18 minutes ago, skomaz said:

Thought you might have given the wheels a quick clean up and spray before getting the tyres fitted but looks like you didn't have time. 

 

Looking good though. 

Everyone seems mad for me to get the wheels done but I'm not in a rush.

I'm not necessarily trying to make this look new, just trying to freshen it up to enjoy. 

Don't really mind the scruffy wheels on this if I'm honest. Might do them or have them done at some point but it's not a priority.

 

1 hour ago, KenONeill said:

Maybe needs an Italian tune up?

Almost definitely needs one. Every time you drive iti, it's clearing up more and more. Presumably old fuel still in the system and gumming everything up isn't helping either. 

This is the more or less finished product. 

Its pitch black outside but hopefully I'll get some pics in the morning.

Cleaned up well, thick layer of film came off the inside glass. I waxed the outside of the glass as I find it improves visibility massively in the wet. I've yet to have a problem doing it to any car I've owned.

Some religious bits in the car still from the previous owner. I took them out, cleaned them and put them right back in. Didn't feel right to remove them.

5 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

Some religious bits in the car still from the previous owner. I took them out, cleaned them and put them right back in. Didn't feel right to remove them.

 

My Fabia came with one of those Gideons bibles in the secret compartment. I'm not sure what to make of that, but it's in the house now, on the bookshelf.

More Piccies

Needed to take it to put petrol in, have sussed the fuel float is stuck, will probably free itself up with some driving me thinks.

On advice from a friend I raised the idle, it tried to idle just around 500rpm before, raised to 1000 now.

 

Slow as anything and I did need to hold the choke a fair bit to get it to smooth out, but it is running, driving and amazingly, extremely comfortable.

17 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

Needed to take it to put petrol in, have sussed the fuel float is stuck, will probably free itself up with some driving me thinks.

 

Probably will free up. Our Sandero did it then started going again quite the thing.

Leave the wheels exactly as they are, they make the car look even more honest.

 

I am so jealous of that car, it reminds me in some ways of an 80's Mitsubishi Hatchback (I cant even recall the model) that I resurrected for my sister but that was a high miler with rotten wings (I replaced them) not a time warp honest car like yours, it was the same colour though and cleaned up just like yours, even high miler Jap small capacity engines run like sewing machines but yours is just extraordinary, I'm so pleased it has been saved.

As am I, astounded how well the paint came up

Showed it to someone this evening and they thought It was repainted, wouldn't believe such old paint could come up that well.

I Absolutely love this thing.

I'll be ordering more odds and ends for it and hopefully I'll be able to track down a rebuild kit for that carb. It'll probably clear itself out with some more driving, but if I can get a kit I'll take it apart and clean it properly.

1 minute ago, DieselMonte said:

I'll be able to track down a rebuild kit for that carb.

 

If my Dad were here, his words would be "stick a ****ing Weber on it" but that perhaps goes against the original nature of this wee car.

1 minute ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

If my Dad were here, his words would be "stick a ****ing Weber on it"

Also @DieselMonte Well. in the absence of Ryan's dad, "stick a ****ing Weber on it"!

3 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Also @DieselMonte Well. in the absence of Ryan's dad, "stick a ****ing Weber on it"!

There's one of these being broken over in Ennis, might get the intake manifold off it incase I ""need"" to put a weber on.

Seemingly the hitachi carb on this is a complex ******, so putting a weber in its place will simplify things a lot and (from looking at old forums) give a fair bit more power than the standard carb.

Could always go really mental and put three 40mm Mikuni carbs on it, like what subaru America did to their bonneville speed record justy.

That's a FWD 1l justy there, apparantly they squeezed 120hp out of it, naturally aspirated I might add.

57 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

There's one of these being broken over in Ennis, might get the intake manifold off it incase I ""need"" to put a weber on.

Seemingly the hitachi carb on this is a complex ******, so putting a weber in its place will simplify things a lot

For sure, but you don't need a DCO manifold; Webcon (UK distributors) made a lot of direct replacement kits with downdrafts and adapter plates that let you retain the standard manifold and air cleaner.

Went and got a timing light since I figure I'll need it for this at some point.

New air filter put on, old one was rotten

Have a big order of stuff for this coming in the next week or so.

 

Seems to be clearing itself out a little bit more.

Might have a thermostat stuck open as It takes a while to heat up while idling and the temp goes off the bottom of the gauge once you start driving and air gets through the radiator.

The closer to operating temp it gets the better it runs at part throttle.

The fuelling will be much improved if you sort out the thermostat, I doubt that it will need a new one, just some corrosion removing from the spindle or a foreign body removed from the valve orifice.

