350i/350se mongrel monster 3905 nck first drive impressions!
Discussion
sorry if this is a bit long winded, bear with me, i'm excited!
Ok i am not completely new to speed and power, have had a tvr s series s2 for years that i rebuilt myself from a wreck and have upgraded, have had some nice bmw e30s too and before that was into very fast motorbikes, had the gsxk1100k slingshot (the killer k), some earlier gsxrs, ducati m900, guzzi sport 1100, ktm supermotos etc etc...
so bikes that would leave ANY car for dead and cars that are not slow...
lately i have been feeling i wanted my s2 to be more powerful, but the tuning options for the cologne 2.9 are not plentiful or cheap and engine swaps not straight forward though the 24v cosworth motor seems a popular swap, the power gained for the amount of trouble and expense did not seem quite worth it for me on my limited budget.
then i saw this old wedge for sale and did my research, found out that the nck engine in it is something pretty special. way more powerful than the old sd1 lump in the average wedge. my 2.9 s2 has 170bhp and only 900kg and the 3.5 wedge around 190bhp but 1150kg, so was never tempted by the 3.5 especially as i think the s series is extremely hard to beat looks wise, not just by another tvr (except the 60s beauties) but by just about anything affordable (to me) and also i know my s pretty well now having sorted it out from more or less scrap.
having said all that when i found out the wedge in question started as a 350i but had an nck 3905 motor allegedly recently rebuilt by v8 developments and being offered cheap as a non-runner/project (just my cup of tea), and was running a 4 barrel carb' instead of all that efi wizardry (yes i am a bit of a cave man and the less black boxes and sensors and air flow meters, mysterious electronics etc etc in general the better for me!)
i read everything i could find on the motor, spoke to the owner previous to the seller who had had the motor fitted as well as lots of other work done, rebuilt box, new clutch, rebuilt rack, brakes, suspensions etc etc.... and i even spoke to v8 developments before to see what they could tell me about the engine.
the idea of getting a car weighing 1150kg but with 250ish bhp instead of 190 really appealed. a car that was supposed to be faster than a testarossa or 911 back in the day was just about irresistible!
the seller told me it was making weird noises and big bangs and then would not restart... i took a gamble thinking it sounded more like an ignition fault and misfires than major engine failure (which would have been beyond my skills or budget to fix myself).
i payed for the car on the saturday 2nd of April and on monday went to the car with tools and in around 2 hours found the problem, damaged ht leads and filthy plugs. put new plugs in, borrowed a couple of ht leads from a mates chevy v8 just to get it driveable.
yesterday i went back on the tube to try driving it home!
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!
what a MONSTER!!!!!!
that car does NOT need more power!!!! what it needs is more grip and more brakes!!!!
ok, the roads were a bit damp but even pulling away relatively calmly and just pressing the loud pedal in a normal way (not revving the tits off it and dumping the clutch) it span up and started snaking up the road with zero grip, i quickly changed to 2nd and the same happened, it was like driving a normal car on ice!!!!! i backed off and pressed the pedal calmly again and zzzzzzzzzz it span up again!!!! what a monster!!!!!!!
i got to the end of the road and pressed the brakes and very little happened.... s
t brakes and MENTAL power and torque.. what a completely insane car!!!
it has power steering too, very light. not very nice compared to bmw pas. fine for parking in twin or just plodding home as calmly as possible but not anything like as much feel as the manual steering in my s. or maybe it just takes getting used to.
the sun popped out briefly during my hour drive home (only about 15 miles but london traffic) so i took the roof off. MUCH prefer the wedge 1 piece targa than the s 2 piece affair. so much quicker and easier to get back on when it started raining 15 minutes later!!!!
also the wedge was running very hot, around 95 according to the tvr temp gauge, even with twin fans switched on manually. i had topped up expansion bottle but when i got home the bottle was still full but cold and the hose from the bottle was cold yet the gauge between 95 and 100!!!!! suspect it is sludged up or has an airlock. have read what i can about the cooling system and that the pressure cap should be on the bottle not the swan neck but it is all a bit confusing.
has anyone got a diagram either factory or hand drawn they can share to show the correct what the hoses between bottle, swan neck and rad should go, even reading up on it i find it confusing.
right, i'm off to drain the cooling and give it a bit of a flush out with front garden hose and see what comes out! and check condition of hoses and clips etc. will keep you posted.
BUT WHAT AN ENGINE!!!! AND GOES GREAT WITH THE CARB!!!! if any of you are getting fed up with your efi or if it is playing up i really recommend the carb, starts easy, idles fine, picks up instantly, revs like a motorbike, awesome and looks SO much better than all that efi gubbins too!
don't forget cooling diagram if anyone has one or can draw one... cheers wedgies!
pic shows how good carb set up looks and also the swan neck and expansion bottle set up if that helps anyone help me with it!
