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Oct 26, 2017 14:30:37 GMT
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As the insurance company decided to pay cash ilo repair I decided I would have a go at the mx5 myself. After an hour or so 99% of the dent has gone, very pleased with this.  Next up several thin layers of filler, most of which ended up on the floor with sanding.  The a couple of coats of epoxy  Checked it this morning and looks fine hopefully topcoats tonight. On the minor all the interior trim has been mounted on new plywood boards and fitted.  Unfortunatelly the rear ones will have come off again because I missed the wheelarch covers off. The rear parcel shelf and seat belt retractors fitted. Need help from Andrew to do the ones through the floor.  Radiator drain plug drilled out and re-tapped, then radiator fitted.  |
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Last Edit: Oct 26, 2017 14:33:55 GMT by kevins
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Oct 30, 2017 13:02:44 GMT
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Mazda is now painted, using a pro rattle can, looks pretty good but if you look closely where it is blended in can be seen, it may be this will polish up better when it's had a few weeks to harden if not I Will do the top half of the wing and bumper in the spring. Just finished the mx5 when my son walks in looking very sheepish and tells us he has managed to drop a tree trunk on the front of the Lotus, approx 50p sized piece of gel coat missing and some crazing, here we go again! Spent most of sunday carrying out a full electrical check on the range rover engine, good news is everything checked out ok, bad news is that it must be the ecm, plan is to re-solder most of the large components as this seems the most common problem, on the plus side after 3 months Shell have finally got the lpg pump working at my local station so its running most of the time on lpg with no problems now anyway..  |
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Last Edit: Oct 30, 2017 13:12:29 GMT by kevins
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Oct 31, 2017 22:04:58 GMT
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Got the needle and thread out and knocked up some wheelarch covers, not perfect but they will do the job.  Windscreen is sealed the chrome strip in (not easy) and the rear side windows are also in.  Started to repair the Lotus where Andrew dropped a log on it, replaced the headlamp bulb which had failed (filament broken) then rubbed back the damaged area to sound fiberglass then tissued over the area.  When it had dried filled over the area, will rub down next and the coat with dolphin glaze.  |
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Filled and bled the brakes on the minor, needed the ezi bleed and a faulty nipple replacing but eventually worked fine and we now have what feels like reasonable pedal. Also fitted the rear seat to the minor.  The base needs to come out for some new foam and the seat belts fitting, all progress though. |
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Nov 21, 2017 22:27:23 GMT
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Update, on the tr I have fitted the sd1 needles and on petrol it now drives superbly, I have also looked at revising the induction system to improve the lpg distribution, plan is to join them into a plenium with a single centre exit between the carbs then use a single mixer and intake air down behind the headlamp. On the minor, the back seat and seatbelts are all in  I then took a look at fitting the mx5 gearbox. To clear the rack it needed this.  It then fitted but the other problem is more difficult to fix.  The starter fouls the rh chassis leg, the best solution would be to put it in the standard minor position, to do this I would need to use the smaller flywheel and get a special hybrid clutch disc made. For now I am going to put the standard 4 speed in and put the mx5 box on the back burner. |
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A combination of the weather and other commitments have left little time for cars lately, I did eventually repair the damage to the Lotus.  Then I decided to use it and it broke down with a failed alternator, this is the third 17acr in the last 6 years, thought it was because oil was leaking near it but on taking it appart it was clean and dry inside, appears a diode on the rectifier has failed.I am begining to wonder if they just can't cope with halogen headlights, higher power fan etc, so have given up on the acr and bought a later 55a alternator. The range rover is being used every day, the only thing I have done is modify the throttle linkage so the idle speed can be adjusted, the original screw being innacesable with the plenium in place. Mx5 is also giving stirling service, but the oil leak from the cam sensor is getting worse so I will try to change the O ring over xmas. Tr is running fine and in the new lock up, and nothing else has happened on the minor. |
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Dec 22, 2017 20:47:37 GMT
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started on the minor engine today, pulled the head off and it all looked pretty good but would not turn over, flipped it over and pulled the sump off and the reason became apparent, inside was a rusty mess.  The bottoms of the bores are pretty corroded, hence why it will not turn over, the cam followers also seem corroded in place, It probably could be freed up and cleaned up but I think it will be better to get another engine as a starting point, off to ebay! |
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Dec 24, 2017 22:40:22 GMT
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My word, there's some amazing work going on with all your cars! Just sat and read the whole thread. I love your cars, please keep up the hard work. It's inspirational......
