I currently own a fab 2.1 Pinto-engined SEiW and I am a current WSCC member. I've had my car for just over a year, but have had a dream to own an XI for a long, long time. It's a bit of a boring story, but fast forward up to last week...
I am in the process of buying the perfect (for me) donor for my new project. It's a '68 Midget with wires that is in need of a re-shell. The owner originally stated in his advert that he would not sell the car to someone who was going to break it for parts. I emailed him with my intentions and he was interested in the project. We had a chat over the phone and have struck a "Gentleman's Agreement". I've got a trailer arranged, and just need to find a mutually convenient time to go and get it.
Even Mrs C has agreed that it can be parked on the grass outside the garage while my SEiW is in residence.
Once I have taken delivery, I'll be taking my time with carefully dismantling the car and looking to refurb the required items. I'll still be able to run my SEiW over the Summer this way, and then put it up for sale to help finance the XI kit when the next batch is produced.
I apologise now for the million daft questions that are going to appear!!
Hi Jon, and welcome. Congratulations on finding a decent donor car, which can't be that easy these days. I'd be really interested in following your progress. An XI build was beyond me, and I opted to buy an ex-demonstrator from Westfield instead, but I think pretty much everyone else on here has built their own and I'm sure you'll get all the help you need...
It was a lucky shot on Google that led me to the car. The owner had listed it on eBay earier in the year, but it had failed to make the reserve. Clearly more valuable to me as an XI donor than as a resto project for those bidders!
By tackling to oily bits first, I'll know whether I have the skills and patience to build my own car. None of the technology is new to me as I have run a Herald 13/60, Alpine V GT and GT6 Mk2 in the past. I don't want to contemplate what the time and ££ investment might be, but hope to emerge from the other side of this project with all fingers intact and having avoided ending up in a shallow grave by the Fosseway courtesey of Mrs C!!!
The target is LM Classis 2014 for a shakedown and then 2016 for my 50th!!
Think I have seen you over on the WSCC but welcome here too.
For me the bulk of the time was spend refurbing the donor, the build was pretty much straightforward spannering (except getting the wishbones upside down!) Of course since then there has been a whole lot of changes, like a geared starter and 5 speed gearbox (both recomended). Questions welcomed, of course ask 3 of us and you'll probably get 3 different answers but there you go..
Have fun with the dismantling, no idea what 40 year old grease turns into but it destroyed many hacksaw blades, so if you don't want to sell the excess parts you may want to go directly to the angle grinder drawer.
The intention is to pass on as much of the car I don't need as possible. I assume eBay would be the first port of call, but I'll look at the Midget and Sprite Club / MG Cars Club as an alternative too. I'm hoping to offset the cost of the donor by a bit and make sure that original parts end up going back into the MG pot for someone else's project.
I've had a look at the DVLA requirements for kit conversions and it looks like the original 4-speed box would ensure I keep historic status - but I think that a later change to Type 9 box is on the cards as funds allow. As I will need to buy new wire wheels (the originals need refurbing at the very least), I've been looking at the 15" wheel thread with interest. BTW, has anyone done a rear disc conversion? Is the car sufficiently braked with rear drums anyway?
WRT the engine, I have revisited my old copy of Vizard's A Series bible, and will be trying to pick out a suitable spec without going bonkers. Does anyone run anything other than a standard diff? Are there preferred ratios (dependant on rolling circumference, I would guess, and final gearbox ratio selection).
Chappy and I are approaching this project from different directions. Hopefully there will be two (very different) build threads starting in the New Year!!
I have 15" wheels and run Dunlop racing tires, 4.5" in front and 5" in the rear. This may not be an option for you since they are not highway legal, track only. I use the Datsun 5-speed and had to go to a 4.22 rear axle ratio to keep the cruise rpm reasonable. Google "gear calc" for a rear axle ratio program to help you figure it out.
There are UK dealers that supply the Michelin XZX (Longstone Tyres etc) and that may be the way to go. Lots of water to go under the bridge before then.
