Nemesis HC89/90 600cc single-seater

[Petrolhead]

Nemesis HC89/90

[I]The following 'Spec' is a fusion of my notes with comments from Jo White (the car's constructor).

Many thanks to Rob Capper and Jo White for their assistance shedding light on this car, about which I previously knew almost nothing until they identified it from my post on this forum a couple of days ago:
HISTORY
This car was built by Jo White of Vulcan Dezign, Bicester Autumn 89 and it debuted in 1990. None of the Nemesis’ had chassis plates and no manual has ever been written. It took 2 people 9 months to build the first one (just working evenings and weekends), fabricating nearly EVERYTHING even down to brake discs! (they discovered Kart discs for sale in later years).
If it has a black pedal then it’s from Mansell’s Williams. The seat back might be from Patrese’s Williams. It was easier to get a part from Williams than to make one.
Built 6 (this is the 3rd one). It was originally painted blue. It was built when Jo was working for a fabrication company (did jobs for Jordan, Benetton, March, TWR etc.) with a 2 stroke 500cc Suzuki Gamma 4 cyl motorbike engine. Car was Hillclimbed then Circuit Raced and it dominated most races that it entered in the 90s. Jo sold it and it then had a Triumph engine put in before it disappeared. It was properly and professionally built originally but was stripped and only partially re-assembled. in later years. It will never have run in its current state as there is no fuel pump (unless this was removed during the work). I got it last year as an abandoned project (incomplete) from a chap who wanted it gone and it was in a fairly sorry state.

CHASSIS
This is a honeycomb chassis so it will take a pounding (a Hillclimb car isn’t as robust as a circuit car) . Jo doesn’t have the jigs any more (they were all temporary) but the parts are quite easy to replicate e.g. if you have a bang then Jo can just copy the part on the opposite side. The Rose Joints are probably knackered by now.

COCKPIT SIZE
I am 5’11.5” and struggle to fit in it. We have had to raise the cross bar that the steering wheel passes through, and I still have to tilt my hips 15 degrees because the chassis is so narrow at the bottom (it gets narrower the lower into it you sink!). Jo is 5’11” and of average build and he fitted in OK. There WAS foam on the floor to sit on but nothing of any substance, so it’s not that this would have raised him higher to a wider part of the cockpit.

ROLL HOOP
The hoop is not much higher than my head.
Look in Blue Book to see how high above head it has to go. If it isn’t high enough then you can just weld a cap on (an extra hoop) of the right spec.

NOSE CONE
Appears to have a couple of mesh grilles underneath but the holes are not opened out on the external surface.
Heel rest
Foot rests for both feet

WEIGHT
Predicted to be approximately 225kg. Our weight estimate of 225kg isn’t far off because the min weight of the car is 200kg. Weight of mine will be different to how it was designed because the original 2-stroke engine.

FRONT SUSPENSION
Dampers
Spax
Has the following stamped on bottom
G
918
10269

Springs
The alloy collar on top of spring has this stamped on it:
SPAX 74A
The spring itself has nothing stamped on any face of it (including the top and bottom flat surfaces). The only figures on the front springs were 1.0 (written in felt pen!)

REAR SUSPENSION
Dampers
Springs
The rear suspension has NO springs or dampers

DAMPERS
Originally had SPAX dampers. Would recommend AVOs, because SPAX dampers are probably knackered now. The Spax dampers had to be modified to fit cos they were too long.

SPRINGS
Jo doesn’t know the spring lengths of this car. A Hillclimb car will be very soft at rear so maybe 150lb rear, 200lb front. For Circuit Racing 250-300lb springs on the rear, anything above 400lb on the front (and see how it goes –try testing it on s Sprint to get feel first and can then change it as reqd). Jo will measure Robert’s springs –possibly 9.5 or 10” long.

ENGINE
Serial number starts ZX600...
Probably from a Kawasaki ZX-6R [80-90 Bhp]
Baffled sump probably not required.
Keihin carbs
Ported skilfully

GEARBOX
Sequential: 1,N,2,3,4,5,6
Change lever is inside the cockpit on the left-hand wall.

WHEELS
TBC

TYRES
TBC
For Hillclimbing you need very soft tyres but these would not last long enough for Circuit Racing, which needs harder tyres .

HARNESS
Date of manufacture: 1987

[Petrolhead]

More photos to follow (it will only let me upload 2 at a time)...

[Petrolhead]

I've done possibly a dozen motorsport projects with various colleges, schools, youth clubs and so on where I give them a car to work on and donate to the institution; this particular project is based at a school in N. London. The project leader is Bob Johnson, a highly-skilled engineer who races, rebuilds and runs classic race bikes. Bob is an 'old-school craftsman' who can fabricate just about anything; just the sort of artisan expert it takes to tackle a difficult project such as this.

[Petrolhead]

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[Petrolhead]

Update from Bob:

Hi Guy’s



Well, I finally got around to weighing the race car and sorting out the corner weights. Hopefully from this Iain you can work out the best shock absorbers for John to get and I will crack on with connecting up the electrics and getting the motor running. Then it’s a case of sorting out the rear drive train and some small bits!!



The car was weighed on bathroom scales with the ride height at 80mm back and front and in total it weighed 238.5KG:-
RHF= 43.5KG [Right hand front wheel]
LHF= 51.0KG
RHR= 78KG
LHR= 66KG

this gave a front to rear bias of 39.7% front and 60.3%

With the 80mm ride height the rear shock should measure 310mm hole centre to centre with the bolts being 3/8inch diameter (10mm?)(most of the bolts on the car are british threads!) the shock and coil over will need a rose joint each end.



Don’t forget that the front Spax shocks with coil overs only had a marking of 1.0 on the spring -don’t know if the designer can help here John.

[Petrolhead]

From the above info, does anyone have any suggestions of what REAR DAMPERS to buy for this car?

Bob advises that both top and bottom of the damper will need a rose joint.

I'll get in touch with Rob Capper and Jo White (a racer and the constructor of the Nemesis cars, respectively) as well...

[jo white]

Hi John, i ve sent you an email

[Petrolhead]

Went to see the car a couple of days ago -coming on well, but the tub is so small that even my waif wife was a tight fit in it!

Am hoping to jack something up with Rob Capper to visit the car and tap into his considerable expertise with the Nemesis...