Vauxhall Corsa C20XE
Track / Weekend Fun Project
<----- Click on the images to expand ----->
After the rot worm got hold of my Cavalier SRi and I found a replacement in the form of my Cavalier Turbo I thought it was about time I did something with the old girl. I have been wanting to build a small track / weekend fun car for some time. So whilst driving down the twisty roads towards Aberystwyth I was thinking how much more fun it would be in a small car built for handling with enough power for the straights and also be able to take part on track days. I decided I would go for a Corsa as the basis, a mate suggested using a Nova to base the project on but finding a decent Nova shell compared to the price of a decent Corsa shell means there was no contest. So before I even got to Aberystwyth my mate had spotted a Corsa on Ebay and won the auction for me, so the project begins...................................
Monday 6/8/07
So whilst driving to Aberyswyth I asked Namkeaps to have a look for a decent looking corsa shell 10 minutes late I had won one on ebay:
    
Went to pick it up and was pleasantly surprised at just how good a condition it was in for £170!
The bad bits:
Both doors have been bent back and started to rust on the bends.
Two small (less than 5p) spots of rust on the boot.
A couple of very minor dints.
The good bits:
The 1.2 engine runs well.
The shell its self has no rust what so ever.
The sills look like they have never seen a jack!
A couple more shots:
   
Tuesday 7/8/07:
Made the first purchase, one of many more to come:
Started stripping the interior out:
    
Namkeaps managed to smash the windscreen. Bit of a pint in the arse - but not the end of the world!
Wednesday 8/8/07:
Ok so we hit our first set back today! On the way home from the unit last night I got a phone call from Namkeaps asking if I could tow his astra off the motorway. Get there and have a quick look, you could roll the car backwards, but wouldn't move forwards and if you tried to drive forwards it would hop and skip and bang alot. So rang the AA who said they would have a flat bed with us after 1.5 hours. So sod that, flew up to the unit, picked up the trailer and within the hour the astra was back outside Namkeaps house.
Went up after work today to have a look, fearing it was going to be the 4th gearbox in 3 months. Turned out to be the drivers side calliper, the top securing bolt had come out and the bottom one was loose so was sitting against the wheel. Few bolts later and all is right again.
So to days purchases are:
CV's
Strengthening Plates
Engine Mount Kit
And a 2 1/4" Bore Twin Box Ashley Exhaust System .
All courtesy of Chris Astley Motorsport.
Friday 10/8/07:
Out with the old, ready for a good cleaning ready for the welding, underseal and maybe a spot of paint.
  
New remote control engine crane comes in very hand:
    
The donor:
  
Sunday 13/08/07:
Didn't manage to get too much done over the weekend, works van popped its clogs on Friday (Isuzu Trooper - Failed Injector) and also had a few problems with the roll cage. Turns out the lad who had sold me the cage was trying to sell it again and again - so decided to pretend to be someone else and buy the cage cash on collection, only collected it without the cash. Any how picked it up and gave it a trial fit. Finished cleaning out the parts I wanted from the cav, and stuck all the rubbish from the corsa in it.
Only a couple of pictures:
   
The super hi-off road corsa 
Poor old girl, still sits nice and low:
 
Monday 14/08/07:
Time to give the interior, bay and underside a clean to see what kind of condition the shell really is in. Amazing what a bit of cleaning can do:
      
Picked up some bucket seats, corsa subframes and also dug out my old harnesses:
Tuesday 15/08/07:
Today was just the start of the prep work for some welding, painting and fitting of the roll cage:
  
I now officially hate spot welds the damn things just seem to hold on and on.....
Friday 17/08/07:
Finished removing rear seats brackets to help with mounting the cage, also removed the heater matrix and its controls ready for a switch panel, also stripped the loom of the non essentials like the radios wiring, all the heater controls wiring, boot wiring and finally for today preped it for some of the welding that needs doing.
Looked at a quick rack from Deamon Tweaks thought they would be a bit more exspensive than they are so think I will be ordering one whilst there is plenty of access in the engine bay.
Pics:
   
Saturday 18/08/07:
Today was mainly aimed at getting the welding done on the interior ready for painting inside and the underside. Got 95% of it done, just got 6 small bits left to weld but ran out of wire just as it was time for the shops to shut 
 
Incase your wondering why all the sparks, we were using a gas less welder as the big mofo's voltage regulator has packed in so was just blowing holes in the thin steel 
Had one small set back forgot to remove the plastic connecting pipe that sits between the filler cap and the tank, wondered where the 'extra' smoke was appearing from 
 
Wednesday 22/08/07:
Got all the interior welds cleaned up where needed and gave the floor area a coat of primer ready for a bit of paint.
  
