1998 Continental R - one year on - Running costs

1998 Continental R - one year on - Running costs

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Discussion

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
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Many thanks Matt - that sort of contact is most helpful. I will give him a call. I think it was the chaps at Phantom Motors who recommended going back to cork but I could be wrong - I will call your chap and follow his advice.

While pottering around underneath the car, which is most enlightening, I have found that the 2 rear chassis dampers are well shot and doing next to nothing having leaked most of their fluid. They are relatively tiny dampers - body 3.5 inches (85mm) x 30 mm. so I find it difficult to swallow £190 apiece to replace them. Easily removed and as suspected lacking any return damping effect at all. They are unprotected and must get the full force of any weather and crud being thrown up by the wheels. I intend to dismantle them and see if they can be resealed etc or whether there is an alternative part - when re-assembling I intend to fabricate a 'shield' to prevent the degredation that must result from exposure. onwards and upwards !

matt5791

381 posts

125 months

Tuesday 7th April 2015
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Contimaz said:
Many thanks Matt - that sort of contact is most helpful. I will give him a call. I think it was the chaps at Phantom Motors who recommended going back to cork but I could be wrong - I will call your chap and follow his advice.

While pottering around underneath the car, which is most enlightening, I have found that the 2 rear chassis dampers are well shot and doing next to nothing having leaked most of their fluid. They are relatively tiny dampers - body 3.5 inches (85mm) x 30 mm. so I find it difficult to swallow £190 apiece to replace them. Easily removed and as suspected lacking any return damping effect at all. They are unprotected and must get the full force of any weather and crud being thrown up by the wheels. I intend to dismantle them and see if they can be resealed etc or whether there is an alternative part - when re-assembling I intend to fabricate a 'shield' to prevent the degredation that must result from exposure. onwards and upwards !
Yes, mine look pretty grotty too.

Let us know how you get on with them!

I think an annual spray over with waxoyl is a good option. I recently did the underside of my Jeep Commander - which seemed to have no undersealing or rust protection at all on the underside.

matt5791

381 posts

125 months

Sunday 12th April 2015
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An easy one to watch out for - at the weekend I applied the parking brake, only for the pedal to go all loose and refuse to return or stay "off" - I had to use one of my wife's elasticated hair bands to hold it in the "off" position to extinguish the warning light.

The reason - the linkage at the rear mechanism at the disk is in the firing line for all the wet and salt and general road scum. There are quite a few moving points, all of which were dry and gunged up.

A wire brush and some WD40 has made it work like new again, however. So an easy fix. Some grease will be applied to the parts now and inspected / cleaned at each service.

It's something that should be picked up during visual inspection at service - but probably isn't by most places.....

Image shows in "off" position. I like the design, and will clean up nicely.



Edited by matt5791 on Sunday 12th April 08:12

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Sunday 12th April 2015
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That is a useful pointer, which underlines the battering that the underside of the car takes and the corrosion and crud that builds up everywhere. Phantom Motors concur that they constantly see a real mess under these Continentals. While there is underseal in some places your photo shows other fittings which could do with wire brushing and a coat of black Hammerite.

I am trawling from front to rear doing just that - WD40 ing the moving part fittings then applying liberal grease and painting any surrounding areas which are rusty. The hand brake mechanism looks wonderfully robust and well engineered so at least freeing off should re-establish proper operation for years rather than having to spend a fortune replacing knackered parts.

I will take some photos if I come across any interesting fossils.

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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I thought a picture of the skimmed front brake discs may be of interest - you can also see the mandrel which ws made up to ensure the accuracy of the job. This mandrel is key to the job being spot on ( under a thou run out on each disc.) if anyone is interested to do the same let me know and the tool can be made available. The amount taken off was minimal and the discs have masses of thickness left before they reach minimum thickness for the pads and calipers.

Also a picture of the steering rack re-installed after being rebuilt.

And a picture of the wheelarch after being cleaned up and painted where rusty.

having had the car standing for 4 weeks while doing all this, there is a worrying small spillage of hydraulic fluid under a rear shock ....groan.....I had hoped that this would not be a problem area but it looks as though it will be the next job when the rear spring cups are addressed.

