Ex Avanti Race car, now road / trackday car

Finally got this car MOT'd after buying it last summer as a basket case with the engine in bits. The engine had a fault, a serious rattle. The previous owner suspected worn big end / crankshaft bearings and  removed and lost the bearings!, luckily the crank and bearing caps were fine. After fitting new bearings and firing it up, the rattle was real loud but sounded more like the gearbox, which would be a shame as it has a bottom change box with LSD and race cut gears. Anyway it turned out to be just a loose flywheel!

The car has lots of race goodies still on it, adjustable height coilovers all round, plumbed in fire extinguisher, cut off switches, forged engine etc

I've had loads of  issues getting it to run right, I guess picking up someone else's build is always going to be difficult, i i thinks its lost some of its race engine extras', maybe a 5th injector, cool charger etc.  It was claimed to be 240BHP when Avanti had it, but still on the standard ECU. I don't think its that now.

The Afm was set super rich , so much that it ran real bad and i've had to change it. I've added a wideband gauge, with electronic boost controller and laptop logging to see whats going on. Its set up now nice so i get the correct afr reading on boost 11.5 etc and the car is bloody quick upto 6000 rpm. I still have a problem, its like it hits a wall at 6000, the engine stutters and the afr gauge blips to 20 so the fuel is being cut or instantly leaning out. Its had all new fuel filters and new walboro pump, new plugs, leads, coil, the only bits i've not swapped or replaced are the crank sensors, and the injectors. I  need to instal a fuel pressure gauge next to see if that gives any clues if anyone else has any suggestions to check / try please let me know?


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Its still ran great  and lasted all day at Goodwood on the Lancia Trackday, this was just a week after the MOT, its here that i discovered to top end splutter, so had to back off after 6000 / 105 mph

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Here is the car many years ago, its still those colours under the rubbers!

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Minimal interior

awesome car I imagine its a lot of fun on the track, If you haven't already defo change all the plugs, dizzy cap and rotor arm,

If you access to some bits try swopping the ecu's, I have a spare bulkhead ecu you can have which Im never going to use again,

if still no luck start swopping all gearbox and crank sensors for known working ones,

check your camshaft for wear,

have you done a compression test?

make sure the boost cut off switch is not connected and the wires are taped up to stop them from touching each other,

Cheers for the offer - yeah done most of that, even swapped ecu's, afm, new plugs , dizz, leads, boost cut taped etc

Swapped the gearbox sensor today, no change will try the crank sensor next, then all thats left is the injectors

Its got a Colombo & Bariani camshaft looks mint

Comp test was ok, one was a bit down , within the tolerance, but i'll strip it all down over the winter when I do the management upgrade

Hi Rich

Car looks nice!

Do you know how much it weighs? Is that a fiberglass bonnet - if so, is it much lighter than a steel one? Im thinking of making one for mine.

Liam

Hi mate
It just a standard bonnet, but with most of the guts removed, flaps about a bit!

Not sure on weight, not as light as my MK2 still has glass windows

I've just taxed my Mk2 so will take out the engine after the retro show and do the Punto GT management upgrade

Hows yours going? back together?

Hey

I'm on a mission to get the nose weight down but am restricted by the MSA regs in my class. Bonnet is one thing I can change for fiberglass.

Yeah cars going good. Out at Epynt Hillclimb tomorrow actually.

Here's a link to a Caterham on the hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czCREsyq9pk

I'm also doing the PGT management over winter.

You should do some hillclimbs!

Yeah hopefully have a go at them next year when the Mk1 is running how i want it, the Punto Gt upgrade should get the most out the forged engine .

I've joined a local Motor club, have been doing some autotests in my battered old MK2, great fun. I tried one in the Mk1 but the first gear was too long and it kept popping out of reverse and shocks bottoming out