Q42 CPF - Progress

[Dave Price]

I thought it was time I logged the work to returning my Phaeton to the road

2011 - Car bought.  Not having been laid up for many year the car was going to need some restoration to get it back on the road.

2012 - Spent time wondering about changing from Pinto power.  Bought various V6 engine, Then sold the same many V6 engines.

2012 - Moved house.  Phaeton went into storage at a caravan storage yard for a few months

2012 - Phaeton relocated to our new double garage

2013 Summer - Front suspension fully rebuilt

- New poly bushes

- New wheel bearings

- New discs

- New dampers

- All new bolts

- Everything painted

2014 Engine cleaned up and back in

- Engine serviced

- Engine runs

- Radiator fitted

2015 Gearbox assessed

- Decided to upgrade to 6 speed

- Rear lights fitted

2016 Gearbox

- 6 speed trial fitted.  Work needed to clutch release - still to be done

2016 Rear axle

- Atlas axle, cleaned, oil changed and brackets welded.

- Springs re-bushed and painted

- Axle trial fitted

- Offside rear brakes rebuilt

2016

- Chassis painted

Current work for the remainder of 2016

- Finish rear brake rebuild

- Axle fitted and tightened

- Rear dampers fitted

- Gearbox fitted

- Alloy wheels painted and fitted

- Fuel tank

- Dash and gauges

- Expansion tank and cooling pipes

- Steering column

Work for 2017

- New propshaft

- Wiring loom

- Brake pipes

- Pedal box

- Bodywork repairs

- Wipes

- Front lights

Could 2017 be the completion?

[Dave Price]

Before anybody says it.  Yes, the garage needs tidying.

[Dave Price]

Some photos of my alterations to the RX8 clutch pivot.  Basically I chopped 10mm of the post.

Clutch fork now no longer hits the edge of the bellhousing aperture, it is nice and central.  Been testing it with just the pressure plate on the flywheel, now need to fit with the full clutch to fully test the clearances.  Looks like it should work.

[Dave Price]

Got back to the RX8 gearbox install today. In order to resolve to clutch pivot issue with thick Pinto pressure plate. I measured the difference between the thickness of a Zetec and a Pinto pressure plate, with a difference of 10mm, chopped 10mm off the pivot post. Box now appears to go in better.
A couple of issues
- I only have about 1mm clearance between the release bearing and the pressure plate. Is this OK? Or do I need a bigger clearance?
- Need to tidy up so I can find the new pressure plate I bought, I was measuring this of the old pressure plate.

Will post photos tomorrow

[Dave Price]

Some small progress. 

The headlights are just temporary, they need the stem cutting down

The front end needs more filler and shaping better near the number plate.

[Dave Price]

Headlight with yellow film.  Once I find the other headlight I will fit both, it is somewhere, I just can't remember where

[Dave Price]

The paint scheme, as seen in the rain

I wish I had used a darker grey, looks too much like primer

[Dave Price]

Made some more progress. Axle loosely fitted, wheels fitted ,then rolled the car out of the garage. Photographed the car in the rain.

[Dave Price]

Rear corner

[Dave Price]

Grey and black paint now on the rear

[Dave Price]

My progress is not following the programme plan I laid out. However, the bodywork is coming along, rear end now nearly sorted. I have uploaded photos separately. It's slow progress, but still it is progress