Oppo! Help me feel better about my list of things to do

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228) 07/05/2016 at 09:15 • Filed to: None

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Because I have a catastrophically poor episodic memory and far too many projects I keep quite a lengthy to do list. What have you guys got planned to help me feel a bit better about mine!

Short term (need to do in the next week or two)

- Replace the window regulator on the Alfa (should arrive in the next couple of days)
- Sell my galved chassis to bankroll Spitfire bits
- Organise and sell a job lot of unwanted parts for the same purpose
- Sew blackout lining into our curtains so my poor GF can sleep in past 7am now that it’s summer
- Pack and post my Minilite wheels that I’ve sold
- Finish laying out hardcore for my parts shed base
- Strip and sell my unneeded LT77 gearbox

Long term (either jobs that I need to do in a month or longer, or less important stuff)

- Change the plugs on the MG F to try and sort the rough idling
- Swap a new diff into the Jag and set up the CWP clearance properly (didn’t do that last time and the diff howls like mad now)
- Swap lowered springs into the Jag
- Mix the concrete base for the parts shed
- Sort walls, roof, doors and cladding for parts shed
- Strip the crushed Jag, scrap the shell and put the rest of the parts into parts shed
- Make a winchable platform in the parts shed so I can store a Spit bodyshell over another car
- Strip and paint the last few sections of the Spit’s chassis
- Strip and paint the underside of the Spit’s body
- Test-fit the body and chassis and gap the doors
- Weld body to chassis
- Repair leading edge of Spitfire’s roof
- Re-make the box sections in the Spit’s roof
- Paint the garage cabinets and woodstain the worktops which my GF has kindly offered to help with
- Help mix concrete for the last section of floor on my dad’s garage

There's other things that aren't on the radar yet which will be added later, but that's where we're at at the moment!

Pixel > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 09:27

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My list of things to do runs to multiple pages, not one of my vehicles is without at least one issue that I should have dealt with months ago, and my kitchen is at only about 75% functional and has been for a few years. So I feel you.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 09:27

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My car related lists, if I include photography and guitar plans it gets longer:

Short term:

-hide carkit wiring

-get new wheels for the Twingo

-Buy and mount DRL/Fog lights

Long term:

- Acquire project car

Does this make you feel better, or worse?

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 09:38

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Short term:
- Change the flywheel+clutch on the Audi (though my father might do this while I’m at work / my dad rocks)
- Get a new job with more spare time to get my things done

Long term:
- Swap the transmission in the Mazda
- Rebuild the engine of the diesel 505
- Learn to weld
- Repair the rustholes in the 505
- Get the 505 painted
- Repair the rustholes in the V6 505
- Fix the front suspension on the V6
- Fix the brake system on the V6 (ABS delete)
- Part out 2 Pajero parts cars
- Swap the Pajero engine
- Insulate the pajero engine bay
- Paint and install the vented hood on the Pajero (new engine has an intercooler)
- Replace the windlace and rubber parts on the Bel Air
- Replace the front right floor pan on he Bel Air
- Replace the headliner and the carpet in the Bel Air

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/05/2016 at 09:39

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The ‘Acquire project car’ entry makes me feel a bit better ;) I’ve already had mine for years!

What's on the shortlist of project cars?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 09:44

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-Finish cutting sections out of the left header and reshaping, cut down the right header, reweld both.

-Rust treat top hoop , top back and left sections of cab

-Square back of cab

-Weld midgate support brackets

-Weld rear hoop in place, to midgate brackets and lower b-pillar edge

-Patch interior of b-pillars

-Trim, weld in place midgate bracket to subframe rail braces

-Cut, mount support angles for bed filler

-Trim, seat support brace/rail for back of bed filler

-Finish repair of front bed corrugated section

-Finish interior floorpan seams

-Finish modifying trans crossmember, seal

-Install sheet over trans crossmember, finish all remaining floorpan

-Produce midgate side fills and bottom

-Mount support bearings, tailgate latch pieces to midgate, align and confirm function

