Tasmin - 24v Cosworth Engine Transplant - Part 2 [ 1 ]

By: Duncan Lister

My first experience of driving the car once finished was nerve racking to say the least, a 120 mile journey from Derby. As all Wedge owners do I completely filled the boot with every tool I owned "just in case". The car performed excellently through the town centre and I had an admiring group of drinkers pointing as I launched her off a set of lights opposite a Pub, so far so good.

The one problem appeared once on the motorway. My brother in law had dropped me off in Derby and agreed to follow me home, about halfway I noticed he was dropping back, I thought that the police may be around and slowed down to a steady 70mph, he was still dropping back? I called him on my mobile and asked what the problem was, he blurted out that he could not keep up and a one point had reached 120mph, obviously my speedo was out by 50 mph!

Front on		Top view

Having completed over 800 miles since the conversion, including a Hillclimb, there have been no other major problems. The manifolds need tightening occasionally and just the usual maintenance is required. I have noticed that over 100mph the car develops a vibration at the rear end so this winters parts list is growing rapidly;

List so far

• Quaife gearbox.
  
• Additional chassis support.
  
• Powerlock diff & a big bag of UJ’s.
  
• Stay bars.
  
• New shocks & springs.
  
• Quick rack.
  

On completing four runs up Loton Park Hillclimb I was surprised that I could not get out of second gear, the car just hit the rev limit at 6500 rpm and it was then time to jump on the brakes and wrestle with the steering to get around the next corner. Because of this I have decided to have my Type 9 box modified by Quaife, this should enable the use of third gear whilst HillClimbing. I shall also fit a Quick Rack to try and get the car around corners a bit faster.

	The finished car

Any 280 owner looking for more performance should seriously consider this conversion. There isn’t any need for all the extra parts I am going to add, these purely so I can compete in the car next year. A basic engine swap onto a Type 9 box delivers excellent fast road performance and reliability is not an issue, you’ll back off before the engine does believe me!

Of course how could I forget, what does it sound like? Very different from a 280 and not as lumpy as a 350. On acceleration it sound almost like an exotic Italian, I put this down to the extra cams and revs, or am I just dreaming?………..

Duncan Lister. e-mail - andrea@dawnmay.fsnet.co.uk.

Thanks to Duncan Lister for submitting part two of this article.