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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matt5791

381 posts

125 months

Wednesday 15th April 2015
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I'm getting spring envy - my front suspension is tired (actually, most of the cars I see seem to be a touch low on the front, I think it's a common problem). The metal disk on the suspension arm where the bump stop can meet it, is shiny, suggesting the two are coming into contact too frequently.

I really need to put in some new springs and generally tidy up the suspension, replacing any worn components at the same time.

I do need to skim my disks at some point too.

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Sunday 19th April 2015
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I am about to cut off the rear spring cups and refix new ones with the appropriate new shims etc all ensuring that the height is identical to the ones being removed.

At the same time I intend to renew a rear damper which is leaking. Has anyone undertaken this work ?

The pictures show how badly the RHS spring has corroded. I am slightly concerned that a damper replacement should be done in pairs and not singly - is this an issue ?

Are there any obvious pitfalls to avoid ? Any advice most welcome.

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Sunday 19th April 2015
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Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Sunday 19th April 2015
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Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Sunday 19th April 2015
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matt5791

381 posts

125 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Contimaz said:
I am about to cut off the rear spring cups and refix new ones with the appropriate new shims etc all ensuring that the height is identical to the ones being removed.

At the same time I intend to renew a rear damper which is leaking. Has anyone undertaken this work ?

The pictures show how badly the RHS spring has corroded. I am slightly concerned that a damper replacement should be done in pairs and not singly - is this an issue ?

Are there any obvious pitfalls to avoid ? Any advice most welcome.
Those spring cups are pretty bad! I don't know what your plans are re. the welds, but welding the new cups on would be a weld job I would, personally, assign to a coded welder. It's one thing to weld on a panel repair or an exhaust, but this is critical stuff. There are plenty of mobile welding guys around.

I remember when I was 18 I restored a Triumph Spitfire, and at the time my father had a number of small units, one of which was let to a coded welder who had previously worked on welding the seams on hydraulic rams for the Thames barrier - he generously came a welded on some new chassis outriggers for me. Needless to say, the welds were a work of art.


The dampers are re-buildable. Some people say they are not (eg. the workshop manual) but the right person in the right workshop can re-build them, so I am told.

I would think you can do just the one, but personally I would replace in pairs.

Edited by matt5791 on Monday 20th April 08:50

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Thanks for your comments - you are correct of course and I have contacted a mobile 'master' welder to come and do the job on site. I have also spoken at length to a chap called Matt who works at Introcar and who previously worked at Jack Barclay. He is a mine of information regarding the technicalities of this job and the damper replacement, which is enormously helpful. He was the designated welder who did the spring cup replacement.

The depressurising of the hydraulic system seems to be the only complication to the damper renewal.


Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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For interest and posterity I have posted a few photos to show the progress on rear suspension and the rusted rubbish that was removed.

The springs themselves are an interesting component to remove - they need a carefully measured stud wound up the centre into the top spring cone and when compressed it is best to attach 2 conventional spring compressors as well to ensure that the rusted cones don't let go while removing the spring.

The cups were carefully removed with a thin (1.2mm) disc cutter leaving a tiny nib to show where each weld had been so that the new cups can be lined up accurately in the correct place on all axes. All remaining metal was wire brushed and ground to ensure a clean surface for re-welding and a clean surface for zinc, hammerite and waxoil treatment.

The upper cones and shims and rubber cup lining were all in good condition, the lower ones all need throwing away apart from the rubber cup lining.

4 shims in the bottom cup, 3 shims in the top cup. New parts were sourced through Flying S and Introcar, both giving a first class delivery service.

The handbrake mechanism was removed and cleaned and regreased and re-fitted, alot of subframe rust was treated and repainted, springs were checked for cracks, cleaned and zinc coated and painted prior to re-assembly. Everything in the new cups was liberally coated with grease and the components re-assembled.

The job took 2 days for both sides. I day to remove everything and cut out the rot. One day to weld, paint , and re-assemble. Maybe the experts can go faster but there is a degree of satisfaction having the opportuity to examine and clean everything around the area at one's own speed.

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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The new spring cups welded in and painted.

Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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Contimaz

38 posts

110 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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