[Car_Overhaul] Laser Green 205 1.6 Gti

[acox99 74 1 Cars]

And plating isn't as dear as I thought. Never enquired. I paint things instead, Habit as I have the paint to hand, Though that's not original. Some people would shoot me I'm sure! It's going to be a great car. Can't wait to see finished results.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Good tip about the base and lacquer, I'll bear that in mind if I ever do the same job again.

The plating looks nice but it does slow the job down, with paint you can put it on there and then and have the part back on the car. With plating it's a week turnaround at best really which slows things down.

 

Got something shiny in the post this morning, a friend if mine is an incredibly skilled ex-Aston Martin panel beater, I asked him ages ago if he could make me a new rear exhaust heatshield, mine had suffered the usual corrosion around the mounting bolts. Here is the result, I don 't mind saying I am bloody scared to have to drill the holes in it!

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

[willis 18 1 Cars]

That's one skilled friend you have!

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Good tip about the base and lacquer, I'll bear that in mind if I ever do the same job again.

The plating looks nice but it does slow the job down, with paint you can put it on there and then and have the part back on the car. With plating it's a week turnaround at best really which slows things down.

 

Got something shiny in the post this morning, a friend if mine is an incredibly skilled ex-Aston Martin panel beater, I asked him ages ago if he could make me a new rear exhaust heatshield, mine had suffered the usual corrosion around the mounting bolts. Here is the result, I don 't mind saying I am bloody scared to have to drill the holes in it!

 

 

Come on Tom, turn your skilled hand to these and lets see them your website

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

There's no way I could make anything like that. It's madness how good it is, stretching and shrinking to form it, I've not asked him yet but I'm pretty sure it's made out of 1 piece. When I say that I'm not relishing the prospect of drilling holes in it I'm not joking!

The guy really is a master craftsman, and that's a term often used but rarely deserved these days, but if anyone deserves it, it's Paul.

[m@ttc 30]

Top job how long did it take him to do that?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

So started a bit of glory work tonight! Brake lines which I like to try and do neatly but hate doing as it's so fiddly to do a good job. So far so good!

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

After much putting it off I also drilled the holes in the heatshield and mounted it, very pleased with this

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Finally some real tarting, fitted the bonnet striker plate I have had plated back to the car!

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Once I have finished the brake lines it's tank on, then beam on. I also didn't much like the look of the brake master cylinder so I have bought a new one to fit.

[acox99 74 1 Cars]

Have you got the part numbers for brake pipe and fuel pipe clips?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Clip part no's. Upper is fuel.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

[acox99 74 1 Cars]

Thanks a lot, I can't log onto service box on my phone or iPad to look.

[gruffa 7]

tried joining Service box and it wouldn't let me

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

So tonight was a bit of 1 step forward 2 back. I had cavity waxed all the rear box sections earlier in the week, some of this had run down, so I tried to clean it off with some brake cleaner which fetched some of the green off

So after some advice from my paint man (put 5% hardener in the base coat) I was removing bits and masking bits up ready to paint it again....

With that done and stuff put back by 7pm I was back where I started..

I've finished the brake lines now and fuel pipes, a tomorrow I'm hoping a big push will see the fuel system back together, and the rear beam on the car.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Boom!

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Fuel system complete, I'll have a run down the garage for a jerry can of fuel in a bit.

Brake lines all complete, I'm not going to bleed them yet as I've the front lines and brakes and the master cyl to replace.

Thinking ahead I'm going to try and replace all the front end running gear, I have got most of it ready so I might as well. The only thing I am short of is front springs so I've taken a pair to the powdercoater this morning.

Tomorrow's job I think will be to finish the rear panel off and paint it, that's after I've tidied out the garage as it's looking like a bomb has hit it there's gear everywhere.

[Stephen W 12 1 Cars]

That looks very tasty tom! I like this thread a lot. You can tell it's not just thrown together and that there is passion in there. Can't wait to see more.

[2-Pugs 57]

Great work Tom. Really impressive stuff. Having done / doing similar work myself over the last few months I can relate to a lot of what you mention. Do you plan to have the car on the road and at PugFest? Be really nice to see it in the flesh.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

My goal is Pugfest yes, after today where I have made good progress barring major disaster it should be there. My plan initially was to do just the rear end at this point then strip the front as a winter project another time.

But with about 90% of the parts to do the front suspension and brakes ready, I'm hoping to also replace these before I put it on the road.

 

As for today, finished the beam strap, then I fitted the exhaust. Popped to the petrol station for some fuel and then fired her up, bit of a milestone really as the engine hasn't run for some months due to the fuel tank and pipes being off.

Finally I fitted the drums, torqued the nuts and fitted new grease caps, these being a swine and needing modifying on the lathe to fit, it's always the simple bits that cause problems!

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

[eddie bullit 37]

Stunning!

[hanpug25 2]

Wow. The only colour I've never owned -one of my favourites too

 

I think I brought a white 405 Mi16 off you a few years back...

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Yes you did indeed buy the 405 from me, one of my past cars I really miss.

 

Anyway, today's installment.

Pictures do the talking really, prep prep and more prep, then primer then paint then lacquer.

Annoyingly the paint has reacted on the boot floor, when it happened I was so pissed off I was ready to set the whole thing on fire! However after a bit of calming down, it's under the boot May where it cannot be seen so it's going to have to stay as it is for now. I really haven't got the time inclination or patience to strip it all back and do it again just now.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

So had a good day today.

First off a run to the powdercoaters to fetch a pair of standard springs I'd had blasted and coated. I'd previously bought a pair of Eibachs but after much umming and arring I decided to stick with standard bits. So after reading on here about folk having a nightmare with high ride height using new pattern springs, I decided to have some known standard ones smartened up.

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Also back from the powdercoater was a pair of driving light frames. To try and make these last I first sandblasted them, then had them zinc plated, then finally had them powdercoated. They look great and hopefully will last a bit longer!

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

So next up with the paint on the rear panel dry, it was time again for some glory work. Rear bumper refitted, and also the pair of new rear light clusters. Chuffed to bits really, I think it looks great, plus it's the first time it has looked like a car for ages!

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

The inside sill into the boot also looks good, this was the reason i started all those months ago chopping the rear panel out.

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

The rear valance is going away for painting so I'm about as far as I can get for now. So I turned my attention to building the front legs up. Bilstein B4's with everything else standard.

 

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Fitted to powdercoated hubs with new wheel bearings and new discs, discs plated to stop the central boss going rusty.

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

 

Finally with caliper and pads fitted.

Untitled by Tom Fenton, on Flickr

[jord294 92]

Any reason why you haven't got rod protectors fitted?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

The ones i bought were rubbish and didn't fit properly hence I left them off. At some point I will strip the standard struts to get the standard ones off. Thanks for the great comment by the way, 7 pages and all you can manage is to pick fault with the struts, mind you it makes a nice change from your usual relentless beam plugging.

[u47sb2 27 2 Cars]

Oooft it's starting to look really good now. Got me wanting a laser green pug badly again!

[jord294 92]

It wasn't picking fault ! It was a simple question.