SharkyUK's Trophy - #165

[SharkyUK]

March 2013 - Friday 8th

A quick progress update...

I gave Fred a call earlier this evening to see how things were progressing and to discuss the details regarding the purchasing, acquisition and fitting of the Quaife LSD. In terms of the engine build, there is still a wait for some of the components. The block has been machined and the forged pistons have arrived but there's still no sign on the forged conrods and valves. All being well they should be coming very soon.

In terms of the gearbox, a plan is now in place with Fred to get that sorted (along with a new clutch) and I also now know why the Quaife LSD is so expensive compared to installations on other car makes/models! Incidentally, thanks to Chip and NorthloopCup for the details and putting me in touch with Steve regarding the Quaife.

Talking of stars, Russ has also kindly agreed to pick up the old DTH ITB parts that have been removed from my car and to bring them back with him. Once I've collected these from Russ I can sell them on - already have someone who is interested in buying them.

The estimated completion date is circa a month from now so fingers crossed that all goes well and there are no unexpected and long delays! Once completed, the Trophy will be trailered up to Paul at RS Tuning in Leeds for the all-important mapping. It will be left there for a few days so that it can be mapped properly (cold start, etc.). That's all for now - cheers.

 

[SharkyUK]

March 2013 - Monday 11th

It's getting there... Also saves quite a bit of weight without the engine holding things back.



Many thanks to Russ for the pic and for collecting my old ITB bits, which are now surplus to requirements (but doesn't mean that Russ and Dan can sell them cheap in the meantime, y'hear?!). The Quaife LSD is also in the process of being sorted/ordered pretty much as we speak, too. Happy days.

 

[SharkyUK]

Around July 2013...

I finally got my hands on my old ITB kit the other week and I'm currently working through the list of people who are interested in buying them. Due to one reason or another the healthy list of interested parties has reduced somewhat! LOL!

Anyways, out with the old... and looking forward to the "in with the new" bit! (Thanks to Dan/Russ for collecting them from BTM on my behalf!)

This is the OLD kit that's going!!! (And is now sold).

















Bring on the new trumpets! Soon!

 

[SharkyUK]

Also in July... I was struggling to get around without a car as I could no longer regularly use our Type-R (my better half needed it). So I mentioned that I would likely hire a car. However, Fred at BTM suggested something else...

"Sod hiring a car mate, come and get the V6 if you need a car, its better than some s**te corsa! (break it and i'll kill you 4 times slowly)"

 

[SharkyUK]

Picked up the V6...


July 2013 - Friday 26th

Firstly, a HUGE thanks to Fred for the loan of his incredible Renaultsport Clio V6. Having had my trophy for 6 months (no fault of his own mind!) I am now struggling without a car and I cannot continue to share my partner's Type-R as she needs it for her own commuting, etc. Also, a change in my own circumstances mean I am finding it more difficult to share a single car with her due to the logistics of it all. Anyways, to cut a long story short I was going to hire a car and that's when Fred generously stepped in and offered me the loan of his V6! I am now in possession of this wonderful car until my Trophy is done (or Fred urgently needs it back!) As said, a huge and massive thanks to Fred. He's a star and I don't care how brown my nose is... this has helped me out massively and I can't express how grateful and appreciative I am.

So yeah, what a day (thanks also to my good lady for playing long distance taxi driver and driving me over from Wales). Fred did say, as I picked it up this morning, that I'd either love it or hate it. I think you can probably guess where I stand on that one. It really is a bit special. And I've never been in a car that attracts so much attention. If I'm honest I found it a little unnerving. When I'm in my Trophy, nobody really gives it much attention. Unless it's a fellow Clio enthusiast then most just assume it's a red Clio and that is that. But not so with the Vee. Pretty much everybody was straining to get a look on the drive back to Wales. I also found that, on the motorways and dual carriageways, a lot of cars simply moved out the way to let me by. No, I wasn't speeding either! The only issues I had were with blokes in shirts and ties in German barges that seemed to be annoyed that I was sharing the same bit of tarmac with them. Whilst the urge was great to floor it I simply moved over and let them pass.

