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Oct 18, 2020 21:58:20 GMT
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Andrew fixed the printer (the print head heater was loose). So I printed the knob for the Air con control, I chose a style similar to the heater knobs with a slot painted white.  Then printed a bezel for the heated seat switch on the mx5, off the printer.  Flashing trimmed off.  Switch fitted.  Then fitted in the side of the trinket tray.  |
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Oct 22, 2020 20:12:48 GMT
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A few odds and ends this week, firstly looked at the water dripping down the back of the drivers door trim.  2 main reasons it was leaking, a large tear down from the door release and it was barely stuck along the bottom, so I taped up the tear and used non setting windscreeen sealer to reseal it.  It's just been raining so I will check for leaks in the morning. The cubby is fitted, I used a couple of strips of mdf painted black to make it fit perfectly.  The main thing I have been doing is fixing a folding card table my wife bought, we thought it was a cheap modern reproduction but it's actualy solid mahogany with hand cut joints which makes it at least 100years old. The frame has some breaks around the joints which are easy enough to fix and invisibly reinforce from behind but the biggest problem was about 1/2 inch of warp in one leaf, plan is to slit it length 78wise in several places under the baize, flatten it and fill these with strips of wood, then to make it rigid rout perpendicular slots and glue in hardwood strìps, this is the first step.  Finaly Andrew has bought a laser cutting / engraving machine, example of a gearknob he turned up and laser cut the shift pattern on for the minor.  |
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Oct 22, 2020 23:23:46 GMT
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I didn't realize you guys have access to Estwing hammers back in the Motherland?
John
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Yes you have to search them out a bit but they can be bought I splashed out on it when I re-built the house, It's amazing the difference a decent hammer makes.
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Oct 28, 2020 18:45:28 GMT
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Been busy on house jobs, installing hadrails to the front door for both my parents and the in-laws made from lengths of cold rolled steel, re-building a antuque side table for my wife and now I have started decorating our bedroom. Still time for a few car related odd jobs though. On the TR I am still trying to stem the oil leaks, latest fix is to add an o ring to the dipstick tube where it goes in the block, it was clearly leaking quite a bit here. I've also used all the LPG up so can start removing the system, this will takeva restriction out of the inlet and about 100kg with the towbar. The secondhand water pump I fitted during lockdown has begun to weep so I've ordered a new buick one from rock auto. Andrew's using the minor with no issues,only thing we have done is add a rear support to the radio. On the mx5 I have designed and trial fitted a cover for the end if the cabin brace.  I had to trim a bit out of the inside and the top radius is a little small, so a mk2 is on the way, not a bad start though.  |
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Oct 29, 2020 19:44:20 GMT
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Printed the cabin brace end cap with the changes, seems to fit pretty well.  It's been raining quite a bit lately and the doors are still leaking around the speakers.  Nowhere near as much as before and because it's now running down the door inner rather than the speaker at least it's dripping onto the kick plate rather than inside the car.  Would still like to keep all the water outside though. Started on the seat today, it has 3 splits in the leather and really need replacing but until we save up for that I'll try reparing them.  After seeing the leather repairs on the repair shop I have decided to bond another layer of leather on the back, fortunatelly I have kept some decent leather from an old sofa. Took the cover off and cut some leather out.  Hopefully get a chance to glue it tomorrow. Taking it appart did reveal this though.  Not sure an unpainted seat base is the , best of ideas in a convertible, it isnt as bad as it looks though, most of it came off with a rotary wire brush, then treated with converter.  I'll find something to paint it with tomorrow. |
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Last Edit: Oct 29, 2020 19:49:22 GMT by kevins
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Oct 30, 2020 19:43:46 GMT
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A bit more progress on the seat repair. Firstly I painted the seat base, used some old grey cellulose I had lying around so it dried quickly.  Then I started on the base, taped the splits up with masking tape.  Then taped the foam backing out of the way and tested the patches for fit.  Marked them for position.  Glued the surfaces with trim glue  Stuck the patch in.  Followed by gluing and sticking the foam back on.  End result, unfortunatelly there is still a gap due to previous repair attempts.  Any pro trimmers look away now, I use tie straps instead of hog rings, fitted these and the heating pad.  Then re fitted the cover. ( the wrinkles were there before)  Finaly for today, filled the cracks then a coat of dye rubbed in. I'll spray a couple of coats on tomorrow.  |
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Last Edit: Oct 30, 2020 20:02:11 GMT by kevins
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Oct 31, 2020 20:31:27 GMT
