[trackday_prep] Roland Garros Hillclimb/trackday Project

[daza4 24]

Nice project good luck. Nice spec D for the road then???

[AdamP 0]

Spec-D is my mum's road car and our Nurburgring car

 

Went to the 'ring in it last weekend, but was always thinking 'this would be so much more fun in the pug'.

 

The aim is to have it pretty well prepared but August 10th for the Retro-Rides show. Anyone else going?

 

Adam

[swordfish210 20]

ah good old OMP cages "universal fit mounts" my ass!. Good work mate, keep us updated.

[AdamP 0]

Clutch did not go in.

 

The gearbox came off nicely, all went to plan, removed the old clutch and offered up the replacement.... it was from a GTi. Previous owner had given us the wrong one. Gave him a bell and he said he'd send us the right one, which arrived yesterday and is barely better than the one we removed.

 

I've given up and will be buying a new clutch kit tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

GOOD NEWS:

 

Made up the mounts for the bucket seat and welded them in. Cut one piece of box section and welded it in across between the sills infront of the handbrake housing, and cut another piece and welded it between the exhaust tunnel and sill. It couldn't go all the way across as the handbrake cables get in the way. I then welded the adjuster plates i'd made up on top of the box section, which should give some easy side to side adjustment.

 

Borrowed the idea off another member off here, seemed like a good method!

 

Pictures in a minute.

[AdamP 0]

Didn't quite finish the welding as I ran out of wire. Will pick up some more tonight and finish it off.

 

 

How the car is at the moment, engine held up by trolley jack and car on axle stands.

 

[Grahamrally 0]

Hi Adam, just notice this thread was on the go. I'm the previous owner Graham.

 

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the clutch, I did think that the latter clutch would fit, but the best solution all round for reliability would obviously be a new clutch whilst your at it. The throw in of another clutch was a token gesture just to show you I wasn't trying to sell you a useless car so apologies on those problems.

 

On the other hand though, continue to contact me about bits as I've got all sorts laying around. I don't know whether you've got the pipercross filter already, but I have a K+N that is a bit dirty but useable that I found if you want that? I don't see the problem with running without a filter on that type of engine, but that's personal preference, depending on whether you intend it to last through dust and rough conditions for many years to come. It already has the K+N uprated jet that is supplied with these filters usually so there's a bonus.

 

You've also got the hard rubber for the top mounts I sent you that should definately be used. I doubt the rubber on those mounts are in great condition.

 

Graham

[AdamP 0]

Sorry if I sounded a bit rough having re-read my post, i'm not saying you had done anything wrong but I was hoping to scramble together a decent clutch of some sort without forking out for a new one! Have given in though and decided just to go for it, the one you sent us will be kept as a spare though as its definately useable.

 

The spacers look idea and we'll definately get those top mounts on there soon.

 

Will let you know if we're looking for any other parts.

 

Adam

[Grahamrally 0]

Ok no problem. The clutch is known as a good one, it's quite hard to tell though with clutches as the material face is quite thin to begin with, so unlike brake pads you can't see the wear as well. I think it came off a car having done about 70k, but definately would have worked better than what was in there.

 

Good idea about the seat mounts! It's similar to what I've just done in my rally re-shell, though I would have re-enforced around where you welded the box section, with an interim plate on the exhaust tunnel, purely because you're going from very thick to very thin metal. But they'll definately be stronger than those poxy seat mounts Peugeot seem to like!! Those runners looked like a bit of a mickey mouse to-do when we installed them, but we chucked them in knowing that but we weren't too bothered as it was a little project for a few friends that didn't know anything about welding etc at the time! lol

 

Your Dad was talking to me about strut braces etc and improvements in suspension geometry. You're at an advantage because you can weld, so I would really recommend you take a weekend to seam weld that shell you have if you seriously want to improve it's handling. It's free, well cost of welding wire and with advice/pics of something that's already been done it's not as hard as you might think. I seam welded my latest rally shell and the difference in stiffness is not something you can get from any other mod. I don't know whether you know but the boot floor and main cabin floor is only held on by a spot welded plate at the rear and a lot of seam sealer, so you can imagine how much flex you get!

 

I've got some exams to do at the moment, but I hope to get the head to you by Oct/Nov time if that's any use?

 

Keep battling on, the more you replace, the easier it gets to maintain!

 

Graham

[AdamP 0]

October/November should be perfect for the head, we've been looking at cams and seem fairly set on a middlish Catcams cam.

 

I'll have a look at seem welding the floor. The company i'm working at at the moment has a 205 rally car in with a seam welded floor so I'll get some ideas from that

 

I've been hard at work again this weekend

 

The past few days have been extreeeemely productive. Started off by fully welding up the seat mounts and bolting in the seat and harnesses, which made the car feel more like a car!

 

Then on friday evening a decided I'd spend 5 minutes cutting down the door bars to the rightlength. In order to do that I had to tack the brackets in place and so before I knew it, with the welder out, I had cut down and welded in the door bars! (It was also 10pm and the parents/neighbours weren't too impressed).

 

 

Then saturday morning came. Due to my dad's stubborn refusal to go down to halfords to buy the correct tool to undo the filler/drain plugs on the gearbox last weekend, there was part off a filed down 3/8ths drive stuck in the filler plug which was refusing to come out. This meant the correct tool, reluctantly bought the next day, would not go in and the plug was stuck. Luckily he managed to file two flats on the sides and get a spanner on it, which after a fair amount of swearing and wrestling brought it out. That meant we could get on with putting it all back together with the new clutch!

 

After 6 hours of wriggling, shouting and levering it was all back together and on its (new) feet.

