Classic Suffix A and CSK Restoration

Got the driver's side sill in mounted up today.. what a ball ache cutting and grinding down the old sill panel joins. getting the inner and out sill in and mounted did test my patience today doing it on my jack jones.. swore so loudly someone came in from the unit next door.

Been a bit of fiddly week so far.

On the CSK got the rear passenger floor area sides cut out, cut and drilled new metal to weld in, cut out the worst A pillar, the drivers side, it was corroded up to the lower door mounts, so that is going to take some skilfull fabbing to rebuild that.

In the meantime on the suffix A chassis, got the track rod arm out, the panhard arm bolts were corroded to the rubber mount sleeves, burned the rubber out and hammered the sleeves out, new ball joints all round. 44 years of muck and corrosion needed a lot of heat, release oil, more heat and large stillsons and a large vice to turn the old joints out.

In the meantime the replacement clutch slave had too small mounting holes in it, spoke with paddocks, who confirmed it was the right one, but smaller bolts would then mean the bolts wont ount into the gearbox casing. drilled the holes out. all fits now. hopefully will get the body back on the chassis next week. In the P38 boot are the pistons and the cylinder heads for Ant.

Picked up the pistons and heads from Adam yesterday, and whilst there gave him a hand in mating the body and chassis.....

With a wiggle and a jiggle, all the mounting points lined up and on she went. A great result for Adam and also his fabrication skills, as two of the under bonnet bulkhead mounts had to be remade and put back, al whilst the body was off the chassis, so measurements were critical....but they lined up, perfectly.

A bit of a jiggle is needed to get them all to line up and bolts drop in, but a massive success.....

Now I have the new pistons etc, I can commence putting the enigne all back together....

Sorry for the grainy appearance, it was getting dark when the photos were taken....

Thanks Ant. Really appreciated your help in getting it back on. three people makes it easier.. one on the forklift and one at either end checking the line up. started to tighten up the mount bolts but it got to needing torchlight. in hospital today so recovering at home

I can't get over how much you have done so far you are putting me to shame, I'm going to have to get on with things. Just to say it's looking really good, keep going and keep putting the posts up.

Just read this thread from start to finish.

And it's amazing..

What happened to them and the LSE.

Epic thread revival

Just curious

Henry_b said:

Just read this thread from start to finish.

And it's amazing..

What happened to them and the LSE.

Epic thread revival

Just curious

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I've got a feeling he sold one of them at one stage. Other than that he seems to have a garage full of desirables. A good job @tomcat59alan doesn't know the exact location otherwise his scousing genes would come to the fore!

Kids......Thats what happened.

Adam and his other half welcomed a baby girl part way through the rebuild, and so has had to be paused....and my job changed and I no longer had access to the workshop where I had the engine. The engine is wrapped up in my garage while I carried on slowly at home.

Vid here:

Saint.V8 said:

Adam and his other half welcomed a baby girl part way through the rebuild, and so has had to be paused....and my job changed and I no longer had access to the workshop where I had the engine. The engine is wrapped up in my garage while I carried on slowly at home.

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The only question is who is going to finish first? You or @tomcat59alan endless refurb?!

Ive been reading this thread, on and off, from the start and only understand half of it. However, what I really want to know is, when did Adam join the SAS.? Whats with the blanked out pics? Is the real reason the build stopped because he's on a deep cover secret Op?

gold rover said:

when did Adam join the SAS?

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Specialist Rebuild Service: Who spends, wins.

gold rover said:

Ive been reading this thread, on and off, from the start and only understand half of it. However, what I really want to know is, when did Adam join the SAS.? Whats with the blanked out pics? Is the real reason the build stopped because he's on a deep cover secret Op?

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funny you say that, I was out in the middle east on a contract for a defence company for a year, then as Ant said, we had a little one, now 18months old. then we moved house almost a year ago, the single garage has been prepped to get one in at a time .. just to start work again.. but every time I get the garage close to being able to do something in.. it gets stuff in it again. An oak furniture land near us closed down a couple of weeks ago, and got steal on an oak kingsize bed the day before they closed.. that's currently in the garage and will go into the bedroom after I paint it.. its the only room left to paint.

I have the doors from the suffix A in there which need to be stripped down. ive been collecting parts for them. which are in storage. and don't you know it.. the P38 ball joints need doing soon ! i'd like to start getting them back together and will hopefully have the garage cleared soon.

I had to sell the LSE as space was an issue when we moved and the 1990 Vogue SE was sold late last year.. gutted about that.

Ant has a new little one too, so he needs some headspace to enjoy the new little one too, as well as the pleasures of L322, P38 ownership.

its going.. but slow !

ukadamwest said:

funny you say that, I was out in the middle east on a contract for a defence company for a year, then as Ant said, we had a little one, now 18months old. then we moved house almost a year ago, the single garage has been prepped to get one in at a time .. just to start work again.. but every time I get the garage close to being able to do something in.. it gets stuff in it again. An oak furniture land near us closed down a couple of weeks ago, and got steal on an oak kingsize bed the day before they closed.. that's currently in the garage and will go into the bedroom after I paint it.. its the only room left to paint.

I have the doors from the suffix A in there which need to be stripped down. ive been collecting parts for them. which are in storage. and don't you know it.. the P38 ball joints need doing soon ! i'd like to start getting them back together and will hopefully have the garage cleared soon.

I had to sell the LSE as space was an issue when we moved and the 1990 Vogue SE was sold late last year.. gutted about that.

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Didn't know Scandinavian Airways did contracts in the Middle East for defence companies.

someone needs to serve the drinks and peanuts !

ukadamwest said:

someone needs to serve the drinks and peanuts !

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True. Just make sure it's soft drinks.

It is in a coke can but those arabs drink like fish!

gold rover said:

True. Just make sure it's soft drinks.

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Grrrrrr said:

It is in a coke can but those arabs drink like fish!

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Sure do.

Cracking thread guys! Me and Dad are about to start a bit of a restoration on my 82 2 door, it won't be 100% concours as has already had a replacement engine at some, but apart from that it will be a solid use able rangie! I've got all the new panels (basically all the usual, sills inner and outer, rear arches, rear body x member, body mounts, bulkhead footwells) the front inner wings can be patched... We have the shell stripped of all the outside panels so ready to go soon! I've also bought a 4 barrel weber, new tappets and cam and chain, and electric dizzy! This thread has been great inspiration, especially seeing the new paint on the bulkhead! Good luck with finishing it and hopefully I'll start my own build thread soon!

Thanks.

When the L322 gets on the driveway I'll pull the front of the P38 engine and get that sorted. then hopefully I'll get restarted on the two classics in a couple of months I think one will fit in the garage but will be tight. Then start again.

You still need to obtain an early eighties RRC and retake that VSE you had, that was a smart motor...

Ooh and a VM Diesel one, rare as hens teeth now!

And of course a Softdash and maybe an LSE