Nocturnal
Well-Known Member
I can't remember the last time I came on here, but I overheard someone mention it oddly enough earlier on when I went clutch-hunting, and made a point to remember to look on here again when I got home. So, here I am.
Some of the older among you (and those of you with eyes who can look at my sig) might remember I used to drive and race a '91 NA6 MX5 which I loved more than anything, for around 3yrs. I can't remember the exact date I stopped posting here, although I figure it was actually around the time of the accident itself, as I had a lot going on at that time and pretty much stopped using the internet at all for a while. This was she, a few days before the crash:
http://img717.imageshack.**/img717/9595/32248197.jpg
As you can probably tell by now, this is going to turn into somewhat of a sob story. After surviving countless race circuits, and endless country roads all around Europe, she was killed on a road no more than a mile from home. After a fuel spill on a roundabout I used to use for work, the council had covered it in sand. Unfortunately, they didn't bother to tell anyone about it. After several near-misses on the roundabout according to Police, my crash was inevitable. After changing lanes on the roundabout itself (which is blind in the direction I was travelling) to let a people-carrier over-take, I hit a large chunk of sand, and lost control of the front end. After fighting for grip, the front end bit as the rear end hit the sand. I got a tank-slapper which I knew I was never going to correct, and shortly after, I cleaned out a lamp-post. I got out with whip-lash, my passenger (with the OEM belts) got out with minor head injuries (though a lot of blood), but as you can see, the car was a write-off.
http://img140.imageshack.**/img140/4090/79644595.jpg
Knowing I was about to join the air force, the council delayed any claim I was trying to make until it was detrimental to my application to continue it. I sure felt grateful for all those years of council tax I've been paying.
Anyway, moving on. At around this time, my brother had bought a MK2 Vauxhall Astra GTE, kind of like a mid-life crisis purchase as it was his very first car. However, up until after Christmas, the car sat there doing nothing. It needed a head rebuild and head gasket, as well as a few other little bits. I graduated from my basic training in January, and received a phone call from my brother. He knew my hunt for an FC RX7 wasn't going well, and at the time I'd put a deposit down on an E34 BMW 520i. A comfortable, if soul-less, car. He offered me the title to the GTE provided I pay for the work that needed doing. I decided that, as we hadn't seen each other in a very long time, it would be better for us to do the work together over some charcoaled food and some beer.
http://img32.imageshack.**/img32/3643/35137485.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.**/img163/5541/28273669.jpg
The spec for the car, as she stands now, is:
-Magnex 4-2-1 exhaust manifold
-S/S mid-section with silenced de-cat
-Powerflow s/s backbox
-Uprated (poss. 264 dur.) cams
-Unknown ECU chip
-Calibra disc rotors and calipers with EBC yellow stuff pads
-Cavalier GSI wheels (15x7J ET38) with 195/50 Toyo T1Rs
-SFI induction with ''power-cap''
This is pretty much the spec my brother bought the car with, and two dyno sheets with the history read 184bhp without the power-cap, and 192bhp with it. Given the power-cap (no, I'm not entirely sure what the hell that is, either) is no longer with the car, we threw the 192bhp sheet away. Given that we're not entirely convinced the 184bhp sheet is that accurate either, we binned that, too.
I bought a Rallye-Designs 330mm dished suede steering wheel, but other than a proper detailing session, all I've really done is drive it since. So last week, some of the parts we ordered started to arrive. These include a bank of Yamaha R1 carbs, an ITG ''sausage'' filter, a set of red Samco hosing, and an R1 fuel pump. My brother is in the process of ordering the manifold and sorting the ignition, and I'm in charge of replacing the dying clutch. It's not as easy as it sounds though, as some bright spark among the previous owners has removed the inspection cover on the gearbox and didn't think to replace it. The clutch hasn't worn, the water on the road has come up through the inspection cover and rusted it, meaning I need to find another before I bother with a clutch. Unfortunately, they're rarer than hens teeth it would seem, and in the mean-time I've snapped both the clutch cable (which I then replaced) and the clutch cable release arm (which I've since welded), and I've managed to secure some free track-time on Tuesday.
