F227 OVU - Mk1 Super Edition

[Ben]

It appears that quite a few people know I've bought this car, so this thread will come as no surprise!

So here's my new purchase. For those unfamiliar, it's a Mk1 Supercharger Super Edition, basically a JDM-spec SC with a few extra goodies thrown in as a run-out special edition. This is the car that Lauren and Mark owned for many years before spending a couple of years in NI in the hands of a Mk1 club member, before being returned to the UK by the chap who, after enjoying it for a year or so, sold it to me yesterday :D

It is a fantastically original car, very sound and remarkably rust-free. Some previous tin-rot under the rear-quarters looks to have been dealt with properly, and otherwise all of the paint is original as far as I can tell. In fact the only rust I can find on the car is a fairly nasty-looking scab above the windscreen, which will need attention at some point :(

As ever with new purchases there's a few bits that will need doing, but certainly nothing serious:

Thermostat needs replacing - temp gauge never goes above 1/3

Obligatory slight t-bar leak (will start with some rubber conditioner and see where we go - Pingi is already on order though!)

The front tyres are due replacing, will probably do all four

I originally thought that some of the engine-bay rubber pipes were a bit knackered, but on closer inspection it just looks like they all have a layer of some sort of engine-bay dressing which is drying and flaking off.

Alignment will need sorting, so will take it down to Zeca (chap who built Pete's SC many years ago) to make sure everything's pointed in the right direction.

There's a bit of belt squeal from the 'charger at high revs


So nothing too serious really - all of this is pretty easy to address. Otherwise I'll just be making sure everything is ready and in order for its trip to Le Mans in June 8)

Anyway, I know you like pics so I've taken plenty for you! I've tried to include detailed photos of all the Super Edition 'extras', as I know there has been a bit of interest around this as well...

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010960_zps34e071e4-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010961_zpsf062a519-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010962_zps431390d5-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010963_zps8f48f3dd-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010964_zps924f5cc7-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010965_zpsb7f69ffa-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010966_zps1d2f9924-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010967_zpsca8d17ac-1.jpg

Nasty-looking rust bit
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010969_zps0342d01a-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010971_zps090b5372-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010972_zps14c37105-1.jpg

Mirror-polished teardrops (surpisingly hard to photograph!)
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010973_zps7b716501-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010974_zps8e5f8282-1.jpg

Recaro interior
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010975_zps192ac40e-1.jpg

Slightly faded on the driver's seat
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010976_zpsd72a5e80-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010977_zpse8f317d6-1.jpg

Momo wheel
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010979_zps0383e299-1.jpg

Old-school tunes!
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010981_zpse002e5e6-1.jpg

Momo gear-knob (does say Momo on the top, but it's pretty much worn away)
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010983_zpsdbdc9280-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010986_zpsa64b0bd0-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010987_zpsdc798a24-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010988_zpsdc80c352-1.jpg

SE door-cards
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010990_zps18071589-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010991_zps49d0e5c7-1.jpg

Mirror t-bar
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/01/P1010993_zpsb2341749-1.jpg

[Deadly_smell]

lots like a good buy,
I'd put handbrake adjustment on the list appears a tad high

[Ben]

TBH I think I'll leave that for the time being. Unlike my last Mk1 the handbrake actually holds the car on a hill, so I'm not too inclined to fiddle with it!

[andyj]

Thanks for detailed pics Ben. Quite unbelievable how you got this for the price. Great that items to sort are are not serious and that so much is perfect. Recaros and a blower ...what more could anyone want from life.

Odd isn't it having a faulty thermostat. My SC was the same when I got it - running cold and idling at 1500rpm! Such an easy fix but great as you can change coolant while you're at it.

Great to hear rear arches look good as this was probably an area you were unsure of. Think seller pretty fair offering at lower price due to above windscreen section.

So all-in-all an amazing result and a car that will hold good value when the niggles sorted.

[Kateg28]

Well done Ben. Good purchase. Looking forward to seeing it too.



Still prefer the colour on my car........

