carbon exhaust,is it possible???

[CR500Dom]

Yep, carbonm will burn!!!

@ Dom - I worked at TOM'S after the Gp C days were over (ie after the V10 cars). Still had a V8 biturbo in reception when I started, but it was old by then!

Were you based at Hingham?

I'm still working at the same place now, but it's RTN (Racing Technology Norfolk) these days, has been since 1998. This week was my eleventh anniversary of starting at the place (didn't get a cake - mind you, I didn't get parole for good behaviour either). Easy to remember when I started at the place - it was the first working day after the black weekend of Imola 1994...

My first job was working on the little F-Toyota single seater, did the updated design to double wishbone and biplane wing, new bodywork etc, under supervision of Frank Cockup (Coppuck) - remember him?!!!

Went on to work on the F3 cars, a teeny weeny bit of stuff for the super tourers, and later on the LMP1 project and ultimately (as RTN) on the Audi closed car and the Bentleys which brought home the bacon in 2003. Jeez, the windscreens got a lot cheaper by then, and they were heated (made by Isoclima). Mind you, we were the only team making a closed car for the 900kg classes, and the output of those things was probably only 650-700bhp. Still pretty nippy motors though!

All seems a long time ago now! F3 was by far the most fun, it was also Hiroshi's pet favourite I think! I did some design work on those (along with Andy Thorby, Martin Ogilvie, etc) and worked as Data Acquisition at tests and races for some time.

Did a little bit of design on the Tommy Kaira (Tomita) car as well, just some small subframe bits and mirror mountings, minor stuff like that.

Very different place these days!

__MDC__

Yep, I was at Hingham, before they built the new place and were just running out of the Big Unit at the front

Used to work for Barry Koebernick doing the carbon work and Painting (Who has the Tommy Kaira, its not dead yet )
Worked on the first F3, right from the 2/5 scale wind tunnel model, lovely car that Still got a wing end plate signed by Paulo Carcasi after he won the all japan series, its up in Dads Restaurant (Nicks Diner) now.

Still in contact with Barry, My brother Ben Made the patterns and moulds for your Audis/Bently as well when he was over at CFT, and he shares a house with Backy (Ex RTN Composites guy who now works for BAR)

I went on to historics and rebuilt Hiroshi`s MAKI F1 car (While it was owned by Lammers) moved on to bikes as well, building engines for a lot of Race bikes etc.

I now design engines for a living Prodrive, Cosworth Technology, Cosworth Racing, Jaguar, Aston Martin etc.... Just about to start on a new Hi-po version of a cooking hatchback for a major OEM :mischeif:

Happy days back there though
Cheers
Dom

[Keeper of The Kitten]

Nick's Diner - still a popular name in the area!

I started while the second unit was in use, behind the one that became Tomita (Tommy Kaira), but within a week I was moving stuff over to the bigger place on the opposite side of the industrial estate.

Worked with Paulo when he tested the FToyota - funny that, he was using the same set of tyres as he did on the original test five years earlier!

I didn't have the pleasure of working on the first F3 - but I did lots on the later car, and occasionally worked with folk like Pedro De La Rosa when he drove for TOM'S in the All Japan series (he won F3 and GT in the same season).

Backy, is that Danny Back? I remember he went to Ligier (Prost) - but they folded.

I think Fushida's greatest moment (NOT) was the Mac's it Special - the Can Am car powered by four snowmobile engines! Fun.

TOM'S days were def the best fun, for me too - we're still doing stuff for OEMs ourselves so there is work to do, but most of the racing is in the past.

Good to hear from someone connected to the old place! I still have some of the clothing, stickers and stuff with the bad English on it! Got the lower nose piece from an F3 car and a few other bits kicking around: we had an Argentinian driver called Brian Smith - yes, really - and he seemed to have a bit of a habit of shunting cars on the grid. He was responsible (probably) for the Donington shunt which flipped Paula Cook over. Paula later had a go in the TOM'S. (Condolences to the Cook family as Derek was killed in an accident in Monaco recently).

BTW Fushida is now back in Japan and works for Team Inging in Japanese F3 (using TOM'S power of course!)

Happy times!

__MDC__