Bognor Lean-to Project

[Mazza]

@Alan Slade came round today and we got the brakes bled… the old fashioned way.

More time spent drinking tea and chatting …. Unless Maxine is reading this then we were working every minute on the car.

And presents… as Alan gave me a pair of headlights .

Another step forward…. Exhaust next !!!

 

[Mazza]

A quick run up to Zedshed HQ on saturday…. To drop off some bits and collect a couple of trailing arms ( nice to be useful for a change)

Hands in pockets all day ( no , thinking about it, I did hold a torch a one point)
Took some pics of some exhaust sensor wiring so I know where to route mine when it goes back …. And watched while Lee and Gaz swapped out a power steering cooling loop and one of the pipes. ( again something I will be doing so nice to see how) Hopefully now I wont cover my garage floor in fluid

After seeing this…..

Which at first I though was an afterburner conversion going on the Orinoco, but turned out to be a space heater. And after a chat with Trev, decided on a similar unit ( a lot smaller though) to warm up my garage. Found one, run on propane, for £49. Ordered just waiting for it now…..So just run out of excuses not to get on with getting the car done over winter.

And after a conversation about my new exhaust system where I mentioned the chrome tips were way too small….. Lee found me a pair of the right ones
Bit of a difference, and they cleaned up really well and fit on the Rear box

If you gonna have tips….. have big ones

The small ones will be returned to Lee next time I visit. ( which will be when I get hungry and want a breakfast baguette)

 

[Mazza]

Fired up the afterburner this morning for the first time…. Didn’t want to ignite at first but sorted it by bending the electrode nearer so the spark could jump across.

After about 5 mins the garage was toastie so works really well.
Dont think I’ll do any toasted marshmallows with it though Lee

Not got a lot of time today, but tomorrow will get the manifold sensors reconnected and tidy up the engine bay

And also sort this pile of plastic stuff out and get it reinstalled. ( if I can find all the right fixings)

Cant fix the exhaust yet as I need a new bracket to be made …. But it is in progress

 

[Mazza]

Well it didnt go according to plan today!

Got underneath to sort the sensor leads out and realised there was a heatshield missing.
Hunted round for it and then remembered that there was one that was damaged when I removed the exhaust …. So will need to get one. I have the two clips that hold the sensor wires , and that clip on to the shield but cant reinstall the wiring as not sure which way they are routed.
There are 4 studs that locate the shield and they are all there so thats ok.

It fits forward of the heatshield just visable on the right of the picture and the two lower studs are also visible.
A bit of a hold up but no big issue.

Used a couple of the M8 bolts with some std nuts, ( keeping the copper ones for the final fix)
And ‘tweaked’ the gearbox mounting bar and the exhaust now lines up ( left the gaskets off as didnt want to damage them.)

Fitted two vacuum line blanks at the back of the engine

The small one blanks off the smog pump connection, and the big one blanks off an outlet pipe next to it( original missing must have disintegrated and fallen off)

Also sorted out the pile of plastic stuff, so I know how it all fits now ( all supplied by Andy, ( Spurs) as original parts either missing or damaged. Just need to work through the exploded views to sort out all the fixings and see what I need to get

As you see not a massive step forward…. But at least its in the right direction

 

[Althulas]

It’s all the fathing with the small things that take time but the results are better than a bodge and make do.

 

[Mazza]

All the missing parts now organised ( thanks to Andy ( @spurs fan in a coupe )
Just a quick run up the A3 at the weekend to pick them up.

The only other bit ( 4 off ) needed were some bumper clips….Ordered from BMW….
But only sold in packs of 10 More bits for my spares box

Couldn’t do much on the car, so sorted out some shelves that were bowing under the weight of all the Z3 stuff I have amassed

Thats the trouble using MDF shelves
But a couple of extra brackets…

And had to cut a few more slots to take the additional sizes of spanners acquired.
18, 22 and 24mm

but at least the garage is warm now

 

[Mazza]

Started what was meant to be a quick job yesterday…. But it is turning into a marathon

Just thought I’d remove the foglights and number plates from the bumpers…. Rear number plate off in a flash ….
Front number plate off in a flash

Fog lights…… only have to undo two pozi screws on each one and the fog lights lift out…..or they would if the screws weren’t seized solid onto the insert nuts
Although one wouldn’t be a problem as the foglight lug had snapped off

So it was dremel, drill and multitool time…
Took bloody ages!!!
And the with the heat generated the insert nuts melted the plastic

this one still has the snapped off lug still attached….. but not for long!!

I could use a nut and bolt to put them back … but if the bulb went, the bumper or the wheel arch liner would have to come off to get access…. So I will use 4 nutserts on the bumper if they will fit ok.

Then the foglights themselves
Stripped them both down and cleaned all the parts.

The fog light are different as this one it has a plastic clip while the other has a metal clip.
And the black insert plates are different as well.

The left hand tang on this one was breaking away at the bottom , so a bit of gorilla glue sorted it and if held when the metal clip was clipped back on.

and the broken lug also got gorilla’d.

As you can see one of the other fixing lugs was also mullered

So found some black plastic , a dob of the old ‘ Monkey Jizz’ and it will just need a new hole drilled now

So 3 days to remove 4 screws must be my all time record on the build so far….
But more fun and games to follow when I tackle the headlights……
I have three lefts and three rights, all with various issues …. But hoping to make at least one good pair…..

