S1 Rebuild(s)

[Dave Adams]

some pics of the rebuild process,

the top trailing arm bracket is broke......

the diff is sloping back a little (looking up) so that will need sorting.......

As you can see there isn't a lot of bracing in an S1 chassis, that will be sorted.

[Dave Adams]

Now that could be a real bonus.......now what do you want from me. ....oh err missus.

[Dave Adams]

Now i expect your wondering why i started to fit the yellow bonnet then robbed the bonnet from the lancia car......well its the cold weather its way too cold to do any fibre-glassing and the blending in of the various holes require a really good bond on the fibreglass to the existing bonnet. if it's not done right it will just crack, and if i am to make Stoneleigh as well as the fibreglass work it also needs painting. Which also needs warm weather.....do you see my problem here?

[Dave Adams]

got round to connecting the lights on the car and the headlights work fine.....but are knackered. the front indicators worked for about 2 minutes and stopped, they probably just need bulbs and cleaning.

also started the car for the first time in months, just need antifreeze ans a bit of work to the bonnet fit, then paint and its done...

[Pete Clayton]

Be good to see it back on the road Dave! Will it be ready for Stoneleigh?

[1midz0wwbl268]

Are you going to leave the headlights as they are then?  i would suppose if your plan is still to sell it on once you have the lancia engined car done, then its got to be easier to leave it standard and make any mods you want to try on the other car , are you modifying the chassis on that one also?

[Dave Adams]

that is my plan, as is also altering the bonnet again. But as i say the weather is or has been just too cold for fibre glassing work, and any prospect i have of the bonnet being finished for Stoneleigh is for it to be left standard for now.

[Dave Adams]

cheers steve........now what do you want from me?......ere you used to be navy didn't you? i best be careful here :-)

[1midz0wwbl268]

Might be best to leave it standard so that you have a sporting chance for Stoneleigh and then change them later, or sell it  as it is 

[Dave Adams]

bit of a result today, i tackled the engine mounts and tried to swap them side to side.......it didn't work so i took them off again and dismantled them, when i say dismantled them i mean i cut the bonded rubber off the mounts and then reassembled the mounts but with the parts rearranged to make the mounts lower, and it worked! the engine now sits almost 3/4" lower and now clears the bonnet (the cam belt cover was touching the bonnet) it also means the bonnet now sits on the scuttle top as it should. Bonus.

in doing this i discovered the alternator fouled part of my new chassis mods, so some angle grinder surgery was needed and to do this the alternator needed to come off and i find it has broken the adjusting bracket.....again. so i need one of them again.

[Dave Adams]

i also tried to put the engine mounts on upside down, left standard it was too low hence the sharp knife surgery.

on the minus side the carefully cut hole in the bonnet for the carb to poke through is now in the wrong place.....its too far back (by about 1/4 -1/2" ) so that is also a bit annoying, i was trying to get the bonnet hole the minimum size possible.

[1midz0wwbl268]

How easy is it to cut out the threaded insert on engine mounts Dave, i have a problem with one of mine, its called lack of room so what i might have to do is to drilll out the metal bit and fit a sleeve so that i can use through bolts and fit it, that way i can get the mount lined up and pop a bolt through and not have to try to wiggle the long threaded end into the chassis end

[Dave Adams]

on my mounts (the ford anglia type) it was easy to cut the bonding away with a sharp knife....

on the ones with bonded threaded inserts i have found that they can be drilled in situ  if the drill is very sharp, if it is blunt it will get so hot it will unbond the insert and if your quick it will pull out.