The car is fitted with a fuel injected Rover 3.5EFI This drives a 5 speed gearbox with a Sherpa linkage - and it's fantastic. There's literally 2cm of throw between gears, it IS like a rifle bolt and makes a great noise - Ka-chink!
The swirl pot is in the tank, with EFi pump so that's quiet. Exhaust gases exit via a single pipe system, with fresh air coming in from a K&N filter. The radiator is a one-off item and the engine is as far back as possible. Everything works beautifully and the car is the BEST one of it's kind that I've ever driven.
It also has Spax shocks, uprated springs and goodridge hoses.
The gearstick falls nicely to hand and it's a real pleasure to drive - it really does ride, grip and go nicely - maybe down to the springs and the 205 tyres it is shod with.
Recently I've noticed a bit of wear in the RHS balljoint or trackrod, so I may replace that soon, along with new tyres.
At 70mph it turns 2800RPM in top, at 30mph 1100RPM. It's not too bad, although it does mean you need 3rd for 60, unless you really thrash it. Oil pressure at idle when warm is 50lb and 60 when revved. It reputedly had a new pump just before I bought it..
(spot the missing bits!)
Anyway, on to the nitty gritty!
ECU and relays live under the drivers seat
Intertial cutout and some wiring wondering in the footwell.
Ghetto-install temporary gauge
Interior needs...work! - just reassembling really.
Gap between rad & engine
Clearance to filter...
And underneath...comes off a treat!
Manifold fits ...tightly on this side
AFM, coil, various other bits on LHS turret & inside wing
Ground clearance? WE DON'T NEED NO STEENKIN GROUND CLEARANCE!
Sherpa short shift linkage (2cm between throws, lovely! Bit brutish though!) with Dolly top stick welded on!
Eye up lads, trouble's just rocked up!
It's quite heavily silenced so is very subtle at idle and around town yet when it climbs above 3000 it suddenly starts bellowing and screaming, even more so as it breaches 5000 - in the cab you certainly know it's there though, even when rolling along. Definitely an engine that sounds better under load than free-revving.
Anyway, so far the going's been good - just been bedding it in as it hasn't done many miles as a V8 and waiting on parts - still have no cooling fans, despite them being ordered.
There is a short list of things to do but there's nothing major.
Best recorded 0-60 on the G-meter is 5.80 seconds dead at the moment - a slight improvement over the 5.83 seconds I got before. This is on the very dubious cheap tyres mind and in the slightly less than tractive conditions. We did a side-by-side comparison with my neighbour's 3.2 Audi A3 with Haldex and superb box and the Sprint was quicker through the gears but aerodynamics started getting in the way at higher velocites.
Audi had the edge in the corners though by miles, the Sprint just fishtails! More handling mods required!
Once it dries out, I get some decent rubber and get it cooled I'll start wringing its neck for those extra few fractions - will be interesting to see how it goes. Getting used to the gearchange took some time, occasionally 2>3rd is hard to get but there's about 7 adjustment points on the linkage, so after fettling that it was much simpler.
I'll post a small project log over this Easter which will be when the next stage begins.....eyes are on a progessive nitrous oxide kit amongst more handling/braking modifications!
Oh and noticed it's got 4 Alpine speakers and a motorised rear aerial too - so just need a headunit now...Not that I could hear the bloody thing
