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Post by h20boynz on Dec 20, 2015 9:09:42 GMT
The bug has bitten after an exhilarating ride with Tom of Exocet NZ so I have taken the leap and purchased my donor car. And so begins the sorry tale of one mechanically below-average mans journey toward vehicular freedom! That may be a tad heavy, but you get my drift. So I picked up a 1998 1800 6spd manual from Hamilton. Its done a little less than 140km's (87k miles or so) and seems to drive quite well. I'm rather tall and almost the same in width, so have found there's really not a lot of room inside...only one thing for it, GET THE BODY OFF! Fortunately, Tom from Exocet NZ directed me to a chap who happened to be looking for a 1998 body so all the details fell into place perfectly. The only hiccup is the guy is in a hurry for the body so I've got a month to get it off. Shouldn't be too hard...  Here we go...     |
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Post by adelaideexocet on Dec 22, 2015 10:33:03 GMT
Hi H2O and welcome to the forum.
Congrats on taking the plunge and from someone who is over the ditch in Aus good luck.
Everyone here is pretty helpful and taking the body off doesn't take too long but as you start I'll let you know the best advice I got.
LABEL EVERYTHING!
I'm sure you've been told but I have lost at least a few hours in the build trying to fine things I forgot to label! I had a 2001 donor and it was ver similar to take everything off. Keep all your switches top as you will need several of them later, hazards dimmer etc.
Good luck and I'd love to see the progress
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Post by kiwicanfly on Dec 23, 2015 18:34:14 GMT
Hi and welcome fellow Kiwi. Enjoy the journey, it's as much fun as the end result AND the build does not attract speeding tickets, never mind two within 20 minutes  |
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Post by mawdo81 on Dec 23, 2015 19:26:39 GMT
I know it's been said to label everything but that means everything! Even, no especially the dead end connectors that aren't currently used in your donor!
Welcome, enjoy, ask questions and do whatever you do safely.
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Post by exo2015 on Dec 25, 2015 1:12:20 GMT
Good luck with the build I started back in March and close to finishing one, great doner car to work on really easy, look forward to following your build
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Post by h20boynz on Dec 28, 2015 6:26:18 GMT
Merry Christmas! Made some small progress on stripping the donor down between family duties and xmas celebrations. Dash was easy enough to un-bolt but the cursed clips holding the loom to it were frustrating. Some bush electrician has fitted an aftermarket alarm/immobiliser which is a massive pile of random wiring that I just know is going to give me grief in the future. Then there were things like the sneaky earth clips under the headlights that were a pain! I am also trying to pull as little apart as possible, as I have sold the shell and balance of everything else I don't need. This necessitates a more careful approach than I might otherwise take with the strip down, labeling and sorting so the purchaser will be able to reassemble in the future. As far as the now freed loom goes, I have it labeled thoroughly and I should hopefully be able to work it all out later when the need arises. One question I have is re: the fuel tank. I am guessing it comes off with the body? I've removed the filler neck and disconnected the hoses and clips atop the tank (under the heavily bolted-down cover inside the car). Is there anything else that needs to come off as far as the tank is concerned, before the body separation? I imagine once the body is up I will be able to see how to get the tank off it. Happy holidays all!    |
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Post by zeitgeist on Dec 28, 2015 16:40:56 GMT
The tank if fully disconnected from the body will stay on the rear subframe when you lift the tub off the rollerskate. There are 4 bolts IIRC that hold the tank to the tub. Be careful when lifting off the tub as there are a couple metal hooks that grab holes in the fuel tank. When I lifted off mine one of these got stuck and tilted the works until I found it and separated the two. After that it was a breeze.
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Post by h20boynz on Jan 1, 2016 6:53:23 GMT
Happy New Year! I woke this morning with a throbbing head and a vague recollection of alcohol fueled behavior, to be greeted with a miserable rainy day. Nothing for it but to kill some time in the shed...  Can't get outside to finish the job today but she's all free and ready to be liberated when the sun next shines! Time to get down to the nitty gritty. |
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Post by adelaideexocet on Jan 2, 2016 10:42:35 GMT
Great work. Depending on how long those bottom bars are on the hoist you might want to push it in a bit or shorten the lifting arm. You don't want it tipping forwards!
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Post by h20boynz on Jan 4, 2016 0:11:55 GMT
Finally free of the pesky shell, my liberated skate is now centrestage in the shed. First up, disassemble and send rack to be de-powered (has to be certified in NZ). I've swung wildly from powder coating to painting and back again for the suspension components but finally settled on painting. I am going to give POR15 a shot and see how tough the finish is. I've also made the decision to not go straight in for new coil-overs, or big brake kits etc. Rather, I am going to detail everything, get the existing shocks re-built or replaced (Bilsteins, standard on this model I believe) and poly bushes all around and just see how I like the feel. This car is a weekend ride which might do an occasional track day, so I will hold off on the expensive aftermarket bits until I see how it handles. Re: my previous post on the petrol tank, once the subframe was out of the way the four bolts are easy to see and access, jack underneath with a block of wood on it to hold the tank up while removing the bolts, and then lower it down slowly. There is a hook on the passenger side of the tank (on this 98/99 model) which necessitates a sideways wiggle, but otherwise drops out easliy enough. (I siphoned out every drop of petrol I could to lessen the weight too). I'm quite pleased at how easy it has been to disassemble the donor and get to the skate stage. These things can often come across as being rather easy when being read online by a novice like me, only to find the reality is much more difficult. I can report happily that has not been the case to date. (Touch wood!) I've had to purchase a deep socket set (for the subframe bolts only really) and my wife bought me a shop hoist for xmas (thanks Santa), otherwise just standard sockets and spanners, penetrating spray and some patience has been sufficient thus far...    |
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Post by h20boynz on Jan 6, 2016 7:49:13 GMT
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Post by nzexo on Jan 6, 2016 10:32:06 GMT
Looking good Adam. I love how good a condition all the donor cars are in NZ. Where's the steering rack going for de-power, how much is it costing?
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Post by h20boynz on Jan 6, 2016 18:04:31 GMT
Looking good Adam. I love how good a condition all the donor cars are in NZ. Where's the steering rack going for de-power, how much is it costing? Yeah its in good nick. Only bolts to give me trouble were the little 10mm bolts holding the heat shield over the exhaust manifold. No other rusty bolts at all really. Hub nuts took a good burst with the rattle gun but loosened up ok. Rack is going to Autosteer in Hamilton...will let you know actual cost when I hear back, around $400 though he said. Maybe I should have looked into a manual rack off an earlier car? Will they fit my NB? |
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Post by nzexo on Jan 6, 2016 19:26:07 GMT
Personal preference would see me de-power rather than find a manual rack.
Autosteer also tidied up the rack when I had my first one done, cut off and filled the holes on the main cylinder and painted it up. Worth the cash I reckon.
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Post by gwnwar on Jan 7, 2016 19:37:51 GMT
Na rack will not work/bolt to a NB.different mounts..
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