Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Que?

[Adam B]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

sorry, you were asking about water pumps, not oil...

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Flashed the firmware in the DL1 Mk2 datalogger, trying to get it to read the CAN Serial data from the DTA ECU.
Still not working so I'll recreate the BIN config file for the DL1 tonight and try again. The idea is that the DL1 logs the data passed to it from the ECU, and also passed the the data on to the Dash3 LCD display. I've never had it working.

Cut the front wheel arch extensions back, and trimmed the front spoiler, and the spoiler now fits on the front of the car. Its at the height I want to run, but there is a strip of daylight between the car and the spoiler, and I'll need to somehow bridge the gap or raise the spoiler up until it touches the shell, and fasten it in that position.



Fitted the painted and strengthened gearbox support bracket back on the car. The engine/box now sit further back and the engine is inclined backwards a few more degrees.


This is the end result I'd like with the front spoiler and arch extensions.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Bonded the spoiler to the undertray last night. Now I can concentrate on extending the ends of the spoiler to wrap around the wheel arch extensions.

Time to start glassing.







The G clamps were a snip at under a tenna for 6 from B&Q Coventry.

Only 11 days left before the Blyton sprint so I have my work cut out to get it looking right before then.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

By pure fluke, last night I thought I'd offer up the original front spoiler above the new one, to see if I could re-use part of it to give a cleaner finish to the top edge.

It sat above the new spoiler perfectly, and the original mounting holes still lined up with the holes in the body work. So I set about trimming it with the jigsaw, and the end result looks rather good. I shall bond the two together tonight using some P40. This not only solves the problem cosmetically, but it also adds significant rigidity and security to the new spoiler. And I dont need to worry about dzus fasteners or the like now



I still have to do some filling etc, and form the wrap arounds, but this is another significant step forward.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber







Just a load of filling, rubbing down and spraying left to go. :cool!:

I'm up against Windy at Blyton on Saturday/Sunday, sharing the class with an Exige. I cant wait.

[trig]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Nice matey you doing retro rides again this year?

[windy]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Looking good Graham. Here's hoping for the sports libre split we have all beeen waiting for!

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Retro Rides, maybe, not committed yet. I'm not a guest car this year, so wont get to have as many runs up the hill.

Graham, I'll be slip sliding around on my 8 year old Michelins, so go easy on me

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Sprayed it last night. First coat of plastic primer. Rubbing it down tonight with 2000 grit, then applying red primer.

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Looking good Graham. Here's hoping for the sports libre split we have all beeen waiting for!

I hope the last email we received hasn't spoilt the class split. Its all gone quite so fingers crossed. Are you there on Friday for the track session too?

[team_zi]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

After sanding the grey primer down with 2000 grit (The finish goes all shiney, looks wet almost) I then sprayed the red primer on. Tonight I'll rub that down again with the 2000, and apply the first few coats of red gloss. Providing its not raining outside of course.



I also stuck the door numbers on for Saturday/Sunday. Unusually with it being two different events over the two days (with two chances to win class awards) we've all got the same numbers for both days, so there cant be many people just doing one out of the two.



I've been 'warned' that the minimum ground clearance must be 40mm which i reckon the front spoiler is just above. Trouble is that the garage floor slopes downward at the front, and thats where I've been doing all my measurements....

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Saturday and Sunday July 21st and 22nd 2012
Blyton Park sprint weekend, organised by the Westfield Sports Car Club
Class entered: 4B (Series derived saloons)
70 Paul Horrox (Lotus Exige 240BHP)
71 Graham Blackwell (Fiesta Mk1 200BHP)
72 Graham Millar (SBD Vauxhall Escort Mk2 240BHP)
73 Fred Horrox (Lotus Exige 240BHP)

