Project 155 DTM track car.....

[Joss]

Well as the project is finally moving into motion I thought I'd start a thread. I will post pics as I go along for you all to comment on. I've had my 155 16v sinc 2003 but it was in 2008 that I took her off the road for the final time and bought my 156. As I am loathed to let anything go to waste I have kept her with the vague thought of making a track car. I had already bought a wide arch kit with the idea of making the track on the car wider for better track characteristics. Nothing happened for a year until late 2009 when I aquired a Skinny v6purely by chance as I'd been looking for a headlight after I smashed the 155's when it had a coming together with the bonnet and a screw driver. And that's where I've been since then.

The idea was to swap the low millage v6 out of the knackered skinny and place it in the 16v as the engine on that has had its day IMO. Well the swapo date is set. On the weekend of the 20th Nov mr Celadon and I will be doing the swap and hopefully getting the car running. I will post some pics of the progress of the engine swap and the body modifications as I go. Hopefully this large chunk will spur me on to get the car sorted for the summer and a couple of hooning sessions

[wayne-dear]

What, no pictures yet..
Looking forward to this.

[Joss]

Patients my dear( see what I did there) all in good time

[CCOVICH]

Nice one. I have a 1996 1.8TS that I hope to turn into a track car someday, as it will take too much to get it road legal and indeed for it to be a nice car for regular use anyway.

[bacon]

Interesting project Look forward to some pics and updates.

[Joss]

Originally Posted by CCOVICH

Nice one. I have a 1996 1.8TS that I hope to turn into a track car someday, as it will take too much to get it road legal and indeed for it to be a nice car for regular use anyway.

Get on it

Originally Posted by bacon

Interesting project Look forward to some pics and updates.

I'll do the pics when me and cela are doing the work in two weeks time.



Quick update. The Eibachs are orderered. At some point I will swap to Coilovers but for now the springs will do just to get it going.

Cambelt and service kit will be ordered too this week

[CCOVICH]

I see that Autolusso have a V6 engine going for a good price, but from what I've read, the TS is more fun on the track?

[Joss]

Yes due to the weight lots of people have advised against the V6. However I'm am a sound wh0re and so want the 6 cylinders over the 4 while I'm hooning about

[Joss]

The springs have arrived in prep for the engine and suspension swap on the 20th

[biber1999]

Originally Posted by Joss

Yes due to the weight lots of people have advised against the V6. However I'm am a sound wh0re and so want the 6 cylinders over the 4 while I'm hooning about

Well, both depends on the TS engine!
The 16V TS is more or less as heavy as the V6.
Only the 8V is about 40kg lighter as the 16V due to its all alloy body.

And the sound: The old 8V is a lovely screamer

[Keithy]

Good luck Joss, can't wait to see some pics!

[Joss]

Originally Posted by biber1999

The 16V TS is more or less as heavy as the V6.

really. Cool. Defo not turning back anyway

Originally Posted by Keithy

Good luck Joss, can't wait to see some pics!

Cheers bud

[Joss]

Ok so an update before the weekend to come and the engine swap. I picked up a V6 battery but I chucked it on the 16v to see if it would actually start making the job easier to get in place. Would you believe it. After being off the road since aug 2008 and only being started once before it fired into life. Not on 2 or 3 cylinders but all 4!!! I didn't even have to crank it over and over. It fired up instantly. And who said alfa's were unreliable. So here's some pics of the cars. The last time the 16v will live here Proof of running. The Battered V6 under the tarp and the 2.5 itself. Plus you can see the archs and splitter on the 155 too.

[Joss]

All the bits to make the engine sing. Hopefully

[JR Racing]

All The Best.

Hope the weather is kind to you over the weekend.

[celadon]

Originally Posted by Joss

All the bits to make the engine sing. Hopefully

Oh, they look nice, where do they go ?

[Joss]

Originally Posted by JR Racing

All The Best.


Hope the weather is kind to you over the weekend.

Me too

[Sebasteeno]

Would it not be easier to just buy a V6?

[Joss]

Where's the fun in that?

[Joss]

So after a weekend of toil with cela I can report that the engines are ............. not in

So lots of work to do put here's the progress so far. Both engines are now out and the electrics and gear linkage is swapped over. The V6 is free and spinning with good compression so fingers crossed once the hydraulic tensioner issue is sorted it will be straight in and running.

[celadon]

.. as well as the other little bits that weren't quite the same ....

The clutch slave feed was run differently, so the pipework was swapped.
The Throttle cable was different, so that was swapped.
The Power sterring reservoir was different and located in a different position, so that was swapped - The TS one could possibe have been kept and new pipework used, but easier to keep the old V6 one and use the already built pipework..
the fuel pipes were in a slighlty different position, but easily bent to correct.

In truth a lot more could have been done, if it weren't for stubborn bolts !

[Joss]

Hey. At least it didn't break off as then we would have been screwed!

[celadon]

Oh yes, we were lucky in that respect, if the subframe bolt had snapped,especially that one, it would have been swear-box heaven.

[Joss]

Originally Posted by celadon

it would have been swear-box heaven.

It was anyway!

[rgwm]

A lot of work, but well done to you for trying it.......I've always been of the opinion that it was easier to start with a V6 anyway, but I suppose as they are getting rarer.....

And hello to you on .org.....