eBay Mechanics Challenge – Racing Milk Float
eBay Motors have set themselves a challenge worthy of Top Gear, to turn a milk float into a race car using parts and accessories from eBay Motors. The eBay Motors Mechanics Challenge launched at Snetterton will see British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) star Tom Onslow-Cole and TV motoring expert Edd China work with the eBay Motors BTCC team engineers on the transformation.
Edd is well known in the world of wacky racers, he holds the record for the fastest furniture, at 92 mph and you’ve probably seen his street legal car creations – the double bed, leapord print sofa, office desk, garden shed and sidecar bath. He’s also the builder of the double decker cars used on Top Gear.
They’ve got their work cut out though, Tom says that he was a bit shocked when he saw that they would be turning a milk float into a race car and that when test driving the float he was “pleasantly surprised” that it made it around the circuit in under ten minutes!
The current lap record officially stands at 56.095 seconds so there’s a way to go. 90 seconds appears reasonable for track days, and allegedly a Racing 2CV has gone around the track in 1 minute 51 seconds so that should be a reasonable first target for a souped up milk float.
The basic challenge is for Tom and Edd to turn a milk float into a race car using parts and accessories from eBay Motors, where they’ll find more than 18 million parts listings and 250,000 cars and motorcycles for sale. BTCC fans and motoring enthusiasts get the chance to vote on the parts and accessories from eBay Motors that will be used to transform the milk float into a race car.
The finished car will be on display for fans at the final BTCC round at Silverstone on the 7th October 2012. We’ll let you know when you can start voting on the parts from eBay Motors that they’ll be using.
Ernie says
4:40 pm on 14/08/2012
My name is Ernie…. and I drive the fastest milkfloat in the west.
Gerry007 says
5:47 pm on 14/08/2012
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Slap a Saab’s turbo front wheel drive engine/axle/gearbox under the milk floats rear section & watch it go…..
TheShopkeeper says
8:08 pm on 14/08/2012
Excellent use (as always) of our fees by eBay. What next? :-/
Chris says
9:06 pm on August 14th, 2012
I find myself wondering what the Budget is for this “transformation”? Obviously if it is unlimited then you end up replacing every item(my father had amongst the family businesses a Transport Company. He once told me that he checked the maintenance records for one truck(that he kept for sentimental reasons) and found that every part had been changed at one time or another(some several times) except one headlamp). A bit like Murphys Knife.
But if the Budget is lower say £5,000 then you end up with a more realistic “Transformation”. One that perhaps an ebay customer could do at home.
But I also find myself wondering if they plan to make a TV programme of the “Transformation”. After all there should be several channels who would be happy to broadcast it and this would really bring it home to ebay buyers just what is available if you really look for it.
Then with a good TV coverage perhaps it would represent a very good use of our ebay fees. A bit like what we used to call getting “Column Inches” a few years ago.
Gerry007 says
10:51 pm on August 14th, 2012
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It will still be a milk float, albeit with Fat tyres…..
Chris says
3:20 pm on August 15th, 2012
Surely if they have an unlimited budget and change everything except perhaps a few minor components for totally differant components it will not be a Milk Float(in that it will no longer be able to deliver the Milk).
So the electric motors and batteries are replaced by a High Powered Racing Engine. The Chassios for a suitable racing chassis. The body for a carbon fibre sports racing body, the axles and suspension etc. But it will in reality just be a kit of parts purchased with little or nothing of the original vehicle remaining except the registration number and possibly VIN number.
Gerry007 says
5:52 pm on August 15th, 2012
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Why a Milk float then??
Chris says
11:07 pm on August 15th, 2012
Because of the publicity value. After all they could have chosen an ex-Council Lawnmower or a Fork Lift Truck.