Progress to date

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Thanks Tony, Once all the hurdles are cleared I look forward to some PCT's to blow the cobwebs away, I haven't competed for years. Are the PCT's all on private land? Just thinking ahead...

I wondered if anybody would spot something in the pix! Our friend and I go back to about 1965-6 when he visited Cartmel on a regular basis. He even stayed at the pub my parents ran on one occasion when his Mini broke down

I am off to collect the rolling chassis on Saturday. Thanks for the luck, I think I will need it particularly to get the paperwork sorted, that's my biggest worry. The mechanics I can handle.

[gary.price]

Re: Progress to date

It will all work out ok in the end. Good luck and keep this thread updated with loads of pictures.

Steven

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Thanks for the encouragement Steven, I have loads of Pictures! I will keep a good record, film at least is cheap nowadays.

[tony.branson76]

Re: Progress to date

Hi, We run PCTs on private land. The 2 sites we use are at Fletchertown near Wigton and Blagill near Nenthead. T join got to http://www.fellsideac.co.uk/. With respect to your registration dilemma all my marlins are registered as Marlins class PLG body sports. It would be best if you could keep the current number as it will be tax exempt. Happy to advise on trials preparation although that would seem to be a little way off. Tony

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Thanks Tony, Once the V5 hurdle is overcome then it will be full steam ahead on the build. I have most of the major parts so apart from rebuilding the engine which will cost a few quid, I think it should be fairly straightforward.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

On my way back yesterday with the Hybrid rolling chassis on trailer, I was passed by a Blue Marlin with the hood up, it turned off the M6 at the Salmesbury, Preston junction, just wondered if it might be somebody here?

Another pic, my youngest pulling the rack off the Hybrid chassis for me. Between them they had it stripped to the bone.

Screen Shot 2012-07-22 at 23.13.13.jpg

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

OK, Have been doing major surgery on the hybrid chassis, which isn't really complete because I haven't been able to locate an engine to act as dummy to fabricate the engine mounts. I have made a very solid pedal box support and raised the 'A' posts by 6".

The pedal box can be mounted and be fully functional without the need for any bulkhead panels, so the bulkhead panels will not be stressed by the pedal box at all.

Also the steering column now goes under the Pedal box, not over.

DSC_5314.jpg


One reason for posting today is that I have obtained some seats. I would appreciate comment/advice as to how suitable they are from a seat belt point of view.

This seat is one of four I have obtained from a local breaker taken from an LDV Sherpa Minibus. It has good attachment points and the seatbelt retracts and will adjust, for children?

I have the sub frames and bolts from the minibus. At a fiver apiece I thought they were good value, if a little wet and grubby.

DSC_5318.jpg

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Well, I have made a little more progress.

I have connected up the steering today and it seems fine, the rack was a bit lumpy but a little lubrication sorted that. I am grinding all the old floor supports out and preparing for my new floor, planning the seat mountings and heights. I am really enjoying this project. It's just like old times. Making new friends, learning stuff and getting to tinker big time!

The front suspension has all been dismantled, examined, cleaned, repaired and painted, I have a shortish list of parts I need from Rimmers, mainly bushes, then I can re-assemble the front end.

One little thing I am un-decided about is the original Triumph engine mounts. The build manual says grind them off but seems to me it's a good place to locate a spreader bar to help strengthen the suspension turrets, and might also provide a mounting for the radiator. I think I have the option to have the mounts in front or behind the turrets by swapping sides. Again, I need the engine in place to decide.

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

On Tuesday it was six weeks since I made a V62 application for a V5c.

I rang DVLA and I stated it was six weeks since I had made the application, was the any progress?

"You can expect the application to take at least six weeks" came the reply... Four times he repeated that during the conversation, becoming a little exasperated, I pointed out very clearly that it HAD been six weeks, what is happening, please?

"Just a moment..." - "Have you had the letter?" Er... WHAT letter? (Thinks... If I had received a letter, why would I be ringing to enquire about progress???) "We wrote to you yesterday about an appointment for an inspection of your car."


This morning (Thursday) I got the letter. All it says is they will contact me to tell me where and when the inspection will be made. Well, I suppose that is progress.


Today I have been making gearbox mountings and spring U bolt plates to go under the rear springs. Given I am raising the rear suspension by about two inches I thought I would put the heavy duty van shocker brackets on top of the springs instead of under them, which should reinstate the relative position of the shocker movement back to it's original position. That meant I needed some square plates to go under the springs for the U bolts to clamp up on. Another task ticked off. <wink>

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

I just got an eMail from Machine Mart reminding me to spend some more dosh!

