Today was a big change in the temperature, forecast was for a max of 13, so time for paint
When I flatted back the Imp I rubbed through in a number of spots all on the passenger side, can only think I was a bit light on the clearcoat along that side. Karen was up and thought that it had more sparkle to it originally so I decided to repaint it , if the basecoat was put on a bit wet it causes the flakes to lie flat. This time it was put on drier and lighter so the flakes stand on their edge and reflect the light then re lacquered with extra coats - really don't want to rub through again.
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Scott
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Browsing for ideas on Karen's wheels, trying to decided whether to go silver with polished rims or body colour with polished rim
Anyhoo, came across this article https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scot ... ry-1865947
with Karen's car lurking in a couple of pics. Attended with Amy as Karen was working abroad at the time, where has the time gone
Started blocking the Imp, denib any bits of dirt etc with P1000 and then flat with P1500 wet, once happy with that go over with P3000 on the DA sander with an interface pad before polishing with Farecla G3.
My brother Craig came up today and was most impressed with my painting and he is super critical so that means a lot, the fact that it is very flat means that it requires minimal effort to get it smooth which is even more pleasing
Scott
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what style wheels are you going for? I am just starting to assemble my car and looking at wheels and veering towards minilite style, not very original but they just work so well with the imp.
Neil
Neil wrote: ↑Tue Dec 20, 2022 8:39 pm
Car is looking fab!
what style wheels are you going for? I am just starting to assemble my car and looking at wheels and veering towards minilite style, not very original but they just work so well with the imp.
Neil
Yes, minilite's do look good, run them on most of my Imps but Karen has a set of Compomotive's so they will be going back on. Scroll back to first page and pics there of them.
Still polishing Karen's Imp but been disturbed by Stuart who I've been helping rebuild an GM480LE automatic transmission over the last couple of days - they make it look easy on the internet but seem to miss out the bits you want to know just like Haynes Manuals I'm sure many will know all about that.
Anyway, took a break from polishing this afternoon and pulled out the air filter housing now the air filter had arrived, measured up the filter and cut an appropriate sized hole in the adaptor and got the filter fitting very nicely. I then took another look at the inside and noted that the original mountings for the air filters partially obscure the holes to the elbows. well that's not clever they will have to go. So removed them and the air flow to the carbs will be much better, it did occur to me that the bump in the carbs might be better smoothed off but decided that maybe a step too far, besides there is a set of 150 that are partially done that could be used but not chasing extra power from this set up.
Not impressed with the appearance of the K&N filter and have emailed them a pic but are on Christmas holiday's now so will have to wait until next year for a reply
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Scott
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Much work has been ongoing with the wiring and much redoing but getting there, needed more parts so while waiting on delivery started on the NEW heater matrix.
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The clan has a really effective heater so much so I sometimes have to turn it down but is too large to fit inside the original casing so I went for the compact unit as it should fit. Well that was the plan but once I stripped down the original unit I found the case and plastic cover create a sandwich which forms a passage for the air. This meant the actual metal frame was thinner than I had expected and will require a custom made housing.
The matrix has an integrated 3 speed fan and with the optional duct plate allows for 3 positions - windscreen/ dash vents /dash vents & floor. Further work required but it looks like it will fit.
Scott
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looking good. I have just started an aircon/heater install on a Mk1 Escort historic rally car that will be doing endurance events one of them being Alaska to Mexico so the Driver will be in the car for four weeks every day and in temperatures varying from sub zeros to high 30's plus. Certainly testing my prep skills with the specification as comfort and performance for a long time is a strange combination for a competition car.
Could do with a wee boost so thought I'd see if I could get the engine to start, I had bought a new battery but forgot to check the terminals as well as the size and rating, Japanese terminals oh well order some terminal convertors. Put some fuel and check for leaks always the most awkward one, the return to the tank, despite tightening the fittings it still leaked. Removed them to find damage to the adaptor, I had dropped the tank ages ago and bent the flange which was no biggy as easily sorted but must have caught the fitting which I hadn't noticed . Oh well, get them reordered.
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Moved back on to the heater matrix, my elbows had arrived but need serious modding to fit and they weren't exactly cheap but done now. This meant I had to remake the top of the casing as the last one sloped and this fouled on the elbows. Reassemble tomorrow and see if it will fit in the car
Really have to have a word with myself if all this faffing about is worth the effort.
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Scott
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Had to replace the headlight backing bowls as the chrome rings had rusted, the replacements (Wipac plastic) certainly taken a step backwards in terms of quality, everything had been reduced to the bare minimum to do it's job and no more. Can't see them lasting 60 years mind you the plastic bits might be around for millennia
Scott
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Fuel line connectors arrived today, so after fitting them and checked for leaks tried to start it.
Turned over but no firing
Led on the ECU dropping out too soon . Re read the instructions for the alarm and talks about ignition on 1 and 2, similar to the positions on a key switch so swapped them around at the connector plug.
Getting somewhere now, red led turns green so the ECU is seeing the crank sensor, but still not firing.
Let's check fuel, pump not running however we know that it's working fine as ran to test for leaks so must be electrical. Power good all the way up to the Inertia Switch but not beyond. After looking up the connections online, clear that one wire is in the wrong position but it was supplied that way when I purchased it. Pump now can be heard priming when ignition switched on. Progress.
Engine now coughs but doesn't catch, due to the start feature on the alarm it only holds the starter on for a short period - can't sit and crank until the battery goes flat like you can on the standard set up. However it is programable from 0.7 sec to 1.7 sec so I set it to max.
Stronger cough but still not catching so wedge brass toothbrush in to hold the throttle open and next time fires right up. Idle control valve just an adjustable bleed screw at the moment so set that further open.
Quick check to see everything still good and petrol leaking again , checked the new connectors and they seem fine but powering on the pump it's apparent that this time it's leaking from the fuel filter . Upon checking it, I've put it in back to front, it had been in and out many times while sorting the plumbing but no excuses my fault. After pressure testing it, put it back in the right way round. Don't think it liked been that way round as you could see the end casing bulging when the pump was on.
Set up the phone to record the "first" start up
Happy now, IT LIVES, get on with other works. Couldn't work out an easy way to have single sweep of the wipes so refitted Smartscreen intermittent module.
A good day
Scott
P.s. later on I checked the oil and none but not foreseeing any damage thankfully only the test engine.
On cold start, zero degrees, it was reluctant to start first time but helped by a little spray of brake cleaner (good substitute for Easy Start) so needs more fuel.
Brought up the laptop to change some of the cranking settings but would not connect with the ECU, tried various things but nada, so had a think and decided the one change since last connected (a year ago) was updating to windows 11 and maybe some link had been broken, reloaded the software and rewrote some of the settings offline.
The following morning it connected fine and uploaded the new settings and it fires up, still needs a tweek or two as stalls initially but after a couple of starts will idle but this is not the time to play around these setting, important to get hot idle spot on and then more on from there.
Been starting every time since.
Reorganise the workshop and on the ramp, time now to install brakes etc.
so I decided to repaint it 
, if the basecoat was put on a bit wet it causes the flakes to lie flat. This time it was put on drier and lighter so the flakes stand on their edge and reflect the light then re lacquered with extra coats - really don't want to rub through again. 
. Oh well, get them reordered. 
, checked the new connectors and they seem fine but powering on the pump it's apparent that this time it's leaking from the fuel filter 
