Longboarder

What a picture. Does that look good or what! Shineeeeee! My indicators are just below the windscreen pillars and they passed.

Mines been just bolted into the series 111 for 6000miles and haven't had any problems. No squishy rubbery bits, etc. Do it the easy way! Nigel

There is option four which is get another smaller heater from a Mini like lots of us have done or more recently Big Jim found a Polo heater an ideal replacement. Pic on the old website. Nigel

My twin 40's work very happily on the standard mechanical fuel pump. Vacuum advance is simply disconnected. There should be drilled and tapped holes in the manifold for the servo take off and the heater return. You will have to fix an oil catch tank. You need to remove the sprung plate valve in the the metal fixing of the crankcase pressure relief pipe. Easily done by grinding a couple of mm's of the end so that the valve falls out. If you don't do this oil gets out of the filler cap, dipstick tube, crankshaft seals, etc. If there is room under the bonnet you can fit an oil filler cap with a pipe takeoff and pipe that to the catch tank as well. An old fashioned points dizzy (off a pinto cortina or capri)with bob weights inside allows you to adjust the ignition advance curve to compensate for the loss of the vacuum advance and it can be converted to electronic with a magnetronic kit from Lumenition or go the whole hog and get an aldon electronic distributor suitable for a pinto. I think thats about it! Nigel p.s. you expecting about 140ish at the wheels?

Viewed from above your setup is roughly five degrees out at the front propshaft UJ, rear straight. If you have room, move the gear box mount 3-4mm to the left and you will end up with about 2-3 degrees at both UJ's which will be fine. I doubt if the horizontal angles are any better. When you think about it a morris minor will travel London to Birmingham with one skinny driver and back with four lardies and the UJ's cope with the 100mm change in the rear axle position. Nigel

There are two separate issues here. 1. Updaing the donor V5 with the new engine number so that the finished kit car remains a single donor car and thus entitled to an age related plate. I feel this is a priority. 2. Proving engine manufacture date so that the correct emmissions test figures are used. I'm surprised that MOT/SVA does not accept the V5 as date of engine manufacture (although of course it isn't) but perhaps they are tightening the rules on this one. I have not been asked to prove engine manufacture date on my Hood or any other car and my VW camper has an engine 20 years younger than the body. Perhaps some centres are tough on this point. Nigel

If you fit a skinny sliding subframe as far back as you can and still get four bolts through you may then be able to fit the seat and slide it back to your ideal position and still satisfy SVA. Nigel

Whoose Boobs! 2 out of three first go. I'm feeling lucky. Well dip me in chocolate and throw me to the lesbians. (sorry, can we say chocolate on this site?) Nigel

Terry. I want you to trust me and stay calm. You are not alone. Lots of people have these little difficulties and there is no shame in it. I can give you some addresses where you can get assistance. In the meantime if you have one, star shaped or even a rhomboid you should take it to a Bonsai Restructuring Centre (adresses in yellow pages) where they can restore it to a more usual shape. Dispose of any incriminating equipment like jointed stretchers and superglue in an environmentaly friendly way and certainly keep it out of the way of children. Try and find something more useful and less stressfull to occupy your time like building a Robin Hood. Or maybe just watch telly and keep tropical fish. I should mention that the police and those nice ladies from the Feline Defense League are on their way as we speak to arrest those fiends and rescue the kitties. Bring back the cat, thats what I say. Splutter. Hanging is too good for them. Fume. They should be whipped and sent to the colonies. Dribble, dribble. Hang on while I take one of my tablets. Gasp. Nigel

Try Eurocarb at http://www.racecar.co.uk/dellorto/ for all the bits you might need for reconditioning including linkage bits. Be very carefull stripping them as some of the external bits especialy the rod that operates the accelerator pump are fragile. Use two spanners to free the lock nuts. (I learned the hard way) Nigel

