Built for mud-plugging

his then future wife located a complete Model 40, which they persuaded the breaker to dismantle with care and, having acquired the complete frame, proceeded to cut Off the front end, which included the front cross member with spring mounting and a foot or two of side members. This was driven over the existing chassis side members and welded in position, thus, the engine being 2 ft. nearer the rear axle, the wheelbase was only shortened about 18 in. The propeller shaft and torque tube went to Barimars for the necessary shortening.

The standard radiator remained on its original mounting, and the original bonnet and scuttle mated with simple doorless body sides attached to a :32-gallon fuel tank which completed the rear of the car ; this tank was rectangular in crosssection but rounded in Side elevation, and two spare wheels mounted behind gave it protection.

Owing to the forward mounting of the front axle extra long radius rods, cranked to clear the wheels on lock, had to be used and, by extending the drop arm, a steering gear ratio of one complete turn of the wheel from lock to kick was obtained. Terry mounted his hand-brake lever on the outside of the bodywork ; thus, by using one hand for this and the other for his gear lever, he could put up phenomenal times in “to-and-fro ” tests. As to equipment, the car used large Hartford shock-absorbers and, ultimately, did have 4 windscreen and diminutive hood ; but when I saw it the driver only

had the luxury of a single aero Screen. A single Notek lamp mounted low down, and side lamps fitted to the scuttle sides to avoid vibration, were found very satisfactory.

In order to dissipate some of the exhaust heat, which is the bugbear of the V8 engine, Terry made up Sweeping exhaust manifolds with twin silencers and tail pipes, but otherwise the engine was standard Model 40. When completed the car weighed approximately 24 cwt., of which 14 cwt. was Over the back axle. An anmsing incident occurred when Terry was being towed to some suitable private testing ground—one which has happened to more than one Ford owner ! He had temporarily forgotten that the Ford ignition lock also locks the steering, and on approaching the first corner, discovered that he could not turn the steering wheel. Frantic yells to the driver of the towing lorry went unheard, and the car was well over the path when Terry’s cousin, coming Out of a gateway ahead, saw what was amiss and stopped the disaster happening ! [It has happened to me.—ED.1.

The Terryford Special was cellulosed a brilliant blue and, after the usual teething troubles experienced by all “specials,” put up some very good shows, particularly in the Lawrence Cup trial in 1939, where it gained the Ripley Cup and was only ti:ith see. slower up Red Roads than Sileoek’s V12 Allard. The last VS I intend Mentioning is the L.M.B. V8 built for H. G. Sytn.mons,

who in 1935 won the Experts’ Trial. This car was truly referred to in The Aratocar as a Special of Specials.” The chassis was cut to 8 ft. wheelbase by Bainshaws, who had done the Same for Hutchison some time previously ;the axles were not crabbed in any way, although a special L.M.B. divided front axle with lateral radius arms was used. The engine being moved some 18 in. to the rear of the car and a 21-gallon tank mounted over the rear axle, the weight distribution aided wheel grip in no uncertain manner. The use of 7.30-in. tyres on the rear and 6.50-in, on the front wheels, all on 16-in, rims, ruled out any .doubt of under tyreing. The rear-axle ratio,’ as on Hutchison’s, was 3.5 to 1, and the steering Marks, as fitted to Allard ears, showing how, in this V8 modification, one constructor benefits from another.

The engine used in Symmons’s car was a ‘standard Model 40 with lightened flywheel and two separate swept manifolds, silencers, and tail pipes ; the fume extractor, a Symmons speciality—witness his blown P-type M.G.—was conspicuous and a special radiator with large header tank was another endeavour to dissipate the unwanted heat.

Beautiful metal work was demonstrated by the panelling of the light aluminium body, utilising rubber mountings wherever possible and giving a total all-up weight of 18 cwt. with tank full. Equipment included the customary twin spare wheel mounting at the rear, fold4lat screen, Dunlopillo upholstery, Smith’s instruments and Bosch electrical equipment.

The whole car gave me the impression that money had been no object in the construction, no expense having been spared in making this car a trials car par excellence. The unfortunate thing ‘about owning a car like this is that one mast be successful in any trial, as if one is not, one obviously cannot Warne the car I regret that I have no records of the successes of the L.M.B., no doubt Mr. Ballamy can oblige, as H. G. Synimons is at present on active service in India.

I trust that this brief article will make readers more Ford-conscious, as the V8 is undoubtedly a great car, and well worth consideration as a post-war trials mount, the only drawback being the taxation. Even this does not amount to so much when balanced against the low cost of maintenance and the modest price of spares needed in a full trials season.