murray, I think (please correctly if I'm wrong Mr. Ahab), it was his son who told us about a car show a few towns over. Again, I don't know much about U.S. car shows but I just don't think shows like this happen here... and they should! It was amazing! I will now deluge you with pics. And then some fun commentary. This will take a while.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-30-2023, 05:28 PM

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-30-2023, 05:37 PM

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-30-2023, 05:42 PM

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-30-2023, 05:45 PM

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-30-2023, 05:51 PM

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-30-2023, 05:54 PM

Captain Ahab Jr · Captain Ahab Jr's Garage

I'd been meaning to make time to visit GMA and see the T50 and T33

Really interested to see how good a job the team had done,ì I was intrigued to see what a modern McLaren F1 looked like which is how best to describe the T50

Basically creating an uber-lightweight super car using all the digital age technology/tools available today which we didn't have back when we designed and built the F1

Stuff like CAD for design, FEA with shape optimising for stress analysis, CFD for aerodynamic development, simulation software for suspension/dynamics analysis, CNC for machining and 3D printing

Glad to say everything I saw lived up to my expectations and great fun catching up with a few work friends I'd not seen for 25yrs, so glad Shaun enjoyed the visit too

The car show was located in the next village, was an unplanned extra, thanks to my son mentioning it

This show is as English as a car show can be, cars just turn up, park up where there is a space and everyone just wanders around looking at everything with a quick visit across the road for a pint.

Highlight of the evening was watching a grumpy owner of a brand new McLaren rev off in disgust at being turned away because there were no spaces left on the green. To add insult to his injured ego he had to park up on the road between the ice cream van and some old Italian Vespa scooters

Shaun, you need to post up how the rest of your evening went as there is more!

oldE · 05-31-2023, 03:36 PM

Thanks for sharing the great pictures. Whenever I've been in the UK I am surprised by sightings of American cars or trucks. They are huge by way of comparison to vehicles usually encountered over there and meeting a Chevy square body pickup on a B road is not for the faint hearted.
I guess I have watched a lot of videos on the line up from GMA. I was able to identify each of the models, instantly. I need to get out more.

Thanks, Guys!

Best
Les

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-31-2023, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Ahab Jr

I'd been meaning to make time to visit GMA and see the T50 and T33

Really interested to see how good a job the team had done,ì I was intrigued to see what a modern McLaren F1 looked like which is how best to describe the T50

Basically creating an uber-lightweight super car using all the digital age technology/tools available today which we didn't have back when we designed and built the F1

Stuff like CAD for design, FEA with shape optimising for stress analysis, CFD for aerodynamic development, simulation software for suspension/dynamics analysis, CNC for machining and 3D printing

Glad to say everything I saw lived up to my expectations and great fun catching up with a few work friends I'd not seen for 25yrs, so glad Shaun enjoyed the visit too

The car show was located in the next village, was an unplanned extra, thanks to my son mentioning it

This show is as English as a car show can be, cars just turn up, park up where there is a space and everyone just wanders around looking at everything with a quick visit across the road for a pint.

Highlight of the evening was watching a grumpy owner of a brand new McLaren rev off in disgust at being turned away because there were no spaces left on the green. To add insult to his injured ego he had to park up on the road between the ice cream van and some old Italian Vespa scooters

Shaun, you need to post up how the rest of your evening went as there is more!

This show was really special and thanks again for arranging the hot air balloon!

The McLaren was fun to watch as was the fairly American guy in the new Ford Raptor being turned away time and again.

My favorite though, other the Esprit, was the woman who had just bought the late 80s or 90s Ford Escort (I think) with 80-something thousand miles on it, that she didn't know it was an auto when she went to look at it and bought it anyway and then brought it to the show, pampering it with some cleaning clothes like it was a 250 GTO. You just have to love that spirit. It's what the whole show embodied I think. That's what made it special Cool people with cool cars, each one as unique as the other.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-31-2023, 06:11 PM

Later that night we went to the oldest Pub (in England?) and had dinner and beers with Pelican Won (have to send him this thread) and another of Mr. Ahab's compatriots Graham who shakes down and approves Singers before final delivery, among many other things. The three are all F1 level (what Won is doing now) engineers so I just drank my beer and had a really good fish & chips.

Mr. Ahab, feel free to elaborate here, I'll send Won a PM as well as Ian.

Was trying to avoid being an American tourist so a few pics only.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 05-31-2023, 06:14 PM

The next day was a visit to Tuthill Porsche. More tomorrow. Wish I had taken more pics.