New project

[CC Cyclone]

Tony,
Just checking my notes, apparently track rod end should be sierra, and one of the balljoints in from a lada niva ( suggests possibly 1200) but I don't know if that is the upper or lower and I don't have a number for it as I thought I did.

I suspect the top ball joint is possibly ford transit as many other kits, although this is just a hunch looking at mine, which suggests lada balljoint may be lower one? I did a quick Google search but not found anything conclusive. I have attached a picture of what I have at the moment although it is possible mine is non- original as it has had new wishbones made recently.

I have plans to redesign the front and rear wishbones and uprights over the winter to swap to a more contemporary off the shelf upright. For reference the front uprights take saab 900 or 9000 hubs and bearings.

I hope that is of some use... If not that conclusive. I do have used spare bottom balljoints somewhere which might come in useful to take to a motor factor to identify? You are welcome to borrow them if you need them.

Where are you?

[mr tone]

Thanks James  for information, should be able to sort things now. will keep intouch. I live in Forest of Dean but could bring car to see you when sorted also might need to borrow track ends Tony

[Camber Dave]

Hi Guys
If you are referring to a screw in joint like the ones used on the MGF and Metro (M34 x 1.5mm 13mm cone)
Rover also used one on the 1974 to 82 Princess
Quinton Hazel no QSJ 716S or similar. 16mm Cone - no other info - sorry.

Some Lada's used a 2 bolt lower ball joint QSJ  1111S (13mm Cone)
This is visually similar to the maxi one (QSJ 1602S - 16mm Cone) used on lots of kitcars
The Mk 1 Cavalier also had one as a top joint QSJ 755S (13.5mm Cone)

I have a catalogue of these so if you need a browse come on over.

Regards
Dave

[mr tone]

Thanks Dave for info,hope to bring car to you once get it safe to drive. Tony (yellow Stuart Taylor)

[CC Cyclone]

So the first real day in the garage in the new project. Have done a basic strip down and clean up to assess what is what. It was actually in pretty good shape prior to the workshop fire it seems. Have cleaned every inch of the chassis and given it a protective coating for the time being on the bits I can get to.

Next job involved remove the 'roof' from the bodywork. The workshop roof had melted and dropped onto the GRP on most of the front of the car. It appeared to be bitumen based, but not knowing exactly what it was I got a proper respirator and with a combination of mild heat chisel and 55 sanding pads on the DA, I finally got the bodywork clear of most of it. I have a few small sections to finish by hand following which it will get a thorough degrease and clean before a blow over with high build primer to seal the areas of filler and give me a base to work from.

It might not look it but this is progress and I'm excited at the next stages!

[Moleman]

Looking good mate. Once that first coat goes on you will see all the bits you missed & need redoing. 

[CC Cyclone]

Thanks Colin ....
I feels lovely and smooth but am fully expecting it to look like a lion bar as soon as paint goes on.

[CC Cyclone]

Another trip around the car filling and blocking, ready for a primer coat to hopefully seal it all up. Looking forward to it all being one colour, even if it will be beige.

I want to get it all uniform so I can get a good look at the shape before I start cutting and modifying

Final prep and paint will be by a body shop, I know my limits.

[CC Cyclone]

So after lots of sanding, masking and generally  horrible work, I managed to get enough time to give the entire car two coats of high build primer. It is good to see it one colour again, even if it is beige! I'm really impressed with the paint, all sourced from Car Paint Warehouse in Brislington.

Now it is all sealed at least I have a base to work from. On the agenda is s revised back end and new lights and a few more body tweaks.

Next job is potentially engine and gearbox out in preparation for a change in running gear to something a bit more potent

[Bulldog Bri]

That's starting to look fantastic All that hard work is really paying off. Looking forward to seeing the finished car

[CC Cyclone]

Looking forward to seeing the finished car

Me too...!
Cheers Bri.

[Facial Hair Optional]

Even in that colour it really shows off the beautiful shape of the car. It's gonna be a stunner!!

