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WIP- Past to Present
Thought it was time i got mine banged up in the Projects section as i doubt it will ever be 100% finished,Lol.
Anyways.
Bought the car in June 2005, back then it was std apart from Koni suspension, delocked doors, smoothed wings, and the SR steelies.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/2.jpg
Got busy cleaning her and back to blacking the bumpers:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/5.jpg
Also shoved the obligatory K&N on:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/6.jpg
Then i remembered that i had a set of 16" Masitaly rims lying about in my shed(off my old mk3 astra), they looked quite well-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/7.jpg
But being 7J width and a low offset they stuck out from the front arches, and wouldn't fit the rear at all, not without mods, and i didn't want to do that:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/8.jpg
So that was that idea gone.
July 05-I soon got tired of having to polish the bumpers about every week to keep them black so decided spray them matt black, also did the boot grab handle, came out quite well
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P%20pics/9.jpg
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Aug 05-Having recently sold the masitaly wheels by this point i put that cash towards a nice set of well fitting 15s, when i spotted a set of Vauxhall Cav cesaro wheels(best vaux wheels imo) for sale on Mig, so i snapped them on, and got them fitted:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...11-Cesaros.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/12.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/13.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/14.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/16.jpg
With it getting more towards Winter i bought a full set of GM mudflaps to prevent stone chips etc, look quite well
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...s/18-flaps.jpg
The car then stayed like this for about 2months,Lol, till i spotted a nice ashley exhaust system on the bay, and a cheap 4-1 manifold.
They soon arrived and were painted up, the 4-1 was then fitted with a heated lambda sensor:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...19-4branch.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8.../20-Ashley.jpg
But being for a mk1 bumper, the backbox hangs slightly too low for a mk2, oh well
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...leyfitted-.jpg
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Jan 06-
By now the front brakes were quite worn and needed replacing, so i took this oppourtunity to get some 2L 16v stuff.
The calipers were cleaned and hammerited Silver:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...2-2Lbrakes.jpg
And then fitted right on, much better :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...akesfitted.jpg
Whilst the weather was quite cold(Feb 06) i picked up a gsi rear spoiler, off Will on here iirc. That was sanded down, primed and sprayed with cans, and then G3'd, the finish was quite good for rattle cans:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...lersprayed.jpg
Using Nicks guide i then had the job of drilling 8 holes in my boot lid, turned out to be easier that i first thought, once i found metal drill bit to use and not a wood one,Lmao.
So that went on:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...ilerfitted.jpg
March 06-A trip to the scrappy saw a set of rear headrests fitted:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...rheadrests.jpg
I also bought a set of gsi 6dial clocks and Sri clocks, to make a gsi/sri hybrid(white dials, but oil/batt guages too) Like so
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...iGsiclocks.jpg
March 06-Saw a front OMP brace for sale right here on Novaload, so snapped that up and fitted it, needed a few mods to miss a few engine sensors(with it being for a SR model, but went on fine)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...Strutbrace.jpg
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April 06-By now i was getting a bit bored with matt black, so a gsi front bumper was found, i couldn't decide whether keep it white, but i finally decided on Grey, looks better imo:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...8-Gsifront.jpg
Rear bumper was removed, and sprayed with filler primer to fill the "blobs"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...Primedrear.jpg
After many nights of spraying and laquering, they were finally ready
Grab handle got the spraying grey treatment too.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...Rearfitted.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...rontfitted.jpg
So went for a mini photoshoot,Lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/35.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/34.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...cs/33-FenC.jpg
Got home, and asked for a few opinions and decided it was lacking something, thats it! Grey door handles to break up the white, sorted.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/37.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/36.jpg
Fuel cap was also replaced with a black one after i snapped the key in the old one,Lol.
This month also saw me sell my Fearless rear chrome brace, which i now regret.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...-Rearstrut.jpg
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May 06-Fancied fitting a single wiper, and luckily saw one for sale on here, off Tiiiiiimmy i think it was.
After spending quite a bit setting the linkage, it was on:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...iper-May06.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/39.jpg
By now i got slightly bored of analogue dash dials, so decided find a digidash, thought i'd got a bargain but it turned out the main halogen bulbs had blown, so that was a tenner i hadn't accounted for. Was worth it tho:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...ash-June06.jpg
June 06-Planned on fitting a set of clear rear clusters, and found a set on ebay, but the top lense was cracked, but i bought them anyway.
