Ford Laser Paddock Basher

[sleekism]

Hey I have just retired my 1991 Ford Laser Ghia to the paddock for general flogging duties and was wondering if anybody had some ideas for modifications foer extra power and longevity.

I'm considering fitting a metal sheet underneath the engine to protect the sump and maybe something for the driveboots.

Also what can I do to the intake and exaust to get some more raw power where would be the best place to disconnect the exaust?

Also has anybody fitted a supercharger or turbo to these cars and is it difficult?

On a different note I have also come into possesion of a late 80's toyota corollas with the dicky exaust recirculation crap.

Does removing the exaust recirculation pipe thingy give more power and what are the consequence?

One more thing what car would be the perfect paddock basher?

80's falcons are fun but they use a heck of a lot of fuel, I'm thinking maybe Datsuns they always go hard.

[Mongoose]

Used taxi or police car. Great fun, cheap, always on gas, cant go wrong

[Bill_R]

Originally Posted by Mongoose10

Used taxi or police car. Great fun, cheap, always on gas, cant go wrong

How would you fill it?

I'd go for small RWD like an Escort.

[Miller]

Originally Posted by sleekism

I'm considering fitting a metal sheet underneath the engine to protect the sump and maybe something for the driveboots

That is a must, I have one on my XF paddock basher, saved it many a time.

Go over it with non-odour fishoiline, ram intake, bigger springs (from a Falcon or something), cut and weld the exhaust for side exit under the rear door, weight reduction (take out spare wheels, towbars, rear seat, carpet, underlay, windscreen, doors, roof, bootlid, lights etc)

Perhaps weld in a bull bar.

[335JET]

i really need to get another paddock basher, so much fun. i had a gemini which was dropped on its ***, and goin through some long grass, i hit a stump which cracked the sump, bent the steering, and my head cracked the windscreen.
if anyone has a cheap old car they want to get risd of, let me know.

[Miller]

Yeah, geminis also make awesome paddock bashers. They are also good for filling in dam walls :

[hegemon]

Do to your Laser what Leyland did to the Mini. Tear off every non essential peice of metal and put a crude roll bar on it instead.

I would suggest on top of the sump guard that you try to raise the ride height by fitting different springs. You might also like to think about fitting high profile tyres to smaller rims...softens the ride nicely.

re: exhaust/muffler: any sound deadening makes the engine work harder. ergo, for more power, remove the mufflers. This depends on how much noise you can put up with. Perhaps get a pair of earmuffs as a trade off. The easiest spot to remove it would be the rear one and as suggested above, point it out the side, though this will increase the noise.

There was a segment done on Ch.9's The Car Show in which they tore off many of the panels of a Toyota Crown station wagon. Over the 1/4 mile it was slower because of the increased drag, however if what youre after is more power and not outright speed or acceleration, this probably isnt an issue.

As mentioned above, removing interior parts like the dash and rear seats is a must. Seatbelts might be worth keeping though if you take the doors off.

As for more power, I'm stumped. According to MythBusters on TV, putting moth balls in your fuel tank acts like octane boost....dont know about the longterm effect on the engine though. Seems longevity and power are a paradox. I'm all for random acts of destruction however...

[VippiN]

Originally Posted by sleekism

Also has anybody fitted a supercharger or turbo to these cars and is it difficult?

The KB White Lightning models came out standard with the 1.5L SOHC Turbo. Straight swap if you can find the engine into your run of the mill KA/KB.

[bjr22n_]

hmm, just mod it to look like this:



other wise, follow the steps above

[dirty hands]

getting back to the subject you buy some
chequer plate aluminium sheeting

and that covers the boots and the drive train to go bush bashing ...just screws into the chassis where needed cut to desirered shape

[VippiN]

bjr22n that has to be the ugliest KF/KH i've ever seen..

[bjr22n_]

Originally Posted by VippiN

bjr22n that has to be the ugliest KF/KH i've ever seen..

thanks. :

apparently it has a 350 chev under the bonnet... not sure how true that is tho...

[VippiN]

lol where'd you pull that information from? would love to see any write ups on it.