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Dec 27, 2021 19:21:34 GMT
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That's looking really good Rian. Look forward to the next installment  Evening mate, Been out all day. Simple jobs, but they got done and needed doing. Tiny mini update in a bit, soon as Sally leaves. PS: amazingly, edited…… 105 pages and almost 200k views. Madness. But we like that, don’t we? |
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Last Edit: Dec 27, 2021 19:22:58 GMT by grizz
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Dec 27, 2021 19:57:38 GMT
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So today Sally and I did about 110 miles, or 175km on a quick return trip that delivered on a few levels. Including a trip to kevins to collect a stainless steel exhaust that had been fitted to his daughters 1.6 Ford Ka. Firstly, what an awesome family to visit and then he gave me the 50 cent guided tour of his shop and some of the tools. I was only envious, despite what I have here. My favourites were a wood burner, not photographed, and his lift built into his single garage. Absolutely functional and just so simple and well thought out. Also seated on it……… his Lotus. A daily driver, still wet from being out when we got there.  From there we went to IKEA for some stuff I needed to get for tje house and then back to Kent for more shopping. Back home I gave the silencer a quick wash and then grabbed a cardboard box and did a quick side exit mock up. I think the pipe will be needing some editing to allow the box fit and exit correctly.  Hope it works once all the bits, including the body are back in place.  Weather forecast for this week shows it peaking at 16’C later this week. Great weather to be outside in and on tje drive measuring and making stuff. |
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Dec 27, 2021 22:23:31 GMT
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Great to see you, hope it is of some use.
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Dec 28, 2021 19:01:24 GMT
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Great to see you, hope it is of some use. If I can get it mounted, welded and hanging good, it will be great. The rear silencer on the MX5 was a bit beyond its best by date. It seems to have a skinny pipe, but that should be fine too. |
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Last Edit: Dec 28, 2021 19:01:56 GMT by grizz
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Dec 28, 2021 21:24:04 GMT
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Not a lot done today. But it kept me busy for a while. First job was to try remove the wiring harness anchors that had been drilled and screwed through the inner fenders, the small 6mm nuts and threaded screws had long since become one with each other. So a new, 10mm drill-bit and straight onto the heads while clamping the nut with a vice grip. Drill till you have no head left, wiggle or wriggle it out through the inner fender. Following this, start to undo the wiring from the front end.  While working, I was joined by George. I do not even have a cat.  Eventually I had made it to this point. Not yet finished the engine bay clear out, but I needed to refocus on the inside of the body where a load of pipes and wired went to. Also contemplating new head lights with integrated turn signals etc, and to cut and smooth the existing indicator and side light pods so the fenders are just smooth and clear. I think that will work.  So once a bunch of the wires from the engine bay had been chased inside the cab, I needed to start undoing them. Unfortunately 30 years of open air driving and parking resulted in rotted out wood and vinyl everywhere.  Felt like a demolition derby, though it was done gently.  Removing all the switches, clocks and warning lights left me with a pile of VDO gauges.  Looking at the speedo, I suspect that like many kit cars, this only did the indicated mileage after being built. Some of the parts removed to date, like the rear brake shoes clearly had hardly worked.  Tomorrow I will get back to doing the rest of the stripping. Today the biggest time waster was actually getting the choke knob captive nut unscrewed blind, awkwardly behind the dash, but eventually got it done. Adding the rest of the pedals and all the wiring I can get removed. .jpg) With George continuing his supervision.  Here’s to better weather tomorrow. |
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Last Edit: Dec 28, 2021 21:27:23 GMT by grizz
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,059 
Club RR Member Number: 77
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Dec 28, 2021 21:50:17 GMT
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Good progress grizz  And pleased to see Georgie was supervisor/responsible company for you working in the car port  The indicators you may get away with moving to the headlights, but the position lights won't be any good that far inboard from the outer extremities  |
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,345
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Dec 28, 2021 22:06:42 GMT
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Those gauges would have cost someone a fortune once.
