Minimad5's Thread - 309 content

[trigger]

I guess it's worth £300, especially with the body kit but it's hardly big profit once you've paid out for new sills and arches, your time fitting them, painting it, taking the the engine out to fix oil leak, the cost of a mot (If it passes first time) as well as the original purchase price, Just doesn't seem worth the hassle to me for so little gain.

[Minimad5]

I understand what you are saying But gain or no gain, i enjoy it, plus i get to keep my hands dirty !And i finally got the Rebel gasket set !So the engine will be done soon

[GJR 11L]

I was about to agree with the chaps about weighing in the small Ford, but then I remembered that I own a Volvo 340, so I'll keep my gob well zipped.

[Station]

I'd rather 'do that up' than weigh it in. I can't see a lot of work in it, and it looks otherwise tidy. My mk3 got it's door bend back as well, they seemed to be the target of thieves in the day, and it eventually got stolen (door bent back again) and burnt out.

[Cavcraft]

Another for the 'do it up' call here. If nothing else you'll have gained experience and done something involving along the way.It's almost like an anti-thesis for the scrappage scheme.

[Minimad5]

Well no matter what anyone says i am going to "Do it up" So thanks for being on my side chaps Tiny update :-Rebel engine is now Stripped, i took out one valve to fit the oil seal and the seal seems to be loose. Not really sure what thats all aboutSo tomorrow means a trip to my local motorfactors, to see if he can supply any better ones.Hopefully going to rebuild the bottom end back up too.As for the Mk3 fiesta, i went to start it today and nothing.Mhhm seems odd i thought.Then the hazard lights started flashing, so i turned off the alarm (by the key) and it fired straight up.I think i "may" have found the source of the oil leak, but i'm not too sure.Ooh and since i serviced it, it's less tappy, but still needs the clearance adjustingEither way i will try get some pictures when work happens.Mk1 fiesta - Runs spot on, could do with the timing being adjusted but thats it (Does anyone have a timing strobe i could lend ?)It is So quiet (apart from the clutch bearing) All in all everything seems to be slowly coming together

[greengartside]

  Minimad5 said:

Ooh and since i serviced it, it's less tappy, but still needs the clearance adjusting

Good luck with adjusting the clearance on those - it's impossible to do mine as ALL the adjusters have seized solid! I have even snapped half an adjusting nut off trying to do this! Yours may be ok as it's got low mileage, come to think of it.... :)Good call on doing it up, it's more a case of as you have got the time to do it then why not! And also it's another two finger salute to modern cars and the scrappage scheme FO SHO

[Pete-M]

Don't do the tappets "rule of 9"... cos it won't work on a Valencia...Um, hate to be the one to suggest this, but you appear to be accruing shite at a rate of knots. The Rebel I understand, but it's a long term project by the sound of things. The Mk2 Fizzy is MOT'd and 3/4 sorted from what I can gather, the Mk3 sounds like it could be worth doing but it would have to be just because you love it.I've been exactly where you are at when it comes to buying anything and everything for the last 20 odd years, I'd be concentrating on getting one of them on the road so it's useable, then using it for work if that's why you've got a car. Three projects is going to squeeze your finances out of existance, I know, I've got two on the go and I'm doing 50 hour weeks just to keep them both on the boil, they're both miles from being finished and I couldn't realistically afford to do either if I didn't get to use a free car with free fuel for my commute.Buying cheap cars is easy, working on them isn't hard, but the amount of manhours, parts and materials soon mounts up and you could end up with everyone you know having some rusty old 'project' of yours on their driveway, a list of 'parts needed' as long as your arm, no free time whatsoever, no money, no girlfriend, working 60 hours a week and still have to get the bus to work because none of them go / have tax / insurance / MOT / legal tyres / petrol etc etc etc.I'm sure I'm not alone on this site in having done this. I forgot I owned a Rover Metro 1.1 for 18 months and the thing was sitting up a mates' mother in laws driveway driving her insane. Mate had a load of 205 GTis on other peoples drives and was working all the hours he could as well. This meant he was getting tons of grief from his missus and her mum, but because I was also working 60 hours a week and didn't get to see him or speak to him it never got mentioned until one day I needed a car and mentioned it to him.. MOT'd it, Taxed it, used it for week and bought a replacement, parked it up, it got stolen and it took me a week to remember the reg, by which time it had been found, Plod didn't have a clue who owned it so couldn't tell me, they left it there while they were doing their enquiries, it got torched by the local scrotes and it ended up costing me £180 in recovery charges alone. The thing had only cost me £40 in the first place..Treat the Rebel as a long termer, fix one of the others and use the bloody thing.

