Built vs Bought
Discussion
Forgive the lack of updates. The have been ups and downs.
The MG ZT had a sudden and catastrophic water pump failure. Literally came from nowhere. The car was supposed to have been serviced last MOT but when the pump went it took the cam'belt, twelve valves and one of the head gaskets with it.
I had managed to save up for the retired Uno race car but had to replace the MG instead.
With this...
....mighty steed of a Rover 620Ti. As quick as the MG, smaller on the outside, bigger inside and as economical. Best of all a factory fitted dogs dick tow bar so I managed...
...to get the soon to be built Uno home at least.
Now the plan was to get the race car and build one as quick using the 1368cc 16V (98hp) engine from a Fiat Idea I bought for my sister last year.
I bought a set of wheel straps to get that home and the fun begins.
It was a tad wet when I pulled the engine out.
Phase 1 ditch the ecu, injectors and other ballast.
Ignition taken care of by the Uno distributor (using a knackered old Panda one at this stage) replacing the drive with an 18mm socket so I don't have to cut a locating wedge in the camshaft bolt. The original locator is too short and a standard socket too long. It would be easier to shorten and drill the socket than lengthen the shaft or weld a nut on the end of the bolt to meet it.
I'm thinking bike carb's for fueling. I have a set from my GSXR250R SP that'll be too small and from my old FZR1000 that are too big. CBR600 ones should do the trick. Having said that the ports are tiny...
...compared to any engines I have played with before so I guess a new base plate and fun ahead.
The Uno has a sunroof and I'm not a fan of those on track so before headed to the scrap heap the Idea had one more part to give.
Now do I use duct-tape or silicone?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoSIWYkNI8g
@1:09 I think I'll weld it.
The MG ZT had a sudden and catastrophic water pump failure. Literally came from nowhere. The car was supposed to have been serviced last MOT but when the pump went it took the cam'belt, twelve valves and one of the head gaskets with it.
I had managed to save up for the retired Uno race car but had to replace the MG instead.
With this...
....mighty steed of a Rover 620Ti. As quick as the MG, smaller on the outside, bigger inside and as economical. Best of all a factory fitted dogs dick tow bar so I managed...
...to get the soon to be built Uno home at least.
Now the plan was to get the race car and build one as quick using the 1368cc 16V (98hp) engine from a Fiat Idea I bought for my sister last year.
I bought a set of wheel straps to get that home and the fun begins.
It was a tad wet when I pulled the engine out.
Phase 1 ditch the ecu, injectors and other ballast.
Ignition taken care of by the Uno distributor (using a knackered old Panda one at this stage) replacing the drive with an 18mm socket so I don't have to cut a locating wedge in the camshaft bolt. The original locator is too short and a standard socket too long. It would be easier to shorten and drill the socket than lengthen the shaft or weld a nut on the end of the bolt to meet it.
I'm thinking bike carb's for fueling. I have a set from my GSXR250R SP that'll be too small and from my old FZR1000 that are too big. CBR600 ones should do the trick. Having said that the ports are tiny...
...compared to any engines I have played with before so I guess a new base plate and fun ahead.
The Uno has a sunroof and I'm not a fan of those on track so before headed to the scrap heap the Idea had one more part to give.
Now do I use duct-tape or silicone?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoSIWYkNI8g
@1:09 I think I'll weld it.
So today...
I went to visit.
https://www.facebook.com/EliteMotorsportEngineerin...
To get some barely broken in tyres from a couple of Ginneta Jnr's.
Serious case of shed envy here.
195-50-15 Pilot Sport tyres as fitted to my Alfa 145
Should fit the arches of the Uno...
...once the Stilo Steel wheels arrive.
I went to visit.
https://www.facebook.com/EliteMotorsportEngineerin...
To get some barely broken in tyres from a couple of Ginneta Jnr's.
Serious case of shed envy here.