-Mount midgate glass channel support rails

-Notch A-pillar and over-windshield tubing, weld to rear hoop, gusset

-Repair visible over-door sheet metal, right side

-Repair A-pillar bases

-Repair outer a-pillars, install rain gutter

- Re-fit lower door hinges

-Improve straightness of left door bottom edge

-Make end brackets for bulkhead cross-tube, trim A-pillar tubes, install

-Alter seat box holes

-Reinforce front bed filler plate

-Trim out top of windshield frame and back of cab

-Make roof center brace, trim to fit

-Install center brace, T-top channeling

-Make T-tops

Mind you, everything I’ve listed other than the headers is just remaining cab area and interior near-end-of-bed sheet metal work. I haven’t even touched on rear quarter work or body solder work or the front fenders or the hood repair or the radiator install or the belly pan or the steering box relocate or the shifter lever arm shortening or the shift relay or the clutch Z-bar or the pedal shift... Forget about the brake piping, the wiring, remaining interior fitting, the wood inlay for the bed, the realign of the transfer case, the transfer case bracket, the jet drive bracket, the fuel tank mount holes...

And that’s just the Ranchero! At least I sorted out the Benz vacuum issues (mostly) on Saturday, and the Rover’s pretty sound.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 07/05/2016 at 09:46

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Two 505s! Neat :) are they of the Peugeot variety?

Also, learning to weld is one of the single best skills I have learnt so far. I’ve used it in dozens of non-car-related things, in addition to welding at least one thing on every single car that I’ve owned.

For instance, I now make most of my family and my GF’s birthday/anniversary presents with the welder. The GF gets a different welded flower each year :)

OPPOsaurus WRX > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 09:53

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Allroad: (all pretty much long term)

brakes

air ride

oil leaks

clutch

turbos

Nissan Quest:

make it not a Nissan Quest, also long term

functionoverfashion > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 09:56

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Short term:

- re-seal RR door of wife’s car

- re-searl RF door on my car

- change oil filter on my car (did oil change but had no filters on hand)

- change oil on 1961 Ford pickup

- change oil in boat (another Ford block)

- change both fuel filters in boat

- install shoulder belts in 1961 Ford pickup

- touch up a few paint chips on wife’s car

- fix tailgate on 1961 Ford pickup before it falls off

- R&R bottom bracket on my mountain bike (making grinding sounds)

Long term:

- install some kind of PCV system in 1961 Ford

- change all diff/t-case fluids in 1961 Ford - unknown age, possibly greater than my own age

- grease all grease point under 1961 Ford - there are at least 19

- change alternator on my car - the pulley makes noise, not good

- change out battery cables on 1961 Ford - they are scary.

- change diff fluids on my car AND wife’s car

- change starter on lawn mower (and hey, change oil too)

- fix brakes on riding lawn mower (they work about 5%)

And... that’s just the “vehicle” list. I have a “house” list that is much, much longer....

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:02

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At the moment:

-Daf 55/66 preferably a Coupe

-Matra Murena

-Original Mini

-BMW (as old as possible, while not being too expensive or too rotten)

-Spitfire (I would really like one, though they are a bit expensive kver here)

-Triumph Dolomite to Daf conversion.

I think that’s about it, maybe some French cars too, but no specific type, a lot of Renaults, Peugeots and Citroëns will do.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/05/2016 at 10:04

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Yeah I could go through the looking glass with Spit things (not just on this one, but on the other two that are now in my care! Let alone the MG B...).

How's it coming on the big old land barge that you have? Can't remember exactly what it was. Mercury of some sort?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > functionoverfashion 07/05/2016 at 10:08

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Well that’s definitely made me feel better :) as of now, I don’t have much of a ‘house’ list as I still live with my parents. That's to come in the future!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:11

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‘59 Lincoln Capri. 2400 kilo unibody with knackered rocker panels. :/ Much like this:

More or less it’s been confined to its car tent while I sort out the Ranchero a bit further. Shop edict, don’t you know - my dad built the place and has dictated only one project in at a time. While I *can* roll the Ranchero on its wheels, I’d need a solid week to do the rocker panel job, and I think swapping projects in and out might get frowned on.