[sanzomat]

Agree - going to be stunning. Those headlight mods really bring it up to date too. Thoughts on colour? Orange like the speedster?

[Daley Down Under]

Great attention to detail.  All that hard work is really paying off.  Good luck with the next steps.

Cheers Adrian

[Facial Hair Optional]

James - how did the sale of your lovely 356 go in the end???

[Moleman]

That is looking better now. 

[CC Cyclone]

We really are captured on camera constantly in this day and age. My car snapped in better times on google street view in Holland!

https://www.google.nl/maps/@52.9467037,6.238043,3a,75y,213.81h,68.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgJH3d21438wxqm4hRLnlpg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[sanzomat]

How long have you been searching through international google maps looking for your car? Did you see mine anywhere on your travels?

The weather is very changeable around those parts - in the time it took the google camera car to move to the next frame a load of snow had fallen and they had quickly put the kit cars away!

[CC Cyclone]

Ha! ha!  I don't get out much...

The guy I bought it from sent it to me, was previously exported to Holland before I repatriated it.

356 sale is a bit if an issue, it sold but the misses managed to lose the back end - at low speed apparently- and clip a gate between the sale and it being collected.... In process of fixing it...

[Facial Hair Optional]

Ha! ha!  I don't get out much...

The guy I bought it from sent it to me, was previously exported to Holland before I repatriated it.

356 sale is a bit if an issue, it sold but the misses managed to lose the back end - at low speed apparently- and clip a gate between the sale and it being collected.... In process of fixing it...

OUCH!!!! 

[Moleman]

That was good of him to send you that. 

[CC Cyclone]

So I managed a couple of hours in the garage at dawn this morning before everyone got out of bed!

The plan was to strip the ancillaries off the engine in preparation for lift out later on. Things didn't quite go as planed due to some horrors I found before I started. Now I'm not really one to preach or advise people how to do things but this should be a good lesson for anyone buying a second hand kit car.

This car had been undergoing restoration before it was involved in a workshop fire and so lots of new plumbing, wiring, brake lines had previously been fitted. My plan was to re-use most of it... Until this morning.


A quick inspection before I started and my eye was drawn to the brand new wiring that had been cable tied to the chassis rails and a big chunk that had already worn through to the copper wire as it had incredibly been tie wrapped with a section of the wiring passing through the coil of the left rear damper. On closer inspection it got worse, much worse. The wiring generally was badly routed and touching anything and everything passing through bulkheads without grommets, clipped to fuel lines, the best one was the crank sensor wire passing through the drive belt next to the alternator! I have stripped the lot out and found damage in other places too.

I then noticed that the new fuel hoses passed through a web in the engine mount and were tie wrapped to the aluminium hot water coolant hose for a length of about four feet! Low pressure hose also had been installed for a fuel injected engine, it just goes on and on. Did I mention the brake line clipped to an exaust mount touching the manifold and straight coolant hoses installed with 90degree kinks?

Anyway, worth checking second hand kits to establish none of the above apply. It's terrifying really. Am now stripping it to bare chassis just to check for other horrors.

Today's pile of junk removed:



Not much left now:


Onwards and upwards.

[Iancider]

Up early and you still wont sleep tonight thinking about it.

It is hard to image how bad workmanship can be sometimes so much so that you don't go looking for anything that bad. 

I am sure when you have done with it it will be perfect James.

Good luck in the house of horrors.

Ian

[mr tone]

H James i am finding that the steering is getting better with use after a run out today. Strange to drive but i will get there,polarised sunglasses held with the screen reflections i found .Tony

[sanzomat]

CC Cyclone - At least by ripping it all out and starting again you'll know its been done right (or at least know where to look if it goes wrong 'cos you'll know where you bodged it

Was that refurb being done in any kind of professional capacity or just a hapless amateur with more enthusiasm than skill. I can't claim to be an expert but I'll generally try to research the right way to do things before I make a mess of stuff but some things should be simple common sense.

