SHAKEDOWN RUNS - begin in earnest …
Everything ahead now …
During the stop-start broken years 2021-2022, the 3rd basic Nichols concept prototype ran. And ran well, well enough that the fledgling team were inspired to take the project forward. Steve Nichols & John J Minett shared a common view on how to make proper progress. It was about people, the best people in their own specialist fields of business & auto engineering experience …
Fast forward to 2023 when scabby material supplies slowed the final components and their assembly further. But determination & persistence carried the day. By August’s miss-firing summer, the brand new Nichols N1a production prototype still had yet to turn a wheel.
JJM enjoyed a half day at the photogenic Lasham airfield runways to complete a base systems check, in it’s very first shakedown run. No snags or mishaps, indeed all appeared in order so not without a little trepidation, we took up the the BRDC offer of the 7th September Member’s track day on the brilliant Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
This second shakedown was never intended as a full lap-time chasing track test, but rather again to check major control settings before the N1a could be lent on hard. We didn’t anticipate a 32 deg C running temperature, but again, no nasties raised their heads.
About 40 laps in a full-running schedule. JM reported a really encouraging show, but at no more than a medium pace, leaving lots of refining to do. As speed increases, real temperatures will pressure associated settings and adjustments. But that is track use which is only a part of the N1a repertoire.
We found huge huge performance torque & power giving never ending acceleration whatever the gear, from the 7 litre Langford tuned V8 Chevrolet (that’s not far off I litre per pot!) . “It had the feel of a real ‘Can Am’ race motor for sure” reported driver JM.
Throughout the day, the chassis perfectly loyally & supportive! A rare treat as most corners of each lap were a voyage into the unknown, so somewhere along the line, JM was expecting to be bitten! But he repported none. Rather the reverse in fact. Whenever he made errors of misjudgements or plain keeping out the way of faster moving traffic, there was absolutely no dilemma. So far that is ... things will change when he starts to ask real G force questions soon!
But for now we must make it road usable - a different story! The log book’s expected soon so wafting down the A31 will set us with a completely different set of demands!
Video now in videos.
Images & video by Peter Witton.
