BHP/Ton Project – This should be interesting! My new toy...

[Madda]

FEB 2013 - FOR SALE SOON!!




Well, its been an emotional 24 hours. The Mx5 is sold and this now sits in the garage in its place. I will really miss the Mx5 but once this is up to scratch I hope it will more than fill the gap! I am not very well briefed on Ford stuff but have researched enough to know this is a good specification and as it is pulling along less than 550kg it isn’t stressed therefore I really hope it’s relatively trouble free.

Up until a few weeks ago, as you would expect it has always been garaged, but after being relegated from there it was living outside under a cover. Combine this with the rain we have had and it wasn’t really a surprise that some electrical gremlins arose upon collection.

Firstly the immoboliser had taken on some water, and the battery had gone flat so the car refused to start. This was resolved and she then fired and idled very smoothly with a sweet sounding engine.

Thinking we had sorted it I pulled off the drive to be greeted by lots of pops and bangs, and then she stalled. We jumped it and again she idled lovely but as soon as it came under load it struggled. Despite 4 hours of fault tracing we couldn’t fix it and I ended up coming home like this after things got quite heated with the seller.




Not all is lost though I have been in touch with the guy who built it and he has some good references. The spec is confirmed as follows:

Engine
Fully rebuilt Ford Cosworth YB engine (8k miles since build)
Bottom end Lightened and balanced with overbore to 2.1
ARP bolts
Group A head gasket and head bolts
4x4 Cosworth exhaust manifold
New T34 with 0.48 exhaust housing
2.5inch exhaust
803 injectors
Stage 3 chip
3b MAP sensor
BD10 cams with vernier pulleys
4x4 intercooler
Bailey dump valve
3core custom radiator
Group A fuel pump with swirl pot fuel tank
High capacity baffled sump

Transmission
T5 gearbox rebuilt 8K miles ago.
New Cosworth clutch 6k miles ago.
7.5 Cosworth lsd rebuilt 8K miles ago.
High ratio clutch pedal modification

Braking
Cosworth 4 pot calipers with 285mm front discs and 275mm rears
Bias bar on brakes
Braided lines

Chassis
Front hubs re machined. Quicker steering response and uber lock
Avo height and damping adjustable shocks
Rollbar forms part of the chassis
BK Racing 15" wheels
Toyo rubber

Interior
Cobra Monaco seats
Sabelt harnesses
Caerbont / Smiths gauge set
Clifford Alarm/Immobiliser

Some pics of it after a wet ride home:







The initial plan was to use it for the Weekender and maybe the rest of the summer as she is before taking it off the road to be dismantled and rebuilt, tidying up bolts, getting bits powder coated etc as needed, but given I hate anything unreliable the wiring is going to have to be tidied up and possibly redone sooner rather than later to stop any issues going forward.

There are lots of styling choices which need changing on the car, but I think all the mechanicals are there and in good condition. Hopefully it will be worth the effort and I won't regret parting with the 5.

Any old school Ford nuts in the house?

[Johnny]

woah ... cant believe you got rid of the Mx5

Good replacement though ... proper track focused car, and I cant wait to see what you do to this one after seeing your work on the 5's

Good luck with it !

[Mark]

Awesome

Does it have the stronger 200 block out of the 4x4?

[Madda]

Awesome

Does it have the stronger 200 block out of the 4x4?

The actual block is from the Sapphire Cosworth (YBB?) I am really struggling to get clued up on it all.

The engine was taken from a rally car, and was rebuilt by this guy http://www.mbmotor-sport.com/6.html whilst he worked for Cosworth. To be honest, it has too much power at the moment at 19psi/stg3 so if anything I will be turning it down slightly. I hope I am right in thinking the stress on the engine will be minimal given the weight it is pulling.

[Mark]

If its been rebuilt with the spec in mind you would like to think they used the 200 block.

If you can see (not sure if you can on a built up engine) it has 200 cast into the side of the block like this

[Madda]

With everything in the way, I really doubt I will be able to see that but I will have a look and also ask Mark Burley, the builder.

[M.D.]

The guy at MB is a legend. He's only up the road from me and has been more helpful and clued up on engines than many I've spoken to before. Also a very very good mapper.

Looks like a quick little car that.

[Madda]

The guy at MB is a legend. He's only up the road from me and has been more helpful and clued up on engines than many I've spoken to before. Also a very very good mapper.

Looks like a quick little car that.

I am going to speak to him about the fault and once I get it running ok I really want to take it to him for a checkup and tweak. Good to hear another good report on him though. I imagine his initial wiring was very good, but as its been played with over the years by other owners, it now leaves a little to be desired.

It was Mark @ MB's own car for a few years and more than half the miles it has covered. He did the entire build so you saying that is music to my ears Cheers man.

[Clint]

Looks like a proper weapon. I've been in NA versions of these and their quick enough, can only imagine what it'd do with the turbo'd cossie.

Surely it'll just spin the wheels in every gear and you just go round in circles

[Madda]

Looks like a proper weapon. I've been in NA versions of these and their quick enough, can only imagine what it'd do with the turbo'd cossie.

Surely it'll just spin the wheels in every gear and you just go round in circles

Easy007 was taken for a ride, and I hear it gets the power down just fine That said, its got massive lock for a kitcar so drifting it will be a properly good laugh too I imagine

[Clint]

Definitely bring it to the weekender (as I want a go )

[Si]

That's a whole Hercules of awesome right thurrrr.

[aideo]

Nice looking toy mate. Makes me wish i started/finished the kit car i had a few years back. This looks quite similar. Any idea what breed it is. I had a Robin Hood 2B and this looks very similar. Will be keeping an eye on this. Have fun.

[Madda]

I am led to believe it is a 2B but I have just registered on the Robin Hood forum to try and confirm.

Cheers mate.

[GAV200]

Now that looks five shades of awsome right there

Looking forward to seeing what it evolves into

[Madda]

Just now I stripped off the bodywork from the dash to the front of the car including the nosecone and windscreen etc.....there were a total of 6 bolts

ECU out, immobiliser out, plugs out. Start off with the easy things!

Thankfully the ECU internals are bone dry

[Evilchap]

Good luck

It really should be a simple machine, you will get it going in no time I reckon

[dunc]

Nice looking motor Madda, hope you get it sorted with minimal hassle, it'll fly

Dunc.

[Easy007]

I can confirm that when the previous owner took me for a quick blat up the A50 it when like the holy bejesus!!!!!!!! It was spinning up in third as the boost came in but was still making rapid progress forward.

When i went to look at the car for Joe it was obvious it had been dry stored for a few years but, as said, it's been outside for a few weeks and we've had some torrential rain up here so hopefully it's just something thats gone down due to damp.

[M.D.]

What have you got is a good place to start.

Spark?
Fuel pump spinning
Injectors firing?
Live at injectors.
Live at ecu?