MANX CLASSIC 2023 HILLCLIMB OVER 3 DAYS

[BIRDIEMANGO]

MORNING CHAPS,
SO,TO CARRY ON.... DAY ONE?

WITH THE FRONT TYRE PUNCTURED,AND THE REAR WHEEL BENT BY THE IMPACT ON THE ROCK? THE WHEELS WERE CHANGED PRETTY DAMN QUICK,I HAD AROUND FIFTEEN MINUTES,TO CHECK THE SAAB OVER....?

AT THIS POINT,I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THE REAR AXLE HAD TAKEN A LARGE IMPACT,AND MAYBE HAD GOT BENT?

I ALWAYS KEEP A LENGTH OF STRING,IN THE DOOR POCKET.......SO HOW DO YOU CHECK THE TRACKING? ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN?

PRETTY SIMPLE REALLY,THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL STRAIGHT,SO I KNEW THE FRONT WAS OK.WITH THE STRING DRAWN THROUGH THE CENTRELINE OF THE WHEELS,IT JUST 'KISSED' BOTH THE TYRE'S,ON THE SIDEWALL'S,AT SIMILAR POINT'S?

THIS IS HOW I SET ALL MY CAR'S UP....

ALL GOOD,THE 'REAR TOE' WAS STILL PERFECT. IT MAY HAVE A LITTLE MORE CAMBER...? I DID HAVE THE CAMBER GAUGE WITH ME,BUT TIME WAS TICKING....NO TIME TO CHECK!

THE GUY IN THE VOLVO,WAS ORIGINALLY FROM LIVERPOOL.HE HAD SPRUNG AN OIL LEAK FROM SOMEWHERE,SO THAT WAS A QUICK LOOK UNDER THE BONNET,TO TRY AND FIND THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK? THE 5 POT VOLVO TURBO,WAS AUTO TRANSMISSION,SO ALL HE COULD DO WAS FLICK IT INTO 'SPORT' MODE,AND GUN THE GAS,OFF THE START LINE....

AROUND 230 BHP,WHEN THE VOLVO WAS NEW...

OK,IT WAS TIME FOR TIMED RUN 3,THE RAIN WAS NOW 'SPITTING' LARGER DROPS,THE ROAD HAD BECOME DAMP,AND I HAD TWO COLD TYRES,ON THE NEARSIDE OF THE SAAB...?

INTO THE FIRST RIGHT HANDER,3RD GEAR .....THE REAR OF THE CAR BROKE AWAY.... I MANAGED TO CATCH IT,ON OPPOSITE LOCK? BUT,THIS RATHER UNSETTLED MY 'RUN',AS I WAS STILL TYRING TO BUILD CONFIDENCE BACK UP? UNSURE,IF I HAD DAMAGED ANY SUSPENSION?

I DECIDED THE REST OF THE RUN,WOULD HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE CAUTIOUS? AND USE THE HIGH SPEED'S TO ASSESS,IF THE CAR WAS 'SETTLED' ENOUGH,FOR ME TO GO THE NEXT TWO DAYS,AND GIVE IT ALL I COULD......?

AND GET SOME 'CONFIDENCE' BACK....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

OK,SO AFTER DAY ONE,THE RESULTS WERE POSTED IN THE EVENING...

BUT? BEFORE WE GET TO THAT,HERE ARE SOME FIGURES FOR YOU?

THE SILVER ALFA ROMEO BOXER,IS A 'RACE CAR' WITH A 1900CC FLAT FOUR COMPETITION ENGINE,IT REV'S TO 9000 RPM,AND WEIGHS JUST 800KG.

THE BLUE ESCORT MK2? WELL THAT HAS TAKEN 7 YEARS TO BUILD. IT HAS A 'SHERWOOD' ENGINED 'BDG' TWIN-CAM,WHICH COST £27,000(JUST FOR THE ENGINE!) PUSHING OUT 258 BHP,AND THE CAR WEIGHS 960 KG.A FULL-ON STAGE RALLY CAR.

