Workshop/Project car going ons. The (owner needs a) Miracle (for this) Maestro

[JMotor]

Weekend came.

Corsa B time. 

I replaced the front crossmember a few years back. I did weld it in and made sure it was glued in well. 

What if I hadn't done a good enough job!?

I also LOVE* making work for myself.

 

These plates are needed for Turbo swapped cars. Totally overkill for a 1.8! Figured having the tie rod area beefed up couldn't hurt.

Right! Cracked on with welding these plates in.

Passenger side welds are better. I was able to dial my technique in by then. Drivers isn't great, but there was enough heat in the weld to take a good hold. 

Rubbed down the crossmember to slap some red oxide on. Then that reacted with some paint I threw on it years ago. 

Duck it! I'll let it dry and worry about it another time.

[JMotor]

Little more work done.

Finished the welding on the crossmember. With the rest of the panel painted to give it some protection.

Fitted a new radiator while I had the chance. Cooling fan works as it's meant to, that's a relief!

Then kicked the little bugger outside.

Very pleased with the colour in the sunlight.

Still waiting on a windscreen. I'll have to chase that up. 

[JMotor]

It's got a face!

Have to tweak the bumper a wee bit and some other fixings to put back on.

Gave everything behind the plastics a good covering of cavity wax. Happy with the way it's coming on now.

[Tenmil Socket]

41 minutes ago, JMotor said:

It's got a face!

Have to tweak the bumper a wee bit and some other fixings to put back on.

Gave everything behind the plastics a good covering of cavity wax. Happy with the way it's coming on now.

Fantastic work so far mate 👌

Please don't take this the wrong way but it's looking far better than I expected!

(Will it be for sale?)

[JMotor]

3 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Fantastic work so far mate 👌

Please don't take this the wrong way but it's looking far better than I expected!

(Will it be for sale?)

Thank you.

I get what you mean. I didn't expect the car to look this good so far either 😆. 

As for it being for sale. Hadn't even thought that far tbh. I will be keeping it for a little while as I will be displaying it at the VBOA show at Sywell aerodrome this year. Longer term maybe it'll head away.

[JMotor]

Glass in.

Nice to see it's loosing the rolling shell look about it. 

Plan to keep going with building it back up for having it mostly done and ready for MOT end of this month.

I am missing some parts. But I've had a delivery that should sort out that issue...

[JMotor]

Said delivery of parts happened today.

Slight problem was encountered.

Parts came wrapped up in this lil hot rod.

Nod to my early boy racer days with the photo on a slant.

It's prime for breaking too. Check out the failure list!

Now that doesn't seem too bad at first glance. 

Until I picked at it.

"She's fair pumped hai!"

It's actually a rare spec. 1.2 16v Envoy in Cypress Green AND someone ticked the power steering option. 

This very car has the EPAS column fitted. That's a wee score in itself!

Still doesn't stop it from being broken up. 

After welding one up the other Corsa, I have no want to do that all over again!

[JMotor]

Made a "short" on the TOOBS. 

Doesn't sound too bad at all. It has a note, but not in your face loud.

 

[Matty]

On 02/05/2024 at 21:24, JMotor said:

Said delivery of parts happened today.

Slight problem was encountered.

Parts came wrapped up in this lil hot rod.

Nod to my early boy racer days with the photo on a slant.

It's prime for breaking too. Check out the failure list!

Now that doesn't seem too bad at first glance. 

Until I picked at it.

"She's fair pumped hai!"

It's actually a rare spec. 1.2 16v Envoy in Cypress Green AND someone ticked the power steering option. 

This very car has the EPAS column fitted. That's a wee score in itself!

Still doesn't stop it from being broken up. 

After welding one up the other Corsa, I have no want to do that all over again!

True on the EPAS column. Still the go to part for ps conversions on classics!

Also, don't believe you'll sell the corsa. After all this work. And it's a honey! Never man 😉

[JMotor]

It's growing on me @Matty. Really is.

Think a good drive will seal the deal. It's been a forest from the trees kind of project.

Seriously thinking about swapping the EPAS into the Aquamarina car. As I want to use the steering rack out of the donor too. It 2.5 turns lock to lock from factory. Might be a good bit heavier afterwards.

Think the assistance will make the car easier to live with.

[JMotor]

Gave the Corsa a very quick wash tonight.

Yes, very happy with how it looks now.

I have done more stuff to it. A pal got the wiring and parts fitted back into the boot lid while I done the front scuttle and wipers.

A paint of the inner arch tubs is what's stopping the rear arch trims going back on. That'll be taken care of this weekend. Or on the way to being done.

Interior is the last major project and to be honest that's nowt in the grand scheme.

[grogee]

I'm a fan of PAS and with your wider wheels I would think it would make manouvering easier. How much of a PITA is it to fit? Presumably a bit easier with the interior removed? 

[JMotor]

It's definitely a car you're better trying to avoid dead steering 😆. 

From what I have read. The swap is physically easy, as I have everything on that side.

I would have to remove the dashboard just so I can get to everything with out too much of a fight.

Wiring will be the bigger task. Need to decide if I want to reuse the donor wiring and splice it in or get an aftermarket controller and have it as a separate entity.

Great thing about the popularity of the column there is a many different solutions to making it work.

Whatever route I take, I'm going make use of it. It'll be looked into after I get it back on the road.

[grogee]

I don't know enough about the epas but I'd think it's basically relay feed from ignition on, big fat power wires and a couple of signal/control wires. Presumably a module of some sort reading speed and stuff. 

