The Long Old Road Ahead (Time to Strip!)

[Bibs]

A year today.

I'll come down and help drink beer and burn fences if that's of use to you?

[bigsi]

i can rip the fence panels... erm i mean i can pick up the ones that have fallen down and hand them to bibs for safe keeping. i can also give you some real cool baby tips!

best one is how to tell the signs of projectile vomiting, learned the hard way on that one, by the end of it i had it down to a tee, cammy would make a certian move and sound i held him out, he plastered the walls and floor! only thing is the mop got a right hammering and cleaning puke up from a baby really isnt nice at all!

[Simon350S]

Well....

When I drove the car to what I hope is not her final resting place the turbo seals let go and you couldn't see behind me for blue smoke....!!

Then on commencing the strip down I found the wastgate diaphram had started to perish, not quite holed but I'm guessing it wouldn't have been too long....!

Well thanks to our good friend Dodgy I am now in posession of the last ever brand new wastegate and turbo assemblies to leave the factory....!!!

Sparkly shiny and new just waiting to be fitted to their new home eventually...!!

I am very lucky that the manifold and wastegate manifold are like new, don't know how new they are as it's not

The original engine so I don't know if the service history relates to work done to this or the original engine?

So including my new HC pistons I've pretty much got a brand new engine once it's built...!!!

Just need some gasket sets now...!

[Bibs]

'Bout time too! Good news matey

[Kimbers]

Happy to see it's started to come together. I suppose Lisa needs a chariot suitable to her status as Mrs Simon350!

[Simon350S]

Check me out!!! Working on the car

I've just ordered the last few bushes I need from SJ Sportscars and they should be through tomorrow hopefully

That means I now have every bush and balljoint and all the shocks and springs to do every corner of the car!

Today I was mostly wire brushing and have marine cleaned all the front L/H suspension components.

Am ready to metal ready all the bits but the water supply to the house has been off all day and I've used the last of the stored water to rinse off the marine clean

As soon as its back on I can get on with it and try and get it all painted tonight, although Lisa's due home later and I think that'll put pay to any late night painting shinnanigans!

Still... All progress is good progress so onwards and upwards!!!

[fjmuurling]

Hi Simon,

good to see you back in business again.

Freek

[Simon350S]

That 'metal ready' is serious stuff and etches the shit out of the metal!

Was a little sceptical but it seems to work well!!!!

Heres the stuff all rinsed off, dried and strung up for painting.

I'm just waiting for the 1st coat to go off touch dry, but tacky, as per instructions, then after dinner I'm off to do the second coat!

2 coats of POR 15

Needs top coating and for that I have the Sterling Silver POR paint, thats a job for tomorrow though!

It helps to have an understanding Wife to Be at times

To dry everything off quickly after the degreasing and metal readying I wedged all the parts on the radiator in the kitchen

Not as bad as when I cleaned the engine in the dishwasher though! LOL

Edited March 5, 2009 by Simon350S

[dodgy]

pmsl great to see some work being done mate

And yes, you certainly do have a wonderful wife to be forgot about the dishwasher

Edited March 6, 2009 by Dodgy

[Simon350S]

Have to say thumbs up to SJ's Ordered parts very late Wednesday and they were attempted to be delivered next day, although the road was closed! D'oh, the Postman Walked the road put the courier didn't bother, he just turned around thats just plain lazy, it was only a 100 yard walk and it was a lovely sunny day!

Anyway, he made up for it today by coming out twice to make sure it was delivered!

So I now have EVERYTHING

Off to the Garage to start squeezing the bulbous heads of my bushes

[silverfrost]

Simon,

Great work on the suspension mate looking very good will the new paint and bushes, keep up the good work and keep the pictures

coming

Regards Danny

[Simon350S]

OK so I've made the decision to not go down the route of cleaning and painting the chassis! I know some will tell me I'm making a mistake but I really don't want to become a slave to cleaning the old girl, she's sound with no rot like everyone elses and I'm happy with that as is. For now! LOL

I just want the car well maintained and serviced and thus reliable, more painting won't make any difference at all and it really won't make any difference to the value if I decide to sell her. I just need to get her done and not spend time doing stuff unless it NEEDED! The poor thing is looking a right mess

You'll also notice I've not used the ally shocks, I have my reasons as wierd as they may be!