[Ben]

To be honest, so do I! Midnight blue is pretty understated, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's not as eye-catching as some. Still, all part of the SE experience :)

[Ben]

Finally got the chance to take it for a decent run today - it feels like every time I've wanted to drive it recently, it rains! :(

So when the sun came out and the roads dried, I decided to make the most of it. I started off in Wallingford, headed over the hills via Henley, Marlow, Pinkney's Green and then down into Maidenhead. Then I turned up the A404, down through Henley and back home via the twiddly roads in Ewelme. About 50 miles, I reckon - not bad for a completely aimless drive!]

So, the car... All I can say is, what fun! It's been three years since I really drove a Mk1 in anger, but it all came flooding back. Well, almost - the first time I pressed on a bit I noticed some fairly alarming handling traits - a quick diversion to a petrol station confirmed that the tyre pressures were all way out. The Garage who fitted the new Yoko C-drives to the front had inflated them to 35psi (!) and the rears were 32 and 26 respectively. No wonder it felt like an understeery mess!

Anyway, tyres adjusted to 30R and 28F, and the difference was night and day. The new C-drives on the front are an excellent match for the existing A539s on the rear, the car feels beautifully balanced and very progressive. It still has a slight tendency to dive the nose in if I lift off mid-corner (more than I'd expect it to, I mean, I know it's bad practice but I want to be sure of the handling characteristics). It's off to Zeca next Saturday for a full geo setup, which I hope will sort this out. The old front tyres were worn a little strangely (one on the outside edge and one on the inside :S ) so I'm guessing the alignment is a bit out...

The brakes are fantastic, no complaints there. Nice and firm, no sticking of callipers and nicely balanced. I may put some uprated pads on before it goes to Le Mans, but I'll see how these ones handle the Coast Run first I think.

The Recaro seats are, er, OK. Very supportive laterally, but to be honest the cloth Mk1a seats I had in my previous car were equally supportive in corners, and more comfortable to boot. Still, I can live with this though. The Momo steering wheel, on the other hand, is brilliant - a perfect size and feels very nice to hold. I always felt the standard Mk1 wheel was waaaay too big.

And I love the engine. The charger (still running standard boost, mind) gives it that extra bit of torque the Mk1 always needed, and yet it's still beautifully smooth and free-revving. Sounds fantastic with the Magnex exhaust as well, especially through a tunnel with the T-bars out :D

It's also had another wash and wax, as a reward for being so well-behaved today. I had to take everything out of the boot as the carpet and sound-deadening was damp - not sure why yet, I can't find a leak anywhere. It's all spent the afternoon on the Aga and it's gone back into the car dry, so I'll see if it stays that way. I also found this:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/02/5DAB4815B995476EA8D6E7537A47AAD534300000-1.jpg

...which rather suggests I have a set of adjustable shocks. :)

[EppingMk1SC]

Nice work with the adjustable shocks, looking forward to seeing this car sometime soon!

[mk1 dal]

hi Ben , it looks like you brought a bit of a shed mate :lol: . i love this car and one day i will buy one . Has to the leak in to the boot its most likely leaking from the side covers next to the engine lid . the screws near to the boot lid have plastic inserts and these go in to the boot area but are hid behind the boot cloth trim . remove them and see if its wet where the inserts come through the metal work . it could all so be the seal on the center leg on the spoiler , the light seals and the main boot seal ( you would have to have a hole in the boot seal flange for this to leak ) . the rust at the top of screen doesn't look that bad but you should get it sorted soon as , this is a very special car in the mk1 history and should be treated as so but its fallen in to good hands with you , enjoy it mate i know i would :+:

[Ben]

Well, had a very productive weekend. First job was to make sure everything was pointing in the right direction, so I took it down for a visit to Zeca Bridges, the chap who built Pete's mad SC a few years ago. It turned out that, while the rear was fine, the front wheels were a little bit 'googley-eyed,' which explained the slightly odd handing characteristics I'd been experiencing. Zeca spent almost two hours on the car:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/02/A8AA8F02E10140528E42BF15AE33778732500000-1.jpg

...and once done, it was transfomed. Turn-in is sharp, it's beautifully balanced and now incredibly well planted through fast, undulating corners. It was also a good opportunity to poke around at the underside of the car, and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised at how solid everything is. This being a Mk1, I keep expecting to find a nasty surprise lurking somewhere, but the underside is completely solid, no weird surface rust or rotten mounts to worry about! Looks like the underseal treatment it had a while ago has stood it in good stead :)

Second job of the weekend was to tackle the temperature and overfuelling issues. Since I've had it the temp gauge hasn't moved over 1/3rd and it idles at around 1500-2000rpm. A replaced thermostat and coolant cap have done the trick - check out the fuel gauge and idle speed after a 120-mile drive from Kent to Oxfordshire (including around 40 miles of A and B roads):

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/02/1D8DB035E717467289239F68CA1B340E32500000-1.jpg
To put it in context, the same journey on the way down used well over half a tank!

