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This is a game called 'WTF is that?!'


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So, it seems you may be too young to recognise this one, not surprising, it is from the late nineteen twenties.  Most people, when they think of Bentley, immediately think "Blower Bentley" but in fact the blower cars contributed little to the Bentley legend because they kept on blowing up.

 

The race victories came initially from the smaller 3Litre cars, and then Mr Bentley set the trend that Porsche was to follow.

 

He took his 'town car' chassis, a large truck like device of 6 and a half litres, and created the 'RS' version that Porsche was to emulate 60 odd years later.  He called his racing version of his town car the 'Speed 6' and built just 182 of these.  The car in the photograph is known as "Old no 2" and was the no 2 team car of the Le Mans winning team.

 

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The car in the foreground is one of the early lightweight cars, that in the background is a typical town carriage and was what Mr B used as the basis for his racing version

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Its Variocam or Vetec from the 20s.

You can advance and retard the ignition to help with starting, then give it maximum advance for more power. Also a fuel mixture control to help with the same procedure.

 Just think of it as a 1920's Motec

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Mr Bugatti, when asked why Bentley usually beat his works of art on long distance races replied "They are the fastest lorries in the world."

 

As for the photograph of the steering controls above, allow me to explain:

 

Most modern cars have auto advance/retard.  Modern starters are not too fussed if the spark fires when the piston has not yet reached Top Dead Centre.  However, if you are cranking by hand and the engine fires before you have cranked over TDC, you will score an almighty smack and will prolly break your arm.

 

Early starter motors have a spring to absorb the shock of a spark that happens too soon, but if the driver neglects to retard the spark (via the control on the wheel in the photograph) the starter motor will eventually lunch the spring.  The other controls are as explained, what your ecu does for you; adjust the mixture, set the idle or fast running - can be used as a hand throttle - early cruise control.

 

The pilots of an early motor car are quite busy; once set for the journey the mixture control is usually ok, but the spark advance will be varied all the time according to engine revs and load.  Accelerator pedal may be in the middle between the clutch and brake, dependant upon age of the car and manufacturer.  There will likely be no syncromesh on what are probably straight cut gears.  Some cars had a device called a clutch brake, which slows the gears down to make double declutching (on the way up and on the way down) a little faster.  The driver has to judge the road speed, decide what gear he/she wants and how much to rev (double declutches on the way down), or how long to wait in neutral (double declutches without giving a rev on the way up) and then time the actual change.

 

It is easy to miss a gear under those circumstances, in which case some drivers have to stop the vehicle and start all over again.

 

And you think our early air cooled cars are hard core?

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 The pilots of an early motor car are quite busy;

That's why they didn't have radios!!

Driving a vintage car sure is challenging. But when you get a big Hisso or 30/98 up and going and it's flying down the road at 80mph skipping and dancing over the bumps.... well there is nothing quite like it. Very addictive.

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That's why they didn't have radios!!

Driving a vintage car sure is challenging. But when you get a big Hisso or 30/98 up and going and it's flying down the road at 80mph skipping and dancing over the bumps.... well there is nothing quite like it. Very addictive.

 

Is this the voice of experience?

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As for the photograph of the steering controls above, allow me to explain:

Thanks for the clear explanation!

The vehicle in question is a RR Silver Ghost 1920-something ; I forgot to take an exterior pic this time. They are exquisitely built , everything just oozes quality.

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here's another - the hubcaps have something to do with it but are not the answer. I've only ever heard of one (which my dad saw in Adelaide)

 

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They are cool. One is kicking round Canberra

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130419Cropped_zpsf8f02093.jpg

 

Spotted this on the way to work this morning, real long bonnet, 2 seater, anyone know what it is? Sorry I could only get a rear ender

That could be the Batmobile!
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It certainly looks like a Bentley badge, but has it got an "8" in it and not the normal B?

looks like some sort of modified machine but running original type wheels. Weird...

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