My own Noble rebuild project, repair the damage the Stig!!!

[jamescmr2]

Hello all,

As some of you know i have had an ongoing rebuild/upgrade being done to my M12 GTO3. I never did get round to starting a thread to show progress, get advice on what to do and get comments on the work i am having done but here we go (catch up)...

to explain the title; my Noble was the one which Top Gear used to set the lap time for the GTO3 :-)


Original Job list:

New tyres
New Quaife LSD
Gearbox rebuild including shot peen
Lap valve seats
upgraded valve springs
Cam grind
Area 52 hybrid turbo upgrade
Stainless steel exhaust
clutch
new upgraded head gaskets
ARP head bolts
ARP con rod bolts
replacement front splitter fitted
heat shielding replacement
front clam respray
Porsche hub nuts
new air filters
and a partridge in a pear tree...
...oh and fixing the sticky heater shut off valve ha ha



this job list has grown as the has project progressed, typical im sure. Additional jobs below:


Grooved discs all round
New pads all round
New rear wheel bearings
1 rear stub axle!
1 new hub!
Crank shaft (long story ha)
Baffled sump (the supposed TDS already fitted)
New rear subframe
Upgraded intercooler
New engine mounts
replacement water pipework
exhaust manifold strenghtening


see, only a few more


pics to follow

[jamescmr2]

well knackered subframe...







Leaky turbos




Engine mounts






horrible rusty original exhaust goes




heads






timing chain

[jamescmr2]

exhaust manifold







more exhaust destruction

[jamescmr2]

more rusty chassis




A diff.... well part of it!




Heads again...

[Adrian W]

I think you win "the rustiest Noble ever" award

[jamescmr2]

valves






the not so, trackday sump




the randon loose screw found in the sump!!!




no back end...







WIP subframe...

[jamescmr2]

my bottom end...



heads after cleaning







pieces





the crack in the crank

[jamescmr2]

Adrian W said:

I think you win "the rustiest Noble ever" award

used to :-) ha. i can honestly say the pics look worse than i ever remember it looking... honest. Mike may disagree ha

It was used in all weather conditions by the previous owner (an old friend of mine)

cheers

J

Edited by jamescmr2 on Thursday 25th November 21:38

[jamescmr2]

now before i get upset some better looking pictures:


subframe rebuilt






clean heads




new shiny turbos



Mikes is the one on the left... i dont think Orange wouldn't go with my Green car




Intercooler

[jamescmr2]

EXHAUST... I LOVE IT (cheers Dave at Urban)











bolt on hangers...

Edited by jamescmr2 on Thursday 25th November 21:45

[jamescmr2]

Anyway... enough pics :-)


end result, hopefully a reliable (well, more reliable) Noble with around 450bhp to play with. more importantly a smooth solid torque delivery from low revs and good stopping power from the new brakes.

My other intention is to get the guy who looks after my race car to set up a custom suspension system. need to wait for the good weather to return and get on track for that though.



I would really appreciate any comments on anything else i should have done to the car while it is still with Mike at Area 52. The car has been off the road so long now i dont want to put it back in for a very long time!

Just a pic of the car from the outside in case anyone suggests bodywork change and wheels etc. Mike T has some awesome things planned for his bodywork...



thanks for taking an interest


cheers
James

Edited by jamescmr2 on Thursday 25th November 21:57

Edited by jamescmr2 on Thursday 25th November 21:57

[mgbond]

Great work.

Am I wrong but is there no such thing as an upgraded headgasket?

Bondy

[jamescmr2]

Mike T told me the orifice which feeds oil to the top of the engine (and with turbos fitted them as well) is not as big as i could be. I assume as not designed to feed turbos with oil.

I was having new head gaskets fitted either way but it sounded good to me!

cheers

J

[mgbond]

jamescmr2 said:

Mike T told me the orifice which feeds oil to the top of the engine (and with turbos fitted them as well) is not as big as i could be. I assume as not designed to feed turbos with oil.

I was having new head gaskets fitted either way but it sounded good to me!

cheers

J

Yeah, i think Jetstream also mod them, thats what I thought. so they are std but modded.

Will think about modding mine during the rebuild

Bondy

[jamescmr2]

now for that answer you will need to speak to mr T(uckwood)


cheers

James

[leeshell]

So yours is the reason I bought a Nob.
Looking good

[wessexrfc]

Love those "GTR" tail pipes, looks great. Guess its Christmas cards only this year!!!

[Gadgeroonie]

good work on the repairs

what happened to the crank ?

[GTRene]

that was a lot of work...

sometimes I wonder why don't company's put those welded chassis in a good zink-bath (or how you call that), to withstand corrosion much better.
Noble don't seem to do that, TVR did not do that, Ultima not, also some others.

company like Wiesmann did that with their MF3 long time ago and still do, though their new MF4 and MF5 don't need that anymore cause they use a alu chassis

Always hurts me to see those lovely sport-cars like Noble and TVR see rusty on some spots/parts.

[andygtt]

I remember looking at your car earlier in the year at the Area52 open day and noticing the rear chassis.... I also cut my rear chassis out and replaced it all but it was not nearly as bad as that... rear splitter is a water trap though so if used in winter rust is inevitable unless you drill a few holes to let the water escape.