We took the Tuscan to the Duxford Spring Car Show on May the 3rd.
The Reflex Green paint really stands out well and we got lots of favourable comments. We were on the PistonHeads.com stand with fifteen other cars ranging from Aerial Atom to Gordon Keeble. It was a good day out and there are some great cars on display as well as the facilities of Duxford itself. They had a display of military vehicles, which was pretty impressive. We had a good trip down and back but the weather was pretty cold and windy so we got home fairly early.
Wednesday 13 May 2009
Tuscan Trackday
Well the Marham trackday came and went for the Tuscan.
I have posted some videos on you tube:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3WSo3kDvwg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv19tPl2N0Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbK6tjfr3yc
My middle son and I joined a surprising number of cars of all types for the Saturday. The weather was brilliant, which helped a lot. I had prepared the car by fitting the original 16" silver spider alloys with Bridgestone Potenza on the rear and Toyo T-1's on the front. The Racing Red shocks worked very well indeed and the scuffing of the tyres is very even indeed.
I must admit I found the coned perimter track a bit confusing at first, but the mile long runway was easy enough, with upto 6 cars abreast! The Tuscan was not running very well and would not rev cleanly on full throttle, so I had to accelerate more slowly than I wished. There was also no overtaking in the corners, which limited overall speed. We acheived 150mph on the main straight, but this should have been nearer 16omph. I suspect the Call-Pack was at fault, which is a common problem on the Speed 6 engine as it is bolted the the block and overheats! I did try using BP optimax fuel at 105p per litre and that did seem to help the revs a little.
We experimented with the rear wing and found that removing it did not affect top speed very much at all. Reducing the down force had us "understeering" off the track however and through the cones with the rear end feeling very "loose". With full downforce it was much more confidence inspiring coming from the end of the runway at 150mph downhill straight into a hairpin!
All in all a good day but expensive in terms of wear and tear as usual. I wore through several mm of tread on the tyres on the very abrasive surface and picked up a lot of stone ships on the nose of the car. Several people had gaffa taped up their cars to avoid this problem with airfield track days.
There were quite a few engine problems, spins and even a full roll over by the other participants.
I have posted some videos on you tube:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3WSo3kDvwg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kv19tPl2N0Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbK6tjfr3yc
My middle son and I joined a surprising number of cars of all types for the Saturday. The weather was brilliant, which helped a lot. I had prepared the car by fitting the original 16" silver spider alloys with Bridgestone Potenza on the rear and Toyo T-1's on the front. The Racing Red shocks worked very well indeed and the scuffing of the tyres is very even indeed.
I must admit I found the coned perimter track a bit confusing at first, but the mile long runway was easy enough, with upto 6 cars abreast! The Tuscan was not running very well and would not rev cleanly on full throttle, so I had to accelerate more slowly than I wished. There was also no overtaking in the corners, which limited overall speed. We acheived 150mph on the main straight, but this should have been nearer 16omph. I suspect the Call-Pack was at fault, which is a common problem on the Speed 6 engine as it is bolted the the block and overheats! I did try using BP optimax fuel at 105p per litre and that did seem to help the revs a little.
We experimented with the rear wing and found that removing it did not affect top speed very much at all. Reducing the down force had us "understeering" off the track however and through the cones with the rear end feeling very "loose". With full downforce it was much more confidence inspiring coming from the end of the runway at 150mph downhill straight into a hairpin!
All in all a good day but expensive in terms of wear and tear as usual. I wore through several mm of tread on the tyres on the very abrasive surface and picked up a lot of stone ships on the nose of the car. Several people had gaffa taped up their cars to avoid this problem with airfield track days.
There were quite a few engine problems, spins and even a full roll over by the other participants.
Back in Harness
Well the Chimaera got through its MOT just fine, simply requiring 2 new number plate bulbs.
I have been using it regularly through the nice weather alternating with the Tuscan. However I did note a slight hesitation in the engine, which gradually became a stutter and then quite significant "driveline shunt" when moving slowly in traffic. Seeking advice from RPI they identified the distributor as being at fault and so I replaced that with a new standard unit costing £179 plus fitting and now the car is running great again. This is one very quick road car as the tuning modifications make the power very useable on country roads. It does not have the presence of the Tuscan but still gets lots of admiring looks and favourable comments.
I have been using it regularly through the nice weather alternating with the Tuscan. However I did note a slight hesitation in the engine, which gradually became a stutter and then quite significant "driveline shunt" when moving slowly in traffic. Seeking advice from RPI they identified the distributor as being at fault and so I replaced that with a new standard unit costing £179 plus fitting and now the car is running great again. This is one very quick road car as the tuning modifications make the power very useable on country roads. It does not have the presence of the Tuscan but still gets lots of admiring looks and favourable comments.
Thursday 16 April 2009
Chimaera running again
Replacing the fuel pump relays worked a treat and the Chimaera is running again. It is booked in for the MOT and so I have checked everything works etc. I will have to pray that nothing too major needs doing.