So the first job will be to see if I can remove the front lens ….. Now I know you need to heat it ….so for anyone that has done this…. Is suspending them over a bonfire ok ??

 

[pgunter]

You can heat your headlights in the oven. Ask @Lee as I know he’s done this and stunk the place out. Just don’t overheat them too much.

 

[t-tony]

A bit late now I know but I have 1 headlight (adjusters work) and a pair of fog lights with trim pieces.

Tony.

 

[Mazza]

You can heat your headlights in the oven. Ask @Lee as I know he’s done this and stunk the place out. Just don’t overheat them too much.

I got a gas oven…. Probably set light to them

 

[t-tony]

Somebody once completely melted a headlight, can't remember who though.

Tony.

 

[Althulas]

Didn’t you have the standard equipment issued hair dryer in your glove box?

 

[Mazza]

Thats one thing I have absolutely no use for

 

[Mazza]

Nothing done in the garage today ( so nothing new then )… but a run up to Zedshed to see an engine extracted from a project car by Gaz , Hollie and Trev was a much better way of spending the day.
And a Breakfast Bap first …. Naturellement (as they say across the channel)
Hands in pockets nearly all day apart from holding the bonnet ( stays removed ) to give more room to lift the engine and gearbox out in one huge lump…
Not a job I would ever want to do….

then home via our resident breaker ( Andy) to pick up some bits needed to get on with my ‘garage queen’
And also sorted out all the panels ( in the correct colour of Topaz Blue) to be collected once they have been stripped and I can arrange a set of roof bars to transport the bonnet
So a good day out

 

[Mazza]

A few hours in the lean-to this morning.

First… fit the rivnuts on the bumper for the foglight screws.

First the expensive insertion tool….

Actually a stainless steel bolt washer & nut

started it in the vice …

Then pushed it into the bumper and tightened it …. Grips ok

Dropped in the foglights

Screws went straight in …. All sorted

Next was the exhaust issue as the one I bought ( although really good value) didnt have the rear bracket on it…. So thanks to Andy (@spurs fan in a coupe) who provided me with the part I needed ( cutting it from an old exhaust)

next lose the surplus pipe..

then a clean up…

And a test fit….

Yep that will work … just need to call my welder in and thats one more issue resolved


Next problem… front bumper mounts
Mine seized solid. So got a pair from Andy a few weeks ago…but like all of them the bumper height adjuster is seized up… so plan B…. Take the old pair and butcher them
These are totally seized….

So a little introduction to my angle grinder..

And why it was seized up

Now just have to drill/ cut/ napalm the other inserts and retap the thread ( and yes I have a 27mm tap to clean it up) then a kilo of copper grease and it will
do what its supposed to

ordered some roof bars for the Kia this afternoon so I can transport the bonnet from Woking down to Bognor. ( thanks again to Andy for supplying all the panels in the right colour) saves me a total respray
And will speed up the build

Thats it for today… just like to say

to @Lee ….1664 was a bloody good year

and @Holliez4 ……I dont always stand around doing nothing… sometimes I do actually work. and especially as you’re not here to do it for me

 

[t-tony]

A few hours in the lean-to this morning.

First… fit the rivnuts on the bumper for the foglight screws.

First the expensive insertion tool….
View attachment 247361
Actually a stainless steel bolt washer & nut

started it in the vice …
View attachment 247363
Then pushed it into the bumper and tightened it …. Grips ok
View attachment 247365

Dropped in the foglights
View attachment 247367View attachment 247369
Screws went straight in …. All sorted

Next was the exhaust issue as the one I bought ( although really good value) didnt have the rear bracket on it…. So thanks to Andy (@spurs fan in a coupe) who provided me with the part I needed ( cutting it from an old exhaust)
View attachment 247371

next lose the surplus pipe..
View attachment 247373

then a clean up…
View attachment 247375
View attachment 247377
And a test fit….
View attachment 247381
Yep that will work … just need to call my welder in and thats one more issue resolved


Next problem… front bumper mounts
Mine seized solid. So got a pair from Andy a few weeks ago…but like all of them the bumper height adjuster is seized up… so plan B…. Take the old pair and butcher them
These are totally seized….

View attachment 247391
So a little introduction to my angle grinder..

View attachment 247393

View attachment 247395

And why it was seized up
View attachment 247397

Now just have to drill/ cut/ napalm the other inserts and retap the thread ( and yes I have a 27mm tap to clean it up) then a kilo of copper grease and it will
do what its supposed to

View attachment 247399

ordered some roof bars for the Kia this afternoon so I can transport the bonnet from Woking down to Bognor. ( thanks again to Andy for supplying all the panels in the right colour) saves me a total respray
And will speed ip the build

Thats it for today… just like to say

to @Lee ….1664 was a bloody good year

and @Holliez4 ……I dont always stand around doing nothing… sometimes I do actually work. and especially as you’re not here to do it for me

I wish I had a quid for every member on here who has benefited from Andy's endeavours.

Tony.

 

[Mazza]

Absolutely Tony…

and luckily fairly local to me

 

[spurs fan in a coupe]

Absolutely Tony…

and luckily fairly local to me

Night time angle grinding….. what could go wrong?

 

[t-tony]

Night time angle grinding….. what could go wrong?

I'm lucky Andy, end of the road.

Tony.

 

[Mazza]

QUOTE="spurs fan in a coupe, post: 784427, member: 91"]
Night time angle grinding….. what could go wrong?
[/QUOTE]

Just keep it away from the panels I want

Other than that … have fun