nelmo

Thanks - weirdly, that sign came from a market stall in Bruges, of all places. Tin as well and just 10 euros.

Started in July.... http://zerokitcarbuild.blogspot.co.uk

Hmm, they're only 30 minutes from me. Problem is, the manifold is only plastic (air inlet on a Zetec) and I've contacted a similar firm who weren't interested (well, they never replied to my email). I'll give them a go... Would prefer to do it myself but my history with straight filing is not good and I don't want to get this wrong, otherwise I'll have air gaps round the Plenum. I've got some instant gasket - will that do as well for hiding any imperfections?

I need to get my air inlet manifold sanded down, after having hacked off the main bit. https://goo.gl/photos/Ev6tVHxmgjU1xBC59 Does anyone know a small firm or something in Surrey/Kent/Sussex who might do this cheaply? I can send it off to GBS but it will end up costing £40 with postage and I haven't quite got the courage to do it myself with just a single file available to me.

Yup, sounds like it...

Hmm, I sense a flaw in my plan - I want to use the OEM thermostat which doesn't have a filler cap obviously. I guess I'd have to use the filler cap on the radiator but does the GBS rad have a cap? And the rad is not vertical is it? Can you use a rad with a filler cap if it isn't fitted vertically? Also, I can't find an expansion tank like the GBS one - they're all the standard header type. I guess I could use one of those if the pipe from the stat goes in at the bottom and the real overflow from the top pipe?

But isn't a suck/blow system more likely to introduce airlocks?

I need a coolant header tank for a 2004 (?) 2 litre Zetec - any suggestions about what to get? Is it an advantage to be as big as possible or is size not important? Shape significant - flat, round, deep?

Yes, I discovered that last night - and you need £50 for the expansion tank. I'm going to try do the normal system first to try save some cash.

Anyone got an Emerald ECU and use a 'normal' cooling system and has got around the sensor issues Knight mentions?

Hmm, as Knights said, by the time you've costed it up, it's not a huge amount off the cost of the GBS kit. I also want to fit a heater, so I'm going to need as much space as possible on the bulkhead.

Man, that is brilliant - thanks! :-) I wanted to ask if someone could give me a full list of what I'd need but thought that would be taking the p*ss!

Do you mean it can't be used with the GBS loom or the ECU? Any idea why not? Transmitter? What's that?

I have a 'new' Zetec engine delivered from GBS and I think that, apart from the relevant pipes, rad, header tank, I don't need anything else on the engine itself to complete the cooling system - is that right? I'm trying to avoid paying the £220 for the GBS water rail. Does anyone know if that system is worth the extra cost over a standard system? I'm assuming that the cost of the pipes will be substantially less than the water rail?

Bit harsh :-) The point was it wasn't wedge-shaped - I remember when they first came out - totally revolutionary design. Everything else had been square boxes up until the Sierra, so give it it's due...

I'd like to know how you find getting the engine in with the side panels on. I've left mine off so far because I imagine it will be easier to get the engine in but I'd rather put them on so I can finalise the front suspension.

Well done :-) Did you paint the chassis that colour yourself? And out of curiosity, why have you got a brake line across that front chassis bar?

Thanks all...:-)

I bought my swirl pot off eBay and not from GBS, not noticing that the GBS one has a 12mm outlet to go to the 12mm inlet of the HP pump. Does anyone know if I'm going to have a problem if I use an adaptor to connect from an 8mm swirl pot outlet to the 12mm pump inlet? Will the pump struggle to get enough fuel to keep itself cool/lubricated?

I will have an MT75 - is the £130 GBS option my only choice? I was wondering why there was so much metalwork on the GBS quickshift compared to the one on RD.

OK, thanks. GBS have a quickshifter for £130 but KSD advertise a 'Sierra quickshift' for £40 - is it possible they do the same thing? Does everyone fit one? Are they worth the cost for road use?

OK, I know what a quickshift on a bike does but that just allows clutchless changes on an already sequential gearbox - what does it do on a kit car? Does it make the box effectively sequential by letting you change up/down a gear without the clutch? Sorry if dumb question....

How do you make a small fortune in the car business? Start with a large fortune. Good luck to them but the upfront costs of development are huge if they want to do a decent job. I'd love to see TVR design back - they had some great looking cars.

Man, are you honest... there are people out there who drive without insurance, tax, MOT, while banned, drunk, high and you're not sure about driving 4 miles for a reason that any reasonable cop would understand even if they did pull you over? I just spent the weekend with an East-End cockney mate whose brother-in-law is a convicted armed robber and who drinks with the son of some nutter who was in cahoots with the Kray twins - the stories he tells me make driving offences laughable.

I've got the basic Sierra steering column from GBS but I need the shroud and stalks and I have a question or 2: Do the stalks connect onto the column or the shroud? Has anyone made their own shroud or bought one? I'm not a great fan of the basic Sierra one...