|
Post by scooby on Jul 10, 2014 18:53:38 GMT
There's an RV on 'Bay at the moment which looks as tho' its never been registered, so considered how little even 'road-worthy' RVs go for, there's every chance that it'll go unsold at the starting £250. If that's the case, perhaps he'll be willing to break for parts (which is what he's suggesting he'll do if it doesn't sell)?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jul 9, 2014 22:57:43 GMT
Come to think of it, AndyRVMac had a bikini top (for the RV...) made by someone local to him - around Okehampton. That was bespoke, and turned out very neat and well made.
He can be PM'd via the site, or happy to do it for you.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jul 9, 2014 22:52:32 GMT
You mean not been registered? That's what the guy reckons - he has no info to suggest it's ever been on the road. And how the hell do you know he drives a Bee-emm?!!!
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jul 9, 2014 12:13:28 GMT
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jul 9, 2014 12:10:28 GMT
You'll be lucky... At least it's as simple a soft-top shape as you could have, I reckon. Ask around locally or check adverts and stuff for - hmm, what would they be called? - upholsterers/ seamstress/ clothes adjustments, that kind of stuff. There's a lady around here - in Bideford - who made up new covers for my mum-in-law's garden swing-seat. Terrific job, complete with edge beading and stuff, and I recall thinking "That was bludy cheap.". Pretty sure there are people in most localities who could tackle jobs like that, but they'd obviously have to start from scratch making up templates. There are, of course, companies who specialise in making soft tops, but again the problem is having to start from scratch. I doubt there are many good RV soft-tops out there, but if someone has a tatty one it would be ideal for making templates, and - once made - the 'upholsterer' could make further tops to demand?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jul 8, 2014 22:31:04 GMT
That's really nice work, Peter. Shocker about the catch! I'm pretty confident that the 'holding' parts are pretty strong, but it only goes to show that copies are often not a patch on the 'real things'. I'll handle mine with care...
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jul 8, 2014 16:58:22 GMT
Dean, your RV is a Q reg? So, I understand your V5 will state the date ("First registered") is was given that Q-reg which is also the best indication you'll have of when the build was completed. And that will be well after 1971.
So I would say, very unlikely you'll be lucky enough to get it tax-exempt.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 30, 2014 21:32:54 GMT
Nice - a running project :-)
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 29, 2014 21:10:35 GMT
Is it running, Dean?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 27, 2014 23:47:18 GMT
Hi Dean.
Another one in the South West! (I'm up near Bideford).
Ah, the diesel-powered beaut? At least it'll be more economical than most RVs...
I have a 'running project' of an RV - lots of ideas, a gathering of parts, but very little actual time to put the two together. It does get run every day, tho', mostly for taking ma wee girl to school - come rain or shine (with no doors or roof). Today was the first time in a few weeks I got properly wet; it's been just superb to drive in our current lovely weather - up until today.
One of the 'parts' I have bought for the car is a full set of Suzuki Vitara seats. I chose them because the 2 rear seats are separate and also fold completely up. Can't wait to get them fitted, although it will mean the fibreglass 'box' that's built in to the front floor to take seats will need cutting flat.
A few other similar vehicles have seats like these - various wee Suzuki & Honda 4X4s, the Toyota Rav4, etc. Do you have any decent scrapies around where you are?
My RV currently has a cut-down rear bench seat from a Renault, which came from the same donor as the fronts. They are mighty comfy, but don't fold.
Please start a 'build' thread and let's see what you're gonna do!
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 26, 2014 8:58:20 GMT
Nice.
Yep, our cars do need that extra bit of work to stop them looking so kit-carish!
My thoughts are, once I've resprayed the body (whenever that happens - and current fav colour is a mid-grey metallic), to matt-black texture-stipple the wheel arches, perhaps fit a thin beading along where the arches join the body, and then add a heavier edge-moulding strip along the outside edges of the arches to finish them of. I'm hoping that'll take away the existing all-one-single-fibreglass-moulding look...
The Mustang wheels were 108 pcd? Wow. Spacers used? They're nice - and nicely different.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 25, 2014 11:27:31 GMT
Mine doesn't sit particularly high either - the front tyres are 28" overall diameter, and that's just a 2" gap betwixt the top of the tyre and the outer edge of the wing. How much gap do you have there, Biggles? I'm running 225 / 75 x 15 tyres and I have a 31/2 inch gap from the top of the tyre to the bottom edge of the lip of the front wing. I know, I know. . . . the colour is bloody ghastly, but it will be changed before it goes back on the road. John Hey, the colour is the best thing about your Jeep (Yanking yer chain...) Your tyres, then, will be abut the same diameter as mine - around 28 and a quarter inches? In which case it looks to be sitting a goodly 1.5" higher than mine (assuming the bodywork is sitting the same way on the chassis)? I'm guessing that the metal Cortina front end is significantly heavier than the Eagles's front chassis/fibreglass body, so if the standard Cortina were used without modification you'd expect the Jeep to sitting higher by - what - and inch or so? Anyways, who modified your rear arches? Is that the same as the expensive 4x4 Eagle version on the Landrover website?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 24, 2014 22:20:29 GMT
If you Ebay, "military connectors" or seller, "sellerbible" there are lots, ranging from 2 to 32 pins, but the 32 pin one is only 5A, the 19 pin is 10A and more than enough to cope with vehicle wiring. I think it's going to make connection bits together real easy and they are surprisingly compact. Thanks Peter. 5A will actually be fine for me as it'll only be for the dashboard clocks. Looks ideal! (Searched and found! Thank you.)
