What's happening in your garage this weekend ?
Discussion
Hi
I am spending some of this weekend at the NEC looking at things I want in my new garage/workshop.
Some of the items already metioned will be on top of the list thanks!
I was also thinking of a trans jack, drip trays etc!
The one thing was what floor covering to have! The floor will be painted but should I have anything else on the floor?
Any more good ideas for anything else for the garage/workshop would be apprecated!
Andy
I am spending some of this weekend at the NEC looking at things I want in my new garage/workshop.
Some of the items already metioned will be on top of the list thanks!
I was also thinking of a trans jack, drip trays etc!
The one thing was what floor covering to have! The floor will be painted but should I have anything else on the floor?
Any more good ideas for anything else for the garage/workshop would be apprecated!
Andy
grahamw48 said:
See if you can get hold of one of those old 'Suntune' machines ?
You have to be careful with those; some had a calibration period programmed into them by the service techies and once it's expired the machine won't work... so a nice decorative pile of scrap, then 
We had a couple of out-of-service ones tucked away in a store-room at college when I trained as a mechanic (maaaaany moons ago, well OK 1992), I pestered a couple of the lecturers to see if I could buy one but the answer was always no: when the department closed to be converted to an IT training suite the whole lot went in a skip
grahamw48 said:
It was just a thought Ian. 
I knew somebody (like YOU) would be along to give me a good kicking.
There there I knew somebody (like YOU) would be along to give me a good kicking.
I think something like this would be right up your alley:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tribute-Automotive-A352-...
Well I finally fot around to adjusting the rear body on the passenger side and doing some very minor grinding inside the wheel arch - so I'm hoping the 16" 9J's at the rear won't rub any more.
Also adjusted my exhaust pipe so the stainless tip doesn't stick out at a funny angle any more.
Also hoping I might have identified the source of rear vibration at 70 (ish) - some of the wheelnuts were loose, none very tight. Trouble is they are under the OZ split rim covers and you tend to forget about them.
So - check your nuts, gentlemen!
A quick test drive over a high-speed bump normally causing the bottoming out has shown all the adjustments have worked - so I'll be ready for the new set of tyres on the back (and they won't get the shoulder worn away hopefully).
Of course, after adjusting the body now the passenger door won't shut - but more of that anon.
Bets buy of today - at the boot sale got a touch-up for Ford Nimbus Grey, and one for Ford Willow Green, which match both the Tiv's, for a pound each! Baaargin. The green one is the closest I have found so far "off the shelf" as a match for the 400SX.
Also adjusted my exhaust pipe so the stainless tip doesn't stick out at a funny angle any more.
Also hoping I might have identified the source of rear vibration at 70 (ish) - some of the wheelnuts were loose, none very tight. Trouble is they are under the OZ split rim covers and you tend to forget about them.
So - check your nuts, gentlemen!
A quick test drive over a high-speed bump normally causing the bottoming out has shown all the adjustments have worked - so I'll be ready for the new set of tyres on the back (and they won't get the shoulder worn away hopefully).
Of course, after adjusting the body now the passenger door won't shut - but more of that anon.
Bets buy of today - at the boot sale got a touch-up for Ford Nimbus Grey, and one for Ford Willow Green, which match both the Tiv's, for a pound each! Baaargin. The green one is the closest I have found so far "off the shelf" as a match for the 400SX.
Edited by adam quantrill on Sunday 18th November 13:55
Done nothing to the car (again! ) but I did get to the bottom of a bizarre fault with one of my lathes: it was cutting a nice regular pattern into any turned surface irrespective of spindle speed, depth of cut, manual or automatic feed etc. etc.. Having ruled out slop in the main bearings I tried swapping the single-phase 3HP motor for its original 3-phase unit and hey presto, the patterning has gone.
Bit of a relief, I had visions of new headstock bearings at £650 a set...
) but I did get to the bottom of a bizarre fault with one of my lathes: it was cutting a nice regular pattern into any turned surface irrespective of spindle speed, depth of cut, manual or automatic feed etc. etc.. Having ruled out slop in the main bearings I tried swapping the single-phase 3HP motor for its original 3-phase unit and hey presto, the patterning has gone.Bit of a relief, I had visions of new headstock bearings at £650 a set...
Busy weekend...
...and the past couple of months. 350i is nearly ready to roll with:
New (risky ebay purchase!) gearbox
New gearchange remote bushes
New camshaft and timing gear
New fuel injectors (again a potentially risky ebay purchase...)
New engine cooling fan and wiring refurb
New front sidelights/indicators and headlamps
Refurbished headlamp/spotlamp wiring (how many relays does that lot need!!!)
