Lofty's Sprint Yellow Fabia vRS Mk1 - "Project Daffodil"

[RobLarby]

What paint did you use for the crackle black?

[Lofty]

Rob- it's VHT crackle black, bought it from Frosts.

[coskev]

So with the 'cone in a box' you just fit the standard airbox top on the lower part in your pic?

Struggling to see how that's any better than a panel filter TBH,as surely that cone has less surface area than a panel?

Edited 23 October, 2016 by coskev

[Lofty]

I think, it flows better, like the s2000 filter but doesn't draw any hot engine bay air through it like the exposed cones do??

Don't quote me on it though

[Lofty]

But yes Kev, the standard air box lid goes on top.

[Lofty]

It's been fairly quiet on the daffodil front, Work, family and other stuff keeps getting in the way but I have been doing the odd pre-build up job now and again..

Sneaky peak of the front hubs I've been working on in the garage

From this ...

 

 

 

 

To this...

 

 

 

 

 

Not just a quick wire brush and flick of paint.. special tools have been purchased (Gen2 wheel bearing fitting tool for one), and many hours of soaking, scrubbing, treating and then finishing off.

I'll get some finished pics up over the weekend hopefully

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[Dark_Hero]

Love a teaser pic like that. Sounds like another level of dedication. Great stuff

[pip_vrs]

That looks brilliant.. Going to start doing this to my Fabia when the engine comes out.

[Robshaw]

Attention to detail on this project is amazing.

[hutchysrs50]

Its almost sad its going to get used on the road, It needs to be kept in a museum so its the cleanest VRS in the country!

[Lofty]

The hubs are still progressing, turns out the Gen2 wheel bearing kit that I have got has been supplied with the incorrect sized Insertion tool (Insert own vulgar thoughts in here....) so I'm awaiting the postman and that soon.

 

The 2.0 Bottom end is in progress, the block should be back in the next couple of weeks along with the crank, so I have been doing other necessary jobs such as sourcing pistons and rods etc.

 

 

Cue one set of 2.0PD 8v 80.96mm pistons..

 

Due to the increased in-cylinder temperature I took the sensible (?) decision to look into (along with Alex off here) having the pistons ceramic coated, this will hopefully ensure that the piston material itself can take and disperse higher pressures and temperatures for longer than just the standard items.

 

Camcoat in Warrington offered a postal service for the pistons consisting of three different but very specific coatings for both the piston crown and combustion bowl, piston skirts and underneath piston surfaces. (details are on the Camcoat website)

 

Piston Crown - CBX coating

Piston Skirt - TLML coating

Underneath - TLTD coating/heat dispersant

 

Camcoat also polished the CBX coating to ensure it was perfect - wont stay shiny for long I suspect

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have all been weight matched to the nearest 0.5g to ensure that each rotating assembly is as well balanced as it can be.

 

I'll get more pics of the Forged H beam con rods shortly.

 

 

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[Lofty]

Getting stuff done can seem like extraordinarily hard work at times..

The Gen2 wheel bearing kit I bought has been supplied with a 66mm insertion clamshell tool instead of the correct sized 72mm one despite both the advert and the box saying 72mm so I've had a battle with the eBay seller over that.

The SKF wheel bearings/flanges have also been supplied wrong with no spring loaded securing ring fitted so they've had to go back as well, folks can't get nothing right it seems!

Upshot is that the hubs are ready apart from the correct bearings which should be here tomorrow, so I've chased out all the threads on there with the right size tap, and fitted the two new ABS sensors as they broke trying to remove them, well one did but I've put two new in.

 

 

 

 

 

New Febi Bilstein drop links and track rod ends have arrived and they've all been rubbed down, etch primed and painted ready for the big build up.

Next purchase is a set of all four CV boots from TPS, so that I can refresh both driveshafts when they're off the car soon.

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[AshVrs]

It truly is going to break my heart when you actually drive this car for the first time after all this work and things start getting dirty :-(

[Lofty]

Lol, it's got a date at the ring next year so it'll get used properly don't worry

[pip_vrs]

That hub looks awesome, i'll attempt to get mine like that when it gets stripped, not going to happen though.

[AshVrs]

Hats off to you though, and a number of the other members on the forum for that matter. The attention to detail and commitment on some of these project cars in phenomenal.

[Lofty]

Track rod ends...

As they come they are lightly painted which soon wears off and they end up looking shabby very quickly.

 

 

 

So a good rub down, then carefully masked up..

 

 

Two good coats of etch primer, light rub down then a good coat of hard wearing VHT wrinkle black. Should keep them looking smart for a bit longer.

 

 

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[alex_e3]

Amazing work as always!

[faboka vrs]

I do like the wrinkle paint.

[Titanium_Man]

Just wow

[Lofty]

Kind of getting somewhere, had one wheel bearing delivered by a courier, god knows where the second one is?? Who am I to question two lots of postage when one would've done but hey ho, it's all fitted now and looks half decent.

 

 

 

You can see where the spring / retaining collar sits in the top groove of the hub, you here a click as it bottoms out and the tangs pop out

 

And the inside edge and the ABS sensor pick up.

 

Next update will hopefully be a big one, the daffodil is donating its heart and lungs (engine and box actually) to the black one on the drive, that's happening next week so at least I'll be left with an empty engine bay to crack on with.

Edited 29 March, 2021 by Lofty

[pip_vrs]

Where did you get the new bearing?

[Lofty]

Phil- off eBay, it's an SKF one

[hutchysrs50]

I wonder how mad people will get when I say I fitted one of these bearings with a press and not a gen 2 tool.

I even used 2 hook tools to lock the "lock ring" in place. I didn't even die.

#Butdidyoudie #sorrynotsorry

Edited 1 December, 2016 by hutchysrs50

[Lofty]

Your car, your choice tbh.