A few more parts arrived today:
    
Friday 24/08/07:
Well didn't get what I wanted to do tonight, but on the other hand got alot more done instead was going to concentrate on painting this weekend.
Finished stripping the parts of the cav, suspension, full custom built stainless exhaust system, engine, gearbox, ecu, loom and accelerator cable. Didn't get too many pictures as I was working alone apart from a mate who popped in just in time to finish dropping the engine, not too bad though only too 3 hours 15 minutes:
Stubborn H frame bolt soon changed its mind when the oxyacetylene came out
  
One of a few reasons why the cav shell has past it, suppose its one of the problems of towing way too much weight and carrying tools and 3ton jacks round in the boot:
Sunday 26/08/07:
First coat of paint on the interior.
 
Monday 27/08/07:
Finished off painting the interior today. Also Waxoiled/undersealed the underside too. Got the rear suspension sorted too.
         
Tuesday 28/08/07:
Didn't get too much done today, fitted the front suspension, sitting some what better - didn't manage to take any pictures.
Wednesday 29/08/07:
Today namkeaps and ste came round, they rubbed the cage down the cage and gave it a light coat of primer.
At the same time I got on with the front valver brakes, and finished sorting the front suspension.
Valver on the left, standard on the right:
Showing the difference between the disks:
    
Thursday 30/08/07:
Got the cage sprayed up today, will give it another coat or two tomorrow:
Did plan on getting a few other bits done, but Teknobry turned up so we ended up modding the v6 calipers on his astra to cure a little problem they were having.
Tuesday 4/09/07:
Decided to change over the noisey tappets and replace them with new items:
Timing belt coming off:
 
Tuesday 11/09/07:
Waiting for a mate to come an weld a few bits in before we go any further I decided to make a few brackets up, the ones that will hold the cage in place. Decided to make a shelf to be welded in for the b pillar upright of the cage to bolt to. Made two more plates to bolt on the underside of the car to help secure the cage into place. Also made a metal insert for the dash to cover the hole where the heater controls / radio was mounted. On here will go tacho, water temp, oil pressure & oil temp gauges, also there will be a switch panel for ignition, start and also the on off for the two ceramic heaters mounted under the dash to blow up where the original hot air ducting used to be incase the windows need demisting. Also made some little heavy duty brackets for mounting the buckets seats on the corsa sub frames.
The dash console:
Rear under-body plates for the arch section of the cage:
Front under-body plate for the footwell section of the cage:
B-pillar in car cage mounting point. Two bolts will go through the floor an bolted with large washers on the under side of the car, two bolts will mount just to the plate:
 
The reason for needed the bracket in place:
Sunday 16/09/07:
Well had a bit of time out with work commitments, but finally got round to getting the cage mounted along with the seats.:
Rear most cage mountings in position, then undersealed:
  
The b-pillar brackets, welded into place, lick of paint and the cage bolted down:
    
Front mounting position of the cage:
 
Namkeaps grinding the bolts back under the rear wheel arch to make sure the tyres have nothing to catch on:
The cage all but bolted into position:
Seats and harnesses in position:
  
Slight modification to the passenger side seat runner to stop the extra play in it:
Me cleaning up the front for the strengthening kit to be welded in place:
 
Mate (John Southcote - runs the Martini lancia delta integrale that I am sure alot of you will have seen run at events all over the show) welding in the chasis strengthening kit:
    
My Cav Turbo and namkeaps (now ex) 325i:
 
Next few steps will be, remove the top of the bulk head which normally houses the breather box for the heater system to allow room for the sfi box. Strengthen the engine mounts and get the engine in.
There will probably be a bit of a delay before the engine goes in, which I was hoping to get done today and tomorrow, however due to a small mishap things are on hold whilst paul (namkeaps) and I heal - we were on the way to the pub for a few drinks for my birthday when this happened (pics are from today - accident happened last night):
  
Bit too much power through the rear wheels with a driver new to rear wheel drive on wet / greasy roads. Both walking at the scene thank god, paul is worse off as you would expect from the damage, I got away with muscle damage to my left arm from holding the grab handle and slight whip lash so nothing major, from what paul has said he has a few more aches, pains, cuts and bruises than me though.
Monday 24/09/07:
Only a small update, mainly due to not being able to do much which is well annoying but never mind. Means I have been spending more money instead, but for now:
Foot wells got a treat:
 