195-50-15 Pilot Sport tyres as fitted to my Alfa 145
Should fit the arches of the Uno...
...once the Stilo Steel wheels arrive.
Started stripping the interior today.
It's just as well I'll be fitting harnesses as these...
...lower seat belt mounts are a certain MOT failure.
I'm thinking of cutting the spare wheel well out...
...fitting a plate to make it flat so I can...
...have a rear diffuser from the beam axle back to the bumper between the back box and tow point.
It's just as well I'll be fitting harnesses as these...
...lower seat belt mounts are a certain MOT failure.
I'm thinking of cutting the spare wheel well out...
...fitting a plate to make it flat so I can...
...have a rear diffuser from the beam axle back to the bumper between the back box and tow point.
In other news I dropped the inlet manifold and old exhaust gasket off at...
http://www.optimastainless.co.uk/
...to get some base plates made.
http://www.optimastainless.co.uk/
...to get some base plates made.
I don't need to do a pedantic step by step guide of how to overhaul rear brakes do I?
Considering the old girl has been stored outside both wheel cylinders being seized solid was not a surprise. ?
New shoes and cylinders all round, wheel bearings greased up, but I could not bleed them as the pedal is would not move. So it's either sized front calipers, knackered bias valve (if they Uno has one like my Pandas have) or knackered master cylinder.
As the car will be...
"Moving faster!"
...I was going to replace...
"The Master! Master! Master of puppets is pulling your stings!"
...anyway.
Considering the old girl has been stored outside both wheel cylinders being seized solid was not a surprise. ?
New shoes and cylinders all round, wheel bearings greased up, but I could not bleed them as the pedal is would not move. So it's either sized front calipers, knackered bias valve (if they Uno has one like my Pandas have) or knackered master cylinder.
As the car will be...
"Moving faster!"
...I was going to replace...
"The Master! Master! Master of puppets is pulling your stings!"
...anyway.
The Cinquecento/Seicento had different wheel bearings and therefore offset.
Sorry about the introduction. It was for the old PPC forum as part of my £999 Challenge build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVXVO-reYyQ=48s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-_uEg0fxc0&t=...
The offset and bearing meant at the time companies would charge extra for "conversion" discs. That were the same as Bravo HLX or mk2 Punto HGT ones.
I have all the bits in my shed to do the big brake conversion later but they are significantly heavier than the Idea brakes up front with Uno drums at the back. With as little weight as possible the drums should be fine. Stripped out the Uno should weigh around the 700Kg mark.
Sorry about the introduction. It was for the old PPC forum as part of my £999 Challenge build.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVXVO-reYyQ=48s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-_uEg0fxc0&t=...
The offset and bearing meant at the time companies would charge extra for "conversion" discs. That were the same as Bravo HLX or mk2 Punto HGT ones.
I have all the bits in my shed to do the big brake conversion later but they are significantly heavier than the Idea brakes up front with Uno drums at the back. With as little weight as possible the drums should be fine. Stripped out the Uno should weigh around the 700Kg mark.
Poop!
For some reason unlike my old Uno 60S this one has Fiat Panda "I like to seize solid if I'm left for a few weeks" aluminium calipers. Solves the mystery of why the pedal does not move at all but also is a massive pain in the faff because I would need new hubs and bearings to fit anything I have kept in my shed. That and the wishbones being miraculous means I will not be able to make it on track this month. Realistically the track day on October 25th is out as well.
I'm already thinking "long term" and considering bodywork and paint options.
No spiders or snails were knowingly harmed while working on the Uno and were rehomed.
For some reason unlike my old Uno 60S this one has Fiat Panda "I like to seize solid if I'm left for a few weeks" aluminium calipers. Solves the mystery of why the pedal does not move at all but also is a massive pain in the faff because I would need new hubs and bearings to fit anything I have kept in my shed. That and the wishbones being miraculous means I will not be able to make it on track this month. Realistically the track day on October 25th is out as well.
