Yep, Jim'll Fix It has made another dream come true! :clap:
After many months of being Zedless, I took my first drive in the Zed today. A five hour journey on public transport got me down to Bristol to collect the car from Jimmer's unit. So you can imagine my delight when I clapped eyes on my car looking as shiny as a new pin, engine purring quietly :thumbup:
For anyone considering going down the rebuild route, all I can say is - you will not be disappointed! The car was sent off by transporter a little over 5 weeks ago and is now in the rudest of health once again. In a world that seems hell bent on scamming and generally robbing you of your hard-earned, its extremely refreshing to deal with someone who does a 'Ronseal' job. No hidden extras, first class service and the confidence inspired by someone who knows these engines better than the guys who built them - a really pleasurable experience.
About 3 days after Jim had received the car, the engine was out and the diagnosis from the autopsy was in. An oil feed line to one turbo was fouling the wastegate and consequently causing the engine to overboost and, ultimately, self destruct. After some much appreciated advice, the spec for the rebuild was finalised and Jim wasted no time in getting on with the task. My only concern is that Jim's kids don't recognise him when he comes home, because anyone who devotes so much time and energy to his work musn't have a lot of time for family life! Either that, or Jim is extremely quick with the old spanners, which I suspect is probably more accurate. 5 weeks may not seem like a record for an engine rebuild, but if Z1 had delivered the parts as promised, then it would have been even quicker.
So what was it like to drive the Zed again? Awesome. Its still got to be run in yet and will no doubt loosen up a little as the miles pass by, but they will be racked up with some vigour over the next few days - a trip to scotland tomorrow morning will really start the process in earnest. Running in asides, Jim's advice on the turbo specs and other tasty tuning bits have already made a measurable impression. On a near deserted M5 on the way back to the Midlands, the old girl hauled ass in true fashion. I couldn't give it the full beans, but it is already evident that the mid range has swollen nicely. The engine note has become a bit more audible thanks to the new manifolds and decat pipes clearing the restriction of the old system.
All in all, it was an absolute joy to drive in the Zed again. The guy who gave it big guns in his Mitsi FTO can count himself lucky the Zed didn't have another 1000 miles under its belt, or I may have been inclined to piss on his parade - but the need for a little restraint will pay dividends later down the line. But careful throttle application did not stop me from savouriong every moment on my 2 hour journey home. To cap off a perfect evening, I was treated to an awesome sunset and spectacular rainbow just as I hit the M69 into Leicester. A good omen I feel.
So - a big thanks to Jim, who has given the old girl a new lease of life. I can say, with some confidence, if I had to do it all again I wouldn't change a thing. Muchos respect.
Yep, Jim'll Fix It has made another dream come true! :clap:
After many months of being Zedless, I took my first drive in the Zed today. A five hour journey on public transport got me down to Bristol to collect the car from Jimmer's unit. So you can imagine my delight when I clapped eyes on my car looking as shiny as a new pin, engine purring quietly :thumbup:
For anyone considering going down the rebuild route, all I can say is - you will not be disappointed! The car was sent off by transporter a little over 5 weeks ago and is now in the rudest of health once again. In a world that seems hell bent on scamming and generally robbing you of your hard-earned, its extremely refreshing to deal with someone who does a 'Ronseal' job. No hidden extras, first class service and the confidence inspired by someone who knows these engines better than the guys who built them - a really pleasurable experience.
About 3 days after Jim had received the car, the engine was out and the diagnosis from the autopsy was in. An oil feed line to one turbo was fouling the wastegate and consequently causing the engine to overboost and, ultimately, self destruct. After some much appreciated advice, the spec for the rebuild was finalised and Jim wasted no time in getting on with the task. My only concern is that Jim's kids don't recognise him when he comes home, because anyone who devotes so much time and energy to his work musn't have a lot of time for family life! Either that, or Jim is extremely quick with the old spanners, which I suspect is probably more accurate. 5 weeks may not seem like a record for an engine rebuild, but if Z1 had delivered the parts as promised, then it would have been even quicker.
So what was it like to drive the Zed again? Awesome. Its still got to be run in yet and will no doubt loosen up a little as the miles pass by, but they will be racked up with some vigour over the next few days - a trip to scotland tomorrow morning will really start the process in earnest. Running in asides, Jim's advice on the turbo specs and other tasty tuning bits have already made a measurable impression. On a near deserted M5 on the way back to the Midlands, the old girl hauled ass in true fashion. I couldn't give it the full beans, but it is already evident that the mid range has swollen nicely. The engine note has become a bit more audible thanks to the new manifolds and decat pipes clearing the restriction of the old system.
All in all, it was an absolute joy to drive in the Zed again. The guy who gave it big guns in his Mitsi FTO can count himself lucky the Zed didn't have another 1000 miles under its belt, or I may have been inclined to piss on his parade - but the need for a little restraint will pay dividends later down the line. But careful throttle application did not stop me from savouriong every moment on my 2 hour journey home. To cap off a perfect evening, I was treated to an awesome sunset and spectacular rainbow just as I hit the M69 into Leicester. A good omen I feel.
So - a big thanks to Jim, who has given the old girl a new lease of life. I can say, with some confidence, if I had to do it all again I wouldn't change a thing. Muchos respect.
:punk: