Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
|
nice one mel for digging it out!
ive actually already got what appears to be a decent (but i wont really know til i try it) 34adf 250 with a K+N and a brand new looking manual choke conversion kit on it, so it is just a manifold i need. i dunno if mine was single or twin plane originally cos the guy chucked it, but id guess at single if thats what yours as as apparently the carbs don't like being swapped between single/dual plane manifolds.
apparently youve got to be careful on what is actually a 2L manifold too, cos they're nigh on identical apart from 2mm bigger ports/runners. but the 34s only came on 2Ls, so that one should be i guess.
I'm basically just after whatevers cheap as a stop-gap to get it running til i stick some 40mm bike carbs on it.
kev, same goes really, just let me know what you got!
i didnt know that about the 18/20 holes thing, i thought the 13s were 20 hole as well. either way, whatever these outers are off was a different bolt pattern as theyve been redrilled, and could do with the old holes tigging up to tidy em up really.
|
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
|
the third part of my roadtrip saga was a journey out to bristol for various reasons, but mostly to pick up a pair of black cloth mx5 seats bruce had been saving for me. id been looking for some on and off since I got the car, as I hated the sanitary-towel material front seats it came with, plus they were worn and had holes in anyway. id had it in my head for ages mx5 ones would look cock-on, be a lot more supportive, plus lower to boot- I'm quite tall and didnt like the 'upright' driving position, I prefer something lower and further back. I kept getting outbid on sets on ebay, seems kit car/wanky 70s british sportscar owners have pushed the price through the roof. its seriously hard to pick up a presentable pair for under a ton. so these for 60 notes off bruce were much welcomed, they need a shampoo and a debobble on the drivers bolster, but otherwise they're spot on. once id blocked em up in the most sensible position, I set about making up some brackets. I elected to fit the lada runner to the mx-5 seats, in hindsight probably not the best way, but I thought if I'm only having to change the mount dimensions in one direction (width-ways, rahter than length and widthways if I used the mx5 ones as the runners are different length) it would be easier. turns out lada seat runners are different between driver and passenger seat though, something I didnt know til id done the first one, luckily I had two sets of runners though to get around that. the mounts I made look pretty simple but are actually fairly complicated- theres quite a lot of trig going on to calculate all the lengths to get each one out of one piece of steel. the front one was reasonably straightforward- a straight bit of 40x5 flat, drilled and tapped to allow the seat runners to bolt on, with a step at the inner end to meet the tunnel mounts, and holes drilled to fit the stock lada mount holes. ive still got the take these out again, round the ends and paint em, but id had enough by the time I got to this point! the rear one was more complicated, because as well as the step up to the inner mount, it needed the centre section to be dropped to clear the seat 'pan' of the base which stuck down (just out of view in the pic)- youll notce ive used the trick of cutting 3/4 of the way through the bar, bending it then welding up the cut, to get nice crisp even bends. and its so much easier than trying to bend 5mm bar! again, they steel need the ends rounding and paint. some snazzy bolts wouldnt go amiss either on the visible mounts, probly some nice button head stainless allens rather than the mixture of hex head stuff that was fitted. I then copied all the dimensions over to the other side, drileld all the holes, etc, only to find that the mounts on the bottom of the mx-5 sears are 3/4" closer together on the passenger side?! it nearly drove me bloody mad! more marking up and more holes drilled and tapped and that issue was solved though. and here they are- they suit it very well I think.this car is gunna be hooned a bit (especially with the new engine!) and they offer me the support needed without being a bit 'too much'. ive had full buckets in a streetcar before, and they can be a pita to be honest, so these are the best compromise I could think of, plus look totally in keeping with the rest of the car, unlike most modern seats.
|
|
Last Edit: Jun 7, 2012 9:49:35 GMT by Dez
|
|
EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,922
Club RR Member Number: 108
|
|
|
Amazing work Dez, it gets better with every update. I want this car so much!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Such a cool car, as EmDee said it just gets better with every update. Those wheels are obscene can't wait to seem them fitted!
|
|
Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
|
|
hairymel
Club Retro Rides Member
avatar by volksangyl
Posts: 1,081
Club RR Member Number: 207
|
|
|
Dez - i tried to take a pic of my other manifold, but its very buried it looks similar to the other one and has a twin choke weber that looks similar as well. sorry its not very helpful if you only need the manifold on loan you are more than welcome to the one on my twincam. or the nicer one if you twist my arm. i guess i wont need it for a while let me know
|
|
whats that burning smell?
oh curse word :-(
|
|
|
|
|
Nice way to fit the MX-5 seats. I have installed MX5 seats in my Lada too, only they look a bit different maybe my are older:
|
|
|
|
joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
|
|
|
They look great. I have the same seats as Dez in my MX5 - you might find they still have speakers in the headrests
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Awesome. Really glad you've ended up keeping it and moving on with it as the car deserves.