I'm already thinking "long term" and considering bodywork and paint options.
No spiders or snails were knowingly harmed while working on the Uno and were rehomed.
All summer my local tyre fitters have worked on a Sunday. Not today. Meh.
So I got started on something else.
I never noticed the boot floor was bent before.
The rear valance was 3cm further in the middle but the tailgate slam panel was unaffected. Poor thing must have had a rough previous life.
So I cut it out anyway...
...just to see if the exhaust rubber was perished.
Not really.
I trimmed the plate ready to fit...
...so long as I don't endanger the manifold it should be fine.
And I have a boot floor repair panel for an Uno turbo that's being restored.
On the topic of manifolds. I got an email from Optima...
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/KDqMeLJy[/url
Yowzers!
The last ones were £30 each.
I have ordered some 6mm mild steel plate and I will make them myself.
So I got started on something else.
I never noticed the boot floor was bent before.
The rear valance was 3cm further in the middle but the tailgate slam panel was unaffected. Poor thing must have had a rough previous life.
So I cut it out anyway...
...just to see if the exhaust rubber was perished.
Not really.
I trimmed the plate ready to fit...
...so long as I don't endanger the manifold it should be fine.
And I have a boot floor repair panel for an Uno turbo that's being restored.
On the topic of manifolds. I got an email from Optima...
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/KDqMeLJy[/urlYowzers!
The last ones were £30 each.
I have ordered some 6mm mild steel plate and I will make them myself.
Today didn't go according to plan.
I was supposed to get home from work, sleep until around lunch time and set about taking the Uno 60S engine and gearbox out of the car.
Instead I was woken up before nine by some rev' limiter bouncing Darwinist outside. Okay before nine isn't an unreasonable time of the day to be a complete tool; how was it supposed to know there was a shift worker in the house they were outside?
Anyway today's plans were scuppered, due to my lack of sleep extracting the Uno engine today would have involved more swearing than my neighbors deserve.
So...
...I got the tyres fitted and test fitted the Stilo wheels.
Just like the Momo Ferrari wheels I had on my Uno Turbo they needed a 10mm spacer to clear the rear arm by 8mm and only just fit inside the arches.
A 10mm spacer was required up front as well to clear the suspension but the original bolts were long enough this end.
I have a set of 20mm longer bolts from fitting Uno Turbo wheels to my Panda and the spacers were pre-drilled to fit the hubs using the disc bolts.
My longer bolts were too long due to the Uno Turbo wheels being much thicker than the Stilo Steels and the original bolts too short at the rear so I used Mk2 Punto bolts that were 12mm longer than the original 60S ones. I'll get a complete set of those when I fit the wheels the final time.
For those of you who aren't aware of my previous adventures (with parody)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Y7te7boDk
...I have applied the same principal here...
...to get a rough idea how the car will look 60mm lower.
Then I got bored.
Does anyone want 350g or plastic washers?
I have a track day spec' bumper now.
I'm going to try and have a nap before work.
I was supposed to get home from work, sleep until around lunch time and set about taking the Uno 60S engine and gearbox out of the car.
Instead I was woken up before nine by some rev' limiter bouncing Darwinist outside. Okay before nine isn't an unreasonable time of the day to be a complete tool; how was it supposed to know there was a shift worker in the house they were outside?
Anyway today's plans were scuppered, due to my lack of sleep extracting the Uno engine today would have involved more swearing than my neighbors deserve.
So...
...I got the tyres fitted and test fitted the Stilo wheels.
Just like the Momo Ferrari wheels I had on my Uno Turbo they needed a 10mm spacer to clear the rear arm by 8mm and only just fit inside the arches.
A 10mm spacer was required up front as well to clear the suspension but the original bolts were long enough this end.
I have a set of 20mm longer bolts from fitting Uno Turbo wheels to my Panda and the spacers were pre-drilled to fit the hubs using the disc bolts.