Ok i am not completely new to speed and power, have had a tvr s series s2 for years that i rebuilt myself from a wreck and have upgraded, have had some nice bmw e30s too and before that was into very fast motorbikes, had the gsxk1100k slingshot (the killer k), some earlier gsxrs, ducati m900, guzzi sport 1100, ktm supermotos etc etc...
so bikes that would leave ANY car for dead and cars that are not slow...
lately i have been feeling i wanted my s2 to be more powerful, but the tuning options for the cologne 2.9 are not plentiful or cheap and engine swaps not straight forward though the 24v cosworth motor seems a popular swap, the power gained for the amount of trouble and expense did not seem quite worth it for me on my limited budget.
then i saw this old wedge for sale and did my research, found out that the nck engine in it is something pretty special. way more powerful than the old sd1 lump in the average wedge. my 2.9 s2 has 170bhp and only 900kg and the 3.5 wedge around 190bhp but 1150kg, so was never tempted by the 3.5 especially as i think the s series is extremely hard to beat looks wise, not just by another tvr (except the 60s beauties) but by just about anything affordable (to me) and also i know my s pretty well now having sorted it out from more or less scrap.
having said all that when i found out the wedge in question started as a 350i but had an nck 3905 motor allegedly recently rebuilt by v8 developments and being offered cheap as a non-runner/project (just my cup of tea), and was running a 4 barrel carb' instead of all that efi wizardry (yes i am a bit of a cave man and the less black boxes and sensors and air flow meters, mysterious electronics etc etc in general the better for me!)
i read everything i could find on the motor, spoke to the owner previous to the seller who had had the motor fitted as well as lots of other work done, rebuilt box, new clutch, rebuilt rack, brakes, suspensions etc etc.... and i even spoke to v8 developments before to see what they could tell me about the engine.
the idea of getting a car weighing 1150kg but with 250ish bhp instead of 190 really appealed. a car that was supposed to be faster than a testarossa or 911 back in the day was just about irresistible!
the seller told me it was making weird noises and big bangs and then would not restart... i took a gamble thinking it sounded more like an ignition fault and misfires than major engine failure (which would have been beyond my skills or budget to fix myself).
i payed for the car on the saturday 2nd of April and on monday went to the car with tools and in around 2 hours found the problem, damaged ht leads and filthy plugs. put new plugs in, borrowed a couple of ht leads from a mates chevy v8 just to get it driveable.
yesterday i went back on the tube to try driving it home!
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!
what a MONSTER!!!!!!
that car does NOT need more power!!!! what it needs is more grip and more brakes!!!!
ok, the roads were a bit damp but even pulling away relatively calmly and just pressing the loud pedal in a normal way (not revving the tits off it and dumping the clutch) it span up and started snaking up the road with zero grip, i quickly changed to 2nd and the same happened, it was like driving a normal car on ice!!!!! i backed off and pressed the pedal calmly again and zzzzzzzzzz it span up again!!!! what a monster!!!!!!!
i got to the end of the road and pressed the brakes and very little happened.... s
t brakes and MENTAL power and torque.. what a completely insane car!!!it has power steering too, very light. not very nice compared to bmw pas. fine for parking in twin or just plodding home as calmly as possible but not anything like as much feel as the manual steering in my s. or maybe it just takes getting used to.
the sun popped out briefly during my hour drive home (only about 15 miles but london traffic) so i took the roof off. MUCH prefer the wedge 1 piece targa than the s 2 piece affair. so much quicker and easier to get back on when it started raining 15 minutes later!!!!
also the wedge was running very hot, around 95 according to the tvr temp gauge, even with twin fans switched on manually. i had topped up expansion bottle but when i got home the bottle was still full but cold and the hose from the bottle was cold yet the gauge between 95 and 100!!!!! suspect it is sludged up or has an airlock. have read what i can about the cooling system and that the pressure cap should be on the bottle not the swan neck but it is all a bit confusing.
has anyone got a diagram either factory or hand drawn they can share to show the correct what the hoses between bottle, swan neck and rad should go, even reading up on it i find it confusing.
right, i'm off to drain the cooling and give it a bit of a flush out with front garden hose and see what comes out! and check condition of hoses and clips etc. will keep you posted.
BUT WHAT AN ENGINE!!!! AND GOES GREAT WITH THE CARB!!!! if any of you are getting fed up with your efi or if it is playing up i really recommend the carb, starts easy, idles fine, picks up instantly, revs like a motorbike, awesome and looks SO much better than all that efi gubbins too!
don't forget cooling diagram if anyone has one or can draw one... cheers wedgies!
pic shows how good carb set up looks and also the swan neck and expansion bottle set up if that helps anyone help me with it!
This is the beginnings of a Wedge love affair ...
The cooling system leaves a lot to be desired and is a bit of a conundrum even to those who fully understand it...Ideally the blanking cap should be on the swan neck.
I know my 350i runs at around 90 degrees so you are not far off the mark...However check for air pockets...If anything top up from the swan neck with the car on level ground or preferably with the front jacked up a little.
If you top up the catch tank it will just get spat out again...It only needs to be around half full/Empty.
It might have a higher temp stat in there, Not sure what they are supposed to be in the 390SE.
The cooling system leaves a lot to be desired and is a bit of a conundrum even to those who fully understand it...Ideally the blanking cap should be on the swan neck.
I know my 350i runs at around 90 degrees so you are not far off the mark...However check for air pockets...If anything top up from the swan neck with the car on level ground or preferably with the front jacked up a little.
If you top up the catch tank it will just get spat out again...It only needs to be around half full/Empty.
