BiTurbo's Field Trip to Wales: T-minus 2 days

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228) 08/09/2018 at 07:47 • Filed to: Europpomeet, oppomeet 2018, BiTurbo's Field Trip, Fix It Again Tony

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Well, almost 5 months on and approaching the next Europpomeet I thought it was high time that I told the tale of my ill-fated expedition to Wales. Hold onto your seats, this one’s a goodun ...

So, we last leave the action !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , having worked until 2am getting the Fiat and Citroen sorted, and not quite getting the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! running in the morning. Still, my mate could borrow my MG F now that the Fiat’s good to go so off we go! In the convoy here we have my two mates in the F and the turbo MX5, the mysterious Dr Canard in the BRZ, me in the X1/9, my sister in her graffiti-can-painted MX5, and Duurtlang in my BX.

Off we go!

The BRZ and Citroen headed straight for Wales, but me and the rest of the gang had a concert in York to go to so we parted ways. The journey up to York was uneventful...which is about the only time I can use that word to describe anything during the trip.

Not bad for a motorway service station...

All goes swimmingly...until...

Bonnet up...that’s not usually a good sign on a diesel Citroen...

What’s that suspicious looking puddle Duurtlang’s just sent me?

And so it begins...

Duurtlang wisely left the BX at the cottage that day and hitched a ride in the BRZ for that day. Our little convoy arrives around 10pm-ish, and we’re straight under the Citroen. Hum. Looks like LHM to me (the hydraulic fluid Citroens use for suspension, brakes and power steering).

Over drinks that evening...we devise a plan.

Yours truly in the hippy jacket...

Stick around, part 2 coming soon!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/09/2018 at 09:19

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I might need such a jacket. About three sizes larger, of course.

Also, *insert Wales sheep jokes*

I rather liked York when I visited, apart from getting semi-trapped on the belt road trying to get out.

FSI > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/09/2018 at 09:22

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Still bummed I missed the meet :(

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > FSI 08/09/2018 at 09:31

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Yeah it was a good one :)

You coming to the ‘ring one this year? Me and Matt are doing our finances at the moment and it’s looking a bit ropey, but we’re seeing what we can do...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/09/2018 at 09:34

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Yeah it’s one of my favourites :) got it at glastonbury a few years back :)

We thought there were a lot of sheep while we were driving around, but apparently it was lambing season when we went so most of them were inside. What? How many sheep does the place have?

Yeah York’s nice :) we only had a flying visit, but none of our wheels were stolen which is the baseline for ‘city that isn’t awful’ in my mind.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/09/2018 at 09:45

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If I swing by York again, I ought to see the cathedral rather than just visiting the rail museum - which I suppose is a bit like a cathedral in some ways.

Any progress on the Baja B of late? I know I’ve not been making any on the Ranchero other than cutting up the oil pan for a steering link tube.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/09/2018 at 09:54

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I suppose you should do all those cultural things...but engineering stuff!

Not on the B I’m afraid. Only thing I’ve done is source a cheap set of Freelander front hubs which have the same bolt pattern as the Jag rear. Most of the work’s been on the S pit and Fiat recently (we’ll see why in a bit!).

Where are you up to with the Ranchero? Been a while and I’m forgetful!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/09/2018 at 10:07

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Short term with Ranchero, make front-mid RV8 powered Jag IRS naturally aspirated sports car with midgate and t-tops. Similar track width, length, weight, displacement, weight distribution, power, and a number of other things as a 4.2XKE - not just the rear suspension. 8 throttle bodies for EFI courtesy Honda bike intakes, two aluminum radiators with fender exit, custom front pan, Cortina rear lamps, ‘72 Mustang bumpers, revised front suspension and steering linkage a la Shelby Mustang. .

Lots of arbitrary customization, in short.

Longer term with Ranchero, I’ve raised the sills 7", made plans for decking- in the engine compartment, and rigged a transfer case for a SeaDoo jet drive, because I want to float the bastard.

Most recently, I’ve managed to work out most of the tricky parts of the exhaust manifolds for clearance (got headers and chopped them up, rewelded with cast steel elbows), worked out the clutch and shift linkages, and now I’m down to making an RV8 oil pan with better baffling and a tube through the front of the sump for the steering link... which is a bit in the way.

Outside all that, I’ve new carpets in the Galaxie, a mended trunk, a mended fender, new window “fuzzies”, and assorted other things, with hope of replacing the headliner before too long. A bit of front suspension work, and I need to adjust the trans and get a radiator shroud. Didn’t come with one, and the trans tries to get the coolant a bit too hot in 350 mile 80mph runs when it’s 90F outside.

I’ve also got a mill now ...

duurtlang > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/09/2018 at 10:37

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Mr. BRZ lives an hour and a half from the ‘Ring, has space for some mattresses (actually has at least one spare double bed with separate mattresses, and enough space ) and would certainly welcome Matt and you. And others.
I think I’ll spend Friday night there as I have to work on Friday and it cuts an hour from my otherwise 4.5 hour trip that day.

It would give you at least one free night of free sleeping as well. He lives in Mainz.

FSI > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/09/2018 at 11:00

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99% sure I’m going. The Ring is one point on my bucket list of automotive related things. Let’s hope you guys will join us:)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > duurtlang 08/09/2018 at 11:03

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Oh awesome thanks :) I’ll have a chat with Matt tonight and do some more maths!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/09/2018 at 11:22

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I remember the first plan on the Ranchero, but the whole boat thing’s new to me!

Nice work :) how would the sump tube work? Literally j us t a tube through the sump that you can poke the steering column through, UJ and all? Clever solution if it works :)

I’m not surprised the Galaxie’s trying to overheat after that treatment ;) she’s an old girl now ;) rad shroud sounds like a good start. Might fix it entirely actually, given how effective shrouding rads is on Triumphs :)

Dead jealous of the mill. No idea how to work them myself, but just think of the things I could make! Megabucks over here though (even moreso than usual). More advanced tools seem to be significantly more expensive in Blighty than the US where every second person seems to have a tube-bender and english wheel ;)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 08/09/2018 at 11:44

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The boat thing is a stretch goal, but one that’s always been in the cards. One of the first things I did was to raise the door sills - stiffens up the body, but also enables boat work. New floor - include new crossmember with mount points for manipulated Ford Ranger 4wd transfer case, etc.

The steering box mounts to the lefthand chassis rail and pairs with a relay on the opposite side, much as the lower in this image:

As this (non-power steering version):

The trouble is, the cross-bar runs through the space of the engine, as the engine is lowered a bit in place. Right behind the second main near the second pin. This is also through the front face of a standard Rangie sump, which is what I have (bigger style, on the left):

I gave the sump a Glasgow smile of sorts, removed a section from the front non-sump bits and moved it up:

So that I can put a tube through the gap opened, and fill in the rest with a strip.

Haven’t finished yet. Had to reevaluate, possibly use a larger tube than I’d thought - not because I can’t pass the link through, but because the link moves about more than predicted. I’ll also need a bit more curvature of the tube than just plain and straight.

Galaxies came stock with a shroud when equipped with A/C - but mine is without, and as it is, it’s a no bigger rad than the standard shift version, the replacement I got when mine developed leaks is 2" narrower than stock, even, and the fan is a non-clutched blighter that simply has its limits. A $60 shroud out to clear all that up.

The mill set me back $1500, but I’ve got some tooling and whatnot with it. To wire the shop for it will take another $25 0+ for the variable frequency drive, $100 in wire, and another $100+ in conduit and ends and fixings. Haven’t set that all in place yet, but the mill was a time-sensitive opportunity itself I dared not leave waiting too long.