Once Upon a time.........

[wilky]

In May 2005 my gearbox said “goodnight and goodluck!” I had just finished fettling an sti7 bottom ended engine in my car and the next thing on the list was a new gearbox.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

I gubbed it at crail launching like a tube, and that was the end of that, im not very good at ¼ mile stuff anyway.

 

My quest for a gearbox led me to Greers in Beith, Playsatan had had work done there and was very happy.

 

I phoned Bill and we spoke about all sorts of gearboxes, a price was agreed and a WRC engine was mentioned in the conversation.

 

Satan obviously thought that he could play the salesman and that if he sowed the seeds in my mind Bill would give him a discount.

 

So anyway as it turned out a price was agreed and I popped off to <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />America for 6 months.

 

When I was away, weeb popped his engine and asked to buy mine, so it all fitted together nicely.

 

In November Colin Greer Collected my car from my work and took it away, transplanted the engine into weebs car who was very happy with it, and left my car like this.

 

 

 

The gearbox and Diffs were built by an ex prodrive man, and the engine was built by another ex works man with an obscure nickname as well.

 

I started to get imapatient as the weeks went on and we were waiting for parts. Bill said “Its not worth doing unless its done right, with the right bits or there abouts”

 

A world manifold was no where to be had, but Stuart and Steve Whitson from Rosslyn came to the rescue and made me one, and a set of 20mm spacers to insulate the manifold from the block.

Fuel Rails were converted to -6 and pipework started to appear.

 

One day the engine appeared in the car with the manifold on, the same colour as Andy Fs, (It was made by the same guys after all!)

 

 

 

And the Pipework to the fuel rails was all braided.

 

 

Next I needed a turbo, I showed Bill the 20g I had and he said “That wee thing isn’t going to do your car any flattering favours, your car is going to have a world engine, world cars run 2.4 bar, if you don’t want to rebuild it every 5 min you can Run 1.8/ 2 bar so lets get a turbo which will do some damage!”

 

Where from? Owen developments, they do all the group B cars and in the Rally world Bill will hear of non other.

 

Next a set of superb quality zerosport headers were aquired and the uppipe turned 45 degrees.

 

I also sold the 20g.

 

 

We then debated an intercooler aps? Convert the pace I had? HKS?

 

The engine was a wrc spec one of, lets keep it as wrc as we can!!

 

My brakes were sold, the PACE was sold and the man who made the 98/99 wrc intercoolers was sought out who said he would make one but only if the proper core was used, ie the one he used in 98/99.

Ching ching! It cost a fortune but what an intercooler!!

 

 

Brakes were now an issue as the car slowly took form. As Colin Greer butchered my car to get everything to fit, I picked up a set of AP 4 pot calipers from ebay for 230 pounds.

Mikee Singh sold me a set of 330mm discs and bells and Stuart Whitson made me brackets, Voila!! A set of 330mm 4 pots for £600!!

 

The injectors arrived. Bill bounded out the office “There you go!”

What size are the Bill? “decent size” No what size are they “ Just put them on the feckin car!” 740s? “Aye 740s”

 

The link ecu was now looking very old and very limited with this beast.

I pondered over it one night over an internet conversation with a man from Ireland I said, This link is going to hold me back, he said “ I wish I could shift this MY93-96 apexi and go back to a link”…………and the deal was struck, after Andy F had confirmed he would convert to mafsim for me(Get rid of the maf by using a box which calculates your airflow from you air pressure in the manifold)

 

I took the squirrel down to see the car he looked pale as he glanced at the cylinder heads. I asked him what was wrong he said after a gulp, “Those are early world heads, even if you machined the early cam covers you couldn’t get them to look like that, they will have wrc spec cams as well.

 

Owens phoned me about the turbo which core do you want? I asked what the research one was putting out 447bhp on optimax Lets go bigger I said. Ok Lee replied If you do some datalogging once its in ill give you a discount, Sweet!!

 

So the turbo went in and Wullie at meercat sweated like a mujahadeen rebel after a good firefight for 2 days to get the downpipe in the right place.

 

How loud? Jason took the phonecall, he glanced at bill who was busy with a customer, I was in the USA again so he whispered, “Lets hear the thing!!”

 

 

 

 

So with everything in place we tried to start in, something was wrong.

It was overfuelling like mad and would only run very badly on a standard ecu.

 

Time to call in the big guns.

 

Andy F looked at the map, started the car second attempt and said those injectors are not 740s, there closer to 850s!!!

 

I told Bill, he smiled.

 

I ran the car in and here we are!! There are a few teething problems like a leaky sump but everything is good, ill get some more photos etc tomorrow but here is the full spec, no secrets here.

 

WRC Block Nikosil linered with wills det rings, all oilways opened up, all waterways opened up.

