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12 Months Later - Alex's Build Thread

36K views 409 replies 33 participants last post by  Shadowraven  
#1 ·
So thought I would stick up a build thread, well a second one as my first one was wank and the car and I have gone in a completely different direction to that. 12 Months from purchase I think its time to show what's been going on

Right the firm I work for at the moment decided that they where going to give me a bloody big van to drive round it, so it wasn't to long before I got feed up not being able to park it anyway and general being noisy and crap on my 50,000 mile a year journey.

So looking at the generic euro boxes available for weekend run arounds and was thinking bah, I want my 1275 Mini back in one piece. This one;

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Then I saw the light and found that MX5's are pretty much at the going rate for shit boxes, so I popped up to Yeovil and picked this little charmer up;

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#327 ·
Fucking shit tit fuck wanker cunt......................

Okay I have taken the correct FUSE not RELAY out this time.

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#328 ·
#330 ·
#332 ·
I'm sure it's just that diode that gets toasted.
You sure you don't want to swap for my 80's technology for fuel and spark control?
Yeah it is, well I hope so.

Yeah fuck it, im going back to NA, i dont even like cars.
 
#333 ·
I feel slightly happier that its not just me regretting turbo'ing their car... Mine ran mint NA, now I've turbo'd it and it smokes. Looking for another 1.6 and prob going to buy a Sturvo manifold and dp and go to a td04.

Your manifold looks like the same eBay one I have.
I dont think its and ebay jobby. Sorry to hear your woes, I should be okay...... I hope.
 
#335 ·
O well I have a MIG, will patch it up as needed.

It's all playing into the bigger plan.
 
#336 ·
Don't give up on FI alex, it will amaze you when it's all working right.

Few niggles along the way, but it'll be worth it. I was lucky, had my manifold made by a grass track car builder and used an aem fic piggy back, so none of the ms woes.
 
#337 ·
Don't give up on FI alex, it will amaze you when it's all working right.

Few niggles along the way, but it'll be worth it. I was lucky, had my manifold made by a grass track car builder and used an aem fic piggy back, so none of the ms woes.
You beat me to it...

I was reading through and was going to say exactly the same. DON'T GIVE IN.

I've just had an utter bastard week, where literally everything has gone wrong, CAS seal, cam cover seal, leaking oil onto coolant hose, that then burst, windscreen wipers stopped working. Then my IAT sensor fell out of place, rain rail started leaking... This all in a week and more, MOT next Thursday!! I've had to work on it in the cold and dark for the last week to get our running.

And the moment today when I screwed that iat sensor back in and took it for a drive and felt boost again, knowing all was well... Its just magical. Best feeling ever. SO DON'T GIVE UP!
 
#338 ·
Cheers guys I appreciate your input, in comparison a cracked mani isn't exactly unheard of and I have the ability to repair it. Also a split radiator which is getting replaced Tuesday isn't the end of the world.

Just bloody blowing my MS1 up twice is a kick in the nuts. Its amazing I actually have responsibility for the safety of 50 men at work.
 
#339 ·
Megasquirt fixed......................................

............ currently making dirty exhaust noises, will stick the laptop on her and see if I can get some choo-choo sounds in a bit.

Videos to come.

But now my wideband isn't working :mad:
 
#341 ·
Guess who got to drive their boosted 5 today...

Didn't get very far tuning wise, set the timing up correctly against the car along with scaling my required fuel.

Sorted my wideband and the MS1, which are corresponding with matching figures.

Drove it about a bit, but when it comes on boost it splutters and stumbles badly so actually need to do some proper tuning.

Can't upload videos at the girlfriends, but I have choo choo noises!

Day turned a bit sour by the evening, our neighbour who is normally a top bloke and really friendly. Came out shouting and balling about the noise, guess I had spent all day trying to tune the thing.
 
#343 ·
Choochoo!
Probably going too rich when da boost comes in.
Autotune the crap out of it.
What basemap you using?
Using a basemap that towelie sent me, in all honestly im not at all clued up on the tuning side of things. Got a lot of reading a head of me.

I was reading that document you posted previously DM, trying to calibrate thermistors then realised that was for MS2 :doh: . So got to get my head around the understanding of what im doing before I go ahead. No point just moving numbers around to see what happens without the knowledge behind it.
 
#344 ·
Choo choo noises yay :D

 
#347 ·
Cheers guys, my turbo goes aahhh chooooo chooo choo cho. Haha

Yeah I gathered most things are the same, just need to find out what. Instead of starring at TS for a hour shouting WTF.
 
#348 ·
Unless you've got a form of knock detection you don't want to be playing with the ignition, set it super safe and leave it.

Learn best by doing it playing about doing your idle.
 
#350 · (Edited by Moderator)
Choo, choo, hurrah and choo once more!

Great work buddy! I've enjoyed reading thus far and look forward to the next phase of development (especially the bit where you get to use the damn thing as it is intended!)

Sketchy x