tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 21, 2015 12:45:45 GMT
|
Hi all Time to put my daily up. I've been thinking of it for a while but my latest modification has motivated me to share it with everybody.  A brief history of the car: Bought in 2010 for 285 pounds as a cat C write off A month after buying the car and fixing damage (replacing the tailgate) it drove over 3000 miles on a european road trip, seeing 12 different countries and getting as far as Croatia After completing our trip, and perfoming brilliantly on it, I decided the car was a "keeper" and have since been on about 10 trips abroad in it. Whilst in my ownership, aside from servicing and renewal of many stock parts, the "Happy Bus" has had a few modifications, including: Matt black respray in April 2014 1000w inverter fitted under the bonnet with an extension lead running into the driver's footwell A permanently installed and ready to use teamaker (I run on tea) Air Horns! "Camping compartment" in rear arch shroud... I quite often use the Espace as a campervan, so it's permanently kitted out with an airbed, pump, food, stove, water, first aid etc etc, stored in a rear compartment. Oh, and teabags of course Probably other stuff I can't think of right now, AND... Most recently... Air assisters Robbed from a discovery two, and inflated by a single air line via a schrader (bicycle) valve, the airsprings are mounted on the rear axle next to the coils. Although the KYB coils ride pretty smooth, they just faint when they see a fat person. The back end is so low whenever the car is loaded up (which is quite often), and since fitting larger tyres this has caused a big problem with tyre rub. Now I've fitted these assisters, there is no compromise on the day to day ride, but whenever I'm loaded or towing I just pump the airsprings up and it handles a treat. Bang on. Here's a video... The photo is the only one I have at the minute, taken earlier in the year. It now has bigger white band tyres, (from an Oldsmobile) and the yellow tint headlights (jury still out). The video is how the car looks now. I will get some more photos etc up in due time... along with updates on further mods! |
| |
Last Edit: Jun 14, 2016 22:07:22 GMT by tom221
|
|
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 21, 2015 13:06:55 GMT
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 21, 2015 13:14:26 GMT
|
|
Sounds amazing now shower us in pictures of this cracking French fancy...!!!
|
| |
***GARAGE CURRENTLY EMPTY***
|
|
fer4l
Posted a lot
Testing
Posts: 1,497
Club RR Member Number: 73
|
|
Feb 21, 2015 15:49:37 GMT
|
Love it! They are truly about the most versatile vehicle on the planet!  |
| |
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 21, 2015 17:33:56 GMT
|
Photos you say? Well I think I've got the hang of photobucket now, so I'll start with the respray... Before I sprayed the car I paid a local scrappy 100 quid to cannibalize an Espace they had in, as there were loads of stuff I needed for this. I got 4 new doors, electric windows that actually work, leccy wing mirrors, new bumpers, plus lots more stuff. Then I got to work...      
The stripping/sanding/masking seemed to take forever. I just kept telling myself that it'd all be worth it in the end, and it was. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. It's nearly a year now since the respray, and I am going to give it another blow over. Mainly because I made a mistake when spraying the wing mirrors. I washed them, let them dry, then hung them up to spray. I hadn't realised but water had collected behind the glass and this leaked out whilst the paint was dring, causing it to peel. There are also a couple of spots on the bumpers where I didn't sand properly so are peeling slightly, and I didn't quite buy enough paint so I think it's a little thin in places. Like I say I'm well pleased with the overall result, and most of the hard work is done. A couple of days re doing the odd bits that need it, and giving the whole car another blow over will make a big difference. That's all for now, lots more to come....
