Wow!
My sincere thanks to everybody for such a warm welcome and flood of advice!
Taking the points raised in some sort of order:
I forgot to mention that one of the first things that I tried was a flush and I was too embarrassed to mention that I really need to change the rad anyway, since I accidentally over-pressurised it by temporarily sealing the pressure cap on a Sunday afternoon when I couldn't buy a non-leaking replacement... This faux-pas also cost me a new electric water pump, as those plastic housings can't take too much pressure either!
(I have re-sealed the rad by re-crimping its aluminium "ears", but I don't trust it to stay sealed now!)
The intercooler location has been on my mind too, but presumably everything worked OK in this format originally? I will try moving it if the other ideas don't work though.
The dump valve noise issue is pretty much at the bottom of my current list of priorities, but I might consider a new valve, plumbed into the air intake if I still notice the noise once I've got things a bit cooler!
The handling seems acceptable to me as it is now, but I shall reserve final judgement until I get it on a track.... Again, not a huge priority just yet!
Yes, I do live in Kent.... just a few miles to the east of Sevenoaks.... I'm sure that I put my location in my profile, but I will double-check.
I like the sound of WaterWetter, but I'm sure that I shouldn't need it for road use, even with a bit of "spirited" driving! I will try it, but I don't think it's going to be a complete answer on its own.
The 156 V6 rad sounds like just the sort of thing that I had in mind. Is yours up for grabs Adam, or do you still plan to use it yourself?
ECU set-up is on the agenda, but the car only just squeaked through its MOT emissions test, so I don't hink that it's likely to be running excessively lean... Any advice on tuners with Autronic expertise within striking distance of Kent would be gratefully received!
Sucker that I am for gadgets(!), I'm going to have to get one of those infra-red thermometers.... Do you think it would work from the driver's seat if I run it without the bonnet???
On reflection, perhaps I should find a nearby rolling road....
As previously mentioned, the handling really isn't an issue for me as it is now, so it would indeed seem that the mods already made to my car have had a positive effect! Mind you, most of my RWD experience to date has been in karts and Caterhams, so I suppose that I'm not the best judge!
I don't propose to replace the original copper pipework since this appears to be no more than connection to the header tank etc.... The pipework that does give me cause for concern is the main front/rear (plastic) flow and return tubes and particularly a visibly partially squashed rubber hose between the underfloor tube and the sloping tube running up to the rad top hose....
(larger diameter tubes would also have the added advantage (to my mind at least) of increasing the total volume of coolant circulating... )
As previously intimated, I should shortly have the capacity to measure inlet and outlet temperatures, so we shall see what that shows up....
I can quite see the rationale of thermostat removal being counter-productive, but I only removed it after the over-heating problem had started. The EWP electronic control unit that should be used with the thermostat removed works by varying the pump speed from slow when the engine is cold to fast when maximum cooling is required.... That said, I fully intend to replace the thermostat with a lower temperature item as advised.... Once I know that it's not going to get too hot, I would prefer not to have to wait too long for the engine to get up to temperature!
One way or another I'm determined to get back on the road (and maybe track) while we still have some "summer" left, so I shall keep you posted on my progress or lack of it....
I shan't be doing much more than thinking about it for the next week as I'm away on holiday, but I shall crack on as soon as I return!
Many thanks to all once again,
Simon
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