Bob Tucker

The RH wishbone setup uses a modified chassis, with lateral U shaped & (I think) RHS tubes. Jigtec's was designed to fit the unmodded chassis, and gives a much wider track using a standard Sierra rack, so the track is identical to the Sierra. Also the upper & lower RH wishbones are much closer together, so the dummy McP strut is almost flush with the top of the hub. Jigtec's is about 5 inches (guesstimate) long. It may work, but make sure you measure closely before committing. One other slight hitch.... RS has previously refused to supply wishbones separately.....has he changed his mind? Bob T.

I'd agree that Sid is a real nice guy, but.... I waited 2 years after first ordering the wishbones from Sid. I chased him every week, & constantly got told that they would definitely be ready next week. They never were. Thats when Sid sold manufacturing rights to Bob @ JIGTEC. so he could concentrate on his engine tuning work. Bob. PS My son is away at present & taken his diggy camera with him....be patient for the piccies.

Not in the front, surely Bill????

Guys, the JIGTEC conversion uses 8 off U shaped brackets which weld to the slimy pillar chassis rails top & bottom. Ideally the wishbones should pivot at 90 degs to the long line of the chassis, but the tapered chassis seems to make no difference, it still handles 200% better than a slider. It uses the standard Sierra rack, which gives a very wide stance, ie same as a Sierra, about 4" wider than a sliding pillar setup, but it does match the rear. You could get just the brackets made up from S/S & weld them to your S/S chassis with suitable wire. I reckon your main hurdle is the extended tube from the top of the hub, to take the top ball joint. They have appeared in all sorts of lengths, depending on how far apart the top & bottom wishbones are, & the taper must match whatever ball joint is being used. I'll try & post some pics when I get home. PS I have two standard hubs and a reconned Sierra rack which I would sell if you go that route. Bob T.

Hi Mike, 3 turns should be fine.....stick with that for now & try it on the road. It's easy to remove the rack later if necessary. Bob.

Hi Paul, recently in LeMans, but now back in Orpington, a bit of a trek from Leamington. Many thanks for the offer tho'.... Bob. PS click on the name to get individuals details.... if they filled them in, like wot I did... One funny story about my return for LeMans... The N138 has many roundabouts, & the locals turn out to cheer "Les Anglais" on their way. So I got used to downchanging early, popping & banging & a quick flick right, left, right round the roundabout, to applause & waves. I did one, two, three roundabouts like that, then part-way round the fourth, I caught a glimpse of two blue uniforms, carrying a tripod & a speed camera down the road. They waved & shouted too.....!!! Bob.

Hi Paul, It's a TRW rack (ally casting + steel tube) Just to clarify, I am not using it powered, theres no pump or reservoir. Ron Champions book recommends 5 degrees caster. The garage where I had the tracking checked reckon I have too much caster from the handling characteristics, but they couldnt measure it. It whips back after cornering, & turning the wheel is heavy at any speed below 30mph, but very heavy at parking. I have 0 camber. I reckon I'm onto a winner with a bit more fine tuning, but it'll have to wait until after LeMans. I'll make up a camber/caster measuring gauge then. Cheers, Bob

Thanks Paul, thats set my mind at rest. Ive done about 300 miles with it fitted & it seems fine. It does seem a bit heavy, but i'll live with it now until I return from leMans. Then I'll drain the fluid & see what difference it makes. I already greased the rack (inside the bellows) & it was certainly free enough when I fitted it. Marks out of 10..... RHE rack.....9 Sierra Manual rack...4 (real twirly) Sierra Power rack....8 (a bit too heavy) PS just set front pressures to 20 instead of 17...much better now. Bob. One thought...does the Granada rack have a bigger track, or is that why the TREs are longer?

Duck tape inside in the winter. Remove it in the summer to let your passengers feet breathe....

If you're stuck with the 1.8, just fit stuff that can be transferred to the 2.0 later. eg, a good DGV carb or better still a DGAS if you can find one. A modified cam & followers (eg. FR32 upwards) Dont get a modified head...they all seem to be for a 2.0 and would result in low compresison ratio on a 1.8. HTH bob.

Hi Malcolm. You must use the rear Sierra springs. There's a rubber spacer that fits onto the spring which you can fit between the top of the spring & the McP cup. The length is pretty much trial & error. Start by using a clamp, (a jubilee clip or a big U bolt) round the bottom of the roll bar when the strut is inserted. Dont drill the hole for the through bolt until the car has been standing on its wheels for some time to let it settle. If the clamp wont hold it, just use a selftapper to keep it in place.. Dont go for a trial run with just the selftapper in place!!! Start with the body side panel in front of the rear wing about 7.5 - 8 inches above the ground. Aim for 7 inches when its all settled in. Bob.

