pete_griff

hey pal, enjoyed our little jaunt today, hope you manage to make some more progress on it now - you have no excuse now it's at yours!!! it looks and sounds awesome - i recon the wheels will look good once you've got them in normal silver and not diamond turned. although i can see why things take you so long - i was like "is he really doing that??!?" when you randomly grabbed the sander and started attacking your wheel! :lol: they will defo look better like that though from looking at what that "doctored" one turned out like. hope the brakes settle down alright for you - be a bit of a nause having to replace the long section with solid now you've gone to the trouble with the flexi stuff. i recon you'll get some more air out of the system if you try hard. get a pressure bleed kit like we discussed today and you might have more luck. anyway, cheers again for your efforts with my own brakes - very very much appreciated :D i'm going to hold you to that spin in it when i'm back now! take it easy :)

car looks fantastic Graeme - very envious! i'm also a massive fan of silkolene pro-s, would use it in my car if i didn't have to run specific oil. please keep us updated - always love hearing what you're doing with it (and what iteration of wheel you're moving onto this week! ;) )

looking great as always pal :D the wheels do look loads better in the flesh, but still not very OEM. i'm warming to the non-diamond turned finish you were on about - really looking forward to seeing what they'll look like after that...

howdy pal hows tricks? thats a bit of a change from the BM! looks like a tidy example, no doubt some DG loving will make it a bit more sprightly too. hope you're enjoying it nonetheless - i'm feeling your pain at the pumps as well!

^^^exactly^^^ what i was thinking - do that just for the top part then get busy with the box section! also if you speak nicely to allisport (near gloucester), they'll pretty much make anything for you and their reputation and quality is second to none plus i could even pick it/them up for you and drop them off the next time i'm at DG! ;)

just seen your pic Mic - fanny-mold looks pretty much identical to the one on my r32 (but i could be wrong). surprised you've painted it black - not worried about heat-sink and your inlet temps?...

based on how much my inlet used to flex just under the standard N/A induction, i wouldn't even consider keeping the plastic manifold when running FI. ask Tom if you want some clarification (i'm sure he'll remember); the standard manifold flexes massively just when going on/coming off the throttle as the pressures change inside it. running it with forced induction would blow it up like a balloon! i'm sure it would probably be fine for a little while, but the mechanics at my local vw dealers said they have seen loads of them break (and i can belive it, as mine was broken in transit when i bought the engine) just under normal everyday use. Kev - you're of the mindset "do it once; do it right" - DON'T USE THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD WITH F/I, END OF!!! while i think about it - i'm talking about the r32 manifold and i'm not sure how much they vary between the r32 and 24v items... thatsaid, surely you'd be best of using the r32 head if you can get it when running F/I seeing as it's been fettled by the cosworth boys with bigger ports, better injector positioning etc. regardless - i'm surprised you boys are even considering using plastic manifolds with your installs

Turns out the MAF had gone pop so a new unit and its running even better, I'll have to pop down so you can have another go. Exhaust also sorted. Had a go at it myself but without a drive I wasn't successful. Graham got it on the ramps and sorted in double quick time. Don't think my C will be going anywhere, its like a member of the family.... even Amy wants us to keep it! :lol: just need to actually finish my plans now.... hooray! :clap: glad to hear you're perservering with it pal - i would love to have a spin in yours to see how different it is from my old R32 conversion. i think it would be a shame to get rid of your hard work now, and seeing as yours mrs etc are in full support, then why the hell not?!? even though i bought the M5 and said i wouldn't change it, some brembos are still finding their way onto it shortly! i now think unless you're buying a ferrari, you're pretty much guaranteed to find somehting you don't like about a car and want to change it. if my engine ever goes pop then i'll definitely be rebuilding it with different cylinder heads and new cams and DEFINITELY different exhaust manifolds and cats. just by doing that little lot twinned with a remap and a slight increase in rev limit and i should be seeing a reliable 450-480bhp (probably a bit more if i'm honest)without any dramas and still maintain the completely OEM drivability, cold start etc etc without having to even think about standalone. THAT SAID, THAT'S ONLY GOING TO HAPPEN IF THE ENGINE DOES GO POP OR I FIND A VERY CHEAP ONE GOING ON EBAY - (just thought i would caveat that for all those reading!) any chance you can fit air-con on your car - that's the one thing i really wanted on my corrado...

