baj25

Simon, sounds like someone out there with a pinto with even less go than yours ;-) Sorry mate! Brian

Well, I’ve had a busy few evenings attacking these. Paint stripper worked well on mudguard brackets. Electrolysis using washing soda solution wasn’t as effective as I’d imagined. It is however very spectacular when grinding sparks ignite the Hydrogen that is given off… Best so far is a rag soaked in thinners and vigorous rubbing. Bit bored of it now, need to get painting and bolting things together! Bri

Had a quick measure tonight and the actual thread seems to be M12x1.25, which are fairly easy to get on fleabay (the lad in the eng merchants obviously marked the wrong item on my list as being unavailable). So, I'll get some ordered from there, so cancel the wanted on these nuts. Thanks for looking. Al, yes, my searching on here reminded me of that, I'm getting some split pins off my mate tomorrow. Though mine was fine for the last 4 years without pinning. Ta, Brian

Can anyone spare a couple of nylocs for bottom wishbone balljoint on a 2B? I got all the other fine thread nylocs I needed from local engineer's merchant, but he doesn't do these. A quick google only finds bulk quantities. I think that the thread is M10x1.0. Thanks for looking, Brian

I’ve got my front hubs and brakes off at the moment and am looking at cleaning them up prior to repainting. Existing finish is a mix of old paint and light rust. Paint (POR20) says clean bare metal required. Any tips on cleaning them up? I’ve seen the washing soda/ battery charge trick and might try it- not sure about using it on calipers though (pistons are still in and hose connected to car). Tried steel wire brush in pillar drill, slow, can’t get to all areas and had to pick some steel wires out of my face this morning- ouch. TIA, Brian

Thanks Ian. I guess you hit the steering arm on its front end, hitting towards the rear of the car? I was on about both joints, all the seals are shot at. I didn't know that ball joint rubbers could be replaced until I found this thread, so I was wondering if it was possible to replace the rubber on the joint on the outer end of top wishbone, instead of replacing the whole joint? Ta again, brian

Resurrecting an old thread I know. I've discovered both my rubbers have split since I last looked (seems split rubber is an MOT fail from Jan 2012 instead of an advisory). Which bit do you mean to hit to separate the joint? Do you slacken the nut and hit it downwards or something else? Also, is it possible to replace rubbers only on the ball joint at the end of the top wishbone? Those are both split as well. TIA, Brian

Mmm. I installed mine facing exactly front-rear...(mounting bolts facing left-right) I guess 'same plane of movement' means perpendicular to the line of the trailing arm pivots?

Laser levels on sale at Lidl starting this morning, the type that projects vertical and horizontal lines. Just got one and look OK, tried it around the office and lines are reasonably visible. £6.99. Gift. HTH, Bri

Dipsticks come in different lengths. Have a search on the forums, this was discussed not too long back. HTH, Brian

I got one off a scrap rascal van, which a lot of people recommend. TBH, I don't think it is that much smaller than the original, but the mounting bracket is smaller and easier to modify to get it to fit. You could probably fabricate a suitable bracket from a few pieces of plate/bar. HTH, Brian

But surely not when it is arriving into the engine bay at 60mph! The dynamic situation with air entering (mostly through the rad) must balance with air exiting, the flow depending on the resistance of the system. The entry to the engine bay (for the air) is through a smallish grille and then through the rad which is quite restrictive. To exit, the bottom of the engine bay is maybe 10x the area of the available inlet. I do appreciate that there are turbulences and eddys so not all the engine bay gets the same airflow. Bri

I've got exhaust wrap, bulkhead insulation and all holes sealed- and my feet are still too damn hot! I've toyed with the idea of a small air scoop on the side panel (I even bought one) or a small 12v fan. Whilst not disbelieving that side vents help, I don't like the look of them, and there is a huge hole out of the bottom of the engine bay for the hot air to get out of! The foot overheat problem only occurs after about 45 mins. Bri

I just had a go with the gear calculator, interesting. I worked out from my cruising speed/revs (65mph@3000rpm), my rolling road print out (75mph@6000rpm in 3rd) and the standard type 9 ratios with 195/50/15s, that I have a 3.92 ratio diff. Which is nice… It doesn’t matter who has a bit more power to weight, someone will always have more (OK, someone will have the highest HP/kg, but it won’t be a Hoody), it’s how your car makes you feel- my 2B makes me feel good! Bri

I’m a qualified spark and chartered electrical engineer. I’m paying £244 a day for electricians at the moment, if that puts it in some perspective. It’s hard to judge how long the job would take without seeing it. The ‘legal’ side of things is quite clear, the kind of work you are planning would require part P certification. I know what I’m doing, but I’m not part P registered, so I very rarely do house-bashing anymore because of the potential comebacks. Part P has killed DIY electrics. If you don’t have any mates who are sparks, I would try another couple of firms and compare prices. You could always ask if there is any prep work you could do to make it cheaper, and see what they say, but I imagine most firms would want to do the whole job. Sorry not to be the bearer of better news, but HTH, Bri.

Electrical contractors who do industrial work use lots of it. I've only got the odd bit around. It isn't expensive though. Bri

B5105 from ruthin to cerrigydrudion is another local cracker. Keep it to yourself... Bri

I got one from hamilton classic (as a pressie), it has been fine. Quite thick and bulky to store, and not cheap, but seems good kit. Bri

Prep as directed on the paint you buy. IIRC I used wickes floor paint, no PVA. I bought thick sponge mats for kneeling on, just chuck them where you are working. I've only got 2 off 5' flourescents and a battery inspection lamp, and that's all I had during my build. But more light is always better. Bri

Does it have to be box? Unistrut is 41mm square, brilliant stuff, galv'd as well with squillions of fittings available to assemble it. Bri

Carbs should have identification stamped on. Weber would be something like DGAV 32/36. Or post pics of what you've got, someone will be able to ID it. HTH, brian

Same as Joni. I got some linkages off an old carb my brother gave me and had a fine 1/2 day fettling. TBH it was quite tricky, you need to make a cam for the fast idle and IIRC there is a vacuum port that needs blocking. All do-able though. HTH, Brian

Anyone other Hoodies tried this game? It is based on 1967 GP series costs next to nothing and doesn’t need a mega spec PC to run. The physics model is supposed to be the most realistic around. With a good force feed back wheel and pedals it is brilliant. A word of warning- if you have the racing bug it is addictive! Bri

I'm with Nigel on this one. I'll happily do DIY on my mexican strat, but anything 'serious' on my Les Paul Custom goes to a pro. It has been years since it has needed much, but their rates are not extortionate from what I remember. You don't mention what kind of guitar it is, but you imply that it is valuable (to you), so I'd at least get a price/advice off a pro. Good luck, Bri

I’ve been doing more and more bodywork lately (it comes with the territory when you have an old VW…) so I just got a Clarke polisher off ebay. It came with machine mart compounding heads in yellow orange and blue. I bought some G3 paste as well, but I’m not sure which head is best to use. Paint is 2K. How long after painting do you need to leave 2K before wet sanding? Anyone else any experience with compounding they would care to share? TIA, Bri