It might have a higher temp stat in there, Not sure what they are supposed to be in the 390SE.
hi again zz, yes i think you might be right, i did enjoy driving it home even though constantly watching the gauge and worrying about cooking the engine!
even the looks are growing on me, so pure, so uncomproming, so unpretentious. love that it is authentic 80s not retro like my s. i love the look of the s but don't like that it is an 80s car styled like a 60s car, crazy that the wedge is older!
ok wedge pluses, the suspension seems better than the s, much less harsh over pot holes and speed bumps though yet to test it with hard driving conering. the s is like a go cart in comparison.
the roof one pice much better than s 2 piece.
power steering nice at legal speed and parking but not the feel of the s.
brakes st, the standard (though rebuilt) drums brakes in my 1972 mk1 transit are MUCH better and that is not an exaggeration!
the engine is LOVELY!!!!! LOVE THAT 3905 carbed engine!!!!! want one in my s and in my transit ;-)
i did wonder about the temp sender. if the engine has been swapped the temp sender may not be matched to the original gauge in the car, though you would like to think that who ever installed the engine would have taken the temp sender from the original engine!
i had this problem with my transit. could not get anything like an accurate reading on original gauge as the engine was swapped for a 3,0 capri engine. tried loads of senders, scimitar, capri, granada, transit... everything i could think of but none would work with the guage in the speedo. so i ended up getting an aftermarket TIM kit with matched gauge and sender off ebay for only about 30-40 quid and it's been perfect since then. maybe i will have to do the same with the wedge?
as for the thermostat i think that is in the offenhauser inlet manifold and if so could be from anything as that loos like it might have been installed 2nd hand whereas the holley carb looks brand new!!!!! i will have a look in a minute and maybe try running it without 'stat to see if that is problem
cheers
even the looks are growing on me, so pure, so uncomproming, so unpretentious. love that it is authentic 80s not retro like my s. i love the look of the s but don't like that it is an 80s car styled like a 60s car, crazy that the wedge is older!
ok wedge pluses, the suspension seems better than the s, much less harsh over pot holes and speed bumps though yet to test it with hard driving conering. the s is like a go cart in comparison.
the roof one pice much better than s 2 piece.
power steering nice at legal speed and parking but not the feel of the s.
brakes s
t, the standard (though rebuilt) drums brakes in my 1972 mk1 transit are MUCH better and that is not an exaggeration!the engine is LOVELY!!!!! LOVE THAT 3905 carbed engine!!!!! want one in my s and in my transit ;-)
i did wonder about the temp sender. if the engine has been swapped the temp sender may not be matched to the original gauge in the car, though you would like to think that who ever installed the engine would have taken the temp sender from the original engine!
i had this problem with my transit. could not get anything like an accurate reading on original gauge as the engine was swapped for a 3,0 capri engine. tried loads of senders, scimitar, capri, granada, transit... everything i could think of but none would work with the guage in the speedo. so i ended up getting an aftermarket TIM kit with matched gauge and sender off ebay for only about 30-40 quid and it's been perfect since then. maybe i will have to do the same with the wedge?
as for the thermostat i think that is in the offenhauser inlet manifold and if so could be from anything as that loos like it might have been installed 2nd hand whereas the holley carb looks brand new!!!!! i will have a look in a minute and maybe try running it without 'stat to see if that is problem
cheers
mrzigazaga said:
This is the beginnings of a Wedge love affair ...
The cooling system leaves a lot to be desired and is a bit of a conundrum even to those who fully understand it...Ideally the blanking cap should be on the swan neck.
I know my 350i runs at around 90 degrees so you are not far off the mark...However check for air pockets...If anything top up from the swan neck with the car on level ground or preferably with the front jacked up a little.
If you top up the catch tank it will just get spat out again...It only needs to be around half full/Empty.
It might have a higher temp stat in there, Not sure what they are supposed to be in the 390SE.
The cooling system leaves a lot to be desired and is a bit of a conundrum even to those who fully understand it...Ideally the blanking cap should be on the swan neck.
I know my 350i runs at around 90 degrees so you are not far off the mark...However check for air pockets...If anything top up from the swan neck with the car on level ground or preferably with the front jacked up a little.
If you top up the catch tank it will just get spat out again...It only needs to be around half full/Empty.
It might have a higher temp stat in there, Not sure what they are supposed to be in the 390SE.
drak ula said:
sorry if this is a bit long winded, bear with me, i'm excited!
Ok i am not completely new to speed and power, have had a tvr s series s2 for years that i rebuilt myself from a wreck and have upgraded, have had some nice bmw e30s too and before that was into very fast motorbikes, had the gsxk1100k slingshot (the killer k), some earlier gsxrs, ducati m900, guzzi sport 1100, ktm supermotos etc etc...
so bikes that would leave ANY car for dead and cars that are not slow...
lately i have been feeling i wanted my s2 to be more powerful, but the tuning options for the cologne 2.9 are not plentiful or cheap and engine swaps not straight forward though the 24v cosworth motor seems a popular swap, the power gained for the amount of trouble and expense did not seem quite worth it for me on my limited budget.
then i saw this old wedge for sale and did my research, found out that the nck engine in it is something pretty special. way more powerful than the old sd1 lump in the average wedge. my 2.9 s2 has 170bhp and only 900kg and the 3.5 wedge around 190bhp but 1150kg, so was never tempted by the 3.5 especially as i think the s series is extremely hard to beat looks wise, not just by another tvr (except the 60s beauties) but by just about anything affordable (to me) and also i know my s pretty well now having sorted it out from more or less scrap.
having said all that when i found out the wedge in question started as a 350i but had an nck 3905 motor allegedly recently rebuilt by v8 developments and being offered cheap as a non-runner/project (just my cup of tea), and was running a 4 barrel carb' instead of all that efi wizardry (yes i am a bit of a cave man and the less black boxes and sensors and air flow meters, mysterious electronics etc etc in general the better for me!)
i read everything i could find on the motor, spoke to the owner previous to the seller who had had the motor fitted as well as lots of other work done, rebuilt box, new clutch, rebuilt rack, brakes, suspensions etc etc.... and i even spoke to v8 developments before to see what they could tell me about the engine.
the idea of getting a car weighing 1150kg but with 250ish bhp instead of 190 really appealed. a car that was supposed to be faster than a testarossa or 911 back in the day was just about irresistible!
the seller told me it was making weird noises and big bangs and then would not restart... i took a gamble thinking it sounded more like an ignition fault and misfires than major engine failure (which would have been beyond my skills or budget to fix myself).
i payed for the car on the saturday 2nd of April and on monday went to the car with tools and in around 2 hours found the problem, damaged ht leads and filthy plugs. put new plugs in, borrowed a couple of ht leads from a mates chevy v8 just to get it driveable.
yesterday i went back on the tube to try driving it home!
