G-tech pro meter

I've no idea, as I've no boost gauge apart from the standard needle thingy between the clocks, which doesn't tell you much apart from you have 'some' boost!

I've been debating getting one, but unless I change the standard stereo in the center console, there would be no way of mounting it and keeping it looking neat and tidy. I'm not really a fan of the 'tacked' on look, stuck on the dash in a pod or something. No offence to those who have pod mounted gauges!

But, yes funny you should mention that, because it did cross my mind! There does seem to be less of a kick when the boost comes in than I remember. But it's a hard thing to gauge. I just thought maybe the delivery is smoother since I've had the heads done and the turbo reconditioned, or the new exhaust maybe has had an effect of reducing lag slightly. And it's hard to gauge it against how I remember because it sounds so different too!

But I know they did mess with the boost setting when they reconditioned the turbo, so I wonder if it's maybe running slighly lower boost than it used to?

...mmmm..but i have the same type of exhaust, and mine hits hard as it comes on boost, even at 10-11 psi. You may be running a lower boost level, it is possible, or the actuator can be weak which means it opens the wastegate earlier to hold peak boost, ending up in a soft boost response. A new actuator has a strong spring which keeps the wastegate shut until it needs to open. Its worth getting a gauge, even if its not fully fitted just for testing and diagnostics, if your running a couple of psi under standard, that could be the difference of 15-20bhp..

Ok justin....37 cars in 15 years...Citroen Visa, Skoda Rapid, Skoda Rapid rally car, Renault Fuego, Skoda Rapid, Skoda 130 rally car, Skoda 110R coupe, Skoda 130RS racer, Dutton Malaga, Toyota Celica, Jamun single seater, Lancia Beta HPE, Alfa 75, Alfasud, Alfa Sprint, Alfasud, Alfa 33, Fiat Uno, Alfa 33, Alfa Giulietta,Alfa GTV, Alfa 75, Alfa Giulietta, Dutton Phaeton, Citroen BX, Fiat Tempra, Citroen BX, Hudson Kindred spirit, Vauxhall Carlton, Metro GTA, Renault 5 Gordini, Banham SB, Metro GTI, Ford XR2i, Vauxhall Omega, Rover 200, Alpine Renault GTA!

Dutton Malaga....such a pretty thing!

[simontaylor]

Justin, I know what you mean about tacked on guages, but it's not too "out of place" for a pod on the left hand end of the binacle. I mounted mine in a made up bracket, plastic, and fixid it on with double sided sticky pad. I'll post a picture tomorrow for you. I can now clearly see that the standard "some boost" gauge is so misleading, it's not that smooth as you might be thinking.

Mine looked a little better than that one and if you check the archives of the Scottish sprint championship for 1991 you will see that it won me the road going kitcar class ahead of several Westfields and Ginettas!!!! Pretty....no....but it worked!

Thats not the most auspicious of lists Peter! Look at some of the shite amongst my previous steeds. In roughly chronological order! Austin 1300, Toyota Corolla 1300 RWD, Mark 3 Cortina 1.6L (2), Escort 1.1 Estate, Vauxhall Magnum 2.3, Lancia Beta Coupe,Talbot Samba 1.4 GLS, Capri MK 2 2.0S, Capri Mk3 3 Litre Ghia manual, Scirocco Mk1 GTi, 21 Turbo 2wd (7), Escort RS Turbo, Fiesta RS Turbo,Opel Monza GSE, 5 GT Turbo, Maestro Vanden Plas (who said GTA's had poor electrics!), Montego GTi, GTA Turbo (3), 5 Gordini, Gordini Turbo (2), Legacy 4 Cam Turbo, 21 Turbo Quadra, Skyline R32GTR, Citroen BX TGD, Safrane 2.2RT. Top 10 (most liked not neccesarily the best!) 1. GTA 2. Skyline 3. Capri 3.0L (Was 3.1, 5 speed, LSD loads of the 280 bits) 4. Monza (manual PMC 210bhp kit, lowered) 5. Scirocco GTi, 6. Legacy (ugly inside and out but 250bhp on proper Bilstein suspension and 17's seriously rapid point to point) 7. Renault 21 Turbo 2wd (My grey 218bhp one from a few years ago) 8. Magnum (130bhp at the wheels on 13" Rostyles with VX 4/90 overdrive box, spent 1/2 my life going sideways - my friends still refer to it as my 'Dukes of Hazard Phase!'), 9. Samba GLS - (LAD 105bhp conversion, suspension and brake mods fantastic giant killer) 10. 5 GT Turbo (My only brand new car ever few engine mods -150bhp). Worst hmm The Toyota was an evil handling device but was impossible to break no matter how hard I tried! The Maestro (it was a gift!) horribly unreliable and the slowest 1600cc car I've ever driven.

Its not bad for the 15 years since I passed my test...when did you pass yours. Also the descriptions were make and model.....some of the cars were fairly heavily modified....the Dutton Malaga had a steel x-flow and one of the Skodas was an ex works car. the last Metro had a 214bhp k-series in it and the Banham SB a 1400 cc race k-series. I would have owned more cars without a doubt but lack of a garage (or garages) has prevented me.....I was averaging 3 a year for a while!!!!

I should have mentioned I doubt anyone on the forum has ever owned a car that would have outrun my old single seater (180bhp bike engine 300kgs wings and slicks)........if I had the room I'd have another and keep the GTA for road use only (and put some of the soundproofing back!!! ).

I should mention that the Citroen Visa, Toyota Celica, the Dutton Phaeton and one of the Alfasuds were all crap! The Visa was flat out at 80 and very scarey, the choke used to get stuck on regularly too. The Celica towed my Jamun all over Britain but it leaked fumes and had no noticable acceleration. The Phaeton had been put together by a cack handed moron and the Alfasud was so riddled with rust its a miracle the body didnt drop off when I accelerated!
Best (in order) 1. GTA 2. Jamun ss 3. Skoda 110R coupe 4. Dutton Malaga 5. Alfa Giulietta (the 2nd one!!)

[pgoldsmith]

I would like to add that there is a FCCUK member at our place.
He recalls that one of his fellow members had a 'run in' with an 'old renault' as he put it. Turned out to be a GTA which left him for dead..
Bearing in mind these Fiat Coupes churn out 220 as standard I thought the GTA must have been modified or perhaps running just right. Either way I understand the FCCUK members respect GTAs

Power only makes a big difference in a straight line when its front drive vs rear.....on the corners front wheel drive is always a serious handicap on powerful cars. In fact less power can sometimes mean more.

Had my license 21 years this year. Never had more than a single garage until last year! Have never owned an out an out race car but that is going to be changing shortly when the Tungsten GTA gets the treatment. Don't care about classes, just want to make it as quick as possible so everything will be coming out! I wasn't having a dig Pete, theres plenty of rubbish in my list too! And Steve owns a Smart car now!

I've raced 20v Turbo Fiats in my 21Turbo's and won narrowly on a couple of occasions very close though. I assume they were standard cars though, would like to get around to owning one someday but I always tend to get irritated with fwd cars after awhile - you can't help feeling they would be so much better if they drove the rears or all 4!

[stephendell]

I hope you're not implying that Smart car's are rubbish

Plastic, rear engined, rear wheel drive, turbo, made in France...sound familiar...only more reliable