Anyway, enough waffling, here's some photos. Although this is a joint project between my brother and I, I am still actively looking for an FC RX7.
http://img51.imageshack.**/img51/7249/35360969.jpg
http://img52.imageshack.**/img52/8121/91205113.jpg
http://img594.imageshack.**/img594/269/23107769.jpg
http://img202.imageshack.**/img202/8937/83106074.jpg
http://img198.imageshack.**/img198/3416/28413817.jpg
http://img339.imageshack.**/img339/6994/44844832.jpg
http://img97.imageshack.**/img97/6996/79256044.jpg
http://img517.imageshack.**/img517/9359/97250464.jpg
Some of the older among you (and those of you with eyes who can look at my sig) might remember I used to drive and race a '91 NA6 MX5 which I loved more than anything, for around 3yrs. I can't remember the exact date I stopped posting here, although I figure it was actually around the time of the accident itself, as I had a lot going on at that time and pretty much stopped using the internet at all for a while. This was she, a few days before the crash:
http://img717.imageshack.**/img717/9595/32248197.jpg
As you can probably tell by now, this is going to turn into somewhat of a sob story. After surviving countless race circuits, and endless country roads all around Europe, she was killed on a road no more than a mile from home. After a fuel spill on a roundabout I used to use for work, the council had covered it in sand. Unfortunately, they didn't bother to tell anyone about it. After several near-misses on the roundabout according to Police, my crash was inevitable. After changing lanes on the roundabout itself (which is blind in the direction I was travelling) to let a people-carrier over-take, I hit a large chunk of sand, and lost control of the front end. After fighting for grip, the front end bit as the rear end hit the sand. I got a tank-slapper which I knew I was never going to correct, and shortly after, I cleaned out a lamp-post. I got out with whip-lash, my passenger (with the OEM belts) got out with minor head injuries (though a lot of blood), but as you can see, the car was a write-off.
http://img140.imageshack.**/img140/4090/79644595.jpg
Knowing I was about to join the air force, the council delayed any claim I was trying to make until it was detrimental to my application to continue it. I sure felt grateful for all those years of council tax I've been paying.
Anyway, moving on. At around this time, my brother had bought a MK2 Vauxhall Astra GTE, kind of like a mid-life crisis purchase as it was his very first car. However, up until after Christmas, the car sat there doing nothing. It needed a head rebuild and head gasket, as well as a few other little bits. I graduated from my basic training in January, and received a phone call from my brother. He knew my hunt for an FC RX7 wasn't going well, and at the time I'd put a deposit down on an E34 BMW 520i. A comfortable, if soul-less, car. He offered me the title to the GTE provided I pay for the work that needed doing. I decided that, as we hadn't seen each other in a very long time, it would be better for us to do the work together over some charcoaled food and some beer.
http://img32.imageshack.**/img32/3643/35137485.jpg
http://img163.imageshack.**/img163/5541/28273669.jpg
The spec for the car, as she stands now, is:
-Magnex 4-2-1 exhaust manifold
-S/S mid-section with silenced de-cat
-Powerflow s/s backbox
-Uprated (poss. 264 dur.) cams
-Unknown ECU chip
-Calibra disc rotors and calipers with EBC yellow stuff pads
-Cavalier GSI wheels (15x7J ET38) with 195/50 Toyo T1Rs
-SFI induction with ''power-cap''
This is pretty much the spec my brother bought the car with, and two dyno sheets with the history read 184bhp without the power-cap, and 192bhp with it. Given the power-cap (no, I'm not entirely sure what the hell that is, either) is no longer with the car, we threw the 192bhp sheet away. Given that we're not entirely convinced the 184bhp sheet is that accurate either, we binned that, too.
I bought a Rallye-Designs 330mm dished suede steering wheel, but other than a proper detailing session, all I've really done is drive it since. So last week, some of the parts we ordered started to arrive. These include a bank of Yamaha R1 carbs, an ITG ''sausage'' filter, a set of red Samco hosing, and an R1 fuel pump. My brother is in the process of ordering the manifold and sorting the ignition, and I'm in charge of replacing the dying clutch. It's not as easy as it sounds though, as some bright spark among the previous owners has removed the inspection cover on the gearbox and didn't think to replace it. The clutch hasn't worn, the water on the road has come up through the inspection cover and rusted it, meaning I need to find another before I bother with a clutch. Unfortunately, they're rarer than hens teeth it would seem, and in the mean-time I've snapped both the clutch cable (which I then replaced) and the clutch cable release arm (which I've since welded), and I've managed to secure some free track-time on Tuesday.
Anyway, enough waffling, here's some photos. Although this is a joint project between my brother and I, I am still actively looking for an FC RX7.
http://img51.imageshack.**/img51/7249/35360969.jpg
http://img52.imageshack.**/img52/8121/91205113.jpg
http://img594.imageshack.**/img594/269/23107769.jpg
http://img202.imageshack.**/img202/8937/83106074.jpg
http://img198.imageshack.**/img198/3416/28413817.jpg
http://img339.imageshack.**/img339/6994/44844832.jpg
http://img97.imageshack.**/img97/6996/79256044.jpg
http://img517.imageshack.**/img517/9359/97250464.jpg