MadaboutKitcars

These Revolution 5 spokes belong to a mate (and he won't sell them) I just offered one up to get an idea what they look like.
If I ever see another set I may have to buy them as being split rims, the offsets can be altered.

A little update

Although pressure of work has meant the car looks just the same at the moment, things are happening.

Major embarrassment last week when I pulled out of the drive to go to a little local hot rod show. The car died straddling the road, but with mates rods around we made a very interesting road block. A temporary fix to the broken battery cable with some tinfoil to jam it on the battery, and we were away.
A new cable and battery have now sorted the problem. Not exciting stuff but you've got to get the basics right.

New suspension adjustable coil over kit is here and will be fitted soon.
Wheels are sorted. I'm settled on the 17" steels. We've worked a way to bolt the (shortened) towers on and I'll get some better spinners.



Chris will sort the new door skins/locks/grille at Stoneleigh. I'll can to use the car a lot more once I can lock it.

I taxed the car on line this morning and although my paperwork for the kit conversion hasn't come back from DVLA yet, I see it's now registered as a BMW Italia 250. I'll almost certainly forget the BMW bit when anyone asks what the car is.



The little bits to stop the seat shunting forward on braking have arrived. I'll fit them when the interior gets sorted at some future date.




As I buy and sell auto jumble for my living, I'm always on the look out for nice little bits for my project cars. A couple of pairs of these interior handles where in this weeks buys and I'll keep a pair in my "things to possibly use when I do the interior" pile along with some nice perspex sun visors and old style interior light. All these are from a Rover P3, I think.



Cheers, Bob.

It's official.
I now own a BMW Italia 250


I sent off-
The completed form with a mention of what I'd like to be renamed ( Inspired by an Italian Ferrari 250 )
Pictures of before, stripped and after.
Current Log Book and MOT
Ebay receipt showing the sale of all the old parts (£275 for the lot)
A mention in the notes that additional parts had been bought secondhand at auto jumbles (hence no receipts)
Just over 2 weeks and it was done. Excellent.
Invoice from Chris

Cheers, Bob.

While I've been away on holiday this week the adjustable coil overs and steering wheel have been fitted by Power and Performance.




I'll pick the car up tomorrow and hopefully the suspension isn't now too hard.

Woodrim will be fine for now but will probably be replaced when I'm sure I can get comfortable with a larger one.

Cheers, Bob.

My local tyre dealer has put a scrap tyre, of the same size as my original front ones, onto one of my 17" steels so later this week I'll try it on the front and back to see how it looks (my rear alloys were 9", the steels are 7 1/2")

I'll post photos of the results so all can like / discount the idea from their projects.

I'm pleased with the lower look but will now have to take large speed humps over one edge. Hitting them full on, even at low speed, did cause a nasty scrapping noise. Oh well, no pain no gain.

Cheers, Bob.

Hi Bill,
Quite right,
The rears are 8 1/2 x 17 1092508
Fronts 7 1/2 x 17 1182732

The new steels are 7 1/2 x 17 EH2 6783330 176001 34/10

Hope that helps a bit.

Cheers, Bob.

Nice looking wheels, if you can get them to sit in the arches nicely, they'll look great, especially with the spinners.
Bob.

Nice looking wheels, if you can get them to sit in the arches nicely, they'll look great, especially with the spinners.
Bob.

Trial fitted the steel wheel today.

I'm happy with the appearance and the way it sits in the arches so these are what I'm going with. A mix of modern tyre sizes and traditional looks.
Next job is to start adapting the centre towers to fit with the spinners.

Cheers, Bob.

Thanks for your comments guys.
They do look very similar to VW T5 steels but are genuine BMW wheels, usually sold as winter wheels.

Cheers, Bob.

Thanks Andy, I've started on the towers for the spinners this morning.

Cheers, Bob.

Thanks garyh,

Like all my projects, I need a lot of help from good mechanics/painter etc. I have the ideas but not always the ability. It's nice to be able to use this one whilst it's progressing.

Cheers, Bob.

Hi all,

Just a little note to say that I'm pleased with the lower suspension but after a very short distance one of the rear s/abs top mounts, which looked fine at the time, has failed. I've had both sides replaced to be on the safe side and would suggest you consider this yourself if lowering.

cheers, Bob.

It's not been bottoming out so i assume it's a combination of firmer suspension and being pulled about when things were changed.
It's had genuine BMW replacement mounts fitted so hopefully it won't happen again.

I'm progressing with the wheels.

I've cut down the spinner towers and sleeved them inside and out to regain the strength. On the outside with a piece of alloy tube from a scrap light fitting and on the inside with guttering downpipe, and fixed with body panel glue.
The 5 large holes were opened out and will surround the wheel nuts but not interfere with them
The 5 smaller holes were drilled to line up with the small holes in the wheel. Short studs will be welded into the holes in the wheels and the towers will be held on with acorn nuts.
A bit of adjusting and some better paint and hopefully they'll look ok.
Cheers, Bob.




If anyone else wants towers to play about with. I should be able to get them for a reasonable price.

Hi Egdik,

The towers will be fixed by 5 small studs welded in the small holes originally in the wheels which line up with the 5 small holes I have drilled in the towers, these will have acorn nuts fitted.

The larger holes in the towers are there already but I have opened them out so they do not touch the fitting surface of the wheel nuts. I may put caps over the wheel nuts depending how it looks when finished.

Not quite sure what you are asking in the 3rd line but hopefully this answers it.-
The wheels are standard BMW 17" steels so locate properly on the lip of the suspension hub.
With the large holes in the tower opened up, they drop over the wheel nut mounting cones in the wheel and sit flat on the wheel face.
The exact fit of the mounting face of the tower against the surface of the wheel was then either through hours of careful planning or by good luck!

The details of the steering wheel are shown here.
http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5429

The wood rim will do for now but I'll eventually get one that's a bit bigger as it obscures the indicator lights in the dash and because it's a bit too shiny for my taste.
It will do for now though as it meant I could get the air bag and sensor removed as shown by WCA here
http://www.madabout-kitcars.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4917

Cheers, Bob.

While the reflectors are fine as they are for now, I don't like them so spent a little while today making some new ones that will be fitted in with the rear light space, extended slightly, not decided how yet, I'll offer them up when the glue has dried.
They are odd bits of old car reflector cut down to fit in Jaguar window winder surrounds. As I sell auto jumble for a living I get to keep all sorts of bits that look like they could be useful one day.

Cheers, Bob.

Feel free to get in touch. I can put you on to the chap that mine came from.

If you look at the pictures on page 8 of when Chris first did the car, it's on standard height suspension and there's plenty of room in the arch (too much for my taste which is why I had the lower coil overs fitted)

Not sure what sizes are available in 17" but mine are going to be standard front size all round. The original wheels and tyres were larger on the back but changing them will only upset the speedo reading by less than 1%.

These came the other day so hopefully the Campagnolo stickers will help the 'period alloy' look of the wheels.




Cheers, Bob.

Not much to report but things are still happening.

I dropped the wheels off today to have the studs welded in which holder the spinner towers.

I've bought a square number plate to offset at the front and from reading the DVLA site (if I've got it right) I have to have 11mm of plate around the numbers so it's been cut down. I'm currently making some brackets.


I've read that if the central locking stops on one door it most likely to be the wires broken as the come in near the hinge. I had an electrician out yesterday and of course it isn't that so I've ordered a new actuator, hopefully that will sort it.

Cheers, Bob.

'Very Andy' kindly altered one of his photoshop pictures to my colours and wheels. Lovely job and very like my plan.


Got round to finishing the brackets and mounting the new numberplate today.



Cheers, Bob.