102 replies to this topic

[VX Boyd]

Thought I'd start a thread on what will be a newbie with the tools (fitting new suspension is the most I've done before) attempting a rejuvenation on a car that has seen 6 years with not much more than a few services and new suspension.

 

My girlfriend is a Kiwi and the end game is to take it with us when we move out there - hence the need for it to be as close to new as possible to get through quarantine... but with a ~2500 mile road trip planned for August, the target is to have it ready for that.

 

I don't know too much of what state the car is in but I suspect the do list will at least cover (plus any other suggestions)...

 

Suspension Bush Refresh

Restore  and paint Wishbones, hub carriers etc

New Toe Links
Engine Mounts
Brake Lines

Hand brake cable
Exhaust

New wheel bearings

ARB bushes
Replacement short driveshaft (the hopefully cure a weird knocking while turning right that's worse with acceleration issue)

Headlight clean up

Sub frame plate

 

The Car
2002 N/A 135,000 miles
It received a whack on a roundabout 5 1/2 years ago and I went with a repair garage recommend by one of the popular VX garages... sadly me and Vocky (when doing the timing chain) discovered this garage hadn't been very attentive with the repairs, with a mix match of bolts used attaching the second hand clam used to stop it being written off.

 

Work

Where I'm at so far.. the car is sat on 4 axle stands on the drive way with the wheels off. That took a very long time thanks to some buggered under tray bolts, mostly the two main ones for the rear tray.

 

The middle under tray also uncovered what appears to be damage caused by jacking the middle tray, so some sill repair work is going to be needed on that edge.

 

A wire brush to the all the road grime that had built up shows what looks like a worrying amount of corrosion between sub frame and chassis.

Removing the arch liners - but managed to rip a chunk to the sill away with one of them where the corrosion around a nut and bolt the repair garage used to attach the arch liners to the sill instead of the usual RAWL types virtually welded the liner to the sill - showed what looks like a lot of corrosion on the sill brake lines.

 

Decided I'd try and get the clam off next thinking it would be reasonable given it had been off before. Am I right in thinking the speaker panel has got to come out? Because it is still stuck down. Given the bodge the garage have done elsewhere, I'd be very surprised if they stuck this back down on reassembly.

Pics will be added soon, just using a quiet spell at work to start this thread off.

[james_ly]

That's a lot of work, good luck!

 

Worth doing the radiator while in bits? Gear cables?

[VX Boyd]

Yep, would love to pay a garage to do it but the list has got so large I suspect it would cost more than what the car is worth. Good call, I'll add those to the list. Have a new expansion tank which I forgot to list already.

[Nev]

Ha ha, good thread title, sounds like it deserves a treat.

[VX Boyd]

Still only had a couple of days since I started this due to weather and other weekend commitments...

 

And still the rear clam is on... discovered the body of a fairly large spider in the padding behind the speaker panel that would have been chilling an inch behind my head.

 

Unfortunately finding more evidence of the garage that repaired it cutting a few corners which is adding a lot of hours. Current ball ache is the screws that bolt the relays in the boot and the rear nearside light was also screwed on so tight the double ended screw has snapped out the plastic casing on 3 of the 4 fixings.

 

Had a good clean up of the interior tub with the seats out (a bag of sweets and £2.70 found underneath)

[Andrew aka Stuwy]

[Foxy]

Please dont paint the wishbones

[starman]

I don't want to alarm you, but the "dead bodies" of spiders are often just the shed skin.  If so, you have a bigger live spider in your car!

 

[VX Boyd]

Please dont paint the wishbones

 

Any reason or just personal preference? Just looking to freshen them up so any suggestion is welcome.

[Foxy]

 

Please dont paint the wishbones

 

Any reason or just personal preference? Just looking to freshen them up so any suggestion is welcome.

 

It looks shit and won't last.

 

I would plate then powdercoat - Chris_UK is your man.

[VX Boyd]

I don't want to alarm you, but the "dead bodies" of spiders are often just the shed skin.  If so, you have a bigger live spider in your car!

 

 

Ha I did think that, using a trusty Henry vacuum to clear any remaining cobwebs.

 

If it does end up coming to New Zealand, any cobwebs will be an instant quarantine fail and require an in depth clean... certainly not my favourite job so far!

[VX Boyd]

 

 

Please dont paint the wishbones

 

Any reason or just personal preference? Just looking to freshen them up so any suggestion is welcome.

 

It looks sh*t and won't last.

 

I would plate then powdercoat - Chris_UK is your man.

 

 

Ah my bad, that's what I meant with painting, got quite a few powder coaters near me so hopefully the quotes won't be too bad.

[Foxy]

doh

 

Get them plated first. 

 

Now to choose a colour...

[VX Boyd]

Clam finally off yesterday evening

 

 

Closer look... current camera on phone is coming out really bad so I'll dig up a better one for the future.

 

First cock up was taking the passenger side arch liner out which was nut and bolted to the sill rather than rawl like fixings and the bolt was spinning so thought I'd pull down the arch and rach in to hold the nut still... only for the thin bit of sill to give way leaving me with a bit of a repair job to do (which will actually even it up as Vocky riveted a metal plate to the driver side sill anyway as that side was the one left in a mess after the crash which led to this garage having it.

 

 

Most concerning appears to be these pipes looking down the passenger sill.

 

What is the second thin pipe? I thought it was just one brake line running down each sill?

 

Edited by VX Boyd, 20 March 2018 - 11:42 AM.

[Tony H]

Clutch I think

[VX Boyd]

Ah makes sense. Just as much of a sh*t to change as the brake line I suspect?

[vocky]

The thin line is for the rear brake caliper and the thicker one is for the clutch, the alloy pipe is for the heater coolant.

 

The black rubber hose is for the brake servo

[VX Boyd]

Cheers Vock.

 

Starting with the brakes in the disassembly, the rear driver side the lower bolt head is buggered so I read you can take the disc off then slide the caliper off... well that is now buggered too, seemingly done up by a gorilla and the socket gave way before the thread.

 

Bought a hex head set for my sockets now but the damage is done, so drill it out I guess. 

 

All these years of running it on a fiver are starting to show.

 

Also, I seem to be getting a rather large build up of white rust on the subframe, whats the best way to deal with this?

[vocky]

whip the subframe off, use duralac on the shims and whilst the subframe is off get it painted

[vocky]

once the rear caliper is off you can use mole grips on the head of the lower bolt, it is just a normal cap head bolt with a spacer

 

https://www.elisepar...-caliper-bolts/

 

spacer only comes in the refurb kit

 

https://www.elisepar...urbishment-kit/