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Painted the seat today, being waterbased and it continuously raining outside it took ages to dry.   Not mad about the colour but it matches the other one which is in good condition! While waiting for it to dry I decided to put the compressors in the pit I had cleared out a couple of weeks ago.  Before I put them in I serviced them, hoovered all the dust and muck off, checked the oil and drained them down, one went fine, the other not so well, standing in the pit with the compressor at floor level I loosened the drain cock a turn or so, nothing, turned it another turn or 2 and BANG it shot out followed by about a pint of filthy water at 50psi the net result being this.  I supose I should be glad the bit that came out didn't hit me in the gentlemans area, the black filth though soaked right through my clothes so work promptly stopped for a shower. Plan is to add some ducting and a fan for fresh air and plumb the compressors into a better air filter. (I have several old k&n type ones kicking around.) They are much quiter down there though which is the main objective. My birthday tomorrow, mrs has got me a shrinker stretcher so hopefully time to play with it. |
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Last Edit: Oct 31, 2020 20:34:14 GMT by kevins
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Oct 31, 2020 22:54:35 GMT
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SeAt looks great. 👌
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I'd just be glad it was only 50psi! Oh, and happy birthday for tomorrow.  |
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Mazda seat is ready to go in the car, I'll just leave it indoors for a couple of days to cure. Might have to move it off the table though!  My family were generous on my bithday,.. From my wife, The shrinker stretcher  An exhaust pipe stretcher.  A new indicator lens for the Lotus (cost £45!!!!)  From my daughter some wiring crimps with 5 different heads.  From my son a storage bag he made for my welding mask. He's making loads of different bags and selling them on ebay.  And from my parents a new water pump fof the TR delivered in 3 days by rockauto from the states, i've parcels i've been waiting 3 weeks for the post office to deliver from 100 miles away!. Its a buick pump which cost 1/3 of a sd1 one delivered but I will need to make a hub adaptor, should be a pretty simple bit of turning.  Also been looking at mx5 water leaks again with the seat out and carpet lifted it can be seen that a small amount of water is getting past the back of the door seal on the A post and dripping on top of the inner sill .  The seal doesen't seal that well to the flange mazda don't seem to make the mk1 ones anymore but there is a pattern one available so eventually I may have to splash out £100 out for now I have tried using non setting screen sealer in between the flange and the seal. Finaly today I started stocking up for lockdown, new wipers for the minor and a bottle of welding gas. |
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Seat is back in, seat heater works nicely, looks a bit too fresh but it will mellow in. The passenger one is now out, the cover is in pretty good shape and the heating elements slipped in easily enough, so just a wipe of dye over some of the scuffs is all that was needed, the steel base was worse for rust than the other side but still perfectly usable, so that's been cleaned up and coated with rust treatment, hopefully get it painted and back together tomorrow.   Then my daughter comes home from work, "there's something wrong with the ka engine it won't go over 60" walking up to it the smell of hot brake lining and heat emanating from the front right wheel tells a different story, the wheel is too hot to touch! So the brake is binding on, cracked off the bleed nipple no residual pressure so it must be the calliper. I made her splash out on a new pair, £70 all in but coming from Germany so no idea when they will turn up. Good news is she will have to use the Fiesta and with the mazda only having one seat I will have to use the range rover or TR to take my wife to work until the KA's fixed! (I might even get the Lotus out if the weather stays nice). Better than the start to the last lockdown which was the Range Rover gearbox failing I suppose! |
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Last Edit: Nov 5, 2020 19:57:31 GMT by kevins
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I had a car that wouldn't go past 60 up our hill. I lived at 85 😉
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Seats are back in the mazda, the boss is happy with the result, they look much better and the heated seats are nice on a cold morning, I'll try to take a photo tomorrow. Did a number of smaller jobs today, took an old K&N a block of wood and some copper pipe to make an air filter for my compressors.  Removed the front end and wiring for the LPG system from the TR.  Need to get it up on the ramp to pull the tank and towbar off, also want to move the fuel pump too the front where it is more accessable. Bolts finaly arrived for the mazda clutch on to the minor flywheel, next step is to take it round my dads mount it in the lathe and skim the outside of the cover by a couple of mm, I'll also try to balance it as well.  Finally did a couple of jobs on the range rover, fitted the last part of the air con,an idle uplift solenoid, also added a piece of noise reducing hose to the engine intake, it's been noisy since I had to remove the intake trumpet to fit the lpg mixer. |
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Last Edit: Nov 7, 2020 22:06:50 GMT by kevins
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No car work today, had to fix the lack of hot water at the in-laws, eventualy found an old tap which was blocked buried in the wall behind a kitchen unit. Did take a pic of the completed seats on the mazda.  |
