Apologies for my absence, update on car!

lucifer666

Active Member
Dec 17, 2006
1,460
6
Cardiff
Hi all, haven't been on here much over the last year, had to put on hold a couple of things and take a step back from others.

After being injured in Afghanistan I spent most of last year in rehabilitation and physio, which ended up in me being medically discharged from the Parachute Regiment early this year. My service was ended 6months earlier than it was meant to on some technicality that the MOD managed to manipulate (done alot sadly), which essentially gave me 2 days to move my entire life from Colchester back to Cardiff. My treatment hadn't finished either so was without a wage and still unable to work.

long story short, I began working in "Support our paras" BTCC team which I had helped found from the start but after a few months and some politics going on above my head, Infinity who were our main sponsors pulled out and basically ended our capability to pay the team members.

I then got offered a trial to co pilot a powerboat which through injury of some other candidates and my potential, ended up racing in the UK championship as a pilot and then later on on in the world's in Malta which we came 11th in the end. So a good end to a hard year and I have the boat for all of next year with full sponsorship too so onwards and upwards. I have also managed to secure a flying scholarship too so will be busy but have the cash and the health to be able to carry on with the ibiza project


So the ibiza which had been this ongoing project has been sat in a workshop covered in dust with its engine out for this period. The engine tsr had built was plagued by bad workmanship and we decided to pull the engine apart.
Lucky, as we had found:

1. where TSR had the bores of the head bored out by 2mm, they had left the gasket the same size, so the piston was hitting against the red hot gasket and it basically took 2mm of the piston off. See the pic below

2. the bearings used were shockingly bad quality and had melted and sized on some of the rods ruining the rods too. So I basically need a new set of rods and pistons now.

Having said that, mapping has been done, just needs rescaling with the increased rpm limit and will will be well over 300bhp. Just need to re assemble the engine with the pistons and rods which we are waiting for now.

Stay tuned for next year. And I'll be more than happy to help anyone with their 1.4tsi projects, hope to see you all at some festivals and events too.
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
Good luck with the boats, wonder why Nissan+ ran away from BTCC, Mazda+ did that years ago after too many bad boys touched the rear wheels of their car and broke it!
 

lucifer666

Active Member
Dec 17, 2006
1,460
6
Cardiff
Thanks guys, well not even I know the full story which is why I stepped away from the team, and what I do know Im still not allowed to say.
 
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chilthom555

Active Member
Oct 23, 2014
6
0
Luton/Leicester
im a huge fan of the BTCC, amazing work done by you guys. Your posts have been a good read and give some good insight, especially the fundamental engine problems. Sorry to hear about the MOD screwing you over, like you said though, onwards and upwards. Good luck with the projects next year and I will be keeping an eye on your posts. I am stage 1 currently with my Boc and looking at doing all I can to keep it cool lol.
 
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