THE AC COBRA IS A 4.7 LITRE V8.

THE TVR TASMIN,IS A 5 LITRE V8.

SO HOW WAS THE 'SAAB 900' DOING? WITH ALL THE SEATS STILL,IN,ON ROAD TYRES,WITH A TOWBAR AT AROUND 1260 KG?

[BIRDIEMANGO]

MY FASTEST RUN UP THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN,KNOWN AS 'THE SLOC' HAD PUT ME IN 25TH PLACE,FROM AN ENTRY OF AROUND 70 CARS.

THE MISTSUBISHI EVO,WAS LEADING.....WITH A 'KIT CAR' IN 2ND PLACE,POWERED BY SUBARU FLAT FOUR 350BHP TURBOCHARGED 4WD....SOME OF THE PORSCHES FILLED THE NEXT FEW PLACES,THEN THE TWO TOYOTA 'GR YARIS' WERE SEPERATED BY THE '65 MUSTANG....WITH THE 1970 MCLAREN M18 F1 CAR IN 9TH PLACE...

FOLLOWING THE TOP TEN,MORE PORSCHES,THE TWO LOTUS ELISE,SUBARU IMPREZA AND A COUPLE OF VERY QUICK MINI'S WITH 1380,OR 1430 MOTORS..ROUNDING OFF, THE TOP TWENTY,OR SO...?

I HAD BEEN QUICKER ,JUST UNDER FOUR SECONDS FROM THE MK2 ESCORT .0.8 SECONDS QUICKER THAN THE AC COBRA,AND 0.5 SECONDS QUICKER THAN THE TVR TASMIN,2.5 SECS QUICKER THAN THE 'ALFA ROMEO'....

WITH THE 'SAAB' ON TWO PUNCTURES !!

I 'KNEW' THIS 'SAAB' WAS QUICK....

THERE WERE AN AWFUL LOT OF OTHER COMPETITOR'S,WHOM WERE ASTONISHED BY THE 'SAAB'S' PACE.....

I HAD MANAGED (JUST) TO KEEP THE SAAB IN ONE PIECE,OVER THE FLYING FINISH....

IN 29 YEARS BEHIND THE WHEEL,IN 'ALL' OF MY CAR'S THAT I HAVE BUILT....I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SURE,THAT 'THIS' WAS GOING TO BE 'THE END'

ALL I COULD SEE WAS SKY,AND THE WALL.....SIDEWAYS AT 90 MPH,ON TWO FLAT TYRES!

BUT,FOOT NAILED ON THE GAS,THE SAAB CAME BACK TO ME....

SO,TO DAY TWO...?

THIS WOULD BE MORE OF A CHALLENGE,AS THE COURSE ACTUALLY DESCEND'S A LITTLE,TWISTING AND TURNING FOR AROUND HALF OF IT'S LENGTH,BEFORE CLIMBING STEEPLY, THROUGH THE BRIDGE AT 'GLEN HELEN'...

THE BIGGER POWER,AND LIGHTER CAR'S WOULD HAVE THE ADVANTADGE HERE....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

PADDOCK,EARLY MORNING AT 'CREG WILLEYS' HILL......

RATHER AN 'ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE',AS THE ROADS CLOSE AT 9AM EXCATLY,AND THE MARSHALS AHVE AROUND AN HOUR,TO SET UP THE WHOLE COURSE,IN UNDER AN HOUR,BEFORE THE LIGHTS GO GREEN,FOR THE FIRST CAR...

BY 5PM,THE ROADS HAVE TO RE-OPEN....

BY NIGHTFALL,YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW WE HAD BEEN THERE....

CONDITIONS WERE DAMP,UNDER THE TREE'S.SO PRACTICE WOULD BE TAKEN EVER SO CAUTIOUSLY....