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I once owned a fridge in Crewe
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I think it will be better to get another engine as a starting point, off to ebay! Yup, I think the technical term is goosed!  |
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Dec 25, 2017 19:31:50 GMT
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I think it will be better to get another engine as a starting point, off to ebay! Yup, I think the technical term is goosed! My tecnical term was less polite! Started sorting out the ancilaries yesterday, cleaned the gearbox up, managed to build one good distrubutor out of the two, next is the carb. |
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Some further progress, Until I get another engine for the minor I decided to focus on the ancilaries, I built 1 good distributor out of 2  But afterwards discovered the virtually new electronic land rover one I had also fits so will probably use this and keep the mechanical one as a spare. Gearbox seems to work so I have cleaned it up and just plan to fit new seals and fit it.  Also stripped the carb which showed little wear so that is now ready to go back on as well. On the range rover I have been working on side marker lights before the MOT, apparantly post 85 vehicles should have these but i didn't want to re-fit the original carbunkles. So I came up with the idea of fitting lights in the large panel gap between the scuttle and wing. I took an 8mm thick piece of perspex, drilled some holes roughed it up to disperse light and inserted orange LEDs and sealed the back to get this:  When fitted it looks like this.   Intent is to get it tested next week. |
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Last Edit: Jan 4, 2018 21:29:03 GMT by kevins
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79cord
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,617
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Beautiful work upon the indicator.
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Regarding the Minor dizzy, those Lucas units were fitted to a large number of vehicles, and will physically interchange. However, the advance curves are all different, even between different versions of the same car. I'd be tempted to go for an electronic conversion for the Minor unit.
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1953 Minor (Long term project)
PT Cruiser
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My thoughts at the moment were to give both a try once it is up and running and see if there is any noticeable difference, I can also then use a strobe to measure the advance curve, the electronic one is chineese so the curve could be anything.
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Jan 10, 2018 15:38:22 GMT
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took Range rover for it's MOT today and passed with only one advisory that front pads are getting worn and discs looking a bit scabby. (a job for the summer).
Emission results on LPG were 0.1% CO and 69ppm HC.
For the purposes of experimentation we also measured the petrol afterwards - 9% Co and 1500 HC !!!! guess the old flapper system has some issues! but from the LPG side of things at least the engine and ignition at least look in rude health.
I am beginning to get to the end of my tether with the EFI system, I will check all the inputs again but last time everything was fine, I think sometime soon I may be fitting a pair of SU's! or a hotwire system.
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Jan 14, 2018 14:20:03 GMT
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Hotwire > Carburettors.
However, if you must carb it, SU's are the way to go.
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Jan 18, 2018 22:27:51 GMT
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Probaby will depend on what I can get at an affordable price, for the moment I am persevering with the flapper, nothing to lose really. Picked up another minor engine at the weekend, turns over easily, has a compression and has supposedly been reconditioned. Lookng in the plug holes with the endascope shows shiny pistons and freshly honed bores so the description seems correct. Plan is to paint it up fit it and see how it runs, Its even the right year for the car. Appart from a clutch I think I have evergthing I need to get it running from the 3 engines I now have lying around .    Also plan to machine the gearbox front cover to take a proper oil seal and then make a mounting for this rather than the archaic mechanical linkage.  |
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Last Edit: Jan 18, 2018 22:32:20 GMT by kevins
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Feb 28, 2018 21:35:46 GMT
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Time for an update, on the minor I am working on the new engine, it is pretty much done now, just need to set the ignition timing. Had to modify the alternator mounting as I had a brand new one of the wrong hand available.   On the clutch side most of the machining for a concentric cylinder and proper oil seal is done, just waiting for some bolts to arrive to test it all out. Tr and lotus are stored for winter but have been driven every 2 or 3 weeks. The range rover is earning it's keep.  One problem with snow packing though.  It passed it's MOT with only an advisory that the front pads are 3/4 worn, a job for the summer. On the efi side I determined the issue was the Engine Control Module, tapping it changed the way it ran, so I followed the on line advice and re-soldered every joint except the IC's, suprisingly it seems to have worked and it currently runs perfectly fingers crossed it stays like this! |
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Last Edit: Mar 1, 2018 9:53:39 GMT by kevins
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ivangt6
Part of things
Posts: 776
Club RR Member Number: 132
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Feb 28, 2018 22:14:09 GMT
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That Range Rover looks at home in the snow. Good tip on the ECU, I love a cheap fix!
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1979 Mini 1000
1972 Triumph GT6
2007 VW Golf GTi
1979 VW T25 Leisuredrive
1988 Range Rover Vogue SE
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Mar 26, 2018 21:43:29 GMT
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Last Edit: Mar 26, 2018 21:47:33 GMT by kevins
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