Apart from the rockers and some holes in the floor, and getting the engine freed, it mostly needs a lot of fiddling with the inside. Re-upholster of the seats, new headliner, electric seat check-over, and popping the door cards to repair them and install new side windows.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > OPPOsaurus WRX 07/05/2016 at 10:17

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Hah :) I like your Nissan Quest list ;)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/05/2016 at 10:21

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Dolomite to Daf conversion? What’s that?!

My personal vote goes to the Matra Murena as I've always loved those cars :) we used to have a barn conversion we built in central France that was near a classic car showroom there and I always remember the most beautiful Murena was there. I often thought about buying it and storing it in one of the barns in France for use while I was there, but that was before I could drive and it sold by the time I could.

If you do get a Spitfire I can definitely help with any queries you might have :)

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:23

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Yes, my dad and I are kind of hoarding them since parts are hard to find (we have 6 of them right now).

Knowing how to weld is a total game changer. My dad uses a MIG welder. I want to learn on a TIG welder, so I have a better control on thin metal sheets. I just lack the time.

I saw some tutorials on welded flowers, it’s pretty cool :)

OPPOsaurus WRX > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:24

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i despise that vehicle.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/05/2016 at 10:25

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There we go :) I knew it was something colossal!

That's a good plan there. I think if someone had given me a 'one project at a time' rule to adhere by I'd have finished mine by now!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 07/05/2016 at 10:28

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Yeah I use MIG the vast majority of the time. I do have a cheapo TIG welder, but the only time I tried it was with thin-gauge aluminium sheet and it was a mess! Not sure if I had it set right though but it takes some practice...

The one big advantage of MIG for the projects I do is that I can use it one-handed. If I have to hold a piece of metal in place on the underside of a car with some pliers I can still tack it in place without having to get some clamps or mole-grips to hold it steady. Speeds up the whole process :)

InfinityAero > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:31

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Fiat Spider:
Install left front shock
Replace Bump Stops
Replace Tie Rods
Replace rear (long) trailing arms with new ones
Replace bushings on short trailing arms
Replace rear springs and shocks
Buy new tires
drop the car back on its wheels and torque all bolts to factory specifications
Load up the trunk and front seats with 450 total pounds of weight and align
Rewire ignition cylinder so that I can remove the key without leaving on the accessory lights
Wet sand paint with 600 then 800 grit
Clear coat, wet sand, polish, wax

Sailboat:
Buy new or used sail
Diagnose and get outboard motor working again
Sand down and respray the topcoat
Finish stripping fake-wood laminate from seats and floor and prepare for paint

Motorcycle:
Verify that starter clutch has given up the ghost
Pull motor
Split crank case
Install $1.30 spring assembly that requires 18 hours of labor to replace
Buy new tires
Reinstall with factory airbox and 4 into 2 exhaust

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:36

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I figured that. Having a free hand is definitely a huge advantage.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:38

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Daf had michelotti design a model above the 55, because they wanted to shake off the ‘womans car’ stigma. The project failed, altough they built multiple prototypes, of which a later one with a more modern square nose is in the Daf museum in Eindhoven.

They later sold the design to British Leyland, who changed the nose and made it the Triumph Dolomite. You can clearly see simularities in the overal profile.

So my plan would be getting a bad Dolomite, some 55 panels and do a bit of creative welding, though I think this project won’t be a wise first project.

Why is everyone encouraging me to get a Murena, haha.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:43

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The ‘59 Lincoln has a fantastic amount of old advertising out there. At the time, the Continental was an upscale Lincoln with different brightwork, glass, and interior and sold as if it were a separate marque - but for some reason it was the Lincoln (particularly the mid-model, the “Premiere”) that got an ad campaign with a whole host of celebrity and “iconoclast men of vision” sort of endorsements. Norman Rockwell, as seen above, one of Eisenhower’s aides, the plane designer Donald Douglas, the president of the Outboard Motor Company, and so on.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/05/2016 at 10:45

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Huh, I never knew that. It’s crazy how designs for cars get passed around, especially in the older days when you had multiple independent designers. For instance, the Alfa Alfetta started out as a discarded Mazda Luce design.

