1970 Sprint Garage find.

PostPost by: StressCraxx » Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:13 pm

Wonderful! What a find for you!

Regards,
Dan Wise
There is no cure for Lotus, only treatment.
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Sat Nov 16, 2013 3:28 pm

Whooo

From this
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to this
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to this :)
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Most entertaining 8)

Bit of a nice surprise that it has one of these still :)
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PostPost by: pharriso » Sat Nov 16, 2013 4:31 pm

Wow, that is a great car already! Nice find...
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Sat Nov 16, 2013 5:00 pm

80% of it is decent and could almost just bolt it back together (trim has been kept in the house so is as you would expect a 40,000 mile car to be and has been removed very carefully) the running gear seems to be the biggest issue with it, i've had a good look at the chassis in the uprights etc and it seems solid but when you get into it all the brake calipers are seized solid front and rear, the rear wheel bearings don't feel very good, it looks like the Diff has been run with no oil (lots of surface rust in there and the bearings are goosed, feels like some one has filled it with sand) and two of the rims have very elongated peg holes (i know minor but will drive me mad :) )

All in all after getting it home and having a proper look at it there is nothing major that i could find wrong, there is a couple of dodgy repairs on the body / some minor crazing, the plastic hood is well past its sell by date (seems to have shrunk and has been damaged by some one trying to force it on) and the screen has Delaminated but it will be a nice easy restoration.
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PostPost by: gjz30075 » Sat Nov 16, 2013 5:16 pm

Great progress! What's the vin?

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PostPost by: Grizzly » Sat Nov 16, 2013 6:22 pm

Vin? tbh i don't really want to put the Vin and the reg on the open net :) but i have been told it is one of the 1970 S4 kits that were converted to Sprint spec, i did worry that it may not have had the proper Sprint Motor fitted (stick gold bumpers/stripes on, Big valve cam cover and call it a Sprint :) ) but i've had a good look and most of the Sprint Bits are there even though the ignition is on the dash, Bonnet Bulge and a couple of other minor things are very S4. It does explain the Mono white Body though (which i kinda like, not going to run into another one :) )

But to be Honest it doesn't bother me at all, i already have an odd mono white +2 S130 that was factory retro fitted as well.
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Fri Nov 22, 2013 3:02 pm

Bit of a big step today, got the Chassis Powder coated. I know i wanted to keep it as original as poss but i just couldn't bring myself to get it done in red oxide so i went with the Engine grey colour instead.

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I think it looks better myself :)

I have also put some hours in with the shot blaster cabinet and have started coating some of the wishbones etc in Epoxy. So things are coming along nicely :D
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PostPost by: rgh0 » Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:11 pm

I agree with the grey chassis it is what I did with mine also. I never could stand the red oxide either :D

cheers
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Tue Dec 17, 2013 6:04 pm

Bit of an Update.

I have the chassis getting there now, i have rebuilt the gearbox, have to get hold of rear brake Pistons to finish the brakes. I have been toying with the idea of rebuilding the engine myself as it doesn't need allot by the looks of it but it may well end up at QED or Burton.

not the best picture (excuse the messy garage too :))
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I am now at that point where i've put the chassis in the house garage and the Body in the workshop so i can start looking at getting the floor and engine bay cleaned up and painted :)
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:19 pm

Well bit of an Update, i picked the bottom end up this morning after i had it rebuilt (fresh hone/Rings,Bearings,Water Pump,Cam chain etc)

Not the best Picture but here it is, just got to get a clutch and i can put the box on and drop it in the chassis :)
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btw its upside down because i couldn't find the engine stand (must have left it at the builders) and our next door is cutting big holes in there drive with a sthil saw so the Concrete dust is getting every where (including my garage) that's why its sealed up as best as poss.

(Not sure i'm into the red Dip stick :()
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PostPost by: elansprint71 » Sun Jan 19, 2014 4:43 pm

Grizzly, remember to turn the engine the other way up before you fit it- simple mistake, easily done. :wink:

Looking good, can't wait to see it.
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Tue Jan 28, 2014 5:43 pm

Its funny you should say that because i fitted the engine mounts the correct way up with the Block upside down :oops: (if that makes sense)

Whats worse is i was so preoccupied getting the Clutch/Box on i didn't notice until the engine was in the Chassis and the Front pulley was dangerously close to the cross member......... What can you say.........What a Goon :(

O well no damage done, bit of messing getting the mounts turned round it looks like this now :)

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Please feel free to point out anything that's in the wrong place or upside down (i didn't strip it so its awkward), i couldn't make up my mind where the Clutch line bracket went so just moved it around each Engine mount bolt until it felt a nice fit and i could get the Master cylinder pipe on (was going to use a one piece line but the Original length braided one came in a kit with the brake lines so seemed a waist to get a different one).

But i'm happy its still moving forwards (so to speak)

Chris
Last edited by Grizzly on Tue Jan 28, 2014 10:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostPost by: mark030358 » Tue Jan 28, 2014 9:30 pm

Great story, fantastic!!

Here's something I did to help earthing when I was rebuilding ny S4.
I ran in an earth cable the full length of the chassis, (inside the chassis on the passenger side at the top). I used the holes that are there but unused. I used P Clips, rivited to the chassis, to hold it in place. In the engine bay I bolted the cable into the hole that would have been used for the handbrake for a left hand drive car. The other end went straight across into the boot and onto the earth point. A MUCH MUCH better earthing solution and one that can't be seen. All you have normally is the two bolts coming through the chassis into the boot floor.

Also adjust the reverse light switch on the gearbox before fitting the body... ask me how I know :(


Cheers
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PostPost by: Grizzly » Tue Jan 28, 2014 10:18 pm

That is a good tip, i will do that. Cheers.

Is there any tips for getting good grounds on a well powder coated chassis :( I was thinking about getting some Serrated spring washers just to help cut through it a bit, could do with a tidy way to clean under the grounds and only under the grounds if you know what i mean. I have been cleaning it up with 80 grit emery but its awkward to keep it local.
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PostPost by: elansprint71 » Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:19 pm

Good points about the reverse light switch and earth wiring. That switch is unreachable when the car is back together. I ran a sort of "ring main" of earthing around the car because using the chassis is not really an engineering solution. Purists and aesthetes may huff and puff but it is easy to hide the extra cabling and everyone with any tech knowledge understands why it was always a bad idea. :wink:
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