Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Dec 31, 2023 23:03:54 GMT
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I have donated the rear lights on Red Gem to To the Daughters Partners Land Rover and as the front indicator had packed up we set to removing one. It never ceases to amaze me what kit builders do - this one is a corker. This car has had some some "original" solutions applied. We shall be kind and not refer to it as stupidity, it's just some extremely unlucky thinking. If you want to protect the bodywork from stone impact crazing, not something a Gem suffers from as the GF layup is pretty thick - as shown above. Bond on a sheet of rubber or a cork floor tile - but a carpet underlay laminate! - I am at a loss. That will be a bit of a PITA to remove.
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Last Edit: Dec 31, 2023 23:05:42 GMT by Darkspeed
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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The month of January. In between the storms and the cold snaps the work days have been pretty sparse, they would amount to no more than a slack handful, and in the main they were spent sanding away at flaky powdercoat getting the chassis tubes clean and bright. Judging by the amount swept up at the end of a day I will be in credit weight wise even when it gets a Kg or two of epoxy slapped on it. On one day when the temps crept into double figures, that also managed to coincide with an elevation in temperament that exceeded "Can't be arsed", I mixed up some Red Oxide tinted epoxy mastic and got to protecting some of the bare steel. That actually did quite a good job at lifting the spirits a little seeing some more parts of the chassis moving into the rebuilding phase. This is reasonably important as I want the chassis done and out of the garage before the end of February. I have also been working on some self performance improvement and weight reduction. The aim being to shift many more Kg's that have come off the Gem. Even being a snippet shy of 6 foot there was a time that I slid into a narrow Westy, Fury, or a G27 race seat without a thought, but dropping myself into my mates Narrow Westy whilst doing the Rollover bar works gave notice that much work was required. Estimates are that 15Kg needs to be removed whilst also converting that remaining fat to muscle. Building muscle reduces body volume considerably without a change in mass. So, diet and exercise it is - and I have a goal of 4Kg per month. looking to coincide with an attempt to have the Gem ready about the same time. Work to do so better get on with it.
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Last Edit: Feb 3, 2024 20:01:28 GMT by Darkspeed
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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As we had another fine day - 14C - a small pot of epoxy was mixed up and applied. This stage of the work is a bit laborious and boring, the sanding off and second coat will be much easier and more rewarding, as will bonding and riveting on the new panels. Today was also weigh day and January's goal was met - I am not however looking forward to doing the same again for this month.
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logicaluk
Posted a lot
Every days a school day round here
Posts: 1,318
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Good luck DS, I want to lose some weight and the Mrs is in training for 2 mammoth bike rides this year, Mallorca 312 and chase the sun, so we are on a diet and exercise plan, we have used many recipes from this book and I'm trying to get to the gym 3 times a week. hope it helps. Dan
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Last Edit: Feb 5, 2024 22:07:11 GMT by logicaluk
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Cheers Dan, I am keeping it simple and changing just two things. Eating much less of the same food and carry out a mix of exercise. The end result hopefully being able to slip into any chosen seat with ease - with both car and driver performance improved - with some spare cash to blow on fuel. The Green Gemini is back up for sale on EBAY again - some further small cosmetic changes and another price increase. Not much in the way of progress with mine as I was busy at the weekend moving parts about and reorganising stuff.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Feb 20, 2024 21:12:04 GMT
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I thought that I had a bit of a result today and snagged a stock X-Flow head for testing - pretty local being 21 miles away and at a very good price - very reasonable sum and not the ridiculous £100+ for utter that typically populates ebay and FBM these days - It was advertised as a stock 1300 head - which is much the same as the stock 1600 head so I could drop it onto the flow bench and get some standard test numbers. But no, its not a 1300 head, its a 1600 head, but not just a stock 1600 head, its a 1600 GT head! - At least its a standard head of some sort For those with an interest 1600 heads have 37 cast into the head and GT's have bigger valves 33.7 and 39.2 The std 1.3 and 1.6 had 31.3 and 38.2 Just needs a good clean up. On the chassis front I have been slacking somewhat - a rather bad cold lost me some garage time and I have not yet found the motivation I appear to have misplaced. As its been so bloody damp lets have some rain vibes
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jimi
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,826
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Feb 20, 2024 23:19:47 GMT
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SRV & Double Trouble..... brilliant 👏
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Black is not a colour ! .... Its the absence of colour
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Progress on the chassis prep for paint continues at a snails pace - Looks much the same so no pictures. The weather still continues to flip flop between rain and cold and the cold happening when I have the time to paint. Unlikley to do much tomorrow as I an away game welding a G15 - Sunday I may get some paint on it as no f1 on Sunday - I mean WTF! Another gem up for sale - and just down the road from me ! I had seen this up for sale probable when MLT was looking around at options. Its amazing how many got correctly registered as a Ford - with and without the Autotune Gemini bit. And screwed up the body type - Saloon !! I have seen them labelled as Saloon Coupe and correctly as Sports Plank rear - single choke with a bit of gauze on it ! - I think the single choke 1600 was about Nice bit of surface rust to deal with but at least its not powder coated. I can see that one going to export
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mylittletony
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,347
Club RR Member Number: 84
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Ha ha, thanks for the mention! That green one has just sold (again) at 6k and there's a blue c20xe powered one active on eBay too (finishing tomorrow). Bit like buses... And yes, this weather can F off
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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I will have to see if I can get a completed listing screenshot of the Green one for the records. At 6K the seller will make a tidy profit and what he paid for it. The new buyer will have a nice car for the summer.