The Tuscan has had the new Racing Red shock absorbers fitted with laser alignment and a new Speedometer Transducer, which cost £1006 with fitting and VAT. The new shocks take a lot of harshness out of the ride and it is not bottoming out so easily. We are off to Marham very early on Saturday for a charity track day, so I can have a play with the settings. Matt at Sebring fitted them upside down, so the adjusters are easily reached. I hope the Tuscan passes the 105db noise limit as it only squeaked through at Snetterton. I have had to fit a little fire extinguisher on the passenger parcel shelf, which cost £8.95 from Wilco. I made up a bracket and attached it through the holes at the side, so as not to damage the interior. I will also be fitting the 16" wheels and tyres that came with the car because the surface is very abrasive and I want to preserve my road tyres. It will be interesting to see how the Tuscan handles with these higher profile tyres fitted.
The Tuscan has had the new Racing Red shock absorbers fitted with laser alignment and a new Speedometer Transducer, which cost £1006 with fitting and VAT. The new shocks take a lot of harshness out of the ride and it is not bottoming out so easily. We are off to Marham very early on Saturday for a charity track day, so I can have a play with the settings. Matt at Sebring fitted them upside down, so the adjusters are easily reached. I hope the Tuscan passes the 105db noise limit as it only squeaked through at Snetterton. I have had to fit a little fire extinguisher on the passenger parcel shelf, which cost £8.95 from Wilco. I made up a bracket and attached it through the holes at the side, so as not to damage the interior. I will also be fitting the 16" wheels and tyres that came with the car because the surface is very abrasive and I want to preserve my road tyres. It will be interesting to see how the Tuscan handles with these higher profile tyres fitted.
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Chimaera spring clean
I went to disinter the Chimaera at the weekend from my friends garage so that it could be MOT'd.
As it had not been run since November 2008 I disconnected the coil wires and turned over the engine until the oil pressure warning light extinguished and then re-connected the coil wires. On pressing the immobiliser "plipper" I noticed the fuel pump was not making it's ususal "buzzing" noise and sure enough the engine turned quickly, coughed a couple of times but would not fire.
Searching the excellent Pistonheads forum on the internet I applied the suggested remedies. I thumped the dash on the passenger side, in case it was the immobiliser relay, swapped the fuel pump relay with another relay in the loom and checked the fuel pump fuse was OK, but still no joy.
The relay is a 12V 30A Bosch part no. 0332014112 and used on Landrovers, but costs £27+ VAT from said dealers. The same relay from ADP the local Bosch factor is £5.86 inclusive of VAT, so it pays to shop around! However it wil ltake a couple of days to get here.
Thsi is a known TVR fault and hopefully a new relay will sort the issue. If not the fuel pump will have to be investigated. It is situated under the car near the diff and so the car will need to be jacked up to test it's operation with a multi-meter. I don't think power is getting to the pump at all, so a lot of head scratching could be in order. A new pump is £170 +VAT + delivery from TVR parts suppliers.
I had to cancel the MOT , which was a pain. The good news is that adding the Chimaera to my Tuscan insurance with Hagerty only cost about £50 per year and so I was really happy.
As it had not been run since November 2008 I disconnected the coil wires and turned over the engine until the oil pressure warning light extinguished and then re-connected the coil wires. On pressing the immobiliser "plipper" I noticed the fuel pump was not making it's ususal "buzzing" noise and sure enough the engine turned quickly, coughed a couple of times but would not fire.
Searching the excellent Pistonheads forum on the internet I applied the suggested remedies. I thumped the dash on the passenger side, in case it was the immobiliser relay, swapped the fuel pump relay with another relay in the loom and checked the fuel pump fuse was OK, but still no joy.
The relay is a 12V 30A Bosch part no. 0332014112 and used on Landrovers, but costs £27+ VAT from said dealers. The same relay from ADP the local Bosch factor is £5.86 inclusive of VAT, so it pays to shop around! However it wil ltake a couple of days to get here.
Thsi is a known TVR fault and hopefully a new relay will sort the issue. If not the fuel pump will have to be investigated. It is situated under the car near the diff and so the car will need to be jacked up to test it's operation with a multi-meter. I don't think power is getting to the pump at all, so a lot of head scratching could be in order. A new pump is £170 +VAT + delivery from TVR parts suppliers.
I had to cancel the MOT , which was a pain. The good news is that adding the Chimaera to my Tuscan insurance with Hagerty only cost about £50 per year and so I was really happy.
Tuesday 17 March 2009
And in the early spring...
I had a problem fitting the new earth lead as it attached under the alternator in a really awkward place. The Tuscan is really difficult to work on and having to unbolt the main bonnet and remove the airbox to get at everything is a real pain. In the end I left the old lead in place and fitted the new lead from the back of the A/C Pump to a threaded spigot on the front cross member of the chassis, which has solved the starting problem.
The next thing was the service bonnet clip broke on the drivers side. It looked like they were going to be hard to source but Clever Trevor had just one costing £4 including P&P, which arrived the next day. It was not exactly the same but I made one good one out of the two.