:clap: :clap: :clap: bring on the summer! :D

hey again pal - more crap luck for you it seems! :? at least you were able to sort youself out and didn't have to wait too long. when i was bringing my C home for the first time once i'd had the wiring done, one of the rear brake carrier bolts came out and the assembly started flapping around! i rang the RAC and said look, this is what's happened, you won't be able to fix it and i need a low-loader not a tow truck (as it had an LSD and i wasn't willing to risk it being towed and potentially buggering the quaife). lo and behold a tow-truck (not a low-loader!) turns up over an hour and a half after they said they would for me to tell the guy exacly the same thing, then have to wait a further 2.5 hours - not impressed!!! (at least the engine was still fine so i could keep warm!) as for the cat, i honestly have no idea what the material is... it's meant for an evo, so it would be subject to some fairly hoofing temperatures, but honestly i have no idea what the material is. if you don't mind paying the postage (that is if you don't buy it) i'll post it to you an you can have a look for yourself with no obligation to buy it...

howdy again pal - i'll defo be looking into a furniture clinic kit to re-do my own leather when i get back, so please stand by to get lots of questions from me about it!!! also, if you have a look at my old build thread (around page 7 off the top of my head!), you'll see i got the original lambda bosses taken off and re-welded so that the lambdas crossed over eachother (think wilkinson's sword logo!) - that saved me loads of space, as i would have had clearance issues otherwise. hopefully that might sort your issue, though obviously it will be a pain to get the exhaust on & off again! surprised that you didn't get the bosses all sorted before now knowing you!

hey buddy - just over two weeks now then i'll be back!!! can't wait to see you, the car, your new house etc etc! it really does look ridiculously good pal; everything is in such good taste 8) when i get back proper (round about the end of march), if you haven't got it finished (which sportsmans bet - you don't!), then i'll have a bit of time off to give you a hand with the various bits if you like... you've got no excuses then! hope all is well and you enjoyed your new year by the way! :)

cheers pal. quite like that idea about the dark coloured brembo badge - i'll lok into that and see if i can get my hands on one or get one made... ta v much! :D tbh, i don't like the tints and the fact it's a bit of a drug dealers car, but other than that i love pretty much everything about it :) cheers pal. still not sure about the brembos... all black would be good, but i'm not decided yet if that's just too plain. oh well, i've got a while to choose! happy new year to you too buddy! sorry but i defo don't want the calipers i silver as they will stand out too much under the wheels for my liking... as for the refurb, i was going to strip all the paint off myself, then get them blasted, then get my friends at the bodyshop to paint them after that (and as you say, pop the logo, if there is one, on before the laquer goes on last...) oh, and i'll speak to you about the seals when i get back, but i'll pretty much definitely have them please pal :D (sorry mr vr6!) cheers pal. did try and phone you and Graham to say happy xmas, new year etc, but all i got was answerphone - hope you and Graham had a good bit of time off over the festive period, you always seem to be working, so hopefully you both had a nice break! and yes, i know i'm modifying it, but it won't appear modified at all to the untrained eye. hopefully this is the only mod that it will ever receive as well... (unless the engine goes pop and i'm forced to do a rebuild! ;) )

if you check out this link here then you can see some pics of it i offered it to ozowen originally, he hasn't got back to me so i'm not sure if he still wants it... if you get in touch with him to find out (as he effectively has first dibs), but if he doesn't want it and you do then you're more than welcome; i'm not after much for it...

and the inbound brembos...