Still, good progress.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Dec 28, 2021 22:25:08 GMT
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Those gauges would have cost someone a fortune once. I said that. They might still work, and the bezels are easy enough to clean up. Rian has far more patience than me; I'd have taken all that wiring out with side cutters, leaving longish tails on all the components because they might be useful to someone who has Cortina parts. Same with the rusty bolts, which would have met the angle grinder. |
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Dec 28, 2021 22:33:51 GMT
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Nice progress  thanks for the pics & update |
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Dec 28, 2021 22:42:26 GMT
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We have 7” led units on the Fug     They have a ring DRL which turns off when the indicator flashes, and also side, dipped and full beam. We’re just some cheap Jeep LED replacements off of eBay. |
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According to "The Regs" position lamps must be within 400mm of the outer edge of the vehicle ... Lost the will to live chasing the indicator position rabbit hole ... You could try something like this(these?):- link |
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Last Edit: Dec 29, 2021 10:06:23 GMT by westbay
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Dec 29, 2021 11:59:43 GMT
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According to "The Regs" position lamps must be within 400mm of the outer edge of the vehicle ... Lost the will to live chasing the indicator position rabbit hole ... You could try something like this(these?):- linkAh yeah, the C&U regs…. The Fug doesn’t comply from memory, but nowhere really to fit the lights any further out, not been a problem at MOT, so probably only an issue if you are doing skids in Asda* car park at 11pm and the Police show up The Willys jeep had the indicator in the grill panel originally too, so may be ok? It’s an old design and there seems to be a bit of flexibility once out and about. Certainly, people I’ve spoken to seem happy with securely mounted and visible. *other supermarket car parks are available, but the cool kids go to Asda |
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Dec 29, 2021 15:39:08 GMT
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Good progress grizz And pleased to see Georgie was supervisor/responsible company for you working in the car port The indicators you may get away with moving to the headlights, but the position lights won't be any good that far inboard from the outer extremities Thank you mate. Yes, George is a funny creature, very different to the other supervisors who preceded him, but still welcome. Regarding the lights, I am swaying toward the style johnthesparky has fitted to his Fugitive, that nickwheeler may like less 😉 Regarding the indicators and side lights, I was wondering this morning if there is some flush fit type thing one can blend into the fenders successfully. After slicing the upright part back and finishing it all off. Those gauges would have cost someone a fortune once. Still, good progress. Funny that, note Nick’s comment below, we were discussing it previously, but for now, they are in the reserve bin. Awaiting their fate. Those gauges would have cost someone a fortune once. I said that. They might still work, and the bezels are easy enough to clean up. Rian has far more patience than me; I'd have taken all that wiring out with side cutters, leaving longish tails on all the components because they might be useful to someone who has Cortina parts. Same with the rusty bolts, which would have met the angle grinder. LOL……. Patience, or fear of destroying stuff to a point where I cannot fix it fixed. You would have been proud today though, still patient, but brute force and side cutters were used with gay abandon. Nice progress thanks for the pics & update Thanks Ernie, I do sometimes wonder about all the pics, but then, I enjoy build and story threads with loads of pics and descriptions for me to learn from. Like a slow motion YouTube movie in photos. As long as guys keep clicking and contributing here, I will keep posting all my randomness. |
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Dec 29, 2021 15:48:48 GMT
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We have 7” led units on the Fug They have a ring DRL which turns off when the indicator flashes, and also side, dipped and full beam. We’re just some cheap Jeep LED replacements off of eBay. I really do like these. They have grown on me, and to be honest, they are falling more in line with the ultimate look I am hoping to achieve with this car. Someone on my local,FB marketplace has a set for sale, unused, for £30.00 Not sure if that is a good or bad price. According to "The Regs" position lamps must be within 400mm of the outer edge of the vehicle ... Lost the will to live chasing the indicator position rabbit hole ... You could try something like this(these?):- linkRabbit holes, they are certainly a pain in the rabbit hole. If I can find a simple flush mounted alternative, it would appeal to me. According to "The Regs" position lamps must be within 400mm of the outer edge of the vehicle ... Lost the will to live chasing the indicator position rabbit hole ... You could try something like this(these?):- linkAh yeah, the C&U regs…. The Fug doesn’t comply from memory, but nowhere really to fit the lights any further out, not been a problem at MOT, so probably only an issue if you are doing skids in Asda* car park at 11pm and the Police show up The Willys jeep had the indicator in the grill panel originally too, so may be ok? It’s an old design and there seems to be a bit of flexibility once out and about. Certainly, people I’ve spoken to seem happy with securely mounted and visible. * other supermarket car parks are available, but the cool kids go to AsdaMade me laugh. 20 years ago, I got my Celica “stuck” in a Tesco carpark in snow. I suspect many testers would not object to a light that had all the functions fitted, but I do prefer to be visible and other road users to be aware of my next move. But in the mean time………… Who knows, there may be a simple solution, even a bumper mounted sidelight and indicator. The rear, high level brake light still needs to be considered. |
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brachunky
Scotland
Posts: 1,338
Club RR Member Number: 72
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Dec 29, 2021 16:01:29 GMT
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Tell you what, if you could train those cats to wield a spanner, you'll be done in half the time |
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,345
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Dec 29, 2021 16:44:40 GMT
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I wouldn’t muck around with the VDO gauges given that you have the MX-5 loom and cluster. I’d make that fit instead. Stick the VDO ones on eBay and let someone else muck around with them.