So those are the immediate concerns sorted. Next step is to get it booked in for a cambelt change, plugs, dizzy, poly engine mounts and a Fensport pulley kit. Should have that all done and sorted in time for the Kent Coast run (hopefully!) :D

[alpha13]

hi ben
i have the exact same shocks...unfortunately i am missing 2 of the adjusters...and they cant be got anywhere....i would strongley advise you adjust them to what you want and then remove them for safew keeping...even leave on in place and transfer it across if you need to adjust them... they lift up and there is a spring under the little flat head piece..total 3 pieces in them....
also i finally have managed to get them pics of your car from over here together..so hopefully get all on disk soon and sent of to you...

[Ben]

Cool, thanks for the heads up! I've not had a play around with them yet, they're all on the softest setting and tbh it feels fine for road use. What do you have yours set on?

And cheers for organising the pics, that's really kind of you mate. I'll look forward to flicking through them! :D

[alpha13]

here is the post i put up originally with pics so you can see exactly the setup of the adjuster :) :) :)
http://www.mr2mk1club.com/showthread.php?7932-adjustable-shocks!!!&p=116718#post116718

[alpha13]

i have mine set to 2 i think it is i 2 or 3 one or the other LOL had them set midway for the nct testing so i could be sure they balanced... had a very close call the first time it was tested.. :) :)

[Ben]

Interesting reading. Looks like we have an early set of KYB AGX shocks (or equivalent) judging bythe similarities in the adjusters:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/02/kyb_agx_top-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/02/5DAB4815B995476EA8D6E7537A47AAD534300000-1.jpg

[alpha13]

yeah and they cant be got anymore from any of the enquiries i made before...even the adjusters cant be got seperately..all the more reason to put them somewhere safe so you cant loose them or that :) :)

[Ben]

Little progress update here, in case anyone's interested!

I've had a couple of intermittent problems lately, mostly electrical. The aftermarket alarm decided to go off of its own accord at the weekend, I had a poke around at the various sensors but to be honest I've not had time to investigate fully as I live in a residential area and I don't want to provoke a lynch-mob from the neighbours! Interestingly, it seems to have been fine since, so I'll keep an eye on that :S

On top of this, I started it yesterday morning and the CEL was on. Stopped a a petrol station down the road, filled it with petrol, and when I restarted the light had gone out and hasn't returned since!

I rather get the impression it's suffering from such lack of use over the last year or two - the more I drive it the smoother it seems to run, which is a good enough excuse for me! :D

In other news, I have just acquired a set of genuine Raybrig headlights along with some Bosch H4 bulbs for £40. Here's hoping the retaining screws aren't too rusted...



Incidentally, I know that 'modifying' this car is a big no-no - all I'm trying to do is give it a few sensible updates here and there, along with refreshing a few tired items - hence the pulley kit, Raybrigs, poly engine mounts, possible induction kit etc. The idea of this car for me is that it's a well-used, well-maintained example of a very rare car, and I want it to be one of the best SCs in the UK. For me this doesn't mean a 100% original, immaculate garage queen that never sees the light of day (and I'm sure there are people who would prefer it to be), but rather something that is tidy, solid, and drives absolutely spot on.

I will of course be keeping any original parts so that they can be returned to the car in future :)

[coverco]

You can do what you like to it Ben, it's yours. Personally if I owned a car and found the seats uncomfortable I would change them (I did on mine I had a perfect set of original leather seats but I hated them so put Mk2 Turbo seats in). Glad to see you back in a MK1 though, now get your name down for Silverstone :-)

[Ben]

True!