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!
what a MONSTER!!!!!!
that car does NOT need more power!!!! what it needs is more grip and more brakes!!!!
ok, the roads were a bit damp but even pulling away relatively calmly and just pressing the loud pedal in a normal way (not revving the tits off it and dumping the clutch) it span up and started snaking up the road with zero grip, i quickly changed to 2nd and the same happened, it was like driving a normal car on ice!!!!! i backed off and pressed the pedal calmly again and zzzzzzzzzz it span up again!!!! what a monster!!!!!!!
i got to the end of the road and pressed the brakes and very little happened.... st brakes and MENTAL power and torque.. what a completely insane car!!!
it has power steering too, very light. not very nice compared to bmw pas. fine for parking in twin or just plodding home as calmly as possible but not anything like as much feel as the manual steering in my s. or maybe it just takes getting used to.
the sun popped out briefly during my hour drive home (only about 15 miles but london traffic) so i took the roof off. MUCH prefer the wedge 1 piece targa than the s 2 piece affair. so much quicker and easier to get back on when it started raining 15 minutes later!!!!
also the wedge was running very hot, around 95 according to the tvr temp gauge, even with twin fans switched on manually. i had topped up expansion bottle but when i got home the bottle was still full but cold and the hose from the bottle was cold yet the gauge between 95 and 100!!!!! suspect it is sludged up or has an airlock. have read what i can about the cooling system and that the pressure cap should be on the bottle not the swan neck but it is all a bit confusing.
has anyone got a diagram either factory or hand drawn they can share to show the correct what the hoses between bottle, swan neck and rad should go, even reading up on it i find it confusing.
right, i'm off to drain the cooling and give it a bit of a flush out with front garden hose and see what comes out! and check condition of hoses and clips etc. will keep you posted.
BUT WHAT AN ENGINE!!!! AND GOES GREAT WITH THE CARB!!!! if any of you are getting fed up with your efi or if it is playing up i really recommend the carb, starts easy, idles fine, picks up instantly, revs like a motorbike, awesome and looks SO much better than all that efi gubbins too!
don't forget cooling diagram if anyone has one or can draw one... cheers wedgies!
pic shows how good carb set up looks and also the swan neck and expansion bottle set up if that helps anyone help me with it!
Awesome great post Drak sounds like you've found real gem of a motor ! I'm not jealous, much ! Ok i am not completely new to speed and power, have had a tvr s series s2 for years that i rebuilt myself from a wreck and have upgraded, have had some nice bmw e30s too and before that was into very fast motorbikes, had the gsxk1100k slingshot (the killer k), some earlier gsxrs, ducati m900, guzzi sport 1100, ktm supermotos etc etc...
so bikes that would leave ANY car for dead and cars that are not slow...
lately i have been feeling i wanted my s2 to be more powerful, but the tuning options for the cologne 2.9 are not plentiful or cheap and engine swaps not straight forward though the 24v cosworth motor seems a popular swap, the power gained for the amount of trouble and expense did not seem quite worth it for me on my limited budget.
then i saw this old wedge for sale and did my research, found out that the nck engine in it is something pretty special. way more powerful than the old sd1 lump in the average wedge. my 2.9 s2 has 170bhp and only 900kg and the 3.5 wedge around 190bhp but 1150kg, so was never tempted by the 3.5 especially as i think the s series is extremely hard to beat looks wise, not just by another tvr (except the 60s beauties) but by just about anything affordable (to me) and also i know my s pretty well now having sorted it out from more or less scrap.
having said all that when i found out the wedge in question started as a 350i but had an nck 3905 motor allegedly recently rebuilt by v8 developments and being offered cheap as a non-runner/project (just my cup of tea), and was running a 4 barrel carb' instead of all that efi wizardry (yes i am a bit of a cave man and the less black boxes and sensors and air flow meters, mysterious electronics etc etc in general the better for me!)
i read everything i could find on the motor, spoke to the owner previous to the seller who had had the motor fitted as well as lots of other work done, rebuilt box, new clutch, rebuilt rack, brakes, suspensions etc etc.... and i even spoke to v8 developments before to see what they could tell me about the engine.
the idea of getting a car weighing 1150kg but with 250ish bhp instead of 190 really appealed. a car that was supposed to be faster than a testarossa or 911 back in the day was just about irresistible!
the seller told me it was making weird noises and big bangs and then would not restart... i took a gamble thinking it sounded more like an ignition fault and misfires than major engine failure (which would have been beyond my skills or budget to fix myself).
i payed for the car on the saturday 2nd of April and on monday went to the car with tools and in around 2 hours found the problem, damaged ht leads and filthy plugs. put new plugs in, borrowed a couple of ht leads from a mates chevy v8 just to get it driveable.
yesterday i went back on the tube to try driving it home!
