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Not so much to report really, the summer proved to be a barren time for car work, many extra work shifts combined with house related chores to be getting on with meant that virtually nothing was done. So about a month ago I finally had time to get back on the wagon, so to speak. My Triumph mojo has dried up for the time being so I set to on the Alfa. Last time I was defeated by the water pump. This time I got the bigger hammer out as there was nothing else to do but smash the thing to bits, even then it hung on for quite a while.  Next was putting on the new cam belts including a careful retiming of the crank and cams on one cylinder bank. Annoyingly one of the new tensioners didn't fit, I ordered Febi ones but they sent me one Febi one Optimal (no I haven't heard of them either) and of course it didn't fit. I've sent it back and told them to send me the Febi one I actually ordered.  So the belts went on, I reused one of the old tensioners and turned it over by hand, I was happy that no pistons were hitting valves. I had to take the starter off to free it off but I eventually got it turning over on the starter for the first time in a quarter of a century. (scary when you say it like that) The aim now is to eventually get it started, I have swapped points, plugs and plug leads but the fuel hose is of course perished so I'll need to get some more of that before I make an attempt. I'll have to rig up a temporary fuel tank as I've taken out the tank, it is looking a bit sorry for itself.  Otherwise I have finished scraping all the sound deadening material from the floor, the floor isn't really that bad thankfully, I'm pretty sure I can patch it up.   I also took off the rear lights which appear to have been giving the PO problems judging by the birds nest of wiring involving croccodile clips and tape but I guess the fact that they didn't remove the lights for the terrible respray tells you a lot about the POs budget for this car. How lazy can you be?  Probably no more progress until after Christmas now when I'll also be moving my stored cars, (now bolstered by the addition of a Skoda Felicia) and associated stuff to a new unit in the same building so that will take a day or so. |
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Last Edit: Jul 1, 2017 7:16:30 GMT by omnipod
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Apr 18, 2017 17:25:56 GMT
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No real great leaps with this project either, but more homework over the winter months. I was determined to keep on top of the bits I had taken off so when if I ever get around to putting it together again the parts wil be ready to fit. As ststed previously the PO had been quite gungho with the a black spray can and treated the interior to a make over. I was keen to reverse this handy work. Pain in the  to get off but a steam cleaner seems to be the best method I found. Brown-ness being restored.  There was also overspary on almost all the exterior trim, also a pain to get off. In the end I rubbed down the plastic parts, which of course leaves the finish pretty matt. After trying loads of different methods to restore the shine I actually found a product that works. This stuff works really well for polishing plastic.    I also rebuilt the heater, one of the *ahem* flap shafts had rusted through so i had to replace that, a bit of a Heath Robinson lash up job with a bit of plastic kitchen cutting board and a stainless steel rod. Looks a bit of a mess in the pictures i admit, but it's not that bad in reality and it actually works too.    I was hoping to start the engine but I just can't get it to trun over fast enough. I know the battery is good as it turns over my 6 cylinder Westminster no problem. I have rebuilt the starter and connected it directly to the battery to eliminate duff cables but it still barely turns over, it's going to need some more investigation. |
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smeden
Part of things
"Full throttle until you see God,then shift to second"
Posts: 356
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Apr 18, 2017 18:33:21 GMT
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Det er jo lækkert at se! ;-) Sådan en sprint er en fantastisk bil!
Nice to see! A sprint is a lovely car!
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Jaguar xj6 S1 swb manual
VW Bay Camper
Audi A3 1998 1.8
VW Beach Buggy (sold)
Ford Mondeo mrk I RS Celebration (written off)
Ford Escort Mrk II RS 2000 (rust in peace)
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Apr 18, 2017 19:10:40 GMT
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Nice that you are maintaining progress - sadly I have sold my Sprints.
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Apr 27, 2017 17:40:52 GMT
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Wooohooo, it's a runner!
Now since I dragged this out of a barn just over a year ago it has been my goal to get it started, just so i know how much of a project I'm getting myself into.
This car is a bit down on the pecking order when it comes to how much time I have to use on it so there has been much taking bits off to take home and refurbish and then grab a couple of hours with the car when I can justify it.
This isn't one of those 'I just put some new petrol in the tank, and it fired right up!' stories either. According to the PO the car was probably last started some time in the very early 1990's so in order to get to this point I have, so far, taken the sump off to clean out all the gloop, changed the timing belts and tensioners, rebuilt the starter motor and fuel pump, new plugs, HT leads, points and condensor. Lastly and by no means least, removed nests of unecessary wiring and cleaned up many of the contacts in the loom.
I rigged up a boat fuel can as supply, nicked the battery from the Austin and now finally and a fair amount of cranking, it started!
And boy there was a lot of curse word that came out of the exhaust.
No radiator in the car at the mo so it wasn't run for long and the oil lamp didn't go out either but i'm thinking this is likely due to the sender being stuck? as it sounded happy enough and the lamp did flicker if i gave it some gas. I didn't have a spanner big enough to get the sender off to investigate further.
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Nice progress there! That's one of the best feelings there is for a car guy. Nothing beats the first start-up.
We didn't get the Sud or Sprint models here in the States, I've never seen either in person. Keep at it, and keep posting : )
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Apr 28, 2017 14:25:15 GMT
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Great news on the start up!
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Yeah I know that now. I'd never bought a non running car before and this first start up was a definite thrill, I was hopping around like a lunatic in celebration afterwards. It gave me such a motivation boost, it can sit on the back burner again for a while now until i'm ready to drop the running gear in peparation for the welding ahead.
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Last Edit: Jul 1, 2017 7:18:10 GMT by omnipod
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May 21, 2019 19:48:38 GMT
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rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560 
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May 21, 2019 20:58:27 GMT
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Good luck man, you have kept it safe and dry for 2 years so don't feel too bad!
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Well, it's gone. Had to be done really, it's been sitting in storage for a few years now and honestly I could probably have bought the finished article for what I have, and would have paid in the future to store it. I had no emotional attachment to the car, it was just something I picked up on a whim. It was fun to tinker with something different and I can now say that I once owned a Alfa Romeo Alfasud. Now it's time to concentrate on getting the Triumph EFI project started and getting my Westminster on the road. Gone but not forgotten.....    |
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Last Edit: Nov 4, 2019 6:37:19 GMT by omnipod
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Trying to fix a rusty italian car from that era is often just too much to ask of oneself... you can just keep going deeper and deeper yet all you find is more rust. They were truly dreadful!
That driveway is very steep, and impressive. John
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Sad to see the Sprint go.....but as you can now say...."Yes I had an Alfasud Sprint...the engine was amazing when I got it running....shame about the rust- everywhere!"
My old 6C is still about, but the 16V was broken after I sold it and I don't know about the 1700 one.
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Yeah that's life, I was up for the fight but I honestly just don't have the time. I haven't managed to get any time to work on the Triumph in the last month and I'm getting serious guilt feelings about not having done pretty much anything to the Westminster in a whole decade! The logistics simply didn't stack up, not to mention the costs  I'm happy with my decision but not happy at having to let the opportunity go, but how many cars are out there where people say I'll get round to it one day, hundreds, probably thousands.... I realised I couldn't become one of those people. I'm in the process of trying to de-clutter my life a bit at the moment, this was part of the load i needed to be quit. Job done. The ramp down is utterly useless in the winter when it's under ice and snow, so I had to get rid before the winter really sets in here. I'll be moving the Westminster to my workshop and as I've already given my notice to leave this place. |
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Last Edit: Nov 6, 2019 13:57:30 GMT by omnipod
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