Another body off!

[B@man]

Hi Ian,

I'm fairly sure it's got a right angle bend on it, I'll confirm later as I have a couple of days of to work on the wedge.

[B@man]

Yes the bottom hose does have 90 degree bend.

had quite a constructive day, got the rad and oil cooler fitted, the oil hoses just fit around the offside so I've halved the amount of hose, top and bottom rad hoses fitted along with the header tank.





PAS pump and relay wired up to the alternator warning lamp output so the pump should be running only when the alternator is charging.

Spent best part of two hours with PAS fluid running down my arm fixing a leak, eventually resolved by doubling up the copper washers on the HP input banjo, apparently the new valve block tapping is not parallel to its external face Grrrrrr...

[B@man]

Transmitter Man said:

Made in China Si?

Not in the case, made in I belive, the Midlands, possibly between strikes...

[B@man]

No problem!

Onto today's destruction, First a bit of measuring and marking out



Then quite a lot of cutting (no going back now)



A couple of stainless bends adjusted to fit



Tada! Twin tail pipes (and a knackered boot but a bit of grp will soon sort that

[B@man]

Talking of a bit of GRP, knocked up a mould using an old shelf, covered in beeswax to aid release (hopefully)



3 layers of 450gm matting layer up with a litre of resin.



Let's see how easy it is to spring from the mould

[B@man]

Well the beeswax worked and the new part released from the mould with a little persuasion



I then found a use for the multiple Domino's pizza flyers that litter my doormat every week, it's quite a thick paper and ideal for making templates !



A bit of trimming with the angry grinder later we have a nice new part ready to bond in





Bonded in with a couple of layers matting - the area was ground back / roughened with a flapper disk first.



Quite a lot of cutting, welding, trail fitting (repeat as appropriate) later we have a new exhaust rear section





Just needs a mounting making up to the diff cradle and some heatmat sticking inside the new box, oh and boot trim modifying to fit...

[B@man]

Mould already stashed away, needs a better "hump" making as the resin pulled the veneer off the contiboard, But should be good to go again!

[B@man]

I think the boot is deeper on the 400 shell as the rear spoiler is part of the boot rather than a separate panel. The offside was already cut out and boxed in - by the factory.

[B@man]

we had a wander around u-pull-it yesterday looking for a suitable gear lever boot as the original was mainly holes joined by frilly bits of rubber. As most euroboxes have the complete gear change remote inside the car they only have the trim to cover them. We found a BMW has a small boot but it attaches around the transmission tunnel so you would need to chop a lump of tunnel out. Eventually found the below on a fiesta which looks like it can be made to fit.



But my gear lever seems to have been modified, I guess to get the stick in the middle of the hole, but now for some reason the modified lever is too far back so it won't go into 2nd or 4th. Is this normal or a bodge to cure another problem?



Either way looks like it's not quite time to hang up the welding mask...

[B@man]

Thanks Ian,

I wonder If I've got the lever in the wrong position then as it's now clattering the handbrake which I assume the modification is to avoid, I'll try rotating it !

[B@man]

Not that either, just checked pictures in the bible and they show the same cranked gear lever - puzzled

[B@man]

Been to see Mark at powder & paint again

[B@man]

I was going to do just that but I'm really running out of time and I've decided to leave them as they are due to lower maintenance. For now anyway, I may Polish them at a later date

[B@man]

Final big push !

Most of the interior back in :



Refurbed Jag injectors fitted, oil system filled, connected the starter, primed pump by pouring oil back from the filter inlet, oil pressure now comes up, trumpet base fitted, new rocker covers fitted, injector wiring completed, new clutch hose (slightly too short) fitted and system bled.... To do list is slowly getting smaller

[B@man]

Whohoooooo she lives!!!

Reset fuel pressure and she fired up after minimal cranking

[B@man]

It's on Facebook, missed the initial cranking but still plenty of smoke!

[B@man]

Another late night....

Pretty much finished engine bay, pressure gauge needs removing once I've done a quick test run.



Wideband working




Thought this day would never come!



Next stop sd Autotech

[B@man]

It's not a problem it's not my house... ;-)

Seriously there is a utility room between the garage and the house

[B@man]

[B@man]

Well after a minor panic with the wrong front springs it's now mot'd taxed and tucked up in my garage...

Millbrook here we come