Hi all, i went to Mt Cotton last weekend to watch the hill climbing and i am thinking about getting into the sport. I have a few questions 1) is it ok to use a type 4 engine i was thinking 69x96 1997cc, 2) what gear ratios do you run standard or close ratio with a 4.12 or 3.88. 3) do you need to have a roll cage? I had a look at the CAMS website but couldn't see anything about hill climbing. Thanks for any help, Damo.

Damo,

Q1 = yes
Q2 = close ratio is best (and used by 95% of the Vw's)
Q3 = No, but if you do have a cage it must comply.

Look at the CAMS web site. All vehicles must comply to the standard/general requirements set out for competition vehicles. Then just pick the class you wish to run in and make sure the car complies. I run in the 3J improved production class, which is the same class that Nathan and Heath run in.

Cheers
Craig t

Hi Craig, no i would buy one from Jake Raby he has the 69mm type 4 cranks on the shelf made from a 66mm , i posted on his forum about this engine and he stated that he has built quite a few in this size and is getting a reliable high revving 8000 RPM 185 HP engine. Thanks for your reply. I am thinking of putting this in a Super.

Damo.

Would be a good combo, and yes it will rev nicely:thumb

I'm nowhere near expert on this stuff like Craig and some of the others, but suggest you talk to the MG Car Club guys who own and run Mt Cotton. Am sure there'd be people there happy to give you a few pointers on getting started.

Actually this Sunday there's a Come and Try day on at Mt Cotton - it's all fully booked up but am pretty sure if you contacted them it'd be OK to be a hanger on/spectactor. Definitely worth it if you can, as they give you a walk around the track with some of the experienced guys explaining lines, and also just generally see how they run events there.

Also although I've only done 3 events with Jezebel, have gotta warn you that hillclimb is a huge amount of fun and is totally addicitive !!!

Dave.

Oh - and it'd be WAY cool to have another Volksy running regularly at Mt Cotton...

(cough cough...BiX... cough...)

Thats not a dig at me is it dave? I will get there once the suncaost rally is over!! (plus got a spot for the KCF raly this sat)

5th of august is listed on my calander already!!

Oh - sorry - did I type that out loud ???

66deluxe,
I ended up running in Sports Sedans 1601 - 2000cc (Cat. 3D) in Vic. State rounds. Probably "should" have aimed to be in Improved Production, but Brutus already had fibreglass guards, not allowed in that class...
I think there is a small tolerance (1.5%?) somewhere in CAMS reg's that means you have a small amount of leeway with engine displacement, ie. you might not need to make engine exactly 2000cc or less, but could go just a few cc's over.
You may have to have a cage if car is not registered.

You should be able to get away with running in the road regs class for non championship events eg road reg 1.6 to 2L, plus they may move you into Imp Pro even without a cage. That may be different for state and national rounds.

Dave, yes you did say that out loud.... jsut thinking i have probbaly done more km this year than you, and in porsche's to :p

Give me time, as long as its quicker than 7 years......

Hope this helps it is from the 2007 CAMS MANUAL OF MOTORSPORT

If your going to build or contemplate racing in any form Get a copy or download it( cams.com.au) It will help you understand what is and isn't required.( i know i will be needing a cage by next year).
Schedule J - CAMS MANUAL

Article 1
Saftey cages are required in all cars except:
(i)Unrestricted Road Registered ,closed cars in club or multi club level races.
(ii)those in competition exclusively fot the 5th category (5th category are historic cars) unless otherwise specified in the relevant Historic Technical Regulations.
(iii)Notwithstanding Article 8 of the present regulations, a safteycage to at least type 3 full cage specifications is required to be fitted to all closed vehicles in all National, and from 1 january 2008, State level races, save for exemption in (ii) above.

Article 8
Where saftey cages have been fitted to cars and where such cars have been issued with a CAMS log book, or where saftey cages have been certified, such cages may continue to be used in competition provided they remain in conformity with the regulations that were in force at the date of issue of either inital log book for the car, or certification document.
Competitors are advised that supplementary regulations may require more stringent requirements than those identified in articles 1 and 8 of this schedule. such requirements shall take place over articles 1 and 8 herin.

[ Edited on 13-6-2007 by VDU.88A ]

If you have a registered car without a roll bar for example an MX5, that is fine you can race all day. If you have a registered MX5 with a roll bar but your helmet is slightly higher than the cage, you will be excluded from the event. The people who make the rules dont care if you get squashed to death, but they'd hate for you to live and become a paraplegic. If you live to sue... not so good. Me cynical? naaaaa. You may want to invest in a cage and window net even if it isnt compulsory. If Fletcher's rolla had copped the damage on the other side he might not be so healthy right now. http://wscc.org.au/forum/viewtopic.php?t=103 

To stay in improved production the engine needs to be from original manufacturer and the original configuration. Any VW flat 4 will do. A subaru engine will stick you in sports sedan as will a 16V gti engine. You wont be able to have any fiberglass panels and bumpers will have to be on the car as well. I've seen a few bumperless cars around but technically its not legit.

Here's another hillclimb scenario - if I ran a 1200 with a turbo (just for the small motor fun factor) which class would this place me in? Everything else on the car would remain standard.

Improved production 2000-3000cc....................................so not worth the effort!

The engine multiply factor is 1.7 for a turbo engine, so a 1200cc motor would work out to be 2040, putting you in the over 2L class. If you were to run the Imp Pro class (with the turbo - non factory), you would have to run a restrictor also (I think its 36mm) in the air intake system for it to be class legal.

If 4 example it was an 1186cc engine it would be only 2016 cc with the multiplier,
within the 1% margin allowed by CAMS.
Under 2litre Class