One thing I have been pondering over is dismantling the body on the car when the V5c inspection is over. Obviously I need to preserve the panels, particularly the fibreglass. The body was screwed together with dome headed 1/4" bolts. They will NOT undo! Cutting torch is out, big angle grinder will probably make too much heat and access will be difficult, windy chisel will be to harsh and wreck the fibre glass, nut splitting too slow, Dremel too much of a toy, beginning to run out of ideas.

I have wondered if I ground the protruding part of the bolt down to about a couple of millimetres whether a spot weld cutter would work, has anybody tried this? Drill around the threads of the bolt, through the nut, effectively removing the threads of the nut and turning it into a washer, the bolt would then pull out the way it went in? My only doubt is if the cutter will drill deep enough to get right through the nuts.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-cht685-spot-weld-cutter-set?da=1&TC=SRC-spot%20weld%20remover

Picture of the inside rear wing mounting bolts showing the limited access, although these are much easier than the front ones which I can't even see!

Has anybody a better suggestion?

Screen Shot 2012-09-06 at 20.53.58.jpg

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Yesterday was V62 inspection day. I had to take the Marlin to the 'local' DVLA vehicle licensing office at Carlisle, a round trip of 200 miles. Preston would have been significantly nearer but there you go, what would I know?

The lady who inspected the Marlin had no idea what it was, nor anything about it. She will report back to Swansea... I am not optimistic they will issue a V5 but they might. "Swansea will write to you." were her parting words. We will see.

On my way home I dropped by to see Lee, who was astounded to see such a bad example of a derelict Marlin. We chatted and Lee took some pix of my pride and joy project.

The engine will be out and stripped today, at least I can now move forward now and I will know how bad the block is. The engine is seized solid because the carb inlet has been open to the elements for years, water will be in at least one cylinder, yet there is none in the sump. The oil is just below full and pretty clean.

I think I have solved the panel dismantling problem above. I recently noticed some very thin angle grinder blades in an engineering works. ScrewFix sell them, 125 or 115mm dia x 1mm thin. They may also be available elsewhere at 100mm dia, which would be very handy too. By cutting through the nut twice, either side of the bolt threads, you can split and remove the nut with almost surgical accuracy with little heat and no damage to the panel. The bolt/screw then can be tapped, pulled or screwed out. The disks are a bit fragile but with care seem to do the job well.


STOP PRESS:

As I type, DVLA rang to say they can't issue a V5.

They are writing to me tell me how to get an age related mark for the car. So TOA 857 is dead.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Progress to date

fascinating story Robert - keep it coming.
Just watch out they dont insist on you going through the IVA test!
I have used the 1mm discs with great success - i get the erbaur ones they seem good.
Will it be a new engine or are you hoping to keep teh original - Keep it up

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Re: Progress to date

Hi Robert good to see you, there is always plan b to fall back on.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Progress to date

does plan b involve the dynamite?

[Robert in Cumbria]

Re: Progress to date

Definitely Cameron! I love playing with Dynamite...

OK, today had been very hard. A twelve hour shift and an hours driving. My back is killing me!

I have removed the front wings, engine side panels, front nose-cone, the engine and the gearbox. I have stripped the engine completely and on cursory examination it's very good. It took a bit of un-seizing, number three inlet valve was wide open and the rings were (are) seized in the grooves, which made it a bit hard to remove the piston from the bore but my trusty copper hammer won the day. The shells are like new, barely run in, but the crank journals are slightly rough to the finger nail. I will mike them up in the morning. They may only need polishing. The bores were not heavily rusted as I had expected, but the pistons were very tight in the bores so it may have scored the bores freeing things off. Will only know once things have been cleaned off properly.

The o/s engine mounting bracket has been broken at some time and not very well repaired, gas welded I think. So if anybody has a Marina o/s 'A' series engine mounting bracket, I need one please.

The 1mm cutting disks work a treat, wish I had known about them earlier. They last well at first but wear quickly once the are below 4" it seems.

The gear shift has been broken free, the shift rail was solid and the gear lever was frozen in it's main ball housing, all the gears seem to engage OK.

Tomorrow will be cleaning everything off and assessing the block, crank and pistons. My inclination is to bore it but I am trying to avoid avoidable expense at this stage. The name of the game is get it MOT's ASAP and get a V5 on it. I can cross the T's and dot the I's later.

The clutch was stuck hard to the pressure plate and flywheel, so even if the engine could have been started the clutch would not have released.

Sorry about the grammar, it's late!