Alan, my Clipper Cabby...

Congrats Andy. Happy motoring dude.  

AndyParsons said

Closer to an overdraft, that's all  

     

So, have enjoyed a decent summer with some nice trips to the coast. Alan'll be SORN'd at the end of November so time to start getting the bits ready for a brake upgrade.
Plans ar to clean up and waxoyl the underside, fix the blowing exhaust gasket, get hold of a mk2 16v servo/master cylinder, some Vauxhall calipers and get the braking a bit more trustworthy!
Day off tomorrow so a trip to my local scrapper is on the cards…
Also gonna renew front and rear wheel bearings, rear drums/shoes and maybe powdercoat a few bits and pieces.
A winter of axle stands and space heaters beckon!

Successful morning at my local scrapyard!

I managed to find a VW Jetta 16v and whipped out the servo and master cylinder, then had a large choice of 16v Cavs and Vectras. Found a decent set of calipers off a P reg one that were a bit rusty, but they'll clean up nice.
Icing on the cake was the whole lot cost £20!!!

While still on a roll, went to Wentin Fasteners to find some shoulder bolts, and they had them in stock too, all for a fiver.

Now for some drilled and grooved discs, braided hoses and a bit of caliper paint…

Spent a productive morning in the mancave. Cleaned-up and resprayed the servo…


Then I double-checked that the new calipers would fit and not foul the alloys before I spent any time on them. Fitted perfectly s all the forum threads state…
Then I started the refurb process. Loads of surface rust to get rid of. Good news is that the pistons & seals were in good nick and a good clean and they'll be good as new. Before and after cleaning shot…


Just need to order some new brake pads, drilled and grooved 256mm discs and some new brake hoses. All good!!

Technical question for all you bods…

My cabby is an 1800 on a K plate and 1993 reg. The current master cylinder has four outlets. Am I right in thinking that the two out the side go to the front brakes (one goes to each side of the car) and the two out the bottom go to the rear? I read somewhere that the cylinders are anti-lock compensators??


So, the replacement master cylinder has two working outlets as shown here…


But the replacement one has two blocked up as shown here…


So, when I fit the new cylinder what is the correct method of plumbing in the new system. Is it as straightforward as running the two fronts to one side, and the two rears to the other? As the brakes are a fairly important  I'd like to get it right!!!

Back to the scrappers today to strip a bit more off the Jetta. Rear calipers, carriers and stub axles for £40. One of the calipers is like new so my guess is a replacement at some time. Other is a bit more rusty with a broken seal, so will need new for these along with new bearings all round. Gonna run unvented drilled and grooved discs to match the front ones with new rocco handbrake cables and hoses.

Plenty of parcels now arrived! Alan's been SORN'd as of 1st December and then the brake upgrade and undersealing commences.

New bearings all round, new brake pipework all round and with the discs and servo should actually be able to stop without having to forward plan!!

Well, the winter project has begun. Today I removed the front and rear bumpers, took out the support beams and gave them all a good clean. Bit of paint and waxoyl will sort the innards.
Tomorrow sees tge start of the underbody prep…

Winter Work-Over commenced yesterday…







First off, both front and rear bumpers came off, then hoiked-out the metal reinforcing inners. These were a bit rusty and so I cleaned them back to bare metal, waxoyled the internals and Hammerited the outside. Nobody'll see it, but it should last for a few more years when it's all put back together!







Then built a little temporary holder to keep 'em safe and secure while Alan's getting stripped-down…



Then gave all the wheel arches are good scrub and prep. From this:


To this:


Gonna need a new one of these!!!



The good news is the underbody and behind the wheelk arch plastics is all totally sound. Just planning on re-waxoyling the hidden bits with clear, and maybe POR 15 the underside of the vehicle throughout.

Not a bad way to spend a few days off!!!

Also swapped-out the mk1 servo for a scrapyard 16V mk2 jobber that I had refurbed. It was a PITA to do as others on here have said, but with a bit of patience, fairly easy.

TOP-TIP for un-clipping the retaining spring is to use a builder's wall tie. I had one knocking about, bent the end into a little hook with some pliers, job done!
Old servo off…


Old and new…


And all nicely fitted, took a couple of hours start to finish…


Front brake pipework connected up, after gently increasing the bend in the pipes…


I just need to make up some new short pipework pieces to join the rear regulators in. This is a BEFORE and AFTER picture of one that I've cleaned, and one as it came off the master cylinder…


Hey there was a fuel filler neck in there! Oh well, Ebay time again…

Productive couple of days!

New lift pump fitted to my refurbed tank…


Then fitted the tank and refitted the cleaned pipework. ALso shows the brake pipework that I had to replace. Basically everything had to be removed with an angle grinder and replaced with new…




Then it was on with the fuel pump, accumulator and other gubbins. Looks a lot better now it's clean and painted…


Then it was time for the axle beam and brake upgrade to Mk2 rear discs. Finally the fun bit!!!


Trial-fitted my mk3 calipers…


Then I started to rebuild my refurbed rear shocks with new springs fitted from Rokkor. They apparently lower the car by 25mm, and I got 'em for 99p off eBay, brand new!


New -v- old front springs…


Then it was back on with the wheels and push it out of the garage. Rears look nice on the new springs and will settle a little more with use…




Just need to get the calipers wound-back in at work before I fit them then, it's spin the car round and do the other side!


All seems to be coming together well. Hopefully be the end of January the complete brake upgrade will be done and the underside completely refurbed and sorted. I can the move onto the engine bay and get that cleaned up.

Final thing will be to sort the interior properly. I will take the seats out, whip off the covers and stick them through the washing machine to get out all of the twenty years of ingrained stuff which a surface clean won't remove.

Couple of days off now though!!!

Looking good mate. Looks like you have been busy

Cheers Smudger!

Well today my new Wiechers alloy lower strut brace arrived. My top brace came last week and will be fitted once the suspension is back in.

Today I have been finishing off the nearside front wheelarch, fitting the upgraded Vectra calipers, 256mm discs and pads. Last one now done, so will be bleeding the system through over the next few days ready to have brakes again…

…'rocco handbrake cables also arrived, so will get them fitted too.

Ooh, and found two leccy window switches from a Rivage for decent money on fleabay, so now have working windows for the first time since I've owned him!!

Can't believe I haven't updated this for over a year! Where'd the time go?!?

Anyway, loads done in that time:
1. New s/steel longlife exhaust to OE dimensions and with a nice rounded 70mm tailpipe. Looks OE, sounds nice and rorty. 2. Clutch needed replacing and exhaust was blowing so decided to take out engine over the winter and completely refurb it. Car's never going to be a show-winner, but I do like clean!
3. Powder-coated the wishbones, front ARB, strut housings, rocker cover and various other brackets, along with poly-bushing it all and the steering rack.
4. Fitted Bilstein B4s all round.
5. New n/s inner cv joint, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, fixings etc,.

And loadsa other little bits and pieces. Wifey wasn't too impressed with the conservatory storage area we had over the winter!




Engine bay now pretty much complete. Kept as much as I could OE original, amazing what you can do with a bit of cleaning!

Oh wow AndyParsons that looks stunning! well worth the effort!!    

A year goes quickly doesn't it! Any more plans or just drive it now?

Off SORN,taxed and back on the road today. Out for a drive in the sun. Yay!!!

Shame it was only a mile down to the garage for a wheel alignment after the winter rebuild, boo!!!