4722 replies to this topic

[MrSimba]

Nev & Nipper @ Phase 4!!!




Actually I can see an uncanny resemblance...

Edited by MrSimba, 22 August 2012 - 08:43 AM.

[Nev]

My thoughts entirely Steve!

Have you actually done any trackdays since the work? You already said in one if your replies it needs a track or large open roads and that it tires you out

I can see why you ask, however the car was never intended to be a track car, always a road car. Having said this, I think it would be quite reasonable on a track ATM, but let down by the OEM ECU + current map. This is why I would prefer to do stage 3 (ie replace the ECU + map, TC and maybe brakes) before considering the car fully ready.

As for tiring me out, yea it's hard work to drive fast, but I think I'd find the same in any fast car - it's the amount of concentration you have to put in that is the main 'tiring' factor I think.

Also, the project is not just about having a fast car to drive, to me it was also a good deal about getting satisfaction of learning how to build it up and knowing how it all works. Phase 3 will (hopefully) allow me some mapping control myself (thus improving upon this principle), so I can tweak things and adjust settings to suit the road/track type that I might be driving on.

Edited by Nev, 22 August 2012 - 11:12 AM.

[siztenboots]

roads in this area, there is just no way to enjoy the potential of a stage 4, you are only an unsighted corner away from a patrol car coming the other way to notice a car that already gets too much attention.

[Nev]

I get enjoyment even pootling about, just enjoying the car's handling TBH.

[RobNA]

I get enjoyment even pootling about, just enjoying the car's handling TBH.

[Nev]

In fact I went for a lovely pootle this evening, though someone in a Seat Ibiza spoilt it by trying his luck against Nipper on a country lane, so I had to temporarily abandon "pootle mode"... Seat:0 Vauxhall:1

Edited by Nev, 22 August 2012 - 09:56 PM.

[Nev]

Zack very kindly dropped by today and let me have a drive of his VX with the Adaptronic ECU that DuncanVXR and Chris from EFI installed/mapped. I had been itching to see how it felt to drive compared to mine as it is a hot contender to go into Nipper this winter. It has to be said that power delivery really was smooth and required no modulation of the accelerator whilst on the boost transition. Thankyou Zak.

[MrSimba]

Very interesting! Is that the route your going to go down Nev? & how did you find the cable throttle? Zach said the travel was a lot longer? be very interested to hear how you felt your car drives compared to Zachs, the GT2871 against the GTX3071?

[Nev]

Hmm, Im not 100% sure yet, but Adaptronic is a hot contender. The cable throttle felt quite different to mine, just something to get used to really. I quite like the idea of a long throw accelerator as it allows you to control the power in smaller increments. The turbo spool characteristics seemed very similar TBH. What was really noticable was the lack of torque in Zaks car (it was on a low torque setting) but plenty of power, so the power was delivered in a super safe way. However, this does rob you of that 'wow' factor that Nipper has. It's a hard compromise really, in the long run safe power delivery has to be a good idea but I am slightly reluctant to lose the epic mid range whack that Nipper has at the moment. Ideally I think I'd like something 1/2 way between Zaks setup and mine ATM, but this would only be achievable with an after market soloution I think. Also the Adaptronic gear dependant boost limits would help a lot, I could then boot it in 1st and 2nd gear safely, something I can't do at all even with 285mm tyres as the back end would certainly break free violently.

Edited by Nev, 26 August 2012 - 07:42 PM.

[Nev]

I had a slightly strange experience yesterday...

I was giving it full beans (with earplugs in) and suddenly the car seemed to be making a different noise and be a bit down on power as if misfiring slightly. I had a bit of a flap and instantly came off the power, ripped my earplugs out for a better listen and drove the few miles home passively. Anyway, today I went in the garage and decided to investigate the prime suspect - namely the coil pack and plugs. I extracted the plugs and they looked fine, a nice mid brown colour. Next I scratched up the electrodes on the coilpack, gave it a squirt of WD40 for good measure and put it all back together.



When I went out for a drive this evening I started it up in the garage and instantly saw that the fuel gauge was regsitering empty - DING ! I think I had suffered fuel starvation the previous day. Even the noise from the in tank fuel pump was a bit whirry as it grabbed air instead of petrol, so I quicky drove 400 yards to Sainsburys and put some petrol in. Problem solved - phew! Afterwards I took it for a test run and if anything it is running better than it was before, so maybe a coilpack inspection/clean is an advisory every 5000 or so miles.

I have also relocated and inspected my crank/cam cover breather bottle recently, it just has a tiny bit of residue and clearly indicates compression is still excellent in the engine. Also, the engine burns no oil, even 1000 miles of mid to full bore driving doesnt even need 100ml top up

Pip pip.

Edited by Nev, 30 August 2012 - 07:30 PM.

[hairy]

any thoughts on your tire/wheel selection so far?

[Nev]

any thoughts on your tire/wheel selection so far?

Hi hairy, have a look here (scroll down to 'The Driving Experience').

[siztenboots]

fuel gauge was regsitering empty - DING !

noticed much more on track, as when at WOT and the fuel sloshing back in the tank it overreads, you think you've got 1bar left and coast in to the pits , then notice the guage is now blank, crawl to the petrol station hoping its open and put in 33.5L . If you've lowered the suspension and dropped the front, then you may notice that even when tanked brim full, the guage does not always show full after just a couple of miles driving.

[Nev]

Took Nipper all the way up to 8000 RPM the other day whilst watching the rev counter. It is very wierd to see the needle swing round and almost return to the 0 revs part of the dial. The combination of noise, wind and g-forces just make every fiber in your being want to change up.

Edited by Nev, 04 September 2012 - 11:49 AM.

[Nev]

I've got a chap called Nick (not NickB777 BTW) coming round in his newly converted Harrop SC'ed VX with 370 BHP. He's got a bit of a funny noise so we are going to try and identify it. Am really looking forward to a passenger ride, as the fastest SC car I've been in so far was only stage 3.

Edited by Nev, 05 September 2012 - 08:20 AM.

[Duncan VXR]

The funny noise will be the whine from the supercharger lol DG

[Nev]

I may also be making funny noises whilst in the passenger seat - I'm not a good passenger !

[smiley]

I may also be making funny noises whilst in the passenger seat - I'm not a good passenger !

A bit like this guy

[Exmantaa]

I've got a chap called Nick (not NickB777 BTW) coming round in his newly converted Harrop SC'ed VX with 370 BHP. He's got a bit of a funny noise so we are going to try and identify it. Am really looking forward to a passenger ride, as the fastest SC car I've been in so far was only stage 3.

Can you ask him for some details? What block, internals... What SC, chargecooling and what ecu he runs. Or simply ask him to join VX220.org with his build.

[OneYet]

!

Edited by OneYet, 05 September 2012 - 10:51 AM.