Really good info in the thread brother, good to hear that the car is running so well. Once my motor takes a shit, I wanna build a similar spec motor. Just something nice and healthy, so I can redline it all day, NA. Question though, why so many oil changes? Are they preventative in nature, or?

 

finally a more decent tune. still needs some adjustments but i´ll leave it here for comparison as it´s almost the same setup as yours.
Rotronics dyno
test 9 (blue) before test 15 (red) after

Tuner says i need cams!

 

Thanks mate - I don't do ricey crap It is becoming somewhat of a Frankenstein, though. Not there yet but I've got facelift rear lights and I'm on the lookout for a facelift front bumper (with splitter), trying to match the best bits - in my opinion - of the two early vs. later styles.

Wheel painting is going to be tricky! I agree that powder coat is the way to go (from the limited research I've done so far). However, I've also read that powder coating aluminium wheels can be a bad idea due to thermal expansion issues and there have been wheel failures reported, here for example. Definitely not rushing into anything but I'm not a full track-monkey so it's probably not worth over thinking too much.

Do you (or any one else) happen to know what method is used to plate/paint the wheels at the factory?


Cheers buddy. I'm really happy with it - it's cost a lot to get where it is now (somewhat more that I originally thought - certainly more than I would ever admit to the misses ) but there are very few things I would go back and change at this point.

On the oil change front, really it was all about the preservation of the engine. Although everything I removed was thoroughly cleaned and checked (by myself, who has never rebuilt an engine) I wanted to be as safe as possible and make sure that any potentially lost bearing swarf in the engine was flushed out. I never expected it all to come out in the first oil change so I just did lots of consecutive changes. Maybe a waste of money, but the way I looked at it was that I'd spent £x'000's getting it running again, a few hundred on top it really not an issue.


Good stuff. It would be interesting to get them both on the same dyno. Cams are on my list, but right now, I'm enjoying it just the way it is

 

The wheels are powder-coated at the factory, Flipz. It's only bad processing (burning off the old PC, probably) that causes cracking - they should be acid-stripped. It's only a hot paint oven otherwise.

There is another process called Physical Vapour Deposition for chrome wheels, but it's illegal in the EU. Hence chrome-alike PC, as on my Leg End:




PVD:

 

I had some more deliveries recently

Hel braided brake and clutch hoses:


Dixcel FCR FS rotors:


Complete set of rear facelift lights, some eagle eyed/regular S2ki'ers may recognise the right one, the lens will be swapped for my prefacelift one:


I found this funky tool - the (cordless) Dremel was not man enough to get through the metal work behind the light, this should do the job nicely with some slightly larger dremel cutting discs:


Also got my hands on a Meguiars DA kit, can't wait to get the paintwork corrected and and looking fresh again




The Dixcels seemed to take an age to arrive, but we got there in the end, so out with the old:


...and in with the new:




... few hundred miles and we're bedding in nicely:


I went with Yellowstuff EBC pads, the Dixcels were crazy expensive and I've had great experience with the Yellows - so far so good, they feel great!

 

Both posted simultaneously!

Look good - pleased they stop OK. Mind you, the Leg End posted heretofore is a lot less scary with brand new OEM disks/pads - the backs were really corroded and pads down to the squealer.

 

Synchronised posting

I'd seen the PVD before but didn't realise it wasn't allowed in the EU. Looks like It'll be powder coating, definitely need to find a reputable place to have it done, though. Recommendations welcome...

 

PVD isn't banned, but the old style chroming is.

 

Re-finishing is, which is the problem for black-chromey alloy people.