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Post by Penguin45 on Apr 23, 2014 21:25:42 GMT
I don't know if you are aware of the RetroRides forum, David, but it is for those afflicted with the bug for lowering, modifying, upping power, fancy paint jobs and all the rest. Some of what they get up to is of the highest quality and makes for distinctive, different cars. The one thing they virtually all share is the lowering of the cars's stance. They chop springs, make springs, special mounts, shocks and all the rest of the paraphanalia. Us? We can just let a bit of fluid out. Simples.
Alexander, I have to say that this is turning out to be a lot worse than I expected. Mercifully, it isn't costing a huge amount of money, but it is eating up a great deal of time. Which is fine, as there is no deadline and I do have time to fill.
Didn't do a right lot this evening, due to being back at college and then the Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic, who made a concerted effort to try and kill me! Attacked the engine bay with a brush and just tidied that up a bit and then started trying to figure out how the inner wing is constructed. On Eugenie, the wing had gone above the horizontal flange; this one has gone above and below and taken most of the flange with it. One part on the inside of the engine bay seems to have de-laminated most of the way up to the displacer tube. Bit of sketching required to see if I can make sense of it all.
Cheers,
Chris.
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Post by Nick RS on Apr 23, 2014 21:51:02 GMT
Chris, noted about the quarterlight area, I'll be very interested to see how you tackle it on this one. Do you have the body and trim parts list from BMC? Some of the illustrations can be a bit small but they show how some stuff goes together in an Airfix style exploded diagram.
I see the odd slamm'd car being driven by a youth close to where I live. They usually start life as some sort of VW Polo or similar. What I notice is that the lowered suspension can't cope with anything and the poor youth has to go slowly as his liver is joggled around better than any horse could manage. The downside is that if the car is not shaken to bits it will probably be worthless unless another youth comes along with exactly the same taste in modified cars as the seller. Don't see many Nova's around any more do we?
Nick
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Post by indianajones on Apr 23, 2014 22:22:45 GMT
I have a spares book for a Mk. I 1800, so shout out if you want me to scan any areas of interest.
Edit: I'll have to withdraw that offer, as it shows everything else, apart from body panels!
-Andrew
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Post by dave1800 on Apr 24, 2014 0:46:17 GMT
I was trying unsuccessfully at adding a bit of humour by playing the "age-card" although I admit it is only too easy to get out of touch with teenage talk as mine left home > 15 years ago. I do follow the crazy antics of those modifying their cars for zero ground clearance, huge power etc. Over here, there is no apparent regulation, lots of ingenuity and plenty of examples. Even one of the major tyre companies sell lowering kits off the shelf across the whole country for popular models, small Hondas, Toyotas etc. Unfortunately there is not too much owners' understanding and they are surprised when the car is 3" lower that it handles worse because the suspension geometry is no longer optimised, this seems especially true on Hondas. Some of it is incredibly well done, however. Once off the highways here you actually need more than standard ground clearance to avoid damaging front skirts on most modern Japanese and European cars if you want to travel briskly. It's all about image, of course. When I went through that stage there wasn't much (affordable) on offer, but I did my bit! David I don't know if you are aware of the RetroRides forum, David, but it is for those afflicted with the bug for lowering, modifying, upping power, fancy paint jobs and all the rest. Some of what they get up to is of the highest quality and makes for distinctive, different cars. The one thing they virtually all share is the lowering of the cars's stance. They chop springs, make springs, special mounts, shocks and all the rest of the paraphanalia. Us? We can just let a bit of fluid out. Simples. Chris.
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Post by Penguin45 on Apr 30, 2014 23:25:40 GMT
Steel has been delivered today. We might be back under way tomorrow. Chris.
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Post by Penguin45 on May 4, 2014 0:04:11 GMT
Or Saturday... Theo is down for the weekend. He needs feeding up from time to time. So: Hole in inner wing "regularised". Bottom half repair panel in 1.5mm steel - pretty heavy duty. Welded home - 1mm panel added to the top half. Multiple plug welds through the flange in the outer wing and some lap welding along the edge. Me. Sunroof becoming a bit more obvious. Yes, I should be wearing gauntlets. That was the panel on the left going in. Me, again. Yes, I should be wearing gauntlets........... Mmm, I like that. Etch primed, seam sealered and primered. Grille - tacked. Bashed shaped and welded. It'll do. Top of Theo's head. Note absence of sun roof... Actually, he's being an absolute brick and sorting out a lot of the filler issues. I can dollop it on, but lack the stamina to shape it back. Tomorrow, the car goes back on the gigantic axle stands. Doors off, rear O/S suspension off, outer sill off and start repairing whatever we find....... Chris.
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Post by dave1800 on May 4, 2014 1:04:43 GMT
I think he deserves prime steak! Things moving fast now; any chance of a video of the rear suspension coming off (sounds deleted!) David Or Saturday... Theo is down for the weekend. He needs feeding up from time to time. Chris.
