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Post by geoff on Jul 2, 2021 7:05:29 GMT
"poly bushes arrived, complete with a bag of Haribo bears...nice." ================================================== Poly bushes I understand but not heard of Haribo bears, where do they fit? I was going to post a pic of them on the rear subframe...but someone ate them! |
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Post by wishful4444 on Jul 2, 2021 11:47:47 GMT
According to the news this morning Haribo are having trouble making deliveries due to shortage of lorry drivers. So maybe back to jelly babies?
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Post by geoff on Jul 3, 2021 8:40:34 GMT
Some good progress again today, it does seem that this project is moving along at a good pace, I was originally thinking over a year, with a a few hours every weekend....hmm...I seem to be stealing more early mornings again this week....and of course I have probably jinxed it and the front suspension will bite me! So today, I got all the Poly Bushes installed on the rear arms, only to find I am one short, I had a spurious bush in the bag that was the wrong one, so all done bar one...  And then got the hubs painted...  So tomorrow, I will try and test fit one side. I have also torqued up the subframe bolts, so that is not coming off again! I have media blasted all the bolts and my plan is to use what I can, and paint them when in situ to stop the rust. I was toying with zinc plating...but in the spirit of this low cost build, decided against that.... but I am also thinking about using new bolts on the premise that the ones I have are 18 years old and probably not as strong as they were new, and I am sure the workshop manual will say replace all bolts. |
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Post by emdubya on Jul 3, 2021 17:10:09 GMT
I did a ground-up restoration on an old car once. I degreased all the fasteners, wire-brushed them, bead-blasted them, and then had them plated - I wanted to stay as original as possible. I wouldn't do it again - faaar too much work. Just buy new plated fasteners by the box. If you paint after assembly (which will be annoyingly fiddly), you know what will happen . . . you will immediately have to remove something and will damage the paint in the process. Rusty before you know it.
Just watch out for places that use high tensile bolts, and don't buy any new bolts that were made in China!
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Post by geoff on Jul 4, 2021 7:12:33 GMT
Not much time today, but managed to get the drive shafts back on, flummoxed me for 15mins why they wouldn't just slide in, then on closer inspection could see that you need to get the circle clip through and located, so that will take a shove on the shaft, I was being too careful, gave it a shove and clunk. Ended up putting both top and bottom arms on, and a hub on one side, no nuts, only bolts to see what bolts I will replace and to check everything goes back together OK, a little fettling and all good.  |
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Post by geoff on Jul 9, 2021 10:22:27 GMT
Hi All...rear sway bar attached and that is about all the progress made during the week, a busy work week. Not much I can really do now until I receive the missing bush from Stewart, because it is just too tight in my single garage to do the front suspension without turning it around, and obviously need the back all done to make it roll again.
Anyways on holiday again next week, so please be patient for the next update.
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Post by geoff on Jul 25, 2021 8:17:34 GMT
Hi all, firstly a big thank you for Stewart for getting me the missing Poly Bush, superb customer service and and motivated to get my kit ordered, but not quite yet! I think I want to get the front end mostly done, then order it and spend the 12 weeks waiting tidying up, cleaning everything, touching up paint, second coating where required, putting caps on all the bolt heads.....ahhh...yes have been thinking about bolt heads and those that I have media blasted, I am thinking now that I simply cap them all with black caps....anyway researching still, this was due to the cost of replacing all the suspension nuts and bolts being around £350 front and back. So, putting more bits back on and the CV Joint half shaft replacement ......fail....did not fit, the splines were too big, it seems that the 1.8i NB Rev 01 143 BHP has a smaller spline and is different to the std NB one....doh...managed to get a return and refund on the bay one and a new one arriving Monday, from Autodoc the only place I could find one at a reasonable price. I think it is the same as the 323 or something, and it may be easier to source via that model...anyways no real drama....as long as the replacement fits. I removed the bushes from the Shocks, they were shot, used my homemade bush removal tool and a little heat and they popped right out. New poly bushes ordered. Anyways, lower frame prep'd, painted, installed, drop links installed, shocks cleaned up painted tops and bottom, suspension all attached, off side hub not installed until the new CV joint arrives....no discs or brakes at this stage, I think that will within the 12 week wait period for the kit, media blasting and complete rebuild on the callipers....could not resist putting a wheel on.   |
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Post by hutchey on Jul 27, 2021 8:55:04 GMT
Might as well order it now that way you are on the list. There's plenty of other stuff you can be doing in the meantime  |
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Post by geoff on Jul 30, 2021 12:46:58 GMT
Summer...what summer! What a miserable weather week! New CV joint arrived, fitted and new boot clips installed using a new boot clip tool....I think a pair of pliers would have done the job! Got all the rear suspension bolted up, new nuts arrived, all tightened up, but not torqued yet.  So time to turn around...    Lot of surface rust and this reminds me of how the back end looked before the transformation. So a decision to be made, all the suspension has to be removed to fit poly bushes, so I will do this with the frame in place to act a leverage when tackling all the bolts. But do I drop the frame after that, to clean up and paint? It would entail disconnecting engine mounts and one power steering hose to free it from the engine....but the engine will only be supported along its central axis, and this could be dodgy...I guess when the frame is removed I could drop it much lower to the ground and support it across a wider surface with lengths of timber..... I think I will get the suspension all removed and make the decision then...so that will keep me busy for a while. |
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phaeton
Full
Thinking of Supercharging
Posts: 172
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Post by phaeton on Jul 31, 2021 6:30:13 GMT
Are you not removing the power steering anyway?
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Post by geoff on Aug 1, 2021 14:10:24 GMT
Are you not removing the power steering anyway? No, planning on keeping that. |
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phaeton
Full
Thinking of Supercharging
Posts: 172
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Post by phaeton on Aug 1, 2021 15:11:55 GMT
You really don't need it
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Post by geoff on Aug 2, 2021 9:22:26 GMT
OK, so depower the rack or replace with a manual rack? Depower seems to be the way forward, from the quick research I have done. |
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phaeton
Full
Thinking of Supercharging
Posts: 172
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Post by phaeton on Aug 2, 2021 9:41:46 GMT
OK, so depower the rack or replace with a manual rack? I opened it up & depowered it, not had any issues with it, still have full sized wheel & parking is fine, nice feedback when at speed. |
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Post by geoff on Aug 3, 2021 11:44:37 GMT
OK, Struts off and steering rack removed last night, no real issues, a good whack with a lump hammer to release the ball joint, and I will be putting it on the bench to depower. This has also motivated me to purchase a welder to weld up the pinion shaft, I have procrastinated on this purchase for some time and this will begin a massive learning curve practicing on bits of surplus metal.....only to find later that they were not spare...Ha!
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