 

Early wrc heads and cams

 

Penski Rods

 

Omega Pistons

 

Group A crank

 

WRC bearings and shells

 

Very light flywheel

Lightened pulley

 

Reversed inlet

 

Aluminium Rad 10mm oversized

 

WRC 98/99 intercooler

 

Owen Development Turbo with Garrett GT range internals and own spec exhaust housing

 

Zero sport headers

 

Meercat snakeshead and exhaust, bespoke front entry pipework by meercat

 

Altenator moved by Colin Greer

 

Inner wing induction by meercat

 

Baffled sump by Bill Greer

 

S2 gearbox by Prodrive

 

R180 plated rear diff

 

4.4441

 

Greddy boost controller

99 spec map sensor

Apexi PFC

 

AP brakes 330mm 4 pots

 

Cusco coilovers

 

Cobra bucket seats

 

STI handling kit.

 

Injectors 850cc venoms

 

All pipework by goodridge.

 

Bling bling cusco catch can

 

Thanks to the Greers for Bringing my dreams alive I don’t need to say anymore, you are stars.(You to hector)

 

Thanks to Andy F for the obvious and chuckling away.

 

Thanks to Steve and Stuart Whitson, whatever you do is a work of art, the manifold was superb.

 

Thanks to my bank manager for supporting this ridiculous waste of money but which has kept me happy and occupied for the past 11 months.

 

Callum W

[weeb]

good good, just goes to show, best things comes to those who wait!

 

[FastScooby]

What a joyful tale []

[scientific steve]

very very very nice

bet you cant wait to take it out on the "track" and put it thru it's paces good and proper

 

[G.T.]

excellent story callum befitting of such a magnificent piece of machinery[Y]

 

[RA Dunk]

sounds like a beast!! wish i had a car like that one day [][]

[andy]

Sounds awesome, but there was a distinct whooshing sound as 90% went over my head [:$]

[bigdavie]

omfg !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow that must be fewking rapid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and the one word that clinched it for me ??? nikasil !!!!

i used to race schoolboy motocrossers and they had nikasil barrels and by fewk they shifted !!

wow wilky !! i want a job next to you !!!

hell @this point i'll take mostly any job !lol !!

[fai17]

I'm sitting smiling away knowing that you are indeed a happy and lucky man.

A big thanks to Greers and AndyF for making your dream come true.

As for me ......it's only about to start soon.

[ANDYJDMSTI]

Having been one of the lucky 3 or 4 to have ridden shotgun in this so far, all i can say is................it is as rapid as Barrymore at the mention of a naked pool party!!!!

Cannot see much touching this for along time to come!!  []

[jcscoob]

I am in awe !! Love it []

[colin_ross]

Good write up Callum, can't wait to see this thing at full chat. It's been a long time coming but it's ready now and I hope you get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

BTW, Bill never did give me that discount. []

[NightOwl]

Great reading!

Go on.....tell us how much it all cost!!![]

 

 

[dan_jess]

Good story m8

[colin_ross]

Great reading!

Go on.....tell us how much it all cost!!![]

[johns]

Superb stuff []

Can't wait to see it in action!

John

[scott_coull]

Excellent right up, engine looks superb.

Glad to see the spec posted up, not all secret secret. some serious mods!

Will be good to see it in the flesh so to speak on Sunday.

Coulster

[teknopete]

Callum,

A wee bit different from the time wee did a bit of surgery on it in my drive a few years ago eh []

Sounds like it should be a bit of a handfull m8. Nice [H]

You said you were gonna do it and I never doubted you, lookin 4ward to seein it on Sat bud.

I recon it`d be awsome on "our mappin circuit" []

C u sataurday fella, I`ll ave the old graddaddy (BigRed2) with me

Pete

[STi_Bandit]

What a great story, that engine looks absoultly gleeming mate, love to see it in the flesh []

Martin

[jcscoob]

Great reading!

Go on.....tell us how much it all cost!!![]

 

PMSL []

[john mac]

I knew a while ago that Bill Greer had that engine and just assumed that it would probably end up in a rally car[]

and now there it is nestled in a road going rocketship,i cant believe it[]!!!! Superb!!

that is one serious specced power plant ,good luck to you on the run in period and use it wisely..................

to wipe the floor with whatever comes up against it[]

Flying the flag for the scoobs

[st3ph3n]

Great read Wilky. The car sounded quite spectacular on Tuesday night. I know next to nothing at about engines (although I learn by reading things like this), but looking at it in person it just screams "I'm not playing games".

May it bring you many a happy mile at warp speed. After all your hardwork with the RB Relay no one can grudge you owning such a truly excellent bit of kit.

[frank c]

Cracking write up Wilky...[Y]

And a stunning car aswell.....Well done mate...You must be well chuffed...[]

I just wish i wasn't working tomorrow so i could see and hear it in the flesh.....

Top Job

 

Frank.

[sma01]

very nice mate...

[paddy247]

Very nice wilky, one day one day!

If your gona built a fast car, build it right, thats the right way[]