My ZS 180 British Racing Green

[stamford]

Originally Posted by Dave MGT

Dont blame you! Its nice to have a track and road going car with all the comforts. Thats the joy with the 180. The fact it performs so well on track, especially with a few tweaks. It does deserve a bit more power.
Have you done the flywheel and diff yet?

The reyland conversion is a tricky one! I love the Kv6 it is a great engine just a shame big power cannot be had easy like other lumps.
Personaly I think it would be a shame to loose the V6 soundtrack, and it wouldnt really be a ZS180 with a different engine. Plus people wont be so suprised when you pass them on track

Couldn't agree more Dave, I know mine will never challenge the big boys but as it is more than capable I get a kick knowing it is based on the standard car with very few tweaks to make it perform. I too love the soundtrack and would only change it for a V8

[OllieZS]

Originally Posted by Dave MGT

Dont blame you! Its nice to have a track and road going car with all the comforts. Thats the joy with the 180. The fact it performs so well on track, especially with a few tweaks. It does deserve a bit more power.
Have you done the flywheel and diff yet?

The reyland conversion is a tricky one! I love the Kv6 it is a great engine just a shame big power cannot be had easy like other lumps.
Personaly I think it would be a shame to loose the V6 soundtrack, and it wouldnt really be a ZS180 with a different engine. Plus people wont be so suprised when you pass them on track

Hi everyone, thanks for the comments.

Dave MGT I think we're on the same wave length!

I do hanker after more power like the Reyland conversion would offer, but agree with the reasons you gave above!

I havent fitted a LSD or lightened flywheel yet, I was going to do the flywheel when i replace the clutch, and Im undecided on the LSD, When I spoke to Andy and Alan at V.H.S they felt the LSD can corrupt steering feel and handling characteristics, they said it will make lap times quicker tho.

What are peoples experiances with some of the products that Moto-Build offer, Im interested in some of the adjustable suspension parts and braces?

Thanks

Ollie

[petet16]

Moto Build are expensive imo, you can buy the same spec stuff without the MB mark up.

[OllieZS]

Hi everyone

I had my first trackday of the year last thursday (May 5th) at Castle Combe, and wow! An excellent day and the car was, dare I say it, incredible!



Now since my first trackday in the ZS last August, I have fitted the ITG Maxogen, V.H.S Bilstein dampers and GBE 4 pot brake kit.

All I can say is all the above parts worked incredibley well, last year I found when coming out of the last chicane the car was slow to accelarate and felt restricted in the top end of the rev range, the ITG cured these issues and then some!
The car accelarated with conviction out of said chicane with the VIS ramping home the torque from 3000rpm and that lovely ITG growl! the perfect sound for the moment! lol



Now in the past the braking areas have always been somewhere I may have been over-cautious (sensible I suppose!). The ZS had standard brakes last trackday and where very good for what they are, but I knew they could be bettered and ultimatly knew I would outgrow them on track.

Next up the GBE 4 pots and 310mm discs, and they are excellent, they were immesnse lap after lap, with excellent brake pedal feeling and very consistent all day, it is a strange sensation catching other cars so quickly whilst braking, a first for me!
I did have one heart in mouth moment when I tried to brake really late into the Esses and the A.B.S kicked in and I almost had to use the old bit of track as runoff! narrowly avoided! I found the best technique was to apply the brakes first with light to medium pressure then increase as quickly as was needed.



Now the Dampers!

The body control was excellent, and the car was very planted and very quick at direction changes! I ran Kumho Ecsta sport tyres which were very good but I could feel that the chassis had twice as much to give as the tyres could! Last year I was very quick along the whole of the back of the circuit from the Esses into Bobbies, but with the cars new found cornering ability I was even quicker!




After the 1st session when back in the paddock, an Impreza owner pulled up next to me and said 'That thing can really move cant it'. Thanks, Then the owner of a Porshe 911 I overtook came over to me asking 'what engines in that?' I duly replied, he then went on to say 'I saw you in my mirrors and thought its only an MG! then after a couple of corners you were even closer then overtook! he said as well he couldnt overtake on the straights!' A very nice guy and I had quite a few tussels throughout the day!

I must admit I was surprised at how much attention the car got, I had so much positive feedback about the car and my driving!

This is said 911


Over the day I overtook another 911, I could see the guy looking in his mirrors especially out of corners to still see me there! and 2 Boxters, one of them being an 'S'.
The Boxter 'S' would'nt let me past for about 6-7 laps, I was all over him through the corners and braking areas as much as I tried to give him space! I think a touch of pride came into it! I eventually got him up the straight going into Quarry!

The car ran faultlessly with out a hiccup, I am so impressed with it! I did use ?100 of fuel tho! lol

I think I changed the image of the ZS and MG for a few last thursday! lol

Great car!

[Dan1971]

Awesome.

Love reading your posts mate. Great enthusiasm and doing the MG image proud on the track. Good for you. Sounds like a top day out. Great pics too ....

[stamford]

Well done mate, it's good to show other high end car owners that you don't need a badge or a pot of money to have a competitive car. Pity people pigeonhole the MG brand, but then we know what we've got and enjoy upsetting folk!

Combe was alot faster and hairier back in the mid to late 80s way before they put in those darned chicanes and slowed the laps down. Still one of my favourite circuits and a nice part of the world too.

[peterzs]

Glad you had such a good day out, sounded fun and must be good to have all the mods come together and give you the results you planned.

Great photos, suprised quite a few of the quick cars as well.

[Dave MGT]

Looked like a good day! Nice when the mods start to come together. A decat will give you that effect again that the itg gave.

Its so annoying when people wont let you passed!!! Its a pride thing. I remember a couple of years ago a corvette at oulton park wouldnt let me and Sie pass safely, Im sure he didnt like 2 MGs being driven much faster than his v8 monster. Then he came out the pits later and pulled right out infront of me (so i nailed him on the outside into the next corner... ***! :0
You just have to let these people carry on, they make themselfs look stupid.

With the new dampers, do you find them a little firmer than the std ones? Just fitted eibach springs on mine and they are better but feel a little softer on the front....
I will try and do combe this year, are you going again?

[OllieZS]

Originally Posted by Dave MGT

Looked like a good day! Nice when the mods start to come together. A decat will give you that effect again that the itg gave.

Its so annoying when people wont let you passed!!! Its a pride thing. I remember a couple of years ago a corvette at oulton park wouldnt let me and Sie pass safely, Im sure he didnt like 2 MGs being driven much faster than his v8 monster. Then he came out the pits later and pulled right out infront of me (so i nailed him on the outside into the next corner... ***! :0
You just have to let these people carry on, they make themselfs look stupid.

With the new dampers, do you find them a little firmer than the std ones? Just fitted eibach springs on mine and they are better but feel a little softer on the front....
I will try and do combe this year, are you going again?

Hi Dave

Firstly, I have another trackday at Combe on August 12th! cant wait.

And the car is fitted with a Janspeed de-cat.

As for the dampers, there not firmer but control the car body much better with a better compromise between ride comfort and control. The monotube dampers have a much greater valve area than the standard MG items and the improved valve response allows better overall damping control.
The car benefits from better control in pitch and roll, especially noticeable at higher speeds which showed the real speed in the fast corners at Combe.

The kit does work with the x power springs (assuming Eibach are similar?) but the kit does state for optimum performance to use the standard ZS springs.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone.

[OllieZS]

Heres a few more pics

My Wilwoods (Just washed)



My ITG (dirty engine! lol)







My shiny kickplates! lol

Front



Rear