74 Firenza Coupe (31 Mar 10 - Lucky Escape!)

All good, another job ticked off properly!

What axle make is that? Isn't small.

 

It's a bit of a funny one the axle - I believe the code is a 4HA, and it's an 052 diff - basically a salisbury I think (open diff, not lsd)

Like the ZF gearbox, which also isn't small, it's rated way above what a Firenza can produce. Guys run 250+ bhp and lbft through them with no problems at all, long term.

It does mean with the gearbox/axle combination that I'm getting more in the way of transmission losses than if I had the 4 speed box from the viva gt (quite a common mod onto the racing cars) but the plus side is the reliability, and the better cruising from the 5th gear.

 

update time!

Right had a minor disaster last week - car jumped off the jack and gave itself a healthy dent in the sump

Turned engine over, and crank was hitting sump [:'(]


So off she went to the workshop. Because of the shape of the sump and where the crossmember sits, it's an engine out job to remove the sump. So out she came. Again!

couple of days later and the sump is now straight, engine isn't hitting and the car is all back together.

While I'd been changing the front springs last weekend I realised both the lower BJs were knackered (after only 2000 miles!) I suspect when the car was originally refurbed he never greased them (they have grease nipples, so need filling with grease)

Luckily the car had enough miles on to be considered run-in well enough to setup. So this week she's had the sump fixed, valve clearances, oil and filter, new LBJs, alignment and the all important rolling road setup!

Still running the filter socks as Piper-X haven't been able to provide the baseplate for my box filter yet so there'll be a couple of bhp still to come with decent filtration on there.

End result is 122 at the wheels, on a young fresh engine (so still got some loosening up to do) with restrictive air filters and running a milder cam than before. Estimated flywheel BHP is probably around the 155bhp mark (ish)

Somewhat looking forward to picking her up tomorrow and seeing how she drives!






(Again - blatant plug for Pitstop here - I'd booked the car in for monday for just rolling road setup, dropped it off sat afternoon on the recovery truck with a long list of things that needed doing and it's ready for me to pick up first thing in the morning tomorrow - very happy.)

 

Oooh [:^(]

and

Ahhh!

 

Indeed!


(and ouch to the wallet - I get a great deal from Pitstop, but getting proper work done properly is never cheap)

 

Little update - picked the car up today, pulls really strongly from 2500rpm upwards, very pleased

Got the rolling road graph (power only, figures are at the wheels) and I've drawn on the previous curve to compare (same rollers)

I'll get it on a posh rolling road with coast-down drive train losses and power and torque curves at some point, but for the moment this one tells the story.

Spec wise the difference between the two runs is just the camshaft - GT4X on the first run, VV207 on the second. However the engine with the VV207 was builit to a much higher standard with many new parts. THe VV207 is clearly a much milder cam, but it barely loses out at peak - the main difference is the extra power it gives before peak, and the faster drop off after peak.

Thick dots, Thin Line - GT4X cam
Thin Dots, Thick Line - VV207 cam

 

Just to prove she made it round the 'ring!




and leaning in a very 70s way!

 

Just the one lap around was it sir....

It looked proper retro in the car park, I'll have lasting memories of it in trying to park up for the photoshoot - with several people finding out that RWD and empty boot don't mix on soft grass


Can i have a PAX lap next year?? please.........

 

Hats off for persevering with the old girl Dex!

Pleased to see some pics of it on the 'ring too, after all these years!

 

great pics there, hope you had the theme from the professionals playing and some stick on sideburns

 

Ah yes the car park....


I knew she'd play nicely on the gravel turn, but when I got marshalled over towards the grassy bit I did get just a little carried away.


And you're right - empty boot was a bad idea for traction!

 

There's a Firenza restoration, just started, in this month's Practical Classics.

In silver, too

 

Aye -it's the one that vauxhall heritage paid waaaaaay too much money for. Seems even the pros can buy a pup!

I suspect their overhaul isn't going to take as long as mine did though, since they don't have the muppet show doing theirs.

On the plus side I should shortly be receiving my new springs, and the guys at Pitstop will hopefully be sticking them on and re-sorting the alignment next week

 

Those of you involved in the ring trip will remember the saga of my alternator!

Basically just as we lined up in the queue for the ferry the batt light came on, so I popped the bonnet and had a look, all looked connected and fine, but still had batt light on.

Nick (RallyeVR6) was a star and brought me out a new alt to germany, but since the car seemed to be doing ok he took it back to england again lol (I'm sure the alt was pleased of the outing)

Drove to, from and since, still with batt light on and still with the car going fine. Well that ended this week, when I ran out of electricity in a big way - car finally stopped having indicators, wipers, and eventualy the fuel pump stopped running and it was game over!


Ordered a new alt online - (46 inc vat and delivery) chucked her on last night, and she's back in business



Old cars = Great.


(Needless to say I took her for a damned good thrashing last night to celebrate, I don't like driving her hard, but she does insist)

 

@ Dex

 

I'd decided she wasn't going to get the decals until I was happy with how she was running, and she'd been on track.

Well the 'ring ticked the box for going on track, and friday night I had a great blast in her - so decided it was sticker time!


EBC have done me some good deals, so they definitely deserve their name on there


DTV door panels, and a few other people I've had some good deals from


and at the back, 'Ring sticker, Blydenstein Power and Longlife




Still looking to sort out a sunstrip, some Blydenstein Power writing for the front wings - and Pitstop at Brize Norton (who built my engine) will be offered the rear 1/4s

 

I'll get some pics with a camera sometimes rather than just the phone...

 

nice stickerness

 

maybe a ClubGTI.com on the Pax sun visor, so you can flick it down at the right time, and keep it hidden at other times