MG-Rover.org Forums banner

Rover BRM track car

121K views 584 replies 97 participants last post by  Roverlike 
#1 ·
Haven't plonked any photo's on here of the build so thought I'd pop a few up, full thread can be found here....

http://www.thebrm.co.uk/vb/showthread.php?t=511

Started life as a Cat D write off BRM with badly repaired front and rear damage and a completely bollixed engine...





A few of the goodies bought and made up for the car...















No more sunroof...



And she just came back from paint at the weekend....







Enjoy!
 
See less See more
13
#8 ·
looks good, running similar spec to mine, GAZ coilovers are fantastic and the customer service is very good. Same brakelines as me too. Even down to your camshaft cover!!!

Who did the work to the sunroof for you? Thats something im trying to sort out myself at the moment and that looks a very good job

Also, remove all of that sound deadining! It weighs about 10kilos when all of it is lifted, painful but worth it.

Are you planning to run 17's on a track car??? I wouldnt, they are massviely overweight i would either put her on 15's with R888's as the unsprung mass is kept to a minimum or keep with the 16's.

I have just managed to get 282mm discs under my rover 15" alloys, perhaps a first on the rover forums?? Either way they are an excellent package.

Edit: looks like the sound deading has already been removed!
 
#9 ·
Sunroof work along with all the other work is being done by TDR Restorations. Family business you see ;)

Basically it required cutting a roof piece from a scrapped R25 and welding it in place, then filling where the roof shrunk and re-painting. Not the easiest job but worth it in the end. Paintwork was done by Chappell Coachworks.

All the sound-proofing was removed, as you say a very tedious job but the weight saving is quite impressive.

17's are for some slick tyres that we have acquired, so should be plenty of grip.

Interesting to know what you did with the discs, we pondered a lot over the brakes. So far just gone for EBC discs and yellow-stuff pads.
 
#10 ·
hi mate,

Just read most of the post you have up on the other forum, yeah its almost like for like what you've done. Air con removal and pipe work (that compressor weighs doesnt it!) I basically wanted my Vi to stay road legal but have a car that can be put on the track when i feel like it. I've stripped all of the interior (rooflining, plastics the lot) but have kept with the dash. I've removed as much weight as possible from the sunroof and sealed it shut. Interm's of engine mods I went for Dave Andrews K06A kit with an emerald ECU. Last month she made 180bhp, 190Nm, thats on a matched and ported plenum running BMC induction....could be better but thats the limit for these engines on the standard pistons. Blanking the VVC off should be decided now before you go down the expense of getting the head ported (thats if you do go down this route) I thought my VVC mechs were broke and dave has told me that as i have made so much power already on them, then the only option would be to go for a Pipper1444 grind with solid followers. This allows a 8000rpm limit but pistons, rods must be changed (the rods can be reworked btw) and a good balance crank job. This would also involve more headwork as the lobes on the camshaft are bigger than that of the standard cams...im relucatant to lift the head so soon after only putting it back together but i have a engine in the pipeline atm.

I agree, your 17's will offer fantastic grip, but they are a killer for weight and handling. I run standard 15" rover alloys with Toyo Proxies R888's, i still need a TorSen but they do pretty well without, that matched with the GAZ coilovers overs a fantastic handling package.....well worth it.

The brakes....for a standard engine are fine but i would strongly recommend uprated them soon to 282's, they are a little heavier that the 262's but i am running EBC discs (just vented) with yellow stuff pads, they really do take some abuse and will carry on all day with barely any fade. They are a swine to fit under 15" alloys and took alot of modification to get them on, but they are from the Rover 620Ti. The same calipers from the MGZR/ZS will also fit.

By any chance are you at Cadwell on the 24th june?? Its a open pit lane track day that im off to, would be good to see a tracked BRM there!
 
#11 ·
Some more fab info there matey, very interesting.

We've decided its going for the Dave Andrews K06 kit, will definitely be replacing the pistons/rods as well. One of the pistons was knackered anyway when we stripped down the engine. We are currently porting the head, although its pretty good as standard. Needed some fine honing and knife edging of the ports, etc.

I've read a lot about the 282's, will have to look into getting them to fit once its up and running. Its currently in rolling chassis state, so engine work is next on the agenda, along with rebuiding the interior that needs to go back in. Will more than likely revisit the brakes once she's up and running.