It would be an ambitious first project, but you’d come out the other end with a lot more experience and sense of achievement, not to mention a damn cool car :) I’m a massive fan of recreations of ‘could-have-been’ cars. Most of my project ideas centre around that concept :)

Have you put any thought into the Volvo 340? I believe that was Daf’s last independent design, and it’s a damn cool package with a Volvo redblock and transaxle RWD.

I wonder if there are any pictures of the front-end treatment that Daf were planning and you could recreate what it could have been if Daf had remained independent.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > InfinityAero 07/05/2016 at 10:47

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Ouch on the $1.30 spring and 18h of labour :S

Nice Spider though :) I do like them. Do you have any pictures, and what are your plans?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/05/2016 at 10:56

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Cool :) I love old adverts. Most of the old Spitfire ones either emphasise how cheap it is compared to more advanced competition (anything post-74 is in this vein), or have pictures of pretty girls looking frustrated as blokes gather around the engine bay!

Can't hold a candle to the 'Your mother wouldn't like it' ads for MG that I hold are some of the best ads of the era, if not ever :)

6Cylinder > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 10:59

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ur fukt m8

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 11:22

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The front end treatment of the early Volvo 343 was almost exactly how Daf planned it.

Little known fact: all compact Volvos upto and including the first gen S40 were almost fully designed in the Netherlands. Especially the 480 was a Dutch initiative.

I once met the head of the 480 development, he was the former manager of the Daf Rally and Racing department, building the first formula 2 car in the garden shed of one of the van Doorne brothers. It was an amazing evening, listening to him comment on photos from the archives, every one of them bringing up a better story than the previous one.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/05/2016 at 11:25

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Fantastic! I’m jealous, both of you and the Daf chap!

Would you consider an early 343 in that case, with a quick badge-swap for Daf ones?

InfinityAero > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 11:25

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Yeah, there’s a reason I put the bike in the shed and haven’t touched it in a year :-P It’s especially frustrating because I had the bike stripped down to the frame and had already pulled and replaced the motor when I went through the project the first time through.

The plan at this point with the spider is to finish up this suspension work, get it back up and running, and do some endurance testing to see what sort of shape the motor is in. I haven’t yet been able to put enough miles on it to see whether it’s going to eat oil or coolant, and whether the alternator works, for instance. The goal is a light, responsive, fun roadster to enjoy as a project and investment.

Hopefully the electrical Gremlins go away after I rewire the ignition cylinder. If everything goes smoothly and I enjoy driving the car, it’ll be time to add some speed. It was only 86HP from the factory— a previous owner already removed some of the emissions crap, so that’ll help a little, but I’d like to swap on the carb used on the Abarth version, use the most efficient exhaust manifold, and maybe throw on a stage 2 intake cam and stage 1 exhaust cam. It’ll never put out quite the amount of power of the Abarth without swapping the pistons, the Abarth used a 9.8:1 set of pistons versus the 8.1:1 set in the late 70s spiders. If the car is inhaling oil or coolant I’ll plan to do a full engine rebuild next winter— if not, I could either live with 110-15HP max or slap on a turbo setup; the low compression would be perfect in that application. I’ve got an old intercooler lying around from when I installed a FMIC in my old Genesis coupe too...

Regardless of the power, it doesn’t weigh much. It should have been around 2300lbs when I bought it— down to about 2150 or so now that I’ve removed the bumpers. I’ve already made a mold of the trunk, and plan to make one of the hood and doors, so I can do full carbon/kevlar replacements for them; between that and removing the soft top it should be possible to get the curb weight right around 2000 lbs. If I can get her to 115HP or so, that’ll result in a quarter mile around 15 flat— plenty fast for an old canyon carver.

I do indeed have pictures! Here’s a few I’ve posted to OPPO:

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/project-wannab…

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/holy-panel-gap…

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/poll-what-shou…

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/the-only-work-…

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 11:35

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Nah, that would be easy and hard at the same time, since early 343's are rare. And it has been done before. Though it still is a cool idea.

