First track day

Actually it was a track evening at the Linköping Motorbana. About 2 hours drive south from Stockholm. 24 cars of varying types but mostly Porsche and BMW. The car performed really well apart from the rev limiter problem and too much pressure in the tyres. Someone at the track had their Seven (not racing) down to 0,9 bar. On acceleration and cornering it was equal to, or slightly better than the others but on the long 700m straight it only managed 160km/h (on the clock) so I was passed on several occasions!

The on-board gps recording 145km/h on one of the laps. I'm not sure how inaccurate the speedo is, 10% too fast at this speed maybe!

One time I managed to overshoot a 90% bend and locked up all the wheels in clouds of smoke! Spun another time and headed across the grass, stopping a few meters from the metal fencing. All that excitement was almost too much! Before next time though I need to sort out the limiter and tyres as well as install coil over plugs as well as get me some extra horsepower. I also need to sort out the correct driving line as I was pretty crap!

Giving the Porsches a run for their money - at least to the overtaking straight!

I've finally got it covered!

It took a while, a year to be exact but I had booked a track day last week so had to get it finished because of uncertain weather. I redesigned the soft top bracket to have it bolted to the roll bar with two M6 bolts. This way it won't revolve. 

The back of the bracket will bend to follow the curvature of the roll bar. Now it seems to work I'll make up a couple of nice polished ones.

When the top is not on the two supports fold back and rest on the rear panel. To allow this there's a 15mm spacer between the support and bracket to lift the support away from the bracket as well as the roll bar. It's made out of 10mm chromed water pipe. 

This is the correct position. I put wire between the two supports until I got them the right distance apart. The intended ribbon to the left will replace the wire for a much neater solution.

Once the soft top is "popped" on to the windscreen it's then dragged back over the supports. It's a really tight fit. I put the first rivet in the middle 25mm from the top edge of the rear panel and the others at approx. 150mm intervals around the rear edge also 25mm from the top. 

I ran out of press fasteners hence the long gap along the sides.Important to keep it really tight all the way around.

At last it's in place. No time to test it before tomorrows track racing!

It's not quite as good looking from the front as it is without the top but it's practical! Evaluation? It's really brilliant; now I can drive any day, any weather. The heat produced by the heater actually stays in the car! It's really extended the season. I may be limited when it comes to snow and sub zero temperatures though!  

Looks great from the side. I've even had dogs looking as I drive past!

The doors fit nicely between seams in the roof making a nice seal.

It's quite quick to take off too, just a couple of minutes.

Rev limiter problems still

I was hoping that by replacing the MAF and now the cam shaft sensor my rev limit problems would be solved but alas they weren't. I then replaced the diff speed sensor and really thought that was it, I'd solved it.

One handed jumpy video!

It revved perfectly up to 6,500 in every gear up until the normal rev limiter actually came in. BUT then after switching the ignition off it was back to 5,200 again. I then had the engine idling, pulled the diff sensor plug off for a few seconds and then plugged it back on again: Rev limit was back to 6,500 again! As you can see both the odometer and rev counters appear perfectly normal. 

Peter suggested that I go through all the wiring to double check it's all okay. This will mean taking off the scuttle which I think I'll wait with until after a Scania race day which I have booked for the 19th of September down in Linköping. I can always unplug the diff sensor to reset it!

Well that was a short summer!

The sun hasn't shone quite as often as most of us would like this year, in Sweden at least. It's been a case of "make the most of it" which I must say I have when it comes to getting out in the car. 

Joined motorcycles in this years Mälaren Runt which takes place every year in August. Thousands of bikes take part in a 300km tour around Lake Mälaren to the west of Stockholm. 

The start in Solna ("borrowed" picture!). Most of the towns along the way were lined with waving pic-nickers.

Everyone a die hard motorcyclist but luckily they didn't mind Neil and I in a kit car!

Over the past few weeks there has been quite a bit of rain so I've been very careful to pick the right days to go out. I therefore thought it was time to lengthen the season and attempt the soft top. I fixed the doors on some time ago:

This shows the first time I put the doors on but Peter soon told me that I had the hinges and doors on wrong. You may also notice that the mirror in this position can't be seen from the driver's side so will have to be moved.

Hinges now on correctly but there's a gap in the upper hinge that shouldn't be there, apart from that the doors are great.

The mirror is now moved further up the window bracket. The bolt fits nicely between the bracket and scuttle.

 Now it was time for the soft top. I couldn't use the bracket included in the kit (the one to the left) as there was no space for it between the roll bar and side panel.

This is my first prototype bracket I cut from 2mm sheet that's fixed to the roll bar with a M6 bolt. The centre of the circle mirrors where the pivot point is for the frame that support the soft top. I noticed a problem straight away, it's actually better to fix the bracket on with two bolts otherwise it may rotate with the force of the soft top. That's easily fixed - I'll make another with place for two vertical bolts.

Checking to see how it all goes together. It's okay I know the frame goes on the inside!

I had to remove the glass from the frame to be able to drill and rivet the pop fasteners in place. They are shorter rivets which fit between the frame and glass. 

It'll look something like this. I need to get the frame in place first before riveting the rear panel and then finally  putting pop fasteners in the rear of the soft top.

That's as far as I got with the soft top as I talked with Peter Friday about the rev limiter problem. I mentioned that when BMW gave me a free diagnostic they had told me the cam sensor was reporting an error. I bought one on e-bay a few months ago but never replaced it. Well he persuaded me to change it which I did today.  

Removing the old sensor was much easier than I thought, took about an hour. Removed air filter, the 5 upper inlet manifold nuts and bolts to get to the old sensor plug. Once off it was a case of re-routed the new sensor,  plugging it back on and replacing everything in reverse order.

Take care not to break the plastic cable holder. 

Thought I'd fixed it as it ran beautifully up to 6500 but then it was back to 5500. But ... 

I checked the diagnostics and the cam sensor warning had gone and it now showed P0500 "Vehicle Speed sensor A". I'll replace it next week and hope the error goes as well as the rev limiter problem!