[CC Cyclone]

Well, I don't know who carried out what to be honest but yes it was being restored professionally.

Good to see you are using the car Tony, have you taken the side screens out?

[mr tone]

No they are back now,planning on fixing door locks next do you know what they come off. Tony

[CC Cyclone]

No they are back now,planning on fixing door locks next do you know what they come off. Tony

It is one of the unknowns although the ones fitted to my car where different to yours. It was suggested the solenoids were from tvr griffith, but I don't know what the pin and latch were from. It looks to me like an adapted bonnet catch from something? I don't know how they got around two stage latching for SVA?

If you find anything or numbers do let me know? Here is what was fitted to mine, if you zoom in you can get a bit of detail which look a bit different to yours I think?

[CC Cyclone]

So I crept out of the house at 6am and managed three hours on the car this morning. It is quite an enjoyable feeling working when it is dark and everyone is asleep.

Anyway, time to make a start on the back end body mods. The lights on this car had been removed and glassfibred over before I got it and rather than remake the old four rear lights I have been mulling over something a bit more contemporary.



The first cut is the deepest etc...



No turning back now. After a lot of measuring trimming and grinding the surround is almost sunken into the rear quarter now. The plan is to get a snug fit and then GRP it in position and then fill and prep. Can you guess what car it came from?



It looks a bit odd at the moment as it is not fully flushed in, still a bit more trimming to get it in the right place. Am pleased with it though, it looks better than I had anticipated in the flesh from all angles. Just need to find some time to get on with it more regularly.

[Bulldog Bri]

Could be VW Beetle rear lights, just a guess

[sanzomat]

Alfa Mito?

Looking good by the way - that was a very brave cut!

[Facial Hair Optional]

No they are back now,planning on fixing door locks next do you know what they come off. Tony

It is one of the unknowns although the ones fitted to my car where different to yours. It was suggested the solenoids were from tvr griffith, but I don't know what the pin and latch were from. It looks to me like an adapted bonnet catch from something? I don't know how they got around two stage latching for SVA?

If you find anything or numbers do let me know? Here is what was fitted to mine, if you zoom in you can get a bit of detail which look a bit different to yours I think?

I knew I'd seen this car before somewhere! 

[Facial Hair Optional]

Mark 1 Cortina lenses would look great!

[CC Cyclone]

Alfa Mito?

Give that man a fish! Hoping they will suit it well. I have cut down the light surround to try and blend it into the body, on first look it should be ok.

The only good thing about having very limited hours in the garage is that you don't hesitate and just get on with it. I could have quite easily spent a day worrying and working up to it.

[CC Cyclone]

The car has been around a bit in its former life, this was a photo in 2007 for the CKC feature.

[Moleman]

Nice one James. I do think the Gromit is a perfect likeness though. 

[CC Cyclone]

I missed the Grommit pic... but can't argue really!

[Daley Down Under]

I reckon the Alfa Mito rear lights will be a perfect match for the curves.  Glad you did lots of measuring first   

[CC Cyclone]

I managed another couple of hours at dawn this morning, it is a bit like extreme kit car building against the clock. Anyway, a couple more hours cutting and trimming and I have got to this point:





There is an inner wing behind the light that I need to trim in order that I can get the fitting in and have a look at it fitted which is really annoying as I ran out of time!
I have never done any GRP work before and so I now need to read up on how to glass them in place and then fill and profile the front join.

Lots to learn.

[CC Cyclone]

I managed a quick mock-up with the light to check things are heading in the right direction. It seems incredibly difficult to get bits from cars to fit on different cars these days without them looking awkward. This is a good example, as although the light appears circular it is an oval shape and the light lens surface is irregularly convex in two directions with compound curves. Gone are the days of flat round lights it seems.

Anyway, after a bit more cutting the light is in for a trial fit. It needs some more trimming to get it to sit in the correct position but it is looking promising enough for me to try and bond the housing in permanently which will be the next job.