My not so new Mk1! Updated 20/04/2014

Hello, had a bit of time this afternoon whilst the sun was still in the sky so I decided to crack on with Ruby. This is where she is stored for now



I had already re-bushed the drivers side wishbone and that was fitted last week.





Yes, I know that the wishbone is still dirty! 
I must remind everyone that this is a quick cheapish project to get a Mk1 back on the road for a daily driver and I'm having fun doing it 

So on with todays task! Brake pads, discs and flexi hose! Simple I thought! How wrong I was, they are the most awkward pads I have ever fitted in my life! And surprise surprise the brake hose union was siezed  I decided to take it steady and I have managed to complete the drivers side to a standard that I think should pass an MOT. Have a quick look at my handy work!







Well thats the drivers side nicely finished so its time to start stripping the passenger side next and start buying the bits for the rear brakes! 
Just in case anyone is interested, the cost of my little project so far, including the price paid for the car, is…………………….
£466.50

Thanks for reading and hopefully see you at the AGM   

Hairyarse said

Glad you're stuck back in to it now - keep us updated

Any updates mate?  
We need Pics please, no matter what the weather is.
Just you working in the Winter is good enough for us.  

Hi Mike! 
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I put one up about an hour ago 
Have you been on the beer again? 

looking good

GolyTheGolf said

Hi Mike! 
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I put one up about an hour ago 
Have you been on the beer again? 

LOL - looks that way!  

Good work, sounds a bargain on the costs so far and patience needed with the brakes, old cruddy fittings can be a pain to deal with but jobs a goodun by the looks of things

GolyTheGolf said

Hi Mike! 
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I put one up about an hour ago 
Have you been on the beer again? 

Oh I wished!  
No what happened was, I was in a shopping center with really bad Internet connection having a coffee.  
I tried to send the post but couldn't.
So I saved the text as a document and then when I got home as the Laptop was in 'Sleep' mode I just posted it without looking to see if there was an update.

You see, that's what Austrian coffee does to you!  

Your work on your car looks good mate.  

Just been out to play again I noticed that having the car jacked up like in the picture above created a nice puddle of dirty horrible water in the passenger rear foot well, before starting the passenger front brakes and wishbone I thought I should remove this puddle! I removed the windscreen washer pump and connected 2 long pieces of wire to the terminals, this was then chucked in at the deep end and I connected the wires to a battery, 15 minutes later I had sucked up about 6 litres of water and I could start mopping up with an old towel. Job done!
Onto the passenger side front brakes and wishbone. I think they had seen better days!







I have now removed the caliper and the wishbone, the wishbone will be going to work with me tonight so I can press the bushes off and put the spanking new ones on, the caliper will get the wire brush treatment tomorrow if the weather holds out and hopefully all will be back together by Sat 

Yup I think those bushes need sorting

Good luck with those mate.  

Wow, looks like the cars been underwater, so much corrosion  

Hopefully just surface rust and cleans up nicely  

Matt

I hope your right pazwaa! I've not had chance to check the shocks yet so fingers crossed they are ok 
New bushes fitted 





Is it me or does that last pic make the wishbone look bent ?

Bushes look much better. Get that wire brush on the wishbones mate  

pazwaa said

Wow, looks like the cars been underwater, so much corrosion  

Hopefully just surface rust and cleans up nicely  

Matt

I have an old set of shocks for a mk1 lying around doing nothing, if yours are shot, pm me and I'll send you some photos, see if there any good for you, yours for free  

Matt

Cheers for that Matt! Much appreciated!

I will finish doing the brakes, hopefully tomorrow if it doesn't rain, and when the car is back on all fours I will have a bounce and see how they feel. The shocks aren't leaking so that's a start. 

Yesterday I managed to get a couple of hours work done on Ruby. I managed to get the nearside rear shoes, wheel cylinder, wheel bearings and handbrake cable on. Hopefully if the weather holds out I can get the other side done later today! Then its just the flexi hoses and I should be able to take her for a spin  on private land, obviously  Once the brakes are done I can crack on with the rear axle bushes, windscreen and the job I'm not looking forward to! The melted dash wiring loom 
Here are a few piccies to keep you happy. Hopefully see you all at the AGM 

Before! Lots of dust and cobwebs! 





And after 

Nice to see thus thing being saved, Stirling work so far bud 

That looking much better

Don't envy you on the loom mate, I hate wiring!

Hello,
Well I've managed to make a bit of progress over the past couple of weeks. I finished off the rear brakes and wheel bearings and started looking at other bits and bobs!
The fuel filler hose looked perished! So I fitted a new one

Before



After



I realised that the rear axle bushes looked perished so I thought I would fit some nice shiny blue ones! I didn't tealise how hard it would be to remove the large bolt from the bush! So glad I could use the hydraulic press at work!

Before



During removal



After



Once these wete fitted the flexi hoses looked quite tired so I made some new brake pipes and fitted some new flexi's









So at the minute Ruby is now back on all four wheels, that will be 3 steels and 1 alloy  I need to bleed the brakes and tighten the axle bolts. Then, hopefully, I can take her for a spin up our road! it will be the first time I have driven her since owning her!   

Here she is when I had finished her today



I am really pleased with how solid this car is and now I know its mechanically sound I can crack on with the electrics  Oh the joys of electrics 

Spent so far……. a few pence over £606 including the cost of Ruby 

the joys of working outside in the sun on something you want to do,what will you do with it when you finished the other.

brumy ian said

the joys of working outside in the sun on something you want to do,what will you do with it when you finished the other.

It's funny you should say that! Just yesterday I passed my motorcycle theory test and I plan on getting one of these…



I have also Just started up the engine after getting a new batch of fuel and I have realised that there is no way I can drive it as it is! The head gasket has blown, the fuel pump is leaking, oil is leaking from every orifice and she rattles like a good un!! Looks like I will be starting to strip the engine on Friday!!
Will this car be done for the AGM? Who knows? I sure hope she is but I doubt it very much!

Just read through this gutted about the head gasket you after you was getting there