[trigger]

I don't think Mark has a driving licence yet so he might struggle to even use any of them.It's good that your getting your hands dirty and it's all good experience so i won't knock you for trying but i think Pete is right, The shit will just build up and before long your old dears will be moaning at you, giving you grief and your girlfriend will be pissed off with you and all you'll have to show for it is a couple of knackered cars you can't drive.

[Minimad5]

Point taken sir Mk1 fiesta is 99% done, (could do with a dash of spray here and there, thats it) It has Tax + MOT so could be used right now.(Full UK drivers license and insurance permitting)Or i could wait 2 weeks, then get a months insurance on it, pop on some "L" plates and get my dad to sit in the passengers seat.Rebel is as you suggest a long term affairBut the Mk3 is a simple get done and sell job.My old man has suggested he pays for all the parts, i do all the work and he pays me a sum at the end , then the mother has a car at the end of it.If she decides she does not want it, then it's as simple as popping a for sale ad' or 20 up, in afew places.Once i have sold that, then all that money will be put straight into the Rebel.Don't worry i shall not loose enthusiasm for any of them, and end up with one complete and 2 half done affiars.As for girlfriend and free time ...The lady left nearly a month ago, for a number of reasons, which has given me ALOT more spare time.And i would rather put my time and money into cars, instead of going on the piss. (As everyone else does)But thats just meI value your words of advice, and i do know when to stop.Infact i got asked if i wanted a Mk3 Granada today, with a knocking bottom end and duff gearbox. "No thanks mate i already have enough on my plate" was my reply.

[Pete-M]

Sound, no worries. It had to be said though. Nobody said it to me, I had to learn by experience. Bloody expensive lesson..I know if Autoshite had existed when I was your age I'd have been damn tempted to buy a billion sheds at £50 each... I wasn't far behind even without the interweb... Crack on with 'em! In fact, if you get stuck getting any of them running, gimme a shout and if I have time I'll pop over one day over a weekend and have a look.

[Minimad5]

Thanks pete really appreciate it Infact pop round one saturday anyway, so you can see my shite & i can make love to your SD1

[GJR 11L]

RE Reliant stem seals:

 

Only use the type sold by the factory parts operation, if you must fit them at all. Others of the generic type are crap and simply get nipped between the coils of the valve springs once they start to come loose. Factory ones are a sort of "top hat" shape and they sit under the springs but....

 

If the guides are so worn that the seals are the only things preventing the engine from smoking excessively then it's time for a set of guides.

I never used stem seals in any of the Reliant engines I built, reason I got away with that was that I used top-quality guides and new valves, the seals are OK for engines that never exceed around 6000rpm, but that's only 84mph in a Rebel, you'll find that a good one will quite happily pull over 7k in 4th and at that sort of speed, stem seals are about as much use as tits on a fish. These engines do use a little oil regardless of how carefully they're assembled or how hard you thrash them, usually around 500 miles per ½ litre is to be expected, other than from an HE engine, which will break its rings before it reaches 20,000 and then drinks around a litre in the same distance.

[Minimad5]

The original stem seals are plactic and half of them were at the top of the spring (Meaning they don't "grip" the head and could possibly let oil through ?)Do you know were i could buy the correct ones ?I also need help from someone with a parts washer.As there is quite abit of sediment in the bottom end, and need it propperly washed out.I do have some pictures , but they may take a while to upload.Thanks GJR

[GJR 11L]

As far as I know, only Reliant themselves or James at Castle Hill Garage (CHG Performance on eBay and on R3W) will supply the correct seals, they're green to denote that they're suitable for cheap fuel.

 

Reliant's own website here.

[Minimad5]

Thanks GJR !I have asked afew questions over on R3W, but no one can be assed to reply Thank goodness for Autoshite and members like you

[GJR 11L]

  Minimad5 said:

Thank goodness for Autoshite

Yeah. Any forum that has Reliant Rebels, Maxis and Kia Magentises must be doing something right.

[Minimad5]

Small smattering of photo's

Sorry for the bad quality, the sun combined with a piss poor camera phone = fail.

 

First off Rebel pictures

 

Some serious crud in there ..