Saturday

Departed from Leicester at around 5:30am, packed up with sleeping bag, pillow, and all of the other paraphernalia that you need to sleep in the car. With this being the first weekend event I'd ever done, I'd probably packed too much. But check lists were drawn up and we made sure I'd covered all bases. I even had sun tan lotion with me, just in case the sun shone. The forecast for the weekend was actually pretty encouraging, and none of us enjoy puddle jumping at sprints, it really puts a downer on things. Fog was the biggest obstacle on my trip up the newly completed A46 extension, and as I turned North towards Gainsborough the fog came and went, in ever thickening patches. I found the Blyton track quite easily, and drove the mile or so inside the airfield around the old perimeter roads, until I found a space next to Graham Millar's Mk2 Escort. After parking up, unloading the Fiesta, and giving it a quick wash, I went through the usual checks. Things like wheel nuts, tyre pressures, that kind of thing. I ran 22psi in the fronts, and 23.5psi in the rears of my now eight year old Michelin track tyres. Although they're old, they do develop lots of grip once warmed up, and this track was going to be one of those where you could really lean on them, and generate some decent heat.

Signed on, and the Drivers briefing done, first practice soon came around, and the normal pre-event nerves kicked in. I needn't have worried, as having not even walked the track, I set out on a very mediocre reconnaissance lap. When I returned it was clear that Graham had benefitted from his cycle around the track, and so after 2nd practice, I borrowed the bike to have a little look for myself. It certainly was proving to be a very technically demanding circuit, one which rewarded precision and a little bravery.

The first timed runs soon came and went, and after a conversation with Angus Buchan and Graham, I decided to blank off the two brake ducts that were in the front of the new Berg Cup style front splitter that I'd fitted the previous week. I'd also fashioned an under tray, using some 3mm laminate board sourced from my local sign maker. And the two brake ducts were simply allowing air to flow through the spoiler instead of creating a low pressure area underneath the front of the car. I scrounged some tank tape, made a couple of cardboard blanking plugs for the holes, and taped them both over. With nothing to lose, I set out on my next timed run, with scepticism for any real improvement, and found myself almost 2 seconds faster! Strewth, maybe there was method in my madness in fitting an under tray and splitter after all. The third and final timed runs found even more grip and confidence, but on the last chicane the car suffered fuel starvation and I lost a bit of speed, which resulted in a slightly slower time than the previous run. The new fuel tank needs to be kept at least a 1/4 full (5 litres) from my experience in order not to suffer from fuel surge.

With the first day's runs over, the victory in the Midland Speed Championship fell to Graham with his Escort, a full 1.4 seconds faster than me. We packed the cars back up on to the trailers, changed out of the race suits, and I emptied the contents of my Jerry can in to the Fiesta tank. I then set off to find the local MURCO fuel station to fill the Jerry can up with some fresh Super Unleaded, and when I returned I brimmed the tank in the Fiesta, and then had a good long chat with many of the sprinting regulars whilst the WSCC held an outdoor AGM next to the club house. I spotted the Pizza Man busily creating custom pizzas, and chatted with Jim Bolt and Kurt Ramsden about their experiences of the weekend. Jim didn't bring his Juno with him, but he still turned up in the ex-Carl Foggarty Petronas motorhome, which he normally uses to tow his race car with. Myself and Graham plus a couple of his mates, headed off in to Blyton to find some more food at 8:30pm (something a little more hearty), and we chatted away for another hour or so on Duratec conversions etc. Then back to the airfield before the gates were closed, and I made myself as comfortable as I could in my Subaru, bedding down for a good nights kip. That's not exactly how it panned out though. Modern cars simply aren't designed for sleeping in, not surprisingly, and I didn't have the best night's sleep.

Sunday

I was up and changed by 6am, and took a stroll around the track. I was soon joined by Graham on his bike again, and Richard Vaughan, who was examining video from his timed runs recorded the previous day, looking for braking and gear change points, and comparing our thoughts on just where we could make up more time.

Once back to the paddock, there was time to kill, so I removed the front wheels and altered the tracking, to reduce the toe out which was still present from the shock absorber change at Loton in September 2011. Once the wheels were pointing parallel again, I put the tools away, and had breakfast as the catering van was up and running, dishing out great tasting bacon sandwiches and steaming hot coffee.

A second drivers briefing was held, with a couple of notable changes. The speed trap had been brought further back on the back straight, as it was used as an indicator to the officials that the next car could be released. Moving it back theoretically allowed the event to put two cars out on the track at closer intervals, which would increase the throughput. Good theory.