'NOBODY' WANTED TO END UP IN THE WALL,ON DAY TWO...

THIS PART OF THE 'TT' CIRCUIT,IS VERY FAST,AND UNFORGIVING...

[BIRDIEMANGO]

I THINK THIS PRETTY MUCH SUM'S UP THE ATMOSPHERE,AS WE GOT BELTED IN,LID'S ON.....READY TO GO...

SOME TIMES FROM DAY ONE AT 'THE SLOC',WERE POSTED ON THE 'BURGER VAN' DOWN IN THE PADDOCK...

I HAD TO UNLOAD THE 'HUGE' SPARES PACKAGE ,I HAD TAKEN ALONG EVERY MORNING? IRONICALLY,I ENDED UP HELPING OTHER COMPETITORS WITH 'RUNNING REPAIRS'....

APART FROM CHANGING THE TWO WHEELS ON THE 'SAAB' I NEVER PUT A SPANNER,ON THE CAR THE WHOLE 3 DAYS....

'PREPARATION,IS EVERYTHING'........ONCE THOSE LIGHTS GO GREEN.NOTHING ELSE MATTERS...

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING OVER,TO TALK ABOUT THE 'SAAB' SEEMED ENDLESS......

ALL THEY WANTED TO KNOW?

''SO HOW MUCH BHP,ARE YOU ACTUALLY RUNNING IN THAT THING.....?''

BUT,AS WE KNOW,IT'S THE TORQUE,AND IT'S DELIVERY THAT MAKES THE SAAB TURBO SO INCREDIBLE....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

EVEN SO,IT WAS STRUGGLE ON DAY TWO. THE COURSE BEING RELATIVELY FLAT,FOR THE FIRST HALF,WAS ALLOWING ALL THOSE PORSCHES,TO USE THEIR TRACTION AND POWER 'OFF' THE LINE.....

THERE WAS A HUGE BATTLE GOING ON FOR FIRST PLACE,IN THE END A PORSCHE GT3(SETTING A NEW COURSE RECORD) JUST PIPPED THE MITSUBISHI EVO,FOR FIRST POSITION...

BOTH THE AC COBRA,AND THE TVR PULLED BACK SOME SECOND ON ME HERE,WITH THE ALFA ROMEO DOING THE SAME...

I STILL BEAT THE 258 BHP ESCORT MK2 THOUGH,BY 1.2 SECONDS.

THIS PUT ME IN 30TH OVERALL,AFTER DAY TWO.

YOUR FASTEST TIME FORM EACH DAY GOES TOWARDS YOUR OVERALL SCORE? SO OVERALL,I WAS NOW 28TH....

CLUTCH WAS TAKING A HAMMERING!! I WAS BALANCING THE REV'SS AROUND 2000RPM,AGAINST SLIPPING THE CLUTCH,SO AS TO GET NO WHEELSPIN IN 1ST GEAR. 'JUST' GET THE MOMENTUM GOING,AND INTO SECOND,ENGAGE FIFTH INJECTOR,AND GIVE IT THE BEANS!!

BEAR IN MIND,THAT THE SYNCHRO ON 3RD GEAR,HAS LONG GONE,AND FIFTH IS STARTING TO CRUNCH AS WELL....

THIS 'SAAB 900' IS UTTERLY STANADRD,IN 'ROAD-GOING' FORMAT....

AND IT WAS BEGINNING TO 'OPEN' A FEW EYES...

'HILLCLIMBING' OVER HERE,CONSIST'S MAINLY OF GUYS,WITH NO HAIR,OR GREY HAIR. THEY SPENDS RELENTLESS HOUR'S OUT IN THEIR SHED'S AND GARAGE'S BUILDING THESE MACHINES,BEFORE TAKING TO THE HILL'S....

IT IS RATHER A 'RELAXED' ATMOSPHERE,AND YOU ACTUALLY GET TIME TO CHAT AWAY,TO OTHER COMPETITIOR'S WITH FASCINATING STORIES,OF YEARS GONE BY....