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 24, 2014 22:17:37 GMT
Stupid question - could these two springs not be the same, except the one on t'left is not so compressed?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 24, 2014 10:39:15 GMT
Ooooooh - 19 pins in them plugs, eh? That's nice. Er, what are they called? Where can you get 'em?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 24, 2014 10:35:43 GMT
My intention had been to fit them to the sides of the bonnet near the front - pretty much where the rubber catches are now. However, the bonnet sides curve more than I'd thought along the top edge, so there's actually very little 'flat' surface there - so not sure yet if that's a goer. The alternative position would be on the top surface as near the front corners as possible, but even that surface is surprisingly curved so the clips would end up further from the corners than I'd like. I'm still hoping that the sides will take them, even if it means a wee bit of filling in along the sides of the clamps. Nice idea you have of 'flushing' them in, but us RV folks want as many sticky-out bits as poss... Yee-haaaaa
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 24, 2014 10:30:37 GMT
Mine doesn't sit particularly high either - the front tyres are 28" overall diameter, and that's just a 2" gap betwixt the top of the tyre and the outer edge of the wing. How much gap do you have there, Biggles? Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 23, 2014 19:46:31 GMT
Blimey, you're seeing things I ain't I wonder if it's as simple as my RV has the softer springs and Biggles' are standard?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 23, 2014 19:44:37 GMT
I got a pair of these recently too - £12.95 delivered (but not the locking type). Yep, pleasantly surprised by the quality; the actual surface finish, edges and stuff might not be top notch (I'm guessing the real 'aeros' are noticeable better), but these still look very well made, appear strong enough and have a secure mechanism. Now just to work out how they'll fit on a slightly curved surface...
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 22, 2014 20:43:58 GMT
Photo taken. It doesn't look 'cut-down', so I guess I may have the softer springs too? (Doesn't bludy feel like it tho'...) So what's causing Biggles' 'drop'? His all looks to be too high at the front (you don't have the engine out in that photo, do you...?!) Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 22, 2014 0:07:19 GMT
Cracking stuff, 'Runner.
The track-rod arms above are Biggles' - I agree, they look as tho' they could cause bump-steer probs. Pleased to say my own 'arms are very level, and b-s isn't a problem (tho' a general 'vagueness' is...)
Ah - take the level on the carb manifold face? That makes sense.
Yep, my rad has just a cap - no expansion tank, tho' I did buy one a goodly while ago with the intention of fitting it - haven't got round to it yet... Actually, one reason I haven;t bothered is that it's been fine, just like AndyMac said it would! Longer-term, I am looking to get a more modern engine and box, so major changes can wait until then.
I'll try and remember to take a photo of my front springs tomorrow - I wonder if they've been cut down a bit, and that's why Biggles' is still riding high? Do you know if shortening them was a suggestion in the build manual, to compensate for the reduced body weight of the RV over the Cortina?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 18, 2014 23:13:28 GMT
Blimey, Gary.
On that same Triumph I mentioned above, I had the crank reground and new oversized bearings supplied. Had to send it off to a company on the mainland as the facilities didn't exist on the wee utter Hebridian Island. The reground crank came back, and I recall finding the crank hard to turn when I'd torgued up the shell caps. But, this was my first build, so I assumed it was normal and just needed running in...
Temporarily disconnected the coil lead and span the engine until the oil light went out. Fired her up. Sounded strange and - like you - the engine was hard to turn over afterwards.
Aaargh - had to remove and strip it all down again - the new crank shells were in a hell of a state. Borrowed a calliper and found they'd not ground the bearings enough...
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 13, 2014 23:03:51 GMT
No offence taken at all, Steve I was just commenting on the perception that 'our' cars (kit cars in general) are so disappointingly ill-regarded. And the sad thing is, it's probably not just a perception - you are right, most RVs on eBay go for shockingly low sums. What do yoof do for hobbies these days?! When I were a lad - on a wee island in the Utter Hebrides - every youngster was completely car-mad. Ok, I guess that's still true today, but it seemed like everyone I knew back then was genuinely into working on their cars - properly fixing them - and kit-cars were seen as something really exotic since they were unusual.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 12, 2014 9:26:30 GMT
Tee-hee - good rant!
