1985 Rover 3500 Vitesse
Discussion
Brakes are a pain in the bum, hopefully its all sorted now.
That piston tool looks awfully familiar too
I found this video really helpful for rebuilding my calipers, and it shows the same method I used to get the dust seals in place with no failures. Pushing the seal, retainer and piston down at the same time helps to not bend the retainer
https://youtu.be/9kmaWATUM_c?si=sYqAZgj4ZdLqQqzB&a...
That piston tool looks awfully familiar too
I found this video really helpful for rebuilding my calipers, and it shows the same method I used to get the dust seals in place with no failures. Pushing the seal, retainer and piston down at the same time helps to not bend the retainer
https://youtu.be/9kmaWATUM_c?si=sYqAZgj4ZdLqQqzB&a...
bolidemichael said:
Cliffhanger!
KelvinatorNZ said:
Brakes are a pain in the bum, hopefully its all sorted now.
That piston tool looks awfully familiar too
I found this video really helpful for rebuilding my calipers, and it shows the same method I used to get the dust seals in place with no failures. Pushing the seal, retainer and piston down at the same time helps to not bend the retainer
https://youtu.be/9kmaWATUM_c?si=sYqAZgj4ZdLqQqzB&a...
They really are! That tool looks incredibly familiar doesn't it. That piston tool looks awfully familiar too
I found this video really helpful for rebuilding my calipers, and it shows the same method I used to get the dust seals in place with no failures. Pushing the seal, retainer and piston down at the same time helps to not bend the retainer
https://youtu.be/9kmaWATUM_c?si=sYqAZgj4ZdLqQqzB&a...
That's the method I also used, I think the suppliers of different caps also have different thicknesses and designs, and that makes a massive difference too.
Bobberoo said:
Jesus what a PITA!!!
You are not wrong! At 7:30 I rolled it out of the garage.
I had no puddles under the car and I'd checked everything else, so let's go get an MOT.
Gave it a quick run around the block to check the brakes. I genuinely had someone pull out of a junction on me so can confirm that they work.
I'd wanted to do some more indepth tuning, but I just didn't have the time. So the drive to the MOT will have to do.
What the lambda did tell me though was it was running far too rich at cold start, idle, part throttle, and a little lean at WOT.
I'd received some brilliant tips on how to set up the AFM, basically you set it so the spring in the AFM is as tight as possible, but still outputs the 1.595v at 100% load. (generally a 3.5 to a 3.9 is 4-5 teeth tighter)
So I had a base to go off and used the adjustment screw to pull up the AFR to around 14:1.
I checked all lights, washer jets etc, and found the rear washer jet blocked...
A frantic checking activity ensued. The pump was working, the jet clear, and I had fluid to the non return valve under the bonnet. I couldn't clear it just by blowing , so disconnecting the jet and blowing air back through the line with a tyre compressor blew some rubbish out, and we had a clear line. It's a brave move as you can also blow joints or lines doing this... but I got lucky.
Thankfully and very unusually for that time of the morning the roads and M1 was clear.
Back to my favorite MOT garage. It's in enthusiast hands so although always nerve wrecking it's always good fun.
The wheels went down very well, there might have been some stroking...
Now unusually I didn't get any during MOT pictures, so you just get a boring it passed!
I headed home and back to work for the rest of the day feeling pretty smug.
I got off work and spent the drive home dialing in the tune a little more.
I added some more fuel pressure, and ended up with 13.8-14:1 at idle, 14 ish on cruise, and 12.6:1 at WOT full load.
That's with just under 50PSI of fuel pressure, so I can't image my spray pattern is perfect. You can also see that once you get to 6k RPM the AFR start to climb so I think I'm at the max of the standard injectors, but not bad at all. I could always drop some bigger jag ones in...
Gave the old girl a wash ready for the show and called it a day. Cars eh!
No rest for the wicked so up the next morning, and a soaking wet drive up to Telford.
Vitesse behaved beautifully, the new wipers and heater meant it didn't mist up at all. A massive improvement.
Got it cleaned, and just for the laughs chucked the turbofans on.
I really enjoyed being part of Voodoo Motorsport's stand showing off their beautiful work on the E53's.
I had a brilliant weekend, and in the end was worth the incredibly long week and stress to get there.
Having the car inside, prepped and secure for the evening was actually brilliant, meant waking up on Sunday for the show was the least stressful show day I'd ever had!
The drive home was equally as smooth, car really did me proud.
Joe
bolidemichael said:
Nice that you immediately reaped the rewards of your updated air con (and wipers), but where was the suspense for the MOT pass? I demand a refund!
And brakes... D I know I could have built the suspense a little bit couldn't I.
It is the 6th clean MOT it's had though so it surely deserve some credit for that!
witko999 said:
Love a set of gold wheels.
I see there's an Avenger at your Mot garage aswell.
I'm really starting to love the gold, really accents well with the red too I think.I see there's an Avenger at your Mot garage aswell.
