1999 lexus is200 V8 turbo (508BHP!!!!) For sale!!

Matt
- had a quick look, but, can't see anywhere you flushed the heater system through.. I know you did a very good job on the block, radiator and heads .... would hate to see you start it up and 'fill' the system with sh*t !

Apologies If I missed it !

So it would appear car gods are shining on me a bit at minute being able to get some time in when I "should" be working haha.. the current driver situation in the UK combined with container backlog means the stuff I as expecting yesterday isn't actually gettin to us until Tuesday next week now. Great for car Time. Bit curse word for work. But it will all sort itself out..

So where was I. Ah the cam covers. Left them sat in etch then got a few coats of high build on and nocked the top off.




With that was time for some colour. Now the choice is possibly going to cause a bit of controversy. But hey, I'm building it for me and I've a vision in my head. And this was part of it 😂







Yes that's the same fluro green as the brakes. Yes it's in your face and a bit chav. Yes I love it haha. It's even brighter out in the daylight 😂







While I left them to cure in the low bake oven (freezing workshop), got on with cleaning the front covers up. Someone makes a very nice carbon one piece cover and mines all a bit tatty.. looked into the cost, over 400 quid!!! Looks like I'm cleaning mine up..

Doused in tfr, scrubbed, toothbrush, more tfr. There not mint but a lot better. Can't fit em til I've figured all the fittings out tho. And cleaned/painted everything






And back together, definitely looks like It might work. And my boxes of bits are all running out




Wanted to get the alternator back on, dug It out the boot to be greeted with this




Now there's no way that mucky horrible thing is going back on my show pony engine haha. I was going to split and paint it. But thought better so settled on wire brush some wet n Dry n maybe a bit of polish (I'm sorry I don't know what's happened) 😂😂



Ahhh. Much better. So dug the bracket out cleaned up, figured my spacers out (not bad to say I made them) and back on




That was end of play yesterday. Good progress I'd say. Today wanted to get cam covers back on so dug all the new seals out. Oddly the headset came with 10 spark plug tube seals. It's like they knew cus I damaged one putting it in 😂 also got all new cam cover seals in too. If this thing leaks when it's done il be furious haha.

So how does it look back together. Well if it goes as well as it looks it will be mega.










Last bit to go on is the inlet manifold. Dug that out to be greeted with this mess. And there's no way I can put that on (made a rod for my own back with all this tarting up)



Set about stripping it since it looks like I'm painting that too now 😭










Got it down to a couple of lumps I can work with. Luckily the headset has every gasket il need so least I know it will be right!

Made a start on cleaning it up. Tbh I forgot to take pics but there will be more tomorrow I'm sure.

Bit torn on what colour to do it, either gloss black (but the throttle body is silver and I'm not stripping that far too many little bits for me to lose and preset screws and stuff) or silver like rest of engine.. answers on a postcard please

Also don't know what to do about the relief cuts in the manifolds.. I know a handful of people with turbo uzs and none have them. But I know the cast manifolds all used to have em. So not sure what to do for best..

Anyways that's where I am. Should be able to do a bit more tomorrow but I know I've a job down Cambridge way Monday so that will cock job up (plus real work when our stuff turns up)

Cheers

Cheers! I'm swinging toward silver myself. Poll can stay open til tomorrow then it gets painted haha.

And the manifold bolt holes are already a couple mm oversize so that's sorted. Was just the cuts. I think while it's out it may be wise to put a slit between each port with a thin disc in the grinder just to future proof it. The last thing I want to do is all this work to ever have to take the engine out again (manifolds won't come out in situ if they cracked)..

Yes to stupid colours. It's addictive the tarting up lark isn't it. I sometimes get carried away and have to remind myself that nobody gives a curse word if their transit engine is super mint. Luckily there's a steady flow of stuff that people appreciate been properly tidy to keep me occupied.

The stupid colours make me smile. My race bike was this colour at one point (much to the dismay of the classic motorcycle racing clubs chairman 😂) was fluro pink for the round after haha.

And yeah, I've never gone to town on summat like this before. Tbh I've not normally got the patience but for some reason I'm really enjoying making each "bit" as good as I can make it. An when I look at how it looked when It came out and what it's like now I'm a bit impressed myself haha

Jokingly told my boss that next pushrod diesel plant engine I do for work its getting this treatment (il not say exactly what he said, but he suggested it might not be profitable for me to take this long on a customer's truck) 😂

What was I saying about work sorting itself out.. I'm happily minding my own business in workshop for my boss to come and tell me he's just sold FIVE new trucks! That's 5 to PDI on top of the other stuff I've got coming next week and my trip to Cambridge or wherever I'm going Monday... Not looking good for much getting done next week is it. 😭

Figured I best crack on with summat so got the inlet fully cleaned up, then reinstalled the upper on the lower with new gaskets. Along with new gaskets on all the blanking plates I made (egr, vaccum plate thing etc etc)..




Speaking of blanking plates the iacv is no longer used. It's been ditched in the mapping and the idle is now controlled with the ECU in relation to temp etc so that can go (there prone to acting up, leaking boost through them etc etc)..

Seemed like a perfect time to get rid of that since all space near the bulkhead is at a premium anyways.

Knocked a quick plate up out of paper but figure it may blow trough on boost 😂 so transferred it to 4mm steel instead haha















Job done. Back in place with a new gasket. Happy days. But before I could get some etch thrown at it, I needed to spend a penny. Well 8 infact. Since there perfect diameter to block injector holes up in the manifold..



Couple coats of etch. Some Highbuild, colour then laquer! And what colour. Well since its a democracy it's gone silver (nowt to do with the fact I had plenty of silver haha)



Into the rapid bake oven (me stood with heat gun) then left while we had dinner and got the stuff sorted for monday. Nice and dry so no excuse not to fit it (along with yet more new gaskets)

Even dragged it to the daylight for its photoshoot! Haha















With that bit done the "engine" is done. Yeah I know I've still got bits to bolt back on to It. But from now on that's literally all it should be! Kinda pleased with myself tbf. Wasn't sure if I'd get it back together haha..

Figured I'd make a quick start on one of them bits that need bolting on. The fuel rails. There lovely billet ally things, looking slightly secondhand from 30 years worth of heat cycles and grime.



Now I'm no expert in these things. But in my head there metal. So metal polish should work... Shouldn't it. Well after about 15 minutes on one little section that little bit looks better. But there must be a better way of doing it than this haha. It's going to be a historic vehicle if I have to do em like this by time I'm done 😂😂




Anyways. That's where I'm at. Not overly sure what will happen next week. But I will get summat done at some point.

Cheers

Jesus, that's one clean engine. Anybody would think you're a tart! 😁 Great progress.

Good innit! It would appear I am a bit of a tart haha. Not sure what's happened but I'm sure normal service will soon resume

Cheers

I actually thought about that. Well I thought about a Brillo pad with some polish on. But that's basically same thing haha.

And it best go now it's got all this show. Or il look really silly

Cheers