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL! hope you all had a good time and aren't too hungover today... i FINALLY got some more pics of my car, now it's just about finished. can't wait to get back now just so i can see it. my girlfriend has already volunteered my services for her friends wedding as the wedding car; at least that will give me the excuse to clay, polish and wax it when i get back without getting me into trouble! also, i was mumbling a while back about getting hold of a set of brembos (exactly the same as i had on both my evo & impreza) to go on the car in place of the frankly crap sotck calipers - as you can see, that process will be in motion shortly! i'll be re-painting the calipers in black so they don't stand out as that really won't suit the car. also, i'll probably not bother putting the brembo logo back on them when they're re-painted, instead i'll see if i can find some small and discreet M-Sport logos (///M) on ebay or the like and put those on the calipers instead - think that will look quite trick, but i'm interested to hear any suggestions... pics (not the best because of the light, but you get the idea...):

car is looking really REALLY good pal! :D can't wait to see it in the flesh when i'm back now. be really nice to catch up with you too :) i seriously need to speak to you when i'm back about lots of things now! on that note - check out my M5 thread - finally got some more pics!

that's crap luck - best of luck getting it all sorted :) i have a spare sports cat just kicking around if you're after one...

you shouldn't use gasket sealer when it comes to head gaskets. there may be something i don't know when it comes to VRT's... but i would be very surprised if it was a good idea to be using gasket sealant in that application!

it says they are an upgrade for the 288/312 setup; meaning that they should fit your VR... obviously don't buy them they end up sueing me if they don't! but if they fit 288/312 setups, then yes they will fit your 'rado. the 323 discs are the same as the leon cupra r discs; those brembos more or less go straight on - looks like they've just had some custom carriers fabricated for those particular brembo calipers as they are different. one thing to think of before buying brembos (as the guy goes into in the ad) is clearance between the calipers and back of the spokes of your alloys. you'll need at least 16" wheels to run these (though i can't think of a single set of 16's that would have the spoke clearance...), most people run 17" wheels, and even then you're limited to choices unless you want to run spacers (which i would wholeheartedly NOT recommend!) also, that's a fairly steep price for that setup, even if it does include all new bits and re-painted calipers. i would email the guy starting at around £400 and see where you go from there (but then i am quite cheeky when it comes to that sort of thing!) EDIT - it also doesn't come with brake hoses from the look of the ad - you'll have to factor in getting hold of some, though goodridge do deal direct with the public and you probably won't be talking more than about £40 for the pair delivered...

the cold has probably killed your battery - get it tested obviously, but i reckon you'll need a new batt from what you've said

thanks v much :D

nice post - v useful :D

that's unlucky about the m3 - sounds like you hit on a bad car. that said the vanos design isn't the strongest, but the thing that actually goes wrong in 90% of the cars is just the little rubber o-rings that fail with age and heat. these seal in the oil and keep it the correct pressure for the vanos solenoids; if these fail then the vanos panics and throws codes left, right & chelsea! to fix it, it actually costs about £5 in most cases and a couple of hours dismantling things (depend on your model) - the only trouble is that bmw don't do the simple fix (as it's not meant to exist), they only replace the vanos unit as a whole which costs the big bucks and is totally unnecessary! i'm fortunate enough to be able to do my own servicing while still keeping the history all up to date, so running costs other than parts and fuel aren't really an issue for me. i love the e46 m3s - a mate of mine has one and i absolutely love driving it! we keep on saying that we're going to put them side by side and have a drag to see who comes out best, but we still haven't got round to it yet... (maybe i can squeeze in my remap before that happens!)

of course pal, no worries. i know exactly the feeling that you mean; after owning the impreza wr1, then the corrado, then the evo..... i don't know - there's just something "right" about the BM isn't there... i may well actually end up getting another 'rado as a daily as the m5 would be a bit ridiculous to use on the commute i'm probably going to be returning to. we'll see! i'll be back for a couple of weeks around the middle of Jan, but i probably won't have much free time then if i'm honest. i'll be properly back round about the end of March if that's any use to you... cheers pal :) more or less everything has been sorted on it now (touches wood). really looking forward to getting the brembos on it when i get back; i think it will be somewhere near perfect for me after that and once it's had a remap. i'm hopefully getting some more pictures towards the end of the coming week so i'll get them up as soon as i get them. :D