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Okay, so I am cruising ahead with strip down - enthused by the price that the bits I don't need are making on that well-know auction site!
I have started a website so I will keep it updated - and post updates here of course! The website is still work in progress so some pages are not finished yet! I want to put as many images of Sammio's up so we can spread the word, so I am pinching any images I can find on the internet - hope you don't mind if it is one of yours.... I have a load to resize so the gallery page will not be complete until next week - if you have any pictures you want to mail: [email]t@m28.co.uk[/email] .
I managed to get the Vitesse pretty much stripped down last weekend which meant today was all about cutting the screen off. I am doing a run up Reliant Scrap metals on monday to get rid of a load of other metal so I thought it would be good to get rid of the screen too!
I even got the wife to try out the new 'Sammio Spyder Invisibale' ..
We stripped every last little nut & bolt not needed and put to all on flea-bay. It is time consuming & maybe not a strictly commercial use of your time, but it helps keep the partner happy to see some money coming in rather than all going out.
We cut off the windscreen surround frame (from a convertible with catch-plates) with the grinder and sold the top section for £8.50. Winscreen was more difficult being collection only, just £5. However the windscreen wiper motor and cable made £35. In all we pulled in just over a grand including small profits on postage, and we have yet to weigh in the small scap pile that's still growing behind the shed.
Selling off the bit's paid for our donor car in full AND left enough over to fund the mig welder with change towards build costs. It is a bit slow, but interesting too. We sold stuff to Norway, Germany, Malta, Cyprus, France, Denmark, and Sri Lanka!
Don't throw anything away - somebody somewhere will buy it! (with the possible exception of those little amber domed glass indicator bits inside the front sidelight assemblies - never did flog those).
Paul, I have made over £800 so far on selling the bits, with some more ending this evening, so I agree it is worth the effort!
I have a load of other metal (including solid Aluminium motorbike frames) that will be weighed in so it is all going to the kit cost! It have been a good opportunity to clear out the shed too, so even more brownie points from her indoors!
Paul, I have made over £800 so far on selling the bits, with some more ending this evening, so I agree it is worth the effort!
I have a load of other metal (including solid Aluminium motorbike frames) that will be weighed in so it is all going to the kit cost! It have been a good opportunity to clear out the shed too, so even more brownie points from her indoors!
ooh what bike frames you got? any with v5's?? always on the look out for bike bits till i'm ready to build a sammio
ooh what bike frames you got? any with v5's?? always on the look out for bike bits till i'm ready to build a sammio
I had 5 TL1000R's at one point, and stripped them down, sold the bits and have got a few odds and ends left now. The TLR frame was pretty solid, but I have a couple of accident damaged ones and I can't be sure of their integrity and straightness so I am scrapping them.
I do have a CB400 partially rebuilt and a load of spares with almost a complete CB250 to go with it! My son's project that got started with my help but he lost interest and wanted to spend more time on his computer than tinkering! (I hope that my tinkering skills have just skipped a generation and can't wait for my Grand-kids to come and visit )
I have done some more on the vitesse today - stripped down the rear completely ready for cleaning and welding....
I woke up this morning to find the back end of the car had fallen off the axle stands - I forgot to choc the front wheels Luckily no damage done, and I managed to pick up the "wheelbarrow" and put it back on the stands - and chocked up the front wheels this time!
Also, I am up to £939.17 on the ebay sales for most of the bits I don't need, with another 5 lots ending this week, so hopefully another £100 or so there.
I also weighed in a load of old car panels and bits I had lying around including some engine cases and frames, making a total of £115.50 for the 30 minute round trip! Seems like the general metalwork was £195/tonne (I had 260kg) and the Cast Aluminium was £810/tonne (I had 80kg).
I also managed to win an engine hoist on ebay for £78 and it is just local too! I borrowed a friend's last time and he wanted it back right in the middle of the rebuild, so I figured I would buy my own and then resell it when I have finished!!
Also dug out my parts washer from the back of the garage and started to clean some of the very dirty suspension bits, so they can be painted a suitable shade of chassis black.
So I am steaming on - trying to get as much done while I have the enthusiasm..... Gary, I am aiming to get the rest of money together for my kit by the end of Feb.... hope that is okay.
Sounding good and time well worth spent! In hindsight I wish i'd taken the early stages of my build a bit slower and done a bit more refub then rather than having to do it now with the body on!
On the MR2 engine conversion forum it was always obligatory to take a photo of yourself standing in the engine bay once you've got the old 4pot out.
Perhaps we should start something similar and every new builder has to add a pic of them sitting in just their bodyshell on the drive
Another weekend of cleaning parts. Too cold to go outside, so music and heater on in the garage.....
Did discover that my rear wheel cylinders were not both the same size so I had to order a new one!
Might explain why ther MOT man had a nightmare trying to balance the rear brakes!!
If you haven't got one of these yet....
As they are great and can do this.....
I also cleaned out the manky front callipers before I paint them. Yuck !
I used one of these, which again is superb from re-honing the bores...
What a fantastic weekend for building a Sammio!
The weather was great all weekend, so I made it my goal to get the chassis welded and painted.
I started off with this (and even this is after about a gallon of nitromors and lots of scraping)
Yesterday I welded and got the grinder out to flatten out some of the previous patches that had been blobbed on. So by the end of Saturday I ended up looking like this....
So today was just about getting it painted and ready for the build next weekend. This is what it looks like now...
During the week I did get some more bits into the lounge to paint, so the car is slowily making its way into the house bit by bit.
Hopefully this week I will get the last few bits painted so it is all ready to go together.
I did also start to have a look at the engine, although I just got some foaming Gunk stuff that actually worked really well! The sump gasket and the rocker cover gasket were both leaking so there was a lot of oil and crud to remove!
I am hoping to get the chassis together next weekend and then on to getting the floorboards in and the frame on so I can get on with the few mods I am planning.