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I still dislike Facebook's haphazard nature and threads that get quickly lost, so I'll continue blogging here. I finally got truly fed up with the temperamental nature of my TD exhaust, the noise that is still loud, and gets a lot louder when hot, and its poor build quality (I've twice had to have the end welds on the super-resonator re-made). Not to mention the front dampers that were destroyed because they used a mole wrench on the piston struts. That, together with all the trouble I had with my TD manifold burning the top hose, means I want rid of the last bit of TD from my car. I've decided, based on videos, owner reports and talking to Hayward & Scott, on a new exhaust. I'm having a bespoke one made using their large silencer, dual Helmholz resonators and tips. I specified 60mm stainless steel as they said it's good for up to 350bhp and I'm never going to uprate it above the 300bhp it's pulling now. I want it quiet! They report 88dB at 5000 rpm with a stock engine, so add 2dB for the supercharger. That will comfortably beat the 100dB or so that mine creates using my SPL meter at 1m distance. More importantly, it will be much quieter around town, there should be no drone and it will have a deeper bass note. Installation is expected to be in about 4 weeks' time.

It’s been a while since I’ve update this thread, and that’s mostly as the car has been running without fault, the only issue that’s been niggling for the last while is a crunchy shift on 2nd gear, something that becomes audibly worse as gearbox temperatures rise during a session on track. I was pretty sure the issue was a worn synchro even through the gearbox already had carbon synchros installed by PAR Engineering when the straight cut gearset was originally installed by them. I intended on farming out the job of rebuilding the gearbox but pickings are slim here in Ireland and I couldn’t find anyone that instilled any confidence when I spoke to them so decided I’d just go ahead and do it myself. The patient on the operating table For the most part the gear sets, shafts and synchros were in good order with the exception of 2nd gear. Unfortunately it appears the carbon synchro had delaminated and in turn the poor alignment had pretty much damaged all the engagement teeth on the gear itself. Its hard to see from the photos but the damage was sufficient to warrant a new 2nd gear from PAR Engineering which took a number of weeks to arrive. Damaged 2nd Gear Once the new 2nd gear arrived it was time to put it all back together Thankfully with that lot completed and a couple of track-days since reinstall under my belt I can say that 2nd gear changes are now butter smooth