1972 Mazda Rx2- Moves to a new home

Baack to the Chopper...err pressure washer Arnie,pressure washer.
Carburettor reassembled and installed. Fuel pipe so hard,it was never going to go back on,so a slight delay for a new one to arrive. All back together . Quick tug on the starter and off it goes. Bit smokey to start,that will be the two stroke oil in Granny's go go juice burning off...All good then? Errr no 👎🏻

Not much pressure happening on the pump side and a bit of a leak. Strip down of the pump required.

This is a three element axial pump. Swashplate driven,not positive displacement like a Cat or Interpump pump. Basically the driveshaft has a thrust bearing attached to it at a wonky angle. This pushes the elements into the pump,one by one creating pressure. The valve springs pull the elements back once the high point on the wonky bearing has rotated past. These pumps are a bit limited with the pressure they can make,probably less than 100bar.

Positive displacement pumps like Cat or Interpump have a crankshaft and Conrod arrangement driving ceramic elements. Much higher pressure achieveable ,but pressure doesn't come cheap. Around 300bar attainable. Anyway, I digress...😊




Seals are knackered. Had a look for the water leak



After scraping off all the bog/ epoxy that had been excreted over the fitting( pressure washer was bought second hand,one careful lady owner,never been raced or rallied.Well, that's what the advert implied), The crack in the casing became apparent.



Previous owner had left water in it,it froze and cracked the housing. Bodged with epoxy,quick lick of satinblack airarsehole paint, and sold on quickly to numpty nuts here....☹️
Into the skip she goes.....

Onto the floor. The boot floor. Mine has seen better days. Much better days 😂
The car was left out in the fine British summer of.....( Insert year between 1972-2014) , the boot filled up with liquid sunshine and rotted the floor out from the inside






Where it's not totally gone,it's paper thin. No point in try to repair it ,as it's too far gone. Good enough to draw up a pattern from though


Not that easy to make. It's a big panel. But easy isn't any fun is it either?😂
The main issue I have,is I don't have a big enough press. I don't have the money for one or the space for one. But that won't stop me. There is a guy that makes the boot floors. Fair Play to him for trying,but by the time I have paid for it,had my pants pulled down by the shipping company ,barely to have gotten them up again,only to have them pulled down again by Big Jim , the friendly customs man,it's going to be well south of £1000.That kind of money I can do a better job,and I have been approached by a couple of people who want them.Could be some shekels headed into the "Grumpynorthenerpleasepaintmycar fund" ( Not that he knows it yet😂😂😂)

You see, Ronald Weasley's Kiwi cousin makes them...


Not a bad effort,they don't look bad installed


But they are instantly recognisable as a repo part,as they have the basic shape ,but lack the finesse of the original.


He does have access to a big press....



He has had the profile laser cut into a plate and is rubber block forming them. That's why a lot of the detail isn't there,as he is pressing straight into a hole,unlike when I made the new inner sills,and reinforcing plates and was pressing into a form







Better get drawing then....

No girl named Sue...or Shirley for that matter 😂😂
No girls in knee highs.
Yep ,a car is involved but it's got no sole (sic)

Flat metal and high pressure water, are we about to see some hydro forming experiments?

After this mornings lucky miss with a tree deciding it had lost the will to live and deciding to throw itself down on top of me,only to miss me by inches as the brakes on the Shitroen Berlingo are about the only thing to write home about,I decided the day could only get better. Unloaded the engine parts at my lockup Then proceeded to manage to throw the van keys away in gale force winds. Unpacking a big industrial dustbin in gale force winds is not recommended. Eventually magnet fished out key,and bonus ,found a big roll of white printing paper,that I have a use for 😊

Quick visit to check on Samta22 to see his car being readied for the Restoration show at the NEC. Then home to measure up the boot floor. Easy way would be like this

But who wants easy? 😂
Thought I would try this instead


A bit of messing around





Got a 3D scan in the end

It does have its issues. I think a bit more prep work required. Green egg shows where scan gets very busy. It also corresponds with where the panel is the most pitted. Definition between part and back ground needs to be more clear cut as outlined by the circle


Packed computer away and started cleaning panel

Initial results very promising....
....to be continued

I thought it was an easter egg, I was searching for a hidden green egg that would mean I'd won The Oasis from Halliday

Gave the bootfloor a quick rubdown to get some of the loose ,flaky bits off

Quick rattlecan prime



Masked up all the holes that were drilled into it to break the original spot welds.


Another coat of paint. Seems yellow and orange are two colours that don't yield the greatest scan results,from what I had read. So painted blue


It's some horrible satin finish industrial enamel that pushes the boundaries on yourwill to live,it dries that slowly. I had it. I used it. Should be dry in a couple of days..

Interestingly enough, that very pitted bit where the elusive Easter egg was hid, was hiding something else. Can you see it?



The scanner could see it. I hadn't. Part of the reason the scan got so busy in that area. Detail in purple outline I new about. Green I hadn't seen. Just goes to show...


So now we watch paint dry....oh joy....🙃

'Welcome to my world'

^^
.....some bloke who lives near Tonbridge....🤐