Twin Plenum Vitesse restoration
Discussion
More progress:
Car up nice and high to get access to the underside. As I had to move it about this wasn't finished at the same time the rest of the bodywork was:
Axle out, will strip, clean and replace brake lines etc:
I gave it (the underside) a good clean when I did the body a couple of years back, clearly it's not moved much since so only fairly minor surface rust. The underside was in pretty reasonable shape, remarkable considering how bad the rest of it was. A persistent oil leak kindly protected it over the years, messy to clean off though - borrowed an industrial steam cleaner from a chum.
Lovely new paint protected as I'm going to re-underseal the whole car:
First few coats of zinc on the trouble spots:
Engine bay all nice and shiny:
Car up nice and high to get access to the underside. As I had to move it about this wasn't finished at the same time the rest of the bodywork was:
Axle out, will strip, clean and replace brake lines etc:
I gave it (the underside) a good clean when I did the body a couple of years back, clearly it's not moved much since so only fairly minor surface rust. The underside was in pretty reasonable shape, remarkable considering how bad the rest of it was. A persistent oil leak kindly protected it over the years, messy to clean off though - borrowed an industrial steam cleaner from a chum.
Lovely new paint protected as I'm going to re-underseal the whole car:
First few coats of zinc on the trouble spots:
Engine bay all nice and shiny:
A customer of mine "Ron" from Beckenham, Kent, has a mint 3500 SD1 Vanden Plas he restored himself several years back. I was repairing his heating system and he suggested we dig the old girl out the garage, take it to Screwfix and fill it up with radiators.......Good lad!! Great old cars, glad your are keeping another one alive. Definate thumbs up!
and how could I forget this...
My Mum and her husband own this Police SD1!!
He runs a business supplying car for TV and movies. This is me driving my mum on their wedding day in it! We had to notify East Grinstead Police and blank off the "Police" wording. I had my mum in the SD1 and the bridesmaids were being driven behind in a pukka Mercedes riot bus!! Not a normal wedding...
Your car looks ace in black by the way. Good luck with it!
My Mum and her husband own this Police SD1!!
He runs a business supplying car for TV and movies. This is me driving my mum on their wedding day in it! We had to notify East Grinstead Police and blank off the "Police" wording. I had my mum in the SD1 and the bridesmaids were being driven behind in a pukka Mercedes riot bus!! Not a normal wedding...
Your car looks ace in black by the way. Good luck with it!
Furyblade_Lee said:
and how could I forget this...
My Mum and her husband own this Police SD1!!
He runs a business supplying car for TV and movies. This is me driving my mum on their wedding day in it! We had to notify East Grinstead Police and blank off the "Police" wording. I had my mum in the SD1 and the bridesmaids were being driven behind in a pukka Mercedes riot bus!! Not a normal wedding...
Your car looks ace in black by the way. Good luck with it!
I'm pretty sure my dad drove that car very often!My Mum and her husband own this Police SD1!!
He runs a business supplying car for TV and movies. This is me driving my mum on their wedding day in it! We had to notify East Grinstead Police and blank off the "Police" wording. I had my mum in the SD1 and the bridesmaids were being driven behind in a pukka Mercedes riot bus!! Not a normal wedding...
Your car looks ace in black by the way. Good luck with it!
Thanks for all the kind comments 
Some pictures:
The axle has support cups for the trailing arm bushes, these frequenlty rot off. I cut some off a couple of scrap cars from a support beam, exactly the same peice of pressed steel. So, spot welds drilled out and welded onto the axle.
Will take a picture of the finished article as now all cleaned up and painted.
All body work now competed as arches and underside painted and sealed.
Lots of loom damage from mice, quite a few burnt out wires. About a day of cutting and replcing. The connectors must have been where Dad did some remedial work in the past:
Some pictures:
The axle has support cups for the trailing arm bushes, these frequenlty rot off. I cut some off a couple of scrap cars from a support beam, exactly the same peice of pressed steel. So, spot welds drilled out and welded onto the axle.
Will take a picture of the finished article as now all cleaned up and painted.
All body work now competed as arches and underside painted and sealed.
Lots of loom damage from mice, quite a few burnt out wires. About a day of cutting and replcing. The connectors must have been where Dad did some remedial work in the past:
Any one know which calipers these are? I'm about 99% certain they're Sierra Cosworth rear calipers, but for vented or solid discs?
The gap in the carrier is 22mm, vented discs are 20, solids are 10mm. Looks too big for solid, but what will hold more will hold less...
I'm using them on my the Vitesse for a rear disc conversion, ignore the bolts, just mocking them up at the minute.
The gap in the carrier is 22mm, vented discs are 20, solids are 10mm. Looks too big for solid, but what will hold more will hold less...
I'm using them on my the Vitesse for a rear disc conversion, ignore the bolts, just mocking them up at the minute.
nismo48 said:
Hi there and awesome work and hats off to you..
Regards the gap in calipers..Allowing for brake pads/shims
think the gap suits solid discs..
The rear discs on all Sierras from memory were all solid..
With vented discs up front..
Happy New Year and keep the posts coming..!!
The Cosworth 4x4 had vented discs on the rear, 273mm wide. The spacing looks right for the 273mm wide and the 20mm thickness of the disc but not the offset.Regards the gap in calipers..Allowing for brake pads/shims
think the gap suits solid discs..
The rear discs on all Sierras from memory were all solid..
With vented discs up front..
Happy New Year and keep the posts coming..!!
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