adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,867
Club RR Member Number: 58
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If I remember rightly, on my '73 chrome bumper car, the face level vents on the dash were just for fresh air, heated air either came through the demisters or from vents under the dash/behind the centre console aimed at your feet Does yours have the face level vents? I'm a bit confused since some just came with a radio blanking plate there. I have the fresh air flap too, lower down and the vents angled down on either side of the tunnel. Yeah it does Think it was the even earlier models without the plastic bit between the seats didn't have the air vents, like this:
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Rich
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,251
Club RR Member Number: 160
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The vents in the dash literally should have some crinkly plastic vacuum cleaner hose on them and go through into the heater plenum before the heater, just under the chrome vent on the scuttle. Mine had them, there are 2 round holes in the models with them fitted and I removed them and blanked them with aerosol caps. You can easily check if you can fit them by looking into the grille, there will be 2 round holes for the pipes. They just use the cars motion to push cold outside air into the car, they are not heated or connected into the heater blower air circuit.
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Thanks Rich that makes a lot of sense! I'll just leave the buggers off and put the radio in there instead. The quality of the plastic tubes (and the rear interior light) are atrocious!
Makes me wonder when some parts are down-right agricultural and then that's fitted.
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Rich
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,251
Club RR Member Number: 160
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Thanks Rich that makes a lot of sense! I'll just leave the buggers off and put the radio in there instead. The quality of the plastic tubes (and the rear interior light) are atrocious! Makes me wonder when some parts are down-right agricultural and then that's fitted. That's what I did, someone had butchered my console in mine so I moved the radio up and panelled the console for fan and washer switches and a hazard light pull knob, mine didn't have them from new as well as a mechanical pump screen washer, someone had already fitted an electric pump and blanked the washer pump with a warning light for the HRW.
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I've ordered some new rear springs and full polybush set. Midlands Sport Classics were having a sale and they were a bargain. Picking them up on Monday. In the meantime I've been I've been trying to get the front subframe off for transfer to the new car, fitted the tailgate, and cleaned out the rear lock. It needs a good slam to catch it. I'm not sure this is normal. Also been trying to learn to weld. So before I put the fuel tank on after I get the springs, there's a small hole in the boot floor: Here's the offending hole - about the size of a 5p. The whole body is in great condition. It's been so thoroughly undersealed everywhere, but it's drying up and flaking off, especially in the boot so will need retouching. Cut a small hole out with the dremel, and made a patch, and very badly welded it in! Not too bad for a first try I think! I had a burn through but managed to fill it. There is some light coming through from underneath so I will grind it back a bit more and have another go when I find some more dremel grinding discs (the angle grinder is too big to fit in the gap). Think it really needs some inert gas to make it less splattery, but I'm happy with my first go.
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Feb 13, 2018 12:44:21 GMT
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I wasn't happy with the finish on the dampers so had another go. It's so damn cold in the garage that the aluminum paint I bought just peeled right off. The satin black on the drop links stayed fine, it's Buzzweld CIO I've used on the rear axle and the Land Rover scene swear by. I cleaned both shocks up ready for a coat of silver hammerite indoors. I cleaned up the threads and nuts, and replaced the spring washers I also removed the crossmember from the RB car with my dad, it coming off surprisingly easy. Half way through unbolting it the rear bolts dropped out revealing new pads and stainless steel bolts! Very nice. There's no history on this car but there has been some work on it. The steering rack would not come off - the top left in this pic sheared off almost instantly and with no access, curse word! So instead the rack came off with it, which required dropping it down, resting it on blocks on skateboards and bringing down and forwards simultaneously. Cannot recommend enough having a few skateboards around the garage to move things around. We dragged out the crossmember and jet washed the curse word off it. Under the underseal it's in excellent condition and a quick wire brush shows the lovely OEM blue hue on the front Armstrong dampers. The CV boots look fine so will be reusing these. Originally I had planned to cut off the extensions on the crossmember that raise it up to rubber bumper height. Whilst this is possible on the front mountings as the original mounting is still below it, it is not possible on the rear one. So instead I'll just be cutting the front springs to get the correct height, with a view to get proper springs in the future. This also gets rid (I think!) of any issues with the angle of the steering column in the new shell. Now to find a way to safely remove the coil springs to disassemble it and get it cleaned and painted. Ideally I should've done it on the car, using the car's weight, but hindsight is 20/20. Spring compressors don't really fit on this setup, but I've read a method of gently unbolting the damper with the A arm hanging fully extended. Also picked up my rear springs and other parts from Midland sports classics on the way back from an interview down in Dorset which I didn't get , oh well, retail therapy always helps. Should be able to have the shell rolling out of the garage soon, not under its own steam unfortunately! I'm always looking at modding ideas online and this GT from SLO is gorgeous, definitely going to aim for that simplified look with no overriders. And although this is a loooonnng way off, I've been thinking about adding a third brake light for safety. Has anyone fitted one to their classic? A quick search for a GT one gives me this hideous, hideous one: Ideally I'd put something more like this: An additional single lamp on the rear bumper, along with upgrading the rear brake lights to LEDs. I'm intending to smooth out the rear like a MK1, removing the reversing lamps and replacing with an additional single spotlamp style reversing lamp
