Starting To Climb The Vx Mod Ladder
#1
Posted 07 March 2011 - 06:40 PM
Diary of the work done so far
Saturday 19th February
Picked car up and drove the 40 mile trip back home in the wet.
Gave it a quick clean then set to work fitting a new TAT short round diffuser.
Sunday 20th Feb
Fitted rear towing eye and applied red decal -
Removed and carbon wrapped rear spoiler -
Went for a meet and pub lunch with some previous owners club buddies -
Mon 21st Feb
Carbon wrapped front splitters and wing mirrors -
Tues 22nd Feb
Carbon wrapped door handles and small dash plate -
Weds 23 Feb
Fitted nice new coolant tank and twintex cover -
#2
Posted 07 March 2011 - 06:41 PM
Thurs 24th Feb
Fitted a rip off ebay special silicone hose kit to the heater ducting and stuck a red vauxhall baadge on engine cover -
Fri 25th Feb
Fitted an aero flat wiper blade which was supposed to have a bar washer attached but was just super glued on and broke off with the slight pressure applied to get the hose on! Can't really see that it would of worked anyway as you would need to remove one of the washer rods to route the tube through.
^^ And I stuck on the red tax disc surround and put a chrome metal Lotus disc holder inside.
Sat 26th Feb
Re-insulated a front wiring loom that had lost it's sleeving with new heat proof tape -
Removed seats and center console for work tmrw.
Sun 27th Feb
Carbon wrapped large dash plate then started fitting one of Fred666'S carpet sets. Took a bit of trimming in places but ended up with a very nice fit. Since I have the door pockets I was lucky to have enough spare to also do the lower dash panel around the interior light.
#3
Posted 07 March 2011 - 06:43 PM
Mon 28th Feb
Completed carpets and re-fitted seats etc. Screwed Sparco fire extinguisher to passenger footwell floor and stuck red leather behind footrest so it shows though the triangles and matches the rest of my trim.
Tues 1st March
Removed air box, fitted new filter and ripped out the trumpets then went for a drive to experience the added wooosh.
Weds 2nd March
Replaced the Momo gear knob that was allready fitted and had worn on top with a new smaller leather / aluminium lotus badged one. -
Thurs 3rd March
#4
Posted 07 March 2011 - 06:43 PM
#5
Posted 07 March 2011 - 06:43 PM
#6
Posted 07 March 2011 - 08:40 PM
#7
Posted 07 March 2011 - 08:41 PM
#8
Posted 07 March 2011 - 09:10 PM
Did all the carbon wrapping myself. The 3M stuff is nice to work with. It's the first time I have tried it and it's expensive stuff to just practice with so a few bits are not perfect but I am happy enough.
Why do you say that from the look of the exhaust?
I will post the other days work tonighht if / when the forum stops buggering about?!
#9
Posted 07 March 2011 - 09:14 PM
a look at them exhaust tips tells me its running a bit lean!!
I was going to say the same.
#10
Posted 07 March 2011 - 09:23 PM
#11
Posted 07 March 2011 - 09:34 PM
everytime my car has been throwing a little tantrum like actuator probs or boost solenoid or flatspotting the exhaust tips always look a rusty colour inside and every time its been fettled or modded a bit the pipes look sooty,i am sure someone will give you an explanaition as to whyWhy do you both say that?
Its done 35k, I have been running it on super unleaded, have cleaned the tips with autosol, used a flash for that photo annd believe it's running a standard map with no engine / management mods?
#12
Posted 07 March 2011 - 09:35 PM
#13
Posted 07 March 2011 - 09:38 PM
#14
Posted 07 March 2011 - 10:02 PM
Nice
Looks like you've well and truly got sucked into keeping up with Jones Modding !!
Only joking the car looks great.
question .....why do you have a lotus gearstick attached to a GM lump ???
It's a Vx not a lotus
you don't have to try and make people think it is.(or your self)
yes it was put together by the same halfwitts that build the lotus
but the badge on the wheels,engine,rear clam etc etc tells you what it is!
Love the tax disc holder I want one !!!!
where did you get it ?
