Ginetta G15, Track aspirations

Well done mate, stepping ever closer to having it back on the road in a MUCH better guise Keep it up, and more photos and videos

oh just realised that last post of mine the video didnt work! Click the white box lol



Short and sweet

Duct fitted, and air filter in place, looks a little naff? Only thing is the foam makes it fit in nice and snug, doesn't move and not scratching anything, if anyone has another solution speak out, I've not really given it much thought been to occupied with trying to get it running!

Car went on rollers, not quite to plan as usual, little fire, wires and paint attacked, lots to do again, ecu is awesome, inlet curse word fuel hence fire, very impressive power, full boost at 2500rpm lol that's 1.2bar regulated by vw turbo valve, at 4400 revs power was 95bhp banging of the turbo limiter, easily wanted more boost but since fuel was every where we stopped, no true power run I feel 1.6 bar easily possible and power over 130 bhp more boost available than that but everything else may struggle we will see, but its not just that its the urgency it does it that's impressive! Currently back off the road to sort everything back out and boost limited to .7 of a bar but can't use boost anyhow.... I did off the trailer mind its impossible not to at 2.5k revs lol and even then it makes the mx boring slow!!

I'm after a new manifold gasket, I've always used a steal one but its not living up to the job anymore with the increase of everything! Std type will just blow through and make a right mess so wondering if a copper one has been made yet like there's head gaskets available

So yeah booked back in on the 11th may, gives me time to reface the flanges remove all leaks and go from there.

How bad it was, on the trailer the shitroen chucked all grit snow over it every panel is covered needs washing, cutting, waxing all over now :/


In the garage



Inlet off one of two times, usual happenings!

This is exactly the same issue I had with mine that was one of the final straws, sealing the inlet / exhaust manifolds is very difficult. The only option I could see working was a combined flange for both, not an easy option by any means but the only viable one I could work out.

The issue with the RTV is it seals, but has no gap filling properties. It is also not fuel proof and will rapidly degrade in contact with liquid fuel, this is where the injector positioning and fuel pooling comes into it.

J

Picked up some loctite 5920 but reading up on loctite 5922 now which is a black sealant the technical document says it remains effective with gasoline.

So 5922 maybe better but 5920 would seal my turbo nicely to the manifold flange.

Pulled the manifolds off today and cleaned up the mating surfaces.

Inlet done


Exhaust more to do


Now my confusion with gaskets. The little metal one has been great over the years but can't handle the extra fuel load, comparison between this and a competition one.



also managed to wash her over all clean again!


and carried on with the new boot lid


duct was meant to be bonded in but after glass set the duct pulled out so now I've ended up with a moulded in one lol. needs rubbing down and filler to blend/shape in

So Whats the happy hap.

Well once again after doing the manifolds and fitting a competition gasket and first start up being nice and smooth sounding, once it had a few solid runs on the rolling road the gasket blew again and progressively got worse and worse...

But up to that point things where getting very interesting!! progressing well on the rolling road until a small exhaust leak become bigger and bigger, usually thats a crack on the manifold, after having a look it became apparent that once again the gasket had blown again this time on exhaust port two, the inlet actual sealed well.
Also with the power being sooooo urgent, 2.5k rpm its already at 1.6 bar of boost my clutch started to slip, was impressive!!
I havent got the time or money for this constant messing about with it and not using it, whats the point!

So the plan is now to remove the turbo, chargecooler etc and run it in NA setup, with the full EFI and ECU ect still fitted.
Over winter and next year sometime Ill get the 1040 built up and bench build a new combined manifold which will be a more reliable stronger powerful setup.

So I pulled it all apart and set up the engine with another clutch with more life in, changed the head for a sport one, pistons are low comp unfortunately so the power is utterly curse word but its fully usable now for show driving!







video


well it might not be very fast anymore, but after passing its mot within a week it covered 400 miles, no issues and just trying to get to grips with the cars handling etc as Ive neaver really 'driven' it.

At last weekends Tatton Park, had some great attention, a few sat in it after asking as the lady use to have one many years ago, series one, misses it and is looking for another again! She was made up to see it there as it was the only one.



Another video, warning its like watching Fast and Furious 6 all over again lol hahaha. Erm got to love the induction noise.



So now I'm thinking as another challenge I'm tempted to go Supercharger, as I'm thinking the manifold gaskets may be fine without the stupendously hot turbo heating the flanges up to an unbearable temperature!

Thats basically up to date now! few shows to go to this year in August and sept including RR Gathering this year then its sit and wait till the imp is restored!

Thats a great looking car and a really neat project, I've been following it from the start.

I wonder if you've explored these as the answer to your problems?

www.tss.trelleborg.com/global/en/products_2/himodflatseal_1/himod-flat-seal.html

Lots of other solutions there as well, you can spend many a happy hour browsing

On a different note, my interest in your Ginetta is that some ten to fifteen years ago I helped my good friend the late Roy Adams, rebuild his first G15. I did all of the bodywork and we repainted it in Medici Blue.

Sparkling and sounding fantastic, his co driver Chris spectacularly crashed it at Silverstone in the 750 MC Series - he was lucky, the car really was totalled.

Undeterred Roy found another and this one we painted in yellow. He regularly campaigned it at all the club circuits even winning his class at Silverstone; I have some pic somewhere.

The chap across at Cottage Classics, who's name escapes me knew Roy well.

Roy, bless him , passed away some ten years ago from cancer, he was only mid 50's- I miss him, he was a really good guy. I often think of the time we went to Le Mans in his Westfield Twin Cam and he spent the whole night f**ting in our tiny pitch tent! lol!

As usual I'm digressing- look to the Wills Rings HTH