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Rich
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,251
Club RR Member Number: 160
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Feb 13, 2018 13:45:06 GMT
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You are most likely best off with a thin flexible LED strip hidden in the top of the rear window for a high-level lamp. Be wary of fitting LED brake light bulbs, check them very carefully if you do as a lot of them are either not bright enough, too direct, or the stop function is indistinguishable from the side light. 9 times out of ten cars I see with LED brake light 'bulbs' would have been better off with regular bulbs. Going over-rider-less is definitely a better look. I ran mine sans overriders. I would have like the 73 one year only recessed grille but I stuck with a >72 grille in the end. The front lip is an LE one which they say you can't fit to a chrome bumper car. Which is clearly not true
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Feb 13, 2018 14:47:42 GMT
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No need to worry about compressing the spring to get the front apart. Just undo the 4 bolts that hold the shock to the crossmember. Seriously, it wont have much stored energy in there. It's how I do it now. Course the first time I did it this way I was shitting myself with worry that it would fly across the room and kill the cat, but it was a non-event. If you are really worried, run a chain up through the spring just so it could not go far if it wanted to. And by the way. while the paint might not be to your taste,Rick's car is a rather nice V8 conversion. On the subject or welding...what is it that people have against preparing a panel for welding? If you expect good results you need clean metal a minimum of 1" on all sides of the weldment. And this has to be on both sides. Think about it...the purpose of the inert shielding gas is so that the metal can go to molten state and not react with oxygen or other reactive gases. If you don't clean the weld, you are boiling off the crud that is near your weld and mixing the fumes with your shielding gases. Those fumes do nothing for the consistency and/or chemistry of your weld. And since you are of course doing a full penetration weld, the same thing applies for the backside. Welding tin is hard enough without the weld bead reacting with random combustible gasses and popping like a rice-kryspy all over the place. Trust me, once you start to weld clean tin, you will never go back. I keep hearing the bit about being a better grinder than a welder, need to try the grinder BEFORE welding.
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Last Edit: Feb 13, 2018 15:10:14 GMT by bjornagn
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Feb 24, 2018 23:48:34 GMT
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No need to worry about compressing the spring to get the front apart. Just undo the 4 bolts that hold the shock to the crossmember. Seriously, it wont have much stored energy in there. It's how I do it now. Course the first time I did it this way I was shitting myself with worry that it would fly across the room and kill the cat, but it was a non-event. If you are really worried, run a chain up through the spring just so it could not go far if it wanted to. On the subject or welding...what is it that people have against preparing a panel for welding? If you expect good results you need clean metal a minimum of 1" on all sides of the weldment. And this has to be on both sides. Think about it...the purpose of the inert shielding gas is so that the metal can go to molten state and not react with oxygen or other reactive gases. If you don't clean the weld, you are boiling off the crud that is near your weld and mixing the fumes with your shielding gases. Those fumes do nothing for the consistency and/or chemistry of your weld. And since you are of course doing a full penetration weld, the same thing applies for the backside. Welding tin is hard enough without the weld bead reacting with random combustible gasses and popping like a rice-kryspy all over the place. Trust me, once you start to weld clean tin, you will never go back. I keep hearing the bit about being a better grinder than a welder, need to try the grinder BEFORE welding. Thanks, that method was really easy, it made me jump a little as it shifted forwards, but only because I was expecting to jump out and brake my arm after all the warnings I've received. RE the welding - thanks for the advice, still learning and I appreciate any input. I will attempt it better from below once the car is better supported. Stuck in a long cycle of removing, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning s'more and painting parts from the crossmember and underneath. This is definitely something a soda or media blaster would be excellent for. Sometimes it can be quite disheartening to look at other builds and really high-standard restomods like the Frontline and Singer cars and comparing the time I spend on this for relatively poor results can seem a bit pointless - especially when most of these parts were fine when dirty and with surface rust. The silver paint is not curing well, and I feel it might chip during re-installation, rendering this work useless to a degree. But I guess we all feel a bit like that, and to do the best is all I can do, and it can always be redone later on. Anyway, rant over!