New roll bar bushes, trying polyurethane after a poor experience with aftermarket rubber bushes
and it's got an appointment to have the outriggers sorted:
...and the past couple of months. 350i is nearly ready to roll with:
New (risky ebay purchase!) gearbox
New gearchange remote bushes
New camshaft and timing gear
New fuel injectors (again a potentially risky ebay purchase...)
New engine cooling fan and wiring refurb
New front sidelights/indicators and headlamps
Refurbished headlamp/spotlamp wiring (how many relays does that lot need!!!)
New roll bar bushes, trying polyurethane after a poor experience with aftermarket rubber bushes
and it's got an appointment to have the outriggers sorted:
Something you don't see very often these days (partly due to the 'only just enough metal' approach) is brake discs being resurfaced (or 'skimmed'), so as I had a crusty pair from my 390SE lying around I thought I'd keep my hand in and make them serviceable again, 'just in case'
I'd left the nearside disc on a bit of carpet under the car and it had sucked so much moisture out of the air that the disc had rusted - to the carpet! I gripped the disc by the truest part of it, the centre boss hole and checked it for runout. It was close enough as makes no odds so I spun it up to 130rpm and tickled it with an HSS tool:
The side that hadn't been on the carpet wasn't especially rusty but by god it was as ripply as a Sigourney Weaver character ;^) so that'll need dressing too:
Meanwhile on the other side of the disc, the rust was coming off quickly:
and it some became apparent that there was a prominent wear ridge (the matt grey band just where the cutting edge of the tool is) that would need bringing back level with the rest of the surface:
Didn't take long to get somewhere near a useable surface, there's still plenty more than the minimum thickness so although I have new discs to fit, I'll finish dressing and sandblast the remaining rust off these and hang on to them as spares. Worth it for the practice, anyway... I was just about to do the other side when my mother turned up for dinner, so that was game over for the weekend
I'd left the nearside disc on a bit of carpet under the car and it had sucked so much moisture out of the air that the disc had rusted - to the carpet! I gripped the disc by the truest part of it, the centre boss hole and checked it for runout. It was close enough as makes no odds so I spun it up to 130rpm and tickled it with an HSS tool:
The side that hadn't been on the carpet wasn't especially rusty but by god it was as ripply as a Sigourney Weaver character ;^) so that'll need dressing too:
Meanwhile on the other side of the disc, the rust was coming off quickly:
and it some became apparent that there was a prominent wear ridge (the matt grey band just where the cutting edge of the tool is) that would need bringing back level with the rest of the surface:
Didn't take long to get somewhere near a useable surface, there's still plenty more than the minimum thickness so although I have new discs to fit, I'll finish dressing and sandblast the remaining rust off these and hang on to them as spares. Worth it for the practice, anyway... I was just about to do the other side when my mother turned up for dinner, so that was game over for the weekend
Hmm, cost of outrigger work. I got three quotes; RTR, local resto company (Transmitter Man knows them well), and local trusted garage. RTR £1200+VAT (gulp!), resto co about 1/2 of that (with caveats), local garage a tenth of RTR price.
To be fair, the local place have seen the car and the others are working from (quite extensive) photos and my description. My assessment is that the tubes are OK (they withstood a hammer assisted poking and 'ring' nicely), both rear plates need replacing, one front plate needs patching and the other front plate is OK.
My arrangement with the local garage is that I remove and replace the sill covers and do the undersealing/painting; plus I'll crack off the chassis to body bolts to make sure they're not a problem. Effectively all they're doing is fabrication and welding, they've done complex restoration work for me in the past and I have confidence in their ability. Less than a day's work for them.
To be fair, the local place have seen the car and the others are working from (quite extensive) photos and my description. My assessment is that the tubes are OK (they withstood a hammer assisted poking and 'ring' nicely), both rear plates need replacing, one front plate needs patching and the other front plate is OK.
My arrangement with the local garage is that I remove and replace the sill covers and do the undersealing/painting; plus I'll crack off the chassis to body bolts to make sure they're not a problem. Effectively all they're doing is fabrication and welding, they've done complex restoration work for me in the past and I have confidence in their ability. Less than a day's work for them.
Edited by The Hatter on Monday 26th November 08:45
Edited by The Hatter on Monday 26th November 08:46
The Hatter said:
My arrangement with the local garage is that I remove and replace the sill covers and do the undersealing/painting; plus I'll crack off the chassis to body bolts to make sure they're not a problem. Effectively all they're doing is fabrication and welding, they've done complex restoration work for me in the past and I have confidence in their ability. Less than a day's work for them.
Not bad at all Martin, last time I did a pair I charged £250 (and some said it was way too cheap!) - that was both tubes, all the plates, all new bolts and I stripped, reassembled and painted as well.It is hard to get at the backs of the plates once they've been welded in, mind; I painted them first and just had to touch-up afterwards.
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