1973 Cortina van

[Oldbus]

Glad you´re happy with the result Mark. I know i was after driving it on Saturday.... ;D

Hope none of that damage you mentioned happened whilst i was dragging it half way around Europe?

Did you get the alarm & remote sorted or have you given up too?

[Deleted]

Dec 29, 2008 9:16:39 GMT Oldbus said:

Glad you´re happy with the result Mark. I know I was after driving it on Saturday.... ;D

Hope none of that damage you mentioned happened whilst I was dragging it half way around Europe?

Did you get the alarm & remote sorted or have you given up too?

glad you enjoyed it ;D
no mate all damage was already accounted for all stuff thats been on the to do list for a while but as the van will be out for most of 09 its given me the little push i needed to get it all done
i have a new cat one immobilizer on order couldn't be bothered with trying to get the cheapo unit that was fitted working ;D

[Siert]

Good job by OldBus and congratulations on having your car back!

How did you get the line from the back wheel straight forward to set the tracking? It sounds like quite difficult to get right.

I did some googl'ing after replacing steering rack and track rods on my 309 and found this: hillmanimages.com/912/adj_toein.html I actually used the straightest wooden plates I could find (aluminium is probably better, but it's not that precise anyway)

Only problem was getting both track rods at the same length (thus get the center right) but I solved this by measuring the distance from the steering knuckle bolt to a bolt on the subframe at full lock on both sides. (Using a piece of string with a washer at each end, obviously measuring the right side at left hand lock and the left side at right hand lock).

[stealthstylz]

How are you finding the reliability of the poly bushes in the rear end Mark? I've fitted them in a couple of Mk5s, and they've been back 6 months later, one with the bushes worn out and one with the mounting brackets for the axle links snapped. Apparantley because of the wibblepoo suspension design you need the rubber bushes to allow for all the misalignment which the poly bushes can't take up.

Matt

[bortaf]

The trouble i kept getting was the passenger side front lower arm bush got ripped down by the torque of the engine, changed it twice in 6000 miles and i'm only running a pinto
I ended up going back to rubber at the rear, at least then i only have to change the top voids every month
Looking awsome Mark
Is your new yard on Canvey? though i recognised the yard? sure i picked a Mk5 up there a few years back

[Deleted]

Dec 29, 2008 11:22:03 GMT stealthstylz said:

How are you finding the reliability of the poly bushes in the rear end Mark? I've fitted them in a couple of Mk5s, and they've been back 6 months later, one with the bushes worn out and one with the mounting brackets for the axle links snapped. Apparantley because of the wibblepoo suspension design you need the rubber bushes to allow for all the misalignment which the poly bushes can't take up.

Matt

not had any probs with rear polly bushes as long as the arms are tightened with the car sat at ride height ie,axle stands under the axle not the body they are normally quite good early mk3's have a better rear end setup anyway as the mounting points are adjustable later mk3 and mk4 and 5's are fixed so if they are out in any way polly bushes will exaggerate it and cause the bushes to fail . the suspension setup on the cortina's does have flaws but is basically a pretty good design its just not setup to do the job properly hence why cortina's benefit from lowering and aftermarket parts to get the setup right
only problem i had with my old silver v8 2 door mk3 with the polly bushes was when i ripped the top arm mount off the floor of the car due to the torque from the v8 and the bush not having enough give

[Deleted]

got a few of the odd jobs done on the estate today fixed the tailgate lock and the rear seat catch fitted a new starter also sorted the exhaust blow at the down pipe fixed a small leak on the radiator and gave the engine an oil change

whilst doing the starter notice something missing ;D wonder if it still in Germany ;D ;D

old starter :

new smaller starter :

back seat and tail gate all working properly


new exhaust note
sorry Dave I had to change the back box again as it was to raspy and that joint kept coming loose fitted one of the aero chamber mufflers from the van it now sit right up under the car with a 90 degree turn down instead of the chrome tail pipe

[Oldbus]

Looks like you´ve been busy again...that engine mount nut and washer will be somewhere on the road in your industrial estate mate,
probably close to where the engine hit the rev limiter on Saturday!