THERE IS STILL,SO MUCH TO LEARN.....THE 'EXPERIENCE' WITHIN THIS COMMUNTIY IS ASTOUNDING...

EVEN TIME,TO GO AND LOOK AT A 'FORD ANGLIA'....

THESE USED TO BE MANUFACTURED IN LIVERPOOL,JUST DOWN THE ROAD ,MANY YEARS AGO..

[BIRDIEMANGO]

DAY 3 WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN THE ,THE ISLAND'S NOTHERLY TOWN OF 'RAMSEY'.
THE COURSE IS KNOWN,AS 'LHERGY FRISSELL',AND INCORPORATE'S TWO HAIRPINS,AS YOU RISE UP ONTO THE 'PLATEAU',WHICH IS KNOW AS 'THE MOUNTAIN' ON THE 'TT' COURSE....

THE ROAD IS ACTUALLY CLOSED,AT THE MOMENT,AS 'WORKS' ARE ONGOING,TO IMPROVE THE ROAD,UP ON THE 'MOUNTAIN' FOR THE FORTHCOMING MOTORCYCLE 'TT' RACE,IN A MONTHS TIME.

HOWEVER,WE HAD BEEN ALLOWED ACCESS,TO RUN THE HILL FOR DAY 3. SO MANY THANKS TO THE 'MANX MOTOR RACING CLUB' FOR ACTUALLY NEGOTIATING THIS!!

THE 'PADDOCK' IS ACTUALLY,IN THE 'HOUSING ESTATE' OF THE TOWN. THE 'LOCALS' COME OUT,AND RATHER RELISH THIS EVENT COMING,TO THEIR TOWN....

WEATHER WAS SUNNY,WITH RAIN FORECAST IN THE AFTERNOON.

THIS WAS THE HILLCLIMB,I WAS LEAST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

GETTING THE INERTIA GOING,WITH THE HEAVY SAAB OFF THE STARTLINE,WAS ONE THING? BUT KEEPING THE MOMENTUM GOING,THROUGH TWO HAIRPINS,WITHOUT SPINNING UP AN INSIDE WHEEL,AND LOSING TIME,WAS MY BIGGEST CONCERN.

THERE WAS LITERALLY TENTHS OF A SECOND NOW,BETWEN ME AND THE 'ALFA ROMEO' OVERALL,WITH THE ESCORT MK2 SOME 4 SECOND OR SO BEHIND...THE TVR V8,AND THE AC COBRA JUST SECONDS IN FRONT...

AMYWAY,HERE ARE SOME PHOTO'S JUST BEFORE THE MORNINGS FIRST PRACTICE RUN...

THE 'PORSCHE BOXSTER' THAT HAD CRASHED ON DAY ONE,WAS NOW BACK IN THE RUNNING,ALBEIT MINUS ONE AUXILIARY RADIATOR,AND ALOT OF 'GAFFER TAPE'.... I WAS GLAD,TO HAVE BEEN OF 'SOME' HELP TO HIM,WITH TOOLS ETC...

[BIRDIEMANGO]

WITH THE TWO HAIRPINS,AND BLIND ENTRY POINT'S INTO THE CORNERS,WITH SHEER ROCK ON THE INSIDE,AND THE IRISH SEA ON THE OUTSIDE,THERE REALLY AIN'T MUCH ROOM FOR ERROR UP HERE...

ON MY FIRST PRACTICE RUN,I WAS SLIDING TOWARDS THE BARRIER'S AND JUST KISSED THEM,WITH THE REAR OF THE SAAB,A LUCKY ESCAPE...!!

