Ian's S4s refurb

[Sparky]

Keep it up mate, one day your S4s will be as nice as this SE.

[Chillidoggy]

I'm not sure it could ever reach such a level.

[Chillidoggy]

We made good progress today, the interior is pretty much finished, boot floor is in, and the remainder of the carpet fitted. 

I think I might need some more spacers under the seats, as the passenger one won't move when tightened down. I suspect the runners could be catching on the carpet, but I'm not sure.  I'm haven't fitted the driver's seat yet, but wouldn't be at all surprised if it's the same. Maybe the runners are distorting?

[swindon_alan]

That looks fantastic Ian. Well done you and Mrs Ian.

When are you popping round to do mine?

[Steve V8]

On days like these Ian.

When you stand back and look at what you've accomplished. You'll never forget all the swearing bruised knuckles and heartache but it makes it all feel worthwhile. Well done chap.

[Chillidoggy]

13 hours ago, swindon_alan said:

That looks fantastic Ian. Well done you and Mrs Ian.

When are you popping round to do mine?

 

Yours looked to be in perfect condition last time I checked. Anyway, you couldn't afford what we'd charge to do another one, and I value my marriage!

[cor]

Really well done this is a great refurb!!

Really love the carpeting in the boor or trunk whatever it is called, finish is better than new.

Great thread!!

[C8RKH]

Ian, that Esprit is truly looking wonderful. Total respect and top job that man.

[swindon_alan]

*** Alan's Tip ***

Don't forget to put the dash speakers in before the binnacle...

[Sparky]

*** Sparky's tip ***

Don't forget to put the gauges in before the binnacle.

What's that? You haven't got them back yet?

[Chillidoggy]

 

Personally, I'm not fussed about the front speakers because I don't use the radio in the car, but of course it has to look nice. I need to buy a pair of front speakers, but haven't managed to sort anything as yet.

As of this morning Slowly Cables (Wales) Ltd. hadn't even opened the box they've had since the 8th May. So the whole project is likely to be sat waiting for gauges and therefore the front speakers are sure to be installed well before I see them. I'm tempted to tell them to send the old gauges back to me, but I don't really want to be doing that job all over again. This is frustrating because other than that, there's no real reason why the car cannot be driven.

The more I think about it, the more I reckon I might have to slot the carpets under the seat runners to get them to slide. I need to check whether the sills and tunnel carpets are tucked underneath first though, and if so, maybe I could remove it. The original carpet was thinner then the new stuff, and I'm coming to the conclusion that the runners are being pulled down by the bolts at the ends, but the thickness of carpet between them means they're bending, and locking up.

Whilst it's true we've made a huge effort in getting the boot and cabin carpets fitted correctly, and it definitely does make a difference, we should also give a plug to @Steve V8 and his better half for supplying them to pattern, and generally giving very good customer service to us whenever we've need advice. He produces a quality product, and he's willing to do anything you want. Well, maybe not everything, but you never know.......

[Chillidoggy]

Nope, it's not the carpet stopping the passenger seat sliding, or at least I don't think so. I gave up in the end, but I'll try without the carpet next to see what happens. Thing is, it rubs on the sill carpet, and on the tunnel leather too, and it's virtually impossible to see where it might be having problems. It could be the runners are not parallel too, but again I'll have to check. they operate OK on an individual basis out of the car, though.

[Chillidoggy]

Turned out to be the carpet stopping the seat sliding after all. I removed it, bolted the seat back up, and it slid OK. It still rubs on the sill and tunnel sides, but there's not much I can do about that, and bot seats were like it before. I've had to do a bit of selective carpet surgery, but got there in the end. Driver's seat is next, and I'm tempted to do the same as the passenger side.

The front speakers and the new wiper arm/blade should be here today, and the air-con man is booked in for tomorrow. This will leave the charge-cooler system to bleed (always a long and tedious process), and the binnacle/gauges. Then the checking and re-securing of any loose hoses and wiring before the shakedown trials.

 

[eeyoreish]

Wow, nearly there. Soon be time to take it all apart again...

[Giniw]

3 hours ago, eeyoreish said:

Soon be time to take it all apart again...

lol

FYI my driver sliders is rubbing on the carpet too but it's not new. So it's probably closer to the original specifications if you let it like that!

Edited June 8, 2017 by Giniw

[march]

5 hours ago, ian29gte said:

 

Turned out to be the carpet stopping the seat sliding after all. I removed it, bolted the seat back up, and it slid OK. It still rubs on the sill and tunnel sides, but there's not much I can do about that, and bot seats were like it before. I've had to do a bit of selective carpet surgery, but got there in the end.

 

Has someone removed the spaces that lift the sliders up from the carpet? - Someone removed them from the passenger seat of my car (basically it's a very thick washer).

[eeyoreish]

A small stack of Screwfix's finest M8 stainless steel penny washers is supporting my seats.

Absolute pain in the ass to keep in place during fitting though. Masking tape to the rescue.

[Giniw]

@march > Now that is interesting! I removed my driver seat the other day and although I am not sure, I can't remember there were any washer. Any photos? (I will have to look at the parts manual!)

Edited June 8, 2017 by Giniw

[Giniw]

I just checked and if I am not wrong it seems that there could be a thick washer of 12mm indeed, but it's on the top of the slider between the slider and the seat, not between the slider and the floor. And the manual says that it's not always fitted for some reasons.

That washer part number is A082U5100F (labelled 30)

Edited June 8, 2017 by Giniw

[Chillidoggy]

Each runner stud has a pair of large diameter washers, the thick one inside the car, the thinner one underneath. Neither of them are 12mm thick, they're more like 5mm and 3mm.

I modified the driver's carpet as per the other side, bolted the seat down and it slides a treat. The front speakers arrived, as did the new wiper arm and blade, both are now fitted. Had another go at bleeding the charge cooler system, but as usual it's a slow process.

My thanks to Barry for popping round and fitting the new charge cooler name plate -

[Sparky]

 

[Chillidoggy]

I couldn't fit those, my head would be stuck through the roof.

[eeyoreish]

Those are the ones from between the runner and the seat base. I removed them on the drivers side to buy myself another 1/2 inch of headroom. Only rusty washers under my runners when I removed them, no proper spacers.

[march]

I think when I measured them they were 6mm. I managed to get 5mm thick washers from Ebay for pennies. Strangely mine were all 6mm on the drivers side (perhaps one of the earlier owners was a midget). Ended up with 6mm front 5mm rear and have no problem with headroom - and I am very long in the back. I am sure mine were under the runners.

[Vulcan Grey]

my 89SE had ~5mm washers, which I removed years ago, since I'm 6'2".  Later I added Elise seats, and the runners didn't quite fit in the same recessed pan where the Esprit seat bolted, so the runner does get distorted and the slider doesn't work very easily...  Spacers might fix it but then the whole point of the Elise seat was to get as low as possible for more leg room under the wheel.