My rebuild..

[Rob the Red Top]

Well after many long days and evenings in the garage I'm almost there and I'm rather pleased with the outcome.. A few teething issues (I need to reduce the steering lock if possible?) and the head is coming off again to improve the porting as its isn't breathing well enough at the top end, but otherwise pretty much there.

Specification

 

Early lightweight race chassis (Narrow body)

 

2000cc Vauxhall ‘Red Top’ DOHC engine

 

Costcast Head. Gas Flowed with titanium Vales caps, Double Valve springs, wasited valves

Solid lifters

 

Kent 1605 Cams

 

Steel Rods

 

Forged Pistons

 

Dry Sump

 

Ram air system

 

ARP rod bolts, head bolts and flywheel bolts

 

SBD Lightweight Flywheel, clutch and pressure plate

 

SBD Ceramic paddle clutch, uprated cover plate to suit

 

Tapered 48mm Jenvy Throttle bodies,

 

Bosch Green 440cc injectors

 

SBD inlet Manifold

 

SDB Exhaust

 

Omex 600 ECU

 

Aero Quip Fuel and Oil Hoses

 

High capacity radiator

 

High capacity fuel pump, 3.5 bar regulator.

 

Alloy fuel tank

 

Type 9 Straight Cut Heavy duty Gear Box

 

Front Willwood 4 pot calipers,

 

Drilled and proved discs

 

Ferodo Racing Pads

 

Braided Hoses

 

Two brake master cylinders with Front/Rear balance bar 

 

Rear Live axle converted to disc brakes (VW callipers with handbrake)

 

Quaife ATB limited slip differential 4.7 -1

 

4 link rear suspension (adjustable)

 

ProTech alloy adjustable dampers

 

PlaySkool ARB

 

13 inch CR500 Superlight wheels on 888r

 

‘Caged’ FIA full roll cage

 

Removable steering wheel with DigiDash 2 built in.

 

DigiDash GPS datalogging.

 

Lightweight fiberglass seats

 

4 point harnesses

 

Carbon effect front arches

 

Fibreglass rear diffuser

 

4.5 inch headlamps

 

FIA isolating switch.

 

[AdamR]

Looks stunning, and a cracking spec!  That'll be a rapid car.

How much power are you expecting? Standard head is good for ~260bhp.

[Kevin (Mr T)]

Looks superb!

[Murraymint]

Looking good...nice colour and spec...

[Rob the Red Top]

44 minutes ago, AdamR said:

Looks stunning, and a cracking spec!  That'll be a rapid car.

How much power are you expecting? Standard head is good for ~260bhp.

Is it.... I'm at about 225 at the moment but it isn't breathing well towards the top end of the rev range.. Looking for about 245ish if I can but maybe I need to change the cams as well?

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Suggests cams could be an issue then. Standard valve sizes and heads can normally get past that level. As Adam said, 260 is doable.

The car is looking fantastic though, funny, we were only talking about it over coffee at the Peak District meet today; a real credit to you.

I know SBD have some great cam choices for the Red top, I’m just not that familiar with them. “In the day” the QED Q450V was the real go to cam for the big power road going and track C20XE’s. (With some more track only/competition focussed cars going down the Q460 route, IIRC).

Q450V’s could certainly give you an engine in that sort of 250 +/- ball park, whilst at the same time, in a car as light as an average Westfield, still being quite well road mannered and tractable, when you weren’t, ahem, going for it!

[Rob the Red Top]

That's very kind of you, thank you. It has been a bit of a journey with quite a bit of swearing and long days along the way..... I guess its normal for these cars to fight you at every turn.. I mean every job has been far from simple..

 

I think I will give SBD a call and see what they advise as It currently runs out of steam around 7600 so as you say cams are the way forward with an improved gas flow. I'm contemplating the sprint series next year so I want it to be right..

 

Thanks again for your kind words

[Rory's Dad]

Have you checked the mapping? 

[Rob the Red Top]

It was mapped by Northampton Motorsport and they spent 3.5 hours sorting it out..

[jimbobtcc206]

Rob, I’m running a standard head with standard valves. I’ve got solid lifters, double springs and uprated caps and platforms. I run the QED450 cams and it pushes 242bhp at 7,339rpm with a good spread of torque peaking at 180ftlb. It behaves well on road and is really good on track. Pulls like an express train. I was advised if I could get the QED450V cams it would make a bit more difference too.

Your car looks mint mate. I love it! Well done.

[Rob the Red Top]

That's great advice thank you Jim. What exhaust are you running as I think that's an area that is holding it back as well…. I'm at 169ftlb.

[jimbobtcc206]

Mine has a full Simpson bonnet exit system on it. It’s a nice bit of kit.

[jimbobtcc206]

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

4 hours ago, Rob the Red Top said:

That's great advice thank you Jim. What exhaust are you running as I think that's an area that is holding it back as well…. I'm at 169ftlb.

I doubt it, if it’s the SBD system. The Simpsons manifold on Jim’s car is “just” a bonnet exit version of the SBD manifold, if I recall correctly, they used the same primary and secondary lengths and diameters.

The SBD manifold was, other than the Simpsons bulk buy manifolds, pretty much the de facto performance manifold for the majority of the Red Top Westfields for years.

[Rob the Red Top]

Mine was built from the SBD design. However, I think the angles are a bit sharp where the tubes merge...