This little beauty ticks a lot of the boxes that we value here at RSM Towers; It's (very) low, it's based on an usually unloved car, it's a wagon and it's budget friendly. We caught up with Alan and his lovely wife at the Retro-Rides Gathering in Gaydon, Warwickshire where he was hangin' with the Nightmares crew for the weekend.

Name: Alan J Snowdon

 

Age: 27

Occupation: Factory Manager

Other Hobbies: Erm... Playstation?

Car: Lada 21046 (Riva 1300 estate)

 

 

Year:1990

Engine:1294 inline 4 with weber carb

Power: 85bhp (at the flywheel, 69 at the wheels)

Wheels: Standard Lada steels with Moondiscs.

Tyres: 'Accelera' 165/55/r13

Suspension/chassis: lowered 190mm

Car history: Bought as a one owner, fully serviced 19,000 mile car Nov 07. Now has nearly 26,000!

Future car plans: Side exit exhaust, so I can get it lower! Or maybe a V8!

Dream car: Lada Riva 1600SLX !

Favourite crisps: Hot n Spicy Pringles

Anyone you'd like to thank: Torsten - for his weird taste in cars and for deciding to sell it on. The Nightmares, especially Mark for letting me have use of the workshop and share their expertise. My wife for tolerating my obsessive hobby and finally the whole of Retro Rides for the inspiration and ideas.

Thanks Alan!

 

 

Some of you might be familiar with Charlie's excellent blog (http://racecarprep.blogspot.com/) which you'll find down there to the right along with some other choice reading, but we thought it might be nice to bring some of the Sierra's magic to RSM - especially whilst were basking in the joys of motorsport week here on your favourite blog. I was lucky enough to be invited to a pre-season test session by the man himself where I took the opportunity to snap a few pics and was lucky enough to find myself in the passenger seat for a few speedy laps of Brands Hatch's legendary circuit. Not only that he bought me a Coke and a Kit Kat, such is the hospitality of the man. Now he's got a few races in the bag I thought it would be a fine time to fire some mildly prying questions at him:

Name: Charlie Moseley 

Age: 37

Occupation: Head of Communications for a bank.

Other Hobbies: I collect Cuban posters.

Car: Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth RWD

Year: Built in the mid 90s from a Ford Motorsport shell to compete in Group N touring cars (Group N was mostly standard spec)

Engine: 2 litre turbo. It runs a restrictor to limit the air into the turbo as part of the regulations for the class it runs in.

Power: 280ish BHP.

Wheels: 16X7@ Compomotive eight spoke.

Tyres: Toyo R888 semi slicks

Suspension/chassis: shorter stiffer springs with Koni and Leda dampers

Brakes: Standard calipers with EBC red stuff pads. Discs are grooved and drilled standard size.

Car/cars/car history: Regularly stole my mum's Toyota Corolla GT, father's and friends 1.9 205 GTIs in the 80s. First car was a brown Allegro estate which I crashed chasing my friend in a 205 (1.6 this time). Then had sensible Micra which I sold and bought a 1970 351 purple Mustang when I was 17. From Mustang to Suzuki jeep then no hobby cars until a revival of interest led me to Datsuns, the 910 coupe and now I have moved onto racing.

Future car plans: I must must must own a Datsun 510 SSS coupe. I'm trying to get a job with a Japanese mobile phone company so I can take trips to Japan. I will own one! For racing I love the Cosworth for grunt and simplicity. Will keep racing them but may move onto a 3 door when I move on from the Sapphire.

Dream car: Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth race car.

Favourite crisps: prawn cocktail. It's my Ebay name.

Anyone you'd like to thank: Simon and David for the endless joy that is Retro Rides. The wife for supporting my stupid racing career/hobby. Everybody who has lent a hand at race tracks this year - both physical and moral support.

Results: Only managed a 2:1 I'm afraid.

 

Thanks Charlie!

You can catch Charlie and his racing antics via his blog or, if you can make it, on the circuit at the remaining rounds of the Toyo Tyres Racing Saloons (TTRS) race series listed on his blog.