My longer bolts were too long due to the Uno Turbo wheels being much thicker than the Stilo Steels and the original bolts too short at the rear so I used Mk2 Punto bolts that were 12mm longer than the original 60S ones. I'll get a complete set of those when I fit the wheels the final time.
For those of you who aren't aware of my previous adventures (with parody)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Y7te7boDk
...I have applied the same principal here...
...to get a rough idea how the car will look 60mm lower.
Then I got bored.
Does anyone want 350g or plastic washers?
I have a track day spec' bumper now.
I'm going to try and have a nap before work.
Well. I was woken this morning around half ten by neighbors doing some DIY. So almost four hours sleep out of seventy two. Meh.
Sleep deprived, but not exhausted...
...yet.
I'll trim it tomorrow to fit the engine rather than the gasket so there's more subject metal to weld the four branches to.
Sleep deprived, but not exhausted...
...yet.
I'll trim it tomorrow to fit the engine rather than the gasket so there's more subject metal to weld the four branches to.
Quite an eventful day today.
You know you've done a decent job making the back of the car lighter if this happens when you lift from the front subframe.
First off was the exhaust. Now I fancied doing a Paul Hogan...
"That's not an exhaust...
...that an exhaust!"
...but there are people who get out of bed extra early to be offended by nothing so I won't bother.
As I had the plastic arch liner out I pushed out the dent the go-pro mount failed to before.
At a little over 1.4 kilos each they will not be going back on either. One of the YouTube tuning channels I can't remember which one did a test session with a car on a track. Setting a lap time removing weight and setting another lap. Each Kilo worked out about 0.057 seconds quicker with no other modifications so the arch liners are a tenth!!!
Here's a top tip for you. While the liners are out you can use the bumper brace bar to support your caliper.
When playing with a wet box it's a good idea to tackle the plug side first. That way when you pull out the shaft it will lube the plug making it easier to screw.
Make sure you have a bucket handy so you don't make a mess.
Uno radiator out and Idea one test nowhere near fitted...
...but the Punto GT one I had in my shed looks to be a winner.
Front bumper modification is not as extreme as the rear as I only need to increase air flow to the radiator. More holes would mean more drag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izFWzC2coPI
The Uno bonnet doesn't have the frontal drop of the Cinquecento so to keep things legal (looking) I mounted the original plate slightly lower.
The engine dropped out even though I forgot one of the heater matrix pipes and broke the plastic "T" piece. Never mind I'll work out how to plumb it all in later.
You know you've done a decent job making the back of the car lighter if this happens when you lift from the front subframe.
First off was the exhaust. Now I fancied doing a Paul Hogan...
"That's not an exhaust...
...that an exhaust!"
...but there are people who get out of bed extra early to be offended by nothing so I won't bother.
As I had the plastic arch liner out I pushed out the dent the go-pro mount failed to before.
At a little over 1.4 kilos each they will not be going back on either. One of the YouTube tuning channels I can't remember which one did a test session with a car on a track. Setting a lap time removing weight and setting another lap. Each Kilo worked out about 0.057 seconds quicker with no other modifications so the arch liners are a tenth!!!
Here's a top tip for you. While the liners are out you can use the bumper brace bar to support your caliper.
When playing with a wet box it's a good idea to tackle the plug side first. That way when you pull out the shaft it will lube the plug making it easier to screw.
Make sure you have a bucket handy so you don't make a mess.
Uno radiator out and Idea one test nowhere near fitted...
...but the Punto GT one I had in my shed looks to be a winner.
Front bumper modification is not as extreme as the rear as I only need to increase air flow to the radiator. More holes would mean more drag.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izFWzC2coPI
The Uno bonnet doesn't have the frontal drop of the Cinquecento so to keep things legal (looking) I mounted the original plate slightly lower.
The engine dropped out even though I forgot one of the heater matrix pipes and broke the plastic "T" piece. Never mind I'll work out how to plumb it all in later.