Come to think of it, most 340s have vanished in the past 10 years, they used to appear quite often on the road, but most were driven by people looking for a cheap and reliable car, so most probably got scrapped after the reliable part was gone.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > InfinityAero 07/05/2016 at 11:39

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Great plans! I was thinking a turbo/supercharger would be ideal given the already low compression.

I doubt it would need it though, given the weight. Props on making moulds for fibreglass/CF panels. I need to do something similar to replace the front bumper on my Spitfire with FG bumperettes. They tend to look a little odd with nothing up front, but I don’t like the idea of so much weight hanging right out up front...

Looking forward to more updates!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/05/2016 at 11:43

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Yeah that happens to a lot of cars I feel.

In which case, my vote goes for the ambitions Daf Dolomite :) you could even swap in some Daf drivetrain components if any are up to snuff (not sure on how far Daf got with drivetrain development, past the CVT of course).

I’m assuming that if the Daf version pre-dated the Triumph version then it was intended to be FWD (the original car to use that design was the Triumph 1300 FWD, which had a north-south FWD setup and semi-trailing arm IRS!). It was only later when they were looking to simplify production that they moved to live axle-IRS.

It's actually one of my plans to take a Dolomite Sprint and swap in the semi-trailing arms from a Mk1 2000 saloon as that's what they really should have done from the get-go.

InfinityAero > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 11:57

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Here’s a little writeup I did on making the first mold:

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/projects-cars-…

Turned out really well... of course it’s just sitting in a corner in my guest room now.

It’s crazy just how much those 70s rules ruined the verts designed in the late 60s; the fiat bumpers are even more hideous than the front monstrosity on your Triumph... I pulled them off for painting and realized immediately that I could never bring myself to reinstall them.

I’m sure 110HP will be “enough”, but if I love the car, slapping a turbo on it would be a blast. 170HP or so would be optimal. It’d be a trip to give my buddy’s Lotus Exige a run for its money on the straights... and the Lampredi motor would sound spectacular with a super snail installed.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 12:36

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I don’t know what was in the first concept versions, though the later P500 prototype, used a 1500cc Simca engine, a Ford gearbox and a BMW rear axle, Since no further choices had been made on the engine/drivetrain. So it is RWD, probably Triumph just bought the styling sketches of Michelotti.

I think it would be cool to fit it with a larger Renault engine, since the small Dafs mostly used Renault engines, in combination with a racing Variomatic, to handle the added power.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/05/2016 at 13:45

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Yeah that’s a fantastic plan :) could also go for the 2.2l big-Simca engine that you can find in 505s and other such cars. Turbo ones available too!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > InfinityAero 07/05/2016 at 13:50

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Yeah the first thing I did on my now dearly departed X1/9 was to rip the bumpers off. Horrible diving board things.

I’m also aiming for 170-180bhp in my little Spitfire which will be more than enough to give some much more advanced machinery a bit of a fright ;)

Shall give that article a read. Sure I can pick up a few tips :)

InfinityAero > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 13:55

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Was originally looking to pick up a X1/9. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any in my price range— everything was about $5K and up for a runner.

170-180 eh? Can those motors get up that high, or are you looking at a swap? Just looked up the curb weight on those suckers - crazy light! And I thought my Fiat was a lightweight....If you’ve got one of the 7.5:1 compression motors— forced induction might just be your route :-P

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > InfinityAero 07/05/2016 at 14:10

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Yeah that’s similar to the case over here, but I managed to pick up a screaming bargain even though it was in pretty poor condition. Hard to argue with a £333 car that ran with a bit of fettling...

Shame it got hit by a tree really. I rather liked it.

Not the original 4-cylinders, they top out at about 115bhp for a street engine. I’m swapping in the 2.5l mechanical injected inline 6 from a TR6 with various combinations of GT6 and TR6 hardware. It’s got a ported head, balanced internals and will have a home-made 6-3-1 manifold and home-made long-tube induction system. Should be a bit of a beast when it’s done!