So heres the painted & rebushed suspension all fitted up B)

I've still to buy new nylocs to replace the old and I also need to order some steering rack gaiters as they are starting to show signs of fatigue.

So then it was off to the drivers side....

Now you see it

Now you don't!

Didn't take long to whip the lot off, tomorrow is dissasembly and wire brushing day!

Don't worry about the calipers hanging off the hoses, they are getting binned!

Simon is no longer pissed off.... Happy days

Jusy noticed in the edge of the photos... GOD this is a loverly colour blue....!!!

[silverfrost]

Well done simon,

Looking good, How are you getting on with fitting the 350 wheels! did you get the hubs nachined or are you going back to the origanal wheels!

regards danny

[Simon350S]

Mag wheels sold

Big breaks sold

No worries, she'll look good enough

[matk]

Didn't say anything before but a wise move. G cars are very sensitive to the right looking wheels.

[dodgy]

very good to see the progress Simon

[Simon350S]

Tomorrow is work on car day!

I have my new press installed in the garage, I have all the drivers side suspension dissasembled in the garage and the new bushes to fit.

My free sample of temporary assembly lube has arrived and is waiting to be tested.

The only thing I 'don't have' is an excuse any more!

If I have done nothing by close of play tomorrow please feel free to delete my LEF account and come take the cars away as I will no longer deserve them!

[rocket63]

Crack on Si. Enjoy your day and dont over use the lube!!!!!!!!!!!

[Simon350S]

My afternoons work so far

Kinda looks like a dead/pissed up body on the ground LOL

One fatality during the pressing of the metal sleved bushe! over 11 tonnes at this point!

This one is the lower shock bush, cut off the shock as I couldn't get it out, think they've all seen better days!!!!!

Only the anti-roll bar bush to go, didn't change the other side as it was in really good nick, but this one is wobbling around in the hole.

Then start with the wire brush

[dodgy]

nice to see the work being done mate

[Simon350S]

A few more bits done, all bushes except for the anit-roll bar fitted, need to get a new one of those!

All slid in a treat using my press, the temporary rubber assembly lube I found and the guide I had made last time. Right tools for the job!

As can be seen, all parts are now degreased, wire brushed and ready for painting tomorrow!

Here are all the old bushes, ready for the bin!!!!

Paint tomorrow, not sure about topcoating the POR15 with the stirling silver, seems like a pretty crap paint as the last time I used it, it all started to wipe off on my top when dry and WD40 cleaned it off completely!!!

Anyways, roll on tomorrow!!!

[Jonathan]

Nice work - did you ever consider having the parts re-galvanised ?

As you know I did all my suspension with POR-15 and it is starting to break through in places were there was obviously rust underneath - on complex parts such as these it's really hard to get them spotless.

However on the parts I had re-galvanised they are absolutly perfect.

I like the Lotus polybushes.

Did you enjoy the main lower wishbone bush

[Simon350S]

Hi Jon

No didn't think about re-galvanisng, the paint will do for now, didn't top coat it as that stirling silver is utter crap!

The lower main bush was what broke the plate on the press, 11 tonnes showing at one stage, yes yes I know its a 10 ton press....!

Anyways, more progress

Had to cut the springs off as no compressor, went trough 3 discs, definately not a recommended safe way of doing things..

But it was all worth it cause it turned the car from this, god she was looking sorry for herself

Into this....!

She was looking lovely, easily the best colour these cars were made in!

I've discovered a new found love for the old girl that had long been lost!

Happy days

[arbell9]

Good effort Simon, whats next on the horizon in the long road ahead, will we be polishing and buffing her up at the annual welsh contingent bbq event? Do i need to bring my zymol?

regards

A Northern Buffer

[Simon350S]

No where near the buffing stage yet mate, the suspension is to come off again for some steering rack work and fit another bush that I didn't get in time so if any work is going on the weekend of the BBQ it'll most likely be painting and interior fitting, if the interior guy has done his bits in time.

Struggling to get it up here at the moment, no tow bar and the trailer hire place is closed on the weekend when I'm home! Typical! Hey ho I'll think of something!