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There's a good article here as a start:
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l2...ent=tune01.jpg
Of the 85 images, the following relate to Tuning:
25 to 53
58 to 85
Some invaluable advice from Chris Y below...
In the MGOC the 'other' Maestros were 2.0 EFIs. The 1600s were allowed slightly more modification to 'keep up' including porting/gas flowing of the heads, unrestricted ignition electronics, etc.
By contrast, the EFIs had to use MEMS or ERIC ECUs, and couldn't do much if anything to heads.
Additionally the 1600s could be lighter. All this meant that the 1600s could be faster in some parts of some tracks than the 2.0EFIs. Back in the late '90s, early 2000s, the likes of Andy Campbell became champions by running 1600s against the EFIs, and beating them.
This is all still in the MGOC regs, which haven't really changed in years. The only thing that I can remember changing was camshafts in about 2002. They were originally supposed to be standard on the 1600s, but were later changed to be free.
Up against other cars, well originally quite a few of the Maestros went to do Hot Hatch when it was new (late '90s) because they could be competitive against other 8 valve cars. Then subsequently the regs were changed to allow lighter cars in (or mods to existing) and it proved difficult to get the weight of the Maestro down. My car is covered in holes from where the previous owner tried to lighten it to compete against Pug 205s for example. It wasn't very successful.
More recently, about 2006, some of the Maestros from the MGOC went to the CSCC to race in their 'Tin Tops' series, which allowed a mix of classes of saloon cars to race against each other, for 40 minutes, for a lot less money than 'traditional' one-make championships. Some Maestros still race there as far as I know, but most are kept in MGOC trim, and aren't really competitive against other 8 valve engined cars with more mods. With the right mix of parts - plastic windows, lots of metal removed, and better engine work such as more compression, bigger valves perhaps, injection and engine mapping ECUs, a Maestro could compete very well against the other 8 valves, but most people these days don't want to spend that sort of money on a Maestro. The truly competitive would probably start from a 'better' base for some serious mods.
The person who built my car originally, his name was Bill Gregory. He had something to do with writing the regs back in the early days of HH, but I can't remember the specifics. He's still active in the 750 MC by the look of things (http://www.750mc.co.uk/forum/search....r=Bill+Gregory) and he's been racing a 'harlequin' Citroen in recent times (http://www.flickr.com/photos/querth/2909406719/). One of the Google matches for him even mentions the Maestro: http://www.motorsnippets.com/drivers...r=Bill+Gregory
Engine mods - mostly top-end. Head has been polished and gas-flowed, better valve seats. Uprated 'mild' cam by Kent Cams. Vernier timing sprocket. Carbs are pretty much standard, as is the ignition ECU. Bottom end wise, the pistons are +040, and I think the big ends are +020 as well, but for reasons of repairs, not performance! Overall, not very 'tuned' from standard really, but this was in keeping with the MGOC regs, which were designed to keep costs down, not produce fire-breathing, screaming, revving monsters.
In terms of 'guides' - I never used one. Back when I started, there was no such thing, and nothing really on the Internet. Instead, I used to rely on the advice of my fellow competitors in the MGOC, and the technical advisor for the MGOC at that time, who was Ray Downes. He ran a garage in Skegby, Mansfield, and was an absolute goldmine of information about carbs, mods, and all things engine and motorsport. Sadly he died a couple of years ago. The other person who really knows his onions in regard to the 'S' series and carb'd engines in general is Peter Burgess in Alfreton, Derbys. Ray used Peter for a lot of his head work. Peter's site is http://www.mgcars.org.uk/peterburgess/
--
Chris
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l2...ent=tune01.jpg
Of the 85 images, the following relate to Tuning:
25 to 53
58 to 85
Some invaluable advice from Chris Y below...
In the MGOC the 'other' Maestros were 2.0 EFIs. The 1600s were allowed slightly more modification to 'keep up' including porting/gas flowing of the heads, unrestricted ignition electronics, etc.
By contrast, the EFIs had to use MEMS or ERIC ECUs, and couldn't do much if anything to heads.
Additionally the 1600s could be lighter. All this meant that the 1600s could be faster in some parts of some tracks than the 2.0EFIs. Back in the late '90s, early 2000s, the likes of Andy Campbell became champions by running 1600s against the EFIs, and beating them.
This is all still in the MGOC regs, which haven't really changed in years. The only thing that I can remember changing was camshafts in about 2002. They were originally supposed to be standard on the 1600s, but were later changed to be free.
Up against other cars, well originally quite a few of the Maestros went to do Hot Hatch when it was new (late '90s) because they could be competitive against other 8 valve cars. Then subsequently the regs were changed to allow lighter cars in (or mods to existing) and it proved difficult to get the weight of the Maestro down. My car is covered in holes from where the previous owner tried to lighten it to compete against Pug 205s for example. It wasn't very successful.
More recently, about 2006, some of the Maestros from the MGOC went to the CSCC to race in their 'Tin Tops' series, which allowed a mix of classes of saloon cars to race against each other, for 40 minutes, for a lot less money than 'traditional' one-make championships. Some Maestros still race there as far as I know, but most are kept in MGOC trim, and aren't really competitive against other 8 valve engined cars with more mods. With the right mix of parts - plastic windows, lots of metal removed, and better engine work such as more compression, bigger valves perhaps, injection and engine mapping ECUs, a Maestro could compete very well against the other 8 valves, but most people these days don't want to spend that sort of money on a Maestro. The truly competitive would probably start from a 'better' base for some serious mods.
The person who built my car originally, his name was Bill Gregory. He had something to do with writing the regs back in the early days of HH, but I can't remember the specifics. He's still active in the 750 MC by the look of things (http://www.750mc.co.uk/forum/search....r=Bill+Gregory) and he's been racing a 'harlequin' Citroen in recent times (http://www.flickr.com/photos/querth/2909406719/). One of the Google matches for him even mentions the Maestro: http://www.motorsnippets.com/drivers...r=Bill+Gregory
Engine mods - mostly top-end. Head has been polished and gas-flowed, better valve seats. Uprated 'mild' cam by Kent Cams. Vernier timing sprocket. Carbs are pretty much standard, as is the ignition ECU. Bottom end wise, the pistons are +040, and I think the big ends are +020 as well, but for reasons of repairs, not performance! Overall, not very 'tuned' from standard really, but this was in keeping with the MGOC regs, which were designed to keep costs down, not produce fire-breathing, screaming, revving monsters.
In terms of 'guides' - I never used one. Back when I started, there was no such thing, and nothing really on the Internet. Instead, I used to rely on the advice of my fellow competitors in the MGOC, and the technical advisor for the MGOC at that time, who was Ray Downes. He ran a garage in Skegby, Mansfield, and was an absolute goldmine of information about carbs, mods, and all things engine and motorsport. Sadly he died a couple of years ago. The other person who really knows his onions in regard to the 'S' series and carb'd engines in general is Peter Burgess in Alfreton, Derbys. Ray used Peter for a lot of his head work. Peter's site is http://www.mgcars.org.uk/peterburgess/
--
Chris
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