From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Instructions and regulations regarding brakes, oil/radiator caps, and wheels for a race car, likely for the Le Mans 24-hour race.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 90a\4\ Scan042 | |
| Date | 16th March 1936 | |
| Sr3/ET.16.3.36 - 2 - BRAKES - I have taken up this matter in a very confidential manner and everybody seems to agree that as long as you do not write on your brake drums that they are not the same as those on your standard cars, nobody will notice this point. On the other hand, to cover yourself against any emergencies, it would be advisable to have in stock sufficient material for the manufacture of brake drums for 30 cars. I understand that you are contemplating standardizing these brake drums in the near future, so there would be no difficulty here. OIL - This seems to be all right providing you stipulate this point in writing to the A.C.F. when asking them to send along an Inspector to the Works to check over the car prior to its being assembled, and at the same time you point out that the extra oil tank is fitted with a filler cap that can be sealed up in the same manner as the standard oil filler cap and that will have to be fitted with the means of being so sealed up. This applies also to the petrol filler cap and to the radiator cap. Do not forget that this is an important matter and that precious seconds are always wasted at Le Mans because manufacturers have not paid sufficient attention to the ways and means of passing a small piece of wire through a couple of eye holes, thus enabling a seal to be affixed. Do not make these eye holes too small and see that the radiator cap, when replaced, can be set rapidly so that the eye holes always fall "eye to eye". A standard radiator cap would be a waste of time as it would have to be unscrewed. You had better alter this to a cap similar to the petrol tank filler cap. Geo Lefèvre is going to read over the regulations for you, and will underline in red those paragraphs which he considers you should read very very carefully. He is sending the regulations direct to you and, when you receive them, will you kindly thank him for having done this. Do not forget that you are only allowed 7 wheels in all: 4 on the car, plus 3 spares that you can carry on the car if you so wish, and the remainder in your pit. If a driver has a blow out, he puts on a spare wheel, and when he passes the pits, leaves his damaged wheel so that the mechanic can refit it with tyres, etc. You must use your own judgement as to whether you carry one or two spare wheels. You had better carry two spares and leave one in the pit, but this depends very much upon the weight of the vehicle. The wheels have also got to be free of all paints, enamel, etc... on the outside rim, over a surface of 10 to 20 Mm., the idea being for an official stamp to be placed here. This is very important. Please remember that this is a 24 hour race, and that it has no bearing whatsoever on the Ulster T.T., that every tool | ||