I haven't updated this for a while, and though nothing significant has happened, there have been some minor developments;
I got some Pioneer custom fit components for the front;
they have now been in for a couple of months, and are fine, but if I was doing it again I wouldn't bother, if only as replacement tweeter covers are £45 each if (when) you break one removing the original tweeters.
Managed to leave one of my key cards in my jeans the other day, I was only alterted to it by my wife questioning the knocking noise from the dryer - miraculously though it still seemed to work, which I think was a bonus and has saved me some messing about.
I have a second inlet manifold which was port matched by APD a couple of months ago. Unfortunately when I received it back the vac nipple by the TB was badly bent and cracked, and snapped off when I tried to straighten it, I sent it back to Craig and am hoping to get it back this week.
On the subject of the manifold, I am planning on getting it powder coated, and am open to suggestions, I am currently torn between anthracite, bright red, or a bright / candy blue? While I obviously want it to look good under the bonnet (with blue silicon hoses), I don't want to limit it's appeal when I put the car back to standard and come to sell it (the inlet). Also I am not planning on getting the lower inlet coated as you can barely see it, does this sound sensible, or cheap?
Finally, in preparation for all of this, I set to removing the "Renault Sport" badge today, as follows;
Fan assisted oven @ 200C for 10min, then carefully remove using a wallpaper scraper. Once cooled, removed adhesive by rubbing, using brake cleaner to soften.
It has come off very well, and should be fine to refit once the manifold is powder coated.
Pics;
inlet with badge removed
upper and lower
gasket on lower
gasket on upper
PTFE Vs OE gasket
PTFE Vs. inlet to head mating face
Of course these pics would mean more when compared with an unmodified mani, but those pics will have to wait.
The PTFE gaskets seem to have mixed reviews, but I have to replace it anyway, so it isn't any extra work.
Couple of weeks ago I made some rally style mudflaps for the front of the car, started off with some 4mm black rally flap material, made a template using cardboard, and fited into place using two self-tappers, the original screw for the liner, and two Ford mudflap clamps that I had knocking around.
If I am critical, I haven't quite got the angle right, the bottom corner sticks out a touch too far, but at this time of year that is no great problem, I will probably give them a tweek at some point. Good news is that both came out of a single piece of rally flap material, so I have some left to have a crack at the rears.
The latest news (from today) is that the little car got its first drive for about a week today, took it to the RR day at RS Tuning. The results were probably about what I expected @ 176.4BHP, I would have liked 180+, but can't really complain, the curve was relatively smooth, and the car is quick enough to drive, so at the end of the day it is just a number.
I saw 2 200's get tried, one made 181, the other 191 (interestingly with it's airbox lid removed?), so my 176 isn't too bad. I plan on taking it back when I have had the APD inlets fitted, to see if they make any difference. I think a couple more 197's rolled in just as I was leaving, so it would be interesting to know what they made.
I will get the graphs scanned on Monday, but in the meantime here are a couple of (rather poor Blackberry) pics of the car on the rollers;
