1970 UK RHD 911 2.2S - Diary

[squirejo]

Sunny!

[squirejo]

A couple of false starts (literally and figuratively) meant that the S had not been out and about as much as I had hoped so far this summer. That all changed this weekend. Sadly not one of the CLM crew, but a road trip London -> Norfolk -> Silverstone GP -> London taking in country roads, a 40th birthday and of course the Grand Prix. 400 miles clicked off in style and comfort.

I love the way you can have fun at sensible speeds, and still have enough poke to make 'due progress' along a flowing road.

The car was faultless in all weathers.

I don't own it or drive it to seek the plaudits of others, but, it's nice to be reminded how fond the puiblic are. Perhaps the best are of an enthusiast kind - cue the chap who owns Turweston Airfield who came running over to chat on our return from the GP. "I have to say thankyou for gracing our airfield with your fine motor car. By far the best in our little paddock, and my apologies for the surface - it will be tarmaced next year. I had and crashed 3 of these back in the day and each time was told it was 'driver error' so in the end I thought I had better get some advice, so I called up my mate Dickie Attwood who showed me a thing or two. We went for a drive and he told me I was doing it all wrong, I should have been accelerating through the corner, not braking"

Quite so.

The open road:


Norfolk hostelry


Random gatehouse at a normal T junction


The car's the star:


Better at this than football or tennis

[squirejo]

Another great weekend of weather and driving, Cotswolds and London ending in a much needed car wash. Strangely enjoyable to do it yourself- normally don't have the time! The car looks bloody lovely when it's clean.

[myatt1972]

I suspect it looks bloody lovely when its dirty to

[squirejo]

And that was the last time I drove the car.

This would be alright if it was a knife sharpener, perhaps less so as a key engine component






You might well ask 'what happened' and the answer is- dunno. And we never will know what it was in the engines short life since the original rebuild and 500 miles since its last service at the careful hands of the Canford crew but sometimes shite happens.

Looked at optimistically, this is an opportunity to start afresh. A variety of expert eyes have looked at the car in detail and the expected but reassuring news is that it is a cracking example and so my view is simply that the engine should also be of the highest quality. Which (and I think Mike might agree) means a job for Neil Bainbridge.

The brief is to make it perfect so that means lots of stuff in the skip, removal of oil fed chain tensioners, and anything else non standard and a big bill.

The rebuild has now begun and it should all be back with me in 6-8 weeks ready for the Rite of Spring.

And I can't bloody wait. Darren is so worried it'll finally be on form for a Cotswolds grudge match he is hurrying up the Mongrel build.......

[yoda]

Great write up, sorry to hear about he engine. Hopefully it will all come good in the end.

[Darren65]

Darren is so worried it'll finally be on form for a Cotswolds grudge match......

....oh goody....does that mean I'm now allowed to use full throttle!



Looking forward to hearing the car when finished, it'll be perfect through to the core!

[inaglasshouse]

Ouch! Sorry to hear.
I saw your car at the end of last summer, up at Neil's place. It is indeed lovely. I'm sure the engine is in good hands.
Give me a shout when it's back, if you fancy a run out to leafy Surrey. I would love to see it again as inspiration for my ongoing 2.2S resto.

Cheers, Richard.

[squirejo]

No problem. I am very much hoping to be out and about a lot more in 2015, come Spring, and Surrey is hardly far away for me. The rebuild is progressing well and measured in weeks rather than months til completion. In fact i shall just email them for an update. I am really looking forward to some renewed zing!

[squirejo]

The engine went bang on the 13th July last year. Is it a bad omen to collect it on Friday 13th March?

I will be poorer in cash and richer in soul with it back to perfect original, rude health, thanks to Neil Bainbridge.

Can't bloody wait, even if it will be a dull, dark and wet motorway journey home.

[squirejo]

A very good day.

Oct 2013- bought car
Jul 2014 - something's wrong. Turns out quite a lot.
17April 2015- back on the road

This tells a sorry story really doesn't it.


Well today has been a very good day. We are back on the road.

The engine has been completely rebuilt. 100 miles under the wheels from Neil Bainbridge to London. Terrificly smooth rev-tastic. On Sunday a trip to West Sussex and back beckons. Photos and more interesting adventures to follow!

Here's a brief list of the work

Full engine rebuild:
Strip and diagnose
Lots of bits throw in the bin
Cases cleaned and re chromated (they appear never to have been chromated first time so was some corrosion- will check that in the paperwork)
Everything rebuilt
New oil pump
Delete hydraulic cam tensioners
Replace cam covers with original spec
Dyno run it and 'tune'
Full power runs

Gearbox:
Quaiffe diff removed and fixed (it was essentially too tight and pretty much locked all the time).
This led to the drive shafts clonking hard in the swing arm bearings. The result being the hole became ovaloid one side, so arm needed machining to accept oversized Porsche bearing.
Brake fluid change
New fuel pump
Still on the "to do" list- please find me the parts!
1)engine shroud is a repro item
2)toe links are turbo items.

Rude health


Bill? £18,000.
Best go for a drive and forget about it......

[hot66]

Ouch !

Good to hear it's ready to give you a summer of fun now though

[squirejo]

Best go for a drive and forget about it........Well this is a bit more bloody like it



Miles. Some fast, some slow, all fun.

Today I went to West Sussex and back to attend the Goodwood Road Racing Club Detailing Day. Basically some blokes learning about car washing, but learn I did all about clay bars, different treatments (better than wax these days) and simple stuff like Rainex type products for the glass which seem a no brainier on a classic car with classic wipers.

[hot66]

Been using rainex for years on my 2.4S , fantastic stuff

[squirejo]

Favourite restaurant, favourite car.