JUST BEFORE LUNCH CAME MY FASTEST RUN UP 'LHERGY FRISSELL',THE RAIN CAME SOON AFTERWARDS. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE ONE OF THE PORSCHE'S WENT OFF!! IN THE RAIN,AND THIS BROUGHT AN EARLY CLOSE,TO THE EVENT LATE IN THE AFTERNOON,AS THE 'CLEAN UP' EXERCISE OF THE COURSE WAS TO TAKE SO LONG...

AFTER 3 DAYS OF COMPETITION,I WAS PLACED 31ST OVERALL ON THE LAST OF THE DAYS EVENTS...THIS GAVE ME 28TH OVERALL,AFTER THE 3 DAYS,AGAINST FULL-ON RACE&RALLY CARS.

THIS WAS IN A STANDARD ROAD-GOING 8 VALVE 900 TURBO,WITH NAKARD SYNCRO ON 3RD GEAR,AND THE ONE ON FIFTH GEAR IS CRUNCHING NOW....
IN A CAR WEIGHING AROUND 1260 KG,ON ROAD TYRES WITH A TOWBAR...

WITH THE 'COLD START INJECTOR' ENGAGED THE 'AFR' DROPS DOWN TO A MORE IDEAL '11.5-12' ON A WIDE OPEN THROTTLE...

IN A SAAB THAT COST JUST £325 A FEW YEARS BACK,MANY THANKS TO ALL THE FRIENDS WHOM HAVE DONATED THEIR TIME,AND PANELS AND PARTS,TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN...

THERE ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH MARASHALS ON THE ISLAND TO RUN THIS EVENT.THE 'MANX MOTOR RACING CLUB' THERFORE PAYS FOR THE FERRY CROSSING,ACCOMODATION,AND MEALS,FOR EVERY FOUR MARSHALS,THAT VOLUNTEER,TO COME OVER FROM THE UK MAINLAND....'FOUR HEADS UP 'IN A CAR.

WITHOUT THEM,THE EVENT COULD NOT TAKE PLACE...

THE EVENT 'AFTER-PARTY' WAS HELD AT THE LONGEST ESTABLISHED GARAGE ON THE ISLAND,IN THE SHOWROOM. HERE,I WAS INTRODUCED TO SO MANY PEOPLE.....AND MADE AN OBSERVATION THAT EVENING?

''IF ONLY WE COULD BOTTLE,THE ENTIRE KNOWLEDGE,AND EXPERIENCE OF EVERYBODY WITHIN THIS SHOWROOM TONIGHT....THEN JUST EXACTLY WOULD BE THE END PRODUCT...?''

''IMAGINEERING,BEYOND ANY CONSTRAINTS...''

SUNDAY MORNING,I MANAGED TO MEET UP WITH THE CHAP,THAT BOUGHT ME OLD 99 EMS RALLY CAR,SOME 11 YEARS PREVIOUS....? HE HAS A 'WORKSHOP' ON THE ISLAND,AND IS NOW AGED 67....BUT STILL,AN AVID COMPETITOR,IN THE 99.

THE 99 EMS IS 'STILL' GOING STRONG,ON THE ENGINE I BUILT FROM THE SAAB 'PARTS' BIN.....IN FACT,IT WILL BE THE STAGE CLOSING 'SWEEPER CAR,ON THE FORTHCOMING 'MANX RALLY' IN 3 WEEKS TIME.

HE IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A REPLICA OF THE 1977 WORKS FORD ESCORT MK2 THAT 'BJORN WALDERGARD' WON THE LOMBARD RAC RALLY....

THIS CAR TOO,ALSO HAS A £25K ENGINE UNDER THE BONNET...

HIS PARTING COMMENT....

''POWER AND DOLLARS ISN'T EVERYTHING....''

BUT,I STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN...

[BIRDIEMANGO]

MORNING CHAPS,OK WELL? I THOUGHT THAT AS THE OLD K900 IS RUNNING SO WELL AT THE MOMENT,MAYBE I SHOULD GET IT BACK UP TO THE 'ROLLING ROAD' TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT SORT OF POWER&TORQUE WE ARE GETTING FROM THE ORIGINAL 134,000 MILE ENGINE? BEFORE!! I BLOW IT UP...