Yes that was tucked away, I forgot to ask about it though.
Joe
davey83 said:
Fantastic cars, always loved these
You and me both! So it's been a very quiet winter, and not much has really changed!
Before Christmas a friend was telling me about a new venue venture he's involved with, Great Northern Classics in Derby. They were having a soft launch coffee morning so I thought I'd blow the cobwebs out.
Looks like a little more than cobwebs needed blowing out!
My dad was coming with me, so had started to pull the car out when a scurry of mice came from under the bonnet!
He managed to get a picture of the slower one...
I'd been ill (a covid reoccurance) so hadn't touched the car in a while, it probably had been sat for 6 weeks.
Luckily they'd just been in my already saggy under bonnet insulation, and at the back, so no visible damage.
I gave the under bonnet a really good look over and couldn't see any wiring damage, so I think I got lucky.
A detailed assessment of the damage and just a quick hoover was needed.
I gave it a good blast out to get it nice and hot and try and make it as unappealing to mice as possible!
Due to my earlier discovery I turned up quite late but still managed to coffee and a good look around. As it cleared out I got beckoned to park up front.
It's a really cool venue, and not too far from me, so I can't wait to see what they make of it.
I also visited the old Rolls Royce motor works as it was right around the corner. I work with modern RR engines and I've also got an interest in Derby Bentley's so really cool to see where the later were made.
When I got back home the Vitesse was tucked away but now with a few mouse traps around it!
The next few weeks parked up were less eventful until I of course signed up for the first Sunday scramble of the year.
I figured I'd give a good wash beforehand, and just wanted to have my wheels the shiniest, so gave them a really good wash.
It's still far from perfect, but so much nicer to both look at and work on that when I started.
Also just not touching the car while the weather was bad is not good for me, because I plot...
I've convinced myself that centrecaps makes the wheels look too OEM. You can't see the depth of the centres, and they don't look as "racey".
So I've taken them out...
I have the same opinion on my GKN's on my 1275GT's, and minilites any other minis...
Was a really good day, but god was a grateful of my newly amazing heater it was cold!
I also met up with fellow Vitesse owner Reece, we took pictures, we compared notes on how we've both messed with them, good times.
I also managed to just beat the gritters home so the car wasn't even that dirty.
Not a bad end to 2023 and start of 2024, sadly now the weather is now gross so the Vitesse is back in the garage. Again with lots of mouse traps...
Joe
A lovely car.
I had a mouse problem although for some reason they appear to have left the car alone and focused on plastic things (they've chewed through the nozzle of my handheld vacuum for instance!).
I got some of the Rentokil bait stations that have a green paste in them. It appears to work brilliantly including finding a couple of dead mice still with their teeth in the stuff.
I had a mouse problem although for some reason they appear to have left the car alone and focused on plastic things (they've chewed through the nozzle of my handheld vacuum for instance!).
I got some of the Rentokil bait stations that have a green paste in them. It appears to work brilliantly including finding a couple of dead mice still with their teeth in the stuff.
njw1 said:
As I said in the Granada thread I'd much rather read about this than a million quid supercar. Very good work!
ConnectionError said:
Me too
Mr Tidy said:
And me! 
High praise indeed about a man's obsession and ramblings about an 80's barge. 
One thing I do have to my advantage is more breaks so I have more to write about!
Speaking of which I'm still plotting my front suspension upgrade.
Front uprights "should" be ready from Bilstein in the next few weeks.
New front arms have arrived, but they'll need stripping and painting properly.
I am struggling to decide what to do about new front discs.
Go standard or some of the nicer EBC ones, I don't think anyone else makes discs for the SD1...
Joe
bolidemichael said:
Sorry to learn that you weren’t well, Joe. What a bummer but glad you’ve bounced back and your Vitesse alongside.
Yeah all good now! Bad news on the brakes front, I finally bit the bullet and ordered EBC discs and pads, only to be informed a few days later that they've discontinued that line and won't be making any more.
I actually can't find any for sale now, so I'm a bit screwed now...
So while the weather has been terrible and I haven't been doing stuff I've been plotting. There was a few pictures from last year that really highlight how much my colour choice of my steering wheel doesn't match the rest of the interior...
The Porsche Slate Grey has a really navy blue undertone, that does not match the brown grey Rover vinyl.
I spoke with the dye company and they offer a matching service, but as I'm trying to match the door cards and dash I can't exactly post them a sample. So I went with the more difficult option and bought a tinting kit.
By adding reds and yellows, then accommodating the shade with black and white I went through quite a few versions before I got to a colour that I was happy with, it also took ages as the wet colour and what it dries too are so different.
It also looks lighter here too...
But not in this pic!
Get that thing back on the car! Quite like the no pad look too, might have to order a centre badge...
But for me that's a lot better, I could have gone a lot browner like the original wheel, but I only remembered I had it to hand after I'd started dying...
Joe
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