Discussion
So yes, the ZR has a nasty reputation for being a bit of a chav wagon (among other things) but hopefully I will help change your minds
So it's a 2004 MG ZR 160 VVC , picked it up for £500 off a guy who had left it on the driveway for 18 months. The tyres were dead, the battery was dead and the alternator was dead but I just had laser eye surgery the day before so ended up buying it XD
Since it was in such bad condition I couldnt get it home..so came back a few days later with a friends "trailer" which he bought off some travelling folk and was made of rot and a old caravan. Towing it back with a diesel astra on a detachable tow hook made for a very tense drive.
I've had one of these before but unfortunately the shell started to fail so it went to the great scrapheap in the sky. So I was able to transfer over some of the better parts.
Now I've been working on mapping these for over a year now, I think I have the theory down but it's just getting the car in a decent state so I can do a solid before/after. I tried it once with the car shortly after getting it, it pulled 120 at the wheels. Notice the smoke puffs? We'll come to those later.. But the results was a 3-5hp difference across the rev range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV9n745FtlA
Anyway despite being a bit of a lower figure I still went for a good hoon around a track with a friends ZS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otQp9d6Jp94
Not too bad for a car with stock suspension and stock discs/pads
Now since I'm aiming for a solid 170 at the fly which I feel should be enough to be fun with at track events, I decided to go for the upgraded exhaust cam (can't do inlet since there's 4 camshafts) also took the opportunity to fit timing advance dowels to advance the timing 4 degrees. Whilst doing the cams I thought it best to do the HG as well, apparently these can have a bit of a problem with HGF
Whilst doing so I realised something wasn't right... the previous hg/belts job had been done wrong and the car had been timed up incorrectly. Instead of the k series 90 degreess BTDC it was timed to TDC therefore being 90 out at the crank! Crazy I know! but would explain the rough idle and smoke puffs when driven hard.
After the cams being fitted and I got an annoying electrical gremlin resulting in a fluctuating voltage, with no time to repair though as I was going down for the Spring action day. About 6 minutes in I got a battery light that wouldnt shift and after coming off the track smoke starting pouring out the engine bay! OH snap! The result, a split inner cv boot that dumped grease right onto the cat. Could have been worse.
Fast forward after fixing the electrics and cv boot I fitted some rebuilt gaz coilovers and a janspeed manifold. The manifold however was cracked quite badly so slapped some firegum on and made it to French Car Show...in a rover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk_BantPNCE
Not too bad except a after the track I noticed a bad knocking noise. new lower arms, drop links and a top mount bearing fixed that leaving us to the present.
Current goal is to get it to 170hp and ready for a 'ring trip next year
Planning on porting the head, getting it dyno'd to test the mapping, sorting out the air intake and getting a new exhaust manifold as the current one is made of rust and firegum
My old house mate from uni has bought a ZS 120 which we converted to VVC, He's now got a job and will be working on making it a 1.8T VVC. After my failure with the battery light he kindly let me take his ZS out for a spin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fO5tsZYMss
So it's a 2004 MG ZR 160 VVC , picked it up for £500 off a guy who had left it on the driveway for 18 months. The tyres were dead, the battery was dead and the alternator was dead but I just had laser eye surgery the day before so ended up buying it XD
Since it was in such bad condition I couldnt get it home..so came back a few days later with a friends "trailer" which he bought off some travelling folk and was made of rot and a old caravan. Towing it back with a diesel astra on a detachable tow hook made for a very tense drive.
I've had one of these before but unfortunately the shell started to fail so it went to the great scrapheap in the sky. So I was able to transfer over some of the better parts.
Now I've been working on mapping these for over a year now, I think I have the theory down but it's just getting the car in a decent state so I can do a solid before/after. I tried it once with the car shortly after getting it, it pulled 120 at the wheels. Notice the smoke puffs? We'll come to those later.. But the results was a 3-5hp difference across the rev range.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV9n745FtlA
Anyway despite being a bit of a lower figure I still went for a good hoon around a track with a friends ZS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otQp9d6Jp94
Not too bad for a car with stock suspension and stock discs/pads
Now since I'm aiming for a solid 170 at the fly which I feel should be enough to be fun with at track events, I decided to go for the upgraded exhaust cam (can't do inlet since there's 4 camshafts) also took the opportunity to fit timing advance dowels to advance the timing 4 degrees. Whilst doing the cams I thought it best to do the HG as well, apparently these can have a bit of a problem with HGF
Whilst doing so I realised something wasn't right... the previous hg/belts job had been done wrong and the car had been timed up incorrectly. Instead of the k series 90 degreess BTDC it was timed to TDC therefore being 90 out at the crank! Crazy I know! but would explain the rough idle and smoke puffs when driven hard.
