Mike's Cabrio Build

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Current Diary Build

This is my build diary brought right up to this weekend. I have fitted a rubber boot liner, and am in the process of making and fitting the rear bulkhead between the cabin and boot. As I have access to the boot via an opening lid, this is a solid panel - made from aluminium, and to be covered in leather.

IMG_3618.jpg

Incidentally I found an embroiderer who will embroider a 250mm wide Marlin logo in red on to the leather I provide for £20. Sounds good value to me.


This is what it will look like. I plan to have this centered on the rear bulkhead panel between the two seats.


Embroidered Marlin.jpg

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Well done Mike - a fabulous diary! Now you just have to keep updating it as you do those last little jobs! When's IVA booked?

Hi Cameron

I'm glad a few of you are reading it, and thanks for the compliment.

How about some more updates on yours?
They are just so useful, even to other model owners - I've had a Berly builder contact me today about his dash having seen mine, and I am currently looking for a 14" Cossie steering wheel having seen your Romero's!

I have a bit more to do before booking my Cabrio in for its IVA test, but it is on the horizon at last:
Electric windows need wiring to the dash
All the dash wiring has all to be connected to all the appropriate gauges, including speedos and rev counters which will no doubt take some working out.
Then the carpets
Then all the little IVA checks, though I hope most of these have been covered as I've gone along.

Has anyone spotted anything they think will fail the IVA test?

I've had a look at the latest IVA manual on line, and I am not sure about whether my rear bumpers will meet the current regulations? The ends are supposed to be turned in towards the body, and should not be more than 30mm from the body. Mine fail on both counts, but it would be easy enough to have them bent to achieve this - they just would not look so nice afterwards!

Mike

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

As this is a build diary - Happy Birthday to my Cabrio - it arrived 7 years ago!

I hope I have it on the road before it reaches the grand old age of 8 !

Mike

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Mike I did the seats on my Roadster, and when winter arrives again going to get the Cabrio seat covers removed and embroided in blue and while I am at it I have heated seat kits to go in.

excellent Mike a great read, Anyone who wants to try the power steering conversion please see me at Stoneleigh, said it before the best mod you can do one your car.......

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

New Diff

This was not in my plan at all, but some things you just have to do!
Peter Edwards kindly put me on to a 3.14 diff on ebay, being advertised on a Buy It Now at a reasonable price (by today's market), so I bought it.




From the outset of my build I had hoped to use a 3.14 diff, as this will keep the engine revs down at touring speeds.
My BMW 325i donor had a 3.15 diff, with 205/60/15 tyres (627mm diameter) as standard.
I have chosen 215/55/16 tyres (643mm diameter, which are just +2.5% bigger), so a 3.14 diff will retain almost the same gearing as in the original donor (+3% overall).
It is a bit marginal over the 3.38 diff I have fitted at the moment, but will drop the revs from 3,200rpm to 3,000rpm at 70mph, so cruising will be a little more relaxed.

Before buying it, I checked to confirm it was a 3.14 - they are very rare now days. It had a 3.14 tag on the back: the donor had the letter 'M' in the VIN Axle box (denoting 3.14 diff), and the donor was an early 2.3 diesel (Peugot) which were fitted with a 3.14 diff, so it all checked out, and I bought it. A quick check on collection (North Wales, from South Lincolnshire!) showed it was a 3.14.

Once I had it home I have opened the back up to see what condition it is in and appear to have struck lucky - it is in very good condition. The early 2.3 diesel Sierra's were never going to cause the diff a lot of damage though were they? - They were so under powered - I know as I had a one as a company car!!

I have opened it up, and it looks very good inside:



The oil level plug (centre left) is magnetised, and has nothing of significance clinging to it, so there is no damage. What little play there is should be there to allow tolerance changes when hot.
The seals clearly need replacing, but that is a straight forward task.

I had seen other Ford diffs showing the ratio hand written on the crown wheel, and assumed this had been done by the photographer, but, no, they were marked by Ford by hand during production.