I pulled in the services to fill up the fuel and as I was about to leave a Dutch couple in a motorhome struck up a conversation about the car; a nice couple and we spent a few minutes chatting until another car pulled up to use the pump. On the way out the station a posse of 'more mature' bikers let me pass and threw thumbs up. This is totally alien to me, but cool all the same. As I got nearer home I called in Halfords to pick up some quick detailer and microfibre towels and was greeted by two police officers when I returned to the car park. They'd pulled up next to it and were checking it out. No issues, they were just looking so I spent a few minutes chatting with PC Evans and (can't remember his name, Huw I think) about the car and the deal with my Trophy. I bet they regretted asking! LOL! To top it off, I gave it a clean for a few hours this afternoon and the neighbours were asking about it as well as the locals who pass by the house. This was weird as I don't know them (apart from my neighbours) and normally just keep myself to myself. So yeah, the car definitely has a certain air of celebrity and presence about it!

In terms of the drive, it drives real nice. And the sound is immense; it just burbles and growls as you go about your business. The gearbox is sublime as well... so smooth. I love it.

Anyways, here are a few pics after today's clean. Sorry they are driveway shots but I haven't had time to take it anywhere yet!









Roll on the French Car Show tomorrow!

Cheers,
Andy

 

[SharkyUK]

I think it's only fair I keep this thread ticking over with my experiences in the V6... any excuse to put up more pics of the car to be honest! And it's kinda related to my Trophy rebuild, albeit in a roundabout way. Maybe.

July 2013 - Saturday 27th

I attended my first French Car Show today at Castle Combe. Having bought my tickets a while back I was hoping to go along in the Trophy. Obviously circumstances dictated that this wasn't going to happen but having such a cool French car available I was always going to try and make this one!

Being fairly close to the circuit (I'm just over the border in Wales) it only takes about an hour to get there, hence I didn't have to set off too early. A steady drive along the M4 and all was good. In truth the economy seems pretty good when taking it easy. I've not used a full tank yet (perhaps not trying hard enough?!) and it has better economy than the shagged engine that was in my Trophy. Once off the M4 I took the usual country roads towards the circuit and was surprised at how well it rides the sometimes uneven surface. No dramas whatsoever; it just wafted along nicely. I arrived shortly after 8am and was met by Owen, Nik and Brian and parked up the Vee. Tim shortly arrived thereafter and parked alongside.





I had a really enjoyable day to be fair. After a wander around the stands and trade area I spent most of the day talking to a great bunch of guys from here. That really made the day as it's great to be able to chat to folks who you perhaps don't see very often (apart from online). I grabbed a cheeky shot of the Vee in front of the CS merchandise and hospitality area...



Quite a few people asked how I found it to drive. And to me it just feels like a RenaultSport Clio. Which is great. Even if you were blindfolded, no hearing and simply relied on feel alone, you would know you were in a Clio of some description. Obviously it's not exactly the same but it's got that unmistakeable RenaultSport Clio feel about it - which is why I think I fell for it straight away. Sorry Fred, you might have trouble getting this one back...

As I left the show late afternoon it started to spot with rain. By the time I hit the M4 it was absolutely p**sing down. Again, no major dramas despite the rain bouncing off the road and falling heavily in short, sharp bursts. The only problem was a bit of aquaplaning on the standing water when the downpour was at it's heaviest.

​So yeah, a very enjoyable day for many reasons.

 

[SharkyUK]

October 2013

So then... today I put on my RenaultSport Specialist head and got to work on the V6. I thought it only fair considering the amount of effort Fred is putting into mine. It can't be that difficult, right?

As mentioned a handful of days ago, I basically soiled my undercrackers when I jumped into the car one evening and was met with violent judders and a rather strange sound from the engine and exhaust. Whilst I panicked, it was Fred and Dan that suggested it was ignition coil related. Especially as these are a common weak point on the Vee and the fact that these ignition coils were over 9 years old... It didn't help that the boot lock had also stopped working at the same time (coincidence?!) so I could only lock the doors. Consequently the Vee was parked up safe where nobody could access via the boot!

To bring things up-to-date... I received the ignition coil and fitted it earlier today (thank you Renparts). Despite being the easiest one to access (thanks to Somerset Dan the RenaultSport Man) I still managed to slice a few fingers and graze a few knuckles as I replaced the faulty item with the new. 15 minutes later it was done; that's 1 minute to swap the coil and 14 minutes to put the engine covers back on... However, this very same act also meant that the boot now worked. Two jobs done for the price of one. Bonus! Although I have no idea why the faulty ignition coil would affect the boot lock mechanism... French electrics at work?