I like the seats though, so they'll stay :)

[coverco]

Great stuff Ben, it was when you said in post #7 that you thought they were a bit uncomfortable I thought you could change them :-)

[Ben]

They've grown on me to be honest Tommy - they're admitedly a lot firmer than the standard seats, but the support is all in the right place and they didn't feel uncomfortable after a long trip :)

[coverco]

I have always thought the Recaros were a bit hard but they do look good. As long as you find them comfy Ben that is all that matters :-)

[Ben]

Raybrigs fitted :D

Before:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/03/D63A2B23BB154DB78C9F5B6CB1385E2012295000-1.jpg

After:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/03/AE49CD603397441D984CCB779E7D411212295000-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/03/8673830D2DB1456ABAB8C877209F170912295000-1.jpg

And I only had to curse and swear at one rusty bolt...

[muckyman]

Don't the uprated lights make one hell of a difference!
I went for a set from ebay - very similar to the Raybrigs but less than £40, then added a pair of Osram Nightbreaker bulbs.
Can now see where I'm going on dark country roads.

[Ben]

Yeah they really are a marked improvement. I did have to spend an hour or so fine-tuning to get them both pointed in the right direction, but definitely worth it!

They came with a set of Bosch bulbs which are apparent uprated, but I don't know exactly which model they are. I actually have a set of Osram Nightbreakers on my daily BMW and they're brilliant, so might sort out a set for the MR2 at some point :)

[superwhite90]

I loved the difference it made to mine! I got mine from eBay Japan so ensured I got the all singing all dancing Raybriggs :)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2011/01/17102010365-1.jpg

[Ben]

Well the Kent coast run proved to be a very valuable shake-down this weekend. The car was huge fun (those coastal roads really are great!) and really held its own through the twisties. It did, however, develop a rather annoying dry-bearing related noise at the end of the run which is going to need attention. It's related to engine speed and is present on an open and trailing throttle, so nothing SC-related I'm guessing. Without getting in there and changing belts around I'm kind of assuming it'll be either alternator or air-con-related, either the components themselves or a tensioner. It's a pain, but I'm glad it happened now and not halfway across the Pyrenees!

[alpha13]

glad to hear your enjoying the car ben :D :D :D hope your continuing the trend of pics of the car on runs and events LOL :)

[julianw]

I'm glad to hear the sub-£40 eBay copies that I put on my first T bar (to replace the MOT failure-through-lack-of-silvering original units) were a poor substitute for something - they only lasted 18 months before the silvering started flaking on them too. When I need to upgrade again, I'll go in search of the genuine article.

[Ben]

glad to hear your enjoying the car ben :D :D :D hope your continuing the trend of pics of the car on runs and events LOL :)

There are going to be many, many pictures to come this year! I already have Le Mans, the Silverstone Classic and JAE booked, plus anything else I can get :)

Anyway, it's off to Rogue this weekend to have a fairly serious amount of work done:

Spark plugs
Dizzy cap
Rotor arm
Oil/filter
Drop-in K&N filter
Fuel filter
Gearbox oil
Cambelt
Poly engine mounts
Braided brake lines
DOT 5.1 brake fluid
EBC Yellow-stuff pads
Clutch fluid

...and, if that doesn't sort it, they'll be investigating the weird dry-bearing type noise as well. It sounds like it's coming from under the plastic cambelt cover, so fingers crossed it's just a tensioner. I'm going to be nervous as hell until I know for sure though! :S

After that, I'll finally get rid of that god-awful rear window tint, treat it to a set of Yoko C-drives on the rear to match the pair already on the front... and hopefully it won't need anything else! Fingers crossed...

[Ben]

I'm glad to hear the sub-£40 eBay copies that I put on my first T bar (to replace the MOT failure-through-lack-of-silvering original units) were a poor substitute for something - they only lasted 18 months before the silvering started flaking on them too. When I need to upgrade again, I'll go in search of the genuine article.

Yep, definitely worth doing. I don't know how readily-available Raybrigs are in the UK, I was lucky enough to pick these up second hand. I believe you can import them from Japan though?

[Ben]

Well I've been without the old girl for over three weeks now - she's been up at Rogue having what is effectively the last 3-4 years of servicing done all in one go, plus lots of other little (and not so little) bits in preparation for Le Mans.