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!
what a MONSTER!!!!!!
that car does NOT need more power!!!! what it needs is more grip and more brakes!!!!
ok, the roads were a bit damp but even pulling away relatively calmly and just pressing the loud pedal in a normal way (not revving the tits off it and dumping the clutch) it span up and started snaking up the road with zero grip, i quickly changed to 2nd and the same happened, it was like driving a normal car on ice!!!!! i backed off and pressed the pedal calmly again and zzzzzzzzzz it span up again!!!! what a monster!!!!!!!
i got to the end of the road and pressed the brakes and very little happened.... s
t brakes and MENTAL power and torque.. what a completely insane car!!!it has power steering too, very light. not very nice compared to bmw pas. fine for parking in twin or just plodding home as calmly as possible but not anything like as much feel as the manual steering in my s. or maybe it just takes getting used to.
the sun popped out briefly during my hour drive home (only about 15 miles but london traffic) so i took the roof off. MUCH prefer the wedge 1 piece targa than the s 2 piece affair. so much quicker and easier to get back on when it started raining 15 minutes later!!!!
also the wedge was running very hot, around 95 according to the tvr temp gauge, even with twin fans switched on manually. i had topped up expansion bottle but when i got home the bottle was still full but cold and the hose from the bottle was cold yet the gauge between 95 and 100!!!!! suspect it is sludged up or has an airlock. have read what i can about the cooling system and that the pressure cap should be on the bottle not the swan neck but it is all a bit confusing.
has anyone got a diagram either factory or hand drawn they can share to show the correct what the hoses between bottle, swan neck and rad should go, even reading up on it i find it confusing.
right, i'm off to drain the cooling and give it a bit of a flush out with front garden hose and see what comes out! and check condition of hoses and clips etc. will keep you posted.
BUT WHAT AN ENGINE!!!! AND GOES GREAT WITH THE CARB!!!! if any of you are getting fed up with your efi or if it is playing up i really recommend the carb, starts easy, idles fine, picks up instantly, revs like a motorbike, awesome and looks SO much better than all that efi gubbins too!
don't forget cooling diagram if anyone has one or can draw one... cheers wedgies!
pic shows how good carb set up looks and also the swan neck and expansion bottle set up if that helps anyone help me with it!
Nice car. Well done.I remember how excited I was when I got my first Wedge. It was a 350SE witha V8 Developments engine in it, tuned to the back teeth. Went like a rocket. I wanted to stay up all night and stare at it. They are fun cars and I like the idea of carbs on yours.
The temperature gauge can be calibrated using an in line spike resistor. I just replaced my temperature sender and had to calibrate it to match the gauge. Works perfectly now. Fan kicks in when gauge points to 90c and hovers around that area and only costs pennies to do.
Good luck with the re commissioning. You will get plenty of help on this forum from some experienced owners in the know.
Tony. TCB.
The temperature gauge can be calibrated using an in line spike resistor. I just replaced my temperature sender and had to calibrate it to match the gauge. Works perfectly now. Fan kicks in when gauge points to 90c and hovers around that area and only costs pennies to do.
Good luck with the re commissioning. You will get plenty of help on this forum from some experienced owners in the know.
Tony. TCB.
thanks tony, yes so far this forum does seem extremely friendly and helpful and dare i say it less judgemental (so far) the the s series forum (i made the mistake of making a post about high speed instability and was asking for other members experiences of alternative wheel and tyre sizes and tyre makes/models, it was a genuine request to find out how to improve what is supposed to be a fast car but was not nice to drive at over 100mph... i did get some genuinely helpful replies but got just as many replies from people telling me off for driving so fast, i stated that i had only got up to 125 and due to traffic couldn't find a stretch of road to go over that but at even 125 it felt twichy and hard work to keep in one lane, the abuse i got. i was shocked, i think too many of people on the s furum are anoraks more interested in polishing than driving fast. i always thought the whole point of a tvr was that it was a FAST affordable sports car!!!! it's like telling me not to do wheelies on my supermoto!!!!! far enough, plenty were saying they did their fast driving on track days, and that is great if you can afford it, but be honest, don't you drive a tvr to drive fast whenever and wherever the opportunity arises/ obviously not in residential areas or in hours when kids could be crossing the road or whatever, but out in the sticks on fast a and b roads... am i alone here? thought pistonheads in general let alone tvr forums in particular were car/driving/performance enthusiasts, not finger wagging speed police!
anyway, thanks for the warm welcome.
and back to the temp sender/gauge issue, i think i am right in understanding your engine is the same as mine (except for the efi), 3905 nck right? can you tell me exactly how to do this temp sender trick, maybe with links or part numbers and step by step how to.... electrics not my strong point! i would like to replicate exactly what you have done with same parts please. how do you calibrate? i guess you need a seperate temp gauge to calibrate the car one? please explain as fully as poss' thanks
anyway, thanks for the warm welcome.
and back to the temp sender/gauge issue, i think i am right in understanding your engine is the same as mine (except for the efi), 3905 nck right? can you tell me exactly how to do this temp sender trick, maybe with links or part numbers and step by step how to.... electrics not my strong point! i would like to replicate exactly what you have done with same parts please. how do you calibrate? i guess you need a seperate temp gauge to calibrate the car one? please explain as fully as poss' thanks
ElvisWedgely said:
Nice car. Well done.I remember how excited I was when I got my first Wedge. It was a 350SE witha V8 Developments engine in it, tuned to the back teeth. Went like a rocket. I wanted to stay up all night and stare at it. They are fun cars and I like the idea of carbs on yours.
The temperature gauge can be calibrated using an in line spike resistor. I just replaced my temperature sender and had to calibrate it to match the gauge. Works perfectly now. Fan kicks in when gauge points to 90c and hovers around that area and only costs pennies to do.
Good luck with the re commissioning. You will get plenty of help on this forum from some experienced owners in the know.
Tony. TCB.
The temperature gauge can be calibrated using an in line spike resistor. I just replaced my temperature sender and had to calibrate it to match the gauge. Works perfectly now. Fan kicks in when gauge points to 90c and hovers around that area and only costs pennies to do.
