Bravo (Classic) Van with a difference!!!.

[SamuraiDragon]

yeah, they are 14's.

 

[m20b25]

I hate rain

Also, I finally got better again!

Lets crack on...

First, cam guard off. Out of tension

That means a belt change

And a quick clean of the engine too

Needed changing...

Perfect

And I went to bed....

Today

Remember my annoying arch problem? Take this!!!

Experiment time: A few of these are lying about. Time to fit a pair...

Like so

Using...

Lastly, I refitted my towing eye

It's back up and running, delighted!

Keep watching...

 

[m20b25]

Got my commercial tyres on! I don't think I'll be putting the Lensos back on, these are much more comfortable

Remember my arch that I fixxored? Needed testing, passed the rubbing test

Still crabby, must push out the rest when I get the time...

Ireland's lowest Bravo?

 

[goodgirl156]

What happend to the rqp? Sorry to say the pics make it look very rough

 

[m20b25]

What happend to the rqp? Sorry to say the pics make it look very rough

It was repaired by an ape before I got the car

You are spot on, that's its bad side. Since fixing the arch the bumper won't sit right making it look even worse! :bang:

In due time, it's difficult to push that side out, but I'll get to it when I have the time

 

[goodgirl156]

hope I didn't offend, body works always been something I haven't been good at, give me a set of spanners any day!

if its any consolation, I have much, much furtherer to go with my project!

 

[blu73]

looks pretty solid for a panda shell, you had to much work in to get it to that point?

edit: you got a build thread?

 

[goodgirl156]

If you can wade though 9 pages, I have a thread over on the panda forum section. Its mostly filled with terror and slight moments of light hearted insanity

https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-classic/234281-mk1-fiat-panda-4x4-restore.html

Good chaps over there, wouldn't be where i am now in this padded cell if it wasn't for them

 

[m20b25]

hope I didn't offend, body works always been something I haven't been good at, give me a set of spanners any day!

Same here, some parts of the car are almost impossible to access properly, especially double skinned areas!

Back to the van

I did a lot of work on Wednesday but alas, misplaced phone! :bang:

• Cut a long story short:
• No more silly exhaust
• Horn mount fixxored
• Back on "normal" springs
• Steel floor refitted

Fun was short lived! A nasty running issue of the past came back and bit me in the ar...m

So I decided it was one of 2 things:

First were these relays

Acquired another set courtesy of my old car and cleaned them up well (one done in the pic!)

But it didn't cure it! :bang:

Plan b, disconnected the oxy sensor. Sorted! Long test drive, faultless!

Lesson: Beware of cheap petrol people

Currently it looks like this

Small bit tidier

But what about the exhaust?

:devil:

Finally, here's the current setup. Cat + standard camshafts + 5 speed box. Compare it to the other vid in an earlier post, there is a very noticeable difference



Keep watching...

 

[blu73]

doesn't sound like 'need for speed' anymore

 

[m20b25]

doesn't sound like 'need for speed' anymore

I do miss the fun I had with the 6 speed and the fun above 5K rpm, it was a hoot :worship:

But in some ways it's better to drive....!

No more rubbing on locking to the right, no more horrendous bangs on rough surfaces, no more worrying about buckling a wheel! It's more manoeuvrable than the Iveco once more

Don't worry, the loss of the "need for speed" soundtrack is temporary, as you know I'm full of surprises...

 

[m20b25]

Woot, lovely weather! Time to get some stuff done

Lets skip welding the floor in for the moment, I'll get pics of that another time...

First, here's those twin pipes

My plan was to extend them using...

Alas, too small of bore! Out with my favourite toy of all time and some pipe :worship:

Perfect

It's fair to say, the welding has improved

I think...

Time to test fit

Next, slash cut

Followed by a good cleaning

Rooting out this stuff

Refitted

Looks much better

Keep watching...

 

[aurick86]

I also suck at welding only ever stick welded .. but I put the angle grinder to work after.. so they look ok; so should you.
I think the amperage was to low on your welds .. that will mean the weld is on top of the pipes rather than between them.

