Race Engine Forum UK

Progress,

We are putting the brake lines , fuel lines, fuel pumps, etc The engine has coolant in it. Just got all the oils.

Safe ATL tank ( "D:-Cell) installed!!
The second diff (with 3.9 gear ratio) is ready ! This is the one we will use tor track racing and also for brake in !

Less engine stress than with 6.14. ( designed for up-hill racing and our rallies - which are all practically up-hill events.

Rushing to get the car ready for its first race (September 3 on a Poznan race track)!

Re Oils:

This is what I will use :
Gearbox : Motul Gearox 80W-90 (molibden) - excellent for sports use !!!!

Engine
brake-in : Castrol 15W-40 High Mileage (mineral !!!)
racing : Motul Le Mans 20W-60 (superb high temperature characteristics)

LSD: Motul Gear FF Competition ( nothing better for the LSD diff)

Dashboard. Putting a gr 4 dash takes a lot of work and currently we do not have the time rushing to get the car on wheels and running . So before before installing gr 4 dash I will use this.
At least it has readable dials and the RPM mater is directly in front of driver's eyes. The gauges to be used : water temp( with warning light , oil temp with warning light, oil pressure (with warning light hopefully all non electronic but capillary for more precise measurement ) and fuel level.

There will also be a shift light, radiator fan working light, generator warning light (maybe few others but I do not want to put too many - otherwise the co-driver will have nothing to watch ...

The aluminum element will be painted "satin black" ( of course)...

The oil pressure and coolant temperature warning lights in the gauges will be replicated and located between the two main dials. A buzzer will be connected to each - so in case something goes wrong both the co-driver will known and activate emergency engine switch.

The other gauges I will put on the console:
- amp meter
- volt meter
- exhaust temp meter (for immediate mixture reading)
- inlet air temp meter (at the filter)
- oil accumulator pressure meter

This should give me and co-driver immediate reading of all key engine and system characteristics (of pre-computer age!!!)

Miro

Got persuaded !

Will get the car out of the garage and show it off with work in progress!

Being called a "jewel of auto industry" by the media obligates me to do it.
This year the show theme is Italian , thus absence of this car would be a real shame.

The car will be shown for two days in Warsaw during open air ALL STAR Auto Show at Bemowo airport in Warsaw, under a logo of M & C Abarth Classic Racing Team". I want to see the the faces of Abarth guys from Fiat , who will promote the contemporary Abarth brand at this event .

Note : It will be the first show ever of a Polish car with CG engine !!! (GC - am I correct?).

This is also the only car in Poland with original Fiat 131 Abarth Abarth suspension.

Miro

PS: It will also give us the opportunity to get the exhaust done on Monday, after the show - work necessary to place all brake lines and do the rear end geometry.

See a picture from last year!

Miro

Will you have the car ready on 12th september? If so then you are welcome to come to Pieszyce so that we can make a bit of a race on Kamionki stage.

Tomek, I intend to fire it up by the end of this week.

Depending on the level of complications- if any with the air induction system , I will try to brake it in in the next following days.

This really is a crush program , but " knock on wood" it is doable , under assumption the mechanical/suspension/differential/ brakes prove to have beem done well enough not to interrupt this program we will do the brake-in in just few days.

The original plan was to do the Poznan race track event on September 3. If we can manage it in a week we will do this. I am not ready to do a rally without getting familiar with car's new handling ( LSD/in dependent suspension/new shocks and springs on rear). I would rather do few track events , as they offer more space to make mistakes without a penalty of running into a tree, or similar hard object.

The only rally event I want to do this season is Zubry Rally - the rest is track. I may do Yongtimer Trophy on Poznan race tack and Classicauto track day at Rallyland (by Tomek Kuchar operation).

The event you are referring to I may just visit s a spectator, this year and do as much training on a track as I can.


Miroslaw

PS: can you do an airbox for me ?

PS: PS: Guy Croft engine was a real point of interest n the StarAuto Poland auto show. ( Zlot Gwiazdisty)
It was named top car by two independent juries and received two awards. Some interesting pictures to follow...

M

It would be the 1st, Miro, yes.

Look forward to more on this,

G

Here are some photos...

\
Miro

Car looks fabulous, well done indeed for putting it together in record time!

Thanks very much for putting a copy of my new book cover on the windscreen (readers may not know that Miroslaw was my agent in the production of the book) & 'flying the flag'.

G

Hi Miro, any update on your car? would love to hear what's going on! Evren

Absolutely gorgeous 131!

UPDATE IS COMING SOON.

Trying to manage the business and prep[are the car for the top rally of the season is not an easy task. Leaves virtually no time for keeping this thread updated.

Just completing the brake in period. Amazingly few "infancy problems" The car drives like if it was a cheetah ! Real wild beast !

Engine runs like clockwork loves 3.5 K RPM plus. The power a. torque, acceleration are fantastic. With the long Abarth diff ( 3.9) getting 160 km/h on 5th takes only 5 k RPM. Theoretical speed with this diff is 250 km/h. This is fearful just to think about it.

One element noticed is the gearbox : it really needs a conversion to a close ratio !!!

Will test the short diff (6.16) next week (theoretical top speed 150 km/h , but acceleration to beat many modern sport cars ....