Update on 15" wheels & tyres. It seems that it is in fact quite legal to run Dunlop racing tyres on the road here in the UK. They wil pass an MoT (as long as they have sufficient tread & no damage, like any other tyre) and it seems there is nothing in any other regs to make them not legal. So, one obstacle less...
Jon - good to hear from you. Good luck with the build.
Personally, I've stuck with the 4 speed box. It's lighter than the Ford unit and proved durable thus far (18 months of racing and 8000+ road miles). I find the rear drums work well enough. The shoes can wear a bit on a longer race, giving you a long pedal, but fine for the road or trackdays.
As you can tell there will be no shortage of advice, even if you've not asked for it!
To be honest, I don't think I'd bother with a rear disc conversion. It is additional expense plus I had trouble with the SVA on brake balance, too much rear not enough front. A bias valve sorted that out though. I wouldn't bother with Greenstuff pads, on the trackday they let me down after 5 laps of the sprint circuit. I'm now going for Mintex 1144s. The front calipers are heavy cast iron, I did look at the KAD or Minispares 4 pots for increased effect and added lightness but decided not to for the moment. I also have cross drilled rotors, not that they make much difference!
On the subject of brakes on the W11, I have gone a different way on my own RHD build here in the US.
The braking of the W11 really is not very good, but it is not because of the brake calipers or the drums, it is because of the mismatch in the tandem master cylinder used in the braking system.
Since the firewall is set up for twin master cylinders, I checked with Gavin at Westfield Spares, and acquired a twin master cylinder brake pedal with bias bar. I then ordered a pair of 5/8" master cylinders, one for the front brake circuit, and one for the rear circuit, from my local race supply (Amazon). These cylinders (same as the clutch master cylinder) are relatively inexpensive, at around £40 each, with the remote reservoirs. Having the ability to change the size of a front or rear master cylinder, and having an adjustable bias bar makes setting up the brake balance between front and rear easy. No need for a proportioning valve, and the pedal feel can be adjusted by selecting the correct master cylinder. This also gives you two truly independent braking systems for the front and rear, along with remote mounted reservoirs, up on the foot box, where you can see and fill them. I was able to pick up a fitting for the Girling clutch master cylinder so that I could fit a Wilwood remote reservoir to it as well.
The additional cost is minimal, as the pedal and master cylinders are not at all expensive. I built mine with US built Wilwood cylinders, but Girling/Lochkeed/Tilton or other standard configuration master cylinders of the appropriate size will work fine. Just make sure that they are the type that accepts a remote reservoir.
While disc brakes in the rear may be an advantage, the car is very light, and the rear brakes do very little. I don't think that even on a long race, that the rear shoe wear would cause the problem with a "long pedal" especially with a bias bar, twin master cylinder setup. I am using Porterfield R4S pads and shoes. These are carbon/kevlar based materials, very easy on the drums and rotors, but developing excellent brake torque and a light, easily modulated pedal.
Cross Drilled Rotors don't do anything useful with modern, non gassing pads. However, a good set of brake ducts might help to keep the fronts cool during a heated race. I converted my little sidelights to turn signals, and drilled open the spaces for the old turn signal lights, turning them into the ducts that they were originally intended to be.
Another mod that I recommend is the installation of the TranX LSD. This gives a proper acceleration out of the corners, without any inside wheel spin. A drift can be held, and the tendency to lose drive in the corner is eliminated. Expensive, as you need to purchase stronger race axles, but the advantage in cornering and corner exit is more useful than having rear disc brakes, especially if you have a more powerful engine.
A CR, straight cut gear set in the old Ribcase works wonders, but I do like to have to drive my car long distances on our freeways in order to compete in track events (no tow car, no trailer). Speeds run around 80, so the extra gear from the Datsun box is helpful. Even better is the CR Type 9 that I acquired from SP Components. This is the "Long 1st" version. Finally, a box without the big gap between 2nd and 3rd, with a useable 1st. Having the right ratios in the box is like having another 10 HP. I have not decided which final drive I will use with this combination. I have a 3.9 in it, but I may go to the 4.22, as I do have the tall 500X15s in the rear. Testing begins in a couple of weeks on the RHD car.