Have you put a cage in yours as well? Found the dash bar to be a complete pain and have had to sacrifice all of the heater vents to get that in there, these will be replaced with some strategic ducting tube but that'll all be hidden under the dash.
 
#12 ·
I've pondering over a roll cage for months and decided not to get one. I've braced the front and rear struts and it seems to be a tight chassis now. The reason being is a) the roll cage i looked at weight 21kg's b) i wanted my Vi to look like a sleeper. Doesnt look anything different from the outside but all of the work has gone into weight removal and engine mods. rather pendatic i know but im happy with the car after months of getting it right.

K06 kit, thats DTH bodies and a emerald, yeah the emerald is a cracking piece of kit, takes a few weeks to figure it out but its a good investment. I can tell you that a fully stripped rover with 180bhp is a fun car to drive. Its amazing how many people seem to under estimate 'just a rover'. I promise you will have smile on your face when its going!

Looks like your doing a cracking job....keep it up!
 
#13 ·
Sleeper approach is definitely appealing, but the BRM is going to be more screaming "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!"

From reading up about the Emerald it just seems a no brainer to look at a different ECU. Its so versatile, and deisgned for the K-series really. Throttle bodies it'll be, a lovely revvy NA engine, none of this forced induction poop ;)
 
#14 ·
finally, someone who agrees with me! Forced induction is a lazy way of getting power, NA all the way I say! The beauty about the Emerald is the amount of support out there. Wheather you go down to Emerald or to Dave Andrews they their knowlege about the system and k series is superb, both very nice chaps too! I've upped the limit to 7300, it may only be 200rpm more than over stock but the way in which the engine falls back into the torque range is so much better. a K series on throttle bodies sounds gorgeous i bet!

Cheers

Ben.
 
#17 ·
Inside just tidy some of the wiring away, stick doorcards back on, put in handbrake and finish off the edges on the dash. Got to put some protector foam around some parts of the cage as well. Then its finish the engine, that's the fun part.

Gear knob is fine and dandy, standard BRM knob, just needs tightening up once the gear linkage is all reconnected.
 
#22 ·
looking good! I thought you were going to leave the dash board out?? Loving the seats!

Unfortuently, my Vi has blown its headgasket at Cadwell :-( not a happy chappy at all. It was doing so well, infact very well but i quickly determined that it will need better anti roll bars and polybushing throughout to be an ultimate track car. I reckon your roll cage will pay dividends in that chassis Job well done ol' pal!!!
 
#23 ·
Decided that because we need it road legal to get to tracks it was simply easier to use the dash to keep mountings for things like the speedo, heater controlls, etc.

Behind the dash though its been gutted of all heater vents, etc The bar we put along the dash bulkhead meant that the dash effecitvely has been cut completely in half from behind to accomodate it :D
 
#25 ·
Did a spot of shopping yesterday :D

Pockets are a lot lighter but just acquired most of the engine bits today. VVC blanking kit, Piper 285 cams, Piper vernier pulleys, Omega forged pistons, modified con-rods, Jenvey throttle bodies and Emerald ECU combined with associated gubbins such as specialised con-rod bolts, new liners, etc.

Still got some more bits to get such as clutch and exhaust system and finish the porting of the head, which was hardness tested today and is all pukka in that respect! Then have it all balanced and put it all back together, so getting there.

These pistons are soooooooo lush, floating gidgeon pins, forged, truly spunk worthy!



Pulleys and blanking kit bits...



Box of cams....



ECU....



One set of the TB's....... :mml:

 
#38 ·
Most of the weight was cut out of the middle of the dash, we had to gut it to fit it around the rollcage as we have a bar running straight through it. But we also needed the car to be slightly practical to get it to and from tracks and didn't have the time to make up custom gauge mounts, etc.

Plus I think it looks rather sweet :D

Nearly made a mess in my boxers when I saw the Emerald. :naughty:

That's going to be one fun race car brm_ski.
Are you putting the Landrover gasket, Headsaver and oil rail on it?
Will you also be retro fitting a prt?
Despite some advice to the contrary, yes it will be fitted with the LR gasket and PRT kit, etc. I've already done this to my other BRM and that runs like a train so it should be more than enough to cope with the abuse it'll be given.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top