Had this car since i was 21 years old (owned 7 years) doesn't seem like it, anyway after putting it off for a long time I decided to start pulling it to bits, the bodywork is excellent apart from a tiny spot of rust on the bootlid, but i have sourced a replacement as you can see in the pics.

Anyway it used to look like this



Then more of this kept happening and it was smoking 40 a day.......


So i decided to cram it in my massive garage and get on with the house for a while


Then i actually got 5 mins to start pulling bits off this week so here's how i've got on



The head is ready to come off bar draining the coolant system and taking off a couple of hoses, just need to get a hand to get it off which i'm trying to arrange at the moment. Did aim to get more photos as i went along but i had camera trouble but that's all sorted now. I've bought more bits for it than I can remember, I think I've lost half of them........

 

Good luck ,how far are you going with it

 

good luck & what twins said....?

 

Don't know exactly yet, first time i've stripped a car like this down!
I was just going to do the front end basically, take the engine out, replace the suspension and brakes which I bought ages ago but haven't got round to fitting, then i want to replace the fuel lines etc, so i'll probably end up doing the back end as well.
Spec. wise i was hoping greys and a nice turbo, something a bit quicker than the usual stage 3 setup, but i plan to take my time so i can decide all that as i go on.

 

Aye aye rog
Good news that you've started working on her
I bet it gets out of hand and the spec/cost get higher than you guessed too

 

well done on making a start

Got quite a shock when i got the PM, thought you were still running it

 

Hah I bet you did, it should have been off the road over a year ago...Lol
It was getting really bad, clunking and knocking from the front suspension and using a serious amount of oil so i decided enough was enough, and besides I couldn't get what i wanted for it if i sold it
Now it's in bits tho i'm still not sure what I want engine wise though Plenty of time to figure that out though, this is going to be a long project i think......

 

Good luck with it mate


Brian

 

Keep us posted m8.

 

im not going to say a word


glad youve got yer finger out m8

 

Ok so i managed to get the head off........eventually due to this happening and having to spend about 4 hours trying to get this bloody bolt out.
It was rounded off so i had to get the drill out

Then after a lot of f**king about i got it off


If you look closely you can see minimal valve-piston contact but it's not that bad.


And here we have the head obviously, it's pretty manky so i'll pull it all apart and see what's what

Just got as far as getting the exhaust manifold off before the missus arrived home with a chinese takeaway, so that was that, as you can see i took the manifold off and it's cracked inside, there's about a 6 inch hailrline crack you can just see the start of it in this pic.

So that's it so far, long way to go yet.

 

Rog,

Getting there M8

The crack is just standard practice on the 4x4 manifold im affraid

 

Cheers!
I did mean to get a hold of you at the show yesterday but i was only there for about half an hour, I'm supposed to be away offshore on wednesday so i'll try and give you a buzz before then.
I've heard of the manifolds cracking before but i didn't know it was that common, I Have a 2wd one that i was going to fit but i will probably stick with a 4wd item.

 

keep it up mate, good work

 

Well here's an update, I have bought a few nice bits and pieces for the car, although i haven't actually fitted any of them yet...Lol. All i basically need now is a bare engine to be honest as I have purchased all the ancillary stuff i can think of to get it to the spec, i want. Anyway in the process of trying to get a new kitchen fitted and get christmas sorted out as i will be working away in west africa so i need to keep the mrs happy b4 i go. so after christmas i plan to probably buy a ready built unit off somone on here.

 

[quote="rog"]

Anyway it used to look like this



[quote]

that sits well nice mate what you got on the back or is the boot full

very nice mate..keep the updates coming

 

So what spec engine are you going for ? Low comp on greys and a t35 or something more.

 

Sits really nice - bet the exhaust must drag the floor on maximum attack!

 

One of the nicest Sapphire's I've seen in ages. are they 18s? Sit's proper well on them. Is that a Rouse spoiler too?

 

Hi, it a combination of boot full and eibach springs I think .... forgotten what it looks like now as it's been in the garage for so long now.
It's a rouse spoiler on the back, and yes the exhust does tend to scrape a wee bit on full boost!
Neil, yeah something along those lines i think, do u know anyone selling???

 

Was gonna ask if it was a rouse spoiler too.

 

Here are some more updates, got the box out today with the help of a mate. Just need the hoist to get the block out and haypresto.
Dropping the box
My mate, he claims he does all the work, i just happened to be the one holding the camera so it looks like he's done it all.









Trasmission tunnel


Underside, just surface rust, everthing is solid, this is my mate hiding behind the axle stand.

 

Got to say mate that is a nice looking saph u have got there looking forward to see pic of when it is done.keep up the good work mate.

 

Yeah mate keep the good work up

 

about time we had an update.....



good work guys

 

Cheers for the comments guys, got the engine out today so now i have to get my head around what to do first now i'm left with a pile of bits! Done more in the last 2 days than i have in the last 5months!

 

lots of work then.
Be worth it in the end, although the car isnt exactly a heap!!!!!!!!!

 

After a few months I think it was time to get started again, just got a new kitchen fitted which is almost done, hopefully
be the end of this week. Anyway plan was to get going with the car as soon as this was all done and that's what I'm doing now,
money's in the bank, just got to fix it now.


Mrs was bored and wanted to lend a hand, was quite helpful actually...Lol





Anyway that's as far as it goes until i can get the valves out, and time was getting on, hopefully the updates will be more speedy from now on.

 

moving along mate eh...whens the deadline or when do you hope to have it finished by rog?

keep at it mate

 

bout time you got stuck in again m8

 

 

PM replied to Rog

Good to see you getting back into it

 

Cheers folks, especially paul for helping me out
Didn't go away today, so still at home pondering about ordering bits...

 

Be up and running in no time

 

Small update for you lot, coming along slowly but surely now.
Went to check on the progress of the engine today, i was really impressed just by looking at it.

Before



And after, hard to believe it's the same.



I was down dropping off the head, which Mr. Rstoughy very kndly helped me out with, and also a set of wheels, now equipped with tyres as of this morning.
Head as good as new, didn't even need skimmed!




Should get the engine back in the next couple of weeks, would be sooner but I am busy and so is the guy doing the engine so i that suits us both, petty it can't be sooner though.

 

looking very good

 

Glad to help out Rog

Would love to have done alot more for you but just too busy with other projects at the moment. Just finished in the extension 1/2 hr ago

Be good to see the old girl back on the road again

 

your car is

Trev

 

Well i cant believe how good that looks

Took long enough but at least it,s done now.

What you on about i do all the work you just take the pic's lazy git

Toughy nice job on the head chief!

 

Tried them on for size yesterday, looking goooood!