My 2B Project So Far

[Guest Dean Morledge]

Hi All,

 

A few years ago my dad and I purchased a Zero from GBS to build and enjoy and became a member of RHOCAR as deancollin. (I have now set up my own account on the site Dean2b due to the below!)

 

We managed to get the car built and registered in about 6/7 months and have driven it on a few track days as well as around the streets. There was just one problem, only one of us could drive at a time! So I made the decision that I wanted my own car but of course still being relatively young and with my own family I couldn’t afford my very own Zero.

 

So after a bit of time searching on ebay we located a car that looked ideal. The car was a robin hood 2b, it had already been SVA’d so was road legal although it hadn’t actually been driven on the road for about 5 years, this was due to the original owner having it in a garage because of a non working 2ltr pinto engine. The person I was purchasing the car off was in the process of swapping the engine to a 2ltr zetec engine and re-building the car.

 

 

 

 

So I purchased the car and took it from just south of London all the way to my home in Nottingham. Although the car potentially was almost ready to go on the road it was not as I would've liked the car to be, so off we set modifying the car so it was as I wanted it to be. Below is a list of the modifications we have made to it from the original:

 

Installed new engine mounts

Installed new manifold/exhaust

Installed new brackets for alternator

complete re-paint of the car into Subaru World Rally Blue

Tidying up of the electrical wires

Sort out binding of brakes

Adjust wing brackets for front wheels due to rubbing on the wheel

Fit original nose/bonnet/scuttle - including reshaping the nosecone for a better fit

Fit windscreen and wipers

Make a new dash

Re-carpet whole interior

re-placed original sierra handbrake with small GBS handbrake

made a new boot out of chipboard and carpeted

 

There may be a few more things that I have not listed.

 

 

 

 

A lot of things have changed since the photos above and I hope to get some more pictures soon!

 

There are one or two things to finish off on the car but we are nearly there. I plan to add a few more trims around the bonnet, a few stickers along the side of the car and on the back and bonnet, a bit of strengthening inside the engine bay and a last check of all electrical connections to ensure they are working correctly. Then the final step before taking the car for an MOT and tax is that I need to have a play and tune the engine using the ECU it is currently running on.

 

Hopefully we will be on the road sometime very soon which should be just in time for the sun to start shining and then we can drive to the shows and attend a few trackdays! I am also hoping to go on a few trips out around the peaks on some Sundays once on the road, got to make the most of it!

 

For a few more pictures or a bit more of a write up feel free to take a look at my blog (which I still need to update) http://kitcarrebuild.blogspot.co.uk/

[speedtripledan]

looks like a tidy car, when your on the road if you fancy a run out to matlock or somewhere give us a shout,

[Al Milton]

Welcome to the club, although you look too young to drive!!

 

Like the colour, good luck with the project

[Guest Dean Morledge]

I'm hoping to get the car out tomorrow so we can turn it around and put it back in the garage. So whilst its out I will see if I can get some good pictures of how it is currently. It looks a lot better than the pictures show!

[richardm6994]

Hi dean! You've made a really nice job! I look forward to having a run out with you sometime!

 

Did the exmo windscreen fit okay?

[Guest Dean Morledge]

Hi dean! You've made a really nice job! I look forward to having a run out with you sometime!

 

Did the exmo windscreen fit okay?

 

The windscreen fitted perfectly, many thanks for that, didn't even have to adjust the brackets to make it fit either!

 

It doesn't show it in the pictures above but it is now in place on the car.

[Guest whiz]

Welcome to the club hope you enjoy the zetec

[richardm6994]

Glad it's gone to a good home! and I look forward to seeing the car in the flesh soon!

 

Ps. Really like the colour and wheels!

[Guest shane1664]

My main runabout is a scooby in WR blue, I have resprayed all the grp parts, but now seeing your car all in blue... ooh tempting!

[Guest mower man]

Welcome to the club looks lik a very nice build hope to see you at the shows mower man

[Bob Tucker]

Love that electric blue....

 

Looks like a well built car....well done...

[David S]

Cracking job Dean, looks fab.

[Guest Dean Morledge]

Just to give a quick update on this .....

 

The car is now 99% ready to be taken for its first MOT since I have owned it and from what I understand from the guy I purchased it off the first MOT in quite possibly 5 years.

 

I say 99% ready because I still need to fix an issue with the digital speedo not reading my speed. I have a replacement speed sensor coming which should arrive tomorrow then it will just be a matter of putting it all together and programming it with the digi dash.

 

Below are some of the latest pictures of the stickers on the car - when I get it out on Saturday I will take a few pictures of the whole car.

 

I have also ordered some fabric to make a roof for the car which should come in the next day or two so hopefully I can get started on that and at least keep a little dry when driving in the wet!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Although I still haven't finished the tuning 100% yet as I need to take it for a short drive Click here for a video of its first time of moving under its own steam

[biksz]

looking good that only thing i could see an issue is the exhaust end looks to be sticking out quite a bit could just be the pics worth checking though before mot.

[Guest Dean Morledge]

Woohoo ! the car passed its MOT first time, had advisory for one of the front brakes binding and a very small leak of an unknown fluid near the diff but other than that the car passed!

 

Driving home from the test centre all going well until the car skidded to a stop and would no longer move at all! seems like the Diff has locked up and the wheels no longer turn.

 

So the car is now back in the garage after being on the back of a recovery truck ready for us to take the diff out and either repair or replace!

 

What fun