Still cannot find what power the 1600 single choke carb crossflow was rated at - everything I have is on the GT 1600 at 84BHP.
Better be off, I have some welding to do.
ETA
And 20 minutes later I was back home as it was snowing quite heavily and freezing cold ! Although it will likley ease off, getting set up in slush will be a start that will just result in misery. Postponed for another day.
had a look at the Blue Gem - I doubt that will reach reserve - Would be pretty quick but the standard of work on it does not look great in some area's. I am wondering its up for sale with the reserve near to what he was originally asking (£9K) to test the water.
To cold to do much on mine.....
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Last Edit: Mar 2, 2024 12:03:51 GMT by Darkspeed
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briang
Part of things
Posts: 80
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According to Mr Haynes Mk2 Cortina book a single choke 1600 gave between 69.5 & 71 BHP depending on the compression ratio. The GT is listed as 88 BHP (32DFM carb)
Brian.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Thanks for looking that up Brian - About 70 eh (44 BHP per litre) - drop some of those due to age and the air strangler and I expect a few of those ponies to have escaped the corral - Not a bad looking car and with weather gear - not shown - just needing the hoop to throw it over. I see the Blue one has been removed from sale. See what this one makes it to. A project that needs quite a bit of work - It not being a full runner will hamper things a little with the € crowd.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Could not be arsed to do anything on the cars when I got home from a days graft
Tea and Dub - as you do !
Maybe tomorrow.
And a bit of topical Jazz
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Last Edit: Mar 4, 2024 21:51:14 GMT by Darkspeed
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 1,950
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Could not be arsed to do anything on the cars when I got home from a days graft Don't blame you. I like tea.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Mar 17, 2024 21:05:43 GMT
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Mar 23, 2024 20:35:34 GMT
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Still not quite on the road to reassembly but I am starting to see a light at the ned of the chassis works tunnel. The light did however dim a little today when I noticed a missed weld next to two other missed welds.... I did know about those as the tight side of the joints on every triangulation tube has been missed.(shrug) The chassis panels make it difficult to point of impossible for access so Those ones I will have to live with. I then looked left and found four more that I could access. Here's two of them Far from easy to do with paint powdercoat and surface rust contamination in a very tight gap that can only be welded with a lot of stick-out. Once painted they did not look to awful. A bit more paint went on here and there and I called it a day. Grey next - and that's mainly due to the fact I have run out of the red oxide colour I use for the first coat.
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Last Edit: Mar 23, 2024 20:37:47 GMT by Darkspeed
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teaboy
Posted a lot
Make tea, not war.
Posts: 1,950
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Mar 23, 2024 20:42:15 GMT
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It's heading in the right direction, me ole Darkness.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Mar 23, 2024 22:40:30 GMT
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It's heading in the right direction, me ole Darkness. Just dragging on a bit too long for my liking honourable Tea-meister - I am drawing much inspiration from your determination and stamina with the M3 weldathon, so thanks for the encouragement provided on both counts.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Mar 31, 2024 20:46:38 GMT
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On the final leg of painting now - I decided that I would just gloss over Epoxy with a single pack Acrylic and that I would use a pot of Lotus 23 Chassis colour BS381-632 - Dark Admiralty grey - A shade lighter than the carbon Grey RAL 7028. Its a nice gloss as well and will protect the epoxy from UV - not that as a chassis paint it should see that much. Will get stuck in again tomorrow and aim to get the front of the chassis fully painted and most of the centre. The centre will not get done fully as there are parts that still need a coat of epoxy first.
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Darkspeed
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,706
Club RR Member Number: 39
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Its coming along But I am now at the bottom of the paint pot and its not going to stretch to completing the job so I need buy some more - typical. The suspension components are now progressing through the elctro' de-rust bath which should have most of them cleaned up over the next week. More discipline is required to to get out in the garage for a couple of hours every evening - I just wish it were just a bit warmer. If I was out there working more often I would not find myself on the computer looking at more projects....
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