Ian's S4s refurb

[Chillidoggy]

I probably enjoy working on it more than I do driving it.

[Barrykearley]

Is this garage talk or bedroom talk ?

[eeyoreish]

56 minutes ago, ian29gte said:

I probably enjoy working on it more than I do driving it.

Crikey, you must really hate driving it ?

[Chillidoggy]

No, I just really enjoy tinkering with mechanical bits and pieces, I always have. I have everything I need to make life easier Esprit-wise, and I'm happy as a pig in shit when I'm in the garage. I've spent the last four days in there, it's my idea of heaven. Some may think it's OCD but it's not, it's a desire to make sure the car will be reliable when I drive it, and if something breaks then at least I know it's not something I've done that caused it.

I think I shall have to find something else to tinker with when the Esprit is done.

[eeyoreish]

I get it. I guess it's why you built the Cobra.

Full on resto project next..?

[Sparky]

SE High Wing?

[Chillidoggy]

11 minutes ago, Sparky said:

SE High Wing?

 

I admit I like a challenge, but that's being silly.

 

Renault Alpine A310?

[Sparky]

Ooh yar, speak to Trev.

[eeyoreish]

Alpine A610/GTA ?

Oh, what's that sound? Is it the sills I can hear rusting..?

[Chillidoggy]

Not the A610/GTA, I don't like the look of them at all. The A310 is an altogether different bouilloire de poisson.

 

Did some more pipework this morning, just a couple of things left to do and it will be ready to accept the engine and box. Then it's decision time for the engine, and I think I know what I'm going to do now, which is to sort out what needs doing, crank seals and a few other bits and bobs, then box it up and drop it in. I shall then drive it for a couple of years and remove it for rebuild winter 2018.

[Sparky]

Mangetout, absolument.

[swindon_alan]

Saw a nice A310 on Gumtree last week.

[Chillidoggy]

1 minute ago, swindon_alan said:

Saw a nice A310 on Gumtree last week.

<img class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="52991" src="//s3.amazonaws.com/tlf/tlf/forums/aws_uploads/monthly_2017_04/58f49f65999a4_IanA310.jpg.c8f97b2c483ed6efb395c966c30dbb72.jpg" alt="58f49f65999a4_IanA310.jpg.c8f97b2c483ed6efb395c966c30dbb72.jpg"/>

 

Shhh, Barry might spot it and beat me to it.

[eeyoreish]

Now there you go, an A610 would still look great. All that nasty decaying bodywork would be conveniently hidden under some lovely plastic body kit. A bit like Cher.

[maydharm]

The A110 wins my vote, there were 2 dumped in a driveway near to my Grandparents, the owner got quite angry and aggressive  when I approached him and asked if he wanted to sell them. The last time I saw them one had a tree about 5" dia growing out through of it. There gone now along with the collection of Jag's an old Rolls and I think it was an early RX7. Makes me mad and sad that twats get hold of these great cars and the just forget them.

[Chillidoggy]

Nah, you can keep the rest of them, this is what I'm talking about....

[Steve V8]

I bought a few UN1 boxes from a bankrupt Renault dealer back in January,  while I was collecting them a local scrap dealer was picking up a shipping container housing an A310. Kevin from GTO may have already nabbed it, but if anyone's interested I'll message the guy to find out if he still has it. 1979/80 Metallic blue, looked to be in quite good nick.

[Chillidoggy]

This afternoon's work was to start on the engine. Changed the ECU temperature sensor, took the alternator off, removed the air-con idler, and still couldn't get the belt off. Forging ahead notwithstanding the poor design, I got to the crank sprocket, where it came to a grinding halt due to the lack of a puller. After grubbing around I found one to modify, and drilled a coup,e of holes in it for th pe M6 screws.  The nose of the crank looked rusty, so I expected a fight, and got one. If it was any more stuck, the screws would have broken, but once the seal was broken, it drew off OK.

The seal carrier was s held on eBay hex-head bolts thank God, rather than those button-head socket screws that hold the rear seal carrier, and they came out fine. The crank nose has a groove in it but the wife stopped play, so that's for another day. Talking of which, I have now spent five days in the garage without complaint, so there's surely something brewing.

[Barrykearley]

Shit the bed - no moaning for 5 days ?? You sir are in for a gimp mask level spanking......

[eeyoreish]

Maybe she's bought a horse ?

Current Mrs H's keeps her occupied 24/7 so I doubt she notices where I am most of the time...

[Chillidoggy]

2 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

Shit the bed - no moaning for 5 days ?? You sir are in for a gimp mask level spanking......

 

After the 'training' at Watford, it's what I've been holding out for.

[Loose Cannon]

That front sprocket was one of the worst things to get off on mine. The puller was seconds away from destroying itself when it finally broke free. The thinnest film of rust had kept it on, 10 seconds with emery cloth and the damn thing would have fallen off otherwise.

I don't know if you drove your car much after the last engine-out, but I have been shocked with how ineffectual all the rust prevention and paintworks have been on mine. A few hundred miles and 5 months later all the painstakingly blasted, etch primed and coated parts are bathed in rust to the point I needn't have bothered frankly. Used Bilt Hamber rust neutralisers, zinc primers, you name it, all worthless.

[Chillidoggy]

1 hour ago, Loose Cannon said:

That front sprocket was one of the worst things to get off on mine. The puller was seconds away from destroying itself when it finally broke free. The thinnest film of rust had kept it on, 10 seconds with emery cloth and the damn thing would have fallen off otherwise.

I don't know if you drove your car much after the last engine-out, but I have been shocked with how ineffectual all the rust prevention and paintworks have been on mine. A few hundred miles and 5 months later all the painstakingly blasted, etch primed and coated parts are bathed in rust to the point I needn't have bothered frankly. Used Bilt Hamber rust neutralisers, zinc primers, you name it, all worthless.

 

Having spent a lot of time staring at the underside of the car recently, I would say that the vast majority of the parts I painted are still in reasonable nick. I don't think you'll ever manage to fully protect steel bits unless they're done professionally, and of course as soon as you take the car on the roar, you get stone chips on everything. Climate is also a factor, and the south is much kinder in that respect.

[Rolls]

Try using POR 15. I used it on a 12 yr old resto and a 7yr old one, and it's good as the day I painted it. Amazing stuff. Better than any other treatment I tried for last 20 years. Rustoleum, Wurth, powder coating etc.

Anyway, back to wife banter. My wife and I laughed out loud. 

Speaking of which I learnt a new word last week. Ganter. It's meaning is banter for women.

[Chillidoggy]

Just got back from a visit to the trimmer. Took a couple of photos, one of the seats, and one of the door cards he's started on. He's still got to finish the seats off, and the head rest logo is proving to be more expensive to get digitised than we thought.