The Little Ying

[Tyre_Tread]

ScoobieWRX said:

In fairness it was fairly well hidden

New botton rad hose £31+ There's f'all to it!

There's a Halfrauds £10 generic one on there for now.

Edited by Tyre_Tread on Tuesday 25th November 23:01

[Tyre_Tread]

The_Burg said:

Spotted a black Detomasto one this morning at Kettering station.
Never even seen one before.
Was being driven very gingerly in the morning ice.

Very rare beastie and an import as never officially imported to the UK.

I think the problem with boiling up could be a faulty cap.

[Tyre_Tread]

Drop Test b3nxj said:

Tyre_Tread said:

The_Burg said:

Spotted a black Detomasto one this morning at Kettering station.
Never even seen one before.
Was being driven very gingerly in the morning ice.

Very rare beastie and an import as never officially imported to the UK.

I think the problem with boiling up could be a faulty cap.

What went wrong with the old cap?

The original seemed to be very loose. new cap tightens but leaks through the rivet at the top and I'm beginning to think its not supposed to do that.

[Tyre_Tread]

Update on the Ying!

As I have been using the Rover and Tiv during the last few months that we have laughingly been calling Summer, I deciede to do something about the loose handling on the GTti.

Took the shocks off and they barely have any resistance but I don't suppose I should be surprised after 19 years and 182,000 miles.

Having started digging I've found the radiator is rotting out at the bottom, the front (platic) bumper was sagging because half of the mounting points were broken, the springs were corroded onto the top mounting brackets and the lower arm bushes were completly shagged.

Although about 25% of the bolts that I've had to undo have sheared off, the chassi isn't bad at all considering age and mileage.

Just waiting for the new shocks, springs and nuts and bots to arrive and in the meantime I'm tackling some of the surface rust and a welding up small split in the inner wing that's closer to the engine mounting than I, or the MOT examiner, would be happy with.



Stripped a fair bit more than this now but haven't taken any more pics yet.

[Tyre_Tread]

Drop Test b3nxj said:

about time to hook that engine out chap

Come & have a look see if you can spare a few mins. I'm around tonight or tomorrow.

[Tyre_Tread]

Both welcome up to about 3.30 as I will be firkling about in the garage until then but will have to clean up after that as evening wedding reception to go to.

Give me a call and I'll put t'kettle on.

[Tyre_Tread]

combine said:

Thanks for the update on the ying Alan , looking forward to a trip out in the beastie !

Me too! Not been out in it since the end of April. The tax ran out and I deceided not to tax it to make me use the V8s more.

Was nice to see you and catch up.

Now then, back into the garage for some more rust removal and prevention.

[Tyre_Tread]

combine said:

Will be interesting to see the difference in fear factor between Ying and '7' !

I doubt if the ying can compete with the complete raw, open air, low down experience of the 7 unless I drive like a nutter

[Tyre_Tread]

I stayed up until 2.00am last night stripping off the rust andpainting the parts to go back on with a good coat of POR15.

Some of them:


Also the front ARB and top strut beam and all the bits that need to go back onto the struts.

Anyway, I reassembled the new struts today including new shocks, springs and top Polyurethane bushes.



I was hoping to refit the shocks and reassemble the suspension today but first I needed to weld up a small crack under one of the arches. MIG welding not being one of my stronger skills, initially I blew a hole in it and then had to stitch the hole up and grind back the lumps of weld. The MIG feed is stuttering and I can't figure out why

Just finishing and I noticed a lump further back in the wheelarch so I took the angle grinder to it (rather than to my head which I did last week} and the result is

imediately alongside a strengthening panel. I don't have any suitable mild steel to make a plate out of tonight so I've called it a day.

I also need to find a replacement one of these

The air inlet for the intercooler is a complex shape so either need to refurbish this one, a replacement s/h original, a new one fabricated or an alternative method of gathering fresh wir through the front splitter.

I also need, if anyone knows of one, a good local supplier of U nuts. I've bought some off the web but could do with talking to someone who has the various options to examine.

Edited by Tyre_Tread on Sunday 9th August 21:42

Edited by Tyre_Tread on Sunday 9th August 21:45

[Tyre_Tread]

Whitefly Swatter said:

Tyre_Tread said:

combine said:

Will be interesting to see the difference in fear factor between Ying and '7' !

I doubt if the ying can compete with the complete raw, open air, low down experience of the 7 unless I drive like a nutter

cross out nutter and add "as I always drive" hohoho

Cheeky barsteward! Kettle, Pot, Black!

Well, the plate is welded in and one side is rebuilt so will do the other side tomorrow and then I have to find ways to put the rusty bits that hold the front end together back on the car.

Edited by Tyre_Tread on Friday 14th August 11:11

[Tyre_Tread]

The fornt is rebuilt and reassembled and I took the first of the rear struts off to change the springs and found both rear shaocks are US as well

Need to order the rear pair from Germany now. Could have saved myself the postage for both pairs.