Bit of an update.
Both inlet and exhaust base plates are done...
...who needs laser cutters anyway?
Engine mount bolts straight on.
The Idea rear gearbox mount needed the Uno rubber bush to fit the car.
But the front gearbox mount is where I get to have some fun. Bracket for the box...
...so I can either weld or weld bolts and drill holes to the Uno mount once I trial fit the engine.
This would have been done today or tomorrow but my night shift didn't end until eleven this morning and I'm doing day shift tomorrow due to a scheduling balls up.
Just as well I have a back up plan for next Tuesday eh?
Both inlet and exhaust base plates are done...
...who needs laser cutters anyway?
Engine mount bolts straight on.
The Idea rear gearbox mount needed the Uno rubber bush to fit the car.
But the front gearbox mount is where I get to have some fun. Bracket for the box...
...so I can either weld or weld bolts and drill holes to the Uno mount once I trial fit the engine.
This would have been done today or tomorrow but my night shift didn't end until eleven this morning and I'm doing day shift tomorrow due to a scheduling balls up.
Just as well I have a back up plan for next Tuesday eh?
I decided not to take the back up Schumacher to the track day Tuesday. Feeling a bit down I picked myself up and did some welding.
Some fabricating...
...and a happy dance when it actually fitted.
Engine mounted.
Plenty or room for a t-jet in there.
I couldn't find a spirit level so had to improvise.
Some fabricating...
...and a happy dance when it actually fitted.
Engine mounted.
Plenty or room for a t-jet in there.
I couldn't find a spirit level so had to improvise.
After an epic day yesterday getting the engine mounted....
....today...
....I made a left foot rest.
I also fed the gear selector cables to the box...
...but the are a tad short for the Uno floor so I will make the hole bigger and fold up a lip to weld the mounting plate to in the morning.
....today...
....I made a left foot rest.
I also fed the gear selector cables to the box...
...but the are a tad short for the Uno floor so I will make the hole bigger and fold up a lip to weld the mounting plate to in the morning.
Last time I painted a car violet and yellow volcanic ash made the paint look flat.
Now I'm thinking about getting my spray gun out of hibernation...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6198659/I...
Now I'm thinking about getting my spray gun out of hibernation...
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6198659/I...
This morning things got a bit shifty...
...so now I have all the gears from the Idea.
This afternoon I know the Daily Mail says there are fifty two different types of i-fold but I made a man-ifold...
...and it fits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4UqMyldS7Q
...so now I have all the gears from the Idea.
This afternoon I know the Daily Mail says there are fifty two different types of i-fold but I made a man-ifold...
...and it fits.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4UqMyldS7Q
Hmmmmm...
Using the original Uno clutch cable to pull a lever that pushes the Idea clutch master cylinder could actually work.
Also the line to the cylinder with an unpaid job would barely need to be a few inches long.
Better than my usual yardstick...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5aiDuemgJ4
Using the original Uno clutch cable to pull a lever that pushes the Idea clutch master cylinder could actually work.
Also the line to the cylinder with an unpaid job would barely need to be a few inches long.
Better than my usual yardstick...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5aiDuemgJ4
So the plan for today was to finish the clutch hybrid idea but I managed to dump brake/clutch fluid all over the roof. Don't ask.
I washed the car, realised I needed a part that they don't sell on Sunday (at least locally) and set to another task.
Removed the sunroof. Only needed to dill two screws and grind one.
Cut the Idea roof section to fit, spot welded it in place...
...and to my shame I used black silicone sealant to seal the outside.
Ready for paint.
I washed the car, realised I needed a part that they don't sell on Sunday (at least locally) and set to another task.
Removed the sunroof. Only needed to dill two screws and grind one.
Cut the Idea roof section to fit, spot welded it in place...
...and to my shame I used black silicone sealant to seal the outside.
Ready for paint.
Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff