Davecymru's Miglia build :)
Well after 10 hrs of driving, 2 bottles of Lucozade Sport, 2 Snickers, 1 bag of Haribo and a Sausage roll with Brown Sauce inside it! I'm home.
And so is the donor for my Miglia :D http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps33781a36.jpg It's a 1600 Vitesse. I'll post more details tomorrow, as i've been out of the house for 12 hrs now and i'm thoroughlly knackered and SWMBO has just opened me a Cider! Here we go again... :biggrin: |
Good Choice Dave , you wont be disappointed :wink:
Nice donor too, how is the chassis Dave ?? |
Dave - I look forward to seeing your new build progress. :cool:
Good luck, Paul. :) |
Welcome back Dave. I know you've been having a two year fling with your 'bit on the side' Lamboalike, but I knew in my heart that you'd return to your true love sooner or later.
With your previous Sammio build behind you it should be a quick build this time then... |
hi dave another miglia I am all most there mot this thurs fingers crossed .will post pic at w/e you will notbe disappointed with the miglia kit dave 2 rattler
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Cheers guys.
Now that I've had some sleep and not just sat in traffic jams all day, a bit more on my plans... The donor is a 1600 Vitesse and the biggest difference I've already noticed to last time is that i have _all_ of the parts and they're all plugged together!!! Also the donor had a brand new chassis fitted towards the end of the 80's and then a new engine fitted by Canleys in 2003 and was used regularly until 2007 when it was parked up "for a while" That currently looks like it may mean that the bits that i wanted to re-furb on my next build may actually already be done for me :) Then there is my bug list of to-do's based on my Sammio building and driving experiences. Those currently are:
So not wishing to mess around, i've made a start. Roof off, boot off, doors off, interior stripped: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps35bf8ecd.jpg Next will be bonnet off and dash strip. But first i want to figure out what half of the oddly marked buttons, knobs and random Lucas black toggle switches actually "do" :) http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps1d0a696a.jpg |
The first of the alcohol fueled e-bay purchases have arrived :)
Even though I'm planning on fitting a modern micro heat exchanger, I still wanted the controls to look right for the car and not just a std part from CBS. So after a good evening on Google and Ebay looking for something unique and period i now have these, originally from an Austim A50 i'm led to believe! http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps50f3895c.jpg The the other part that i always knew i wanted was chrome air vents and tbh i did have my heart set on Rolls Royce ones. But then i spotted this complete Bentley Continental dash which came with the organ-stop vent controls and some other bits-n-bobs that i may reuse, and i had to have it :) http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps1b90b66f.jpg yes... yes... i know i've yet to even order the kit from Mike, but that's not the point :) |
Whoo Hoo It Starts!!! :biggrin:
One of the big boo-boo's i made with the Sammio donor was not getting it running _before_ i started mucking about with it and that directly led to engine issues later in the build and also body positioning issues. So not wishing to make the same mistakes twice i tried to start the Vitesse the other day and everything was good but no spark :( One quick clean of the points and re-gapping them and it started first time last night and ran _real_ sweet! :high5: Also... it turns out that as well as having a new chassis at some point in the past and then a new Engine in 2003, it's also had new front calipers, new drums and a new fuel line and fuel pump fitted in 2003! and from a quick look underneath last night the Diff also looks brand new! So a lot of the parts that i was expecting to replace and had to replace on the Sammio have already been done :) The only bad thing so far is a fubbared radiator which looks well gunked up and leaks a bit. So after a lot of research of what other Vitesse and GT6 owners have done and based on my cooling experiences with the Countach I've opted for an Alloy rad and the one to go for seems to be an after-market Alloy Honda Civic Rad. So I've just ordered one of these from RaceSpec Performance: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps460f6be9.jpg With the 350x385x60mm core it will hold more volume of coolant than one of the Renault 5 GT Turbo rads on the Countach which should mean that the electric fan won't be cutting in as often and the switch from mechanical to electric should also address any over-cooling worries. A quick dig around the garage last night turned up far more electric fans than i care to remember buying and trying on the Countach :eusa_whistle: but should give me plenty of options! Out of interest, what size electric cooling fan have others opted for? |
Great news on the engine start. :cool:
I also love the Bentley dash & heater controls. Good luck, Paul. :) |
I have a feeling my fan was 14" but I'll measure it in the morning. I made a shroud for it out of sheet steel as that's what I had laying about in the garage -
http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...lion/002-9.jpg |
Thanks Towed. I've got a feeling that the largest I have is a 10" (phanaar)
BTW, is that a Civic rad u also went for? I would check your build thread but I'm on the tablet ATM and its being tempremental! Bit more progress last night, as its now in the garage, and I wasn't just imaging that the Countach was a monster in comparison as I now have _loads_ of room :-) http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps028278ba.jpg So in the words of Jonny 5 ..... "dissasamble" :biggrin1: (Kid's, ask your parents!) |
The one pictured is a standard Honda Civic radiator as fitted to all petrol models from the 1.4 to the V-Tech. I punched a hole in it with the steel bar I was shaping into the nose hoop, so I replaced it with a double width aluminium version imported from China via ebay, which fitted the shroud I'd fabricated.