Oh well, at least it should handle!

Edited by Tyre_Tread on Sunday 16th August 21:22

[Tyre_Tread]

More fookin setbacks!

The damper suppliers are messing me about now and not answering my emails.

I started to dismantle the second lot of rear suspension and notice a golf ball sized hole behind the mud flap. Leant in the boot to have a look from inside and the whole boot floor moved. Looks like the seam where the boot floor flange meets the rear cross member has rotted away.

Anyone any good at fabrication and welding. I have a MIG welder and a nice big comfy garage but I think this, although probably relatively straight forward, is beyong my welding skills.

Pics may follow! (If anyone is watching)

ETA:

Edited by Tyre_Tread on Thursday 20th August 17:56

Edited by Tyre_Tread on Thursday 20th August 17:57

[Tyre_Tread]

The_Burg said:

Poor little ying, keep on welding!

Oooh my 2000th post too.

Edited by The_Burg on Friday 21st August 13:55

Ay up Steve

Where you been hiding?

[Tyre_Tread]

Whitefly Swatter said:

wot nofing since last fryday ?????

Giz a break dude!

I admit that progress has been slow. Bloody visitors

Right, I managed to get a couple of hours done on Tuesday.

The new rear shocks arrived but as advised by a fellow GTti owner, they came with only one bracket for the brake flexi hose. A little judicious chiseling on the old one and some chemical metal later followed by some rebuilding and we went from this:



to this:



I also made some replacements for the brake pipes that bridge around the struts as the old ones looked decidedly iffy:



Then I lay on my back for almost 3 hours ............. while cleaning out the wheel arches with a wire brush and painted them with some underseal to try and slow down the rot (no pics yet).

I have een trying to source replacemet slider bolts for the rear calipers as one had a very chewed head (already chewed when I tried to remove it and it caused me a few problems) which I think I may have resolved today.

My new autodarkening welding helmet arrived today (Birthday present - Thanks Mrs TT ) so I can crack on with the welding to tyhe boot floor and under the passenger wheelarch tomorrow and Friday.

Already installed one of the struts but left the o/s one out until I can get the welding done in the arch.

I've cleaned up the calipers a bit and am awaiting a new rubber bush for one of the sliders as I had to butcher it to get the slider out.

Also need new bleed nipples. The old ones look a bit suspect.

Had to remove the rear bumper to prepare for the welding and a couple of bolts snapped off but its not to bad under there. Mind you I wish hat butterfly would bugger off. Althogh it did obscure the number plate!

[Tyre_Tread]

Dolf said:

... lay on my back for almost three hours ...

[Tyre_Tread]

jumplead said:

Looking good Alan, see the garage is coming in useful then

A little

getting quite dusty in there though. Might have to get a cleaner.

[Tyre_Tread]

Dolf said:

Tyre_Tread said:

jumplead said:

Looking good Alan, see the garage is coming in useful then

A little

getting quite dusty in there though. Might have to get a cleaner.

AJ does a good impression of a duster on legs

Her tail is just the right height to clean the front radiator air intake on the Tiv.

Anyway, this afternoon I decided to have a lok at the hole under the rear wheel arch on the o/s.

You know the one that was the size of a golf ball? Well now its the size of tennis ball and the angle grinder hasn't been near it yet.



So I made this to cover it:


and offered it up for fit:


Spurting Bear has offered (read been bribed with offers of bacon butties) to come and be my fire watcher tomorrow while I try to burn down the garage.

[Tyre_Tread]

Well, thanks to Spurting Bear on Friday and Dolf today, the welding is complete (for now) and the boot floor ain't going nowhere soon! It ain't pretty (my welding isn't that great) but it had an L section welded in below and above (The upper piece was quite a work of art involving 2 double sets of curves with an L lip - wish I'd taken a photo but I forgot).

I'm currently high on cellulose fumes from the brush on seam sealant.

Will post pictures when I've recovered.

Also reassembled and fitted the offside strut so just the brake calipers to go back on and the brakes to bleed and..................... no, I daren't say it.

Day off tomorrow to go to the Stamford Classic in the Rover. See you there(or not!)

[Tyre_Tread]

Back on its wheels again.

Brake bleeding got a bit frustrating for a while as there was a slight leak I couldn't find but eventually tracked it to one of the new pipes that bridge the rear suspension strut. Tweaked it up et voila, a brake pedal witha measure of firmness.

Will tax it tomorrow.

Just the new front number plate to fit, interior of the boot (side panels and side trays) and battery to connect.

Also needs a damn good clean as covered in rust dust from the grinding and cutting.

[Tyre_Tread]

Taxed and out for a run but handling like a snake on a pole dancers oiled up pole.

Looks like the tracking needs checking as it has a really weird feel to the steering.