With the coil done and the boot working, I'm just about to start on replacing the cambelt this evening. Don't worry, I'm using genuine parts! Access isn't so easy though. I might have to drop the engine onto a palette on the driveway.



The only outstanding issue I have now is... a puncture! I have two brand new Michelin Pilot Super Sports being delivered and fitted on Monday. As a result I won't be driving it over the weekend and it won't be making the journey to this weekend's BTCC finale at Brands Hatch. Alternative arrangements have been made.

Oh, did I tell you I was going to Brands Hatch for the BTCC finale this weekend? I'll be there with my mate Rob Austin. Ok, so we're not mates as such but I won a graphic design competition recently (to produce a sticker for Wix Racing UK / Rob Austin Racing) and I won. Hence I will be enjoying a day of VIP hospitality with Rob Austin Racing for the day. Quite excited and looking forward to it if I'm being honest.

 

[SharkyUK]

And that, I'm afraid, is about it for now - bringing us nicely into 2014. I have been without the Trophy for almost a year to the day but it really is now almost complete. It's due to go to RS Tuning for mapping in Leeds mid-January.

In the meantime I continue to drive around in the V6 (which has destroyed more coils since the above post!) and it certainly makes for an interesting drive at this time of year; especially with the frosts and - most recently - the rain and flooding we are having here in South Wales! It's certainly a car you have to respect otherwise you get bitten!

But, getting back to the Trophy, I am hoping to have some updates towards the end of the month. Here's hoping... Cheers!

 

[Mikeyjp]

yeah i should imagine the V6 is a beast in bad weather, fingers crossed for the T coming home soon

 

[Llolyg]

Wow that V6 looks amazing.

What seats are those?

 

[SharkyUK]

yeah i should imagine the V6 is a beast in bad weather, fingers crossed for the T coming home soon

Thanks mate. My fingers - and everything else - are crossed!

Wow that V6 looks amazing.

What seats are those?

Cheers - the seats are Cobra Misanos.

 

[steve f]

Looking forward to pics and hopefully videos when its ready

 

[Lankan]

Spent a good while reading through the entire thread, which was a fascinating read......well done on your perseverance and patience, especially with parts and workmanship that may have not been up to par.

Great to hear that you are enjoying driving the Vee - they are rather special little cars!

Look forward to reading your next update, and good luck with the mods..............

 

[hoolio]

So what was wrong with the engine, bar the timing? Seems you are replacing a lot of the internals, is that because you are taking the opportunity to upgrade or that they are fried? It looks as though the pistons have taken a little bit of a battering from a set of valves, anything else?
May have missed it but what are updated plans for the engine?

 

[SharkyUK]

Looking forward to pics and hopefully videos when its ready 

Thanks mate. My better half was looking to treat me to a GoPro camera so hopefully I'll be able to get a few vids without too many problems. I really need to get my camera fixed though...

Spent a good while reading through the entire thread, which was a fascinating read......well done on your perseverance and patience, especially with parts and workmanship that may have not been up to par.

Great to hear that you are enjoying driving the Vee - they are rather special little cars!

Look forward to reading your next update, and good luck with the mods..............

Thank you for taking the time to read through, mate - I know it's a bit word-heavy! The Vee? Yeah, totally agree. It's special alright and I'm genuinely going to miss having it around.

So what was wrong with the engine, bar the timing? Seems you are replacing a lot of the internals, is that because you are taking the opportunity to upgrade or that they are fried? It looks as though the pistons have taken a little bit of a battering from a set of valves, anything else?
May have missed it but what are updated plans for the engine?

The engine was in a unhealthy state - seemingly due to ingesting foreign materials that should never see the inside of an engine! It had various leaks (which were supposedly fixed at quite some expense), the pistons and rings were in a poor way as was the valvetrain (which I'd also paid previously to have fixed, seats recut, new guides, etc). There was also 'instant gasket' and silicone floating around the water jacket. Thermostat and sensors were screwed (despite having allegedly had these checked out and replaced) and - in a nutshell - components were excessively worn and knackered; even for a 100k mile engine. The upshot of it all was that it wasn't running smoothly, it didn't idle right and it wasn't making power or torque that it should do - IIRC it pulled 167bhp prior to going into the workshop. That's 167bhp with ITB's and all the other work I'd had done!!!! Obviously this was annoying and eye-opening considering the amount of time and money I've invested in it; as you'll have seen in the thread the T has wanted for nothing and has been lovingly looked after. Which makes the whole thing even more frustrating!