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Post by Penguin45 on May 4, 2014 23:30:36 GMT
Strange to relate........... Sunday was Star Wars Day - AND - my birthday . May the Fourth be with you! Kind of glad I made it. Anyway, we all went out this evening for a slap up dinner. Theo had the mixed grill, which appeared to be steak, with steak, bacon, gammon, steak, several sausages, steak, a lamb cutlet, pork chop and.... steak. Good fun. Ady came down this morning and we put the car back on the big stands. I'd had a really good day yesterday, so it was no surprise that I ran out of puff several times today. Got the rear suspension unit down - HERE, then tried to get the doors off. 8 screws out, 4 not having it. They appear to be made of "Unweldium" as well - several attempts at welding sacrificial nuts to them failed, although the heat has got one of the 4 moving. Try again tomorrow, I suppose. Chris.
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Post by dave1800 on May 5, 2014 1:09:15 GMT
Many happy returns for yesterday; good to hear you enjoyed a good meal! Sorry I missed the birthday, but unfortunately the system now requires you to actively view them whereas the old system showed them automatically which is, I guess, the reason we don't see b'day greetings any more. Some good work over the weekend, thanks for the pics on removing the the rear suspension carriers. So they came off without shearing any bolts? Do you recommend fitting new bolts on reassembly given how critical they are, I understand they are high tensile steel but don't have the spec? regards David Strange to relate........... Sunday was Star Wars Day - AND - my birthday . May the Fourth be with you! Kind of glad I made it. Anyway, we all went out this evening for a slap up dinner. Theo had the mixed grill, which appeared to be steak, with steak, bacon, gammon, steak, several sausages, steak, a lamb cutlet, pork chop and.... steak. Good fun. Ady came down this morning and we put the car back on the big stands. I'd had a really good day yesterday, so it was no surprise that I ran out of puff several times today. Got the rear suspension unit down - HERE, then tried to get the doors off. 8 screws out, 4 not having it. They appear to be made of "Unweldium" as well - several attempts at welding sacrificial nuts to them failed, although the heat has got one of the 4 moving. Try again tomorrow, I suppose. Chris.
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Post by Penguin45 on May 7, 2014 0:01:39 GMT
Many happy returns for yesterday; good to hear you enjoyed a good meal! Sorry I missed the birthday, but unfortunately the system now requires you to actively view them whereas the old system showed them automatically which is, I guess, the reason we don't see b'day greetings any more. Yes. Good fun with family and friends. I got rather emotional and I didn't even have a drink. A rather special couple of hours. I am extraordinarily grateful to my friends on this forum, other fora and my mates in the "real" world for the help, support and just "being there" over the past 6 months. You're all special. The "Birthday" function on the forum I have left at it's default setting - not sure I can actually do anything with it to make it more obvious. Some good work over the weekend, thanks for the pics on removing the the rear suspension carriers. So they came off without shearing any bolts? Do you recommend fitting new bolts on reassembly given how critical they are, I understand they are high tensile steel but don't have the spec? regards David I bought spares after the n/s one went AWOL. I'll check the spec - they're still easily available and cheap enough. Dollops of copper slip are probably more important In news this evening, I can report that the recalcitrant o/s doors are now only retained by two stuck screws - I got two out with a combination of impact driver and windy gun. The remaining two are being particularly stubborn and appear to be made of "unweldium". I'll get them in the end. Chris.
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Post by Penguin45 on May 10, 2014 16:11:33 GMT
Doors off - managed to get one screw with the welder and a dead screwdriver bit. Ady managed to drill the head off the other one. He's a clever lad. Front wing released along the trailing edge and started chopping through the top of the sill. Probably enough for today.
Chris.
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Post by Penguin45 on May 13, 2014 20:49:47 GMT
Sill now chopped off. The floor was clean before that came off........ Pounds of rusty flakes. Not a single plug weld to the membrane, BTW. Large section of original sill just covered up. Not impressed. Otherwise, pretty much like the other side - bits of inner sill look grotty, parts of the membrane rotted out completely and the jacking points are horrible; plus the non existant inner panel back by the displacer unit. Chopping it off was the right thing to do. He said, trying to convince himself. The positive to take is that this will be the last bit of structural welding to the shell. Doors and bonnet can be "got away with" for the moment, so I could do the mechanical refurbishment - mainly brakes - and go for the MoT Test. Chris.
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Post by Nick RS on May 13, 2014 21:49:36 GMT
Another grotfest to keep you busy, but as you say and end is now coming into sight.
Nick
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Post by Penguin45 on May 18, 2014 21:03:08 GMT
Love it . Managed to spend some time on the car today. Chopped off the remains of the sill which was inside the sill , trimmed back the top edge and had to cut away the bottom flange as the floor/inner sill joint is definitely not good. Wire brush in the angle grinder and gave everything a wipe over, then started to weld up the membrane. The bottom edge is pretty much shot, so I have some angle which was bent up at college last week and I will re-do the entire bottom strip, with a few drop down panels to fill in for missing nmetal higher up. Rearish end. Few holes have now been plated from behind. Front. Note state of jacking point. Other side is solid - weird. Chopped the worst of the grot away and patched it. Shouldn't go anywhere..... That was all for today. Chris.
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Post by Penguin45 on May 23, 2014 19:44:11 GMT
Been pondering this 'ere sill. The rear most section of the membrane hasn't really got enough metal to weld to. Bottom angle offered up - heavier length of angle being used under it to give the datum line. I think I've got no choice but to take the jacking point off all together, then add new metal for the bottom angle to be welded to, then re-attach the jacking point. Bit complicated, but I don't see an easier way. That'll be tomorrows job then. Chris.
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