I HAVE BEEN GOING TO THE SAME GUY NOW FOR AT LEAST 13 YEARS.HE IS VERY THOROUGH,AND WILL SPEND AN HOUR SETTING UP THE CAR,WITH HIS OWN 'KNOCK' SENSOR ARRANGEMENT,WITH VARIOUS DATA LOGGING SENSOR'S ATTACHED ALL OVER THE CAR.
THE CAR IS THEN GIVEN A PRELIMINARY RUN,AND 'IF' HE HEARS ANY ENGINE 'PINGING' WHATSOEVER,WHILSTSAT IN THE CAR WITH HIS 'HEADPHONES' ON...? THEN YOU GET GIVEN THE KEYS BACK,AND TOLD TO GO AND SORT IT OUT,BEFORE HE WILL EVEN THINK ABOUT LETTING YOU BRING THE CAR BACK...

HIS WORKSHOP,IS AROUND AN HOUR NORTH OF LIVERPOOL,AND IT'S ALWAYS FULL! OF CLASSIC STUFF.....

THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT,THAT ALTHOUGH WE SOMETIMES DO NOT REALISE IT? WE 'ARE' NOW OF A GENERATION,THAT HAS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF KNOWLWEDGE,ABOUT OLDER CAR'S AND 'OLD SKOOL' TUNING....

THE 'REASON' HE IS WORKING 7 DAYS A WEEK,IS THAT NO OTHER WORKSHOPS AROUND THE REGION,HAVE THIS KNOWLEDGE,ABOUT SETTING UP CARBS,OR K-KETRONIC,OR OLD SKOOL TURBOCHARGED/,OR NATURALLY ASPIRATED COMPETITION ENGINES...

MOST OF THE GUYS I KNOW FROM TWENTY YEARS AGO,IN THIS BUSINESS,HAVE ALL RETIRED NOW...

HE IS 61 YEARS OF AGE NOW,HIS FATHER OWNS THE GARAGE STILL,WELL INTO HIS EIGHTIE'S....

IT'S LIKE GOING BACK 40 YEARS IN TIME,EVERY VISIT....

AND THERE IS 'ALWAYS' SOMETHING 'NEW' TO LEARN...

I ARRIVED EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...

SOME PICTURES FROM WITHIN WORKSHOP...RED ESCORT RUNNING NATURALLY ASPIRATED COSWORTH 'YB'...

WHITE RS2000 X-PACK RUNNING COSWORTH TURBOCHARGED 'YB'...

THE KITCAR IS A 'DAX' WITH THE FORD V6 MOTOR...

NOW,MAYBE WE NEED A LITTLE BACKGROUND HERE,SUCH AS TO DO SOME COMPARISONS?

THE GUY HIMSELF,HAS A 'ZETEC' POWERED 'ROLLER SKATE' WESTFIELD,WHICH HE USE'S MAYBE ON A SUNNY SUNDAY AFTERNOON,ONCE IN A WHILE? BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,HE CAN DO DIRECT BACK-TO-BACK POWER/TORQUE COMPARISON'S,AND ACTUALLY USE THE CAR AS A 'CALIBRATION' TOOL,FOR SETTING UP THE VARIOUS DYNO/ROLLERS&ASSOCIATED CORRECTION FACTORS,THAT HE HAS HAD OVER THE YEARS...

ORIGINALLY(15 YEARS AGO) THE WORKSHOP WAS EQUIPPED WITH 'DASTEK' ROLLERS,SET INTO THE FLOOR. I HAVE HAD THE 99 TURBO RUN ON THESE(AT LEAST 10 YEARS AGO),AND ALSO THE WHITE K900 TURBO 'JUST' BEFORE THE 'DASTEK' WERE TAKEN OUT 18 MONTHS AGO,AND THE ALL NEW 'HUB DRIVEN DYNO SET-UP' WAS PURCHASED...

