General onyx firefly picture of car collected today

[unclespevie]

well got rolling chassis now

http://s699.photobucket.com/albums/vv359/unclespevie/rebuild/

stripped the wiring loom, pedal box, steering rack to day ready for during week..

cheers

kevin

 

[spyder steve]

Oh dear, shame about the fuel pump. Its all joy is'nt it. Mine has the plastic fuel tank being the carbed engine. On a plus point my paint is now looking a lot better, Should finnish it this week. Fingers crossed.

 

[unclespevie]

yeh this tank from donor is plastic but bigger than the one that was fitted...more fettling to but i think i might have to saw a fraction of bottom of rear body so it misses the tank.

send us a pick of the paint job....interested cos no doubt i gotta do mine meself to save cost, have sparayed before but that was a metro in the front garden one hot summers day....did a good really.

kevin

 

[spyder steve]

I'm looking forward to posting pics more than you can imagine. I have struggled more with this respray than ever before, and I've done a few. Had the body not been damaged it would have been much more straightforward. Getting the shape back and flat was a nightmare. Be worth it I hope.

 

[unclespevie]

could you get some picks of the heater fitted...was thinking of not having one but maybe i do....

think my rebuild will take longer than i think. dark nights, busy with other stuff so time is minimal at mo...

When you refitted the steering rack did it line up ok, offered mine upto the car from donor, same size as one came off but cant get wheels to be some what straight ???

put new track rods on but maybe need adjusting to suit after its bolted on.

 

[spyder steve]

The steering rack and track rods are more or less straight. It does need adjusting, mine probably still isn't dead right but can't really test it. Will post some pictures of it.

 

[unclespevie]

i think i may have put the stantions on wrong, the bracket that holds the track rod end is on the outside edge not inside, thats why i think the ends dont seem to be fitting....
arrrggghhhhhhhhhhh.....took me ages to get them back on as well......

could you take a pick of the stansion where the track rod end fits, just to make sure i have or not fitted properly.

cheers steve, most appreciative of this.

kevin

 

[firstcar-Y10]

if it's a standard Panda setup here's a pic from when I was doing some work on mine recently

 

[unclespevie]

cheers for that, will use this as reference to check i done it correctly.

thanks again

kevin

 

[spyder steve]

http://s1114.photobucket.com/albums/k524/steve-pix/Car%20Respray/ A few more pics of the story so far. Pics of the stantion and track rods all I have at the moment will take more Kevin. The bulk of the spraying done now. I'm trying to be methodical with the build. The next is finnish wireing and do interior, will post pics as I Do it. I think Kevin you think I'm further ahead than I really am.

 

[unclespevie]

Well you are alot further than be for sure.

hoping to get engine out of doner this week so i can clean it up a bit. Looking at the stantion on mine it looks to be sprayed out, like an upside down V shape, cant take fotos now cos i had me camera in pocket when i capsized on saturday throught the rapids, left me camera in pocket( doh!!!!).....

once the shafts are in and tightened up it might align a bit better.....will c.

well i got the pedal box in, steering column in, steering rack in(not fully tight yet).
getting the bushes sorted this week for trailing arms(need turning down on lathe as too wide) then get them fiitted, then fit the fuel tank and back end mostly done for now, just the fuel lines and brake cable from compensator to flexi hose to look at a later date.

really need to get engine out before its toooo cold to work on it...lol.

as soon as i get me camera sorted i will update the picks.

looking good tho Steve......looking good.

PS, what rear can is that, a motor bike one on a custome exhaust pipe or on a OEM pipe section to front....

 

[spyder steve]

Ahoy Cap'n Kev. I once dropped a 5 horse outboard into river orwell, 18 feet straight to the bottom. Boy did I laugh. NOT. Was called pugwash for a year at work after that. The con is from an R1 yam. So quiet you can hardly hear it. Should have gone for a race can. Might pull a few baffles out when I've got a ticket on it. Sounds like you had a good weekend then.

 

[unclespevie]

Yeh a real good hoot it was....

i had a bandit 600 once and put a race can on it, bought a ally badge of ebay with the E mark on it(£12 for 2) and rivit it on, never a prob with the plod.

hoping to take more picks this weekend as the engine from donor out tonight, dropped the oil and gonna check clutch, gear box oil whilst out....and a clean up...

camera off to shop today(local chap sorts me stuff out) so lets see if its a gonner ??

cheers.

 

[spyder steve]

http://s1114.photobucket.com/albums/k524/steve-pix/car respray 2/ And yet more pics, feel like I'm actually getting somewhere now after a lot of doing everything twice and unforseen hold ups. Can't put the side bits in without the windscreen being fitted, still to get that. Bit of cutting back and some chips and scratches that I had'nt noticed but nothing to bad. The laquer magnifies small scratches and makes them look like the grand canyon. Headlights fitted indicators same just wireing up now. Probably won't work. Don't like electrics. Cutting back is hard work, dust, dog hairs, and small rodents, its all in there.

 

[unclespevie]

Its looking well good...i checked my stantions and are fitted correctly, engine back in this weekend and fix up the connections for gear lever......then the fun part of feeding wiring loom round everywhere. wee hooo, i actually not that bad with electrics.

once engine is in i can finish the braking system, put the remote servo on and pipe it up to front and rear.

still to fit tank yet but its getting there, as i said no rush for this year to be finished so a few hours here n there is all i get at the moment....

are you putting a mesh grill on the front (silver with ONYX in black letters would be nice on it)

keep going matie, looks like you not got much to do to finish.

kevin

 

[spyder steve]

I was going to ask about the front grill silver or black? The other thing is the number plate, do I use a stick on one on the bonnet or make up a plate and put it lower. The spoiler is slightly to narrow for a stick on plate. But I fancied a chrome fiat badge on the bonnet? All idea's much appreciated thanks all.

 

[unclespevie]

for ease i would use a flexi stick on number plate on bonnet. unless you can fit it within the grill??, a nice black n silver one would be nice?
unless you use a stick on one below the mesh grill, you can small stick ones made.

google number plate designes for ideas.

kevin

PS, trapped my hand removing engine tonight on me own...dam its throbbing, looks i been sqeward on the palm of me hand....haha joys of resto.

 

[unclespevie]

well blow me down, the freakin engine is doesn't fit the chassis....

fitting a 1.0 into 75o chassis, arghhh, but ???? i chopped some 1inch box section out to make cleareace for the gear box(bigger than 750 one) and welded some 1inch back in to reinforce it.

had to chop a 10inch u section out of 1inch box sectiom to make clearance for the fly wheel that has a crank sensor attached(750 does not) then plate it.

took me 6hrs all told, dropping engine in and out to get clearance correct, all painted back up now ready to receive engine sunday.....

just hope everything else fits in place now...

camera is dead so need to by a new one, will take picks of todays ventures when i get a new camera.

thanks

a tired kevin today.

 

[spyder steve]

Oh dear hope the hands better, these things are blood sweat and tears for real. I'm using my own blood as an adhesive. Like the ONYX grill idea will give that a go. Really want a fiat logo on it as to my mind it is mostly fiat anyway. Fiat superleggera? As for the number plate might off set it like the Alfa 156 etc, had one of those and loved it. If anyone has any Ideas about badges or number plate position etc would appreciate any ideas Thanks all Steve.

 

[spyder steve]

Sounds like the engine change is becoming a bit of a nightmare, I did'nt see that comming. Still if you want to go bigger later it shouln't be to bad. I never realized that there was that much of a difference in the chassis between your car and mine but there must be.