tbro's 2nd NA, Scooter's resto

[tbro]

Hi all,

Today Grump finished painting the rear 1/4 panel and we refitted the repaired boot, beaver and rear bumper.

Painted and refitted wiper arms and then gave the car a good wash along with the other 3 cars!!!!

So now the outside is finished!!!







Won't be the fastest MX5 but definetely one of the cleanest!!!

Now to start cleaning up the inside, plans are to make up a hinged chassis and mount the ecu up under the dash on the passenger side.
That will make any repairs etc a lot easier and get the ecu out of harms way from heat and water etc.

Make up a holder for the microtech and mount on dash, and make up a surround for the gearshift to clean up where the console
has been ( grumps jobs )

Then refit carpets for roadworthy and tidy up everything generally.

Still lots to go but its happening.

Terry

[tbro]

Hi all,

Another week gone, and a few more jobs done.

Have basically stripped out unwanted crap from inside and made and fitted ecu onto hinged bracket up under passenger dash.

Made up bracket for windscreen washer bottle and bracket for Loch Stewart air filter box. These seem to take forever to make,

measure, cut and trial fit, weld, trial fit and finally paint and fit. Now I remember why it always seem to take so long to finish off race cars.

Oh well all done






Tomorrow time to make up new bracket for oil catch can, fit carpets, seatbelts and finish off the inside for roadworthy.

Seeya!!

Terry

[tassone56]

The exterior looks amazing..
Im kinda simple on the DIY front.. but what products did u use to bring that shine and colour back so well? My front bar is pink and seems to be content to staying that way.. the bastard.

loved the racing stripes on it when u picked her up!

[tbro]

The exterior looks amazing..
Im kinda simple on the DIY front.. but what products did u use to bring that shine and colour back so well? My front bar is pink and seems to be content to staying that way.. the bastard.

"Gotta love that meguires", was Scooters previous owners fav saying and I agree 100%.

Used cleaning wax and a lot of hard work, then some more cleaning wax and lots of hard work, if you get the picture.

Finished off with Cold Gold wax. Then washed the car ,chamious and a 2nd coat of cold gold. All done!!!!

Thanks for the comments.

Terry

[Mr Morlock]

would you not have saved a lot of hard work simply by machine buffing it? A word from the painting experts would be interesting. Red is notorious for fading and my understanding has always been that when it is has reached a certain point you will never be able to restore it as the tint has been killed by our savage UV. Imported cars are sometimes more prone to this than home grown products who are used to formulations that stand up to the type of UV found in the north. The rear paint job and front of the vehicle looks a good job to me- what product- and type of paint was used?

[tbro]

Hi all,

Today was spent making more of the little things.

First I made some new tow hooks using the original brackets and the cheapo brackets Steve had fitted. A little bit of cutting, grinding

welding and painting and all done.





While the paint was drying, I refitted up all the dash, cleaned up all the floor etc and fitted the carpet, door sills etc.

Then came time to make up a new fire extinguisher bracket to go where the console would normally be, more cutting, bending, welding and

painting, all done and fitted.






Another day been and gone and one more step closer!!!!!!

Terry

[tbro]

Mr M,

I probrobably could have used a buff but I know my limitations with a buffing machine.

Part of my apprenticeship back in the olden days as a automotive engineer was spent in the paint and panel shop, so I learnt how to repair trucks and paint them.

I couldn"t count how many times either I or someone I'm working with, have stuffed up a good repaint due to going too close to an edge.

Murphy's law, "if you can stuff it up you probably will at the worst time"

I'm not rushed for time as I do things as I can afford to do it, so a day and a bit spent on the end of a rag polishing is no big deal, just bloody hard on the arms!!!!

The front bar was just done the same as the rest of the car.

Acrylic paint was applied by Grump on the rear 1/4 panel and boot. Still need cutting with 2000 wet and dry and polishing up on the rear 1/4 panel.

Probably happen next weekend, give the paint as long as possible to shrink.

Terry

[Boags]

Great to see the beast in person.
I can't wait to be side by side down the main straight at MP...

[Mr Morlock]

thanks Terry that all makes sense and I understand your thinking.Acrylic is what I guessed Really good that you guys do the work yourselves.

[tbro]

Hey all,

been a bit slack over the last couple of weeks, done heaps but couldn't be bothered posting ( I know SLACK)

Apart from tyres everything is ready for logbooking.

New 6 point harness will be here this week, all I need to do is clip it in.

Going for my medical on the 22/4 then I can organise all the other bu** sh*t.

Some of the jobs done over the last two weeks:

New mount for oil catch can down nice and low,

Battery switch and cable etc all manufactured and fitted ( Oh! what a fun job that was bringing the battery cable up through the floor)

Tailshaft loop made and fitted (more funny words used bolting that up)

Rollbar padding all on.

Finally got the tacho working (thanks to RTB from Sidders)

All the Microtech wired up properly and now works, laptop can now be used to tune.

Just a few piccy's















Notice the red line on the tacho

So me's a happy liddle vegemite.

Terry

[16bit]

very nice mate - a real little looker you have there. I bet she will go pretty hard too.

[tbro]

Hi all,
Well wasn't today a waste of time and a pain in the arse, spent the day waiting for the engineer to come and do the Blue plate for rollbar, sparco seat and brake mods,rang him early last week, and he suggested Saturday was the best for him. Spoke to him twicw today," just waiting for the sparky to come and do my bathroom", like I really GAF, just come and do what you organised!!!!
Well he just rang a few moments ago " we had probs I'll see you in the morning" , like I really have a choice.

Now I've had my bitch, rego inspection on Tuesday am, thats why I need blue plate, wheel alignment Wednesday, exhaust Thursday, dyno Friday. Me got a busy week ahead

Sold the ITB's this week, off to Adelaide to be fitted to this little beast




Cut back the l/h rear quater panel today,came up a treat, Grump does a bloody good job!! then polished the living crap out of it, nice and shiny.




Fitted new QFM pads front and rear, hope I can get enough heat into them going up for rego inspection.

Removed the drivers side footwell light, bit of modifying and fitted window switch, no where else within easy reach to fit it.




Finally washed the car, how do cars that spend their life in a garage get so bloody dirty??

Just a few more piccys with the Clubman wheel on, don't think the slicks would have gone down too well for rego!




See you all at the track!!

Terry

[Boags]

Looking good mate!

See you next Monday. Are you racing on May 10 at QR?

[tbro]

Looking good mate!

See you next Monday. Are you racing on May 10 at QR?

Ta mate,

10th is Wendy's birthday and have rellies coming up from down south, so for my health I don't think I'll even mention racing.

Being unemployed is bad enough, throat slit, no thanks!!!


Terry

[Boags]

Oh dear!

Fair enough. See you on Monday @ Lakeside.