Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

On the subject of 106 rallyes - this was a mates until recently, claimed it was running around the 210 mark.

Turbo?? Ruined that lovely NA delivery that the Rallye is famed for...!

Looks tidy. Always liked the look of S2's but (I'm probably biased) I thought the S1 Rallye was truer in spirit.

S2's were a 1600 8v as standard so that NA delivery had already been changed by fitting that ^^ car with a GTI/VTS 16v lump which everyone seems to do on S2's. TBH everyone raves about how good a 16v unit is in the Rallye so it's no great loss.

The 1300 8v in the S1 is so much fun. Only 100hp but it revved to 7400 and peak power was at 7200 which meant you had to stoke it up and keep it on the boil. Induction noise was incredible!

The 1300 S1 was more fun than the S2.

210bhp is fairly easily achievable, especially with a turbo. I'd prefer one with ITBs. Especially since you can buy everything as a kit from Colin Satchell. The suspension improvements they've brought out are lovely. Keeping the characteristics of the chassis while stiffening everything up.

Hopefully when my brother sorts out all the crap around my Saxo I'll crack on with that again. A few things lined up for it that should make it fun without costing the earth.

Details on the Saxo please O'Shane. I love hearing about a good french hot hatch project.

Teaser: The Saxo was already a rally car when he bought it, but wasn't logbooked. Sounds tasty.

Wasn't really a rally car. An attempt at one maybe.

When I had a job with decent pay I had spare cash burning in my bank. So I did the best thing possible and browsed ebay. Paid £1k for it from a kid who worked at a rally prep company. From what I've found on the car he must've been the tea boy. The front coilovers had 9" 300lb springs (probably escort stuff)! Also instead of any bearings at the top there was a handful of thick grease. There were loads of sensors not plugged in and it had an aftermarket fuel pressure regulator to increase the pressure - which doesn't work on standard injectors and standard mapping as the ECU will adjust itself. Lambda sensor boss had been welded up instead of bunged (really fooking annoying) Rad fans had been put on to an unrelayed switch. Drivers bucket seat were mounted on some box section which looked like it had come from a school desk, which was then bolted to the standard mountings with rusty bolts. Passenger seat was bolted straight through the floor crushing some of the chassis rails (clever). For the feet of the roll cage he'd used the plates that sparco supply then filled in the open sides with 1mm plate!
The kid had used it for a few road rallies and it was clear it had been through at least one hedge.

Current spec - Saxo VTS. Head skimmed 1thou (unknown reason) Standard induction. 4-2-1 manifold (I forget the brand, the best off the shelf one you can get) Koni red dampers, 180lb front springs and standard rear torsion bars. Sparco 8point bolt in cage. Pair of Sparco bucket seats on sliding bases. Sunroof removed and filled. Polycarb side windows. Hydraulic handbrake (again I forget the brand) and a bias valve. Braided fuel lines. Plate clutch. Lower strut brace

A fair amount of time has gone into rectifying the epic bodges but when I researched the price of some components I concluded it to be a good purchase.

Stuff to do/fit - BE gearbox as the standard MA box doesn't take sudden loading very well at all, at the same time the engine is going to be moved over 20mm for better weight distribution. I'll need to find some driveshafts of the correct length, some 306 and 206 ones are about there. Might need to change the hubs to fit the CV joints. Satchell quick shift. Weld in seat mounts, rear suspension stengthening and windscreen bar of roll cage. Fit new braided lines, current ones breathe making the car stink. Aerocatches to the bonnet instead of the poxy pink annodised ally shat there, might need to weld in plates for the pins under the bonnet. Cut away the current sump guard mounts and make new ones to fit the PugSport guard that I have. Fabricate some fuel tank guards. Possibly change the plate clutch for a standard one as the plate clutch just makes it a faff to drive.

So a fair amount of work yet to be done. Doing the welding would make it driveable but I don't have the money for any track days at the moment. When I have the money I'll be spending it on ITBs, DTA ECU, better suspension and probably a suspension kit from Satchell which includes struts, wishbones, braces and hubs.

First day out at Llandow. Only driven it around the block before that day. Bit of tripoding there. Great fun out there. The balance is just about right with 180lb springs, I think I got the stance right. It's a little more snappy into the oversteer than a 205 but there's plenty of power there to control it.

Dat ass

entry application for next years gumball 3000 made

Oz can you weld stainless?

I really need to de-boom my exhaust, so I want to get a closed branch welded to it to change the resonance point at which it booms (currently ~2,500 rpm).

I think we have the wire here. Would have to check with my bro. I've not welded stainless before, my brother has when he welded a flexi to his manifold

It doesn't need to be pretty, it just needs to be effective.

As so:

^The end of the branch is closed.

Probably the hardest bit/most time consuming there is the mitring of the tubes

Flickr just changed its storage rules,so I can see my old photos again. Found a pic of my first car:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sparkes/3019422/

entry application for next years gumball 3000 made

LOL WUT?

In what car?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TicsSU6qA08"]Team
Betsafe Gumball 3000 '13 - Jon Olsson - Rebellion R2K - YouTube[/ame]

LOL WUT?

In what car?

Mini naturally...

Haha doing it in the mini would be challenging...doing it with my dad so either Lexus ISF or maybe an FF

Get a Caterham.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAvN0EzEacU

Mental video from the N24 - onboard footage from a GT3, in the dark, in the pissing rain, on the Nurburgring, giving it a handfull of oppo in 5th....

Hairy is not the word.

Also - check out the course map on the steering wheel....

I saw that the other day, incredible lap. The amount of oversteer moments are ridiculous.

Could somebody to whom maths is not a foreign language please have a look at this and let me know what measurements I need to find please?

http://www.enoisecontrol.com/related_articles/engine_exhaust_sound_control_barrier_wall.pdf

Holy shit....this thread exists....

???

Mental video from the N24 - onboard footage from a GT3, in the dark, in the pissing rain, on the Nurburgring, giving it a handfull of oppo in 5th....

Hairy is not the word.

Also - check out the course map on the steering wheel....

120 up to Pflanzgarten 2 with masterfully applied opposite lock! I'm not worthy of breathing!

Could somebody to whom maths is not a foreign language please have a look at this and let me know what measurements I need to find please?

http://www.enoisecontrol.com/related_articles/engine_exhaust_sound_control_barrier_wall.pdf

I need beer first. Give me a couple of hours.