It all started with this...
Tell a lie, it started with this really,
Which I got for £300, was going to put in the saloon.
So I got some bits together...
Stripped it down.
Found a bit off rust in the engine bay, decided I wanted the whole thing painted in a fresh colour, and thats where it stops. :lol:
I couldnt find anyone decent who didnt want 2.5k to sort it properly, so it sat in my drive for more than a year waiting for some love that never came.
I got impatient, and bought this...
(with 25 or so other cars distracting me before and after)
Done the usual mods, enjoyed it a fair bit till I done this racing a bmw with toothed pullies and a jabba map :roll:
So pulled that lump out, and put in the 62k mile engine, put on some more miles. Decided I didnt like the colour, and didnt want to put the new bits on it. So sold it.
Needed a decent shell, and saw this...
4 pots, cage, coilies, salzmann top mounts, decent g40 lump, in the right colour...
Wasnt as good as I hoped mechanically, but its all going to be refreshed anyway, so with the cash from the g40 and saloon, I had it.
Still want a decent mk2 to put this to use.
Back to the engine.
I took the high mileage melted piston lump out of the 40....
Bought some 77mm pistons...
Stipped it down to the bare bollox...
So after that I sent the block to be bored out 2mm, and to have the pistons, rods, crank, flywheel, clutch and bottom pulley off to be lightened and balanced...
Got it back
Freeeeesh
So I slapped some paint in the obligitory colour on
And waited patiently for my rebuld bits to come, went a bit anal, and got near enough every nut and bolt replaced, will do the same for the suspension.
Then I took a hammer and chisel to my fresh engine...
Put the pistons on the rods with new nuts and bolts, and put the rings on...
Went to put it back together, and realised I lost my main crank caps.
Found em, or so I thought, no3 was still missing. (Luckily it turned up sitting in the spare wheel well of the g40, found it as I went to sell it. :lol: )
So I put wipped the lube out...
And whacked em in.
Which made this....
Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny
Pulled the old lump out.
Then went to pick up my head, just need the last couple bits putting on it...
1mm Bigger exhaust valves, gasflowed and rebuilt...
Then started back on the lump...
Put the crank seals and oil pump on..
Oil breather was a bit of a bastid to get in...
Sorted that, got on with the sump. Put the gasket and a bit of blue flange sealent to hopefully stop it leaking like they always do.
Copper greased near enough every bolt on the engine, should come apart eaasily again, hope it wont have to though!
Tightened it down..
Then got paranoid, and decided to take it off to check all the bolts in the engine.
Weighed the flywheel.. 4.04kgs
So sorted that and got the rest of the bits on.
Got the head on, torqued it up.
Put the tappets in...
Then left it for the day looking a little more complete...
Painted a few things...
Robbed the cam out of the old engine...
Got a paddle clutch to go on.
Then put the new dizzy, plugs, and gearbox on.
Took the gearbox back off the lump, degreased and wire brushed it.
Started on the rack as well, that clamp underneath the dash is a pain in the tits in a car with a roll cage.
Chucked on a 22mm master cylinder while I was down there, then put the rack back on..
Pulled the suspension and brakes off, found some lovely hanging standard bottom arms.
Fitted the new ones, left the anti roll bar as a subframes going on asap.
Got the new coilies out, went to put the salzmann top mounts on to find Gaz have used a different thread to the normal polo one. I've had and wanted the to use these coilies on something fresh for ages! Rather annoying. I had a set of cathedral clamps, but managed to loose one over the years...
So put the Fks back on for the moment so it can drive when the lumps in.
Fresh steering at least, does fell tioght like a tioger.
Then went and had some dinner, and blagged the girlfriend to help me paint the gearbox...
Yeah, new rack, arms, damper, and brackets.
Gearbox is painted and back on the engine with a new mount rubber...
New engine mount rubber, managed to find some random VW around the country that had this in stock.
New oil pressure sensors...
Finished the throttle body etc.
Fitted a Kenlowe fan
Put the new sandwich plate on...
Then noticed it doesnt have a thermostat in...
Old one does, so I'm gonna have to put the old one back on. :roll:
Old vs new...
Picked up this to go on.
Should be quite stealth
Fitted the intercooler and bumper bracket...
Then decided to crack on with the engine, so blagged a couple mates to crain it from the garage to the car.
Teased it for a bit.
Then chucked it in.
Fitted the rad as well..
The mess...
And its on the road.
Got it going, done 600miles so far, killed a headgasket in 15 miles, charger at 200, then a bolt for the rear gearbox mount spat itself out, then snapped a driveshaft....
Then another charger at 600 miles, turns out the bastard oil feed wasnt actually feeding any oil, which was annoying to say the least.
And tbh, the cage and seats arent the most comfortable things to be in, and the cars far from stealth really.
So I still want to find the right mk2, stick the lump in there and go harrassing new cars.
Anyway, fitting a lysholm this week with any luck.