Good luck with the re commissioning. You will get plenty of help on this forum from some experienced owners in the know.
Tony. TCB.
p.s.
what do you guys set tyre pressures at for standard 205/60x15s? the tyres sizes are the same as the s but the car is heavier so i am guessing a little higher?
also is it possible to get the standard 350i to work acceptably with performance pads (if so what pads do you recommend), goodridge lines and fresh fluid or is will they always be rubbish and require expensive upgrade, 4 pots etc?
cheers
what do you guys set tyre pressures at for standard 205/60x15s? the tyres sizes are the same as the s but the car is heavier so i am guessing a little higher?
also is it possible to get the standard 350i to work acceptably with performance pads (if so what pads do you recommend), goodridge lines and fresh fluid or is will they always be rubbish and require expensive upgrade, 4 pots etc?
cheers
You can get uprated pads for the standard (M16 Ford) calipers.
One upgrade is to move to granada estate vented disks and capliers, others have fitted 4 pot AP calipers from the old Austin Princess (buggers to bleed), and I know some who have had Hi Spec / Willwood conversions done.
PS Welcome to the mad world of Wedgers.
Remember Drive it like you stole it !!
One upgrade is to move to granada estate vented disks and capliers, others have fitted 4 pot AP calipers from the old Austin Princess (buggers to bleed), and I know some who have had Hi Spec / Willwood conversions done.
PS Welcome to the mad world of Wedgers.
Remember Drive it like you stole it !!
Drak, I own a 350SE with the NCK V8 developments engine which has been tuned to the max, it pushes out 275 ish BHP. The engine itself is a 3946cc version which is loud and proud and scary when pushing it round corners at speed. I have been told the correct tyre pressures should be around 26 psi at front and 24 at the rear.
thanks jon, good to hear from you! yep reckon my car must be making that sort of power too, just spoke to the long time owner before last again who told me that rob at v8 dev's rebuilt the motor exactly 2 years ao and tuned to the max too, took it as far as it could go and tuned for the holley and reckoned it was between 250 and 275 real bhp too! and having driven it now i can believe it!
cheers
jonburton14 said:
Drak, I own a 350SE with the NCK V8 developments engine which has been tuned to the max, it pushes out 275 ish BHP. The engine itself is a 3946cc version which is loud and proud and scary when pushing it round corners at speed. I have been told the correct tyre pressures should be around 26 psi at front and 24 at the rear.
Well you are not the first to suggest that this forum is much friendlier than others...Thats because we are Wedgers.....We are ....
"Gold...Always believe in your soul"...And having a gold Wedge is also the ultimate...
Calling Mr Bling Bling....
Im surprised the brakes are standard if the power was uprated....As said you can actually now buy remanufactured Austin Princess calipers and then go for the larger vented disc.
Pads obviously make a difference ...Is the fluid clean...Is there any black particles when settled in the res?...You can also fit a spacer between the original calipers to be able to fit the vented larger disc.
I have a pair of standard front M16 Wedge calipers that need a refurb you can have for some beer tokens...You could go the spacer route...Its not a massive improvement albeit an improvement...Remember these are 25+ year old classic cars...And as you say the Wedge shape is timeless...I think this has attributed to its long low value...But the Wedge is back in business...People eat Wedges...Women wear Wedges...Animals st Wedges...The next prime minister is going to be Wedge shaped...Which is much better than the current tit shaped one...
Oh yeah Brakes...Right...Mmmm...You could spend loads of money on "Big brakes"...Not sure about the "Wilwood" but I'm sure someone will be able to point you in the right direction....
This place have the AP calipers, You would still need the spacer kit though....
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
"Hi-spec brakes" do a kit for the Tasmin but again cannot advise there.
So are we going to see two Gold Wedges at this years Wedgefest???...
..We are .... "Gold...Always believe in your soul"...And having a gold Wedge is also the ultimate... Calling Mr Bling Bling....Im surprised the brakes are standard if the power was uprated....As said you can actually now buy remanufactured Austin Princess calipers and then go for the larger vented disc.
Pads obviously make a difference ...Is the fluid clean...Is there any black particles when settled in the res?...You can also fit a spacer between the original calipers to be able to fit the vented larger disc.
I have a pair of standard front M16 Wedge calipers that need a refurb you can have for some beer tokens...You could go the spacer route...Its not a massive improvement albeit an improvement...Remember these are 25+ year old classic cars...And as you say the Wedge shape is timeless...I think this has attributed to its long low value...But the Wedge is back in business...People eat Wedges...Women wear Wedges...Animals s
t Wedges...The next prime minister is going to be Wedge shaped...Which is much better than the current tit shaped one...Oh yeah Brakes...Right...Mmmm...You could spend loads of money on "Big brakes"...Not sure about the "Wilwood" but I'm sure someone will be able to point you in the right direction....
This place have the AP calipers, You would still need the spacer kit though....
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
"Hi-spec brakes" do a kit for the Tasmin but again cannot advise there.
