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  • Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

    After harping on about it for a while, Ive finally started the "new" rallycar project.

    This is being built to take part in Rally Barbados 2015 and over the past year or so I have been slowly aquiring bits to build my idea of a "GpA" tarmac spec car. Its being built without taking any bits from the current rallycar (or the roadrally car). Im still working to a budget and a lot of the work will be done by myself or by friends but the build budget is a bit more liberal with the intentions of building an awesome car!

    So what do we have so far and whats the plan..?

    The shell.







    Its a brand new base model non sunroof 3 door shell in factory primer. This will be fully seam welded, prepped similarly to the current car with a number of the GpA modifications as well. Its having a cage similar to my current one but with a few extra mods and the biggest difference is that the rear is being turreted for coilovers. It will also be extensively lightened without leaving it fully holed.

    The suspension



    The new car is having Proflex remote canister dampers front and rear. These came off as Astra Mk3 and are currently being rebuilt at Hockly for the front legs and Proflex for the damper units and rears. The rears are also being converted to "pin top" like a standard damper would be.





    The front of the car is going to have the Hockly adjustable bottom arm kit fitted and the rear beam is going to be strengthened and have its damper lower mount position changed to allow more travel.

    The Engine

    The car will be fitted with a 2.0XE redtop engine with an SDB230 kit. This comprises of the following goodies..















    Plus steel rods and some other mods too. Will start with standard rebuild head with mild porting and see how she goes first.

    The Transmission



    Have a new Quaife SCCR F20 gearkit with 4.8CWP. This is going to be built into an F16 casing initially and will run a TranX diff (which Ive temporarily borrowed for the black roadrally car). Im going to run it on cable change I think but I also have this..



    Other bits

    Ive also got a stack of other bits Ive assembled - 2.7 power steering rack, Saxo pump, Hockly Mk3 engine mount kit, good dashboard, good standard loom, 280mm front brakes, new fuel tank etc etc..

    Next steps...

    First step is to build a shell spit. Just bought 2 multi-leg engine stands and the plan is to make a frame for these to bolt onto to bolt onto the shell.

    The the next step is to fit the rear turret kit. Ive bought a pair of Escort Gp4 round rear turrets to be fabricated to the shell and viceversa. Then we can plate and seamweld the entire shell before sending it to have a cage fitted.

    Car needs to be ready at the end of March 2015 to give us a month to shake it down before it ships to Barbados... ~13 months to go!

    Paul..
    My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

  • #2
    Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

    This will be a very interesting topic!

    Good luck with the project!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

      Love this, should be awesome when complete!.
      Probably everyones ideal spec if given the budget! Keep the updates coming and hope the build goes smoothly

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

        Look interesting and expensive, where and how did you find a new (old) shell from?

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

          Originally posted by steven View Post
          Look interesting and expensive, where and how did you find a new (old) shell from?
          It was kept as a spare by a fellow rallyist..

          However I sold a different one (new but painted yellow) a few months back as I couldnt justify the storage on 2 of them. They do pop up from time to time but very rarely.

          Paul..
          My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

            Ah ha ... some interesting bit you have acquired yourself !

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

              Nice shell and bits, good luck with it.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                Now that the Flying Fortress is out of the way, its time to get started on the new shell. It needs various bits doing - strengthening, seam welding, rear turrets converting for coilovers and various other fabrication bits. So today I started building a shell jig to allow much easier work on the underside etc.

                Started with a 7.5m length of 50mm boxsection with a 3mm wall thickness. This was cut into 2 x 1.8m, 2 x 70cm, 4 x 40cm and 4 x 20cm lengths..



                Plus 2 of these cheap engine stand kits from Ebay - £42 each delivered. Supposedly rated at 570kg each!! Nowhere near as good as the Clarke ones I like but will be fine. This wont be modified at all, but the upright and the legs will be bolted to a wider base to make it more stable and taller.



                Tacked together a wider more stable base..



                Then made a 2nd one..



                The upright bolts onto the new wider base, the castors fit to the base and I welded a captive nut to tighten down on the engine stand legs and hold in position...



                The cut up an old trailer I had to make the "bumper bar" cross member. Bolted this to the engine stand rotator.



                Pair of them together...



                The bumper bar is 1.8m wide, an Astra Mk2 is 1.6m but the whole lot rotates nicely in the garage as is so the Astra will have plenty of room



                The legs are spaced widely enough to allow it to be stored around a car if needed..



                It just needs fully welding and a lick of paint.. Probably cost me £120 or so all in when built and will disassemble to parts and have 2 usable engine stands when not a shell jig.

                Paul..
                My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                  What will you be doing engine mount wise will you be using the standard rubber mounts?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                    No

                    I would use a "solid mount kit" usually. However most of the kits only have a single bolt fixing on the drivers side mount and this stresses / breaks the standard alloy mounting bracket on a 20xe.

                    So, Ive gone a different route. I bought (2nd hand) a Hockly Mk3 Astra mount kit.



                    This comes with a lovely steel replacement for the alloy bracket but the Mk3 Astra engine mounts under the chassis rail rather than on the side like on a Mk2.. So Im going to have to cut the chassis leg off a Mk3 Astra and graft that onto the Mk2 Astra to use this kit.. Will then use a solid type Mk2 Astra rear mount.

                    Paul..
                    My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                      Got 2 nice packages today..

                      The first was from Harry Hockly Motorsport who rebuilt my front struts / hubs as the original 2 were bent and also rebushed them inside.



                      and the second was from Proflex who have fully rebuilt the front and rear dampers checked and done new seals and also converted the rears from an eyelet top to a standard type "pin" top



                      Paul..
                      My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                        those are yum !

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                          Managed a little work at the weekend..

                          Fitted the rear mount for the shell jig through the bumper holes with front wishbone bolts.



                          At the front, I was originally going to use the bumper brackets but wasnt sturdy enough. So we removed the front bumper bar bits from the end of the chassis rails..



                          Cut a plate each for the end of the chassis rail and tacked them on



                          They were then fully welded, drilled a hole in each and used some 12mm bolts through the mounting bar for the jig. We then lifted the shell using a jack as high as it would go and then 2 of us lifted the mounting bar and slotted it into the jig.



                          Then removed all the suspension, rear beam etc. Has full 360 degree rotation and can be used by one person easily.



                          So I started cracking on with removing brackets, battery tray etc.



                          Paul..
                          My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                            Had a few hours on the car last night.

                            Codriver Paul cracked on with removing underseal inside the car with a grinder and knotted wheel.



                            whilst I started removing the rear turrets. This car is being coilovered and I decided the easiest way was to purchase some rear turrets and make them fit! First job was to remove the rear turret itself.



                            Spotwelds removed and gently tapped out



                            Then made a cardboard replica of the metal rear turret to allow me to cut out the cardboard copy against the shell until Im happy!



                            Paul..
                            My rallying with mk2 adventures... http://www.astra-mk2.com/forum/forum...ing-adventures

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Tarmac "GpA" rallycar build.

                              3D CAD awesomeness.

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