Turner RB247 or was it 247RB?

Posted by on September 18, 2004 at 12:42:32:

Reading your site reminded me of my contact with RB247 in the mid 1960s. As there is no mention of it perhaps some info would be of use.I think this car was initially raced in the UK by Robin Bryant and around 1961-62 found its way to Northern Ireland where it was raced by John L'Aime. I think it started life with an A series unit but at some point acquired a Climax (1220 FWE i think)on big SUs & MGA c/r box. A sister car was raced in Northern Ireland at this time by John Pollock (can't remmeber the reg?)who also ,like L'Aime, raced single seaters etc. Around 1965 my elder brother & I purchased the car from a guy in Lisburn (I think) for £175 after it had passed through a few hands. It came with a very impresive stack of bills for engine rebuild components and there was a vague intention on our part to transfer the components to a new Spridget Mk 3 shell which we had sitting around. The whole car however was sadly in a total mess. Though it ran it proved to have a broken (albiet new) camshaft as a result of half the cam bearing studs having pulled away from the head. The crank, liners and everything else was knackered along with just about every thread in the alloy engine. My other memories are of broken torsion bars at the rear and a mixture of water and Castrol R in the sump. Eventually i reassembled the car using an A series engine & box made out of random bits left over from various decayed Sprites & A35s
The wire wheels and disc brakes where pilfered off it
for the ill fated Spridget project - though they too were knackered. Eventually, and after much difficulty the now disc wheeled and rather anemic, A series engined Turner was sold (for £90?) about 1966-67 to a guy from Newtownards. I think he must have driven it away...but It can't have been much fun.

I doubt if it still exists (though I suspect its number plate still does) but if the Turner still survives then i owe it an apology for the indignities i inflicted upon it....but God it was a mess!

I suppose it is a sign of old age to find oneself providing information like this. Any other ageing soul have memories of it?

07703-162409


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