So are we going to see two Gold Wedges at this years Wedgefest???...
wedgers or wedgies?
and yes gold is the ultimate, i used to think black wedges looked best in pictures (only ever see wedges when they turn up on ebay) band was not so ken on the blingy gold one BUT i am converted, i love it now, bit more champagne than gold, or rather cava, which is what i buy when i want bubbly. so it might get named cava or maybe bubbles as i've been having the cooling issue!!!!
yes, loving the colour!!!!
am just assuming brakes have not been uprated because they are so terrible, owner before last told me it had new discs and caliper not long ago, cortina i think he said. so guess 350i orig. ap 4 pots ala princess has got to be better than these though surprised no one is using 4 pot brembos off modern fiats etc as they are cheap and plentiful in breakers as used on so many modern cars from big bms to little fiats and alfas and have to be better than aftermarket stuff like willwood or hi-tec or hi-spec or whoever.
so do the ap princess calipers fit straight on the same mounts with no adaptors? if so reckon i want some of them!
yes reckon this car is a keeper!
don't know anything about wedgefest or where it is but reckon me and bubbles will be there!
here it is looking golden right now, next to batvan caught in downpour as i had up on blocks working bubbles out of the cooling system!
and yes gold is the ultimate, i used to think black wedges looked best in pictures (only ever see wedges when they turn up on ebay) band was not so ken on the blingy gold one BUT i am converted, i love it now, bit more champagne than gold, or rather cava, which is what i buy when i want bubbly. so it might get named cava or maybe bubbles as i've been having the cooling issue!!!!
yes, loving the colour!!!!
am just assuming brakes have not been uprated because they are so terrible, owner before last told me it had new discs and caliper not long ago, cortina i think he said. so guess 350i orig. ap 4 pots ala princess has got to be better than these though surprised no one is using 4 pot brembos off modern fiats etc as they are cheap and plentiful in breakers as used on so many modern cars from big bms to little fiats and alfas and have to be better than aftermarket stuff like willwood or hi-tec or hi-spec or whoever.
so do the ap princess calipers fit straight on the same mounts with no adaptors? if so reckon i want some of them!
yes reckon this car is a keeper!
don't know anything about wedgefest or where it is but reckon me and bubbles will be there!
here it is looking golden right now, next to batvan caught in downpour as i had up on blocks working bubbles out of the cooling system!
mrzigazaga said:
Well you are not the first to suggest that this forum is much friendlier than others...Thats because we are Wedgers.....We are .... "Gold...Always believe in your soul"...And having a gold Wedge is also the ultimate... Calling Mr Bling Bling....
Im surprised the brakes are standard if the power was uprated....As said you can actually now buy remanufactured Austin Princess calipers and then go for the larger vented disc.
Pads obviously make a difference ...Is the fluid clean...Is there any black particles when settled in the res?...You can also fit a spacer between the original calipers to be able to fit the vented larger disc.
I have a pair of standard front M16 Wedge calipers that need a refurb you can have for some beer tokens...You could go the spacer route...Its not a massive improvement albeit an improvement...Remember these are 25+ year old classic cars...And as you say the Wedge shape is timeless...I think this has attributed to its long low value...But the Wedge is back in business...People eat Wedges...Women wear Wedges...Animals st Wedges...The next prime minister is going to be Wedge shaped...Which is much better than the current tit shaped one...
Oh yeah Brakes...Right...Mmmm...You could spend loads of money on "Big brakes"...Not sure about the "Wilwood" but I'm sure someone will be able to point you in the right direction....
This place have the AP calipers, You would still need the spacer kit though....
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
"Hi-spec brakes" do a kit for the Tasmin but again cannot advise there.
So are we going to see two Gold Wedges at this years Wedgefest???...
..We are .... "Gold...Always believe in your soul"...And having a gold Wedge is also the ultimate... Calling Mr Bling Bling....Im surprised the brakes are standard if the power was uprated....As said you can actually now buy remanufactured Austin Princess calipers and then go for the larger vented disc.
Pads obviously make a difference ...Is the fluid clean...Is there any black particles when settled in the res?...You can also fit a spacer between the original calipers to be able to fit the vented larger disc.
I have a pair of standard front M16 Wedge calipers that need a refurb you can have for some beer tokens...You could go the spacer route...Its not a massive improvement albeit an improvement...Remember these are 25+ year old classic cars...And as you say the Wedge shape is timeless...I think this has attributed to its long low value...But the Wedge is back in business...People eat Wedges...Women wear Wedges...Animals s
t Wedges...The next prime minister is going to be Wedge shaped...Which is much better than the current tit shaped one...Oh yeah Brakes...Right...Mmmm...You could spend loads of money on "Big brakes"...Not sure about the "Wilwood" but I'm sure someone will be able to point you in the right direction....
This place have the AP calipers, You would still need the spacer kit though....
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...
"Hi-spec brakes" do a kit for the Tasmin but again cannot advise there.
So are we going to see two Gold Wedges at this years Wedgefest???...
"Bubbles"....
..
The AP calipers do bolt straight on the existing fittings but they need a spacer kit to house the bigger disc...They can also be a bugger to bleed but i did find it a massive improvement on the originals..
I think the spacer kits are still available...Not sure if it was the same as on the Capri upgrade...I know we need the Granada estate 2.8i rear brake discs.
The Wedgefest is happening on the weekend of the 8th-9th of JULY 2016...And anything Wedge shaped will be there...As well as some rounder models...
See post at top of forum..
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
..The AP calipers do bolt straight on the existing fittings but they need a spacer kit to house the bigger disc...They can also be a bugger to bleed but i did find it a massive improvement on the originals..
I think the spacer kits are still available...Not sure if it was the same as on the Capri upgrade...I know we need the Granada estate 2.8i rear brake discs.
The Wedgefest is happening on the weekend of the 8th-9th of JULY 2016...And anything Wedge shaped will be there...As well as some rounder models...
See post at top of forum..
