Fallen In Love Again

[steve in stockport]

After having my own kit car related annus horriblus I glad to say I'm well and truely back in love with my 2B.

I did the turbo conversion over winter 2012/13 and by June I'd suffered a melted piston and needed a full rebuild. I drove the car for the rest of the year, but without any great confidence that everything was as it should be. A trip to France in September gave me a bit more faith in the car, but I still wasn't pushing things too hard.

 

Into this year and I thought all was going well until the engine let go once more in March, melting another piston and requiring a whole new bottom end. At this point I was seriously considering calling it quits and dumping the Vauxhall turbo and fitting a Zetec, but I happened upon a nearly new bottom end which had covered only 5000 miles before being removed from a fire damaged Zafira. That coupled with reports from Ben Copeland of the excellent tuning skills and results gained by Dale at Bailey Performance on exactly the same set up as mine re-ignited my desire to get the turbo engine in and running properly.

So the engine was rebuilt around the new bottom end and almost exactly one year to the day after melting it's first piston the car was on the rollers at Bailey Performance for Dale to do his thing.

 

This weekend in Wales I've had the chance to really drive the car under all sorts of conditions and the job Dale has done is outstanding, drive sensibly and at cruising speed and the engine returns at least 35mpg, put your foot down and give it some stick and it accelerates hard and fast through second, harder and faster through third and into fourth and it honestly is a terrifying experience, so much so that Laura was almost physically sick from the effects of one good hard run through the gearbox.

 

It's been a long and pretty expensive learning curve to get to this point and at times I really did start to have deep regrets and start to doubt my own ability to sort it out, but we got there in the end and I'm looking forward to more good time in the car.

 

[Guest Tim Norman]

Hallelujah! Can We get a Whoop Whoop? Its all good when the faith is restored. Here's to many carefree miles with the mpg in single figures, full sick bags, and a face splitting smile!

[Bob Tucker]

Ain't it grand when a plan comes together!!!!

Good news Steve...

[Guest Ian & Carole]

So, so pleased for you and so, so sorry for Laura :bad:

 

Sure it will now stay in one piece , no more

[Guest chris brown]

Great news Steve 3rd time lucky. Well lets hope so.

[BigLee]

Last hope the pistons stay solid for a while. Enjoy.

 

[baj25]

Glad to hear that at last! Bri

[Graham B]

Great news.......

 

I know what you mean , but "got it into 4th" , that's brave..(been there).. still another gear to go.

Enjoying it too.

 

 

Graham

[baj25]

I hope you'll both be very happy together...

[Guest Howtightpet]

Steve well done I know the feeling. But with a turbo on a zetec but with long hours in the garage at night and a bad back I also have the joys of driving again although still running the rebuild in

So at a max of 5500 rev and at present 280 bhp it's revving and torque is very impressive going to run in for about 500miles then will turn the boost up lynn my co pilot just seems to have a grin on here face not sure if it's the g force lol.

 

 

[baj25]

As a matter of interest, what did they change in your setup? You seemed to think it was leaning out at top end IIRC.

[steve in stockport]

Full day was £250 which was 10 til 6.15pm and for that Dale gave the car a complete remap as the one in there wasn't suitable for the engine set up.