 

 

 

I went to start it and it all went dead.... oh dear. We fiddled with the fuses and, by chance, I turned the ignition on while my dad was leaning on the battery and it worked! Turned out that I hadnt done up the battery connection properly.... always the small things ehh!

[AdamP 0]

Today was spent doing odd little jobs.

 

First was to adjust the clutch, which turned out perfect. The release baring is wurring a fair amount at the moment but hopefully it'll bed in.

 

Then I bodged up a bracket for the coil, which was just floating around the engine bay Using two right-angle brackets and some random bolts I had I managed to attach it onto the original holes quite easily!

 

I also forgot to mention that the pipercross airfilter we bought off ebay for £9.50 arrived on friday, so I got that fitted.

 

 

The coil is the thing between the battery and the head

 

I then removed what was left of the bonnet release mechanism (it had been removed at the bonnet end, so the cable was just dangling around), removed the spare wheel holders and adjusted the handbrake so that I didnt have to pull it almost upright to get it to do anything!

 

With the help off a set of 5mm spacers I managed to fit the KN Jupiters with Yoko A021s off the Locost, which previously wouldn't clear the front calipers. They look great, although from some angles they appear to be too baloony.

 

 

This evening I set about refitting the front lower bumper and grille (which was previously attached by 1 cable tie). I also dug out the timing strut my dad had made for his Elise, which fitted very nicely on the numberplate screw! Timing struts are the thing to have... will be making a carbon one this week

 

 

More photos:

 

 

Oh, and the bad bits:

 

Those Yokos run like a barsteward on the back

 

Rust, nasty bodgetastic filler job:

 

 

And I managed to cross thread 1 of the rollcage mount threads, and damaged 2 others M8 tap will hopefully sort it, crossed fingers.

[Jrod 7]

Not keen on those wheels myself, Much prefer the steels you had on it.

 

We also managed to cross thread a cage bolt on my friends and the cage had to come out again to tap it, What a PITA!

[AdamP 0]

Agreed, but the have brand spanking A021Rs on them

[Jrod 7]

Not much good of they rub really badly though is it?

 

What size are they?

[Casanova 0]

Looks really good, I love the wheels too!

 

§

[AdamP 0]

Not much good of they rub really badly though is it?

 

What size are they?

 

They are 185/60 14s. Will be taking them off and putting the steels back on I think. I've realised that the cause of the rubbing might be the 6 wheels I had in the boot at the time.... can't believe I didn't think about that!

 

I've had mixed thoughts on the wheels, most people seem to prefer the white steels.

 

Anyone heading to Mallory Park for the Retro-Rides show this weekend? If so you'll be able to see it there.

 

Adam

[welshpug 1,622]

what's the width of the alloys the AO21's are fitted to? might be this thats causing the rubbing not the tyre itself, perfect excuse to swap the AO21's to a set of steelies

[AdamP 0]

They're fitted to 14x6 ET19 KN Jupiters They'res about 5mm on the inside and they rub on the rear bumper.

 

Adam

[welshpug 1,622]

aaah bumper rubbage, space the bumper back on the brackets, or trim the bit the tyre rubs on a little.

[AdamP 0]

Sorted out the threads on the rollcage mounts this evening with a tap. They cleaned up fine

 

Adam

[AdamP 0]

Made these today:

 

 

Mmmmm real carbon fibre radio slot covers.

 

I love my job

[AdamP 0]

As most people probably know, something went wrong with the clutch at RR07. It started with a bit of crunching and not wanting to go in, and ended with the pedal flat on the floor and no clutch. Balls. I haven't had chance to take the 'box off yet but the symptoms seem to show that the thrust bearing may have come off the forks, although there is gearbox oil around the clutch arm ???

 

 

There's also gearbox oil on the passender side driveshaft... possibly a dead seal.

 

 

Yesterday I got out in the garage having been in bed with tonsilitis for a week and had a fiddle about with the GTi calipers we'd been given with the car. All the seals were damaged but the sliders and pistons seem fine. One of the bleed nipples had been snapped off in the caliper as well... which is annoying!

 

[AdamP 0]

Then today I got around to stripping down the head with bent valves that I'd aquired for nothing, which I will be using to fabricate an inlet manifold for the GSXR1100 40mm Mikuni carbs.

 

 

With all the ancillaries removed and bike carbs:

 

 

Exciting stuff ehh!

 

Also removed the fan that is well and truely dead, so needs replacing....

 

 

...and starting cleaning the replacement rocker cover with fairy power spray, for baked on grease and errrrr engine oil! Works beautifully!

 

 

 

Ooo yeh and hiding in my 'Stack o' Steels'...

 

 

.. are 5 more UK Rallye steel wheels... dying for slicks!

 

 

(note 'not so white' steel.... under car spare was a wonderful idea!)

 

Adam

[AdamP 0]

Today Was quite a busy day!

 

I started off by taking the gearbox off... which was made much simpler by having no siezed bolts/studs/bearings this time. When I got it on the floor I found this:

 

 

The thrust bearing had, as I thought, come off the fork and jammed against the input shaft cover, damaging that as well.

 

Not good, but at least repairable!

 

I also took apart a lot of the engine bay and front end to take a look at the rust / dirt situation. It's gonna need a lot of cleaning and a fair amount of hammerite!

 

 

We also started installing our tyre changer into the garage so that we can get the slicks onto the steels we bought.

 

 

More tomorrow!

[swordfish210 20]

good work mate, this is coming along really well now

[AdamP 0]

Update:

 

Slicks....

 

 

I installed the battery isolator switch in the radio slot, along with external pull cable:

 

 

Welded in the mounts for the passenger seat! Need to find another harness now...

 

 

Removed rear wiper and washer nozzle (both of which were leaking). Need to find some grommets for the holes.