I´m not surprised you changed the back box Mark, it sounded wicked but it was a bit loud...or am i just getting old? ;D

[Deleted]

right as its now looking like the van is going on the back burner till funds are a little better i have decided to use some of the running gear that was in the van for the estate. the plan always was to use the old engine but that still meant i needed quite a few parts heads inlet gearbox ect some parts i had already started to collect but i was still undecied as to weather it would be manual or auto . being as the van isn't going to be done for a while there is a tremec TKO 600 sitting idle in my garage so that will be going in the estate along with the heads i may swap the heads over with some other one at a later date or just get another set for the van. this will however mean the rear axle on the estate may not last long ;D but I'll address that when needed anyway here the new bits collected for it so far :
the crank is the old one from the van this will need a new set of rods and pistons but the crank is in really good shape just a little clean and will be good to go

the new inlet and demon carb




the block will be going off to Thurston's on Monday to be taken out to +.030" on the bores
not sure when the swap to V8 will happen yet as i still have the volvo to paint at the mo but it happen some time soon ;D

[Deleted]

took the car out for run the other night for the first time in a few weeks since having my hand operated on and had a little oops in it. while driving the screen started to get wet. i found this a little strange as when i looked out the window it wasn't raining not a cloud in the sky in fact it. was then i saw the water was very rusty looking yep that it the rad has given up the ghost .




good news is i now have all the parts ready for the new engine bar the block as that at Thurston's for machining and will hopefully be back soon. so rather than fix the old rad (again) it will be coming out to make way for a some larger one to go in front of the new v8 that's going in and the car can then be back on the road in just a few weeks ready for the season
new engine in kit form ;D

[joethefish]

Ooooo shiney bits.. wish a box of shiney volvo engine bits would appear at mine and miraculously become a beast of an engine! Oh well we can dream!
Shame about the rad but a good spur to get you going on the engine I guess!

[kee]

things like this are always a damn good excuse to get the engine in sooner, thats why i'm trying to destroy mine at the moment ;D

[Deleted]

the 306ci v8 block is now back from machining and all looks good with that so today i made a start on the build up .
started by giving the engine a good clean to get rid of any swarf left on the engine from the machining


with the block all cleaned i assembled the rods and pistons and gaped the rings. the rods are new scat performance I beam items with ARP rod bolts and the pistons are Arius forged pistons made for Trick flow specialty's twisted wedge cylinder heads

the crank is the old one from the vans engine was checked and found to be in very good condition needing no work at all so was just fitted with some new bearings the block was then fitted with a set ARP mains studs and a stud girdle to beef up the bottom end



hoping to get the rest of the pistons in tomorrow and time up the cam and finish assembling the rest of the engine

[Fennec]

On the road by wheels day?

[Deleted]

Mar 6, 2009 21:09:50 GMT Fennec said:

On the road by wheels day?

that very much depends on my hand it seriously holding me up on things at the mo .
I'm hoping so but if it not the Volvo will be painted and on the road by then so I'll take that instead never know i may even sell it there

[Davenger]

There's a perverse pleasure to be had from staring at a stripped down V8

[Thrasher]

Good work Mark !!

Wheels days going to be a blast man. ....whatever we all end up turning up in........

[Deleted]

got a bit more done today but not as much as i'd hoped ended up spending part of the day messing about with the rad as i want to take the estate down to the deviltorque meet tomorrow so it now has a taxi rad as a temporary measure ;D
anyway got all the pistons in ,oil pump is fitted and the cam shaft and lifters are fitted , i have the heads sat in place but they will be back off tomorrow as i need to check the clearances before final fit also the cam will be fully degree'd before the timing cover goes on but heres a couple of pics of todays progress

and with the inlet and carb in place just to get an idea of the finished look

[Davenger]

Wibble!

[jke29]

cant wait to see that fitted mark