Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

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JOHNDQ
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by JOHNDQ »

I used the PCI trailing arm bearing on mine. Best mod you can do only thing was since it's offset from centre to allow the arm to be level on lowered cars to have to push the floor up slightly or the arms hits
214 Sprint track car
216 GTi track car
216 GTi DOHC
216 GTi Dunlop challenge race car
James3990
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by James3990 »

GTiJohn wrote: Mon Aug 21, 2023 3:00 pm Nice and smooth :cool

As a matter of interest, what spark plugs do you use?
Hey John, I’m using NKG 6’s at the moment.
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Racer
James3990
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by James3990 »

JOHNDQ wrote: Mon Aug 21, 2023 4:03 pm I used the PCI trailing arm bearing on mine. Best mod you can do only thing was since it's offset from centre to allow the arm to be level on lowered cars to have to push the floor up slightly or the arms hits
You brought theses bearings to my attention John on your track car :cool
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Racer
James3990
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by James3990 »

So a quick update on the racer,

Not much has happened since the gearbox swap really, mainly due to other car related issues which have taken up my time.

Pulled the racer outside the garage over Christmas along with the FDH so I could give the garage a good clean.

I let the car get up to temperature and allowed the various fluids to circulate.

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I replaced my daily car earlier this year with something that has decent towing capacity. Over Christmas, I've just fitted a tow bar + electrics which has been a fundamental issue of mine having a non-road legal race car!

The aim is to buy a trailer later on this year so I can actually transport it places and to also carry on with the remaining jobs.

- New rear discs & pads
- New Roversport front discs & pads
- Full geometry setup for race application,
- New Race/track tyres all round
- Fire extinguisher system
- Race battery system

Then a few small jobs such as wiring up the fan override switch, install some mechanical gauges for the engine and ideally a passenger seat.


Thanks for looking
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Racer
Topcat Tomcat
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by Topcat Tomcat »

Is that all? You must be slipping! :D



And here I am wondering how I’ll get on changing the coolant on 200 Bubble. :blushing
Topcat Tomcat (aka Conductorwomble)

1990 216 GSi Auto 5 Door
1995 214 Si 3 Door - White Gold
1998 VVC Coupe - Tahiti Blue/Red Piccadilly & Leather
2001 1.8 Connie 45 4 Door - Wedgewood Blue
2004 75 CDTi Connie - Firefrost
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Plodder
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Location: South West

Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by Plodder »

Have you managed any progress on the car this year?
1991 Rover 416 GTi Auto - Flame Red - Owned since Aug 97 :)
James3990
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by James3990 »

Plodder wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2024 11:46 am Have you managed any progress on the car this year?
Hey Plodder,

Unfortunately very little progress for a while now. I had the opportunity to go on a European road trip back in May in my other coupe, so I spent a good amount of time earlier this year getting the car sorted for the trip.

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After Christmas, I plan on picking things back up with the race car and hopefully making some progress!

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Rover 220 Coupe Turbo
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Racer
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Plodder
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by Plodder »

That’s great to hear!
Was a bit worried that the time and cost of this amazing project had taken its toll and you’d had to selve it.
Did you take the coupe round the Nurburgring?
1991 Rover 416 GTi Auto - Flame Red - Owned since Aug 97 :)
Thomas Loveridge
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Location: Christchurch - New Zealand

Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by Thomas Loveridge »

James3990 wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2024 12:26 pm
Plodder wrote: Thu Sep 19, 2024 11:46 am Have you managed any progress on the car this year?
Hey Plodder,

Unfortunately very little progress for a while now. I had the opportunity to go on a European road trip back in May in my other coupe, so I spent a good amount of time earlier this year getting the car sorted for the trip.

Image

After Christmas, I plan on picking things back up with the race car and hopefully making some progress!

Image
Looking forward to reading more of your project! It's been inspiring seeing your photos and referencing what I could do to my car! (Not making it completely race spec, more just oem+ and some improvements)
Thomas Loveridge - New Zealand
1994 Rover 220 Turbo
2001 Rover 75 2.5L Connoisseur
James3990
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Re: Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Ex-Dunlop Racer

Post by James3990 »

Thanks Thomas!

Amazing how time flys, it’s been a good 2 years I recon since I’ve provided a decent update so it’s well overdue.

As expected, 2025 has been busy due to our main bathroom needing refurbishment (carried out by myself), family holiday, getting Married and then honeymoon.

Getting my priorities right :wink3 it was finally time to get back into the swing of things with the Coupe.

With prices now starting to drop again post COVID, I picked up a twin axle Brian James Trailer.

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Moving back into the coupe, I realised last year the remote oil cooler wasn’t working effectively due to lack of circulation therefore I needed to get the Roversport modification done which meant removing the oil pump from the engine:

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Andy Cowan modified my oil pump, removing the OEM restrictor and completely blocking off this oil gallery which forces all the oil to go round the oil cooler. It’s not thermostatically controlled like what you would do on a modern car, but I’m following the Rover Sport specification.

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Andy also helped me source new AN adaptors and washers.

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All reassembled with new oil pump gasket and oil filter -Unipart Filters supplied by Tom on the Ropes!

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Once completing this task, I started the car up and I had a major oil leak coming from one of the braided oil lines where the stainless steel mesh goes inside the AN fitting.

It's happened before and its all down to the angle of the pipe (trying not to position it under any kind of stress), but its ultimately a weak/failing seal.

I was also fed up with being stabbed and stratched with these 30 year old braided lines fraying, so I decided to replace both pipes with new modern material and also new HEL fittings all round.

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Decided to add some heat sleeves too for extra protection.

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I did buy a special spanner and vice clamp for AN fittings, but it was still very difficult not to scratch these new fittings.

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Turned out to be a bigger job than I realised, very fidley and time consuming but it’s all back together now, engine running up to temp and no leaks!

I’ve got some more jobs planned over the Christmas break, Thanks for looking.
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo
Rover 220 Coupe Turbo Racer
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