craig 1010cc

So, got stuck in traffic for the 1st time in the feli yesterday and the temp gauge got higher than I was expecting. It normally sits just above 90, but after sitting and crawling for 5 mins it was heading to 110. It did stop there (so didn't each the base if the red) and as soon as we started moving again it dropped to 90 and all was normal. Is this what a 1.3 MPI feli should do?

I was amazed it was still there and hadn't been built on. But ity would make a great garage for tinkering in if you could find out who owned it. Have you got a build thread for yours? 1st Q I have, is the green section on the revcounter for the powerband or best MPG (as my 1.9D had a clock instead :P)?

They were indeed, only a few miles from my home and I always thought it would be a good spot to take a pic

I'm in Trowbridge

After selling my 1.9D pickup last year, I still had a niggle that I wanted a another Felica, but a 5dr and although I needed cheap cost/mile, I wanted a petrol (so a 1.3 was on the list). (my old pickup) So when one of my mates put his recently acquired Feli up for sale, it was too good a deal to turn down. A previous owner has done all the work on it (some not to the best standard), but it makes me smile every time I see it or head out in it. Basic spec, its a V plate 1.3 LXi and the only factory 'luxuries' seem to be PAS, central looking and a drivers airbag (not that that is a bad thing, less to go wrong :P) and it came with FSH too in recent years its had a set of coilovers fitted (not sure on the make or what they were originally intended for), a set of 13x7 Mamba alloys (with some crudely rolled arches) and a strange front exit exhaust (exits through the bumper in front of the passenger wheel). But for something as low as it is, the ride isn't bad and it has a surprising amount of ground clearance. Plans are limited at the mo. I'd like to change the exhaust, it came with a set of jap style arches (which actually work surprisingly well on it and would enable me to get a bit more clearance on the rear and tidy up the arches no end) and possibly change the wheels (but not sure to what). But to start with I shall start chucking the miles on and see what needs doing.

I think I'd spoil that if I brought it, wouldn't be able to resist fiddling :p have another low miles one http://www.ebay.co.u...=item460bade4dd or this one http://www.autotrade...age/2?logcode=p

Mines running 185/60/14's, its a common size so lots of choice not got any clearance issues (but not had it in the air to see how close they are to the spring platforms.

hadrian panels have been taken over now by this http://www.crashrepairparts.com/parts/markid/720/cat/repair-panel/skoda_felicia_hatchback_1998_2001?_ts=12251 and it looks like they are running out thier stock (they had stock of both sides sills last week, but onlt 1 side now). £600 isn't that unreasonable though (if they are chopping out all the rust and then letting in fresh steel), most garages are charging £40+ an hour (or round by me anyway) so that is prob 2 days labour and the materials to rebuild the sills, and if that is from flat sheet steel, you can quickly burn up the hours making the repair panels. Plus they will be budgeting on finding a lot of rust inside the sills to rectify.

Have you got any pic's rolo? sounds a good budget route for the spring, so these and a set of A6 rears?

It is indeed a Diesel. If the overall heights are the same, the feli platform should be lower than the favorit's (or the shorter springs woudl make it much lower)

What I was thinking was that the hub to lower spring mount would be shorter than a feli. but if the overal assembled struts are the same length, then just the springs are of interest.

if the springs are shorter, would have thought the struts were too?

evening all Am i right that a cheap way to lower the front of my feli pickup would be to use Favorit front struts and springs? If so how much (roughly) would it bring it down by? Cheers Craig

Hadrian panels have been brought out and the new owners seem to be running out the stocks of panels for older cars and not re-running them http://www.crashrepairparts.com/parts/markid/720/cat/repair-panel/skoda_felicia_hatchback_1998_2001?_ts=12251 good prices though, but if you want anything, get in and order now

You could be right, i don't think I etched it, but it would have had 3 coats of 'normal' primer on it. Roller painting I do like too, that is how I've repainted the mini went from this to this (2 coats rolled on, not flatted or polished at this point, paint only 2 days old :p and currently looks like (not bad for £50 paint job ) waiting for me to finish rebuilding it :p

Interesting to hear. It wasn't actually Hallfords that I used (although I do find I get a good finish from their paints), this was the aftermath of painting mine (went all satin black originally, then after a year got bored and did the metalflake red top 2 days before the show at castle coombe, all rattle can'd again)

I'm referring to the normal satin/matte black rattle cans (like you get for Halfords ect), as they are technically primers. As you can see on teh front wing of my mini below, I sanded back a couple of dents and then filled/ grey primed and the satin blacked. This was take within 12 months of originally painting it and was stored under cover/ not used a great deal

Your missing the point, if you only prime and then matte/satin black the new panels, all of the paint on the new panel will be porous and it will turn orange faily quickly. You need to 1st put a coat of 'gloss' over to seal it, then satin/matte it over the top. As to prepping existing paint, makes no difference if its solid, metalic, pearl or metal flake, just needs to be key'd back. Any reaction you had would most likely have been either through not cleaning back the panel 100% (I suspect it still had traces of polish left on it), or possibly even something like WD40 being used near by. The Laquer would have been the same paint type as the base coat below it, so sanding it off should have made no difference scotchbrite pads are surprisingly good at it (think the last time I used them for a respray prep we used blue ones, was what the paint supplier had in stock), but I prefer using a DA with 240 grit pads as I normally have chips and scratches to resolve at the same time

Just remember that matte black or satin black are porous (like primer) so any bare metal (or primed bare metal) will need a coat of colour over them 1st to seal the paint or rust will come through (quite quickly too).

I remember a couple of VR6 Felicias being built years back, how hard a conversion is it? I do like the idea of fitting engines from other manufactures in (I built a mini with a Vaux 2.0 8v in it a few years back ) and one of the lads I know has fitted a 1.6 vtec lump in his mk1 caddy For cheap power, I'd be looking at a Saab 2.3 turbo, they can make silly power

Does it take ages also for the temp gauge to get to 90ish? It is prob the thermostat is stuck open and you need a new one.

Has anyone got the outer diameter of the Felicia front strut body and its length?

A quick look online and (according to wiki) a s13 wheel base is only 15mm longer and the track 40mm wider so you could use the underside and bulkheads quite easily. You might need to move the engine back (so you can still get a rad/ intercooler in), but much easier than trying to fab it all from scratch. Felicia 16v, have you got a build thread for yours, sounds ace

I like RWD converted cars, and this could be awesome (espec with a WRC/kitcar arches ect and the power to back it up) But, you need to think about what you want it for once its built (and budget). If you want to go drifting, then using a popular drift cars mechanics as the basis makes a lot of sense (and it really needs to be front engined/rear drive). if your doing it for trackdays/show/giggles, then mid mounted also works. IVA will be required, but getting a newer car through will be alot easier than a mini for example as teh stock interior can be used as a basis and should pass fine as with teh stock outer panels/lighting/glass If you go down the route of using a S13 for example, the easiest way would be to use the bulkhead/chassis legs and a shortened floor pan from the S13 and graft that into the remains of the Fabias. This way you can use all teh S13 tuning parts and mechanically the only custom bit would be a shortened prop If you go mid mounted, have a look at Zcars conversions for minis. they mount bike engines/ Vtec's and even SAAB turbo/focus RS engines into a complete bolt in ( once you've chopped out teh rear floor/bulkhead and boot floor :p) rear spaceframe which would work very well and I've seen versions going into Saxo's/Polos and fiestas so a fabia shouldn't be any harder. Also seen a (failed) Ka project using the back end of a grass track racer which could be a cheaper option. hope that is of some help, would love to see it happen

Would undoing the top mount allow the strut to drop further?