Hence, I decided to go pretty much the whole hog and get things upgraded and refreshed; a high compression engine build was what I wanted. I'm an NA purist, and not after massive performance numbers, so avoided going forced induction (which would have been cheaper!)

The main work consists of:

- rebored cylinders to 83mm
- forged oversized pistons
- forged Arrow conrods
- tweaked phase 1 head
- Schrick cams
- uprated bearings and shells
- uprated valvetrain with Supertech valves
- uprated injectors
- custom CNC Jenvey manifold and Jenvey ITB setup
- ARP studs and bolts
- aircon delete
- gearbox strip and rebuild with new clutch
- fitted Quaife LSD
- new oil pump, water pump, catch tank, etc.
- running in and mapping to be done at RS Tuning

There are some other bits and pieces but the above covers the majority of it.

 

[SharkyUK]

Time for an update... dating back to December 2013...


December 2013

So... Fred sent me a few pics of some of the issues during the build.

The overall health of the engine was terrible. Very, very annoyed considering I'd previously spent thousands trying to get it running well. Allegedly it had been stripped down and inspected (by a previous 'specialist') and I was given the green light. Obviously it was not the case

Broken water pump with blade missing...



Heavy breathing engine, lots of oil leaks, leaking mustard / custard from the rear...



A thermostat that's seen better days...



Blue silicone (instant gasket) floating around in the water jacket...



Incorrect cam timing...



At least all these issues are now fixed (along with many others) and I should get it back somewhere around the second week of January!

 

[SharkyUK]

March 2014

I spoke to Fred again recently and the engine has been run for a short while to check all is well. However, this wasn't done for long due to the map that is currently on there. Quite frankly, it's downright poor and very likely contributed to the very poor state of my old engine. In fact, it was so bad that only the crank remains from my old engine. The block was scrap as the mapping/fuelling had caused holes to be burned into the cylinder walls. Which is a bad thing indeed. But that's all old news now as the important thing is that the engine is running and the car awaiting mapping. Paul at RS Tuning is a very busy guy (especially at the moment I would guess) so I look forward to grabbing some of his time and experience soon to get things sorted. :smile:

In the meantime, I've recently had a very enjoyable drive with Tim, Oli, Chris and Pete having been invited to join them on their Welsh Weekender driving trip. Thanks to them for the invite and great company; t'was a proper good day and it meant I was able to take the Vee out again. By the time I got home the new tyres were scrubbed in and Shell's profits had risen threefold. :smile: Worth every penny, too. Here are a few pics:

 

[SharkyUK]

June 2014

I'll just leave this here for now... Getting there slowly...

Thanks to Fred at BTM

 

[SharkyUK]

July 2014 - (Minor) Update

The car went in for an MOT today... and it passed (somehow). That's a relief Time to get the tax sorted... pfft.

 

[SharkyUK]

July 2014 - (Further) Update

Wednesday 16-Jul-2014 and time to find a new home for the pink shed...

So, things took another step forward today thanks to the combined efforts of Fred@BTM, Chi and RSTuning. Fred for a cracking engine and gearbox build (and last spanner check), RS Tuning for taking in my car at short notice and Chi for being a bl00dy legend. In fact, I can't thank Chi enough for kindly offering his time and trailer to ship my car from Birmingham to Leeds with only a day or so notice. Thanks mate, I am very grateful and in your debt!

Thanks to Chi for the update photos as well (I might have Photoshopped them a bit).

The pink shed bids a fond farewell to BTM Performance. Fred, out of shot, was very sad to see it leave and offered his goodbyes with a two-fingered salute. At least I think that was what he was doing...



The shed's new home until Paul and the team at RS Tuning have chance to run it in and then map it. Exciting times indeed.



It might be a short while until it's done due to Paul's workload and schedule, but I thank them all the same for taking the car in and holding it for me in the meantime. Thanks guys.