On the road at last...!

[GV]

Well Friday was a great day with the MOT being sorted. Today I took the car for a gentle ride around town just to get the car moving with all its new parts and trying to get used to its new batch of noises.

First thing was to adjust SH front coilovers for a softer ride - the recomended settings I have found way too hard crashing over speed humps and diving into potholes. My approach was to set the shocks at their softest settings and count forward 10 clicks to stiffen the ride which is ok. My only concern is that the ride height on the driver's side is still a bit low with not very much adjustment left.

Having fitted the Webber carb with a Unilte Dizzy - the engine response is stupendous although the car needs a rolling road tune to give it some accurate tuning. I also need a 4 wheel alignement and a new hood due next month - then it will be out and about in time for the summer - hopefully to meet up with the rest of you at some point...


I've done much work to the car with some great input from you guys and would be willing to pass on any tips on the following.

Body work - cracks to paint prep
EFi - to Carb
Rear diff refurb
Rear brakes refurb
SH tie bars
SH drop links
Steering bulkhead bush upgrade
re-carpet
Dizzy replacement
Outrigger removal & replacement
front brake refurb
front disk to vented

There's loads more suffice to say I'll post some pics when I know how!

[AM400]

Nice one, look forward to seeing the pictures.

[grahamw48]

Well done mate!....sending my car to you by DHL... want it ready by easter please.

[Phil Mycock]

This ride height problem... is the shell sat square on the chassis? I've seen a few body/chassis cars with this problem and it's usually down to perishing or detachment of packing rubbers between the shell and chassis. Almost always low on driver's side as well funnily enough, so maybe they've all been owned by pie-eaters.

[GV]

Phil Mycock said:

This ride height problem... is the shell sat square on the chassis? I've seen a few body/chassis cars with this problem and it's usually down to perishing or detachment of packing rubbers between the shell and chassis. Almost always low on driver's side as well funnily enough, so maybe they've all been owned by pie-eaters.

That's a good point about the packing rubbers - but I first noticed it after the car was re-assembled and not before. I wonder if those packing rubbers can be replaced with the shell in situ once of course the relevant bolts come out in order to give the body a lift.

[peaktorque]

My 350i is very noticeably higher on the passenger side.

And my shell has actually fallen through the securing bolts on the front!

I am manufacturing some spreader plates from aluminium to sort this.

Coupled with the 'pie eating driver' effect and the collapsed frontage, the car has an angry stance if viewing the front right!

[GV]

How you gonna slip them in under the shell without lifting it off the chassis?

[peaktorque]

GV said:

How you gonna slip them in under the shell without lifting it off the chassis?

They are bolts welded onto (or rather through) the chassis at the very front.

One has already broken free of the weld, so it can removed totally and the spreader plate fitted. I'm going to have to take an angle grinder to the other though.

I think the car has 'kissed' something at some time, judging by the strangely applied fibre glass underneath!

Also due to strain of the nose being unsupported the front wheel arches have slightly split around the inside . Keeps me busy!

[wedgewood]

My 350i body has collapsed through the front body mount too. I was thinking of a 2 to 3 inch metal disc with a slit in it to slide under the body (would it do a load of damage to jack that corner up prior to sliding the disc in? Anyway it's been like it for the last 8 years and never seems to make it to the top of the 'to do' list!!!!