And a really bad picture of just some "crud" i scraped out of the bottom end ..

 

(Does anyone have a parts washer i could lend, or send the bottom end too ? as i really need this Clean as can be)

 

Mk3 Pictures..

 

Rusty inner sill / floor

I HAZ HOLE

Shot from behine the rear "door card"

 

I did have more, but they are so poor i left them out.

That's all for now folks

Comments & Picture requests welcome.

Anyone with a parts washer - HELP

Thanks

[AXrescuer]

  Minimad5 said:

Does anyone have a parts washer i could lend

You can lend me one if you like.

[Minimad5]

  AXrescuer said:

  Minimad5 said:

Does anyone have a parts washer i could lend

You can lend me one if you like.

I would lend you one if i had one myself

[Cavcraft]

Can you not get some paraffin, apply it with a stiff brush then jet wash/hose off?

[Minimad5]

My old man suggested that, but i don't know if i could get to every nook and cranny with a brushI shall give it ago, thanks Cavette

[Minimad5]

So today i began work on the MK3 Fiesta and found a whopping big hole in the chassis leg.Basically it is curtains for any plans to "fix it and sell"So i'm going to be stripping it and selling what i can, just so i can throw any pennies at the Rebel.So if anyone needs Fiesta Mk3 bits, then drop me a PM.Atleast i now have an Alarm and immobiliser for the Mk1, and a nice set of tyres, that's saved afew bob.Anyway i am tired and dirty !So i will upload pictures tomorrow (After i have sorted out Warren's Rover)

[Station]

Pressure washer will get all the grease out. Don't be "afraid" of sticking the whole thing in a large container of hot, soapy water and giving it all a proper scrub.Why not stick the mk3 on Wikiwirral?

[Minimad5]

Thanks for the tips StationThe Mk3 is stripped already, it just needs the engine and gearbox removing, which will be done tomorrow afternoon.I don't fancy the hassle of banger boys wanting the shell to be honest.If i weigh the shell in, it is less hassle (Hopefully)I feel i have failed abit, as it can be saved, it's just too far gone for my liking.Chassis legs scare me

[Minimad5]

Thought i shall update this thread a wee bit.

 

First off Mk3

Previous patch on Chassis Leg (That is not welded on, it's some sort of glue)

Rust, Rust and Rust

(That rust continues down a fair bit, so would basically need a new chassis leg. And that requires jigging - which i don't have)

 

Abit of Mk1 Action

 

Mk3 Wheels fitted

 

That's it really.

If anyone wants any Mk3 bits, drop me a PM

(It has a sunroof, which "MAY" fit other cars, not too sure thou')

[Minimad5]

Small update with the Mk3

 

Wiring all disconnected

 

I am waiting to borrow an Engine Hoist from a nice local chap, so the heart shall be removed soon (Fingers crossed)

 

That is all

[Minimad5]

Small update.

 

As mentioned in the News thread Mirrors.

And as Jon just asked on Facebook about them, i thought i shall upload pictures.

 

Remember £8.50 for the pair - BARGAIN

 

Fixed original mirror

 

I also got the passenger window to wind down, which made me super happy.

So good result all round.

 

Tax runs out the end of this Month, fingers crossed i pass my test soon.

Then more TAX and insurance .

Thanks

 

P.s ...

 

The weather strip on the door is a Mk3 one that i "adapted".

It fits so much tighther and closer to the window, and lets no water to the bottom of the door.

[Pete-M]

Yeah man.Now your getting somewhere. Closer to the road. Keep it up.

[PatrickMcRebel]

Hi Minimad,

 

Good to see you are putting the Rebel back to its former glory! I may have mentioned in your thread over on the R3W forum that I have a Rebel 700 Saloon. A ridiculously coloured purple one lol. I'm also a young Rebel owner (19 years old). Just mated a later 750 Box to the 850 engine that was already in it my plan is to make it a useable classic (if that's even possible? heh). Would be good to see each others Rebel's sometime. If your Rebel is rock 'n' rolling by the 9th July 2010 you could come to the R3W Northern Rally on Spalding Moor, East yorks, thats of course if you're up for it.

 

Oh I must say, I'm rather envious of that laycock clutch

 

Cheers.

 

EDIT: Pics of my Rebel can be found here.

 

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/gro ... 2184269501

 

Feel free to join this group and upload your photos.