I owned a silver na for over a year and loved every mile of it
and never even looked at this site.
I got the second one off a member on here and ended up spending quite alot of time on here
reading what others had and wanting the same
I've now spent loads on the car.
I've just started reading the threads on here again due to the fact that I need a bit of Tech help
Now I'm thinking about getting it all supercharged up !!!!!!!!!
Thing is I'm not that great a driver !
and on the track days I have done I've had a really good time and scarred myself to death
so why I'd want to go even faster baffles me .
Like I said your car looks great and you must love it
little tip : save up for your next mod then spend it on a bit of track training
your get alot more fun out of the car
even more than some nice new carpet
and another thing
carbon fiber is ment to be lighter than standard
if you've wrapped your oem parts in some kind of sticky tape
you must only have made it weigh more
I do the things I like personally, I don't tend to follow others. I can't help if great minds think alike and somethings are popular for a reason.
Liked the style of the lotus knob, to me the car is essentially still 60/40 Lotus you can't claim years of chassis development as your own just by giving the car a new frock. It's not badge snobbery at all if nice VXL branded bits are out there I would willingly fit those, hence the engine badge.
Tax disc SURROUND not holder is from ebay seller look_ma_no_brakes.
I have a private rally 'stage' at my disposaal for 'driver development' have owned and driven my own MkII escort rally car since the age of 14 and have done numerous track days, so should be fairly capapble on that front. Am hoping to attend a walshly day in the VX soon.
re the CF, I know some see it as being a bit wannabe. I simply like the look of it and its a quick and fairly cost effective means to customising and protecting parts. On the parts in question the benifits of the real deal would be almost as neglible as the few grams of weight I have added.
Defo get your charger, It was my plan at first as the more linear track friendly acceleration appealed but I liked the extras of the turbo and the quicker out of the box performance so when a nice example camme along at a very convenient time I snapped it up with the view of upping the power at a later date.
#15
Posted 07 March 2011 - 10:29 PM
Nice work. Now do some functional mods before I take the car off you for being bad! Gearknob change is definitely bottom rung!
Give me chance only had it 2 weeks! Bigger things are very much in the pipeline. Just done new discs all round with more agressive pads, braided lines to follow.
New exhaust to be ordered any day now as soon as I can make a decision.
Considering coil overs but am a bit wary of their day to day practicality as I live down a pot hole ridden unmade road.
Weight saving is not really an aim with this car as it's a daily driver and I value my creature comforts and like my gadgets.
Stage 3/4 tune will be a semi long term plan as I want to enjoy the car as is for a while first and figure it will make me appreciate it all the more when it's done that way. Also gives the wallet a chance to recover!
#16
Posted 08 March 2011 - 10:53 AM
#17
Posted 08 March 2011 - 02:35 PM
Cleaned and treated alloys -
Cleaned and conditioned all interior leather -
Fri 4th March
Fitted my CG Locks to the seat belts -
Painted front calipers red -
Sat 5th March
Painted rear brakes red and sanded back the logo on the fronts and lacquered on top -
Sun 6th March
Day spent at the Cheddar run/meet -
Mon 7th March
V5 document finally arrived so was able to send off all the info to get the transfer of my new numberplate L3 VXT under way.
Scrubbed off surface rust from hub assembly etc with wire drill wheels and a brush. Painted area black to protect against further corrosion.
Fitted new front discs and pads.
#18
Posted 08 March 2011 - 02:37 PM
#19
Posted 10 March 2011 - 11:32 AM
#20
Posted 14 March 2011 - 07:28 PM
Quiet spell have not done alot. Drove a bit and bedded in front brakes.
Sun 13th March
My birthday.
Fitted rear discs and pads treated rear hubs for rust and painted last caliper red.
Mon 14th March
Went out purely for the sake of a drive along some of my favourite local roads. Sunny afternoon top off and ended up covering over 50 miles!
Took these snaps -
(Not very good as I rushed taking them using my phone and edited via Photobucket.)
Edited by -Dab-of-Oppo-, 14 March 2011 - 07:33 PM.
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