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
what do you reckon then between 'cava', 'bubbles', and 'bubbly'? am thinking 'bubbly' as that is a pretty common slang for champagne/cava/proseco etc... as well as describing the 'cooling' system. by the way, found at least one leak there! some crappy bodged together arrangement of bits of tubing and improvised metal pipe joiners that comprised ofan over sized elbow on top of water pump joined to a perished and leaking stressed and bent rubber pipe that went under the inlet manifold and then joined again to a newer looking hose that goes though bulkhead and to heater i expect. the rubber hose that went under the inlet manifold had a split on the bend where it came up to meet the rubber elbow, you could only see the leak by squeezing the heater hose and then it pushed coolant out the split. have started replacing with new hose that runs along inner wing and round the front of engine to water pump via front of dizzy, i don't see why it needs to be squeezed under the inlet manifold!/
mrzigazaga said:
"Bubbles"......
The AP calipers do bolt straight on the existing fittings but they need a spacer kit to house the bigger disc...They can also be a bugger to bleed but i did find it a massive improvement on the originals..
I think the spacer kits are still available...Not sure if it was the same as on the Capri upgrade...I know we need the Granada estate 2.8i rear brake discs.
The Wedgefest is happening on the weekend of the 8th-9th of JULY 2016...And anything Wedge shaped will be there...As well as some rounder models...
See post at top of forum..
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
..The AP calipers do bolt straight on the existing fittings but they need a spacer kit to house the bigger disc...They can also be a bugger to bleed but i did find it a massive improvement on the originals..
I think the spacer kits are still available...Not sure if it was the same as on the Capri upgrade...I know we need the Granada estate 2.8i rear brake discs.
The Wedgefest is happening on the weekend of the 8th-9th of JULY 2016...And anything Wedge shaped will be there...As well as some rounder models...
See post at top of forum..
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Nice wedge! With a great engine. But that is from another wedge owner, so not worth anything 
Does it have A-frame rear-suspension? Think it is required with that sort of power....
Pads: EBC green or red stuff, mintex 1144, ferodo 2500s. Currently running EBC green after a set of mintex 1144 and happy. Will go for the red version next time.
Pads will help, but would advise to change the brake fluid to dot5.1 as heat will not be liked by anything less and fade will set in quickly, if you would drive it quickly and it seems you like that
Then next you could move to vented disks....
...and then to a larger set-up. Myself running hispec vented 300mm 4pots and it is brilliant (seems price for it has shot up to when I bought my conversion way over 10 years ago). Can do track days without end, never had fade and the feel is nice. It is the rears I (we) need to look out for as being inboard the cooling is minimal.
Checking operation of these at the rear is important, and be sure they do not stick. As smoke or even fire at the back is possible. Still running the mintex 1144 at the back as it seems they and the new disks put on many years ago seems to last forever.
Rob
Does it have A-frame rear-suspension? Think it is required with that sort of power....
Pads: EBC green or red stuff, mintex 1144, ferodo 2500s. Currently running EBC green after a set of mintex 1144 and happy. Will go for the red version next time.
Pads will help, but would advise to change the brake fluid to dot5.1 as heat will not be liked by anything less and fade will set in quickly, if you would drive it quickly and it seems you like that
Then next you could move to vented disks....
...and then to a larger set-up. Myself running hispec vented 300mm 4pots and it is brilliant (seems price for it has shot up to when I bought my conversion way over 10 years ago). Can do track days without end, never had fade and the feel is nice. It is the rears I (we) need to look out for as being inboard the cooling is minimal.
Checking operation of these at the rear is important, and be sure they do not stick. As smoke or even fire at the back is possible. Still running the mintex 1144 at the back as it seems they and the new disks put on many years ago seems to last forever.
Rob
drak ula said:
found at least one leak
That would cause the coolant to boil...Its very possible that the sender has the wrong resistance as you need to match the gauge and senders...But a leak in the system would account for the high temp...Possibly....Now what you name your Wedge is totally your decision, I was only laughing cos although i don't drink champers some of the girls i used to know did and they would always end up giggling....Memories ...Ahhh those were the days...
I named my first Wedge Delilah because i was constantly saying..."Why why why"...To say she broke down a lot would be an understatement...The RAC once advised me that i only have one call out left as i had already used up 11 throughout a 6 month period....I think they average it on one a month...But once sorted i didn't need them for two years....My latest Wedge is called "Poppy"...She was named that because i paid for her on remembrance Sunday...She is Gun metal grey and pops and bangs a fair bit...Especially when over fuelled...
Ahhh...Also as mentioned if yours is trailing arm suspension then it was the total limit for this kind of power...Might be worth checking the trailing arm bushes to make sure they are okay as they can be a right PITA......
Great write up! Getting back to the grip and tyre situation what are you running now (205/60/15's but what make and how old?)
When I got the 400SX it was on the ORIGINAL TYRES (RE71's) only having done around 6.5k miles.
At the time these were maybe about 15 years old... so hard as nails. And not a lot of grip.
Being tight I wore these down to the limit before getting better rubber - these days I'm either on S-02's or T1-R's, both are pretty good, and as soon as these were on the grip was transformed.
I also went up to 245 rubber on the back, this slows the car down from an easy 150 to an easy 140 (no idea what the top end is I have never had enough private road to find out) but overall it's a better drive as the power is planted better. You can still spin up the rears though!
When I got the 400SX it was on the ORIGINAL TYRES (RE71's) only having done around 6.5k miles.
At the time these were maybe about 15 years old... so hard as nails. And not a lot of grip.
Being tight I wore these down to the limit before getting better rubber - these days I'm either on S-02's or T1-R's, both are pretty good, and as soon as these were on the grip was transformed.
I also went up to 245 rubber on the back, this slows the car down from an easy 150 to an easy 140 (no idea what the top end is I have never had enough private road to find out) but overall it's a better drive as the power is planted better. You can still spin up the rears though!
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