Restoration thread, I'm next

[MuffDaddy]

caduceus said:

I only bonded my mk3 ones in yesterday...wish I'd seen this before. They look great!. Look forward to seeing them switched on. Are they self levelling?

May I ask how much an Emerald ECU conversion is?

Regards
Cad

Not self levelling and I have no idea what I'm paying for the ECU. It's all part of one package. I'd guess around 2K

[caduceus]

VerySideways said:

My headlights went mk3 about 3 weeks ago :-)
Emerald is £2k drive in drive out, plus options.

Thanks!
Does the '3 power maps/options' come as standard?

[VerySideways]

caduceus said:

Thanks!
Does the '3 power maps/options' come as standard?

No, 3 maps option is a couple of hundred quid i think.
I didn't bother.

[MuffDaddy]

I'm not sure what options I have. Hopefully the car is back at the end of the month so I'll update with details and photos.

[MuffDaddy]

It's coming home. Let's call it phase one, is complete.

What's changed? From the outside nothing but underneath is all better than new. Pipes, brakes, shocks, tubes, paint, heat shield etc.

Ne new ECU yet, that is phase two. But I wanted to drive it for a few weeks before ECU, bodywork, subtle mods and respray/trim.

I pick it up next week so lots of pictures to follow. For now.

[MuffDaddy]

369 days later and it is back. From the outside nothing looks different but under the bonnet it looks shiny and new. Except some bits don't because they will be swapped out when the ECU is changed.



So what has changed?

Full chassis refurb
Nitrons
New wishbones
New steel hoses
New ACT pipes (elephant trunk due with ECU)
New radiator andfans
Droplinks
Balls joints
Engine mounts
Engine cleaned and plenum/rockers powder coated
Engine bay foil
Petrol pipes
Brake pipes
Callipers
Clutch
Discs
Full service and MOT
Probably lots more I've forgotten.

I'm getting the build pictures soon and will share those somewhere.

It's going back in at the start of October for some of the following

New lights (LED with shrouds)
New wing mirrors
New boot hinges with much wider opening
New hardtop roof
Respray
Interior trim
Electric handbrake
New audio

and some potentially controversial changes.

Regarding the respray, do I stay with Chrimson Starmist or take the punge and go for Aston Martin Divine Red.

Edited by MuffDaddy on Friday 24th September 15:49

[phazed]

Looks like it's going to be a great car.

As for colour, that's a personal choice..........

I had 3 maps:

Full power
Economy, (that's a laugh!)
Pops and bangs which at my age are embarrassing unless I was passing a gaggle of numpty cyclists

[SonicHedgeHog]

Go for the colour you REALLY want. So much more fun than sticking with the original just because it’s original.

[jr6yam]

If you're going to change the colour for another Red, Mazda soul Red is fantastic

[R8FUN]

jr6yam said:

If you're going to change the colour for another Red, Mazda soul Red is fantastic

Yes it is, until you need something re-painting. Its a three stage Pearl & a pig to match.
I had Chris Gregory do some work on my MX5 this year so I know how difficult it is.

[jr6yam]

R8FUN said:

jr6yam said:

If you're going to change the colour for another Red, Mazda soul Red is fantastic

Yes it is, until you need something re-painting. Its a three stage Pearl & a pig to match.
I had Chris Gregory do some work on my MX5 this year so I know how difficult it is.

I did not know that. Bit of a shame

[TwinKam]

You won't find a painter who disagrees with that. The final shade of a lot of these lovely 'new' paints is critically dependent on the amount of mid-coat applied, but it's not until the final lacquer coat is on that that becomes apparent...
Only really works when the new car is painted by robots at the factory.

[MuffDaddy]

Small update. It's with a very nice man in Chesterfield. It's the waiting that's the hardest.

[Classic Chim]

MuffDaddy said:

Small update. It's with a very nice man in Chesterfield. It's the waiting that's the hardest.

Haha. True. Should be really great when it’s all done. Fantastic

[VerySideways]

MuffDaddy said:

Small update. It's with a very nice man in Chesterfield. It's the waiting that's the hardest.

Very nice man in Chesterfield for the ecu? Oooh, longest 2 weeks of your life right there.
I remember the train journey to collect mine... and the drive home :-D

[MuffDaddy]

VerySideways said:

Very nice man in Chesterfield for the ecu? Oooh, longest 2 weeks of your life right there.
I remember the train journey to collect mine... and the drive home :-D

The very same nice guy. Unfortunately it will then go to bodywork and paint, I'm not sure I'm seeing it again before Easter.

[MuffDaddy]

Further update, I'm picking up a fancy new roof this weekend. Something else for the bodywork guys to get busy with.

What do we think a standard roof (both bits) is worth cloth and window both in good condition? I may well have one coming spare in the New Year.

[Classic Chim]

MuffDaddy said:

Further update, I'm picking up a fancy new roof this weekend. Something else for the bodywork guys to get busy with.

What do we think a standard roof (both bits) is worth cloth and window both in good condition? I may well have one coming spare in the New Year.

You would think a lot . It’s not often someone sells them if you think about it. £500-1500 if it comes complete and in good condition I’d imagine.
Best thing would be to contact a Tvr breaker for a price then half it,,
I’d not sell it just yet and until you have used the new roof for awhile but a breaker values these cars higher than most

Edited by Classic Chim on Thursday 16th December 12:23

[MuffDaddy]

I picked up the panoramic roof yesterday, even in parts and primer it looks like a work of art.

In other news, first Dyno test was 185BHP before any work. Interesting because it's always felt like it pulls well. That said I have no real benchmark and I generally potter rather than push on.

Slowly slowly.

[Bowks]

Username change!

I feel like I'm letting you all down. The car has been away for the best part of two years minus a couple of weeks between big jobs. In that time the underneath has been rebuilt and a new ECU is in progress.

Everything is taking so long. I'm kind of ok with this, it's being done to a high standard and I trust I'm not being messed around.

In the meantime there is uncertainty at work, so the body mods and respray will be put on hold until that's cleared up.

The up side, I think it's time to have a little fun, I expect to get the car back in a couple of weeks and to spend some time enjoying it. I will take a bunch of pictures and also a video. I can only find one video of an Emerald equipped Chimaera.

Hopefully I'll get to a few events too.

The next stage is body and paint and there are some big changes involved there. I've taken delivery of a panoramic roof, exceptional quality. I've got some bi-LED headlights and full LED tail lights, I'm going a different route with the mirrors.

Of course the job thing may go horribly wrong. If so, I'll have a rat rod TVR, beautiful underneath and tatty on top.