I told you: Do not cut the back bumper (or something like that).That square hole for a round pipe looks awful.
Do some thing about it .. you have a lot of bumpers and I believe you still have a lot of paint, + you have a place to work on it .
I really would like to see some of the rough spots getting some attention, like the back wing or the ill fitting panels.

Please make it look tidier! It looks so sad right now.

 

[m20b25]

I also suck at welding only ever stick welded .. but I put the angle grinder to work after.. so they look ok; so should you.
I think the amperage was to low on your welds .. that will mean the weld is on top of the pipes rather than between them.

I told you: Do not cut the back bumper (or something like that).That square hole for a round pipe looks awful.
Do some thing about it .. you have a lot of bumpers and I believe you still have a lot of paint, + you have a place to work on it .
I really would like to see some of the rough spots getting some attention, like the back wing or the ill fitting panels.

Please make it look tidier! It looks so sad right now.

Stick welder would just burns through these light pipes. I've tried

Practicing on an amp rating of 2 and a slightly higher wire speed, it burned through the pipe These aint new pipes, just old stuff lying about. The sleve piece is from bits of a E34 exhaust, 2-1 piece is from the vectra downpipe, 2 pipes mated to it are from the blue fiesta and the extended pipes are more of the vectra

Essentially, what I have is a decent alternative to a new back section. Not spending €205 + vat for a new backbox, that costs more than the car did!

Bumper was shabby, I hacked it anyway due to the amount of spare bumpers about as a styling excersise... I'll tidy it in due time

The back is very very difficult to get at without chopping some of the panels inside out. That's major work and I use it everyday, can't afford to have it lying up with nothing else at the ready! (Polo: not ready for the road)

I've had visions of chopping the back of another Bravo off for this

Paint? Not a hope with the Mercs in the way. One is being dismantled in the yard (don't ask!) and the other resides in the garage. Until the other one goes, no painting!

I just need the time, I do other things besides working on the cars!

 

[blu73]

I do other things besides working on the cars!

lies, its all lies lol

 

[m20b25]

lies, its all lies lol

Sssshhhhh don't blow my cover!

 

[Gregovic]

Stick welder would just burns through these light pipes. I've tried

Practicing on an amp rating of 2 and a slightly higher wire speed, it burned through the pipe

So up the wire speed a tad more and move the torch faster From the pics it does look like Aurick is right. The weld is not molten "into" the metal, it's just lying on top. And that makes it brickwork, not welding. (Don't get me wrong, I am not much of a welder myself but I now a "could be better" weld when I see one. Exhaust pipe is just very hard to weld without melting holes in it)

You could easily stick weld it, you just need very fine electrodes. The normal ones are too big and require too much current.

 

[paultaylor6003]

iv heard from faint whispers your actually a male exotic dancer, pmsl:slayer::slayer:

 

[BANG TIDY]

iv heard from faint whispers your actually a male exotic dancer, pmsl:slayer::slayer:

Ya he is manys the exotic picture I got from him. :yum:

 

[m20b25]

So up the wire speed a tad more and move the torch faster From the pics it does look like Aurick is right. The weld is not molten "into" the metal, it's just lying on top. And that makes it brickwork, not welding. (Don't get me wrong, I am not much of a welder myself but I now a "could be better" weld when I see one. Exhaust pipe is just very hard to weld without melting holes in it)

You could easily stick weld it, you just need very fine electrodes. The normal ones are too big and require too much current.

It survived the drop test (drop from roof of house) and it isn't a load bearing part. It's surviving well so far.

I must get some high resolution pictures of it next time its off but I'm very pleased with it as opposed to by previous shambolic attempts at welding

iv heard from faint whispers your actually a male exotic dancer, pmsl:slayer::slayer:

Ya he is manys the exotic picture I got from him. :yum:

I knew my late night shenanigans would come back to haunt me.... :nerner:

Gotta get some stuff done today, I'll be back later with an update...