MGC GT YPE 995G
From garage to track in 25 years
Shaun writes “YPE stated life as 1969 Automatic MGCGT, when I purchased her in 1982 she looked good and was very solid, only one previous owner so I took the plunge and dad and I travelled to Bristol in his new Ford Cortina V6 which overheated when pushed above 90mph.
Well the deed done and an agreement that the owner would deliver her to Lowestoft I was the proud owner of a classic, I had owned MGB’s before but always fancied the MGC despite its bad press.
The day she arrived she did look good but the delivery was not without a hitch, the water pump failed and the engine bay looked like well best not describe the brown stains all over. So there the demise from running car to a car in ice cream tubs started. The bodywork was fair but I sent her to have new sills and inner and outer rear wings plus some other rust spots removed, the car was returned and covered up. Now a house move started to cause problems and the car was moved to a friend’s house nearby before being entombed in its new home from 1986 to November 2006 when it was moved again to MGMOTORSPORT for rebuilding to a track day car.
SNETTERTON TRACK DAY.
Driving the car to Snetterton for an open pit lane day was something I have not done before so father’s car was stocked up on fuel cans tools and anything else I could find that may come in handy. My oldest son who was to be the second driver and the youngest a passenger for the day and myself were slightly nervous of taking to the track with other cars with a brand new untested car. However the guys and girls at Snetterton could not have been more helpful. Checking, briefing and noise test all went well, the 102db at 3500rpm was just within the limit, phew!
The first sighting laps out of the way I started to remember the circuit, the last time I was here was when XR3i’s were the in car.
I had asked for an instructor to run me through the circuit with the car and I must admit without his help I would have struggled with the car, by to much steering input and the inability to heal toe to get the engine revs right to stop the engine acting as a brake at the wrong moment. The pedals need to be adjusted to allow the foot to roll over the accelerator, the gap and height being incorrect. Both Clint and I did manage to spin the car, no damage except to the ego!
The car ran for the next couple of hours track time with both of us getting used to the car and beginning to enjoy the day, with some quick cars running it did show up the cars older heritage against a BMW M3 running slicks and a few fast 7’s even a hot hatch gave me a fright down the straight, not on the corners though. Initial tyre setup was as Doug had left it 26 rear 30 front, eventually I settled on 28.5 front and 26 rear, the spax front shocks were left as was but could have been one or two notches harder.
The engine was fine no oil or water leaks and the temperature remained fine. Brakes after our initial concern worked very well stopping the car with ease and no fade as yet. The gearbox though started to play up dropping out of third on deceleration on odd occasions so rather than destroy the box, which was a standard box we called it a day and came home. Checking the car at home found some oil around the overdrive and at the bell housing however the gearbox level and engine were fine. A call to Doug and the gearbox was arranged to be changed for the SCCR one as originally ordered.
Brake failure happened the day Clint took the car out for a quick run, coming off the main road towards a roundabout he slowed and braked when something under the bonnet went with a bang or explosion, thinking the engine had failed he clutched in and braked, well tried no brakes. Fortunately the roundabout was clear and he managed to get the car to a stop. A tow truck took the car home, the possible cause was fuel vapours being drawn into the brake servo, by a passing plastic valve on the servo.
Right now the car is back after some work, new sccr gearbox, adjusted throttle peddle with a original Pady Hopkirk plate to allow easy heel/toe, some wing mirrors but no one overtakes anyway.
So on the 19th Oct we went back to the track and the car ran well all day, the brakes took a pounding and did show up there limitations compared to new cars, some quiet anxious moments on the approach to bends. Now its back to have a look at next year and see if the bank man will allow some mods to the engine, roller rockers, steel crank nad rods plus cosworth pistons. The original pistons have only two rings which at high rpm tend to blow by and dump oil into the catch pot, have been told to keep the rpm to 6000 allow it will rev easy to 7000.
So far I am very pleased passing Porches on bends giving Audis the slip on the big bends, nice to smile again, better next year if the hp can rise above 250hp at the wheels.
Some new cross drilled and grooved discs were added to help braking which is worrying when you have an expensive car in front , yes they have helped but still a more modern calliper setup would help.
Latest update and two alloy radiators later, we had two fan failures one a blade breaking and the second the fan dropped and the blades made contact with the core, We now have a very expensive rad with fan mounted on brackets fro ProAlloy and it works a treat holding 160’f when pushed hard and will maintain temp of 190”f in traffic with fan running.
The Mot just done found two wheel bearing worn and the rear brakes needing pads and a tinker with.
The car is running fine when on cam but is a bitch to start now the weather is cooling off, so I hope to get one more track day in November, my sons TVR Cerbera I would love to get on the track but he’s a bit protective ! the “C “ is far noisier anyway and I get more flames !!!