Pity about the full power gear shifts. When I spoke to Paul today he was mostly relieved that he hadn't totaled his bottom end. He does say he was doing 125 on the flat at the time it all went pear shaped. (I don't know what final drive he has fitted.) His was chasing a friend who has a stripped out Westie with a beautiful 1700 crossflow in it. Paul's engine was dyno'd at 140 at the wheels and he wasn't catching Magic's Westie. Allowing for a little exageration he was still going some. Last ride I had with him the rev counter was bouncing of the stop and I adopted a foetal position, 1. To get my feet out of the way of the expected engine explosion. 2. I was terrified! Plain soft cut rev limiter seems like the sensible option, set to about 3000 to slow him down a bit! Nigel

Give Speedy Cables, http://freespace.virgin.net/matt.buckell/T.../Speedy_Cables/ a ring and they will make one up for you if its an odd measurement, sell you a right angle take off if you want one and recalibrate any speedo to any drive train so it reads right. If you just want a standard type 9 box to sierra instrument they will flog you one of those too! Nigel

You can get water proof starter buttons and switches from www.vehicle-wiring-products.co.uk. Their catalogue is excellent and has everything auto-electric that you might need in a build. www.demon-tweeks.co.uk also do switches and lots of fancy electrics like rev limiters but they are pricey and the website is cr4p. www.europaspares.co.uk do lots of nice bits including switches. Why get rid of the steering lock? Its a mechanical theft deterrent, gives you key operated electrics and if you wire in an ignition switch and starter button it will be too easy to nick. Nigel

Paul has stripped down the engine and its the flywheel bolts that have sheared. Taken the crank and flywheel into the machine shop to be tidied up, checked and dowelled. He is also buying a rev limiter but is looking at a device that allows full throttle gear changes as well. He doesn't want launch control because he wouldn't be able to smoke the tyres! The right foot is mightier than the brain! Nigel

My mate Paul has just done destruction testing on his 2.1L pinto engine. He discovered that at 7500 + rpm in fourth his car sounds glorious but not for long. There was a bit of a bang! He got the car towed home and has removed the starter to find the flywheel turns independant of the engine. Not sure if the engine turns. Hope this is just the flywheel bolts that have let go. If its the crank, which was balanced what is the safe limit for a balanced standard bottom end? Is there any way to build a stronger bottom end to take 7500 rpm at reasonable cost? I have suggested an electronic rev limiter as an alternative! Nigel

It should be absolutely solid with no play at all. Nigel

See front indicators under fitting and bodywork for how some have got their indicators on extensions to comply with SVA. You could in theory of course move them after. Nigel

Try Namrick on 01273 779864 or www.namrick.co.uk Nigel

Agree with the above. If you want to get fancy then replacing the points with after market electronic ignition and a 'sports' coil is worth it in smoothness, drivability, reliability and possibly a horse or two at the top end. Nigel

Whoops. I just read through MM's post of events. Nigel

To Mick Mellors. You missed out one of the best. Great Western Kit Car Show. Westpoint, Exeter. November 15th, 16th, 2003. Nigel

Congrats. Nothing like it. I remember my first legal drive. I got two hundred yards from my house and passed a group of 15 year olds. One of them half crouched, pointed and said, "Cor, look at that car!" YES! Nigel

Simplest is to take a bit of 3mm thick steel, about 1 inch wide. It acts as a brace from the bulkhead to the plate at the front of the pedal box that the servo is bolted to so it needs a right angle flange bent on each end. Bolt into place. You can include a wiggle to pick up the bolt hole at top centre of the pedal bracket. Sorry haven't got a camera. Nigel

I would suggest biting the bullet and at least pulling of the sump and cam cover to inspect and clean them. That would remove a fair percentage of the gunge. Then use a new filter and cheap oil to get the circulation going again. When hot, drain and add the flushing oil and run as per the instros on the can. Drain, new filter and refill with your favourite lube. Nigel

Thats a possible then. Longest journey so far is 140 miles and I was deaf for two days after. I'm always totaly gobsmacked when Jim comes down to Exeter from his home in the arctic circle. And Le Mans! Maybe its living in Plymouth. You can't get much more super soft southern than that. Mind you, our Adrian (local sec) has been to Spain in his! Nigel