Fuel Injected VX Beta Spyder

[WestonE]

Hi Beta Fans

I have referred to this project from time to time in my Montecarlo Thread. Well tomorrow morning the freshly painted rolling chassis arrives from the paint shop in stunning light blue metallic 2 pack.
The Shell has had ALL suspect metal cut out and replaced and been dipped to remove ALL old paint and sealant. It has taken years to get to this point.

I have a strengthened Subframe running custom far stronger wishbones and I have Gazmatic Gold Coilovers fitted all round.
The Gearbox is a rebuilt VX unit with integrale bearings in the right places and a Gripper LSD
The engine has forged pistons and rods and a Guy Croft BIG valve head running the Cat Cams proven on my Montecarlo along with coil per cylinder ignition and a drive by wire throttle.
The VX unit rebuilt by GC and Zylan coated runs a smaller pulley. I should see 250BHP and 240 Ft lbs of torque   
Tyres are Azev A 7x15 and will run sticky Yokohama track cross over tyres
I have 2 full VX Coupe interiors to sort out the interior. 

I have been building components for years so finally I get to fit some to the shell:
rebuilt heater
full new wiring loom in thin wall cable with water proof connectors
rebuilt wiper assembly
Rebuilt headlights & tail lights
New tank converted to FI with a Phantom kit & full new FI fuel piping in car like the VX.
Power Steering
Custom Radiator 
6 piston front brakes & full new brake pipes
Pedal box with Drive by wire conversion
rebuilt steering column LHD style on the right so the indicators match my other cars
Full rear seat belts (fabricated mounts)
4 x 50 watts speakers in custom metal work
Fully rebuilt Electric Windows & all frames stripped and re plated
All new rubber trims and a new windscreen Targa and hood     

I have a lot to do and will get some photos up here soon

Let the games begin!

Eric

[mangocrazy]

Fabulous stuff, Eric.

But we really, REALLY need pictures... 

The questions will come later.

[squiglyzigly]

Nice project Eric,

Really looking forward to seeing this go together. And ultimately GO!

Ian

[markw]

Sounds like a great build, Eric. Would you mind elaborating on the cams you are using (you mentioned Cat Cams)? I'm trying to solve the VX cam puzzle as I build my engine (I also have FI VX ambitions), but I am finding a lot of low-confidence information online.

[WestonE]

Hi Mark

The conventional proven answer is a pair of Strada / Ritmo 130 TC cams or Beta IE cams with the timing shifted to get low Lift at TDC. This reduces blow through and back pulses into the VX unit and give a handy power increase. This works well with a DCNF or DCOE with the hot filter box heavily insulated or preferably replaced with a duct hose and cold air cone filter. The cat cams were special order and I need to look up the reference. You can do a lot with good 130 TC cams. I have really done this and tested it at Storm Developments a Turbo and SC specialist rolling road.

Let me know which cams and I can share the timing you should dial in.

Eric     

[WestonE]

Photos I hope

[WestonE]

[WestonE]

Gaz Gold Suspension & Upgraded Wishbones

[WestonE]

VX FI Engine & Coil Per Cylinder

[WestonE]

Drive By Wire Pedal Box using Tilton Parts
Custom Radiator with Oil Cooler

[WestonE]

Rear Speaker Pod and Extra seat belt mounts. There is ISO Fix there as well!
Hidden Stereo install and Cruise Control!

[WestonE]

I have made some progress but with a lot of 2 foot forward 1 foot back stuff like finding my polished door trims were actually HPE items so had to be VERY carefully cut down to fit and the front hub bearings had been trashed in the bodyshop because they did not have the end CV joint bolted in. Now re-built. I am now Ninja qualified in re-building power steering racks with a good one on the car and a spare after finding the (re-furbished) rack was black sprayed rust and junk.

I found the clips from Bresco to hold the internal trim onto the windscreen surround but have a full new headlining to make before I can fit a screen, door, hood and targa trims. I will get easier or so I keep telling myself!

Bless Chingford Plating for turning rust things into shinny things and big thanks to Pete the Polisher for making old stainless shinny!

Enjoy Eric
     

[WestonE]

[Sandro]

Great job Eric. it looks very tidy indeed.
 
A.

[HFStuart]

Whats the hatch in the boot floor for Eric? Fuel pump access?

[WestonE]

Hi Stuart

For the tank pump and level sender. Photo attached.

[WestonE]

Indulgence with badges instead of doing real work!

[squiglyzigly]

Nice touch

[WestonE]

Fun with VX Recaro Seat mounts and runners over the last couple of days has meant stripping the runners from 6 seats to make a set since they were all seized up! They are an odd design with 3 large wheel runners each which go missing or end up jammed  in the middle.

Just 1 more odd challenge I was not expecting. At least I have a pair of front seats with the full fabric and even the seat back pocket.

Onto the next strange challenge.

Eric

[squiglyzigly]

That’s interesting. When I put the recaros back in my car after a 15 year lay up, I only had one roller in each runner. Thought it was odd but the seats kind of work so I didn’t give it any more thought. Just put it down to shoddy old 80’s engineering.

Looks like I will have to re-visit the seat runners now.

One thing I decided to do was to raise the drivers seat and tilt them forward a little with alloy blocks under the bolt points. I always felt the recaro seats where too low compared to the regular spongy seats and the driving position less than ideal. Depends on you physique I guess but I really benefit from the height/angle change.

Keep up the strange work

Ian