I'm sure most of you will have seen my recent events with the Shoebox.
Well im not giving up just yet.
Plenty on the car is still salvageable and im not leaving the Cento section just yet. Half the fun with the Shoebox was just the physical conversion and seeing how it all worked while taking advice and guidence from Todger.
This thread will my development thread to document what I've been doing, any hints and tips from other members of the community and general questions i may have.
Today the car was brought back to my house for work to begin on stripping it back down to just a bare shell and see what other parts can be taken out of the car.
First step was to empty my garage of all the crap ive accumlated with the engine swap in the first place. Then to bag and tag all the bits that i have left (new classified ad will be up soon).
The wood at the bottom of the garage and other pieces of MDF, im going to make a workbench and shelf and will probably roll in the snap on cabinet, this will save having to go grab all the tools from the lock up.
Might not look very big but with a cento in the garage has plenty of room.
Getting the car off the truck wasn't an easy job.
Blocking off a main road to push it onto my driveway on a local bus route too.
Especially as when it was being pushed off, a group of chavs in a 106 pulled right up to the lorry cab to lean out the window to take pictures and tell me how crap my car was and if they could buy the wheels off me for a fiver.
I think my look and the fact i had my family/neighbours/friends there telling them to leave rather quickly they said a few words and reversed off rather quickly.
Car was pushed onto my drive way, then lifted up on multiple trolley jacks and ratchet straps to be pulled round to go in the garage the other way.
First thing first, the rear bench was removed and i tired to remove the fuel pump to siphon out whatever fuel was left (fire hazard). The fuel pump wouldnt come out of the tank though. I know its a tight fit but then when the top half came off and the rest was only held together by the few cables on the fuel pump itself, I just cut off and a piece of brand new green vaccum (unused aswell
) was used to siphon the fuel out of the tank.
Radiator was removed, entire system was still full, no leaks at all. This also meant i could have a good look at the exhaust mani. Seems to be in good condition, slam pannel has not hit it, will be leak tested and looked over throughly once it is off the engine.
We then removed the bonnet and the glass out of the windscreen.
I know it's bonded in and isnt meant to come out.... but i think two grown men struggling to pull it out or even trying to cut the bonding material with stanley knives is a bit much.
Due to aches and pains that's all i could manage for today, just really wanted to make it safe to work on without worrying about fuel vapour catching or the windscreen being a hazard. All the other broken glass will be cleaned up next anyway.
Going to cut the slam pannel off to get a better look at the engine and then get a hoist to pull the engine out. Reciprocating saw is already on charage and dug out the grinder is ready.
Gearbox mount is obviously buggered.The rear gearbox mount looks like it has seen better days and is badly twisted, so shouldnt be too hard to get the engine out.
The shell will then be cut up and weighed in for scrap.
The strange thing is though, looking at the Direct Gov website about disposing of a car, is that if you break a car yourself you can just register a car as SORN and then once it is all in bits just inform the DVLA 'that you no longer have it'. From reading that website i assume that means by filling in the V5 section stating you have sold it. Just seems quite strange tbh.
Thought you would have to fill in a section about destruction of the vehicle and send vin plates to confirm.
So am i mad/crazy/stupid or just enjoy owning a cento?
Pirus
Well im not giving up just yet.
Plenty on the car is still salvageable and im not leaving the Cento section just yet. Half the fun with the Shoebox was just the physical conversion and seeing how it all worked while taking advice and guidence from Todger.
This thread will my development thread to document what I've been doing, any hints and tips from other members of the community and general questions i may have.
Today the car was brought back to my house for work to begin on stripping it back down to just a bare shell and see what other parts can be taken out of the car.
First step was to empty my garage of all the crap ive accumlated with the engine swap in the first place. Then to bag and tag all the bits that i have left (new classified ad will be up soon).

The wood at the bottom of the garage and other pieces of MDF, im going to make a workbench and shelf and will probably roll in the snap on cabinet, this will save having to go grab all the tools from the lock up.
Might not look very big but with a cento in the garage has plenty of room.
Getting the car off the truck wasn't an easy job.
Blocking off a main road to push it onto my driveway on a local bus route too.
Especially as when it was being pushed off, a group of chavs in a 106 pulled right up to the lorry cab to lean out the window to take pictures and tell me how crap my car was and if they could buy the wheels off me for a fiver.
I think my look and the fact i had my family/neighbours/friends there telling them to leave rather quickly they said a few words and reversed off rather quickly.
Car was pushed onto my drive way, then lifted up on multiple trolley jacks and ratchet straps to be pulled round to go in the garage the other way.
First thing first, the rear bench was removed and i tired to remove the fuel pump to siphon out whatever fuel was left (fire hazard). The fuel pump wouldnt come out of the tank though. I know its a tight fit but then when the top half came off and the rest was only held together by the few cables on the fuel pump itself, I just cut off and a piece of brand new green vaccum (unused aswell
Radiator was removed, entire system was still full, no leaks at all. This also meant i could have a good look at the exhaust mani. Seems to be in good condition, slam pannel has not hit it, will be leak tested and looked over throughly once it is off the engine.
We then removed the bonnet and the glass out of the windscreen.
I know it's bonded in and isnt meant to come out.... but i think two grown men struggling to pull it out or even trying to cut the bonding material with stanley knives is a bit much.
Due to aches and pains that's all i could manage for today, just really wanted to make it safe to work on without worrying about fuel vapour catching or the windscreen being a hazard. All the other broken glass will be cleaned up next anyway.
Going to cut the slam pannel off to get a better look at the engine and then get a hoist to pull the engine out. Reciprocating saw is already on charage and dug out the grinder is ready.
Gearbox mount is obviously buggered.The rear gearbox mount looks like it has seen better days and is badly twisted, so shouldnt be too hard to get the engine out.
The shell will then be cut up and weighed in for scrap.
The strange thing is though, looking at the Direct Gov website about disposing of a car, is that if you break a car yourself you can just register a car as SORN and then once it is all in bits just inform the DVLA 'that you no longer have it'. From reading that website i assume that means by filling in the V5 section stating you have sold it. Just seems quite strange tbh.
Thought you would have to fill in a section about destruction of the vehicle and send vin plates to confirm.
So am i mad/crazy/stupid or just enjoy owning a cento?
Pirus
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