The joys of an older car coming back to life

[Konteebos]

Is that an '80's Vanagon Camper in the back there?

I think so! Not mine - I share a large Chicken Shed (actually a Turkey Shed) with some friends. It's a type 25 Camper, an aircooled one, I think, freshly restored and for sale.

 

[Konteebos]

Pics of the gearbox job on my Vitesse for completeness;

 

[PhilofCas]

@Olaup Wish I could do things like that, I admire your skills, spot on.

 

[PaulMB]

The other day I stopped for petrol with my very old 911, which has a filler lid on the front left mudguard. You pull a knob on the dashboard and, by means of a steel wire, the lid is unlatched and springs open. To open the engine lid at the back, a similar knob behind the door, on a steel cable, unlatches the lid. A modern car probably has control modules, microprocessors, wires and electric motors to do these simple things. Why, for G-D's sake?

 

[narabdela]

I had a Spitfire 1500 (DYS 665 T - I still remember, and that funny not Red/ not Orange colour).

Snap! Same colour!(only a 1300 though). GVA 872K. The only registration I can ever remember also. Couldn't even tell you the reg. of my present car without checking first.

 

[Darmok]

The other day I stopped for petrol with my very old 911, which has a filler lid on the front left mudguard. You pull a knob on the dashboard and, by means of a steel wire, the lid is unlatched and springs open. To open the engine lid at the back, a similar knob behind the door, on a steel cable, unlatches the lid. A modern car probably has control modules, microprocessors, wires and electric motors to do these simple things. Why, for G-D's sake?

^^ Because they can!!

 

[Big Tabs]

@Olaup Wish I could do things like that, I admire your skills, spot on.

I am in your camp. Admirable .

I am Absolutely talentless at mechanics, managed to break several motorcycles before I acknowledged that I was never going to click with a spanner.
I do appreciate the skill required - couple of friends were excellent at taking motors to pieces etc. I know the theory, and how an engine works, but experience has cost me dear. I could get my knee down though, whereas they were unable.

 

[sean99]

I also share the admiration for folks doing major jobs on their own cars. I've never had the nerve to do anything beyond basic maintenance. A successful weekend for me is to replace the chains and bearings on my bicycles.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

Both head gaskets on my 350ci engined 1978 Chevy Caprice when in Saudi. Reasonably straight forward but 40c and hangovers turned it into a challenge. I also cleaned 16 years of gunk off the inlet valves (sludge on the upstream side) hoping I'd feel a difference in performance or economy... nope. Still 12mpg and a turbine smooth sloth. But yep, a great feeling when it all fired up and didn't pump water out of the exhaust anymore.

 

[canonman]

Reminds me of working on my Triumph Spitfire back in the 70s. You could pretty much stand inside the engine bay while you were tinkering.

Try doing that on a modern car!

Yep, did that with 2 Spitfires. Parents were not impressed when arriving back early from holiday, to find a gearbox in bits in the kitchen.

How things changed, I recall opening up the bonnet on my first Quattro Turbo and promptly closed it!

 

[Tony Lockhart]

As long as we all remember that engines from the 60s and 70s, especially British ones, generally needed much more maintenance than almost any current engine, we will be ok.
Yes, there will always be the "My Allegro's engine only ever had regular oil and filter changes, sold it after ten years with 240,000 miles on it" replies, but they were a rare thing indeed.

 

[robs]

Back in the day...dark blue Spitfire Mk4 here. Much work done standing in the engine bay! They were great to work on (meaning easy....typically much work needed!).

 

[Seeker_UK]

Yes, there will always be the "My Allegro's engine only ever had regular oil and filter changes, sold it after ten years with 240,000 miles on it"

But rusty AF.

 

[cobbers]

First job I remember was changing a short engine on an MGB - regular kicks to the fuel pump which would routinely seize because of it's idiotic position in the OSR wheel arch - changing 6V batteries which hung below the rear bench exposed to the road elements
Then there was the Jensen Healey which I ran for 15 years as my daily driver and did a full engine rebuild (Lotus 907) at 120,000 miles after putting on an overdrive gearbox from a Sunbeam Rapier

 

[PhilofCas]

But rusty AF.

It was only the engine that was sold, nothing left of anything else .

 

[Olaup]

Some great replies, fascinating reading, more please if possible.

The fact that the recovery garage essentially wrote it off by not being serious about locating an engine made me somewhat retaliatory about the " just bin it " attitudes in the trade, others I inquired with over bits said the same. The little car is in excellent condition, it deserves an extended life & I admire anyone here who has the same thoughts & go get their hands dirty, or at least pay to keep the cars going.

I actually found it relaxing, oily fingernails, bring it on.

I will post some photos later.

 

[Tony Lockhart]

I maintain chollywopters as a job, so at 58 the thought of skinning my knuckles in a cold garage has lost its appeal a tad.
A workmate is restoring a Spitfire. It’s taking a looooong time.

 

[SteveS1]

I maintain chollywopters as a job, so at 58 the thought of skinning my knuckles lin a cold garage has lost its appeal a tad.
A workmate is restoring a Spitfire. It’s taking a looooong time.

Those Triumphs can be tricky.

 

[Darren]

I'm getting the same vibe out of a 900 quid 2002 MR2. When I bought it it weas running on maybe half power and the handling was all over the place. Sorted all that, now the cosmetics.

Images please Rich

 

[Martian Sunrise]

This is Sylvie, my current project. Just about complete. Quarterlights/windows, fire system & seatbelts to go then it is shakedown time.

IMG_6681 by Richard Howard, on Flickr