Terry's tale. (S3 resto ++)
Discussion
Terry, massive heads up to your S conversion.
I wish I knew and understood half as much as you guys do about the mechanical bits, etc.
Your photos do remind me a little of my current S2 overhaul, but only the paint colours as mine's just a "keep everything original" (i.e. non existent budget !) body off.
12 months down the road, we should park next to each other at an S meet-up.
Mine will be the one with the old-fashioned Ford engine !
.... and please, keep on keeping us posted !
I wish I knew and understood half as much as you guys do about the mechanical bits, etc.
Your photos do remind me a little of my current S2 overhaul, but only the paint colours as mine's just a "keep everything original" (i.e. non existent budget !) body off.
12 months down the road, we should park next to each other at an S meet-up.
Mine will be the one with the old-fashioned Ford engine !
.... and please, keep on keeping us posted !
If only I could keep my garage floor 1/2 that clean.
Good looking chassis too.
But I still have some fabricating/welding left to do, such as making bespoke mounting brackets for some of the engine ancillaries. Which means doing that work just in front/along side of the rolling chassis. Never mind !
What I'm trying to do isn't that radical. My mindset is just thinking what/how Tvr might have done things 20yrs on or so with the S. Hopefully it will look close to a factory installation, plus maybe (like Tvr) with a few rough edges !!
That's a good plan to meet up, I just get the feeling at the moment, that it will be very late into next year, if at all.
But here's hoping...
Maybe I will try to create a 'to do' list soon, but doing that before has been too scary. So I'll just plod on for now.
Thanks for the ongoing support.
TerryB
Good looking chassis too.
But I still have some fabricating/welding left to do, such as making bespoke mounting brackets for some of the engine ancillaries. Which means doing that work just in front/along side of the rolling chassis. Never mind !
What I'm trying to do isn't that radical. My mindset is just thinking what/how Tvr might have done things 20yrs on or so with the S. Hopefully it will look close to a factory installation, plus maybe (like Tvr) with a few rough edges !!
That's a good plan to meet up, I just get the feeling at the moment, that it will be very late into next year, if at all.
But here's hoping...
Maybe I will try to create a 'to do' list soon, but doing that before has been too scary. So I'll just plod on for now.
Thanks for the ongoing support.
TerryB
Oh, just in case anyone thinks I have said or implied that there is anything wrong with the Cologne engines (2.8 or 2.9)... I haven't, & there isn't !
Like I said at the beginning of this thread, I just wanted the challenge of doing something different, but also within my own capabilities.
My S3 had 93k on it anyway, but since reading through some of its accompanying paperwork, it appears that both the engine & g-box were major stripped & overhauled at around 75k. So the buyer of my units had a good deal !!
TerryB.
Like I said at the beginning of this thread, I just wanted the challenge of doing something different, but also within my own capabilities.
My S3 had 93k on it anyway, but since reading through some of its accompanying paperwork, it appears that both the engine & g-box were major stripped & overhauled at around 75k. So the buyer of my units had a good deal !!
TerryB.
Following on from the front end rebuild.
I added a new fuel pump (suitable for the AJ) & filter, refitted the fuel lines. Bolted the wheels on and waited for a sunny day...
What is it that the Haynes manuals state....
Re installing is the reverse procedure.
So back under the body the chassis goes. But just as it gets fully in place, one side gets stuck... Bugger !
Lift it up about 6" and run my fingers through the outrigger tunnel. OUCH !! Now I remembered that a piece of old chassis had been left behind corroded onto one of the rear mount bolts. Easy fix, just grind it off.
Now the body slides into place perfectly.
I read this statement some time ago in reference to removing/refitting the S body, which sums the procedure up perfectly....
Remove/fit the body, like you remove/fit your foot into a shoe.
Enough said.
TerryB
I added a new fuel pump (suitable for the AJ) & filter, refitted the fuel lines. Bolted the wheels on and waited for a sunny day...
What is it that the Haynes manuals state....
Re installing is the reverse procedure.
So back under the body the chassis goes. But just as it gets fully in place, one side gets stuck... Bugger !
Lift it up about 6" and run my fingers through the outrigger tunnel. OUCH !! Now I remembered that a piece of old chassis had been left behind corroded onto one of the rear mount bolts. Easy fix, just grind it off.
Now the body slides into place perfectly.
I read this statement some time ago in reference to removing/refitting the S body, which sums the procedure up perfectly....
Remove/fit the body, like you remove/fit your foot into a shoe.
Enough said.
TerryB
A couple of reference body/chassis bolts are inserted for now, but it does all appear to line up & sit down okay.
And for those thinking it. I did tie up the handbrake cable, plus cap off both the fuel & brake lines.
Looking into my gloomy garage, now thinking, that'll take a couple of days to make tidy enough to reverse roll the car into. But the car can stay outside for a while so that I can do my first go's at trial fitting the AJ engine (much more to come on that later).
On moving things around in the garage I came across the forgotten fuel tank cradle, it didn't look so bad, but it was !!! So more fabricating to do...
The fuel tank is in the shed, it didn't leak, but it does look tatty, so I will remove/refit the sump & gauge sender, fit new seals. Wash it out, & clean/paint it later. As that saves precious funds for ???
And its around this stage of things, that I can't lie to you. That I thought why didn't I just clean up the 2.9 drive train, get it all refitted, and start driving/enjoying.
Or is it just me that always hits a brick wall into a project like this ?
