1972 ST Clone

[KS]

Micro Update.
What is one hole amongst friends ( KS and Thomas? ) I may get my assistant to post a really interesting picture when he wakes up from his afternoon nap.

'Micro update' just about sums up Bootsy...

Awaiting Bootsy's erudite response.

And I await your assistant's 'really interesting' picture of Bootsy.

[inaglasshouse]

Holes. Two of them.

[BILLY BEAN]

Holes. Two of them.

My assistant has ended his post lunch nap and managed to post one of my informative pictures. The boots belong to Vince and Nick. I wear shoes so not suitable to be photographed in a workshop environment. Please note HSE. As can be seen this is what happens to copper pipe when using bolts too long for the job in hand. Let this be a lesson to you all.

[stretch]

Good to hear your sorted Kirk.
Look forward to an ST meet when were allowed out.

[keith fellowes]

I thought Friday 13th was an old wives tale, obviously some truth in it!
Glad you have got it sorted, big relief

[BILLY BEAN]

Good to hear your sorted Kirk.
Look forward to an ST meet when were allowed out.

Thanks Dave. I am looking forward to a drive too.

[BILLY BEAN]

I thought Friday 13th was an old wives tale, obviously some truth in it!
Glad you have got it sorted, big relief

Clearly, my Friday 13th skepticism has been severely diminished. Thanks Keith yes it was a relief.

[Jonny Hart]

I sympathise regarding the fuel leak. I did exactly the same with the install of an under seat amplifier. It needed a single self tapping screw to hold a volume adjuster...best place was on the side of the tunnel, or not as it turned out! It was the very last thing to do on the car. Full tank too.

My clean up operation consisted of jacking the rear of the car up and flushing the tunnel through with panel wipe from the rear tunnel access cover. Various sticks with cloths on the end to poke down there.

You will get rid of the smell but it will take a while.

[BILLY BEAN]

I sympathise regarding the fuel leak. I did exactly the same with the install of an under seat amplifier. It needed a single self tapping screw to hold a volume adjuster...best place was on the side of the tunnel, or not as it turned out! It was the very last thing to do on the car. Full tank too.

My clean up operation consisted of jacking the rear of the car up and flushing the tunnel through with panel wipe from the rear tunnel access cover. Various sticks with cloths on the end to poke down there.

You will get rid of the smell but it will take a while.

Jonny,
Thanks for the sympathy. Smell already gone. The use of a steam cleaner on carpets, rubber floor mats and down the tunnel did the trick.

[BILLY BEAN]

The Car that Just Keeps on Giving.
If anyone has read this thread all through they will appreciate that the build has put up a fight with things 'not quite going to plan'. This is a euphemism of course. F*ck ups, let downs, bad luck and stupid decisions all played their part.
So last Thursday in temperatures of around 5 degrees and precipitation of the biblical kind ( no frogs though) I drove the ST 97 miles to Gary Cook. Reason? Not happy with the handling of the car. Very vague steering dead ahead and a few degrees left and right. Steering also had a tendency to pull to the left and understeer was in evidence. I was not confident in 'pressing on'. And this car is about 'pressing on'.
The first diagnosis for the vagueness was too much toe out. A bit of measuring proved this to be the case. However, I had already decided to replace the front struts. The struts came with the car and had raised spindles and and a strengthening collar half way up the strut. This suggests the strut had been cut and shut at some point. These modifications were done when the car was in South Africa and I had my doubts about the accuracy of the work when the struts were put back on the car. (Spoiler alert. Struts were the innocent party). Were the spindles both at the same height and angle? New struts fitted and rear spring plate angles and ride height checked side to side. All in tolerance (5mm difference). Take the car for a drive. Re check rear ride height and find an 18mm difference side to side. Suspect 'soft' rear torsion bar. Replace torsion bars. Result? No difference. Now starting to suspect shell is twisted although it was built on a jig and I had checked everything was lined up properly with the jig brackets.
The front torsion bars were pulled. Both showed some pitting which I was not aware of. However, of more significance was that one front torsion bar was the wrong way around! Refitted correct way around, ride height set front and rear and BINGO no more pulling to the left on the steering. Suspension will now be corner weighted again and geo set.
Gary had never seen a torsion bar fitted the wrong way around before and had no idea it would have such a dramatic impact on the rear of the car. You live and learn. An expensive live and learn in my case. BUT very relieved at the same time. I have to admire Gary and his mate Giulio for their tenacity and their determination to find the issue. Gary also sorted the door locks so I could use one key for the car and replaced the oil level sender which had given up the ghost. ( More giving by the car).
Despite the recent issues the car is still a thrilling and interesting prospect.
Back to the journey to Gary. I thought I was a 'man' and not having heat in the car would be tolerable. Obviously, I have got soft living in the South East for so long. Cold ears, nose, very cold hands and feet. Too late to install heat in the car now. Dave O'Connor helpfully suggested that I warm my hands on the heated windscreen. It does a great job of keeping nice clear forward vision but as a hand warmer totally useless.
And finally. I picked up my 993 to journey back from Oxfordshire to the West Midlands. Lovely and warm, comfortable and quiet unlike the raw ST. If I ever find out who convinced me to build an ST I will remove his private parts.

[Lightweight_911]

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Thanks for another amusing update !

All of these 'niggles' will just make the final fault-free car that much more enjoyable to drive ...

.

[BILLY BEAN]

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Thanks for another amusing update !

All of these 'niggles' will just make the final fault-free car that much more enjoyable to drive ...

.

Thanks Andy. I already enjoy driving the car. Hopefully when finally set up I will enjoy it even more.
Regards,
Kirk

[yoda]

You'll forget about the heating once we hit spring and you can feel the 10kg of weight you saved every time you nail it!

I realised a while back I am not that hard or manly!

[BILLY BEAN]

You'll forget about the heating once we hit spring and you can feel the 10kg of weight you saved every time you nail it!

I realised a while back I am not that hard or manly!

Yes the heating will hopefully be a distant memory when the weather improves. To save 10kg I could have eaten less.

[stretch]

Glad it's all sorted Kirk. If you ever find that twat.... Let me have his address too.