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
|
robin/martin, cheers mel, either will do me- i basically just want to get it running, make sure the engine is ok, and get everything else to do with the conversion working (clutch. prop, plumbing, etc.) then ile uprate the induction. its an easy 20+ hp, so i want it done asap! drop me a PM and we'll see what we can work out? motorhead- i didnt know you'd fitted them too. yours are actually later- mk2.5 with the separate headrests and leather trim i think. mine are mk1. joey- i don't thing they have. theres no wiring there anyway, ive not looked tbh though, jsut assumed they didnt. P.B.P.- i actually, havent decided to keep it as such. ive just kept going with the ideas i had for it, its still for sale if anyone wants it, ive just got too many cars really. i like the idea of having it on the road to use for a bit, and as mentioned, i think its gunna be an enjoyable car so I'm not too fussed wether it sells or not
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
loving this one! friend of mine use to have one of these... I've never seen one since. To bad cause after seeing this, I want one
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The leather seats are from late Mk1's (1.8 era) or some Mk2's. The earlier Mk1's had the tombstone seats. Dez, your ones don't have headrest speakers, they tended to come in the higher spec Eunos models (most commonly with leather like in my V-spec) but the UK ones like yours tend to be non-speaker seats. You'd see the perforations for them if they had them. Having said that, I've never personally seen cloth seats with headrest speakers. They don't sound that good anyway.
I'm loving this car more and more but reckon it'll enter a whole different realm once the wheels go on and the engine is fitted. That chapter is something I really cannot wait for. I'm quite literally salivating at the thought of the things to come. ;D
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dez, at the start i was looking up for the same type of seats as yours. I preferred the same headrests and brown or black lather. But it was impossible to find even mx in scrap . Design of MX-5 mk1 seats remind me original Lada 2107 seats because of those headrests. And the thing i like the most of them is their weight. I fitted mine half an year ago, tested them on trip to Czech Republic, and on track. I can say they are perfect. Even it's possible to take a nap in them as they don't lay down to the end as usual seats do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jun 10, 2012 17:21:53 GMT
|
robin/martin, cheers P.B.P.- I actually, havent decided to keep it as such. ive just kept going with the ideas I had for it, its still for sale if anyone wants it, ive just got too many cars really. I like the idea of having it on the road to use for a bit, and as mentioned, I think its gunna be an enjoyable car so I'm not too fussed wether it sells or not Interesting.... will it still be for sale once it's running the twink? (obviously not for the same price).
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Jun 10, 2012 17:35:06 GMT
|
koen- theres still a few around over here. not loads, but a few. maybe 25-30 nationwide id guess. of which, only two or 3 are modified at all.
bruce- i thought as much. they're what i wanted anyway, i wasnt after the headrest speakers.
and yeah, its gunna be a whole different beast soon, definately on the next level compared to what it is now. i don't want to go all-out with a stipped interior and stuff, but i am now looking at turreting the rear and making a hybrid ford/lada axle .........i just cant help myself!
motorhead- yeah id say youre right, they certainly feel perfect to me. i think ive said previously they're a bit of a compromise, but full buckets in a daily driven streetcar are a pain.
P.B.P- yep. ive simply got too many projects lined up after this one, so once its done id expect itll get moved on once 'finished'.
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 22:59:19 GMT
|
an update you say? ok then ive been mostly prepping up and painting engine stuff, ready to get it in. first, the sump. man, it was rough! a good knotwheeling and flapwheeling has got it clean though, and surprisingly despite all the pitting, theres no holes. its got one or two dents though- it looks like its off one of my cars! i knocked out what i could, quite tricky though as the inside looks like this- all properly baffled and stuff to prevent surge. one thing of note though, was it was nice and clean inside, a small amount of sludge right in the bottom, but not a single speck of metal or grit or anything, which is good news. so, i painted it, in smoothrite spray, the can ran out before i got enough coats on to make the paint opaque, so it looks kinda like a funky tinted primer in the light. not that it matters, youll never see it and theres enough on there to protect it- i then cleaned up all the mounting hardware, and gave ot a couple of coats of zinc galv spray before refitting- oh, and i determinted that this slave cyl- is indeed a mini one, good job as it needs replacing, its really rusted up. nice bracket its on though, even if some numplty has bent it. ile striaghten it up and painted it as well, even though its plated as its got a few scrapes on it. ive cleaned and painted the block too, and fitted up the gearbox as well as the sump- so its coming together now. just the rest of the ancillaires to finish off bit by bit.