Despite this I've had a bit of an issue with cooling at high speed. That could be down to my scoops creating pressure behind the radiator and stopping the airflow through it, or it's been suggested that aluminium isn't as thermally efficient as copper. To improve high speed cooling I've fitted a rear mounted MR2 radiator in series with the Honda one and added a BMW auxiliary electric pump to help circulate the coolant. I'll finish plumbing all that in today if I get the motor fully rebuilt. If I was building another I'd be using an uprated, copper cored Ford Escort RS2000 radiator as recommended by Phil J - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-ESCOR...item3a8b292ed5 Not cheap but he swears by them and has no cooling issues at all. He's also kept the engine driven fan btw, which works fine but will obviously sap a bit of power at higher revs. Good luck DC, I know the Lambo was your original dream car, but it's nice to see you back building something a bit more interesting and more likely to just work. |
Many thanks for that.
If you've only got problems at speed, that sounds like airflow to me? I did notice that your radiator shroud doesn't have any bypass flaps fitted? So when running slowly you're pulling all the air through with the fan fine and you know that is working fine, but when running at speed it's the air/wind rather than the fan that is doing the cooling and in that case your cowl is actually blocking quite a bit of your rad. I'd say one thing worth trying would be to add by-pass flaps such as these: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps59dd250e.jpg Just an idea :) My monstrous 60mm deep Civic rad turned up yesterday, so atm I'm hopeful that it'll do the job when on the move. And then based on knowledge gained from the Lambo experiences I just want to make sure that I've got a powerful enough fan to move the air at slower speeds. I've got a 10" Kenlowe laying around that is rated at just shy of 800 CFM which 'may' do the job? Hence my question to see what others have used. But jumping to 12" gives nearly 1300CFM, so a huge difference as i found on the Big Red Car! |
Thanks for the tip on the shroud bypass flaps, I might take a look at drilling some vent holes in the shroud if my rear radiator doesn't address the issue.
I also measured my fan today - it's a 12" one. |
Quote:
I watched your build thread get hijacked, but didn't spot an update. Good luck with the strip down, try not to get lost in all that garage space. :icon_wink: |
The Big Red Car is off to it's new home on Friday (all things going well!)
In the meantime the strip-down contiues and the e-bay'ing has begun. Despite saying "Collection only" and repeating that in the ad's it still amazes me how many people have contacted me asking how much to ship different bits! Hopefully get the tub off tonight and then the fun really begins :) |
Good News Dave :eyebrows:
Your back to spending on lots of nice parts i see. |
Shhh.... :eusa_shhh: i'm still not totally sure that SWMBO isn't subscribed to this thread. :madgrin:
That aside, the stripping continues apace and all of the bodywork is now off (and sold!) apart from the main tub and the bulkhead and those should be off this week. The weekend i managed to dismantle the Dashboard and extract all of the electrics off of the bulkhead, including heater, wipers etc. http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps2f65b483.jpg I also spent..... " a couple of quid" at the Bristol Classic Car Show on Sunday on a few bits-n-bobs including:
So as long as i get a few good nights this week i should be down to the chassis and starting to build a list of what needs to be done before the order goes in with Mike and i start putting it all back together :) I don't know why, but so-far this seems to be going quicker than last time getting to this stage? |
hi dave 2nd time around always is my car stuk in spray shop two day cutting back with 3000 w/d hope to post pic at w/e dave
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Tub off!
And i find a new exhaust as well as the immaculate chassis that i was hoping for!! http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps85884151.jpg Plus... What seems to be a new Diff!! http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps5e2a51cc.jpg |
Dave , that is a great start, wont take so long as before with such a strong donor. I always say pay a little more for a good vehicle , as your time and interest can be used for the more interesting bits of the build.:eusa_clap:
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And stop gloating with all your new shiny stuff :-)
Seriously though, looks like a good base car, so should be a sweet build. |
Cheers both, it does feel like i'm (excuse the pun) motoring through this a lot faster than previously. At least so far.
