|
|
Post by wannabe on Jan 31, 2017 13:11:57 GMT
Mission Accomplished  
I ought to clarify her position on the cars ... it's not that she can't keep up or has lost interest, she's too busy making plans for what we do with the Amazon, and working out how she can get me to ditch the MX5s and get a 911.
Russell
She sounds like an awesome wifey!
|
|
|
|
Post by Vindi (Russell) on Mar 5, 2017 23:42:48 GMT
Update time ... had a week of MX5 shenanigans so lots of things have changed!
I can't 100% remember where I was up to, but a few have gone recently ... leaving me with my long term BRG track car, the V6, a clean early Mk1 auto, the Mk2.5 Sport and my latest ... a Mk2 VS. And the Amazon ... which kind of counts!
The Mk2 VS is Dan from Ardler Automotive's old car ... the spec is ridiculous. Suffice to say he built the running gear waaaay over the top, starting from a very recently imported car with no expense spared. I'm assuming he was going to turbo it, but didn't get around to it before he left for Oz? It has an MS3 fitted, but apart from that the engine is standard ... so ripe for some fiddling of some kind?
Not sure what the plans are really, but it works and it doesn't need much doing so I'll just drive it lots to start with!
The V6 will be sold now, I'm bored waiting for it to be finished off so I'll put up a For Sale ad tonight. The track car I'm keeping for the moment ... but it might even get sold, if the Mk2 is that good.
Russell.
|
|
Aaron
Chats A Bit
Posts: 207 
|
Post by Aaron on Mar 9, 2017 12:53:25 GMT
Ooh that Mk2 sounds very promising, pics required  |
|
|
|
Post by Vindi (Russell) on Mar 26, 2017 22:13:11 GMT
Well I've made my first few purchases for the Mk2 ... Carbing strut brace in gold (the cam cover and slam panel are gold already), Bride TTM-C seat for me (same as I have in my track car), and a new aerial to get the stereo working.
I also managed to really stupidly break a couple of ribs. Not the end of the world, but the Mk2 has a depowered rack so I can't drive it for about a month. That's fine, it's only March so it'll be raining anyway so not like I'll miss anything ... right?
Russell
|
|
|
|
Post by wannabe on Mar 27, 2017 10:43:13 GMT
Well I've made my first few purchases for the Mk2 ... Carbing strut brace in gold (the cam cover and slam panel are gold already), Bride TTM-C seat for me (same as I have in my track car), and a new aerial to get the stereo working. I also managed to really stupidly break a couple of ribs. Not the end of the world, but the Mk2 has a depowered rack so I can't drive it for about a month. That's fine, it's only March so it'll be raining anyway so not like I'll miss anything ... right? Russell
Hey Russell,
Just to ask a question about the depowered rack...
Do you find that it's heavy to turn and once mid-corner is almost impossible to adjust your line because it's so heavy?
Since having my suspension refreshed and alignment done (I don't know the spec as the garage sorted it out) it's reasonably light and direct around the straight-ahead position (which I like) but once in a sharper turn, it's heeeeeaaaaavvvy and I don't think I could ever catch the rear if it stepped out.
I know that having a smaller steering wheel and not as many turns lock-to-lock (than a manual rack) is always going to make it less easy to steer, but then I read comparisons between a Alfa 4C manual rack (heavy) and the Lotus manual racks (easy to drive) and wonder if it's just an alignment thing that could be sorted out... (perhaps by reducing castor angle significantly??)
Cheers!
|
|
|
|
Post by lowender on Mar 27, 2017 21:27:28 GMT
I've recently fitted a depowered rack to replace my oem manual rack, and don't find it much heavier at all, certainly not in the way you describe. I have a 350mm steering wheel, and have reduced the castor to about 4.5 degrees. Have you checked the adjustment on the pressure shoe that bears on the rack opposite the pinion?
|
|
|
|
Post by Vindi (Russell) on Mar 27, 2017 22:02:58 GMT
I haven't had much chance to drive this hard, but apart from it being heavy doing tight slow turns, it's fine ... well, avtually it's really good! So I'd think that points to your setup being off for a manual rack
Russell
|
|
|
|
Post by wannabe on Mar 28, 2017 13:17:35 GMT
I've recently fitted a depowered rack to replace my oem manual rack, and don't find it much heavier at all, certainly not in the way you describe. I have a 350mm steering wheel, and have reduced the castor to about 4.5 degrees. Have you checked the adjustment on the pressure shoe that bears on the rack opposite the pinion? I have no idea what that is LoL I haven't had much chance to drive this hard, but apart from it being heavy doing tight slow turns, it's fine ... well, actually it's really good! So I'd think that points to your setup being off for a manual rack Russell Thanks for the replies, chaps I think I will have to get it checked out and altered to something that makes it less heavy - my understanding is that the castor is what makes the steering heavy? (but reduces self-centring effect?) so perhaps reducing mine would help as well. I know the recommendation is generally to max-out the castor (and IIRC mine was about 5.5degrees when I had it done) but at the moment it is so heavy once loaded up that if the back snapped away unintentionally, I would have to be the Incredible Hulk to actually catch it  I'm almost considering putting the PAS back on as it would be nice to be able to play at the limit without fear of being unable to control it  |
|
|
|
Post by lowender on Mar 28, 2017 18:31:59 GMT
Sorry to hear about the ribs Russell, a painful business indeed, and quite debilitating.
Wannabe: PM'd.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vindi (Russell) on Aug 29, 2017 21:56:45 GMT
Long overdue update ... I've been selling stuff and got carried away ... the drive is now 100% empty, and I'm back to my trusty BRG Mk1. I'm stripping it right back and putting in the complete running gear from a Mk2 RS ... subframes, wishbones, steering rack, engine, box, diff, wiring loom etc. I kept the Quantum shocks off my Mk2 VS, and the huuuuge ARBs as well so those will go in. Hopefully that will get rid of all of the wiring gremlins that have crept in over the many engine, wiring and ECU changes that I've made over the years.
After that, I've got to sort things like the cracked windscreen and a custom dash to work around the cage ... so not much then!
I'm not going to make any guesses as to how long it will take, the OC rally at Gaydon would be lovely but there's a lot to do so who knows!
Russell.
|
|
|
|
Post by Vindi (Russell) on Jan 20, 2018 0:31:58 GMT
Few changes underway chez Moulder ... the MX5s are mostly being sold to make way for a Porsche 924s. 2 + 2 seats mean it will get a lot more use than the MX5.
The only MX5 I'm keeping is my Mk1 V spec track car. The rough plan is to remove the 8 point cage (a step too far I think) and put one of my bars in along with most of the interior that had to come out for the cage. The engine is going roughly back to how it was a couple of years ago ... Mk1 1.8 with Jenvey TBs
No timescales for all this ... it'll happen when it happens!
Russell
|
|
|
|
Post by atlex on Jan 20, 2018 0:49:31 GMT
good taste, Vindi! Keep at least one MK1 :-)
|
|
Aaron
Chats A Bit
Posts: 207
|
Post by Aaron on Jan 22, 2018 20:13:22 GMT
Whatever happened to that rather cool Amazon?
|
|
|
|
Post by lowender on Jan 22, 2018 20:14:35 GMT
I was wondering the same thing....
|
|
|
|
Post by FFS Corders on Jan 23, 2018 10:38:49 GMT
It got sold on I thought
|
|