First practice runs soon came up, and I posted a time similar to my fastest time from the Saturday, which I was pleased about. I had really awful hay fever, which meant endless nose blowing, and sneezing, but I was determined not to let that spoil the day. There were no more practice runs. Instead we went straight in to timed runs, and mindful that for the Midland Speed, only the first two runs counted, I tried very hard on my next run to get closer to Graham Millar. I whipped round, using all the turn in points we'd decided on from the track walk, and went round quicker than ever, only to cross the white line on the outside of the finishing corner, which meant the time was disqualified. I knew instantly I'd crossed it with my near side tyre, so I lifted off and coasted across the line with a 75.something run. It was of no surprise when the printer results were pinned up, that my time said NTR. Graham had gone quicker! What to do? I had to give an almighty push on my 2nd timed run, which the organisers squeezed in before a late lunch.

Looking at the YouTube video recording of my 2nd timed run, the lines are almost perfect. I'm on the gas, pushing, letting the car run wide, being tidy, no sudden braking or hanging the tail out. And as I crossed the line I recorded a 1.5second improvement on the first practice run, to record a 73.55s run. Only to find that Graham had gone quicker again, with a storming 73.36s run. Drat!

One more timed run after lunch, one more time to see if I could get 2nd in class behind the Lotus Exige. I set off with a really good start, made a mess of the first chicane, and pushed very hard along the back straight. Thinking I could claw a bit more time back at the chicane, I braked, dropped down a gear, back on the brakes, and wham! The rear of the Fiesta snapped away at around 40mph, and I applied opposite lock and held on tight. The car turned left, and I wiped out the chicane, scattering aggregate and cones all over the track. Looking out the driver's window as I pirouetted I had one thought and only one thought. Please don't dig in! And luckily she didn't. After stopping, and getting the gearbox back in to neutral, the kind marshals confirmed that there was no damage, and I was able to drive back to the paddock. I parked up, and walked across to Windy, sat on the start line waiting for the mess to be cleared. "You looked like you meant business" were his words. I told him what happened, that the track just needed a quick sweep, and when the action resumed, he sped round to set exactly the same time he'd set on his previous run. It looked very fast watching from the paddock, and you just don't appreciate the speed sitting in the car. You don't have time to really, the corners come up so fast, you have no time to think about the consequences. Graham said he must have found the limit, and couldn't go any quicker, and my time of 73.55s placed me again, 2nd in the Midland Speed championship, and 3rd overall in our class at Blyton, and Graham in 51st overall, with myself 52nd overall.

I've got gravel rash on both of the offside wheels, the front spoiler has parted from the section I bonded it to, and the bottom of the spoiler looks very second hand. But that's what happens sometimes. Sometimes competition forces you to try harder, and that's just what the sport needs at the moment. More Libre or Supermodified saloons, in an equal class, with closer and exciting racing.

My thanks to WSCC for presenting me with the Best Prepared Car award, as judged by the scrutineers. It was gladly received, and shows that the Fiesta is not just for show and shine. I really want to be pushed, so I can improve as a driver, and the car can continue to be developed. There's little point in me continuing if the Sports Libre classes aren't relaxed. I can't compete against space framed cars, and it's not in anyone's best interest to keep us segregated from the rest of the pack. Three events have been cancelled that I know of, this year already, and we need new blood to come and join us. My congratulations to the WSCC for an excellent event, and my thanks to all those who made it possible.

[team_zi]

Re: My Mk1 Fiesta XR2

Next event is 3 Sisters 2 lap sprint this Sunday (5th) against a 6R4 (2 litre RWD) and a couple of Lotus' in class 4B


I have four new Kumho C03 Supersofts to fit on Saturday, and a GoPro Hero2 HD camera for improved footage.

[cossie matt]

Re: Grahamb's Mk1 Fiesta XR2 Duratec HE Hillclimber

Great write up Graham. Brilliant result, that Windy Millar sure can pedal his escort so you did well to get so close, he is a bit rusty as he's not been out for a long time.
Sounds like the fiesta is really coming along, a new set of tyres could really improve your results(but I know they are damned expensive)

I agree with your comments about sports libre, it's very narrow minded of the sprint setup just to pile anything else that doesn't fit into their outdated class system into a class like that.