I guess some of your wiring is already 'custom' to accommodate the non standard motor? 

[JMotor]

That's basically it.

Yes, I'll look at getting a signal from the patch loom the swap. It was made in a way that it's plug and play. Zero modification needed to the Corsa loom.

I'll install the EPAS in the same way, so I can unplug it's loom with ease. I'll strip the donor and trace all the required wires back. instead of hacking them out.

[JMotor]

Some more weekend progress!

Made a start on picking through the two cars to see what good interior parts they had. 

It's very satisfying to start putting stuff back in.

So all the door cards, headliner, pillar plastics and rear seats are all back in.

Little bit to do on the outside. Fitted the drivers arch trim to keep the momentum going. Still the passenger one to fit, but that's a half hour job.

I could be dangerously close to booking an MOT for this thing. 

[JMotor]

Chipped away at the Corsa again.

That interior is maybe an evening away from being complete again, which makes me happy to see it's getting more and more like a car again. 

Had to bugger about with the engine patch loom. The spades on the relay weren't making a good enough contact. Car would cut out over a bump! Replaced the ground wire on the same loom as it was shitty little ring terminal. Most issues I've personally had with engine swapped cars has come down to an earth!

The free time at weekend coming will be used to fix the exhaust, as it's leaking again. Nae guid fir the emoty like.

Rest of the fleet has been quiet. Maestro is still sat to one side, haven't sorted those pipes yet. 

Altezza will need some light fettling soon. Service, replace tension arm bushes and a go over with some Lanoguard again. It does like the fuel, but it's been a great car so far. Not needed anything major. 

[Matty]

Phwooaarr 😍

[JMotor]

23 hours ago, Matty said:

Phwooaarr 😍

Don't wanna excite you anymore. However...

She's was outside again, with ALL of the arch trims on! 😆 

It's looking schlick noo hai!

Bonus front shot 😆.

Still some fettling to do. 

[Matty]

8 hours ago, JMotor said:

Don't wanna excite you anymore. However...

She's was outside again, with ALL of the arch trims on! 😆 

It's looking schlick noo hai!

Bonus front shot 😆.

Still some fettling to do. 

And just in time for summer ☀️ 

[JMotor]

You did say it would be 😆.

Number plates, mechanical check over and fix the exhaust (again!!).

Then she's for MOT time. 

Can not wait to kick the shit out of this thing soon!

[JMotor]

Little bit more done last night on the Corsa.

Yes, it's a chavvy air filter. It'll work for this application. Some bracketry and some hose clamps will see that done. Thanks to the dual plane intake on these, there will be no filter choms sadly. 

Bought a rare(ish) Irmscher back box for it years ago. Thinking I'll put it on as it's a period mod.

This was a good sight as well.

Fresh number plates. Probably will get another pair, but to replicate the original dealer ones that were on the car.

[JMotor]

Stuffs happened! 

In preparation for the incoming MOT. Cracked on with a few niggling jobs. 

Rehung the exhaust. My Irmscher box wouldn't work with the system I had. Poop! So made the one I had less rubbish.

Discovered after a load of fannying about testing shit due to a flickering handbrake light. I had both no battery light or a working alternator. A ratchet to the temple and some swearing later I had replaced the charging whirler. 

Finalised the air filter set up. Simple little bracket had it done. Air filter and the mounting clamp was from parts I'd bought for my 306 ages ago. I like using up what I have lying about.

Spent an extra minute to make it look and fit well. 

Then after some more fannying about, I sent to the test centre today. Final outcome of this was as follows.

Car's first MOT since 2016. Nice feeling that. I did forget to tighten the steering column to rack pinch bolt. But easily sorted in a jiffy. 

It's now at the stage of finer details now. 

[grogee]

16 hours ago, JMotor said:

Stuffs happened! 

In preparation for the incoming MOT. Cracked on with a few niggling jobs. 

Rehung the exhaust. My Irmscher box wouldn't work with the system I had. Poop! So made the one I had less rubbish.

Discovered after a load of fannying about testing shit due to a flickering handbrake light. I had both no battery light or a working alternator. A ratchet to the temple and some swearing later I had replaced the charging whirler. 

Finalised the air filter set up. Simple little bracket had it done. Air filter and the mounting clamp was from parts I'd bought for my 306 ages ago. I like using up what I have lying about.

Spent an extra minute to make it look and fit well. 

Then after some more fannying about, I sent to the test centre today. Final outcome of this was as follows.

Car's first MOT since 2016. Nice feeling that. I did forget to tighten the steering column to rack pinch bolt. But easily sorted in a jiffy. 

It's now at the stage of finer details now. 

Finer details??? 

Send us a video man! I want to see this accelerating acutely along an A-road. 

[Matty]

6 minutes ago, grogee said:

Finer details??? 

Send us a video man! I want to see this accelerating acutely along an A-road. 

Yasss!!!

[JMotor]

I shall provide said video very shortly 😁.

[JMotor]

As requested.

😁

[grogee]

Excellent. Great to see it out in the wild. 

It looks like it may be fairly fast. 

[JMotor]

It's quite nippy when I want it to be.

At the same time it's trundles about town without fuss.

Put the foot down, aye it wants to party. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

22 minutes ago, JMotor said:

It's quite nippy when I want it to be.

At the same time it's trundles about town without fuss.

Put the foot down, aye it wants to party. 

Think ye've got ma Vectra beat! 😂