So I take the covers off the AJ engine to re motivate myself...
TerryB
The old/new tank cradles.
And for those thinking it. I did tie up the handbrake cable, plus cap off both the fuel & brake lines.
Looking into my gloomy garage, now thinking, that'll take a couple of days to make tidy enough to reverse roll the car into. But the car can stay outside for a while so that I can do my first go's at trial fitting the AJ engine (much more to come on that later).
On moving things around in the garage I came across the forgotten fuel tank cradle, it didn't look so bad, but it was !!! So more fabricating to do...
The fuel tank is in the shed, it didn't leak, but it does look tatty, so I will remove/refit the sump & gauge sender, fit new seals. Wash it out, & clean/paint it later. As that saves precious funds for ???
And its around this stage of things, that I can't lie to you. That I thought why didn't I just clean up the 2.9 drive train, get it all refitted, and start driving/enjoying.
Or is it just me that always hits a brick wall into a project like this ?
So I take the covers off the AJ engine to re motivate myself...
TerryB
The old/new tank cradles.
I should of course said that its a date check when I was at that stage of the project...
And (at that time) & now its 2016, I'm only 2 years away from retiring at 60. It might be just about ready to use by then !
The next photo I will post might be of positive interest to some, and to the rejection of others. But please read the following first....
The red arrow indicates where that troublesome chassis cross-member was. Removed as I knew the AJ engine sump needs that space. I can always fit a bolt-on one at a later date.
The red circles show where I am going to mount the anti-roll bar (with drop links). As the same applies, that it couldn't stay in its original position.
You can also see the new triangulation chassis rails.
Now then, are you sitting comfortably ?....
I am fitting power steering !!
Why ?
Because I want to !
And I can always remove it if I don't like it.
I don't know if anyone has done this before on an S, but this is my attempt at it.
I'm not going to go into any details yet, as it might fail at the 11th hour, but I'll give it my best.
The rack is now in place including suitable trackrod ends to give a parallel track with adjustment either way. I've plenty of bits and pieces to make up the column from rack to bulkhead, but I won't be doing any of that until the engine is in situ etc.
It will be an engine driven pas pump, or that's the plan at the moment.
TerryB
And (at that time) & now its 2016, I'm only 2 years away from retiring at 60. It might be just about ready to use by then !
The next photo I will post might be of positive interest to some, and to the rejection of others. But please read the following first....
The red arrow indicates where that troublesome chassis cross-member was. Removed as I knew the AJ engine sump needs that space. I can always fit a bolt-on one at a later date.
The red circles show where I am going to mount the anti-roll bar (with drop links). As the same applies, that it couldn't stay in its original position.
You can also see the new triangulation chassis rails.
Now then, are you sitting comfortably ?....
I am fitting power steering !!
Why ?
Because I want to !
And I can always remove it if I don't like it.
I don't know if anyone has done this before on an S, but this is my attempt at it.
I'm not going to go into any details yet, as it might fail at the 11th hour, but I'll give it my best.
The rack is now in place including suitable trackrod ends to give a parallel track with adjustment either way. I've plenty of bits and pieces to make up the column from rack to bulkhead, but I won't be doing any of that until the engine is in situ etc.
It will be an engine driven pas pump, or that's the plan at the moment.
TerryB
Blue 30 said:
The red arrow indicates where that troublesome chassis cross-member was. Removed as I knew the AJ engine sump needs that space. I can always fit a bolt-on one at a later date.
The red circles show where I am going to mount the anti-roll bar (with drop links). As the same applies, that it couldn't stay in its original position.
I am fitting power steering !!
Although difficult to search this site these days I believe a small number others have done or tried or thought (wished) they could have done these mods. The red circles show where I am going to mount the anti-roll bar (with drop links). As the same applies, that it couldn't stay in its original position.
I am fitting power steering !!
I did check out a company at the NEC who design, build and install bespoke electric power steering to classic cars, unfortunately this was far too expensive for me.
Keep up the very informative thread
Edited by magpies on Sunday 4th December 22:01
Yes, there's usually more than one engineering solution to the same problem. I hadn't thought of that, great job.
I originally thought about leaving the anti rollbar off completely, as the S doesn't have any great suspension travel, plus other like (road use only) cars with that layout don't always have one. But when I was in the process of removing mine from its original location (including cutting off the chassis plates). I just threw the bar on top of the bare chassis, the ends rested over the wishbones, so that was that. I've since seen similar, I think on a Chim, where it has adjustable ends on the bar.
TerryB.
I originally thought about leaving the anti rollbar off completely, as the S doesn't have any great suspension travel, plus other like (road use only) cars with that layout don't always have one. But when I was in the process of removing mine from its original location (including cutting off the chassis plates). I just threw the bar on top of the bare chassis, the ends rested over the wishbones, so that was that. I've since seen similar, I think on a Chim, where it has adjustable ends on the bar.
TerryB.
Just quickly in reply to the electric motor Pas. My own experience driving ANother type of sports car is that I didn't like it. It was just too light with no feel no matter where you set the adjustable controller. And on that particular car, the motor sat directly behind the dashboard. In other words right over you gentleman parts & groin !!! Which I don't think you would walk away from in full physical health if the car had a serious incident. Plus maybe one's insurance wouldn't be happy with that conversion either.
And lastly, they're bloomin expensive if you have it fitted for you.
TerryB.
And lastly, they're bloomin expensive if you have it fitted for you.
TerryB.
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