450 SEAC - the return
Discussion
Well I thought I'd just update this thread to finish it off for now, as the SEAC is now MOTed and taxed for the first time since 2007, and it's getting a daily run out.
So last few jobs were to sort the seats. Firstly I wanted to modify the rear outer seat runner fastening as it was on top of the roll bar mount and a total pain to access.
The blue section of the seats were both looking decidedly tired and cracked so I used the Furniture Clinics kit again to clean the seats, fix and seal all the cracks and then very carefully re-colour the blue bits.
Before:
And after. Well pleased with the results.
And then the straight forward job of refitting them into the car.
I've refitted the old boot carpet for now, but I will change it for new at some point in the future. All of the interior card liners have been removed at some point in the past to provide more boot space.
Nearly there. The alloys were tatty so I had them stripped and coated. Rather than going for the usual polished rim and lacquer I went for a chrome look powder coating which hopefully will be more durable. Four new Toyo Proxes TR1's completed the wheels and once fitted the car was dropped down off it's axle stands, where it has been sitting for the last 8 months and driven out of the garage for the first time since I bought the car last September. My lad took the video, so sorry for the aspect change from landscape to portrait!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZjdquiFgv8
Bonnet was then fitted and a thorough pre-MOT inspection. All good apart from the rear offside wheel which had excessive play in it, so a pair of new rear wheel bearings were ordered. A short crafty drive just out of the village and back was had and this was when I noticed that if I tried a fast gear change or any gear change at high rpm then the synchro crunched. After some investigation I found the gear box remote bushes were shot so new poly bushes ordered up.
Finally the car was handed to my local garage to fit the wheel bearings and remote bushes, because it's easier on their ramps. Work was complete and the car passed its MOT with no advisories. A lengthy hoon down the lanes however and the gearbox synchro issue is still there. I've tried a flush and putting original spec ATF in the box but it's made no difference so at some point I'll have to pull the box out and get it rebuilt. For the time being however it's fine for squirting around as long as I'm a little sympathetic to the gear change. Happy days. Cheers.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/VVLweJaJ.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/U9d87Bkb" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/U9d87Bkb.jpg)
So last few jobs were to sort the seats. Firstly I wanted to modify the rear outer seat runner fastening as it was on top of the roll bar mount and a total pain to access.
The blue section of the seats were both looking decidedly tired and cracked so I used the Furniture Clinics kit again to clean the seats, fix and seal all the cracks and then very carefully re-colour the blue bits.
Before:
And after. Well pleased with the results.
And then the straight forward job of refitting them into the car.
I've refitted the old boot carpet for now, but I will change it for new at some point in the future. All of the interior card liners have been removed at some point in the past to provide more boot space.
Nearly there. The alloys were tatty so I had them stripped and coated. Rather than going for the usual polished rim and lacquer I went for a chrome look powder coating which hopefully will be more durable. Four new Toyo Proxes TR1's completed the wheels and once fitted the car was dropped down off it's axle stands, where it has been sitting for the last 8 months and driven out of the garage for the first time since I bought the car last September. My lad took the video, so sorry for the aspect change from landscape to portrait!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZjdquiFgv8
Bonnet was then fitted and a thorough pre-MOT inspection. All good apart from the rear offside wheel which had excessive play in it, so a pair of new rear wheel bearings were ordered. A short crafty drive just out of the village and back was had and this was when I noticed that if I tried a fast gear change or any gear change at high rpm then the synchro crunched. After some investigation I found the gear box remote bushes were shot so new poly bushes ordered up.
Finally the car was handed to my local garage to fit the wheel bearings and remote bushes, because it's easier on their ramps. Work was complete and the car passed its MOT with no advisories. A lengthy hoon down the lanes however and the gearbox synchro issue is still there. I've tried a flush and putting original spec ATF in the box but it's made no difference so at some point I'll have to pull the box out and get it rebuilt. For the time being however it's fine for squirting around as long as I'm a little sympathetic to the gear change. Happy days. Cheers.
Edited by KKson on Saturday 23 May 14:45
rev-erend said:
Well done. Great progress.
Re the gearbox. Two things remain as possibilities:
Clutch is worn out, check if it does into 1st, then try reverse. Is bit point near the floor?
Finally, could be the box needs a rebuild. Perhaps syncro is worn.
Thanks Alan. Clutch bite going into 1st or reverse is mid travel on the clutch pedal and there is no crunching at all. Both gears select nice and smooth. If I keep the revs down when going up the box then okay. If I let the revs go to say 4,500rpm before changing up then they crunch. Likewise coming down the box, if I clutch down, count to say 4 and then bring clutch up then all okay. If I either try straight into a lower gear at anything higher than say 3,500rpm or even try and blip the throttle to match the gear speeds then nasty crunch. Crunching is on 2nd, 3rd and 4th but not 5th. I might try a bottle of molyslip in there also, but clutching at straws now I think.....Re the gearbox. Two things remain as possibilities:
Clutch is worn out, check if it does into 1st, then try reverse. Is bit point near the floor?
Finally, could be the box needs a rebuild. Perhaps syncro is worn.
putting in anti-friction additives are not going to improve the OP'ers issue 
Mr Tank said:
Hi Keith
Great pic and work on your SEAC.
I see you have the wide fitting door cards, did you do that or were they done from new?
Andy
Hi Andy, thanks for the comments. I've been putting some miles on the SEAC and it is awesome, apart from synchro on 2nd, 3rd and 4th - a job for the winter.Great pic and work on your SEAC.
I see you have the wide fitting door cards, did you do that or were they done from new?
Andy
Door cards are definitely original, and a bit tatty inside.
Hope you are okay and still enjoying your Astons.
This was a pre-lockdown run out on Saturday.
KKson said:
Hi Andy, thanks for the comments. I've been putting some miles on the SEAC and it is awesome, apart from synchro on 2nd, 3rd and 4th - a job for the winter.
Door cards are definitely original, and a bit tatty inside.
Hope you are okay and still enjoying your Astons.
This was a pre-lockdown run out on Saturday.
Hi KeithDoor cards are definitely original, and a bit tatty inside.
Hope you are okay and still enjoying your Astons.
This was a pre-lockdown run out on Saturday.
It's only one Aston now, but a Bentley has joined to replace the other Aston.
Keep up the good resto work, interesting about the door cards, TVR must have improved the way the did the door cards to continuing using that style of the door cards. Because they were not great on my 280i which I believe was the first to have this type of door card fitted.
I may now go out for a drive in the Vanquish, with the heater on full and the roof down to enjoy this Autumn sunshine.
Andy
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