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Aug 10, 2021 17:49:50 GMT
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Up early this morning to get to the rolling road by 09:30. Straight on the rollers and the guy does some basic checks. Marks TDC, leak down, compression test and mentions it sounds rattly - yep I know. He looks in the carbs and one of the butterflies hasn’t been centralised when tightened so I’ll need to look at that. He changes the jets to something he says should work but it’s running rich. Changes them again and does another run and it’s looking better but still rich when cruising. He changes the idle jets again and it’s now a lot better.    He then did a power run and reports it’s running nice and clean. No hesitations don’t no spitting back, which is good news. The power run shows it has a massive 80 bhp at the wheels! Ok maybe that’s not so good. It’s 96bhp at the flywheel when a standard motor is 87bhp. It is just a cobbled together bitsa engine with standard compression an A2 cam that’s not even timed in correctly and a big valve head with minimal porting. But figures isn’t what I came for. I just wanted what I had to run as good as it could, and that’s what he’s achieved. We took it off the dyno and I took it far a quick drive and it’s a totally different beast. No coughing, spluttering, spitting back. You just put your foot down and it goes. It even spun the wheels a couple of times. Oh and it made 102lbft of torque which isn’t to shabby. The Escort only has 125.  And these have turned up so I made even gain a bit more!  We’ll probably not, but at least it won’t sound like the castanet section of a Mariachi band any more. |
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Aug 10, 2021 21:10:18 GMT
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The question is ......with the lowish BHP figures and the purchase of the steel rocker assembly, will this lead to the acquisition of more steel components?  |
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Aug 10, 2021 21:31:52 GMT
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97hp doesn't sound much but when it weighs around 850kg, that's much the same as 160hp in a modern hatchback.
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Aug 10, 2021 21:38:12 GMT
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The question is ......with the lowish BHP figures and the purchase of the steel rocker assembly, will this lead to the acquisition of more steel components? I had planned on building a new engine for this and quite fancied the idea of an 1800cc kit from ike engineering. But I’ve decided to spend some time and money on the Escort as it needs a new cage, seats, belts and fire extinguishers as I plan to stage rally it. That means this engine will stay for now. |
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Aug 10, 2021 21:40:43 GMT
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97hp doesn't sound much but when it weighs around 850kg, that's much the same as 160hp in a modern hatchback. To be fair Kevin, it does nip along with less horse power than your average shopping trolley has these days. It’s no race car but for what’s in the engine, I’m happy. (For now😁) |
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Aug 22, 2021 17:52:05 GMT
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Yesterday I did the Lombard Rally Festival in Tredegar. It’s a demonstration rally so no timing. But no timing doesn’t mean drive slow and sensible. Well it did in the morning as it was peeing down it dried out in the afternoon so I could throw it about with more confidence that I wasn’t going to end up in a tree.  In the afternoon they said to just go straight back to the start and go again so my navigator (Jones Junior (the elder)) took full advantage of this and in all did 13 runs. It was a very enjoyable day and would do it again. It was very relaxed but could have been a bit better organised as information before and at the venue was in short supply. Anyway, some pics I ripped off FB     Sadly none of them showing any sideways action but it did go sideways, honest. So today was Singleton Classic Car Show. With the Escort still on the trailer and full of mud, myself and Jones Junior ( the younger) went in the Cortina. It wasn’t as busy as normal, but still enough there to have a good nose around. I bought some bargains off a guy with an LS powered Ford Pop. Unused hydraulic handbrake £10  Spot weld remover tool FREE!  Torque wench £5 and a free bucket to carry it all in.  |
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Sept 15, 2021 14:50:29 GMT
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Since my Jimny was written off my daily has been a 2007 Avensis D4D. It was the family car since 2012 but after the Jimny I bought a Rav4 and that’s become the family car. I don’t use the Avensis that often as I have a works van but every time I do use it I’ve either go the back seats down and filling it with plop or I’m towing. So I’d been toying with the idea of replacing it with a van. I used to have a Vivaro as a works van and really liked it compared to the dreadful Peugeot Expert that replaced it was fantastic. So I was at a funeral a few weeks ago and mentioned to my younger brother who owns an MOT station to look out for a Vivaro/Trafic. He said he new for one and by 9:30pm that day he had gone to see the owner, paid for it and it was sitting on my drive. So I’m now the proud owner of Black Betty (previous owner insisted I call it this apparently)  It’s a 52 plate Trafic with 196000 on the clock.  It’s pretty beat up with plenty of dings and scratches and it’s black. After buying the Avensis, I did vow never to buy another black car, but in all fairness I didn’t now what colour it was until it was on my drive. Custom door so handy when at events when it’s raining (or sunny)  Really needs a new driver seat as it’s falling apart and covered in paint   The rear was wood lined but the van had been used for carrying dogs so I’ve removed and bleached.  I will carpet and refit when I’m ready. I’ve fitted the rear seats from the Estafette and mounted them on some unwin track.  This means the boys can have plenty of leg room in the back but I can move the seats forward to fit the youngest s quad in the back when he goes racing. They won’t have as much leg room but it’s still adequate. I will be fitting side windows in the rear so it doesn’t become a puke box. Other than a rubber floor mat I won’t be doing much else. It won’t be having alloy wheels, side skirts, or chrome wing mirror covers. I’ve replaced a mirror glass, fitted a tow hitch and new sun visors are the driver one kept falling down and are surprisingly hard when you smack your head on them. I took it for an MOT as it only had 1 month left and passed with a few advisories that I’ll get around too. I’m really pleased with it and really enjoy driving it. There’s no bangs or rattles but the power steering does pulse sometimes when turning bends so I want to resolve that issue. And the bonus is it only cost me £435. |
