I drove "The Beast"

Cheeky nip up the road and a few laps of a local housing estate.

Was hoping a proper update on the forum, but thats out of action till tomorrow?

Thoughts...I did one run and couldnt bare the chattering rosejointed radius arms as they prevented me "listening" to any genuine rattles, so I fitted two "lined" joints on body end to shut that up only 20min job. I'll refit bushed arms ASAP.

Went out again.

Cooling system works, engine is smooth but needs crossover to main-jets sorting, runs very nicely from 0-2500 but the rest needs tuning. Plenty of torque, can pull off with no rev's and pull off in 2nd. Clutch works ok. Gearbox ok.

You know the engine is very hard mounted as there is quite a bit of vibration into the chassis and tub, doesn't bother me I expected it.

Exhaust is quite loud, but ok. Quiet sensible below 3000. Will quieten down once the engine is tuned. Exhaust does introduce harmonics into the shell at 3000rpm, but again this is a sportcars not a 525i. I think this is due to the engine "stumbling" a bit there and the exhaust getting noisey and the solid engine mounts are putting the "off balance" combustion harmonics through the car. If the engine is running lean, which it is the engine will wobble and moan.

I know the engine is not RICH on jetting anyway, the plugs are still sooted from the starting issues I had, but are cleaning and telling me it needs smaller air correctors, more idle jet, a switch to 5 tubes etc. Time will tell. I haven't opened it up anyway, didn't rev it over 3K.

Nice to feel the extra torque, you just pull off, give it basically no throttle and it drives off, you just reassure the pedal and upshift! Should give me a great ecomony.

Like slipping into a warm slipper again on the 2nd run, nice to drive around, potters nicely at low speed, 5th gear @ 30mph. Steering is nice and light and feels GOOD, car is smooth, doesn't appear to be any propshaft harmonics. Front dampers are quiet with their rose-joints.

Engine is a very active, rarr rarr, light and eager to go, instant throttle response. Exhaust cam appears to be timed well, idles nicely @ 900, yet I have not even set the idle air balance or made much effort to sort the idle screws...Bonus of a bigger engine with relatively mild camshafts, it's easy to setup and not that fussy. To be fair I didn't even "open" the throttle at all really but it's got a plenty of torque in the few mm of pedal!

Brakes are shat cause I need to bed the pads in and haven't buffed them against the discs yet. I need to back off the rear shoes a bit to make sure the front pads get most of the pedal action for the bedding.

Could use front-end dropping 1/2" I think...Plenty of "fine" tuning to do. Good news is though that all the fundementals appear to be as intended and working, ie all the stuff I made and stressed over. I couldn't give a monkies about the engine going wrong, cause I can just slap in another!

Only annoyance is a small developed weep from my oil block, will do up the connections a bit harder, if not I'll have it off and look at it and the clutch release bearing started sounded a bit rough after 10mins when you depress the clutch...Which is annoying ...however it may "bed" in and shut up, had this before.

If not it will be run into destruction and swapped for a mondeo hydraulic unit or something.

Bound to be something I didn't make or build myself that causes me to take it apart!

If it goes I will be pissed off that I make all this stuff that works and it's let down by some wank bearing...I remember Ray Passell whining about his actually, but I can't get on the forum to read any resolution, if it's a design issue it's totally unacceptable after 10mins!

I've good mind to look into legal action against BurtonPower for the labour in changing it. Clutch is quiet high, I may fit a 5/8" master cylinder to lighten it and make it deeper down on the pedal as the extra throw on the 3/4" is not needed and the clutch is "man-ly". I could possibly reduce load on the release bearing by adding a "bump stop" on the clutch pedal...Stops you going all the way down and loading the bearing even more.

Throttle could use a heavier return spring on the pedal. I got used to it but may as well swap it.

Exhaust "tip" is quite noisey, it's making a turbulance whistle so I could adjust the shape sometime.

These are just my initial thoughts, I was well pleased till I drove it into the garage and heard the release bearing...Atleast I know the rest is ok.

This car will be an snarling animal from the outside, I can tell...It's gonna be quite "raw", yet once you are in the drivers seat, it'll drive like a total joy! Induction noise is very noisey!

Straight back into the car really, I felt at home right away, the first drives being very tentative though. It'll be a tentative build up to extreme use, I've no interest in going nuts from the off. Whether I'll use it on the trackday, who knows, depends how it all pans out...

I try not to be too positive or biased, I expect I'll find something needing modification before long.




http://www.youtube.com/user/davesideways

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRoaXWzrm5M&feature=channel_page

Another ticky crappy digicamera video.