MOT sorted

I just heard that the Saxo passed its MOT today so that's one thing sorted. I'll be going to pick it up tomorrow. Camseals are sorted and a few other wee bits and bobs done too.

I also picked up a nice secondhand Sparco suit in fairly inoffensive black, FIA 8856-2000 standard and it fits perfect! Just need to sell the oversized suit I bought back in February.

First event entry is in - Kames on 15 April - a round of the Lowland Speed Championship and the Cross Border Speed Championship. I decided not to enter the Guyson championships this year as funds are very tight and I'll be concentrating on the Cross Border Championship.

I'll be taking the Saxo down to Kames this Sunday for a wee shakedown test to see how everything is bearing up. MOT man said it could do with new pads (not sure whether front or rear yet) so I might need to sort that out. Also, the idle still isn't quite right (never was) but no point in fixing that until the new ECU is here, fitted and mapped. On that front, I expect some news in the next couple of weeks.....

Frustrations

A while since I posted. I've been a bit preoccupied with some other stuff going on but here is the latest on the racingSaxo anyway.

I fired it up and it ran like a dog - wouldn't idle and seemed to be misfiring. I thought I'd try and get the OBD2 reader to tell me what was up but after a couple of nights fiddling with various connectors and software, I decided I didn't have the facility to get my laptop to communicate in French.

So, I decided to take the car to my mates garage where the MOT was to be done anyway. In the meantime, there was the small matter of the racingMetro which had been languishing on the trailer since October. That had to be moved so I could get the Saxo on. I decided I was just going to scrap it and be done but an aborted run to the scrappies (it was shut), saw me bring it back. I was about to take it down again when a bloke from my office decided he would buy it so I duly delivered it to him. The old K series fired up first time and sounded fantastic. Hey ho.

So, MOT day came and I got the Saxo on the trailer. I had to sit with the throttle open to keep it running and after about 10 mins it was sounding a wee bit better. However, when I opened the bonnet, it was covered in fresh oil from the blasted camseals! So much for my mechanical skills!

Dejected, I phoned my mate and told him the car wasn't ready for an MOT but I would bring it in anyway. After 10 mins going through the known issues with him, I left it with him.

It's still there. The good news is it doesn't need much to pass the MOT. Provided we can get it running right. The CO is through the roof. Something tells me I might have got the timing belt a tooth out (sigh).......

More news next week.

Back to earth

The Saxo is back on the ground. I finally fixed the exhaust and put all the bodywork back together tonight.

Next step is to refill the coolant, hook up the battery and fire it up. Then there is the small matter of refitting the bonnet. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly.

I've booked the MOT for a couple of weeks time and I have a new ECU on order.....