A good bit of progress over the past few days. Bulkhead off. http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps15b9dda0.jpg While the bulkhead on the Sammio was sound, i always regretted not taking it off, so i'm glad i _had_ to remove it for this build :) Rear end stripped as far as i'm stripping it as everything else seems to be new or recently refurbished! http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps1a641a4d.jpg Before i bought this donor i was expecting to have to strip and weld the chassis on whatever i ended up with and i was preparing to buy a soda blaster (i don't have that toy yet :) ) But now that I've seen the state of the chassis, all it needs is a wash, going over with a wire brush and then painting ! :) Then lastly, those of you who may have followed my Sammio build will know that i can't praise "Spitfire Graveyard" enough! My last donor came without clocks, with the wrong carbs, no throttle pedal and a load of other bits missing. The team at the Graveyard always made sure that i bought the _right_ bits and they also made sure that i bought everything that was needed, rather than what i thought was needed. So I've just used them to source the fuel tank, and while it will get a lick of paint tomorrow along with everything else, internally it's really good. But they also left the fuel filler on for me! i'm well chuffed :) http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps22f8f8ff.jpg So..... given the good condition of most of what i've got ( sorry Mark!) what i'm now thinking my plan of attack with this car is:
Then over time:
I'm now thinking that this may be a better approach for me as i did get bogged down with some unnecessary bits on the last build.. At least that's the plan for today! :) |
that looks a great start for you there Dave chassis running gear etc look fantastic. good look with the build looks like you have bought wisely.
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Cheers matey.
Despite saying that i was going to leave the rear of the chassis how it was, i decided to strip all of the rear end down anyway, as i'd only regret it if i didn't and i have a few weeks before the kit turns up. http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps0912711e.jpg So seeing as i'd been abandoned today (Cub fun day!) i had the garage to myself all day :) So 4 hours with a filament wheel (my new toy for this build and very nice it was!) and the chassis was stripped and cleaned from the front outriggers backwards. and i looked like i'd just come up out of the mines! Another regret on the last build was not using red oxide, so this time i invested in some etch red oxide! :) http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps116735ac.jpg That dried remarkably quickly in all of this heat! Which meant that i also then manged to get the chassis black on :) http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...psa68e2c23.jpg And before the totally knackered Cubs returned i even had time to sort out the petrol tank. http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps2e1a290f.jpg So a bit of a mammoth session that's been put me well in advance of where i thought i'd be by now and ended with a bottle of "Daddys apple Juice", or Henry Westerns finest 8.4% if i'm being totally honest! :) |
And the rear end is now reassembled thanks to the assistance of messers Rimmer, Canley, Fittchet, Paddock etc.
I've got for largely the same setup as on my old Sammio as i know it works "for me" and it also provides me with adjustment on the road. So I've gone for:
It also turns out that under the muck of the original donor, it already had Stainless brake hoses fitted!! So those have been cleaned and refitted along with new stainless locknuts throughout. I also stripped, checked and cleaned/repainted everything else and this time around it looks as though the rear brake components are good enough that i don't need to replace it all :) http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...psf92cee43.jpg Now to see if i can sort out the front end before the kit turns up :) |
That's all looking very clean DC. Good choice of donor.
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Another weekend with the sprogs away with Cubs, means another unexpected boost to the timelines!
So with the rear end done until the frame turns up, i turned my attention to the front. The engine was new only 11 years ago and it shows (ignoring the rocker cover!!), so I've no intention of removing it, but i want everything else off, cleaned and repainted. So after a few evenings, a long Saturday, 2 cans of WD40, 1/2 a dozen 1mm cutting discs and amazingly all of my skin still intact! the front suspension (and other assorted bits) are now off!! http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...psbc9cfc20.jpg And yes, i do seem to be collecting Triumph Heater Matrixes, or is that Matrices? anyway... Then came a few hrs with the fibrewheel to clean everything and it came up a treat! This is the passengers side stripped, the drivers side is already stripped and repainted and just about visible in the background. http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps40101050.jpg There were a few.... 'interesting' bits along the way and as-ever both sets of trunions will be completely rebuilt. I'm also replacing all of the bushes, which is a good thing given what i found on the bottom of the shocks! http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps978a959e.jpg What scares me most is that the previous owner really looked after the mechanicals of this car until it was taken off the road yet still things like this creep through all of the inspections! I also know he'll be reading this, so i thought this would be an interesting pic for him :) Good job I've got new shocks to go on! |
hi dave all looks good you will be finished before you know it number 3 on the road/bressuire g/p next year ? rattler
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hi dave I have a standered t/rad with 14 inch fan car runs at90 d even on a short circuit track but it is only 1200 cc .sat in it my big head is 50mm above the hump rattler
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Thanks Rattler, i'm hopefully going to get the front chassis painted over the next few days and the front suspension reassembled and then i'm onto cleaning and servicing the engine. At that point i'll start looking at my new radiator and my cooling system.
