The Reeves Mk2 - Spring '08 refurb + history. First UK 1.8T Mk2 ?

Nice kit, but Italian electrics - are they mad?!

 

When are they planning on testing it on track?
Or have they done already?

 

uber cool

 

wow!

where next to go with it?

 

to the moon at speed !

 

That is awesome!

Any infos,tech,prices or webpage for this tool Chris?

Fantastic...!

 

It's called a 'duck clutch' - believe the sort of thing Alex Zanardi used after his big smash.

 

Just read through the whole thread, very impressive car. Any more pics of the raising of the arches mentioned in the first post? looking to do this to a track car myself.

Kenny

 

Hi, sorry I'd missed this post.

The front arches are just cut & welded higher up.

The rear arches are the same, using front arch lips.

I've no more pics of the car part-way through the process unfortunately, but it's reasonably simple fabrication, as long as you're comfortable with a welder.

Hope that helps

 

Chris, a query if you remember...
Does Mk2 run OEM rear axle bushings or does it run spherical ones?

 

Spherical ones

 

Carlsberg berg don't make mk2's...

 

great car!

 

16valver asked for a few photos of the recent Brands Hatch outing, so here we go. Tried to give it a bit of interest above a raft of pics - enjoy


5:50 - depart driving through south London which is mainly just minicabs and buses:



6:25 - arrive at Maurice's, pack tools and any remaining items, strap into Mk2.

6:35 - depart in convoy, journey through south / south east London into Kent via petrol station and various shortcut twisty lanes and the M25:




7:20 - arrive at Brands Hatch



Car emptied and readied, prior to noise test & briefing. It's chucking it down with rain outside:



I noise test it, a formality, the staff recognise the car and it's virtually waved through, with an inquisitive "who's driving today?"

Settings sheets provisionally filled in for the day's observations.




8:45, the weather has changed. Five Mk3 Golfs next door, it seemed quite bizarre:



... all 8-valves it turned out, a bunch of mates who all have proper supercars, but have these "500" track toys. There were 20 of them at one time they said



9:30 - the sun lights a through-garage shot, Snr back in harness!



MSV are having some work done on the pitlane walls - stripped back to reveal some old sponsorship. Surely listing status?!




Trevor turns up on spec. Clicking through emails & diaries, conversation is invariably about work:




Snr drives the early sessions, some steady wet laps. Rear suspension softened off from dry settings to make it more benign:




Trevor hops in for some early laps. It's still very slippery out of Graham Hill bend and he's sliding the car about, much to our amusement. As the tyres warm up, its behaviour changes, and the car is visibly less wayward.

Broad selection of cars there on the day, from bog standard road cars to Clio Cup cars, MR2




Chomp, chomp!



Comes in and reports the car is kicking the back up on the rise into Paddock Hill.

So the rear rebound is increased, out again and the car is far better, but the car has become less adjustable in mid-corner attitude. Corner entry speed reported as 'tricky due to limitations of heat in tyres..'


As it dries out some more, a bang appears, front nearside. Wheel off, we think we've seen this before - brake caliper clouting wheel lead weights. Sure enough, shiny lead, out with the file - problem solved, and back out.

12:03 - Trevor about to hound the sole GT3 RS (rear wing, right) into submission.... normal service is resumed.



.... except a lap later and the situ hasn't improved:



The car's starting to pop and bang, losing power. Trevor comes in. "Engine won't run". It's been having a pop/bang issue these last few laps and the finger was pointed at an oft-troublesome throttle pot. Quick squirt of WD40 into the throttle pot and back out.


12:20 - damn tow rope




An hour's fiaxathon lies ahead. The car's throttle was playing up, but now it won't run at all. Fresh from vw_singh's crank sensor issues, I'm thinking similar symptoms of a car that progressively gets worse, but the crank sensor is impossible to get to behind the Mk2 front crossmember, buried behind the oil filter. Back to basics, we challenge everything.

• The car is cranking fine, it has compression
• Spark plugs are checked one by one and are fine but dry. Blame centres on the fuel pumps.
• The fuel pump sounds grumbly. Hmmm.
• Tank lift pump checked and squirts fuel. Main relay bridged and all sounds good. A whirring noise sounds like the fuel pump running continuously until we realise it's the electric pump for a turbo cooler.
• Spark check at plugs - ok
• Crank sensor lead found and disconnected. No spark, so the timing disc/sensor should be fine.
• Maurice is on the phone to the recovery people, thinking this is only going one way Trevor starts checking the ECU wiring in the bonnet - EXP48 plug is lifted. Nothing doing. Push it back, give it try. Starts immediately.
• Cancel recovery

Rapid lunch and coffees, and I return to find the slicks going on. There's a good dry line, but it's still wet off.

13:53 - back in business. Pleased with this pic of Trevor passing Dawn Boyd, former Golf GTI racer, in what appeared to be her new car for 2012. I wonder whether she had second thoughts!



Back in after a few laps and the tyre pressures are straight up to 31 in the front, and the backs have hit 28. He was out for no time, so he's on it now.

Pleased with the handling, "Right," declares Trevor, "it's now just a question of bravery". "I'll do some high boost laps". With only so much fuel left, jokes exchanged about how few laps it'll do. He doesn't disappoint. The performance of the car stands out a mile above anything else on track, he's absolutely tearing the place up, putting on a real spectacle:



Pic taken from the paddock just into the start of Clearways, and I think my favourite.

Done and dusted, back in the garage and with loads of surrounding light, an easy photoshop:




Various folk start to make a bee line for the garage, and are asking questions. "This thing comes past me faster than anything else", delcares the owner of a supercharged original Mini. The Reeves exchange stories about their rallycross days with their supercharged Mini and how they couldn't stop it melting pistons. The Mini owner confirms he's doing ok on that front and he's got 137bhp.

Another drops by, chap with an Evo: "I just can't believe the speed of it down the straights. Fair play, that's kept me entertained all day." Trevor's seen his driving is well up to scratch and they have a bit of a natter.

Trevor: "Out of Clearways I was lifting, letting the back scrub speed off to get it turned, and getting on the power. But you can't really do it with anyone around you...."

Just a Golf, and by any bystander observation, faster than anything else there


And so the final job is to pack the car up, drive it out through the paddock with its plates, tax disc and the odd wide-eyed glance from those who've seen it hammering round - and back home until the next one, booked for late Jan:

 

Excellent report on one of our favourites Chris. Definately adds depth versus just putting the photos up.

Want HD video next time!

 

A supurb read Chris, glad to see the beast back out again. It does look spot on in black!

 

Enjoyed that.

 

Very cool!

 

I love reading about this car,
Must be a great feeling being "faster than anything else on track" in a old golf