Yeah they’re stupid-light, and my goal is to have it weigh the same and have the same distribution as a stock spitfire with the 6-cyl. So far I’m close on the weight front and better on the distribution.

They are a lot smaller than the Fiat Spiders though. Think a class down in the sports car pecking order. Not really something that exists today, the sub-small sports car market.

InfinityAero > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 14:46

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Interesting, so a little closer to a Midget in size then I’m guessing? The Fiat is comically long for how light it is; the only downside is that they basically built the body out of soda-can thickness sheet metal that loves to rust.

Sounds like a killer swap for the spitfire, and should sound incredible. Look forward to following the build and seeing the beast when she’s done!

X1/9s were drawing a premium here, but Midgets, MGBs, TR6s and Fiats can be found under 5K in running condition. I ended up focusing in on the Fiats because of the motor— the Lampredi twin cam is a sure step up from the MG/Triump mills. The 1.8L from the mid to late 70s is almost mechanically identical to the old Abarth racing motors as far as I can tell, and those topped out in race trim around 160-180HP. About a month of looking led to a $2K project purchase; about as cheap as things get in the expensive area (DC) that I live in.

Toyota needs to release this thing so we can get a return of the sub-small sports cars! I would probably have to buy it... friggin adorable, and cheap!

RallyWrench > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/05/2016 at 15:26

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Oh boy... this should help you feel a little better, while making me feel bad.

BMW 2002:

-finish E12 cylinder head
-rewire and refinish engine compartment and door jambs to match car
-source new carpets and have headliner replaced
-weld alignment brackets to rear subframe and powdercoat
-disassemble and reseal 5-speed
-clearance tunnel and shorten driveshaft for 5-speed
-find wheels to clear Volvo brakes
-remove pretty but useless Aluminum rollcage that came in car, fit proper 4-point hoop in back.
-repair damage to right rear corner where car rolled into another
-rebuild Weber 45s
-finish undercoating

Lancia:

-Find good cylinder heads (mine are too badly corroded internally, probably beyond cost-effective repair)
-teardown engine case for inspection of internals
-rebuild carbs
-rebuild Girling brake booster and calipers
-blast and powdercoat front subframes
-refinish engine compartment
-fabricate new exhaust
-remove and rechrome grille and bumpers
-find new trunk handle/license plate holder
-find means of remaking dashboard (all foam disintegrated)
-refinish areas of surface rust and bad bodywork and match to remaining original paint best possible (possibly repaint eventually)
-refinish wheels
-patch small hole in right front fender behind wheel (amazingly, this is the only hole in the car that I’ve found!)
-restuff front seats
-polish brightwork

VW Vanagon:

-rebuild engine or swap for something else
-repair rust in front body and primer at least
-rebuild brakes
-fix sliding door
-fit air suspension

Audi 4000/80 quattro (former LeMons car):

-Refinish roll cage
-refit front interior and glass/possibly make Plexiglass windows
-weld sunroof in
-fit good spare fenders, doors, and fiberglass Sport Quattro hood
-replace fuel lines
-put huge rally lights on front
-rebuild suspension

Subaru Outback:

-reinstall cylinder heads and put engine back in car with new clutch
-detail
-sell!!

325i Touring:

-refinish front bumper
-replace tires
-possibly replace clutch
-detail
-sell!!

F150:

-Replace EGR pipe
-fix AC
-replace wheels and tires
-replace U-joints in front driveshaft
-remove seats and attempt to eliminate previous owner’s horrible dog smell
-reseal windshield
-paint some color other than purple, even if rattlecan

E36 325is:

-smog
-replace rear trailing arm bushings
-replace belts
-beat to shit

I’m sure there’s more work I’m forgetting. Feel better?

Damn, I have way too much shit to do and nowhere near the time or money for it. The 2002 and Lancia will have to wait until my kids are older. The 4000 may never happen on my watch because I no longer have any interest in track stuff, and the Vanagon may never happen but it was sort of my first car and is worthless to sell. The 325i Touring and Subaru have to be finished and sold to pay for my wife’s minivan and put some money in savings. The F150 really just needs to stay reliable, and the E36 is my recently acquired cheap beater to daily so it’s the same deal there.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > InfinityAero 07/05/2016 at 16:21

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Yeah it was sort of a Midget competitor for people who wanted ever-so-slightly more space. Sort of bridged the gap between a Midget and a B, although tending towards the Midget end of the spectrum.