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Last Edit: Nov 8, 2020 18:53:14 GMT by kevins
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Nov 11, 2020 21:26:25 GMT
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Work on cars has taken a back seat to work and decorating this week. The decorating started as painting the bedroom which grew into pulling out fitted wardrobes which in turn look large lumps of plaster with them, it will probably take most of next week as well at this rate. Anyway I did get one thing done, the sir vents fall out of the dash on the range rover for years blu tak has done a suprisingly good job of holding them in but I wanted something a bit more permanant. The problem is the 2 tags on the bottom break off.  So I printed a strip with new tags attached.  Then glued it in place with superglue.  The result works fine on one side but not the other, this is because the top of the cheap nasty vac forming the vent clips into is also missing a bit, next step is to repair that. |
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Last Edit: Nov 12, 2020 8:36:29 GMT by kevins
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Nov 14, 2020 20:32:11 GMT
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Spent the afternoon on the ka, new calipers went on easy enough. Though the discs which have only been on there a couple of years need replacing  But then it all went wrong, on beeding the brakes the lh rear nipple sheared off after turning about half a turn, fortunately the 4 stub axle bolts, the abs sensor, the brake adjuster and the slave cylinder all came appart with no drama. I couldn't get a new cylinder so set about drilling it out, in the end I re-tapped it to m8 (was m6) and fitted one of the old front nipples.  Seems to work fine, no leaks and I tried tigtening with as much force as I could put in a ring spanner and it held, but as they are cheap I'll get a spare to swap out at some point. Brakes were still a bit spongy but a couple of ABS stops fixed that (not sure if it was air or the handbrake adjusting up), brakes are now fine and it does seem to roll a bit freer, hopefully a small fuel consumption improvement. |
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Nov 21, 2020 18:26:25 GMT
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Most of my time lately has been taken up with decorating, the sort where my wife says she is going to decorate the bedroom and I have spent the las week actually doing it, been a bit of a mission as we pulled some fitted wardrobes out and most of the plaster came off with the glued on lining, getting there now though. Today I spent some time rearranging the garage, plan is to pull out some of the old SPAM FROM to give us some more flexible space. While I was doingthis andrew was waxing the underside of the minor with bilt hamber dynax.  Seems a shame to cover the white but better than it rusting, he also made some front arch liners out of 4mm correx, seems to work quite well, time will tell how they last. Finaly he greased all the nipples and tightened the U bolts, should be good for a few more miles but the timing chain does seem to be rattleing a bit more perhaps the next job for him. |
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Last Edit: Nov 21, 2020 18:32:00 GMT by kevins
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Nov 25, 2020 20:23:02 GMT
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Not much work on the car but the workshop re-modelling is progressing well, this and the bedroom work means the range rover is now referred to as the skip, I'm going to the tip at least once a week with it stuffed full. Andrew has taken to the minor using it most days, he plans to build a cedar stripwood canoe, this was him collecting the wood, it's 3 feet wide at the back and we could barely lift it!  |
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Last Edit: Nov 25, 2020 20:24:10 GMT by kevins
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Spent a good few days on the workshop. There used to be a run of old SPAM FROM accross the end of the garage (approx 15 feet) but the problem is it left nowhere to work on anything, so I have ripped the end 3 units out giving me a flexible space I can work on engines furniture etc in. I also had an old filing cabinet I kept paint in but it was really just a massive waste of space, so that has gone as well, replacing this with shelves and throwing loads of old junk away (3 range rovers full to the tip) means I still have plenty of space to store the stuff I actualy need. I also moved the compressors into the pit, plumbed in some ducting and a fan for fresh air then ran the air supply out in copper pipe, just need a regulator to arrive to finish it off. Finaly spent saturday afternoon wiring in 7 more double sockets accross the back of the bench, no more trailing leads and 4 way adaptors plus found a wire shorting iut in the supply to the ramp which may explain why it sometimes tripped the trip. After all of that went and got the lotus out and took it for a great drive, considering it hasn't been used for 3 months it started suprisingly easily, now it's back at home I'm going to sort out some paint issues which I've marked ul ready for me to attack with the grinder tomorrow. Firstly a star crack where something has hit it from inside the boot.  And secondly where I caught the bootlid on the top of the garage door frame.  Plan is to cut it back to the gel coat tissue over the area then fill and re-finish. |
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Last Edit: Dec 1, 2020 19:17:04 GMT by kevins
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