Test fit, didn't really like them personally
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...-Clearrear.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/42.jpg
So instead i got another set of std GM rear lights from Andy Bishop, and after many hours of cutting, heat gunning, tigersealing, cleaning, these babies were born :D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...ustomrears.jpg
And soon fitted
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...tomsfitted.jpg
Much better than clears.
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July 06-By now i'd had 1.2i power for over a year, the gearbox had started to whine( i later found out why,Lol)
So a quick trip along the A50 to fetch a F15CR gearbox that I spotted on Corsasport, a bargain at ?15
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...F15-July06.jpg
The original plan was to fit the box to the 1.2i, but i thought Meh, swap the whole engine, the same night i spotted a 1.4sr engine for sale, no g/box, but with my newly aquired f15, that didn't matter
So the engine was bought from John(g88 kag on here, chees mate)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...e-August06.jpg
I then decided to run it on SPI, not carb, so off came the Weber 32/34DTML, and that got sold on http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...-Weberdtml.jpg
As did the 4-1 manifold that came on the engine(i already had one)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...s/48-4bran.jpg
So that saw me with almost my money back on what the engine cost,Lol.
Aug 06-Engine conversion started, my first ever,Lol.
Old 1200 coming out
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/55.jpg
Car looking sorry for itself with an empty bay ready for cleaning up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...56-Allgone.jpg
Got the F15 bolted up to the new 1400 engine
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8.../57-Neweng.jpg
and got that plonked in
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...pics/58-In.jpg
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Not really wanting swap the engine to gain about 5bhp on my old 1200, i fitted a few "tweaks" to the 1.4 engine.
A c14se cylinder head was found at a local scrappy, and painted up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...headrocker.jpg
A 1.3Sr carb inlet then had the ports modded to match the head:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...d1300inlet.jpg
So the original 1400 head was removed, and the head gasket changed, then the new head fitted:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...9-ChangeHg.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...60-Newhead.jpg
At this point i noticed my old F10 g/box from the 1200 had hardly any oil in it, hence the whining,Lol. And the waterpump had nearly seized solid. Luckily it held out until the new engine got fitted.
A quick strip down of the 1200 engine, a few of the coolant/oil passages looked blocked
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...eoldengine.jpg
So it was given to the local scrap man,Lol.
Sept 06-Fitted a universal K&N type filter, as the old one was damaged:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...ewKN-Oct06.jpg
Dont really like the look of it, but it does the job,Lol.
With the inlet slightly leaking air(think maybe cracked somewhere) I picked up a rare mk1 astra 1300s inlet off ebay(which has longer runs and a much better inlet hole)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...s/67-Dec06.jpg
It was then modded and sprayed satin black, and fitted with a new 1.8SPI throttle body.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/69.jpg
Oct 06-The car went to a Rolling road day at Mikeanics in Congleton, where it made 84bhp, not bad, up from 59bhp as std.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...667-Oct-RR.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...78-RRwheel.jpg
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Dec 06-By now i wanted more power, and just as it happens i spotted a Kent AST2 cam for sale, so i had it;
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...71-AST2cam.jpg
Also got a C14se rocker cover, looks nice and curvy,Lol.
Sanded that down, primed it, and its now Satin black:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...0pics/68-1.jpg
Kept the cam for a bit until i found some t40 carbs to use with it, i wasn't having much luck tho, so i bought some other bits
A set of half smoked rears, which look cool, but are fooked as one of the mounting posts is broken off, : (
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...Halfsmoked.jpg
So they just sit on my desk,Lol.
Jan 07-Having survived another winter, my cesaro's were looking a bit tired, but having no other wheels to fit whilst refurbing them i bought another set, cheers to John again.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...Newcesaros.jpg
They are currently mid refurb and need finishing.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/73.jpg
I was recently considering selling the kent cam, but luckily i found a set of Twin 40 weber dcoe's, that looked tired, but in working condition, they soon arrived:
Not looking too well
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...%20pics/75.jpg
But a wire brush and splash of petrol works wonders
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...40scleaned.jpg
Much better.
They are currently waiting to be fitted, but i have a slightly problem with a cathedral inlet(my head ports are round) so the inlet needs changing/modding:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...7-T40inlet.jpg
And that pretty much brings you up to date, got a few things planned.
Both bumpers need respraying, and i want the rear grab handle completely smoothing.
The carbs need fitting as does the cam and satin rocker cover.
I also have a runabout car, so the rear will now be stripped on the nova, floor sprayed etc.
And the cesaro's need finishing, dont know whether decide hurricane grey(same as bumpers) or White tho, few photoshops:-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...chop-Black.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...hop3-White.jpg
Thanks for reading