Current list of stuff I’ve done so far is:

2 x Yoko C-Drive 185/60/14 (front)
Full four-wheel alignment
T-Bar seal treatment
Thermostat (OEM) and Toyota coolant
Magnecor Leads
New front numberplate
Raybrig Headlights

Rogue have been busy with the following:

Plugs
Dizzy
Fuel Filter
Cambelt
Cambelt Tensioner
Waterpump
Poly Engine Mounts (from Twos-R-Us)
Clutch Fluid
Braided brake lines
EBC Yellow-stuff pads all round
Oil and filter
Gearbox oil
Rear wheel-bearing
Front ARB Bushes
K&N drop-in panel filter
…and I have a new rear numberplate to go on to match the front.

Can’t wait til tomorrow afternoon when I can go and pick her up! :D

All I need now before Le Mans is a new set of rear tyres to match the fronts, and I’m going to get the dodgy rear window tint removed so that I can actually see through it! There’s a few other things I want to do in the fullness of time (big pulley kit, all-round polybush, plus a couple of bits that need tidying here and there) but that will probably wait until later this year/early next year depending on funds. I just want to get some decent miles under the wheels before we go blatting round the mountains for four days :D

[pistol pete]

looking forward tos eeing it at the weekend

[Ben]

Little pic from the recent Pyrenees/Le Mans trip: 878

I'll get round to doing a write up at some point...

[pistol pete]

good pic there buddy

[Ben]

A few arty-farty pics taken by Phil at the Kent run last week:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/08/IMG_5781_zps11441bf6-1.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/MuleDesigns/media/IMG_5781_zps11441bf6.jpg.html)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/08/IMG_5859_zpsd68fd816-1.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/MuleDesigns/media/IMG_5859_zpsd68fd816.jpg.html)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/08/IMG_5861_zps0cb94ac0-1.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/MuleDesigns/media/IMG_5861_zps0cb94ac0.jpg.html)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/08/IMG_5864_zpsf946de66-1.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/MuleDesigns/media/IMG_5864_zpsf946de66.jpg.html)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/08/IMG_5865_zps0779218c-1.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/MuleDesigns/media/IMG_5865_zps0779218c.jpg.html)


http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/08/IMG_5883_zps67149493-1.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/MuleDesigns/media/IMG_5883_zps67149493.jpg.html)

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2013/08/IMG_5884_zps73b1b70e-1.jpg (http://s1278.photobucket.com/user/MuleDesigns/media/IMG_5884_zps73b1b70e.jpg.html)

[pistol pete]

looking good
sounded good at weekend

love the tunnel pic..
shame you can't hear the noise infront in the pic

[Ben]

Just realised how long it has been since I updated this!

The SC has been pretty busy of late, plenty of car shows (JAE and the NEC Classic being the most notable) and lots of miles and smiles.

It's currently feeling a little sorry for itself though, so lots is planned for the next few weeks...

The clutch (which has felt pretty tired since I bought the car) finally gave up the ghost on Friday - the day before a trackday! :( Still, I had already been in contact with Rogue to perform the next batch of work which will include:

- Exedy organic clutch
- Techno Toy Tuning big pulley kit
- replacement of SC intercooler hosing
- SC oil change
- Whiteline front and rear ARBs

That should get it mechanically where I want it (and a fair amount quicker with the oversized pulley!)

Once that's done, I also have on order a replacement windscreen in the correct bronze tint from a company called Pilkington Classics. This is on a 4-6 week lead time, and once it's delivered I have the car booked in to have the rust patch above the windscreen cut out and new metal welded in, sprayed etc etc and then the new screen fitted.

So it won't see many miles over the next few weeks, but hopefully by mid/end of January it'll be back on the road. Then it'll be going on track :D

[Ben]

So, dear readers, when I left off the SE was sans clutch, the day before a track-day. So, I did it in this:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/01/jiiTQ37-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/01/kvgWuvv-1.jpg

and (thanks to Mr. Pete) this:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/01/LaAcwD9-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/01/75GwV0K-1.jpg


And that was pretty much it. The clutch died just before December, and I already had other plans for the car, so I made the decision to leave it for a month or two while I collected all the parts I need. After a couple of weeks' anticipation I finally collected it from Rogue this afternoon with the following done:

Techno Toy Tuning 175mm crank pulley
Whiteline front and rear adjustable ARBs with new droplinks
Exedy organic clutch
Replaced IC hoses
New SC oil

Plus fresh oil and filter.

