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Post by Robin Wiggs on Mar 26, 2016 7:28:18 GMT
Hi. We are Robin, Sam (15) and Ben (13), and this is the first kit car any of us has built. When we're not cheering the mighty Reds of Wrexham AFC, we're stripping the MX5 on the slopes of Hope Mountain in North Wales. Donor is a Mk2, 2001 1600 California special edition. It cost me £400 as it has had front end accident damage. All the bits I need though are in perfect condition.
Total cost so far: £416 (bought the Haynes manual too)
Total sales so far £71 (aeroboard, some trim and the badge)
Net cost to date: £345
We're about 12 hours in to the strip so far. It's been pretty straightforward. Just glad I never wanted to replace the carpets in an MX5, as you need to literally strip out the entire interior including dashboard to remove them intact.
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Post by pleurotus on Mar 26, 2016 12:38:35 GMT
Nice find!
I just finished the interior and body strip on my 2002 mk2.5 feel free to ask if you have questions.
Oh and this is how you remove the eyeball vents - took me more time than anything else.
Selling for £10 each on fleabay!
Also be sure to check out Tim and Josephs build as that was a Mk2 as well.
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Post by Robin Wiggs on Mar 28, 2016 12:00:47 GMT
Thanks for that pleurotus - I just removed mine with the whole dashboard intact; but a neat trick!
I've been reading Tim & Joseph's build all weekend, as well as lots of other builds on here. It really is a great community and wealth of advice.
I haven't sorted out my Photobucket account just yet but will do soon and upload loads of pics, as I know that is what folk like. Exocet porn!
The strip has gone pretty well considering I've never done anything more adventurous before than change an alternator, brake pads or some front wishbones. I'm amazed that almost the whole of an MX5 can be taken apart with a 10mm socket!
I'm probably a couple of hours from separation. Loom is out, engine bay is pretty empty, brake pipes and handbrake cable separated. Just the 12 bolts to do and whatever needs detaching underneath at the front.
Just one piece of advice if I may please:
I have about 1/4 tank of petrol still in the tank and didn't depressurise the system before dismantling the loom, etc. Could someone give me the step by step run through with tips, etc? Can the body come off without removing the tank, allowing me better access after? How do I find the drain plug? I'm a bit nervous about removing the fuel from a safety perspective... I'm doing the work in an outside barn that is open to the Welsh elements on one side so not worried about me/fumes... but presumably I turn off all the electrics and put the phone, drill driver and any other sparky things well away. Drain fuel into jerry can. Anything else?
Many thanks
Robin
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trident
Senior
Improvise, Adapt and Overcome
Posts: 629
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Post by trident on Mar 28, 2016 13:59:17 GMT
The fuel tank is attached to the main body and will lift off with the chassis during separation. you can then prop it up on its side and get easy access to the tank.
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Post by miket on Mar 28, 2016 15:15:18 GMT
There is a process for depressurising (that I don't have), but as I understand it, if it's not been pressurised (run) for a couple of days or more then it should have depressurised of its own accord. Be careful tho.
You could always siphon the majority out of the tank through one of its orifices initially if it helped.
Don't know drain plug location for yours, but obv at the lowest point if you can tell where that is. Could always cut in to a low and short piece of the fuel hose near the filter to drain if it helped.
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Post by pleurotus on Mar 28, 2016 16:21:42 GMT
I am planning to leave mine on the skate and it is now completely detached. - But I am waiting on a hoist so can not confirm 100%. Remove the top connectors and mounts, fuel filler pipes and the frame around them. Under the car remove the plastic covers on either side to get access to 12mm bolts that hold the tank down, once that is free the tank is completely loose and I see no reason why it wont stay on the skate. Pic is LHS, (I use imgur for pics)  |
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Post by pleurotus on Mar 28, 2016 16:23:34 GMT
Oh and if you have not yet figured out how to remove the fuel lines from the pulse damper in the engine bay, see my build thread for a home made removal tool.
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Post by Robin Wiggs on Mar 28, 2016 16:46:38 GMT
OK thanks all. Life is going to intervene for a couple of weeks now, so I will see how I go the weekend after next. I like the idea of leaving the tank intact on the skate and draining then. I'm just a bit worried about the amount of fuel sloshing around - even if drained.
Sadly she wasn't drivable legally without a front end, so I couldn't really enjoy her to drain the tank the natural way.
Pleurotus - was your tool the one of polyplumb pipe inserts?
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Post by pleurotus on Mar 28, 2016 17:04:43 GMT
Yep. That's the one!
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Post by ritchie624 on Mar 28, 2016 22:05:20 GMT
More Wrexham boys always good. I'm living down in Swindon now. I drained an old tank tonight undid the drain plug and filtered the old petrol using a microfibre cloth as there was quite a bit of crap into a Jerry can. Job done.
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Post by Robin Wiggs on Apr 13, 2016 21:49:43 GMT
Ok, so finally some pictures. Here is the donor:   Here she is in the "workshop" a large barn with a dirt floor and open on one side. The 13 yr old helper too.  Although he's not always as keen as I thought...  |
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Post by Robin Wiggs on Apr 13, 2016 21:51:11 GMT
Hmm...so posting pictures shared on my OneDrive account doesn't seem to work...
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Post by jgilbert on Apr 14, 2016 21:48:36 GMT
Hmm...so posting pictures shared on my OneDrive account doesn't seem to work... Try Photobucket, upload and then copy the IMG code for the photo and paste into your post  |
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Post by pleurotus on Apr 15, 2016 22:08:52 GMT
Or Imgur.com - no acc or any other kind of faf required. You want to copy the link that ends in .jpg and paste it into the forum "image" link box.
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Post by pleurotus on Apr 30, 2016 21:18:36 GMT
Quick update re leaving the tank on the skate, there are another 2 bolts at the rear of the tank accessed from below, a real pain to get to. I undid them once the chassis was a foot off the skate, but not recommended.
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