Well this is the story of a new project ive recently started. Only last week I sold one of the best cars ive ever owned (FRP 441) to help fund a new venture which I'm really excited about.
In recent years I've been lucky enough to take a Racing Puma out on a few trackdays, and even to themighty Nurburgring, and realise just how good these little cars are, they have so much grip, don't get tired and just keep giving.
I always thought they still had more to give, could be even better if someone was brave enough to try, and one day i was in the right place at the right time and managed to secure another FRP to play with.
Last year I contacted a guy who was selling FRP 70, or P1 FRP as some of you may know it. The guy was at the end of his tether trying to get the car fixed after it had suffered a snapped cambelt. I step in with a small bundle of cash and away I go with a new toy!
Here it is as I found it:
and on the way home!
so for a short period of time I was lucky enough to own two FRPs!
Various stories came from the garage i brought it from, of titanium valves having been fitted, but not being able to get the right tappets (even though the engine was built up!!), but as it turns out they simple got a spare cylinder head, swapped the cams over and tried to rebuild the engine. Where they went wrong was by firstly not firing the belt tensioner properly (loose belt) and secondly not using the right timing tool.
So FRP 70 is a good base for a project. The car has been loved in the past, with a large folder full of receipts, its been resprayed by Pumabuild at some point and was a cherished example up until about 5 years ago, when it became a daily hack and was a bit neglected, until it eventually died.
Close inspection of the engine also shows the bottom end was knackered, its been run dry of oil (either as a result of the garage running it with no oil in it, or it was prior damage) so the engine was caput. It lasted over 100,000 miles so that's not bad going.
So, we need to broach the subject of modifying an FRP. There is a school of thought out there they we shouldn't change or modify these superb cars because only 500 were built, and only 350ish still exist. That is a very good reason not to mess with them, and one I agree with on the whole. My previous FRP (441) was on its way to becoming a prime example of a superb, original, FRP and I would never have messed it up.However, where FRP70 is concerned, it was a mess when I got it, it would have been either patched up (badly), and run into the ground, or broken for parts and vanished forever. Therefore I don't feel bad about 'messing' with this one. It will become a fantastic car, will be for filling its potential, and most importantly, still be around for many years to come!
Glad that's out the way! Now onto the good stuff!
Here's a short list of jobs to do:
Sort the engine – Port the cylinder head – fit Fiesta ST clutch – Strip interior completely – fit rollcage – replace all worn bushes in suspension – fit decent coilovers – renew /replace anything that's worn out – remove windows and fit polycarb ones – full race seats and harnesses – GO RACING!
So, since getting the car home, the engine has been removed, a new one with 48k miles has been sourced and a full engine rebuild/refresh is taking place.
A full weld inCustomCages roll cage has been ordered and is in the process of being fitted
the fitting will take a couple of weeks, then the engine will be back in and the rest of the project will continue
the aim for this year is to take the car to the Nurburgring at the end of may, so I don't have long to get all this sorted!
I will keep this thread up to date with all the progress and let you know how I get on.
Cheers
Ross
This post has been edited by RESTELL: 12 February 2012 - 11:10 PM