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I am on the same job as you at the moment, I have my cross member back on and I am cleaning and painting parts for installation. I bought some recon lever arms and they came as black, the silver looks great but for the underneath stuff on mine I am just going for clean and serviceable, as you say it could be redone and in this weather nothing dries. Keep up the great work.
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Feb 25, 2018 15:49:24 GMT
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I feel your pain....but when its all back together and working well, and for the most part protected from the elements, it will be nice.....
The parts do look good, and more importantly are ready for re-installation...
JP
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I know its spelled Norman Luxury Yacht, but its pronounced Throat Wobbler Mangrove!
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Feb 25, 2018 17:53:20 GMT
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Are you reusing the calipers and disks, I bought a new set off ebay (I think the seller was Midlands MG), with the kit you get stainless steel disk covers they look really smart when on. Just thought I'd mention it, you can buy them separate for about £30.00 with postage.
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Feb 25, 2018 23:03:35 GMT
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Are you reusing the calipers and disks, I bought a new set off ebay (I think the seller was Midlands MG), with the kit you get stainless steel disk covers they look really smart when on. Just thought I'd mention it, you can buy them separate for about £30.00 with postage. Yeah, I'm currently unemployed until April so funds are tight and everything that can be reused is going to be! Ah yeah the stainless steel ones are beautiful - did you recently put them on yours? I saw them in another thread today/yesterday.
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Feb 25, 2018 23:04:48 GMT
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I feel your pain....but when its all back together and working well, and for the most part protected from the elements, it will be nice..... The parts do look good, and more importantly are ready for re-installation... JP Thanks, I do appreciate the support RetroRides has a great supportive vibe They are! I think I might bin a lot of painting and restoring and just get it on the road, before I lose interest.
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Mar 15, 2018 11:12:20 GMT
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Mar 15, 2018 12:53:56 GMT
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wheels are nice and clean...classic silver looks great.
JP
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I know its spelled Norman Luxury Yacht, but its pronounced Throat Wobbler Mangrove!
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Mar 15, 2018 22:11:10 GMT
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Looking nice and clean underneath, I am slightly behind you in that my back breaking axle has still yet to be reunited with the car, keep up the great work.
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I've been meaning to do a full update for a while, I've got terrible internet at home so have been putting off uploading things for aaaaggggeesss. Anyway, he's a quick (boring without pics) update of what I've been doing/done.
- Bought a CB crossmember and installed all front suspension sans AR bar
- Installed re-conditioned steering rack and track-rod ends
- Bought and installed CB (non-collapsible) steering column and made a bracket as my dash lacks the correct one
- Column came with indicator/wash switch but will have to move the wash to the dashboard as it's broken
- Installed screen - surprisingly easy!
- Most of the carpets in
- Got some MX-5 seats for £10 and modified the MG runners to mount on them
- Picked up a recessed grille for a song!
- Deconstructed the door and painted in yellow - tempted to get one of the electric window kits
- Replaced rear main seal and sump seal
- Painted rocker cover and sump
- Cleaned out the overdrive mesh and tightened up the bolts to hopefully stop the leak
- In the process of painting and replacing the gearbox mounts - modified the gearbox mount so it can be in the car before the gearbox + engine
- Painted the tailgate
At the moment I'm trying to get the accelerator pedal stop out to install the carpet back there, but looks like they've fused with the bulkhead
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,867
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Nov 29, 2018 18:05:44 GMT
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Sounds like good progress being made keep it up!
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