After the cams being fitted and I got an annoying electrical gremlin resulting in a fluctuating voltage, with no time to repair though as I was going down for the Spring action day. About 6 minutes in I got a battery light that wouldnt shift and after coming off the track smoke starting pouring out the engine bay! OH snap! The result, a split inner cv boot that dumped grease right onto the cat. Could have been worse.
Fast forward after fixing the electrics and cv boot I fitted some rebuilt gaz coilovers and a janspeed manifold. The manifold however was cracked quite badly so slapped some firegum on and made it to French Car Show...in a rover.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk_BantPNCE
Not too bad except a after the track I noticed a bad knocking noise. new lower arms, drop links and a top mount bearing fixed that leaving us to the present.
Current goal is to get it to 170hp and ready for a 'ring trip next year
Planning on porting the head, getting it dyno'd to test the mapping, sorting out the air intake and getting a new exhaust manifold as the current one is made of rust and firegum
My old house mate from uni has bought a ZS 120 which we converted to VVC, He's now got a job and will be working on making it a 1.8T VVC. After my failure with the battery light he kindly let me take his ZS out for a spin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fO5tsZYMss
This one is no exception haha there's a nasty scratch on one side and a rotten arch on the other, plus underbody rust. Going to be getting it sorted soon however everytime I save up money for it something else more important comes about i.e control arms, tax, insurance, manifold
I have but I started looking into the mapping last year when I was a student so couldn't justify the money. Now Im still doing it because I enjoy learning about how the engine runs, I'm a Civil engineer by trade so maths and long nights researching doesn't bother me. Working and creating something for my own car to increase the performance is quite satisfiying..or will be when I can get it running right and on a decent dyno. The previous one I was on you had to hold the car at various rpm points and write down the figure. Not ideal really.
Also while alot of people rate his maps I've heard a couple of no so good stories. Especially when a few ZRs went for a rolling road session including a 170 racer and they found they were not making the power figures promised. Not slating his work as it could have been a 1 off but I like to know whats going on in my engine, without it just being slapped with a generic map
I have but I started looking into the mapping last year when I was a student so couldn't justify the money. Now Im still doing it because I enjoy learning about how the engine runs, I'm a Civil engineer by trade so maths and long nights researching doesn't bother me. Working and creating something for my own car to increase the performance is quite satisfiying..or will be when I can get it running right and on a decent dyno. The previous one I was on you had to hold the car at various rpm points and write down the figure. Not ideal really.
Also while alot of people rate his maps I've heard a couple of no so good stories. Especially when a few ZRs went for a rolling road session including a 170 racer and they found they were not making the power figures promised. Not slating his work as it could have been a 1 off but I like to know whats going on in my engine, without it just being slapped with a generic map
Edited by CivilSteve on Tuesday 30th June 08:29
This one is no exception haha there's a nasty scratch on one side and a rotten arch on the other, plus underbody rust. Going to be getting it sorted soon however everytime I save up money for it something else more important comes about i.e control arms, tax, insurance, manifold
I have but I started looking into the mapping last year when I was a student so couldn't justify the money. Now Im still doing it because I enjoy learning about how the engine runs, I'm a Civil engineer by trade so maths and long nights researching doesn't bother me. Working and creating something for my own car to increase the performance is quite satisfiying..or will be when I can get it running right and on a decent dyno. The previous one I was on you had to hold the car at various rpm points and write down the figure. Not ideal really.
Also while alot of people rate his maps I've heard a couple of no so good stories. Especially when a few ZRs went for a rolling road session including a 170 racer and they found they were not making the power figures promised. Not slating his work as it could have been a 1 off but I like to know whats going on in my engine
I have but I started looking into the mapping last year when I was a student so couldn't justify the money. Now Im still doing it because I enjoy learning about how the engine runs, I'm a Civil engineer by trade so maths and long nights researching doesn't bother me. Working and creating something for my own car to increase the performance is quite satisfiying..or will be when I can get it running right and on a decent dyno. The previous one I was on you had to hold the car at various rpm points and write down the figure. Not ideal really.
Also while alot of people rate his maps I've heard a couple of no so good stories. Especially when a few ZRs went for a rolling road session including a 170 racer and they found they were not making the power figures promised. Not slating his work as it could have been a 1 off but I like to know whats going on in my engine
Edited by CivilSteve on Tuesday 30th June 08:29
scjgreen said:
It looks fairly rapid, shame throttle bodies cost so much otherwise i'd be all over it!
I'd imagine it is, but last week at a Combe action day, he came out on track 3 cars behind me, and I never saw him for the duration of the session. For reference I drive a Gti 180. There are now complete kits available to do a body conversion. Likely cost you around £2k.
Looks like it's pretty fun to drive and the VVC certainly makes it go. I bought a brand new (I know) non facelift 1.8 120bhp ZR in 2001, it was for my 21st and it cost me 13 grand, still it was great fun and I had a right laugh in it, always fancied the 160 though.
I've been looking at getting a TF with the VVC in as a (very) cheap weekend toy so it was good to see your video's of how the engine pulls etc, bet it's slightly better with the lighter TF but we'll see.
For the love of god though please sort that annoying rattle on your videos and when driving on track hands at either 2:45 or 3:45 unless changing gear
I've been looking at getting a TF with the VVC in as a (very) cheap weekend toy so it was good to see your video's of how the engine pulls etc, bet it's slightly better with the lighter TF but we'll see.
For the love of god though please sort that annoying rattle on your videos and when driving on track hands at either 2:45 or 3:45 unless changing gear
Pebbles167 said:
Hmmm... nearly as fast as my girly Peugeot 206
Welcome over steve, glad you decided to join PH.
But you have a 2.0l so it's hardly a fair fight Welcome over steve, glad you decided to join PH.
Once I've beaten a gti6 I'll be pointing my crosshairs in your direction. Plus having decent brakes and tyres would help hahaNot sure why it's taken me so long to join up to PH
Maty said:
Looks like it's pretty fun to drive and the VVC certainly makes it go. I bought a brand new (I know) non facelift 1.8 120bhp ZR in 2001, it was for my 21st and it cost me 13 grand, still it was great fun and I had a right laugh in it, always fancied the 160 though.
I've been looking at getting a TF with the VVC in as a (very) cheap weekend toy so it was good to see your video's of how the engine pulls etc, bet it's slightly better with the lighter TF but we'll see.
For the love of god though please sort that annoying rattle on your videos and when driving on track hands at either 2:45 or 3:45 unless changing gear
They are pretty fun out the box, despite the vvc meaning to spread the power band a bit more for drive ability you still need to thrash them to get them going. Should have dropped a 160 head on, quite a simple job really I've been looking at getting a TF with the VVC in as a (very) cheap weekend toy so it was good to see your video's of how the engine pulls etc, bet it's slightly better with the lighter TF but we'll see.
For the love of god though please sort that annoying rattle on your videos and when driving on track hands at either 2:45 or 3:45 unless changing gear
Was very tempted for a TF but like the practicality of the ZR. Can't afford two cars atm.
You might find it goes better as neither of the two cars are brilliant examples. We found out the ZS had HGF after his video (drinking coolant) and my zr exhaust is blowing all over the place and is patched up with firegum
The rattling could be coming from my camera mount which needs some fixing or on the last video it was due to the fubared brakes and ball joint resulting in a near front ender as was coming in too hot for a corner so decided to straight line brake rather than risk spinning.
I'll admit my hands are very erratic, need to get that under control
I could but since I still need this as a daily I would like to retain the drivability that VVC provides.
Also that route is pretty costly and being that this is my first year in the work place after university I'm trying to save some money to move into somewhere bigger than a 2 bed flat whilst doing this as more of a side project.
Besides for me it's interesting to see how far I can go with the vvc system/stock ecu. 170 would be quite nice and I'd be absolutely thrilled with reaching 180.
Need to order a new manifold as that should fix alot of problems but not looking forward to the 3-4 weeks waiting
Also that route is pretty costly and being that this is my first year in the work place after university I'm trying to save some money to move into somewhere bigger than a 2 bed flat whilst doing this as more of a side project.
Besides for me it's interesting to see how far I can go with the vvc system/stock ecu. 170 would be quite nice and I'd be absolutely thrilled with reaching 180.
Need to order a new manifold as that should fix alot of problems but not looking forward to the 3-4 weeks waiting
Holy Thread Revival!
Well I reached my 170 target (just).
Also pop & bang for the giggles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug--K4WHncQ
Well I reached my 170 target (just).
Also pop & bang for the giggles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug--K4WHncQ
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