The Invisible Car Part II

[Steve33]

Have you any plans for the front end repairs yet .
Looks like I might well enter this drag day .

[Relentless Rob]

Have you any plans for the front end repairs yet?

See how bad it is. Chop, straighten, weld back on, hammerite.

[MFrV1]

A Cinq turbo oil filter? Isn't that just a Renault one?

I saw a copy of the Van Aaken inf stuff... somewhere...

[Relentless Rob]

A Cinq turbo oil filter? Isn't that just a Renault one?

Yes I think it is. Looks the same as the one off my old Raider.

[Relentless Rob]

This arrived yesterday...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/1spaC4Ba[/url]

...the car pobably had a failed manifold gasket looking at the amount of radweld build up...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/voQpxbob[/url]

...high pressure airline took care of that.

How hard can it be?

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/mJYM5vyu[/url]

[Relentless Rob]

M.S Paint blueprint.

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/c0cFgDAO[/url]

[Relentless Rob]

So I did a test weld on the manifold with one of the Aluminium welding rods I was given by a chap at work. A compbination of poor quality subject metal, 130A when you need at least 150A and moist atmosphere resulted in this...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/nrhxsDZp[/url]

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/ef57aCCw[/url]

130A would be close to the duty cycle anyway so even if I could get a constant arc it wouldn't last long.

So I think I'll be using the flat bar of Aluminium and maybe chipping the flux off the rods so I can use them as filler for my T.I.G welder.

I've drawn a rough outline already but will wait until I can get a manifold gasket set before I make the base.

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/Yoe1G9Ga[/url]

I'll have smaller tubes for the water chanels going to a "Y" piece to meet the single pipe at the back. I haven't decided to fit a vacum for the servo yet or replace the master cylindar with a kit car floor mounted pedal box. Over kill on such a lightweight car as the Punto GT set up is already a serious improvement.

Anyway all that is way off as the Payday fairies don't visit until next Friday.

This months shopping list.

New spark plugs as one snapped.
Punto 75 Camshaft (the hunt continues).
Punto handbrake lever and adapter plates to finish off the rear end.
Finish drilling the holes in the seat and cover with foam (so I don't slide as much when cornering).
M.O.T to see if she'll fail, what for and how much it will cost to put right.

Once M.O.T'd I can mess with the manifolds and replace the coil packs with the Uno distributer; ready for March, tweeked for May and ready for June.

[Relentless Rob]

Crappy update today I'm affraid. My T.I.G welder is a prety good paperweight and the Bowden on my M.I.G welder is too cacked up to run softer Aluminium wire through.

So the manifold will have to wait a while longer then.

I have however ordered a Punto GT handbrake lever so I'll be able to get that set up soon at least.

[Steve33]

Why a puntor gt handbrake

[Relentless Rob]

To finish the conversion. I already have the cables. I was going to make a bracket and adapt the Cinquecento mechanism but for the sake of a fiver I bought a Punto GT one instead. Would work out about the same only a lot less faffing about this way.

[Relentless Rob]

I did buy a manifold gasket today...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/jtq3YE1z[/url]

...drew around it...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/LgNdyPPa[/url]

...and the base plate is ready to cut out.

[Buddy]

My nephew is fitting a set of 600cc Fazer carbs to his 1.3 polo gt, to go with the ported head, ashley ex manifold and 285 cam, should be fun when done.
to be fair, the polo inlet man is easier to work with than yours, but both cars should be a blast to drive when done, his polo gt is down to about 700 kg(ish) and at that weight, 130bhp is fun!

[Relentless Rob]

My neighbour has been having trouble with his welder. The main transformer had picked up a smoking habit. So I bought it from him for a tenner and fitted the bowden from it on to mine. Now the Aluminium wire passes through but not consisantly enough to do any welds. Drip transfer Aluminium welding isn't a lot of use.

[Steve33]

Wont it fail anyway ? If already on system as a failure although it sounded abit over zealous unless its been jigged already I can wait to see this in march .

[Relentless Rob]

Merry Christmas Guff racer from me...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/kiCrZOAz[/url]

...it arrived last week but only found it today.

I'll be needing this bit...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/XIvgnOp5[/url]

...and make it fit the Cinquecento lever.

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/O1Sc0V28[/url]

I'm using a washer...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/PVZiq4EP[/url]

...so's not to damage the bracket I've found a coach bolt the same size and another washer to hold it in place.

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/c5zGfJvj[/url]

(after the Queens speech) I cleaned up the washer and lever enough to weld together...

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/JWvPuzwa[/url]

...and we now have a Cinquecento lever that will accept a pair of Punto GT handbrake cables.

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/4c7k3Ml7[/url]

I've retrofitted the lever to the car and will plumb the cables in tomorrow morning.

The eBay chap wouldn't sell me the adjuster by itself so I bought the whole lever machanism for £5.00 Next free listing weekend I'll (hopefully) sell it for at least the same so it's a free modification.