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"Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction" (rustholes-are-weight-reduction) 09/05/2017 at 15:07 • Filed to: None

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Some assembly required

Now that the Bel Air is on it’s wheels again (not finished though), the Pajero has a working transmission, the parts 505 is stripped, the Mégane is ready for sale, and the Landcruiser is sold, it’s time to tackle another car that’s been sitting for a while.

My dad bought this 505 2.5 turbo diesel about 10 years ago with the intent to fix it and make it his week-end driver. It had a very clean interior, was mechanically fine, sadly an auto, but whatever. The body was mostly rust free, but some panels have been resprayed and the others have bad clearcoat. It also had a small accident, bending the front bumper, it’s mounting points, and piercing the radiator.

Now the radiator is important, because the auto 505s had special radiators, cooling the engine coolant and the trans fluid. We didn’t have one in stock and my dad never took it to get it recored. This missing piece has been the excuse to not fix the car for years now.

A few weeks ago, I bought a parts car, 505 V6, manual trans. But for some unknown reason, it had a radiator from an auto. The transmission part was just not connected.

Now that he didn’t have an excuse anymore, my dad decided to fix it, and we pushed it onto the lift this evening to start working on it. Naturally, the years of standing didn’t help, and it needs a bit more work now, bit it’s starting!

The V6, parted out, and my old GTD, waiting patiently for a make-over (there are currently 7 505s on my parents property)

kanadanmajava1 > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/05/2017 at 15:25

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How about also using the V6 and the manual from the donor?

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > kanadanmajava1 09/05/2017 at 15:27

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France, this would be pretty illegal

kanadanmajava1 > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/05/2017 at 15:38

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I thought that this shouldn’t be a problems for enough old cars.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > kanadanmajava1 09/05/2017 at 15:42

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Nope, France doesn’t like exciting things

kanadanmajava1 > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/05/2017 at 15:53

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So any engine swap would be illegal?

Crap! There goes my retirement plans. I was planning to retire to southern France and spend my days making cheap wine and messing with cars. I’m not going to be going to a country that doesn’t allow engine swaps.

Or maybe I could keep all of my cars in Finnish plates...

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > kanadanmajava1 09/05/2017 at 16:01

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In theory, it is possible, but it will take a lot of time and money to get it road legal.

That doesn’t mean there are no engine swaps made. Most cops won’t care or know, it’s just that your insurance won’t pay anything if something happens

Also, resale value drops

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/05/2017 at 16:14

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Hell yeah :) i love it when you get on a project car roll. Could do with one of those myself ;)

Shame about France being sucky with engine swaps. V6 5-speed 505 sounds pretty sweet to me...

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/05/2017 at 17:00

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I miss the 505 turbo wagon my dad had.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 09/05/2017 at 18:00

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It is, I still have my V6 though, and that should be next on the list :)

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) 09/05/2017 at 18:01

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Turbo wagon? That’s awesome! Most wagon have anemic engines

unclevanos (Ovaltine Jenkins) > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/05/2017 at 20:03

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Yes the 505 turbo wagon was a North American model only.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/05/2017 at 21:03

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That megane is going to be picked up in a heartbeat

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner 09/06/2017 at 01:13

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Meh, it’s been for sale for a week now, 1800 people saw the ad, got some messages, mostly offering other cars, but nothing serious for now

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/06/2017 at 06:39

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Good stuff ;)

Well, I felt a surge of motivation when I got home from this but when I’d finally finished all of the chorey stuff I’ve been putting off for too long it was too late to do any angle-grinding so I test-fitted a seat in the Spit (it fits!) and sat there writing a list of all the stuff I need to do to get it actually on the road.

Now to start crossing it off!

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 09/06/2017 at 06:58

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Doing lists helps me to focus on what to do, but can be quite depressing as it goes longer.
The V6 needs:
- Brake overhaul (new brake lines and rebuild rear calipers)
- Front supension change
- Rust on the quarter panels fixed (can be temporary for now)
Doesn’t seem like a lot for now seems pretty doable in a day, but it’s certainly going to through stones in the way.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/06/2017 at 07:23

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Yeah I definitely get the depressing effect of a laundry list of things to do. Especially if each of them are big jobs so it takes ages to cross each of them off.

I tend to have a double-sided list (because I find I waste a lot of time after I finish something trying to work out what the next thing to do should be). One with ‘To Do Long’ that’s got stuff like ‘welding on Spitfire’ and ‘Jag engine swap’ on it, and another with ‘To Do Short’ with a list of all the smaller task-stuff I think I can get done in a week like ‘Spitfire front suspension braces’ and ‘rejet the GS500'.

Perhaps I just like lists...

The V6 seems pretty alright, barring what’s actually involved in ‘front suspension change’. That could range from an hour or two to a couple of days in itself if it starts fighting back...

Future oppomeet attendee?

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 09/06/2017 at 07:42

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The long list is the one for the GTD, it may just need valve stem seals, but I want to check everything and do a complete overhaul, mechanically and aesthetically.

The drivers side strut sheared off where the wheel hub is attached and was welded back on in a rather sketchy way.

Luckily, the parts car had good-ish struts I’m going to clean and paint and then just swap the complete assemblies, so 5 bolts in total per side :)

Maybe the short meet next year, I hope to combine the Wales meet with a tour of Scotland, so I would take the Pajero with roof tent to take Doggo with me.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/06/2017 at 08:30

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Eek. I wouldn’t be particularly happy with a cracked and re-welded strut. Especially if it’s a McPherson design. I suppose it could be done properly if the strut itself was cast steel and you grind it into a cone to fill back up with weld, ensuring it’s connected the whole way through, but it’s still a lot of force through a potentially relatively shallow weld.

The Bel Air has space for a tent, no? ;)

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 09/06/2017 at 08:35

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Yeah, that’s why I’m really glad I found the parts car, the old strut is more than borderline dangerous, I’ll post pics when working on it.

Sure does, but I wouldn’t take it to the narrow Welsch roads :)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 09/06/2017 at 11:07

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Where’s your lack of self-preservation? ;)