It started with a broken number plate.......

[AllanI]

Four weeks ago I decided to do something about the broken rear number plate on my '89 SE.  Closer inspection revealed that the spare wheel had dropped because the bracket had sagged. Well you who have had this happen will know that the bracket is not very strong and the weld had broken and it had pulled out of the chassis. So to investigate the broken chassis bracket out came the bootbox. Then the fuel tank. The bracket cannot be easily welded because the body goes underneath it. Decision taken to remove the bracket remains and run without a spare. With the tank out the rear chassis, suspension and axle were revealed in all their tattyness. I dismantled the rear suspension including the 4 radius rods , panhard rod and the spring/damper units. Suspension components and the chassis members were derusted, coated and painted. The axle was derusted and painted in situ. The old bushes were removed by the hacksaw through the outer sleeve method. New metalastic bushes from Westfield were fitted with the use of M12 Allthread and suitable sockets and spacers. New dampers and springs ordered via Damperman, great service from Spax. New nyloc nuts and BZP washers were used throughout. Everything reassembled and loaded up with water containers to set the ride height. Luckily the spare wheel recess hadn't been too badly rubbed by the tyre and rubbing compound and elbow grease have restored the shine to an acceptable level. So with the rear done it would make sense to do the front wouldn't it. So more metalastic bushes ordered front end in the air, nose cone off. More of the same replacing the wishbone bushes and also replaced the bottom ball joints which in this cars case are the 4 bolt Cortina ones. The top ball joints were good. New rack mounts from Retro Bolt on eBay. All painted and reassembled , ride height set and while I was at it an oil and filter change as well. All that remains is for next month to come round and I'll tax it again. None of the work was particularly difficult but I have used muscles that haven't been used spannering for a good while. I hope and expect the ride to be much improved over what it was as the evidence is that the bushes and dampers were the thirty year old originals.

[Murraymint]

Sounds like you made some good progress, maybe the broken number plate paid off...

[Rab (bombero) Reid]

Oh thank goodness I'm not the only one! Similarly, 4 weeks ago I decided to flush my cooling system as it hadn't been changed in about 4 years and was looking a little rusty, so I thought that a 'good seeing to' would be in order. So, off came the radiator and out came the thermostat, then I thought that I'd pop off the dash and remove the heater matrix .. that was a job 😵 and forward/backed flushed the parts. I then decided to 'upgrade' a teeny bit and rivnut the matrix brackets for ease should there be a next time (my knuckles and aching aging body will thank me one day!!). While the dash was off, I thought that I'd get around to adding the Summit Technologies goodies (BEC, Venom) that I'd bought to complement my Raptor, that had been sitting on the shelf the past year, and also then I thought some general tidying up of the wiring ould be 'fun'...

 

Umm, how did I get to the point where I have reels of wires, terminals, soldering iron, etc lying about the garage floor ... ... oh yeah, I was changing my coolant! 🙄😄

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Tell me about it! Scope creep is a terrible thing!!