It even has the original tag with 3.14 on it:

IMG_3711.jpg

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Sierra Diff Conversion : Push In To Lobro

The Sierra's 7" open diff is capable of accepting either the Push - In drive shafts, or the Lobros. It is a simple task to convert the Push-In to the Lobro fitting (required for my disc brake drive shafts).

This is a Lobro drive flange. It pushes into the diff, in exactly the same way as the Push-In drive shaft fitting, but is then retained by a cir-clip. (There are 3 different thicknesses to allow for the optimum fitting).



This shot shows the Lobro drive flange inserted in the diff, prior to the cir-clip being fitted - you can just see the end of the drive shaft protruding through the star wheel.




This will be the third one I've fitted, and I haven't even got my Cabrio on the road yet!

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

A Nice Idea......?

Whilst rummaging around the scrap yard I came across a pair of gas dampers on a BMW bonnet, and for £2 I thought I might find them a home.
Well tonight I had an experiment with fitting one to assist opening my boot lid - there is a lot of weight in the rim and tyre.

IMG_3716.jpg

Its a nice idea, but my execution of it is not quite right. It is nicely damped, but as the lid gets closer to vertical, there is less and less weight to push against so it accelerates and throws the lid open at the end - not quite what I had in mind!

It closes quite nicely, and is nicer than with no damping at all: just a shame about the last part of opening.

Anyone any ideas how to stop the final stage of opening being over sprung?

And who guessed what the temporary bracket was made from?

[greyV8pete]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Mike. There was a Berli some years ago with two gas struts on the boot. They were at the sides and seemed to work quite well. Peter.

[cameronfurnival]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Yes Mike - fit two struts - then an automatic release (solenoid or cable) and it will be a doddle to lift! See you at the weekend,.

[CosworthCabrioLee]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

And have it remote so as you are rushing out of the supermarket in the pouring rain you can click the button and the boot pops open to saves time

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Mike. There was a Berli some years ago with two gas struts on the boot. They were at the sides and seemed to work quite well. Peter.

Peter

I considered fitting them at the side, but peversely the one in the middle allows better use of the limited boot space: there is virtually no capacity in the centre under the wheel well.

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Yes Mike - fit two struts - then an automatic release (solenoid or cable) and it will be a doddle to lift! See you at the weekend,.

Funny you should suggest that - I did try two - and could not close the boot due to the increased spring pressure!
may be the answer is a different spring/damper, or another damper only.

I may just end up doing what everyone else has and fit a bit of leather strap!

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

And have it remote so as you are rushing out of the supermarket in the pouring rain you can click the button and the boot pops open to saves time

.............with one of those foot sensors under the fuel tank to open it!

[Mike]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Nothing to show, but I now have variable intermittent wipe - 2 seconds to 15 seconds : whoohooo!

Oh and............

Main beam
Dip
Hooter
Hazard warning lights
Indicators - but all four come on since I wired them to a common indicator warning light! - maybe a diode will resolve it?
Reversing light
Brake lights
Oil pressure warning light
Dashboard Illumination - with dimming!
Ignition warning light
Main beam warning
Handbrake/Brake reservoir/Clutch reservoir warning
Courtesy door lights - except door doesn't quite reach the switch - easy enough to add a striker plate to the door
Washer pump
Electric windows
Fog light - but need to check it only comes on with dip/main beam, and not side lights (IVA fail item)

Heater fan still to be connected
- but I feel like I have definitely broken the back of the wiring connections.

Trouble is, although most of it now works, the wiring still looks like spaghetti, and needs quite a bit of tidying up, and chasing to the chassis: probably just as much work doing that as there has been getting it all connected!

Carpets, trim, suspension checking, and......and.....and....but its getting closer!!!!!

Then I can get on with replacing my second diff with my third diff!

[Skittler]

Re: Mike's Cabrio Build

Well done, Mike.

Electrics = the hair pulling, yet ultimately such a satisfying, part of any project.

(I'm in the process of disentangling the previous owners wiring loom ...!)