Decided it's time to put all the post about my car together into one place. It's getting to the state I'd like it to be in so I'm starting this thread detailing its progress to date. I think there's another one on here somewhere, but I can't find it......

Here's the car pretty much as I bought it in December 2008 - 1 owner from new, OAP, with about 30k on the clock.









A pretty clean example. It's down as having previous 'extensive damage repair' on the V5, so I think he front ended something at some point... I wasn't too worried considering what I paid for the car....it was originally destined to be used on a european rally.

Anyway, about a month after I bought it, some scrote broke in, and tried to nick it. F**ing up the steering lock in the process, the paintwork on the door, as well as drivers side keyhole.

I decided to try and touch up the damage, as well as removing rust and fillering the front arches which were scraped when I bought the car.







It's not the best job and the paints a bit matt compared to the rest of the car. Oh well.

Since then it was stiffened front (ford capri springs) and back (double leaf springs, -2" lowering blocks), and put on a new set of alloys ready for the brake upgrade I had planned.


You can see the patchy/matt nature of the arch respray here. The white on the back is where the police dusted for prints after the break-in. It's never come off, despite several washes!

It was meant to be lowered....but the additional stiffness of the springs meant that if it was...it was very minimal. If anything I think it came up at the front!

Next up - Brake modification.

Mazda RX-7 callipers were added . Here they are mocked up on a spare strut:



On the car:



And inside the rims: (With longer front wheel studs)



There's some interesting stuff being done to it at the moment....

Nice one! Always woundered how your car looked. Also, how would you rate the capri springs? (for both end result and easiness to fit)

Hey,

Well it handles better now. They're either 190lb/in or 220lb/in springs, I forget. It's pretty easy to fit the springs. Just as easy to fit as any other spring! got some 40w oil in the struts too.

Springs cost me £20, so I can live with the lack of drop! Overall the car's pretty damn stiff now! It's not as comfortable as it was IMO.

The interesting things currently being done are a full interior upgrade and complete F7P swap.
The F7P has been fully cleaned and everything repainted, i have fitted some cams to the engine and the head has previously had some very nice porting taken place.
I will keep updating and let the pictures do the talking.
Adam

oooooooo!
this is a great thread!

Very exciting!

woaaah MORE!!!

Todays Progress. I took the engine out yesterday and a friend gave me a gentlemans bet that i couldnt take the engine out within an hour. I took his bet and he lost as from driving the car in the garage to the engine sat on the floor took 44minutes. He has some progress pics of this i will see if i can add them in. Pics do more talking.
Adam

Woah! Nice work there. Dare I say that it looks even nicer than my valver?

That looks very sexy indeed.
Max coolness.

340GLT wrote:a friend gave me a gentlemans bet that i couldnt take the engine out within an hour. I took his bet and he lost as from driving the car in the garage to the engine sat on the floor took 44minutes.

Nicely done Sir, don't think I've managed under an hour before! Great to see more progress on this

Cool, another 3dr in grey with a Valver, top stuff.

Er may i ask whats happened to the old seats you've taken out, are the lumbar supports still working, do you want to sell/donate them to me

Okay so this may sound like a bit of a stupid question, but does that engine drop straight in onto the same engine mounts and does it take the old 340 gearbox? Also are you going to be changing the back axle in anyway ?

Sam.

xk120c wrote:Okay so this may sound like a bit of a stupid question, but does that engine drop straight in onto the same engine mounts and does it take the old 340 gearbox? Also are you going to be changing the back axle in anyway ?

Sam.

Do a search dude. The F7P conversion has been covered LOADS uses same engine mounts and mates up to the 340 bellhousing perfectly.

BTW What's that rear bench from Adam? Is it a straight drop into the 340's mounting points? Doesn't look a million miles from my Recaros so would look quite funky together me thinks!