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Last Edit: Sept 15, 2021 15:04:20 GMT by jonsey
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Yesterday was a nice sunny day so I thought I’d take the Cortina for one last drive before putting it to bed for the winter. Picked the youngest up from school and whilst parked in the car park waiting for him, one of the mothers reversed into the passenger wing and front bumper of the Cortina.  She then just drove off without stopping! I jumped out and chased after her and she said she thought she’d bumped the kerb. There’s no kerbs. She then said I shouldn’t have parked there (in a car park). She said she couldn’t concentrate as the kids were bickering in the back and she couldn’t see. So I informed her that she was lucky it wasn’t a child she hit. She said that if the repair comes to £50 - £60 she could pay cash. I informed her it was going to be a fair bit more than that. The paint has chipped, plus the dent, and I want the inside of the wing back to shiny and straight. The bumper is bent down and has scratched through the chrome. Good Cortina bumpers are impossible to get so Harrington stainless bumpers look the only option. The problem with those is that all the ones I’ve seen are an appalling fit. To top the day off I took the kids out to Burger King and dropped my chips on the floor. Definitely not my day. |
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,359
Club RR Member Number: 64
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😕
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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I'm just having a catch up and 96bhp isn't bad for the 1600 to say it was thrown together but having it running right is worth the dyne time, those rockers might help a bit though! I can't believe your audacity to park the Cortina in a parking space! Hopefully it'll get sorted quickly and easily - it happens to the best of us, I have to sort a dent on the bootlid as I decided to reverse into my vice!
The escort looks excellent and the van looks solid and perfect for collecting car parts and children!
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1966 Ford Cortina GT
2018 Ford Fiesta ST
Full time engineer, part time waffler on Youtube - see Jim_Builds
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Thanks Jim. I’ve spoken the ladies partner today and he’s happy to pay up rather than go through the insurance. I know his brother through rallying so hopefully everything goes smoothly.
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Oct 31, 2021 18:19:09 GMT
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It’s been a few weeks since the Cortina was hit and there’s nothing really to report. I’ve gone through the insurance to get it repaired so I’ve sent a quote off and I’m waiting for the go ahead. Today it was time for the Escort to get some attention. Not by fixing the broken gearbox mount, or replacing the paddle clutch that is slipping with the one I purchased months and months ago. No, it was the first Motorkhana for it in a couple of years. Since the eldest had started racing a ZR, the Escort hasn’t seen much action, but today was a chance for it to stretch its legs. With the eldest navigating we had 6 runs on a very wet, windy and muddy track. With only Toyo 888’s on there wasn’t much grip to be had. I knocked a few cones here and there and had to reverse a couple of times to avoid 30’s penalties for missing a gate. I also hit a few Super Single lorry tires with the rear quarter, denting the arch whilst drifting around one of the hair pins. And also nudged a tire wall with the front which only moved the bumper. It was a good day and as times were out the window I had a good play using the handbrake a lot more than I normally do. And as a surprise at the end I won 2nd in class for my efforts. Before After Bent rear arch  Wonky front bumper  Bottle of pop prize  |
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Congratulations on 2nd place!
I think a few battle scars suit rally cars but that's because I used to work with terrible drivers!
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1966 Ford Cortina GT
2018 Ford Fiesta ST
Full time engineer, part time waffler on Youtube - see Jim_Builds
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Congratulations on 2nd place! I think a few battle scars suit rally cars but that's because I used to work with terrible drivers! Cheers Jim. I’m a terrible driver too😁. It’s starting to look a bit too rustic now but need to fit a new roll cage before I paint it as I’ll need to weld in new cage plates |
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She then just drove off without stopping! I jumped out and chased after her and she said she thought she’d bumped the kerb. There’s no kerbs. She then said I shouldn’t have parked there (in a car park). She said she couldn’t concentrate as the kids were bickering in the back and she couldn’t see. That is some quality parenting. Teach those kids to hide from your mistakes by trying to run away, and when caught, to blame it on others... |
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She then just drove off without stopping! I jumped out and chased after her and she said she thought she’d bumped the kerb. There’s no kerbs. She then said I shouldn’t have parked there (in a car park). She said she couldn’t concentrate as the kids were bickering in the back and she couldn’t see. That is some quality parenting. Teach those kids to hide from your mistakes by trying to run away, and when caught, to blame it on others... Quality Indeed metalshapes 😩 |
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A couple of short vids I found on FB from last weekend. Hope they work
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Nov 23, 2021 11:31:24 GMT
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I’ve finally been given the go ahead from the insurance company to get the Cortina repaired. I’ve booked it in with my brother at Spotting Classic Marques to get it sorted. Since buying the Trafic my old Avensis has been sat unused. I put it for sale on FB and on Sunday a guy came and bought it. So as I was a day off work on Monday, I drove to West Wales Rally Spares in the Trafic and came home with this.  The roll cage in the Escort is not the best. The front section is attached to the rear in such a poor way the front bars can slide along the rear hoop. As I intend to get an MSUK log book on the car it needs to go. This is a Safety Devices cage with X door bars, dash bar and tunnel brace. With a bit of luck I’ll be able to sell the old cage to recoup some of the money. |
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