And what a difference! Turn-in and cornering are so much sharper with the stiffer ARBs, and the extra power (13-ish psi boost up from 8psi) really brings the 4agze to life. Plus the supercharge whine sounds pretty bloody awsome :D

Oh, and this happened on the way home too

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/01/Cflfvl4-1.png

[AW11mike]

Exedy clutch is a good call Ben,ive had one fitted for 7 years, still going strong!

[Tsporter]

Enjoying you thread man!

[pistol pete]

looking good
cant wait for my ride out

[Ben]

Cheers guys :)

[superwhite90]

I couldn't find an exedy clutch for the 212mm flywheel :(

[Ben]

No? If you're still after one I can ask where Rogue sourced it?

[superwhite90]

I bought a Toyota Corolla T-Sport clutch which is an exact fit for £125 from Fensport - that can stand up to the rigors the exedy can :)

I was looking for a stage 2 clutch so that's maybe why.

[autobody]

I am looking at whiteline arb, are your whiteline ARBs adjustable? If so what setting do you use. I think the fronts have 3 settings and the rear have 2.

[Ben]

They are, yes. I can't remember what setting they're on and the car's in at the bodyshop at the moment. Will have a look for you when it comes back.

[Ben]

Well, the old girl has had a busy time since January! First of all it went into a local body-shop to have the rusty windscreen bit sorted once and for all. No pics yet, sadly, the chap who did the work said he is going to develop the photos he took and post them to me (yep, one of those places! :lol: ) so when I get them I'll bung 'em up. I'm very happy with the work though, you'd never guess it's had anything done and it even now has an original bronxe windscreen fitted :)

The bodyshop took a little longer than expected, so I didn't manage to collect it until the day before the tyrack-day I had booked at Bedford. All the servicing was up to date so I was happy with that, but still I was a little nervous at having barely driven it since November to be hacking it round a track!

I needn't have worried, of course, the car took everything thrown at it and then some. The 'charger sounds awesome with the big pulley kit (now running 1 Bar) and the whiteline ARBs make a huge difference. It's made the car a lot more pointy and direct, which took a little getting used to at first as it can be a little tail-happy with the extra power and the LSD, but once you get a feel for it it can be incredibly nimble.

Here's my first outing on camera - I was experimenting with tyre pressures and got them a bit wrong, so the rear was pretty wayward (as I found out at the end of the lap! :pale: ). Phil will tell you how easy this is to do when you're not expecting it ;)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWTodLRltFw

I came back in, played with the tyre pressures again and had another go. Much more controllable, still a bit tail-happy bit in a good way IYSWIM, it means you can really steer the car on the throttle. Feedback is fantastic as well, and I had not problems with brake fade at all, the braided lines and Yellowstuff pads worked perfectly all day:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiC2xicySfs

Couple of pics from Bedford:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/02/AoQ9dnN-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/02/vvlG9dj-1.jpg

After that - home, check-over, proper wash/wax and a month of occasional driving while I wait for summer to arrive. And then last Friday I headed up north for a day at Blyton Park. This is comparatively a much smaller and narrower circuit than Bedford, but has some very technical corners and is without doubt harder on both car and driver. The SC again behaved impeccably all day, apart from briefly scaring the bejaysus out of me when it popped off an ignition lead when I launched it out of the pits :pale:

Here's my best recorded run from the day. As you can see I'm starting to get more confident in sliding the car here and there (not in a 'drift' sense, but as a way of steering the car on the throttle). The second half of the track in particular has a lovely double-apex corner that you can get a good four-wheel drift round :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt-Np2b8J-c

And some more pics:

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/03/tgn7sOT-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/03/seNPgeY-1.jpg

http://www.mr2mk1club.com/images/imported/2014/03/GtwFAn5-1.jpg

Next up, Castle Combe :D