SO THE CLARION 99 TURBO,WITH COLD START INJECTOR,ON MICRO-SWITCH THROTTLE (CAM-OPERATED) B20 ENGINE ON 'DASTEK' ROLLERS
180 BHP 201 LB/FT TORQUE.

WHITE K900 TURBO WITH COLD START INJECTOR,ON 'FLICK SWITCH ON DASH' ON 'DASTEK' ROLLERS,18 MONTHS AGO
166BHP 175 LB/FT TORQUE. WE COULD ONLY RUN THE CAR,WITH COLD START INJECTOR ENGAGED,AS THE 'WARM UP REGULATOR' WAS ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO RUN FAR TO LEAN,JUST ON IT'S OWN....AND GIVING THE 'APC' SOLENOID VALVE A HEART ATTACK!!

THE 'WARM UP REGULATOR' WAS SEN'T AWAY,TO BE BE RECONDITIONED OVER THAT WINTER TIME,AS IT IS AROUND A SIX WEEK TURNAROUND,BEFORE YOU GET IT BACK.WE HAVE A SPECIALIST COMPANY HERE,NEAR BIRMINGHAM IN THE UK THAT DEALS WITH EVERYTHING K-JETRONIC.

https://www.atcdrivetrain.co.uk/pages/m ... ction.html

ONCE THE NEW 'WARM UP REGULATOR' WAS RE-FITTED,I ALSO FITTED AN 'INNOVATE' AFR GAUGE AND SENSOR IN THE EXHAUST DOWNPIPE,SO THAT I CAN 'SEE' EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON NOW,WITH THE FUELLING. THIS COMPLETELY FIXED THE 'CHATTERING' APC SOLENOID VALVE,AS THE ENGINE WAS NOW NO LONGER SUFFERING 'PINGING'......BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY,ALLOWED THE ENGINE TO 'BOOST' PROPERLY.. WITH THE 'APC' KEEPING THINGS IN CHECK!
ONCE AGAIN,I MUST STRESS THAT THIS B201 8V ENGINE IS ABSOLUTELY 'STOCK'.....THERE IS A 'JETEX' EXHAUST SYSTEM FITTED,WITH A 'JETEX' HIGH PERFORMANCE AIR FILTER,THATS IT!!

SO,TO YESTERDAY'S RESULT'S?

WHITE K900 TURBO WITH COLD START INJECTOR,ON 'FLICK SWITCH ON DASH' ON 'NEW' HUB DRIVEN ROLLERS
170 BHP 211LB/FT TORQUE

INTERESTINGLY,WITH THE 'COLD START INJECTOR' FIRED FROM 2000 RPM? THIS GIVES A BIG INCREASE IN TORQUE AT AROUND 3300RPM....BUT,HARDLY ANY INFLUENCE ON ENGINE POWER ITSELF,ESPECIALLY UP AT THE TOP END.

AFTER 5000 RPM,POWER&TORQUE ARE DROPPING AWAY,SO CHANGE GEAR....THERE IS NO POINT WHATSOEVER HANGING 'ON' TO THE REVS,UNTIL THE REDLINE...

IT'S ALL ABOUT MID-RANGE PERFORMANCE,AND AS WE KNOW,TO GO 'HILLCLIMBING'.......'TORQUE' IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR'S,SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE GRAPHS TO FOLLOW....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

1ST GRAPH SHOWS 'AFR'....(AIR FUEL RATIO)

THE TWO GREEN LINES,ARE WITHOUT THE 'COLD START' INJECTOR FIRED.RED,ORANGE AND BLUE LINES,WITH 'COLD START INJECTOR' FIRED MANUALLY...WHICH ON THE COCKPIT 'AFR' GAUGE WAS DROPPING TO AROUND 12.0 TO 1,WHILST COMPETING ON WIDE OPEN THROTTLE,ON THE 'MANX CLASSIC' UP THE HILLS....