The suspension stiff as a a piece of steel (almost). Will probably lower the rear end a bit to more spring action .. but it handles as if were glues to the road. Just once tried to go 90 km/h on a tight stretch motorway exit ramp (with 40 km/h limit). The car wanted more speed and went through the curve as if it was a straight .... Incredible difference !!!!

Have some video from brake in and pictures of the car I will post later. She looks better than a 20 yer old long legged blond!!!

Miro

Here is a link to the short video of the engine first run ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgMKq8DU ... u_in_order

Miro

and the in-car??!

G

Hi, I am back ...

Contrary to some rumors I am still alive and the car is intact , un-crashed and undamaged !

The Zubry rally went fine , even though there were a few problems.

Problem # 1 ; The driver

I have never driven a car that strong with LSD and a diff with 6:15 gear ratio. I was totally unprepared for competition driving The car was just far too capable and I had just 4.5 km behind the wheel of this car (driving from a one garage to another). So I took it as a training exercise ...

Problem # 2 : The Wheel

The bolts mounting rear right hub to the struts were not as tight as they should be. At the time we put it together we did not have strong enough bolts , nuts and washers so when the rear right hit a major pot hole the hub went up bu few centimeters and the rear right wheel went well of alignment. Not only did it tilt into full negative, but its front went inside so the wheel looked like this :
Review of the situation and consultation with chief team mechanic over the phone resulted in the following command : You can go ahead and drive , but take it easy on the curbs , avoid pot holes and remember the car will tend to slide of the rear to the right.

Despite this we started off and ended the rally in respectable 7th position among cars of the same class ( driving "full out").

The car drew a lot of attention , especially Guy Croft engine ...

The car handled itself almost perfectly ( despite miss aligned wheel problem).
General technical impressions :

Engine : A this event was not run "full out" I have not exceeded 6000 RPM , even though the car has max power at 7500. The engine performed beautifully.
It reved up easily under full load , the torque was tremendous. \

Previously when we drove the car to brake it in ( on a 3.9 diff) the max speed we could easily reach was well over 200 km/h , but I have restrained myself and drove it only up to 5000 RPM. Acceleration was far better than expected. With both diffs the car drove very well which means it will be great on both the race track , flat rally and up hill stages

With the quick diff i was able to shift it up to 5th where cars with regular diff setup shifted up to 3rd gear max. The car went up hill as if it was downhill. The gear box ( 31 standard with 5th ratio of 0.87) proved fantastic . The overdrive allowed me to drive the car at higher speed still keeping the engine revs below 6000. This was a great advantage. I think I will give up thoughts of a close ratio gearbox with the 5th gear ratio of 1:1

The independent rear suspension and very stiff struts proved no problem , though the springs proved a bit to short. Lack of sway bar in rear ( we did not have time to install it before the rally) was a minor problem and it looks like we need to work on the rear suspension adjustments. ( The rear is a bit jumpy when driven over a cross running diagonal bumps.)

All the elements we installed ( especially the rear spherical top mounts I have constructed myself lacking the Gr5 which came too late to install worked perfectly.

Guy ,

I want to thank you , thank you, and thank you again !

The engine proved far better than you promised and by far exceeded my expectations. The coolant temperature never exceeded 85 deg. The oil temperature was mostly around 65-70 deg. ( Previous engine developed 110 coolant temperature and 130 oil temp) People who looked at it and heard its sound as well as seen it perform congratulated me on it . I accepted these congratulations on your behalf as it is you whom these congratulations are due.

I will never ever make my engines anywhere else but at GCRE! You are a true master.

Miro

PS : here is a link to few short scenes from the rally. My driving leaves a lot to be desired , but give me 6 months of the driving season...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50K4FrhISLw

M

Hi,

Now is the time for some planning: 2011 season update

The plans are :

1/ a proper air duct system with K&N filter ( see previous posts )
2/ Anti Sway bars ( front and rear and rear )
3/ additional front stabilizing bars
4/ bigger rear non floating calipers an 257 dia vented disks
5/ ATE front calipers and 285 dia front vented disks
6/ anti fire (mechanical) system
7/ external electrical kill handle
8/ external fire system handle
9/ Gr4. dash
10/hookup of the oil accumulator
11/larger inner headlights
12/front repeaters
14/front and rear two hooks
15/under engine plate modification

Depending on how things work out some of these elements should be done before the season starts - others will be done during the season.

The most difficult will be the dash , as it requires major re-wiring of all fuses relays, gauges, switches ... practically eliminating the standard fuse box.

Some of the elements I already have :
Installation of the dash itself is fairly straight forward.
The gauges came with sensors, which is key to precision reading and a common mistake to buy gauges without them.
The push-pull switches original look-alike are in my beg as well.

Rewiring is what I face ... My electrician tells me it is about a week to 10 days once he makes he fuse box extension (by pass)

Miro

PS: It is amazing - it started up as a full civilian replica of a stradale ....and will end up as a gr 4 forest version of Gr4.

m

Im not a Fiat man by any stretch of the imagination Miro, but that is a fantastic looking car and itd be a very worthy addition to grace anyones collection of machinery.