Ok thanks I will bare that in mind, I've not used the car since I picked it up so the last lot was from the hose pipe, but yes good point and I will go through it all with my mechanic when we check everything over.

 

Managed to finish off the initial clean today after getting in the arches, here's a selection and nothing to bad at all just a few surface blemishes, the rear arches are strong and are spot on especially on the top curve where the folded lip is there is nothing at all on the inside just a little surface in the odd spot again. We especially checked these areas out when looking at the car as I would have walked away if it had its teeth in.















Next step all being well Saturday when I drop the car off for the Cam Belt etc then I want to get some miles on it in the short term to make sure all is well.
I'll then be considering my options for the underside but I've read on the RA forum about a product called Dinitrol 445 which is a smooth spray on stone chip protectant which allows a surface for paint to then be applied which is something that's looking like a good option.

 

Subscribing to this one, looks like it's the start of a good thread

 

I'd be tempted to drop the whole underside Si. Do the lot mate.

 

Been a little while there Ollie

Frayz that has been suggested to me already drop it all remove engine and gearbox and then get the body on at frame to be painted, tbh I don't really know how deeply to go at the moment it's all about the cost.... When I have sat down and gone through it and get some ideas of costs together it will give me an idea of how deeply to go with it. I don't have a fixed budget in mind but I do have one. It's odd when you think the labour costs for going for a large strip down are cheaper than fiddling about with it in small parts at different stages. The plan will come together in time.

 

Doesn't need to go on a spit Si.
It doesn't need to be a full body resto. Just superficial, you have the skills to carry tht out at home.

 

Up to a point I agree there it's all surface stuff mostly.... It will be interesting to look at the full picture as well then I understand it all but at a push I think I could get one side of the car on axle stands and as long as I could work in around 18" or so of space I think I could manage to get around it all in stages.

 

Yeah I think so.

This makes me want a classic. Lol

 

The bloody things get under your skin

These early cars need saving as slowly they are becoming increasing hard to find. I could see you putting together a very nice road going classic on a reasonable budget with your skills Frayz

 

Could do mate. However I'm shopping for houses right now. So projects are on hold till I've built a suitable man room

 

...and if you thought modding cars was expensive wait until you start on your house

 

+1

 

Lol, you wait till you're fueling your 5 million BHP subaru.
You thought modding houses was expensive!!

Least a house will be worth more than £40 quid when I'm done.

 

+2

 

Be sure to find a house with a suitably large living room and a high ceiling for the garage / 4 post lift conversion. Don't let small issues like living space put you off!

 

Is this the bit where I upset everyone by admitting I finished my mortgage a few years ago

Look into the future the Frayz buy a place that you can have scope to extend rather than have to move, not only house but garage wise as well and as Kev says 4 post lift

 

Off to a local breaker tomorrow after work to collect a drivers side head light unit as mine has a hole in it and also an OEM recirc DV plus a few other items I've listed while getting around the car, the light is £14.95 so I'm expecting a boot full for £25

 

But you are 87 Si

 

But Si you live in Wales, where you can buy all the houses for £30 quid!

I live in Essex where a 1 bed flat costs more than the entire oil supply in the UAE

 

Team Essex

 

+3...but I've made a start :

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s....php?p=2802278

Now just need to get the car over to fill the space!

 

Mine was £35 cos it came with 3/4 of a acre

 

Lol

 

And a forest

 

Ollie how on earth did you find a garage forum that I have to say is brilliant I only wish I had something set up like that... I assume you still have the car there as I see the DBM wing hanging up?

Two for 30 quid in my day Frayz

I should have spent my heating allowance on hatch road tax Ian

 

Yes just watched Location Location flat prices in London are mental let alone houses

 

Cant beat a v2 sti ra

 

Love the forum, means I get to geek out over garages now that I have one!

Yep still got the car, will be moving it over in a few weeks to it's new home

 

Cheers

Good on you Ollie.... I'd also be in my element it I could get a garage like that too, be great to have something large than a single space that you can design and work with.

Small update dropped the car off with Ace Performance Cars yesterday and Andy gave it a good check over, mechanically first impressions look good... There is a small oil leak on the one rocker cover gasket plus on the PS pipework the one place also has a small leak which is no big shakes and two easy fixes, also we will drop the oil out and do an oil flush and that way we can then check what comes out to confirm all is well internally. I've got a full service history with the car so it looks like things are up to date in that area but always best to check plus drop an oil in that we are familiar with, last step will be the OEM down pipe with cat as that will be going back on along with a HKS silent hi power system finishing it off.

We also checked the brakes on the car, front Calipers look scabby but work well but both discs and pads are junk, rear discs fine but pads are also not very good so again two easy fixes.... The plan eventually will be Brembo all around anyway but I'm thinking I may just run the 4 pots for a few months to make sure mechanically all is well, again we shall judge that when we get closer to the time.

Also checked the suspension out, in general all is well.... A couple of bushes show signs of play which for a 17-18 year old car is expected, we have some early ideas what to do and that will come together in time as well as I find prices out and decide how deeply to go or not at this time, I do have a basic overview of what I wish to achieve in my mind or more like a wish list but like with my earlier classic the mods at a basic level will be uprated anti roll bar with solid drop links and strut brace on the rear and simply solid drop links on the front and that will get me started.

Finally Andy took me out for a road test.... Apart from the fact the car has 4 different tyres all went very well, Andy put the car through its paces and it handled reasonably well... The 16" tyres do give extra body roll with a 50 wall plus grip not the best as expected but all in all we were both very happy with the test run apart from the horrendous exhaust noise

Finally when the car was up in the air we had a good look at the underbody... Not to bad in general but does need some attention in areas which is what I expected, before I decide what to do next we are going to get a quote for paintwork under the car and at different stages of strip down, this way I can control the cost of the budget more... The car can stay with them for as long as I need in stages of strip down as well so I will be able to bring parts of the car home to work on as struts and suspension parts etc plus I am then able to go up there to work on it myself as well which is a bonus. Planned properly this will reduce labour time on the car as one job will only be done once as I am conscious of stripping the same area down multiple times which is not efficient. Worse case scenario I will be able to rub down and paint the arches and underbody up there myself to so it gives me a great option if I need it.

It's great to have a top mechanic on side for advice and guidance as well as the professional work that I can't do myself... For anyone that knows my old blue classic I could have never achieved that without Andy's input so I know I'm on good ground here. The thread may go quite for a little while now until I get a little further into things.

 

White is deffo the new blue

No wax oil on his under carriage