Looking at what Towed has recently been through, and also what i went through with the Countach, I've been revisiting my coolant volume calculations and from what i can see (in mm) the numbers are: Towed
Me
Obviously i know that it's not a solid space and final volume depends on the number of cores, differences in shape of the header tanks etc. Let alone the thermal differences in materials! But with these numbers as a starting point I'm happy to continue with the alloy option for now. What i also planning on doing is opting for the biggest single Kenlowe dual-speed fan i can get in order to get the best CFM airflow rate. Ref: http://www.kenlowe.co.uk/fans/specifiers/fans-cpc.html fun fun fun :) |
Gearbox off and i find... i've got the newer style clutch fitted:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps0f05f98a.jpg Which was a nice find :) With a bit of "gentle persuasion" that parted company with the flywheel and everything seems to look in good condition and easily cleanable :) What i don't know - so i thought i'd ask - is a clutch plate "cleanable-n-reusable" if the friction material is all there? Or do you just replace it rather than risk it? I think I've answered my own question there haven't i! |
I'd buy a friction plate and release bearing while you have it off...........which is multi-tasking.
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Also check the pressure plate springs for signs of fatigue and the friction surface for wear, you can generally tell the condition of a clutch from the amount of friction liner left.
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ISTR the clutch has done less than 2000 miles and the release was changed at the same time.
Looks as if all is going well :) Brian |
Brilliant, thanks Brian :)
Despite me saying that the engine was staying in and staying in one piece, i have two weeks until the kit turns up and with the Sammio there were a few jobs that I'd wished I'd done more-thoroughly,so..... Engine lifted. Manifolds off, dynamo off, fan off, steering rack off, front brake pipe off etc... Front chassis de-greased and fibre-wheel'd Etch-Red-Oxide applied: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps46ce02b6.jpg Then when that dried, Chassis Black applied: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps4f03ba36.jpg So that is now the whole chassis done, apart from the inner rails at the front which face the engine as after the grease was stripped off of those, they were mint! :) gawd-bless the Triumph rust protection scheme i.e. cover it all in oil-n-grease! Exhaust manifold fibre-wheel'd and painted in VHT. Steering rack stripped down, cleaned, painted, new gaiters fitted and new track rod ends fitted http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps954d7449.jpg and while i'm waiting for the new gearbox and engine mounts to turn up i've also started de-greasing and cleaning the inlet manifold and gearbox: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps6a199b66.jpg I should gain a fair bit of weight saving simply due to removing pounds of crud from inside the bell housing! :) So "Fingers Crossed" this will be the last of the stripping and cleaning and i'll soon be on to the build/rebuild :) |
Dave - This is all coming together very nicely. :cool:
Good luck, Paul. :) |
Stripping and cleaning all those parts is a wise move Dave as it easier now than it would of been once fully built plus you see what condition the parts are in.
The chassis look great, look forward to the rest of the build. |
Just before 8am this morning I was greeted with "Hi I've got your kit for you" :D
Apologies to John for me only being semi-conscious while helping him unload! But it's the day after we came back from holiday and i wasn't expecting you until 8.30 so my alarm was set for 8.15! :) But waffle aside i have now taken delivery of:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps135ca663.jpg :D with a few other bits-n-bobs to follow:
and i'm still dithering about getting a fiberglass bulkhead from Mike or making one, as TBH after looking at the frame this morning it doesn't look like brain surgery!! So progress this morning.... frame fitted: http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps311563b3.jpg Just kidding, it's just resting in place :) Now i'm of for a bit of a tinkering session and to give everything the once over and i'll add a few more pics later on. That said, just from looking at the molding of the wind deflector strip compared to my old Sammio one, i can see that things have moved on quite a bit in terms of quality!! :D |
Dave - I always say the quality of the Miglia is miles better than the original Cordite. :cool:
The fact the gel coat is so shiny is also a good sign. Good luck, Paul. :) |
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