Comments welcome and appreciated. Oh and fe4l, aren't they just? I absolutely love Espaces! We have 3 of them (including a rare mk1!) |
| |
|
|
scmick
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,494
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 12:35:11 GMT
|
|
Good to see Espace enthusiasm on here. I've been running a '93 K reg 2.0 petrol Espace since '97. Bought as family transport, it proved so useful I still have it, now mainly used for towing/ carrying bits for my other projects. It fits in with my SIMCA/MATRA/Talbot interests being a MATRA product. Quite a few years ago I bought another k reg Espace MoT failure that I'm breaking for bits to keep mine going. Found same with rear springs on mine. Oricginals sagged right down. Fitted some helper springs from Graystons... One shattered after a few years abuse. now has the KYB springs from the scrapper that had been fitted soon before I got it. still a bit to low with the trailer and a SIMCA 1000 in tow. Will post some pictures.
Have just written an article for the MATRA Club magazine on 18 years with an Espace. Easily the most useful vehicle I've had and wouldn't still have it if it hadn't given good service. ...
|
| |
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 17:52:12 GMT
|
Good to see Espace enthusiasm on here. I've been running a '93 K reg 2.0 petrol Espace since '97. Bought as family transport, it proved so useful I still have it, now mainly used for towing/ carrying bits for my other projects. It fits in with my SIMCA/MATRA/Talbot interests being a MATRA product. Quite a few years ago I bought another k reg Espace MoT failure that I'm breaking for bits to keep mine going. Found same with rear springs on mine. Oricginals sagged right down. Fitted some helper springs from Graystons... One shattered after a few years abuse. now has the KYB springs from the scrapper that had been fitted soon before I got it. still a bit to low with the trailer and a SIMCA 1000 in tow. Will post some pictures. Have just written an article for the MATRA Club magazine on 18 years with an Espace. Easily the most useful vehicle I've had and wouldn't still have it if it hadn't given good service. ... Nice to come across another enthusiast! My brother's mk1 has the petrol engine, what a corker. Really flies. Was meant to be respraying mine this weekend but weather / money put a stop to it. It's lookng a little shabby right now, and I never can get the motivation to wash it in this weather because one trip down the lanes and it's filthy again. I'll post up some pictures of the air assister when I get chance |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 19:21:57 GMT
|
|
Brilliant. I love to see new life breathed into an old bus.
Pics required of camping compartment option. I love an ingenious camper.
|
| |
|
|
fer4l
Posted a lot
Testing
Posts: 1,497
Club RR Member Number: 73
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 20:44:33 GMT
|
Loving the 'Space love (for a long time I thought it was just me! So many stories, shared experiences etc. - I'd get a thread up, but wouldn't know where to begin So I'll just enjoy yours! Cheers Matt |
| |
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 20:48:31 GMT
|
Ok, here's the story of how I did the air assisters..... Firstly, this illustrates why I desperately needed them. I took this picture with 7 people in the car on a country lane.  I have no photos of the bags pre installment, but here is a stock photo from the web  First job was to cut off the rear of the exhaust which was in the way of the ns airspring. That is the axle you can see at the top left  Then build mounts for the springs....  As you can see, the bottom mount is just a cup made out of some conveniently perfect sized steel tube that was lying around, welded to the axle. The top mount is a square piece of plate welded to the floor, with a square cut out the middle to make room for the air lines, which run through a little flap in the floor, and along the top of the floor under the carpet. Then, to keep the top of the springs in place, we found these strut tops lying around... again the perfect size to slip over the bags from the bottom and butt up to the top. I welded tabs onto these rings, slipped them over the bags, and then simply welded them to the top mount on the car.  Simples! Once the tops were in I just inflated the bags a little and placed the bottoms in the cups.    Unfortunately I haven't any photos of the airline under the carpet, but basically 4mm line is push fitted into the top of the bags, running into a t piece, with a line then running to a 4mm to 6mm adaptor. I cleaned off a bike inner tube valve (which happens to be 6mm) and push fitted it into the adaptor. This valve is currently stored in a little compartment in the back, so it's nice and easy to access for inflation/deflation.  When at low psi, the rubber bags get a bit close to the welds on the bottom mount, so yesterday a I smoothed the welding down, and wrapped it in inner tube. Hey Presto! Finally, it was late and I couldn't be bothered to do it properly, so this is how the exhaust currently looks.... I will do a proper sexy side exit at the next opportunity! Promise.  Ps, here is the suspension pumped right up. Just for a laugh! It would go further only the shocks are maxed out  |
| |
Last Edit: Feb 22, 2015 21:23:26 GMT by tom221
|
|
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 22:16:49 GMT
|
|
Hi Darryl,
Sorry no pictures of the camping compartment yet....
