dunc_sx

Hope everyone's keeping OK The engine and gearbox have now been completed (massive thanks to Dave) but collecting it is out of the question for now. In the mean time I've started work on the rear suspension, I've got the RH off the car and I've got a couple of studs to drill out there. The wheel bearing feels a bit rough so I'll replace them at the same time as - adjustable top links, new springs and dampers and fresh bushes.

Bit of an update: 1. Removed the rads this morning (was actually easier than I expected) - Rads wil be replaced with custom alloy ones. 2. Fitted the LH tank (RH was already done) Next job is to remove and replace the chassis pipes, also the fuel level sender terminals are melted so will replace this as well. Cheers, Dunc.

Hi Andy, No real update I'm afraid Engine rebuild has started though and shouldn't be too far away from being complete (I'm not doing it myself). I'll update as soon as I have some meaningful information! Dunc.

Thanks TAR, I'll fish out what I can

Just read my original post and I can update a bit from that. Hand brake cables replaced, gear stick with cables removed and inspected, interior stripped down further. RH tank fitted with new fuel pump and seal. I used an array of thin rubber squares I cut out from a sheet of rubber stuck to the bottom of the tank space. The thinking behind it was to have enough blocks to support the tank fully but leave loads of air space for ventilation and drainage if required. I used new rubber grommets for where the tank cross over pipes pass through the bodywork and with stainless steel rings. I've also discovered a small hairline crack in the chassis where the gear stick mechanism bolts in. I believe this is fairly common and I'll be looking to do a dye penchant crack test and drill the ends then weld. Although unfortunately the body is still on so it might be tricky for access. The aircon is removed with the exception of one pipe (front) and I'll be putting it on the corner weight scales to see what the damage is. I also made a little alloy blanking plate and fitted it where the air con pipes passed into the cabin. I've almost got the rad pack off but got side tracked! Once that's off I'll be removing and replacing all the pipes that pass through the chassis. Any tips on this are welcome Cheers, Dunc.

Hi Richard, Apologies for not being here to respond sooner but there's not been much to add to the thread from me. I assume you've allocated these elsewhere by now? A very generous offer, what a gent you are! Cheers, Dunc.

Looking for recommendations of suppliers for buying these parts in bulk to aid with my restoration. Nuts/bolts/washers/jubilee clips - Good quality parts Thanks in advance, Dunc.

Thanks and will do!

Cheers Bibs!

The angle grinder has been in common use, the smokey smelly grp isn't too nice though. Cheers for the assurance, glad I'm using a tried and tested method! Dunc.

Thanks everyone

Thanks for all the responses! Barry, thanks for the hints I'll consider that for the future but not for now - I'm super keen to at least get it on the road first :) Escape, adjustable cam sprockets are getting fitted and the air-con is getting removed as you said (these SE's aren't overly light!). I was going to ponder over the rad situation for the charge cooler once I had them out of the car but thanks for the pointers I wasn't aware of the sport 300 setup. Jacques, thanks for all the advice. On the oil coolers I was planning to replace oil lines through the chassis while the engine was out just to be safe, so that probably means the oil coolers as well as they were already leaking (and the lines are stuck solid). Oh and better seats would be nice in future, I agree a good seat makes all the difference in a car! Chillidoggy, thanks and I'll take a look - I've got lots to learn about these things but I've made a decent start at least. Small update is I made a start on the rad pack and all the bolts and screws have misbehaved so far, fun times ahead. Thanks, Dunc.

Hi guys, Yeah I've popped the engine/g'box and tanks out already. Engine and g'box to be rebuilt and the tanks replaced. I've added a photo in the thread here, cheers.

Hi, I've decided to start a restoration thread to keep track of things, keep the motivation up and hopefully will be of interest to a few others. Also might pick up a few much needed pointers along the way. The car in question is a '89 SE in the familiar 'Esprit challenge on the amiga' spec - Red with tan interior. This must be by far the most common spec/model? The cars history is it has originally been looked after well (receipts from all the well regarded garages) but it has been off the road for 10 years and hasn't turned over for approx 5 years. I'm fairly sure it was wiring issues that brought it to a halt related to the Clifford alarm install. The wiring is a shambles and I'm expecting this to be the most challenging part of the project. So I've been taking it apart and I'm planning to get it back together in better than ever condition. I'll be making improvements along the way but not straying too far from the original design. The focus is on creating a trustworthy vehicle not performance gains. So far I've removed the engine and box, most of the interior, the fuel tanks and done a few of the easy bits to get me started - * Originals wheels refurbished as a leak was getting annoying * Front brakes replaced with PNM 310mm 4-pot brake kit (rears still to do) * Turbo refurbished The engine and gearbox is booked in for a rebuild and will be using stand-alone management. Next jobs on the list are replacing the hand brake cables and fitting the new fuel tanks to get them out of the way. I've also got a new alloy balance pipe and fuel pump to go in. After that I'm tackling the oil coolers and rads. Not looking forward to that! The car before I started & the new tanks pics attached. Old tank weights: RH = 10.3KG, LH = 10.0Kg New tank weights: RH = 3.9Kg, LH = 3.7Kg Any comments/advice welcome and appreciated, I'm excited by the thought of the end product but it's a long long road first. Dunc.

New member so saying hello. I'm going to start a restoration thread to keep motivation up, share experiences and hopefully get a few pointers. It's a '89 SE I've got and it hasn't run in quite a while, I've got a big task ahead of me! Based in scotland by the way. Dunc.