Also Tiger Racing can supply a modded rod if you dont trust your own welding.

Its elementary my Dear Watson, He has already informed us that his name is Lynn, and that he is from Wales. It is well known that the the Welsh, being hill people, usually posess the typical squat stature that I myself am proud of. Along with fingers that resemble a bunch of pork sausages. The English refer to me as a "Short Fat Bloke", but I prefer "Squat and Compact" Possibly he has the same small keyboard that I have. On examining said keyboard, you will notice the close proximity of the number 3, to the letter E. Hence I deduce that he means "STEVE", and not "st 3v 3nn" As for the other ramblings, I haven't got a clue either......! Shylock.

Riz, quite honestly, I reckon its your choice, so long as you scrap the original chassis. You need to engrave the VIN no on the new one anyway, & so long as theres no possibility of a duplicate popping up later, I cant see theres any problem. Bob.

Depends how much storage space you have. The bits will take up roughly a Sierra sized space on their own, so you need a double garage. Otherwise, strip it outside, leave the wheels suspension & axle to last, so you can move it around. It will take from 2 to 5 days going at it solid....depends how rusty it is? Removal options are:- Get it lifted away by a local scrappie.....you may have to pay. Get it collected by the local council....some wont without it rolling. Use your new angle grinder to cut the body into manageble bits & take them bit by bit to the tip. Use a hatchet, hit it with a club hammer, then as above (quicker, quieter, less messy) Bob

Simon, think in terms of a pulley pivot for the inner cable. Make sure the pulley is firmly fixed (but still rotates) & you should be OK.

HMMMM.......Look at it another way..... On a production car, if you replace the bodyshell, it remains the same car, plates VIN no. etc. If you're using the mechanical bits from one kit car, & building up another, surely all youre doing is replacing the chassis on the donor kit car with a new one? Would it even need SVA or re-registration? Ccouldn't you keep the donors VIN no. & plates? Or have I missed something? Bob.

Hi Simon, the tunnel top now seems to be favourite with builders & SVA testers. Its pretty easy to do, & theres lots of advice around for that location. I havent seen one where you suggest, but as you say the cable run would be pretty extreme. Bob

Funny how the last 5% takes 50% of the time......

Hi J. I had the same setup (Oct 2000 pickup), but didnt like the jacked up look. I went back to Sierra springs & shocks, which have been fine, but I'm now going for a pair of AVO coilovers, which I'm about to fit. The bolt in the bottom of the coilover needs to be in line with the pivot point of the A frame. The vid says at 90 deg to the car. Thats wrong, otherwise you will twist the rubber bush to hell. Cheers, Bob.

Guys, I have the JIGTEC wishbone setup using a Sierra rack, which has over 4 turns lock to lock. The rack with the sliding pillars had about 3. I have searched high & low (Rally design, Burton & Quaife) for a quick rack conversion. Not in production for another few months. So I looked at the power steering rack I had in the garage, with 2.8 turns. Same width, same bolt fittings, different column connector. I made up a new steering column, & made the fluid system into a closed loop, leaving enough fluid in for lubrication. It missed the alternator....it missed the exhaust....it even missed the chassis down tube. I've just tried it out & it all seems great. A little heavy at parking, but brilliant on the road. What have I missed? Will the rack lock up for any reason? Is this a safe option? Cheers, Bob.

Hi Jon, I'd be very interested at a max of £100. Ive heard that Goodwood is very noise conscious. Any idea what limit they work to? Most Hoods are close to or even over the 101 db road legal limit, & ive got a feeling Goodwood is even lower than that. How many cars are allowed out at a time? How much track time would each car get? Heres hoping.....Bob.

Try Rally Design, www.raldes.co.uk for some engine parts, incl. gaskets, but they wont be able to supply the senders. I can recommend the FELPRO head gasket they supply. Bob.

The mechanical fuel pump should act as a non-return valve, & keep the fuel line primed. Try another one if you can. I had just this problem. Cheers, Bob. (Another Amal fan....! BSA Gold Flash.... in a previous life...)

Is the 2B still available with the original sliding pillar set-up? The subsequent wishbone conversion from RS Jigtec should only add about £450 for a diy fit (needs welding) & it'd be easier to do it during the build. If you go this route KEEP THE STEERING RACK!! & dont butcher the hubs. Should save about £1000 on a Plus kit. For more info on the conversion, send me a PM. Cheers, Bob.