As for the sidelight/indicators, well I agree the originals look a bit clunky, and that something else would be better, but I’d want to be absolutely confident that I could make the wings look like they’d not been chopped up before I embarked on spending money on an alternative. Maybe refit them as-is in the short term, with a view to replacing them with something better looking after it’s up and running?
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Dec 29, 2021 18:02:51 GMT
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Tell you what, if you could train those cats to wield a spanner, you'll be done in half the time You can't train cats to do anything they wouldn't have tried for themselves.... The best you'll manage is for them not to sit on the bit you're working on. |
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Dec 29, 2021 18:42:24 GMT
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Tell you what, if you could train those cats to wield a spanner, you'll be done in half the time Of course they would hold me ransom based on feeding. Certainly is their driver. I wouldn’t muck around with the VDO gauges given that you have the MX-5 loom and cluster. I’d make that fit instead. Stick the VDO ones on eBay and let someone else muck around with them. As for the sidelight/indicators, well I agree the originals look a bit clunky, and that something else would be better, but I’d want to be absolutely confident that I could make the wings look like they’d not been chopped up before I embarked on spending money on an alternative. Maybe refit them as-is in the short term, with a view to replacing them with something better looking after it’s up and running? Agreed. I told Nick he was 100% welcome to them, or else if sold for pennies, they would be recycled into the build as a new item. Tell you what, if you could train those cats to wield a spanner, you'll be done in half the time You can't train cats to do anything they wouldn't have tried for themselves.... The best you'll manage is for them not to sit on the bit you're working on. LOL. So true, especially if you work indoors, and the more intense your agenda, the more they have to help. DAMHIK. |
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Dec 29, 2021 19:02:03 GMT
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Todays plan was to remove the rest of the wiring loom. Part of it had been threaded through the body and fibreglassed into and under the channel of the entrance/door. Unfortunately I just could not get the leverage to remove the loom while it was on the trolley. So I fetched a mattress I have had on reserve for years. Since doing the C10 cab that I rolled onto its back, while working on it. So I flipped the body onto its side, supported by a 2x4 and some,gravity.   Halfway there. I also used my side cutters a few times, which would make nickwheeler very proud. After all, planning is to fit the MX5 loom completely, editing the bits not needed from it.  Cutters next, both sides.  Once down flat on the trolley, the next job was to undo and remove the blower and heater unit. It may be of use to a restorer.  Undoing and removing the steering and more wiring next.  Out with that lot.  And then it was a lot clearer. Decided to leave the pedal box in place as well as the brake m/c till I compare them with the MX5 units.  And from the front.  Happy with that lot. More work to do for the day would get me to my objective for the day. But I was chatting to Paul Y this morning and mentioned to him as well, that this needs to continue being a pleasure and not a chore. Sometimes a fine line to keep to. |
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Dec 29, 2021 19:17:02 GMT
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I think the wings will look a lot better cut off with just an inch or so left of the front like most of the ones in the pictures earlier in tnis thread. Try masking off the area to cut away with black tape until you get a shape you like.
If you have to fit a marker light later a small led one underneath will satisfy the MOT man. We have a pair of the led 7" headlights on my son's minor they work really well.
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Last Edit: Dec 29, 2021 22:53:47 GMT by kevins
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