porki

so.. holy thread resurrection but i'm back, i'll do a big update next week but just wanted to log in and find my thread again!

Keele services this morning, light blue vr, reg m12 %+&.. I was parked next to you in the mondeo estate..

This weekend I have managed to tidy up the engine bay, after taking it to pieces to make more room for the rewiring, my first job was to erect the gazebo to stop getting cold and wet and miserable. With the help of my brother some hard pipes for the boost pipes were measured and cut and he then took them to the Phirm on Friday to be welded up. This was to remove all the silicone joiners and extraneous clamps etc, at the same time moving the dump valve to the hot side to reduce the miles of 3mm silicone boost hose. While we were there we ran the coolant overflow back in some alu pipe across the top of the inlet manifold - again in the interests of tidy. Some progress pics of all that happening.. all mounted : Today I was wiring after being dying yesterday of man flu! The engine bay is complete except for the wiring of the fuel pump relay in the scuttle, was warmer in the car so I concentrated there today! First I joined the loom from the ECU to the engine loom, and connected the shiftlight wiring to the binnacle. I also tapped into the multiplug on the clocks to allow the Emerald to drive the tacho directly (pin 10) and also picked up the VSS signal (pin 7) to allow the use of gear selective boost. This stuff takes so long! think thats it - should be one more day then running!

Between rain showers this week I have managed to do something not on the list but wanted to do anyway; to move the Emerald ECU from the engine bay to the glovebox. Using 36 core control cable from the goods lifts we fit I pin by pin cut the ECU plug off, soldering the pin to the corresponding core on the cable. Let me tell you it wasn't fun in the rain! During this process I removed the centre console, steering wheel, dash binnacle etc to remove the immobilisor as it was not helping. I plan to run the +ve and -ve through the stereo loom which is currently unused. Unfortunately i forgot to take pics of this process but will get some tomorrow. This evening i have been wiring the new loom plug from Emerald and mounting the ECU into the glove box : [ATTACH=CONFIG]77356[/ATTACH] then on the next dry day i'll connect the two halves of the loom up and hopefully have a car that starts consistently and not at its own whim!

Quick pic from after polishing I had on my phone! [ATTACH=CONFIG]77131[/ATTACH]

So today i got the urge to do something but being 500 miles from the car my options were limited so.. As I plan to wide track the front suspension I thought I'd'd get some stub axle spacers made up. I've done a fair bit of research and these appear to be by far and away the best way to increase rear track without killing wheelbearings or sourcing a wider rear bear which appears to be a bit hit and miss anyways. And they cost me four bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale.. the things Germans will do for a beer! A quick discussion with the laser chief and these appeared.. They're actually mild steel but have been painted with an aluminium spray to protect them from the English elements. [ATTACH=CONFIG]77130[/ATTACH]

wow,hadn't realised how long since I updated the thread! mostly because not much has happened due to working in Germany still but hopefully thats changing soon! But the biggest reason for the update is that my brother has just bought a 2 litre 16v Nova, like the one he had when he was 20.. and we've challenged each other to have the cars ready for the trip to Le Mans test day on June 9th.. watch this space. There will likely be cack updates as I plan to start using this thread a bit more and also to remind myself of jobs to do and ideas I've had. Hope it doesn't bore any one. Off the top of my head I've done the following recently... Rewired the battery in the boot, putting an FIA isolator on the bracket that formerly held the rear seat centre bolster. Changed the battery to a Bosch Silver for 520A of cranking goodness as i'm getting a little current drop from the cable. Removed my Innovate LC-1 wideband controller as it's too complex for what I want. Bought a BSPX wideband controller and mini LCD display to replace the LC-1 and its gauge. Sold the orange speedlines and put my white MO5's back on. Had it mopped in the summer by a friend who wanted to learn, came up ok but looks like cack again now. bought a cover! Fitted a 4 channel amp to the passenger side rear 3/4 with a lead straight to the iPod for tunes to and from track days and Le Mans. Jobs to do.. Fit new indicator stalk as the hazard switch is dead. I have the new parts. Fit the BSPX wideband controller. Fit new bosch 044 pump and AN fittings throughout as the fuel system is rotten. Fit front upper and lower strut braces. Spray steel sunroof blanking panel or replace with carbon.. undecided on that one! Tap into the spoiler control unit to get a road speed signal for the Emerald to be able to do gear selective boost. Get mapped! I think thats it,like i say a very boring update but ill do my best with pics and stuff from here on in! cheers for reading!

Today I got a mate of mine who's learning to mop and detail etc give mine a quick go to remove the moss and crap that have accumulated after 2 static years! In exchange I fitted a stereo and did some other bits on his Leon.

1.8 16v owners would kill for a Storm! and regards the actual Ebay item. Tool.

I have 16" MOs in the shed and some 16" clio speedlines on at the mo which clear the brembos with 305mm discs, was just a wonderment really to see if I could waste some time in Germany engineering something to get them under 15's! Thanks for the thoughts and info though, might well dust the MOs off problem with them for me is they are so heavy - bomb proof but heavy!

