The Racetractor. The End.

[CJ_Derv]

Is it really worth all this cleaning though its only gonna do what nearly everyone has done at sometime or another and go bang, rod through block as not may have pushed a 2.1 or even head fall to bits with boost dont get me wrong looks mint but your not gona wanna push it to its potential after all this effort

I did this with a 1.9 and lasted a few month before something went wrong lol



Not to the extent of yours but pissed me off when it was covered in derv and oil after a few weeks

[Piggy]

cool...
with all due respect though...why should it end up in a mess?

If, and yes its a big if, its built well and time is taken when filling up and bleeding etc etc...
then why should it get messy?!

Plus I am aiming for a good reliable build here...not a bhp chase like most others.

This is a torquey GT...not a revving bag of rods ready to go bang!

[Piggy]

been a while...thats coz I aint done much.

Been flat out with everything but finishing this.

Did get a new shell sorted though...bit obvious from the forsale thread I got...

But here is today's progress:





It WAS a 1.6 8v.

So a derv conversion is needed. DumDum said be ok to run the petrol lines, but there are thin plastic ones, with a fuel filter at the tank...so I think I will do what I have wanted to do for a while and run new lines through the inside of the car...mainly for winter insulation.
Got a set of clocks ready to go.

Heres a Q:
theres obvbiously a supply pump in the tank for the petrol...would it hurt to keep this functional for the 2.1??
I have a derv pick up ready to go in...but wondered if maybe an advantage?!

[Poodle]

I thought this had been a 2.1 for ages, pretty confused/disappointed when I clicked your sig and couldn't find pics of the install.

[Piggy]

Im getting there! cheeky git!

just doing it properly...not bodging it in!

[Poodle]

Can't argue with that tbf, especially since yours is making rather more rapid progress than mine lol!

[Piggy]

I wouldnt say rapid. I have almost all the bits needed...just need some time to do it!

[Chris_90]

This gonna be ready for fcs?

[Piggy]

no. 1st of August tax day hopefully.

Im away for Pugfest and FCS anyway. takes pressure off me rushing any jobs though.

[Chris_90]

no. 1st of August tax day hopefully.

Im away for Pugfest and FCS anyway. takes pressure off me rushing any jobs though.

Ahhh thats rubbish was hopeing to check it out at one of shows looking good tho carnt wait to see what power it pulls when it's all done

[Piggy]

yeah, me too. Im getting nervous though, got this gut feeling it will just blow up!

I dont want massive figures, 200bhp be epic, but my goal is 175bhp and a sweet smooth torque line

[Chris_90]

yeah, me too. Im getting nervous though, got this gut feeling it will just blow up!

I dont want massive figures, 200bhp be epic, but my goal is 175bhp and a sweet smooth torque line

175bhp is still a fair amount tho what is the 2.1 standard power?

[Piggy]

110bhp.

175bhp is easily doable on a 1.9 with a 11mm and GT2056s though

[ozonehostile]

wow you wernt lying when you said it was a tidy shell

[Piggy]

200 would make my efforts worthwhile

---

wow you wernt lying when you said it was a tidy shell

not bad for £260 with 2 months tax!

yeah its solid, want a mint bonnet, and couple other bits at some point, but plenty about, more bothered about sorting few spots of rust in engine bay and underseal it, get it running and tax'd and on the road, then I can start making the outside mint

[Piggy]

got started on the engine bay...





some would go a lot further, fill, rub, paint, fill rub, paint etc...but others wouldnt bother...so I tried my best to keep my OCD at bay and went sort of halfway.

Probably get chance to do it again when the 2.1 blows up anyway!

[CJ_Derv]

175 is fairly easy to achieve on a 1.9 with 9mm and big blower, looking forward to seeing this finished and what the engine can produce torque may be bit more but still not convinced with the 2.1 but u cud change that

[Piggy]

Its more about being different I guess.

1.9 with a big blower has been done a 100 times....but 2.1s just havent been explored in GB.

So im just pioneering with it a bit!

[Piggy]

and done:





not the best, but outside, 30degree sun, no breeze, rattle can...pretty pleased.
Lacquer and done.

[Piggy]

and....



done.

everything not yet painted and below will get a healthy coat of underseal.

steering rack/subframe will be having the piggy treatment later in time...as this can be done without removing engine!

[Chris_90]

Your gonna be gutted when it sprays oil all over that nice paint job

[Piggy]

nah, be easier to clean off and it aint thst great a job!

[Poodle]

Might be worth whipping the engine mount and doing underneath that, it's a prime area for them to rust and you're going to be putting more stress on it with a heavier and torque-ier engine. Looks much better, can't wait until i've got the spare cash for a project shell.

[Piggy]

all done

[Piggy]

had a bummer of a time, the 'new' aux bracket didnt fit. so stall there.

feeling down, but thanks to ya'll for wee bit of encouragement, I attacked a different part of the project...

wiring, fuel, interior.

Door cards changed over. Fronts loosely as need to remove doors for speaker wire upgrade.

Main battery/live cable run through front to rear.

Run cables for amps too from where the HU will be to the boot.

Fitted the seats




(if anyone wants to donate a seat bolt and plastic spacer, I lost one )

and sorted the conversion for the fuel tank from petrol to diesel



this involved more than you think. theres a stupid amount of pipes going from tank to breathers to valves to a weird box glued to the top side of the filler neck.....so all that went in the bin.
while the arch liner and filler neck was out, I ground down couple spots of rust and undersealed that arch, cleaned the neck/arch and removed the petrol nozzle restricter in the neck too.

just got to get some diesel pipes and I am sorted fuel supply wise.

---

oh and sat inside last night, out of the blazing heat, and cut away at my bottom/lower center console for my new HU to fit in....went quite well...

now time to clean and start with some cool flocking

[puglove]

think my front seats are better condition................. you should buy them

[Piggy]

whatever, I seen em!

the drivers bolster is worn a bit...but I got a fresh piece of leather from a scrappies passenger seat so hoping to have that stitched in

[Pugmarshall]

What did you spray the bay with? Looks mint!

[Piggy]

What did you spray the bay with? Looks mint!

paint!?

[Piggy]

So heres the easiest way to do your inner track rods or steering rack:



Seriously think I will in future...12bolts I counted and its out...then so easy to do!






all rubbed down, washed, stone chipped then undersealed. apart from the subframe and PAS rack which will get a satin black top coat. Subframe probably get undersealed on underside once fitted.

other bits ready and drying, new arms, gti ARB.
next job...put it all back togetheir and fit it!

---

FYI: has anyone ever looked at how crap the subframe is welded up?! The welds are shocking, and there isnt even many of them!

I can see why some have it all seam welded. I refrained due to not wanting a rock hard stiff (!) front end