 

The original part if its serviceable will be better than any aftermarket one.

Still waiting on my big order to come, but in the meantime I got these lamps, intending to put them behind the blanks for the foglamps.

Thought they'd be too big but looks like they'll be a perfect fit.

My reasoning for putting them behind the blanks is so that I can put the blanks over them when I'm not using them, keeping the "original" look.

Sort of how I did the spots on the Monte but this time completely hiding them.

Have been driving it a bit more (on private roads), still rough on light throttle but runs fine once you're putting the pedal down. Got it up to 70 even and it felt really solid, Handles pretty decent too although I suspect some bushes will turn to dust once it starts getting driven regularly.

Update time:

Had this thing idling away in the garage and it just died on me and wouldn't restart. No spark. 

Day after that I got my big load of parts so saw to putting them on.

New HT Leads

Points

Did take the distributor off to fit them because the screws holding the Points in were ready to strip. Marked it so timing should be relatively close to before.

Checked the fuel filter I put in a few weeks ago, definitely doing its job, have yet another one I'll replace it with soon.

Still no spark, however I have it narrowed down to the coil. Traced the positive wire to the coil and put the timing light to it.

 

Lead up to that white box. Just to be sure I did the same to the wire coming from the other side of the box that goes onto the positive of the coil.

So It's getting power to the coil, but no power comes from the big lead that goes to the distributor.

Have a coil ordered, should be here Tuesday. 

Also still to come are:

-New Cap

-Rotor

-Carb Rebuild kit

Other things I got in that care package that I haven't mentioned are:

-Timing belt

-Accessory Belt

-Valve Cover Gasket

-Spare Plugs.

 

One more thing to mention.

Said before the backbox was solid but just the tailpipe looked crumbly

I was very much wrong there.

It's leaking from the gasket and on the weld where the exhaust goes into the backbox.

No wonder it sounded so angry.

To fit the backbox I got I'll need to have the mid section redone as it goes from 2" at the manifold down to 1.5" to the rest of the system. My backbox is a 2" one. It's a more or less straight piece of pipe from the manifold to the backbox so shouldn't be *too* expensive. 

Should sound quite nice and maybe even give a bit more pep when it's done.

Matters arising:-

1. I really wish I could remember who it was on here who claimed that "petrol engines don't need fuel filters".
2. I'd agree the missing HT spark is coil, cap or rotor arm, unless you've misconnected the new points?

14 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Matters arising:-

1. I really wish I could remember who it was on here who claimed that "petrol engines don't need fuel filters".
2. I'd agree the missing HT spark is coil, cap or rotor arm, unless you've misconnected the new points?

What Knob said that? 

Most of that is probably coming from it being run with low fuel (and old fuel) for a bit. 

Should be about 20l of fresh fuel in it now. Have been chucking Redex down it too to try clear things out.

Points are connected as the old ones were, did take photos to help remember what wire goes where.

 

That filter is literally weeks old but considering how cheap they are I think I'll just keep changing them until that ****e is cleared out of the tank.

 

One more thing, forgot to include pictures of the new lights in a previous post.

Initial plan was to hide them behind the covers when I didn't need them, but these are far too big for that.

My bad for taking a chance on ones on marketplace. Probably still going to use them however.

I think they do look correct on this sort of car. I am a sucker for yellow lamps on any car however.

Anyone have any opinions on these lights?

 

Quite like those lights, actually. They do seem quite fitting, as you say.

Quite like the lights too. What are they, because some rectangular Bosch and Cibie units have (optional) covers from stockists?

20 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

Quite like the lights too. What are they, because some rectangular Bosch and Cibie units have (optional) covers from stockists?

Ha!

They're Ring lamps I got of marketplace for 20 euro. 

Funny the ring spotlamps I put on the Monte recently came with covers, but these didn't.

 

9 hours ago, DieselMonte said:

Points are connected as the old ones were, did take photos to help remember what wire goes where.

 

Just checking - did you make sure you gapped them correctly?

 

Gaz

7 minutes ago, Gaz said:

 

Just checking - did you make sure you gapped them correctly?

 

Gaz

Manual states they're to be gapped between 0.45mm and 0.55mm. Split down the middle at 0.50mm

9 minutes ago, DieselMonte said:

Manual states they're to be gapped between 0.45mm and 0.55mm. Split down the middle at 0.50mm

And that makes me wonder what the dwell angle is; it would be unusual to have that big a range.

57 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

And that makes me wonder what the dwell angle is; it would be unusual to have that big a range.

Looked through the manual again to check.

Doesn't say anything about dwell.