Hi all, forgive the potentially crazy idea but working away in Germany for weeks on end with nothing but re-runs of Star Trek can addle ones mind and let you delve into all sorts of fantasy!.. I have always fancied G60 steelies on my car but currently have Ibiza brembos with 305mm (or 304mm depending where you look..) and obviously they won't fit. I have a spare set of brembos with a seized piston just sitting in the shed.. So I have been pondering if i was to mill 10mm of the carrier bracket (305-285)/2 firstly would the disc still be big enough to accomodate the pad secondly would the whole lot squeeze under the aforementioned wheels? I know dragon_green is running hi-spec calipers with 285s under Estorils but i also know the brembo is quite a chunky caliper. Any feed back would be most welcome even if it is just... No! cheers, Ian

that's good to know - I have recently removed my sunroof mech and plated the hole but i'm not 100% happy with it. I'll try contacting LWS after christmas and see what they're saying. Hopefully they'll do bonnets et al.

Hi Bryan, sorry it's taken so long for me to come say hi but.. hi. This really does look as mint in the flash as the photos suggest - possibly the polar opposite of mine! Keep up the good work on it! Still haven't been home to put those sill covers on.. gotta love working in Germany!

Quick update, not done any work this weekend but bought some sill covers from Bryan (dragongreen) to just tidy things up. Also bought a pair of front wings, the nearside from mrsupercharged on eBay - I'm sure you're on here so thanks! And the drivers side from a fella in Redditch on here who I didn't get the name of but is a legend haha!! Ones black and ones nugget yellow so I'll take them out to German to prime and paint to replace my rotten ones. That was it really. Progress is Soooo slow!

[ATTACH]69864[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]69865[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]69866[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]69867[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]69868[/ATTACH]

Some other progress pics [ATTACH]69861[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]69862[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]69863[/ATTACH]

Today I... Fitted my dished 350mm steering wheel using a momo boss I took to Germany, cutting back the 'riser' part and drilling and tapping the cast lump of the boss itself. I also got the laser machine guy in the factory to cut me a spacer plate with two 8mm holes for mounting a couple of switches or push buttons.. [ATTACH]69857[/ATTACH] I then set about removing the sunroof mechanism and headlining so I could fit my sunroof blanking plate, again made in the factory in Germany, the inside was primed then I used external sealant and riveted the plate in position using 5mm rivets (as used on the lifts we install for the Germans!). [ATTACH]69858[/ATTACH] Then fitted a lil fire extinguisher to the 'transmission tunnel' for those panicked moments when I short wires again and stuff starts smoking!! [ATTACH]69859[/ATTACH] Lastly I attached my battery preserver solar panel to my rear strut brace, to keep the battery from dying as it keeps doing! [ATTACH]69860[/ATTACH] That was it mostly!!

Today I... Fitted my dished 350mm steering wheel using a momo boss I took to Germany, cutting back the 'riser' part and drilling and tapping the cast lump of the boss itself. I also got the laser machine guy in the factory to cut me a spacer plate with two 8mm holes for mounting a couple of switches or push buttons.. [ATTACH]69857[/ATTACH] I then set about removing the sunroof mechanism and headlining so I could fit my sunroof blanking plate, again made in the factory in Germany, the inside was primed then I used external sealant and riveted the plate in position using 5mm rivets (as used on the lifts we install for the Germans!). [ATTACH]69858[/ATTACH] Then fitted a lil fire extinguisher to the 'transmission tunnel' for those panicked moments when I short wires again and stuff starts smoking!! [ATTACH]69859[/ATTACH] Lastly I attached my battery preserver solar panel to my rear strut brace, to keep the battery from dying as it keeps doing! [ATTACH]69860[/ATTACH] That was it mostly!!

Black VR6 on the M25, heading to Dartford, lowered, standard speedlines and crystal rear lights... The wife and I had a good stare but in the primer blue caddy doubt you saw us. Nice, makes me desperate to get mine sorted!!

So, I haven't managed to get any pics up but I have managed the get a three gauge plate in the radio slot - an innovate AFR g5 gauge too hook up to my LC-1 so I can see of I'm actually frying the internals! An oil pressure gauge and a volt meter, had it laying round from an Audi triple gauge cluster I bought years ago. I still have the 60mm old school VDO boost gauge atop the dash itself.. Any way here as a pic... [ATTACH]69632[/ATTACH] I'm in the middle of a two week stint in Germany currently so will try and get it in situ next weekend.., who knows I manage another pic then!

i think from the sound of it the sender has a reversed operation to the OEM ones, so instead of opening at 90 oC and idle speed it closes and brings the lamp on. I have a similar issue on my 20v conversion as the new 20v sender and the old 16v sender were opposite in operation so the light is constantly flashing even with a very happy pressure reading! To get around it i'm gonna fit a relay in series with the switch to re-flip the operation back to std! hope that helps, may not be the answer but worked for me!

But of an update ... Bought some strut braces off eBay the other day, fitted the rear, after moving the battery to the boot. Have the lower and upper fronts to fit sometime! Removed the centre dash panel to rewire all the gubbins behind after apparent attempts by consecutive owners to cock it all up! I intend to fit a gauge panel in place of the stereo then just run an amp for the front speakers.. Then fitted a late black passenger seat to match the rear bench and cobra bucket.. That was all today. Last week I did some rust hunting and cleaned half the car, even t-cut a spot about the size of a sheet of a4.. Apparently the car can be gloss white instead of matt!! I WILL get some pics up next week!

Bought some strut braces off eBay the other day, fitted the rear, after moving the battery to the boot. Removed the centre dash panel to rewire all the gubbins behind after apparent attempts by consecutive owners to cock it all up! Then fitted a late black passenger seat to match the rear bench and cobra bucket.. That was all!

Dave.. Good to meet you today, got the dash out.. Eventually!

Taxed it and applied an all important emerald.com sticker to my windscreen. May even drive it tomorrow!!