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Jun 14, 2012 23:29:19 GMT
|
ive also started prepping the car for the conversion. due to the excellent info on the beardmore bros. website about their lada, and some info from one of the hungarian forums, I knew I needed to relocate the fusebox inside the car if I was running twin 40s (or 40mm bike carbs), as it was right where the back carb and its filters/stacks needed to be. thankfully the lada fusebox isnt hardwired in, all the wiring unplugs from both sides, so I could remove it to work on it. so I took it out, and after some messing about, decided to cut the old mounting flange off- this is the hole in the car it used to bolt through, looks like someones had a good go at this in the past for some reason?! ive straightened it up as much as possible, and the new mount should pull it straight the rest of the way. ive got the new mount made up and fitted now but forgot to take pics, but ile do that in the next update. next job was you need to mod the tunnel. the later, stronger fiat 131 box is bigger/taller at the rear, and the shifter is a bit further back. the lada uses a box similar to/the same as the earlier 124 box, but even this is tight on tunnel space. luckily, all the 'extra' is upwards not downwards, so it wont effect ground clearance! thankfully, the tunnel in there is only spotwelded in. first I removed the various gearstick boots, the gearknob (that I had to cut in half to get off, it was well stuck on!), and loads of the tarboard sound deadening so I could see where the welds were- they run along here- and then along under that seam sealer on the side of the tunnel. a little while with a spotweld drill later- a cut, and its off- we wont mention me accidentally cutting through the rear brake line and nicking the fuel return line too though. except I just have I didnt know they ran right up inside the top of the tunnel, I thought they were on the chassis rail. oh well, the brake line needed modifying anyway what is odd though, is the engine/gearbox appears to be at least an inch off centre to the drivers side- so much so, its been clonking the tunnel- not quite sure why, but its easily sorted when I fit the new setup, as ive got the make up a gearbox tailmount anyway. aside from that, I'm just gathering parts( and information) like mad so ive got everything ready to go to do the swap quickly.
|
|
Last Edit: Jun 14, 2012 23:33:01 GMT by Dez
|
|
|
|
Jun 15, 2012 20:11:46 GMT
|
Its good to see another lada getting the treatment it deserves heres mine in Auckland New Zealand I am running a 2L with high compression pistons- ported and polished and a bored out and rejetted 34adf its putting out about 130hp. Had 40dhlas on it but they were a hassle and with the carb rebore and correct jets goes almost as well (minus that great sound of course) Could not believe the performance boost and quickened throttle response a good cold air box does on these engines. I am still using the lada gearbox (was given 3) and it handles the power easily just have to make sure you overfill them. cheers Evan
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Jun 23, 2012 12:08:08 GMT
|
hi evan. pretty nice car! (oh, and welcome to retro rides!)
ive got the 131 box, so I'm going to fit it. if I didnt have one I might take a risk on the lada one, but I don't need to so I wont. I'm trying to set myself up so ive got the option of 40s or the stock 34adf, just in case. my adf has had a manual choke conversion too, so its worth keeping hold of.
|
|
Last Edit: Jun 23, 2012 12:08:33 GMT by Dez
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Jun 23, 2012 12:20:48 GMT
|
so, more updates. heres some more disjointed pics of me doing the fusebox. i cut a baseplate out of 3mm steel the same shape as the old mounting flange, and welded in 4x countersunk m6 bolts, like this- i then cut the same out of ally to go on the engine bay side (again, i forgot to take a pic). i need it to be really solid, to squash this mess flat- god knows whats going on there, but it appears someones had a pretty good go as forcing something through the fusebox hole, mangling it up in the process. the original fusebox was only held in with 1 and a half bolts too. ive hammered it flat as much as possible, and will rely on the two plates sandwiching it to pull it straight the rest of the way. i then sikaflexed the steel pate to the fusebox, left it to dry ocernight, sprayed the steel plate balck, and bolted it in. will remember to take a pic of it today! ive also bought these- rude not to really they're in the process of getting a refurb at the mo. ive also been cleaning up my new rims, getting all the silicone sealants, tyre sealer/gunge, and general dirt/corrosion off them. I'm not going fully polished, more shiny satin. ive done the front two so far, and they really are in excellenet condition, with no kerbing or dings at all. ive then been deliberating over tyre sizes. I'm going to go for a different size, for a number of reasons. i want something a little taller, to make it look a bit more 'old school', give a bit more 'sidewall suspension' to protect the rims from pothole damage, put i want to raise it a fraction as this is going to be my daily and the roads i will be driving are rough, but i don't want an arch gap. ive opted for 165/65 rather than the previous 165/55, both on 7" rims. heres some pics- i think the best option on the back on the 8.25s will be 175/65s to 'match'.
|
|
|
|
Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
|
|
Jun 23, 2012 12:30:18 GMT
|
then, things got serious. i removed a few bits- and a few more too, with the aid of a spotweld drill- i also lost the header tank and brackets, as i will be going for a rad with a built in one. so now I'm ready to clean up and tidy the engine bay ready for the new motor. ive modified the wiring loom, removing unnecessary stuff , relocating some other bits, and rewrapping it in conduit rather than just tape. you can also see the fusebox mod in this pic- it now needs a damn good steam clean and for me to tidy up the brake pipes and stuff. then, I'm going to bin the steering box and fit the mk2 golf rack, now ive finally got the polybushes though (long story- the gist of which is don't buy anything from crest motorsport, they're useless.) have a pic of the rather heavy duty sumpguard too- and as a finishing note, heres a few pics of my old exhuast, another offering to the gods of low- thankfully, the rack conversion will give me loads more ground clearance and room to run this through, to keep it a little further away from the floor!
|
|
|
|
|