Engine woes

[Highside43]

OK....for those of you mildly interested...

So I finally got my car back at Easter (Good Friday) after being Dyno'd at 165BHP.  I had also put in forged pistons and con rods to future proof it for when I take it to the next stage late this year.

It was a rocket compared to how it was before and I now see what the fuss is about with these little cars.  Boy is it good fun.

Blatting around Mid Wales over the Easter weekend, even in the snow around Bala, took it to work on the Tuesday and parked it up.  2 hours later, I watched from the office window an artic reverse alongside to do a 3 point turn, and as he pulled away the rear swing of the trailer ripping the rear arch clean off.  I wasn't even sat in it and it gets damaged.

Aric driver denied it at first, and then relented as I was not in the mood for negotiations. A phone call to the insurance company and the next day it was picked up and off to Kendrick Motors for repair.

Enterprise provided me with an equivalent vehicle for the Caterham - a Nissan X Trail 4x4 automatic diesel.  Which I managed to T-bone the side of some idiot who pulled right out infront of me, so now arguing with another insurance company about blame.  Only the weekend before I was looking at Dash-Cams thinking I must get one....I'm hoping the mechanics of the accident and location damage to our cars (his was totalled) will tell the story of how it happened and that it wasn't my fault, but the 500 quid excess was still taken upon return of the hire car. Ho Hum.

Cue another 3 weeks in the garage, and I finally got it back last week, in time for the Bank Holiday weekend.

Had a great time blatting round Mid Wales again in the car, really enjoying it and it's now tucked up in the garage, wrapped in cotton wool and will be trotted out on when no idiots are on the roads.

Tally ho...one happy chappy with his (relatively) new-to-him car.

Now, suspension and brake upgrades before the final engine upgrade.....where's that catalogue.

[Highside43]

Finally, after 2 years and far, far too much money, it lives again.

 

 

166bhp, slightly up on the 77 it had when I unwittingly and unknowingly bought it.

 

Just the suspension to sort now.

 

And the brakes.

 

Plus new seats (or re-furb then anyway as drivers is collapsed)

 

More power.....etc....thought I had grown out of this upgraditis in my spotty 20's....

 

Pleased with the car, just in time as off to Nurburgring in it next week. Watch this space.

[Highside43]

[revilla]

What's the current spec of the engine?

[Highside43]

VVC, mild piper cams, Emerald ECU. No tune yet, that's next year's project. Forged internals in prep for it though.

[revilla]

Thanks. Solid inlet cams? Do you have the dyno sheet? I'm interested as I've gone a slightly different route, stuck with the VVC but fitted a BP270 exhaust cam and done a little bit of light porting and valve profiling. I've got no plans to go further with mine. I'd be interested to compare results for where we are now.