The whole kit-car thing is a bit of a mystery to me - has general interest really fallen off that much over the past, say, 10 years? I guess it has, with the onset of SVA and now IVA being the final nails. What a shame.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 11, 2014 8:12:58 GMT
£1,650 is 'expensive' for a tidy RV? Blimey - are our cars really that worthless (By 'tidy' I'm not suggestion I actually like what he's done to it - waaaaay too bling - but that it looks in nigh-on fully finished order with a decent amount of work put into it...) The 'spears' RV will have the issue of it requiring to be IVA'd... (Unless someone has that registered chassis from the one in Scotland which sold for £150...) That one looks like a nice example from its 'running' photograph - big chunky wheels & tyres, side steps, SS exhaust and stuff. Gawd, I hope these nuggets are rescued.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 10, 2014 11:05:36 GMT
Ah - that blows my theory above out off t'water...
I'd assumed that 'lowered' suspension would lead to negative camber - eg if you sat an elephant on the your bonnet. But with your example above, Biggles, I think it's pretty clear that your suspension is 'raised' if anything and yet you say the camber is 'negative'. Perhaps Cortina suspension works the opposite way to what I expected?
I'll try and count how many spring coil-turns I have on my front - perhaps mine have been chopped a bit to compensate for the lighter body? In which case I guess either softer springs or a bit of light trimming of your springs would see you back on the level?
I'm no expert but that does look quite a steep steering arm angle so I wouldn't be surprised if you had some bump steer.
My steering is heavy (of course!) and a bit vague - it doesn't self-centre as much as I'd like. But no obvious 'bump steer' as such. I'm guessing my castor angle hasn't changed (why should it?) so the vagueness could possibly be down to the much larger tyres.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 9, 2014 21:42:28 GMT
Interesting about camber. My wheels are also tilting slightly inwards at their tops, but I don't understand why that should be as the steering arms are dead horizontal, so in theory the car is sitting as it should be.
Wouldn't you expect negative camber to occur if the front were lowered? In which case the steering arms would be sloping upwards towards the hubs? My steering arms are level, but there's still slight, but noticeable, neg camber.
What are your 'arms' like?
Anyone know what effect too much neg camber would have on the steering?
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 9, 2014 13:35:34 GMT
Does it have a slightly nose-down stance like mine (which I quite like)?
I ask because I realised - when fitting the new exhaust - that my engine is therefore also effectively sitting off the level, being noticeably lower at the front by a not-insignificant amount (about a half-inch?).
A problem? Not majorly, but it does mean that the angle of the prop to the rear axle is therefore unnecessarily large. Since it looks dead easy to lower the gearbox at its end - add spacers between it and the mounting bracket - then this is something I plan to do.
My car also came with a weird cooling issue that AndyMac pointed out to me when he sold it; if you fill the rad to the 'top' of the 'tubes' as you would normally, it'll eject a goodly amount of its contents once it all heats up. After that it runs ok, but it's a bit disconcerting to look in there and see now't. I wonder if the engine angle has something to do with that too?
Anyways - something RV (and SS) owners may wish to check; stick a spirit level on your engine cover and see if it's sloping down towards the front. If so, it may be worth taking a teeny bit of that strain off yer propshaft journals by lowering it at the gearbox.
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 9, 2014 13:23:33 GMT
I thoroughly recommend BuySellCortina to everyone here running the Ford-based kits.
Some absolutely superb people over there - off t'top of me 'ead there's 'Bortaf', 'SheffieldCortinaCentre', 'dgo' and 'Jayne' (now called 'Danish' - her knowledge is awesome, and she's the one who did the rear disc conversion...). And they always answer and help.
My gut reaction about my current setup is that the rear is actually adequate and it's the front that lets things down a wee bit. But that is simply based on the way my RV seems to brake more 'crisply' when in reverse than going forward! Ok, not very scientific....
Do you have 9" rear drums? If so I'd imagine that would be more than good enough (mine are just 8"). Ventilated discs up front would be good pairing...
|
|
|
Post by scooby on Jun 5, 2014 14:04:23 GMT
I think the ventilated front discs from higher-end Capris and Cortinas are a straight fit, with either the associated callipers or else by splitting your existing ones and adding a spacer. The M16 callipers are a pretty standard item across most (all?) of the models. Converting the rear is a LOT more work, but is certainly done in 'Cortina' world. I have just the standard Mk4 Cortina front and back, with the smaller 8" rears. I've completely refurbed both ends and the master cylinder, so am pretty confident the system is working pretty much as it should - nice firm pedal etc. Result? Compared to modern cars it's complete carp. Everything 'works' ok, but it just needs so much more of a hefty push than my daily car - a mere Zafira. The Zaffie has razor-sharp brakes in comparison (actually pretty good brakes by most standards, I think). I am assuming that this is simply down to the donor Cortina's agricultural engineering - it was probably 'good' for its time. It probably isn't helped by the much larger wheels and tyres - almost 30" diameter - but the RV is a lot lighter, so they should cancel eachother out... I'd love to have a drive in a Cortina just to see how it compares! Anyways, if you want technical advice on any aspect of the Cortina mechanicals (including disc rears...), then I thoroughly recommend the BuySellCortina forum ( www.buysellcortina.co.uk/forums/ ). Despite its weird name, they are a really good, very helpful bunch on there - and they don't mind it's about a kit car
|
|