I’m familiar with the soda-can thickness material :S not from the spitfire, but my Citroen BX is made of comically thin stuff. Guess that’s how they got a Ford Focus-sized car to weigh under 1000kg!

Yeah the twincam is legendary. That was the appeal of the Italians back in the day: jewel-like engines. The Lampredi alongside the Alfa twincam are both beautiful pieces of engineering.

I do wonder if there’s a market for sub-10k sporty cars. They could make them mid-engined so they can borrow from FWD economy cars for their drivetrain packages. They’d be cheap enough for people to buy them as toys, but also capture some of the host of budget-mided people that usually go for the recent slew of sub-10k hatchbacks just cos they’re the cheapest cars on the market.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RallyWrench 07/05/2016 at 16:48

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That is a healthy list! Might even beat my expanded one!

Here goes, if only to make you feel better too!

Alfa 156

- Replace window regulator
- Sort occasional stumble when hot
- Oil change

Jaguar XJ40 1

- Swap diff
- Swap lowered springs
- Weld new panels on front wings to sort rust
- Swap window washer pump
- Refurb Fondmetal alloys to replace stock basketweaves, or source 16" basketweaves

Jaguar XJ40 2

- Strip rear suspension unit and store
- Strip front suspension
- Remove engine
- Remove any other bits of trim that might come in useful/sell
- Scrap bodyshell

MG F

- Replace plugs and leads
- New tyres
- Sort terrible idle
- Remove godawful aftermarket alarm that break your ears if you look at the car funny when it’s locked

Citroen BX

- Repair hydraulic leak on the return line from rear suspension
- MoT and insure
-Continue ignoring advancing rust issues

Lada Niva

- Repair brake system (either line blown or master cylinder dead)
- Repair rust
- Replace gearbox and centre diff

Spitfire 1

- Strip and paint chassis
- Strip and paint underside of body
- Gap doors and weld 2 together
- Repair roof and rebuild box sections
- Finish welding in roll hoop
- Build up suspension
- Sort fuel pump mounting
- Run fuel lines
- Rebuild brakes to stop leak
- Run brake lines
- Make 6-3-1 exhaust manifold
- Make rest of exhaust system
- Buy and mount Golf GTi radiator
- Repair fibreglass bonnet
- Fabricate mounts for fibreglass bonnet
- Make fibreglass front bumper
- Re-upholster seats
- Paint bodyshell
- Fit 2500 saloon gauges
- Paint bodyshell
- Fit interior
- Make wiring loom
- Drive!

Spitfire 2

- Repeat procedure above with minor differences to fit a Triumph Slant 4

Spitfire 3

- Repeat procedure above with minor differences to fit a Triumph Sprint 4

MG B

- Repair extensive rust
- Rebuild Rover V8
- Fit Jag IRS from Jag no. 2 to rear end
- Fit LR Discovery transfer case to V8 5-speed gearbox
- Clearance body for AWD gearbox
- Clearance engine bay for V8 offest to the left and Subary R160 offset to the right
- Adapt Land Rover Freelander I front hubs to fit custom front suspension
- Sort a mess of driveshafts to fit all of this together
- Fuel
- Cooling
- Electrics
- Fit big knobbly offroad tyres
- Pull lairy AWD doughnuts in some poor person’s field

Suzuki GS500

- Get sheltered
- Rebuild carbs
- Plumb in rear brake
- Clearance valves
- Learn to ride a bike
- Ride it

I don’t have kids though, so I do have that in my favour...

InfinityAero > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/06/2016 at 15:36

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A far better looking midget, IMHO, and I’m sure an extra inch of shoulder space does wonders!

Driving a Citroen is on my bucket list— I’ve yet to see one on the roads in my lifetime, but from what I’ve seen it looks like a totally foreign driving experience to any other vehicle I’ve driven.

