119 replies to this topic

[Bumblebee]

Looking good .....especially if you fit the tubby ears too what z4 have you gone for?

[CocoPops]

Rab Red Looks great Nicol!

[ChrisS1]

Don't do the ears. Looks great

[nicollow]

Looking good .....especially if you fit the tubby ears too what z4 have you gone for?

Its really my mates, Z4M. Its pretty nice to be fair...

Cheers CP, its certainly coming together. Was out in it today freezing my nuts off. Anyone know of an uprated heater?

[Bumblebee]

Don't be getting to used to the z4m with its nice luxuries

[JG]

Looks great ::

[rob999]

Looks great Nicol, nothing else to do but drive it loads now surely?

[nicollow]

Looks great Nicol, nothing else to do but drive it loads now surely?

Got a sub to fit behind the seats and a Fezza heater. Then the small issue of the 3 1/2 lightyear drive to get it properly mapped next month The list is never ending though, as its an ongoing project...

[CocoPops]

Hehe Good luck with the mapping drive. I assume you'll do what most do (even those more local) and stay over the night before so you can start early and then head off ASAP?

[nicollow]

Yeah, got a mate in Northampton so probably stay overnight there. Only 6 hours to there then 3 to Courtenays. A breeze...

[G-Bob]

Not looking too bad at all.

[Dunk]

Looks outstanding! Quite jealous now.

[Lou_m]

Looks great Nicol. Seemed to have missed this build thread. Apparently Lazy Donkey is organising a Kames day again. Give him a prod!

[Sarah_Casper]

Looks nice that mate. Makes me want hardtop on my rab red one now

[nicollow]

So Ive done a fair bit of work to the car lately to get it ready for its recent remap session with Courtenays. Given the Kessel Run is a shorter distance than Edinburgh to Norfolk, I wanted to get the exhaust and associated engine componentry sorted once and for all before travelling down to Courtenays. As such I managed to get a proper manifold from Cliffie, which I proceeded to get ceramic coated. Which turned out pretty lush.


New versus old...

Had a bit of nightmare fitting it all up. As ever, something you think will take 2 hours takes 8. Luckily Bob and Dunk were on hand to help take the back clam off to get it all fitted up correctly. Got myself some copper manifold mounting nuts too, just cos they look nicer. I tried to get a turbo back box to get some better breathing, but every avenue I tried turned out to be a dead end. Sod it though, I've hacked enough of the inside of the standard 2.2 back box out to make sure its still breathes well enough and it isn’t chav loud either, so its all good. So the setup is a Thorney manifold, Larini mid section/CAT, and Pipo modded OEM back box. Plus all the standard stage 2 charger setup.

Dropped it off at Courtenays yesterday and after a slight scare of it not boosting properly, which was traced to too small an air filter and soon rectified by sticking the usual CS filter on, it ran really well. It topped out at 258.9bhp and 218.2lbs/ft. The fuel pump was beginning to struggle a wee bit at the top end but wasn’t anything too much to worry about, short term, but will need upgrading before the end of the season.


Results are in...

Drove it back from darkest Norfolk with a big grin on my face. Its bloody quick now, and after the recent Dave the T seats I've fitted and Fezza heater (pictures to follow), its turning into a proper wee sports car

[JG]

Our cars are very very similar Nicol And within 0.1hp which manifold is that?

[nicollow]

Our cars are very very similar Nicol

And within 0.1hp

which manifold is that?

Hope yours is 0.1 down on mine

Its the one that Cliffie was selling a couple of months back. Think its an old Thorney one, its a nice piece of kit

[ChrisS1]

TMS £200 manifold

[nicollow]

So I've been hard at work most weekends since what feels like the dawn of time. I've done a pile of wee jobs including wiring up the DtT heated seats, sorting out a stereo remote into the steering wheel, rerouting the fuel lines using JGs old kit, replacing the airbox with a carbon enclosed number to reduce the SC whine, changing over the N/A lights for some tubby ones, fitting the carbon dash plates and end plates and fitting a Fezza heater. Few other bits and pieces I've probably forgotten. My hands have a number of new scars, but its edging ever closer to being finished... I've taken a few photos but I'm in the middle of major house renovation work just now so have no access to my computer. Will update with some photos as and when I can

[nicollow]

I fitted up JGs old fuel lines a couple of weeks ago. The VX can pull some serious Gs, even at standstill





Went fine, if a little sweary and petrolly. The US eBay fuel rail fittings are not as neat as I would like. I know JG has some for sale now that are much nicer, but Ive paid for the US ones already...





Ive done a little fettling with the airbox. I hate the whine from the 'charger and looked around for an enclosed airbox. Spoke to Techie who pointed me in the direction of Pipercross ones, but ended up going for a BMC carbon one. Got it second hand on eBay for £40. A quick clean of the filter and its grand. Makes the car a hell of a lot quieter, and Im finally happy with the sound of the thing.





Seeing as Kenwood do a really neat wee remote, I looked into embedding it into the steering wheel surround. Worked out pretty well, there is enough space to mount it completely flush. I drilled a little hole on the opposite side for the wee IR sender, and its all pretty out of the way...





Also got some DtT seats made up. Fitted them a while back and they are freakin ace. Got heated elements put in which are a bit of a faff, but what the hell. Not the greatest of photos, but y'all get the idea. Interior is now pretty much where I want it. Inside the car. Hardyharhar... Oh yeah, got some DtT carpets too, which replace the tatty as fook original ones.





I fitted the uprated fuel pump today. No photos as its hardly the most visually exciting job in the world. All went grand, though the ruddy US fuel rail fitting is now leaking on the return side. Ive got a pile of fibre washers at work so will just nick one of those on Monday which will no doubt resolve it. Next on the to do list is a front and rear disc and pad refresh. Just got some Pagid ones from Eurocarparts as they were on offer and cheap as 'owt; £150 for four discs and full set of pads. Also want to start work on my phat sub too.