But you'll like this:
Me and some friends went to Black Rock Sands beach a couple of years ago, and spent the day there. I had set the car up for camping... airbed, stove, bbq, etc. I had a great set up. The trouble was, at the end of the day I was covered in sand and really needed a shower. I ended up paying to stay at a campsite purely because I wanted a shower, if I'd have had a shower set up then I could have camped on the beach for free. Thus I invented this little peice of equipment. Since this video I have made a shower curtain (A hulu hoop suction mounted to the rear window with material hanging from it) and a shower gel dispenser.
Oh by the way, I don't constantly drive around with a watering can on the roof. The whole mechanism slides on and off the roof rack easily.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 22:46:38 GMT
|
|
Excellent, i love the old Espace! I've had a hankering for a Mk1 since they were new! Great build mate!
|
| |
|
|
scmick
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,494
|
|
Feb 22, 2015 23:01:25 GMT
|
 Mine at present. Needs painting after robbing various panels off my 'scrapper'. Nearly set it on fire recently. Had to do some welding on the O/S inner sill and bottom of door pillar. Didn't realise fuel filler pipe went down inside pillar..... melted plastic pipe etc. Luckily I'd got the other car for bits. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Is that a mid seventies Dodge VF pickup in the background?
|
| |
|
|
scmick
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,494
|
|
|
|
|
Yes it's a SIMCA/Dodge/Talbot Vf pickup. Its 'weldathon' is finished and it's waiting for the engine going in and putting back together. From near the end of production in '84, this one is badged Talbot. It's getting a 1442 Alpine engine on twin DCNF carbs from a Bagheera in place of the original 1118cc motor.
There's a thread on here on the pickup..... '94 Talbot/SIMCA 1100 pickup.... must update it soon.
Mick
|
| |
|
|
scmick
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,494
|
|
Feb 23, 2015 23:29:24 GMT
|
 Like the way you've done the air assist. Mine spends a lot of its time towing the 1000 trackday car and other projects so needs a bit of a lift again. I think I'll try some smaller springs inside the originals. |
| |
|
|
scmick
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,494
|
|
Feb 23, 2015 23:42:04 GMT
|
|
Tom... Have you suffered any clutch cable & pedal problems with yours. Mine's been through quite a few cables and the cltch pedal has made a bid for freedom from the shaft it's mounted on a couple of times. Have now drilled the hole bigger so a decent bolt replaces the peg and 'pruned' the plastic above the pedals for quick access. The clutch itself, as far as I know is still the original at 150.000 miles
|
| |
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 24, 2015 17:54:55 GMT
|
Ooh alloys. Posh! Nice race car mate... I'll post up a pic of mine towing when I get chance, though my "race cars" aren't anything special  ? Clutch wise... I don't think I've had any problem with the cable, apart from I know that adjusting it isn't much fun. The thrust bearing collapsed on it when I was in France once, I managed to get home ok though, 1500 miles of clutchless changes baby! However I think my bro has had trouble with his cable in the mk1, which is a 2ltr like yours. (mine is 2.1td) Actually come to think of it, when I was either examining / changing the clutch, I seem to remember not liking the cable / fork connection, can't remember if I did anything with it though! Mine is just shy of 200,000 miles now |
| |
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 24, 2015 18:01:08 GMT
|
|
Scmick. Re springs. I bought kyb to replace mine, and I think replaced the shocks with Monroe.... It sagged even worse than before, not the desired effect!
|
| |
|
|
tom221
Part of things
Posts: 133
|
|
Feb 24, 2015 18:06:02 GMT
|
 Only one on my phone |
| |
|
|
|
|
?