My cars always seem to go wrong at this time of year?
Anyway. driving the Tuscan in the sunshine makes it all worth while. People really seem to appreciate this car, which I think has a lot to do with the colour.
The next thing was the service bonnet clip broke on the drivers side. It looked like they were going to be hard to source but Clever Trevor had just one costing £4 including P&P, which arrived the next day. It was not exactly the same but I made one good one out of the two.
My cars always seem to go wrong at this time of year?
Anyway. driving the Tuscan in the sunshine makes it all worth while. People really seem to appreciate this car, which I think has a lot to do with the colour.
Wednesday 11 March 2009
Tuscan won't Start
I have had the Tuscan's first real problem.It was running fine but one cold morning the starter would not turn quickly. Immediately suspecting the battery and having no documentary evidence of how old it was I replaced it with a Varta Type 72, 630 cranking amps and 70 amp/hour with 5 year guarantee from MultiCell for £74; which was slightly more powerful than the old battery. Once fitted I turned the key but the starter still turned very slowly indeed - ohhhh dear!
I knew the car had had a new starter last May before I purchased it, but it had all the symptoms of a duff starter. I took off the very large air cleaner box and checked all the positive connections, which looked good and the starter was indeed new. I phoned Racing Green TVR who were really helpful and they told me that the starter motors rarely fail and mentioned the engine earthing to the chassis can be a problem.
I used a heavy duty jump lead attached to the exhaust and the negative terminal of the battery to make an earth connection and sure enough, the starter turned faster and faster until the engine fired - Bingo!
I have ordered a new earth strap £11.50 and a couple of spare 100 amp fuses and will fit them as soon as I can.
I knew the car had had a new starter last May before I purchased it, but it had all the symptoms of a duff starter. I took off the very large air cleaner box and checked all the positive connections, which looked good and the starter was indeed new. I phoned Racing Green TVR who were really helpful and they told me that the starter motors rarely fail and mentioned the engine earthing to the chassis can be a problem.
I used a heavy duty jump lead attached to the exhaust and the negative terminal of the battery to make an earth connection and sure enough, the starter turned faster and faster until the engine fired - Bingo!
I have ordered a new earth strap £11.50 and a couple of spare 100 amp fuses and will fit them as soon as I can.
Thursday 5 March 2009
Spring is almost here
Well the Tuscan has been used most weeks through the winter. I left the lights on one time as there is no warning buzzer, which flattened the battery. The RAC came and jump started it, but a few weeks later the battery died, so a new one was purchased. You have to take the front wheel off to change the battery and the car is very low, so it had to be pushed onto about 3cm of wood, so that I could get the trolley jack under.
I have also had a puncture in a rear tyre and due to the very low profile tyres and the hydratrak differential, I didn't notice, the car simply seemd to make more noise. This meant I ruined the old tyre and had to have a new one fitted, costing £185.
I had a slight misfire when accelerating hard and so fitted new Spark Plugs and Magnecor leads, which cured the problem straight away. Due to having to remove the big bonnet and the fact they are under a cover, which has to be unsealed and resealed it takes a lot of time and so the total cost was £170.
We are booked into another track day at Marham airfield in April, with the Piston Head guys, so this will hopefully be another good experience. There are some really mental cars going, so it should be a good laugh.
I think my rear discs have got a little thin as I can detect vibration through the pedal, so that will be the next job, before Marham.
I have also had an annoying problem with the heater ECU connector not making a good contact for the Heater Blower Fan and subsequently not much heat to demist the windscreen. The Fan draws a lot of current and had eroded the connector pin on the ECU. I carefully built up the pin using solder and made up a little brass tube about 2mm long to fit over the pin so the connector sat tightly on it and now everything is fine.
The Chimeara has been off the road since November. I would like to do quite a lot of work to the chasis and suspension but this will have to wait until the summer.
I have also had a puncture in a rear tyre and due to the very low profile tyres and the hydratrak differential, I didn't notice, the car simply seemd to make more noise. This meant I ruined the old tyre and had to have a new one fitted, costing £185.
I had a slight misfire when accelerating hard and so fitted new Spark Plugs and Magnecor leads, which cured the problem straight away. Due to having to remove the big bonnet and the fact they are under a cover, which has to be unsealed and resealed it takes a lot of time and so the total cost was £170.
We are booked into another track day at Marham airfield in April, with the Piston Head guys, so this will hopefully be another good experience. There are some really mental cars going, so it should be a good laugh.
I think my rear discs have got a little thin as I can detect vibration through the pedal, so that will be the next job, before Marham.
I have also had an annoying problem with the heater ECU connector not making a good contact for the Heater Blower Fan and subsequently not much heat to demist the windscreen. The Fan draws a lot of current and had eroded the connector pin on the ECU. I carefully built up the pin using solder and made up a little brass tube about 2mm long to fit over the pin so the connector sat tightly on it and now everything is fine.
The Chimeara has been off the road since November. I would like to do quite a lot of work to the chasis and suspension but this will have to wait until the summer.
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