Had to have a bit of a hiatus on the bodywork recently as I have been busy with other matters and have only had time for short sessions in the garage/workshop. This post them is really just an update on some little jobs that I have been tackling in the past few weeks.
I have now removed the entire wiring loom, obviously after careful labelling and with many reference photos. I will have to reuse and repair this as a new loom for my particular amazon variant is not available.
Generally speaking, it is in good condition, but I will be recreating the rear lighting and the front headlight loom sections. There will also need to be some modifications to accommodate the additional instruments etc.
I have removed the clutch and brake pedals (the accelerator pedal was taken off a while back) and the clutch cable which rather disappointingly is fraying. More expense!
I have been looking a brake components as these concern me. My vehicle is a very late model and features dual circuit brakes which are more complicated (read 'expensive') and could have a significant impact on my budget. I felt I needed to get a perspective on what might need replacing, and what if any savings can be made.
The first thing I looked at was the brass brake distribution block located on the near side inner wing (under the bonnet/hood). This also contains a valve/piston assemble which operates the brake fluid warning switch.
This is easy to remove and once on the bench it came apart with little fuss. It is in fact a relatively simple mechanism and appears in working order. I have cleaned up all the components and re-assembled, lubricated with some red grease
Next I decided the I should have a look at the brake master cylinder as this especially has been playing on my mind, along with the servo (booster). Replacing both won't give me much change out of £500. I gave the exterior a thorough clean up and then took it to bits.
I am thinking that it is possibly salvageable, and I have managed to get a rebuild kit cheap on eBay, so not much to loose at this stage. The cylinder is now painted and the inside greased up to prevent corrosion. I think I will do the rebuild when I am ready to fit it back on the car. In the meantime, I will be on the look out for a new one at a good price.
Finally, I have been looking at the speedometer head. This I know works fine, but like pretty well every other Amazon out there, the crackle finish on the facia has lifted.
I know that many people simply scrape this off to reveal the brass underneath, but I don't like that finish. I have found a crackle coat product by VHT that I think I am going to try. In the mean time I have managed to dissemble the speedo head (this is not difficult, you just need to be careful with the chrome bezel) and remove the remaining crackle coating. The brass facia is attached to the plastic cover via pins that are melted to form heads. I managed to nibble the edges back and leave the pins proud, so I think that I will be able to restore this fixing. I'm not quite sure about the warning light lenses though, they look tricker to get off intact. I do have a spare speedometer assembly if it all goes 'Pete Tong'.
As indicated in the previous post, the next big job on the car is going to be the front floor. I have already patched at the n/s when the car was first mothballed, in a what I now consider to be a functional but not very aesthetic fashion. At the time I thought that I would be adding mats and carpets, and so the look was not so important. Now of course the plan is different. After some deliberation I have elected to buy new front floor pans for both sides.
I have also been mulling over rear inner arch repairs. My hesitancy is not only in terms of expense, these panels look like they will be really tricky to fit without removing the entire rear wing (I am not prepared to do that). However, I am told that they are quality pressings and a very good fit. I have decided to go for it as the existing arches are in really bad shape. New ones would also provide the structure from which the whole rear wing and quarter can be rebuilt.
I have put in an order with Brookhouse, the floor pans should be here in the next few days but the rear arches are out of stock (estimated delivery July at the earliest, assuming that they are still available). Oh well, plenty to get on with before then.
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