OF COURSE,MEASUREMENTS MADE ON A 'ROLLING ROAD' DO NOT NECESSARILY CORRESPOND WITH 'REAL TIME' DRIVING,WHILST IN COMPETITION.FOR INSTANCE,IDEALLY WE COULD DO WITH REMOVING THE BONNET HERE,WHILST ON THE DYNO,TO ALLOW FULL EXPOSURE TO THE INDUSTRIAL COOLING FAN....BUT HEY,THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS...!

2ND GRAPH SHOWS BOOST PRESSURE,WE ARE MAKING JUST SHORT OF 2 BAR BOOST AT 3300 RPM,WITH THAT CRUCIAL MID-RANGE TORQUE......BUT THE 'APC' SYSTEM IS DOING IT'S THING AND HOLDING THAT BOOST,ACROSS THE REV.RANGE...
YOU MAY NOTICE THAT AT ON ONE PARTICULAR RUN,THE ENGINE ACTUALLY MAKES 218 LB/FT TORQUE WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL FUELLING...BUT? I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE RE-ASSURANCE OF EXTRA FUEL DOING IT'S THING,AND PREVENTING A HOLED PISTON!!

FINALLY, ENGINE POWER&TORQUE.....

ALL THIS FROM A B201 8V, 37 YEAR OLD SAAB K900 TURBO RESCUED FROM THE SCRAPYARD.....

WITH A 'BIRDIEMANGO' BEING THE NUT BEHIND THE WHEEEL...

WHO SAID,THAT MOTORSPORT IS ALL ABOUT WINNING....? THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO IT,THAN THAT......

FIRST YOU HAVE TO FINISH.

NOW,I HAVE A BENCHMARK FOR THE B201,THE NEXT STEP, IS BUILD UP A STOCK B202.....AND DROP IT INTO MY 1981 900 SEDAN(PICTURED)REPLACING THE SINGLE CARB. ENGINE....

THEN DO SOME BACK TO BACK TESTING,SEE HOW THE POWER,BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TORQUE COMES IN,HOW FAST AND HOW MUCH....

THEN,AND ONLY THEN.....WILL WE PROGRESS ONTO THE 'MONSTROSITY' ENGINE BUILD.

WILL,I EVER MAKE IT TO 'PIKES PEAK'....?

IT'S GONNA TAKE TIME,AND A LOT OF EFFORT....

THIS GUY ALSO HAD THE RED 'QUATTRO' AT THE 'MANX CLASSIC' BACK IN 2013? EVEN THOUGH HE PASSED SCRUTINEERING BACK THEN,THEY WORKED ALL NIGHT,TO TRY AND SORT OUT THE BRAKE'S,AS HE JUST WASN'T HAPPY WITH THEM.....

I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO SEE THE 'QUATTRO' RUN UP THE HILLS,ALONG SIDE THE CLARION 99 TURBO BACK THEN? BUT THE GUY TOOK,THE DECISION,'NOT' TO RUN THE 'QUATTRO'.....THAT YEAR,AND LOADED IT BACK ON THE TRAILER...

SOMETIMES,JUST SOMETIMES......IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY? YOU JUST HAVE TO COME BACK ANOTHER TIME...

'RACING' IS LIFE...

EVERYTHING ELSE,IS 'JUST' WAITING...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy5u_Ly3nIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHsnBj_hDYY

HE LIVES AROUND AN HOURS DRIVE NORTH OF ME....

MAYBE IT'S TIME WE MET... ?

[BIRDIEMANGO]

SOME PICTURES FROM OVER ON THE 'MANX CLASSSIC'


https://www.manxphotosonline.com/2023/0 ... /6639/cart

https://www.facebook.com/islephoto.co.u ... 2825379434

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=80 ... 4451028116