400r C30SE Turbo Cheapo Special.

[chrisr29]

Hi, 1st post. Quick run down of my Manta project:

Bought this about 4 years ago. Usual story, back from pub one eve and got browsing ebay. Ended up 'wining' this delightful looking example:

Lhd, 1977 Dutch registered with a C20XE. Had been used for road rallys or something in Holland. Scruffy looking but pretty solid as it turned out, only needed some minor brake work for its MOT. 

Took it on a track day at Goodwood and within 4 sessions the brakes turned to mush and the gearbox ate itself. Although it handled quite nicely it was way too slow. So within a matter of days an absolute wreck of a Carlton GSI was acquired as an engine/gearbox doner. 

Plan was to fit it all up then strip and overhaul the engine - that never quite happened, the engine/gearbox went in for a trial fit and never came out again. Bloody thing weighed a ton and trying to drag it up and down a gravel drive on an engine crane was just too much for one person.

Another track day at Goodwood was organised (it's just up the road from me so not too far to drag it back if it dies again). Whilst it went a lot better the handling went to crap and the brakes...err!

Handling was sorted by some very stiff front springs and some adjustable AVO shocks that the Alfa specialist next to me was chucking out whilst having a tidy up. Brakes via eBay:

Another trackday and much better. Although the brake pedal was too long for my liking, again, it did stop a lot better but could really do with some more poke. 

I'd turbo'd an old BMW some years ago and had removed all the parts before I sold the car. It was a similar straight six setup with a cast, two part exhaust manifold that used a bolt on adapter to attach the turbo. So, a couple of weekends later I knocked up this from some weld Els and odds an sods:

At the same time I fitted a 400 body kit and painted it NATO green with a roller. I was originally after some arch repair panels but, as usual, spent several times the amount on a whole body kit. The DIY paint job was purely to keep cost down. So far, it doesn't owe me a great deal. Anyway, it now looks like this:

Another track day highlighted some further issues namely the head gasket wasn't up to it! 

So, the head came off and to be fair the gasket came out in one piece as though it had been done before prior to the car being layed up. Only they hadn't bothered skimming the head as I had to have 20 thou taken off of it. The chain tensioner also had some issues, this is how it came out:

It turns out that tensioners for these engines are nigh on unobtainable so I made one: 

It was subsequently lined with a piece of cast nylon milled to shape.

A decompression plate was made from 1.5mm alloy sheet, bigger injectors fitted and a 1 bar actuator. The previous one was only 0.5 bar. 

It's now back on the road, just needs some further mapping work and then back to Goodwood for another track day. A larger brake master cylinder from a Monza was fitted which has improved the pedal feel.

It REALLY needs an lsd as traction is now an issue. First time I opened it up a bit, as the boost gauge hit 10psi the throttle jammed open and it took off like a stabbed rat. Investigation lead me to think that the throttle return springs aren't  up to the additional boost. I have just fitted an additional, much stronger one which will hopefully sort the issue.

 

 

 

 

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Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.