Ferret's fun (With pics and questions!)

[smellyferret]

So I picked up my fun! :)

Its got some rust issues.. but I think most do!

On the test drive it seemed to be fine.. not so fine now.. (I'll get into that below)

Anyway, everyone loves pics!:

So...

On the drive home I noticed a clunking when turning.. sounds like a driveshaft/CV boot type thing..

Then after a few days with it it started to run like a dog (3 cylinders?) yay...

I've not had much time so:

Checked the points, bit dirty but seemed ok.. (no obvious water in there)

So I ordered dizzy cap / plugs / HT leads / rotor arm from euro car parts..

Got the bits and whacked em in yesterday!

- Old plugs were gacked up completely (now runs better, but not right)

- HT leads not the right set (despite ordering via REG number and them telling me the right part! - need to get shouty on Monday)

- I've also booked it in to a local garage next week for them to look at how its running (time and this thing called work? stopping me from having a go! :( )

(given it some redex & stop-smoke too)

So that's the running...

Rust..

Sills have some grot at the back.. so my 1st big question is:

1) How do the bodykit side covers come off? I'm guessing foul language / wire / hair dryer and time+patience? (I'm not worried about a few scratches, but dont want to break them)

The tailgate has rust issues..

2) Is there any easy way to get this off? I've had a quick look.. Will I have to take the pins out of the hinges?

The front wings are not that nice..

I plan to replace these later this year!

Plans once the initial jobs are done:

Lowering springs

Teledials

Enjoy! I like the 'used' patina as it will mean I'm less inclined to worry about using the car!

[RainbowFire]

Body kit is stuck on with Tiger-bond. It has been sugested something like a guitar string and a sawing action will get if off........eventually.

Tailgate is only bolted on. From what I recall:

Two hinges at the bottom: 2 bolts each. Access is bade easier with the removal of the Fisher-Price bumper at the back.

Two metal hinge/strap things: one bolt each

Electrics go through a rubber tube at the bottom (left IIRC)......remember to disconnect before removal

[ricko1]

the only thing i can say about removing the bobykit , is dont do it like this ...

[TeflonTom]

Ah yes teledials, I just saw these on another thread and thought they were those, answered my own question..

tailgate: remove the bumper first, theres 2 bolts hiding inside the rearmost inspection hatches. The rest are underneath at the back, all 13mm, the underneath ones nearly always snap off when you undo them. Then when the bumper is off the tailgate hinges are easy to get to... Take the tailgate off as one piece with the hinges still attached, don't knock the pins out you'll never get them back in again.

[smellyferret]

Cheers!

Anyone had any luck welding the sills without taking the kit off?

[robk1]

Hi ya, she doesn't look too bad & rust in the usual suspect places. I've just re-preped the bed in mine + some more work to the turrets ready to re-paint when I've a spare day & the weather allows! I've got a couple of other small areas in primer & will try to spray those back in without extending to quarter panel etc. Have also carried out some localised repairs to rear sill section, off side, without the removal of body trim. Nothing too extensive just addressing/treating/then protecting the section affected. Apart from that not much else touch wood, but it is a case of keeping on top it!

Running wise would probably be useful to see what's flagged up on basic diagnostics & the throttle body can be a common source of problems. Your clunking does sound suspiciously CV related & a recent failure on mine resulted in the only time she's let me down in 5 years & just over 60k miles (now sitting at 112k).

Great to see a fellow Fun fan & will watch with interest as you go.

Rob

[Alexei Egg]

Looks like the tow ball sits conveniently lower than the detachable OE so won't foul the tailgate. Just noticed it doesn't have roof rails. Can anyone confirm if these were an option or standard?

[RainbowFire]

I have assumed they were an option. There are two different sets of rails too: one set stays on the cab roof, the other starts at the front (like the other set) but finishes in the "roll over" cover. The longer ones need to be removed to use a Truckman. I took mine off and left them in the garage.

There is also a third set of rails: they go on the Truckman.

[Alexei Egg]

I have assumed they were an option. There are two different sets of rails too: one set stays on the cab roof, the other starts at the front (like the other set) but finishes in the "roll over" cover. The longer ones need to be removed to use a Truckman. I took mine off and left them in the garage.

There is also a third set of rails: they go on the Truckman.

Thanks for clarifying. Mine has the shorter feet on top of the rollover cover so sounds like I can rule out a top. So glad I asked the question before buying one, although they don't come up that often.

[robk1]

Thanks for clarifying. Mine has the shorter feet on top of the rollover cover so sounds like I can rule out a top. So glad I asked the question before buying one, although they don't come up that often.

I've got the longer set on mine but she'll probably remain open backed to no worries there! There's often a good selection on ebay but be cautious on price as some are overvalued.

[RainbowFire]

I removed my "long" rails when I got the Truckman. Not really sure what would fit on to either size of the cab-rails. The vision of one of those top-boxes on top of a Fun isn't a good one. ;)

[Alexei Egg]

I had two kids motorbikes in the back of mine one time so was forced to attach my wakeboard (brittle and chip easily) to the roof bars as I was running late for a booking. 2 pieces of pipe insulation (stowed easily on the bulkhead rail) and some bungee cords served well, but the look was a bit too cliched and "lifestyle" for comfort. Sunglasses helped.

[The Zee]

Spotted your motor on "preloved" was tempted myself

[smellyferret]

Updates!

Sill covers are a pain to get off, but it is possible...

Rear bits came off reasonably quick (I think the rust happens at the same place as the glue.. could be a good check foranyone buying a fun - loose bodykit = bad sills!)

Front bits needed persuassion with the mallet / screwdriver / chisel and took a fair amount of time.

One cracked a bit:

[smellyferret]

This revealed the grot..

[smellyferret]

This has since been removed and new metal welded in.

Some more pics of the covers for people to reference (you can see the glue strips and also Czech writing from the factory I guess!?)

The design was not too clever tbh, the skirts cover drain holes well. I'll be looking for a way to fix them back that is less harsh to get off..

Possibly something like this:

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Marine/Home/Products/Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U5230GE3E02LECIE20S4K7000000_nid=6LNS8D7T1HgsN4BX5SJJFCglFZ40W87ZPFbl

[TeflonTom]

That's not rotten! there's a bit on the sill but I doubt that even fail the mot judging by the pics. That's actually quite straight that bodywork in there, miles better than my pickup was.

that 3m tape is great for badges and door mouldings, no good for skirts, the first time up the motorway you would loose them.. You could always rivet them so you just drill the rivets when you need to take them off.

[smellyferret]

That was the better side. The other side had about 2 foot gone after it was chased down.

I was thinking that 3m tape up the sides and then some sort of fastening at the ends (although rivets would be a lot easier...) ... We'll see!