Just the same as Project Merlot... but Black

It was cutting it fine but Merlot Black's engine transplant is complete and the car is ready for a proper track outing at Silverstone's Stowe circuit on Saturday.

Once the engine installation was complete, the car initially failed to start. After a wasted hour of checking the newly installed wiring harness (taken from Project Merlot and which is slightly different to the one that was removed from Merlot Black) the cause was in fact wrongly fitted fuel pipes! "It was a school boy error but once I'd eliminated the wiring harness as the cause, diagnosis was quick" Robbie claims, "With the pipes fitted the correct way round, the engine started on the button!"

With all the parts swapped from Project Merlot, Merlot Black really is a carbon copy of the original car and unsupprisingly feels just the same to drive.


Eastern Region member and previous Project Merlot driver Kevin Shields gave a helping hand all day to get Merlot Black back together for Silverstone. Thanks Kevin.