I wasn’t familiar with the heritage of the motor when I picked up the car— I just knew they were capable of putting out more power than the contemporary MGs, and as a bonus I’d get a 5th gear to row through. Since then I’ve done quite a bit of reading up on it, and can now recognize how truly revolutionary it was for its time. In an era where 1 hp per cubic inch was a little bit of a gold standard, you could get better than that from the factory with a little 1.6L putting out 110HP. The first observation of every friend that’s heard it run is that it sounds utterly spectacular— far better than any 4-banger has a right to sound. It would be great to get a book dedicated to Lampredi’s motors, or optimally one entirely focused on the Fiat Twin-Cam. From what I’ve heard the Alfa motors are even better!

Speaking from my perspective, a sub-$10K sports car is something I think and dream about on a daily basis. Here in the states the safety laws preclude the little sub-cars you get over there; but the laws can be skirted by making a “3 wheel motorcycle”. I’m tempted to take the spare motorcycle frame I have, weld a new front frame to it with side-by-side recumbent seating, and re-use the old suspension components I pulled off the Fiat to set up a double-wishbone front end, leaving the motor in the rear behind the passenger compartment frame. I’ve got two ‘82 Yamaha air-cooled I4s that’ll swap right into the frame that put out about 85Hp, which would be great for the application. Rear traction would be a nightmare though... and I wouldn’t look forward to convincing the police that it’s a road legal vehicle... courtesy of my state’s “self-inspection” regulation for antique motorcycles.

I would much prefer that a manufacturer just comes out with a $14K or so 2-seater. I think your idea of using a mid-mounted economy motor is appropriate. Just give me 4 wheels, RWD, 130 HP, a 2K lb curb weight, some crumple zones and an MSRP of under $15K, and I could totally justify the new car payment. I would guess it’s hard to pull off once you account for the expenses of crash testing and installing all the required airbags, so their margin is just too low to justify it.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > InfinityAero 07/06/2016 at 18:49

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Yeah I much prefer the spitfire too :)

The early flagship cars like the DS, SM, CX and XM are definitely a bit otherworldly. My BX diesel feels like any old 80s tin-can hatchback to drive (that is to say wonderfully light, and more fun than it ought to be), but with ride comfort that quite frankly shames my 800kg-heavier Jaguar XJ. It’s genuinely wonderful, and it’s a real shame Citroen hasn’t marketed the ride quality benefits of their hydropneumatic suspension more.

Both the Alfa and the Fiat twincams were basically racecar tech that you could pick up in a stylish package for not a massive amount of money (not cheap, but not like a McLaren or Ferrari nowadays, more like a Boxster or Cayman). It’d be the equivalent of the Alfa releasing a slightly more expensive version of the Fiata with pneumatically actuated valves and 120bhp/l NA.

I love that idea for a little 3-wheeler :) would be a great little runaround!

I’ve been mulling over in my head for a while how to make a little offroad kart/buggy thing using scraps lying around. We used to have a marquee that got torn apart in a storm so we’ve got a load of thinwall but large diameter tubing lying spare. A nice birdcage design with some of my hoard of Spitfire spares and a Moto Guzzi V-twin (or other shaft-drive motorbike engine like a BMW flat twin) hung out of the front like a Morgan would be brilliant :)

I suppose it’d be the crash testing that would kill it really, for such a small profit margin. Doesn’t seem to stop the tiny little econo-cars though. I suppose the sad fact is that there just isn’t a market for that type of car any more :S

I’m kind of looking towards motorbike manufacturers to make that leap really, especially using the same kind of regulations that Caterham uses to make its cars. In a dream where I win the Euromillions one of the things I could do is buy Triumph motorcycles, buy the naming rights to Triumph cars off BMW and make a little tube-frame track toy-type car. I’d call it a Spitfire, and it would have either a 1050 triple or two mated together to make a 2.1l I6. Basically think a midpoint between the Caterham’s track-readiness and the Morgan 3-Wheeler’s retro style :)