Rear top mounts are now done. New genuine ally mounts, scuffed, etched and crackle black painted, new fixing bolts as well. Just waiting for the last dust cap for the top. New rear lower shock bolts are done ready as well

 

 

Before anyone says "you've fitted them upside down" they are inverted dampers, so the piston/inbuilt bump stop are at the base of the damper, under the blue bellow cover.

You've fitted them upside down 

16 hours ago, pip_vrs said:

You've fitted them upside down 

Knob..

You bought a downpipe for yours yet lofty?? Struggling to find one for mine, just wandering if you have where have you got it from??

Edited 2 April, 20179 yr by skodalad

The downpipe came with the turbo and tubular Jack, if you're having an xman turbo and manifold he should be able to supply the matching downpipe as well, as he advertises them for sale

It has been a lovely day today so I got shafted. In the garden...

 

Take one very grubby, nasty, old shaft, wave the magic Refurb stick at it and voila!

 

 

 

 

One set of new CV boots from TPS later.. and some elbow grease..

 

 

Drivers side one is in bits in the garage, I'm going to have to order a new outer CV joint as it's a lot looser than the passenger one, so makes sense to renew now than have it fail later on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice shafts 

 

Bet you had fun with all those cv band clips. They take some crimping force! Had to use the vice to pinch mine up tight!

I was fortunate enough to have the proper tool for them, bit of a squeeze but not too bad, you can tell the difference between the cheap aftermarket clips that were on before and the genuine, gen stuff is load thicker and stronger 

1 hour ago, Lofty said:

The downpipe came with the turbo and tubular Jack, if you're having an xman turbo and manifold he should be able to supply the matching downpipe as well, as he advertises them for sale

 

Thanks mate, Ill order one tomorrow, If you check my huge update tomorrow morning you will see why I need one haha

At the frustrating stage now of waiting for parts, parts arriving that are wrong, subsequent anger and dissatisfaction so.... I'm readying the garage/car to start attacking the floorpan and arches. 

 

Downside is, it's only a single garage and at 6'6" and 20 stone it's not like I can slip under the car like a whippet. Hence improvising!

 

The work hack doubled up as a cracking delivery van from B & Q earlier 

 

14 concrete blocks..,

 

 

What for I hear the audience ask?

 

Well cue some highly dangerous jacking up (no s******ing at the back) of the CAR.. using the jack on the blocks as well leaves you with this..

 

 

 

Enough room for me to get in, and more importantly room to work.

 

Rear beam and fuel tank should be coming off Friday night, along with front subframe. Then the laborious task of cleaning, preparing and painting begins. I have got a massive order in with TPS for all the body bungs underneath, a complete set of new arch liners and a load more clips and fittings.

 

More shiny pics soon

 

 

I think you should add a disclaimer to that last post,

 

'More shiny pics soon if I am still alive'

1 hour ago, coskev said:

I think you should add a disclaimer to that last post,

 

'More shiny pics soon if I am still alive'

 

Hmm, what's the worst that could happen...

I'm sure that's not going to go anywhere, but boy that looks sketchy!!  I hate having cars on 4 x axle stands as it is. Bet that it was at some crazy ass angles on the way up

 

Should make for some good access tho  

Ha ha I did think if was to go wrong, I'd have been in there for days lol

Well if we don't get updates we know what happened. 

I'm guessing lofty is crushed under a lemon vrs, going by the lack of updates!

9 minutes ago, kellaway86 said:

I'm guessing lofty is crushed under a lemon vrs, going by the lack of updates!

 

Hope he's still Lofty not Stumpy - need to see this beautiful project culminate!

Unfortunately not... some of us still have to deal with his weird ways on our Whatsapp group chat 

Rest assured noble followers, I am alive and well. Other stuff has taken priority of late but I'm progressing slowly doing the grubby stuff underneath. 

 

The fuel tank was removed (containing 40 litres of diesel ffs), the rear beam, rear brakes and lines are out, the complicated Xenon self levelling sensor is also out. 

 

This leaves the car looking pretty bare tbh. 

 

I will get some pics up over the weekend but I'm currently deep in the bowels of each rear arch, once the plastic liner is out and the surface cleaned there is a load of painted spotwelds that are showing signs of surface corrosion, normally you'd never see these but now is the time to nip them in the bud. I'm knocking the surfaces affected back to bare metal, treating them with Hydrate80, two coats of etch primer, two of gravitex paintable stone chip, 3m Seam sealer where required, then and only then will I be undercoating the arch twice before painting sprint yellow. Of course all this will be recovered with the arch liner but at least I know it'll be protected properly for years to come

Edited 13 April, 20179 yr by Lofty

On Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 20:09, kellaway86 said:

I'm guessing lofty is crushed under a lemon vrs, going by the lack of updates!

 

OMFG don't call his car lemon yellow! 

 

He will hunt you down and disembowel you 

Another evening of parts removal...

 

Rear bumper and crash bar are off, rear panel cleaned up and works continuing on prepping the floor for painting.

 

My good mate Rich has been helping tonight.. cue gratuitous action shot..

 

 

more soon

Finished both driveshafts off now the genuine CV turned up..

 

 

Starting to look how I imagined it looking when it eventually all goes back together..

 

 

 

Day out shed shopping now!

Never, I repeat never underestimate how long a floorpan restoration will take... lost count of the hours I've been under there now with seemingly (from the outsiders view granted) little progress...

 

The Fabia is a tremendously well built little car and from new is well protected underneath but like most things, when you get digging you keep finding more to do. 

 

Rear wheel arches....

 

Removed the arch liners to find dusty and dirty arches but clean the dirt off and you find these areas needing attention..

 

 

removed the body plugs, 

 

 

 

cleaned the arch up with Surfex, then using a 13mm wide electric power file, ground all the affected areas down to bare metal.

 

Treated the bare metal with two coats of Bilt Hambers excellent Hydrate80, then two coats of etch primer, followed by stonechip (twice)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This leaves it looking like this..

 

 

 

The top suspension mounts had a bit of seam sealer applied, not pretty but needed...

 

 

Once this all eventually dried out I continued...

Only once all the spots of corrosion are properly dealt with can the underside be primed and undercoated, 

 

 

 

This is after just one coat. A further coat of undercoat will be going on, then two coats of custom mixed Sprint Yellow over the top. 

 

This will hopefully protect it for many years to come and also highlight the detailed and new running gear off to full effect...