Tuesday 02/10/07:
Again only minor bits done, but injuries are getting better so hopefully will be back on track very soon. Anyway, for now:
Secured the new floor mats in place, along with a navigators foot rest:
Added a fire extinguisher (£7 from Aldi - Bargin):
Battery tray, will be going in the spare wheel well:
Oil filter screw, to get rid of the oil cooler:
Finished removing the old battery tray, just needs flattening and a lick of paint:
Fixed a problem with brake lines:
Wednesday 3/10/07:
Tonight cut the bulk head to allow room for the SFI box, hopefully
enough with keeping the rest of it to allow the supports for the scuzy
panel:
 Also mounted the front bumper with some catches,
mainly due to the fact I cba with all the fixing that should hold it on
which would make it a pain in the arse to take the bumper off to allow
the use of a towing frame:
Monday 09/10/07:
Well decided to take some time out to let my arm properly heal so I can get back on track. Did a few last little bits of prep work today (sorry no pictures) in the engine bay ready for the engine to go in within the next few days. Painted over the strengthening kit again to seal it also cleaned up a few patches of surface rust and painted over them, including the battery tray remains. Also cut some metal to put in to cover over some of the holes left in the car - heater matrix pipes, rear wiper arm, aerial and the heater fan assembly.
Wednesday 10/10/07:
Decided I would lift the engine into place
tonight, the main aim was to get it bolted into place. Had a few prep
bits to do to the engine before fitting:
Broke out the engine crane again
Removed the oil cooler sandwich plate using the threaded bar from vaux, also fitted a new oil filter whilst at it:
 
Removed the equal length shafts:
Fitted the short shit (if you know the conversion you will spot what will later become a problem):
Fitted the oil temp/pressure sender for the new gauges:
Finnaly liffted the car over the engine and the engine towards where it should be, however on changing over the mounts, I had taken off the corsa gearbox mount and the old cav one from the new gearbox then replaced the cav one by misstake, hence the engine ended up sitting propped in the bay for today:
 
Saturday 13/10/07: Well went and picked up the correct gearbox mount for the corsa after realising the daft misstake. So dragged the car back inside:
 New mount on and the engine is finally sitting how it should:   Now onto the next problem, a few people had said to me that the wide multi-v belt pulley for the alternator would fit, hmmm not the case here  :   
This combined with a few other things was like hitting a brick wall and stopped the project for quite some time. Basically the project was something to take my mind off something that happened in my life which I really needed to take my mind off, and the project was the perfect answer it kept me busy and my mind occupied.
However at this point things had been sorted hence the project slowed alittle, and when on a quick inspection it looked like the engine was going to have to come out due to the need to remove the alternator to swap the pullies over for a narrow v-belt, the reason for this thought was, the lower long bolt that holds the alternator on would hit the inner wing before the alternator was free.
Now with things sorted and now being well into winter, short days, going dark early and cold weather I decided to take a break for a while, take some time to properly sort things out.
Sunday 13/01/08: Well decided I would start trying to get things moving again. Jacked the car up to start removing the engine, then realised the long bolt in the bottom of the alternator screws into a bracket which is bolted to the back of the block, so by removing these two bolts the alternator came straight out  so changed the pulley and refitted the alternator. Ready for the next problem  .
Whilst I was under the car decided to join the gear linkage up, and hey presto, trying for 3rd or 5th would result in the selector hitting the steering rack:
   
Ok, so onto the problem, and the solution. The problem I was having is due to the bar circled and dotted in this picture:
I originally used the cavalier one which was too long, one solution would be to sorten this rod, however a friend had a shorter one, we think its the one for the corsa, but I couldn't say for sure.
With things back on track with my life, and this project seeming to hit problems as soon as one was sorted I but it on the back burner for a while.
Saturday 26/04/08:
Well a mate blew his engine up, and another one who bought a Corsa XE ready converted it, rolled it and the fully rebuilt engine and goodies went up for sale. Sooo I decided to buy the engine and sell the one which has taken soo long to get into the corsa. So out came both engines:
    
  
Out came my cam's:
 
Now a little prep work on the new engine ready to go in, including tidying up the massive amount of wires needed  :
      So the engine is ready to go in, but I ran out of time after finishing putting andy's engine in and getting the astra back on the road.
Thursday 8/05/08:
Decided it was time to get the new engine into the bay, all went very smoothly, hopefully a sign of things to come with this engine:
 
A little modifications to make room:
   
Finally the engine is in, the throttle cable is in, so just need some wiring and fuel pipes connecting up, along with a fuel pump:
Monday 16/06/08: Well not had any time to do much work on the car due to work being very busy. However I have been getting a few bits ready.
As you may know, the MPi fuel pump runs at a high pressure to supply the injectors but carbs only need a very low pressure supply, about 4 psi, normally this would mean an aftermarket pump.
My problem is, I will also be running nitrous at a near point in the future. The trouble with nitrous is, it uses in essence an injector for putting the fuel in so it needs the higher pressure normally obtained from the stronger pump.
So my proposed solution is to run two fuel pressure regulators and the MPi pump:
A line goes from the pump to the inlet on an FPR set for 35psi, the outlet returns to the tank.
A T-piece is inserted into the line between the pump and the FPR. This runs to the inlet of a second FPR set out 4psi, the outlet goes onto the carbs.
A second T-piece is inerted and runs to the NOS solenoid.
In theroy this looks good, but I will speak to a few mates and see if it should work how I intend it to.
There are lots of images not included in the above - to view all photo's taken, Click Here
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