1995 G-Limited ***RESTORATION***Rebuild

[Lumphammer]

This is my 1995 1.8 G-Limited, it was converted to a track car by the previous owner and then has sat idle for several years.

It's got no rust at all but suffered some bad damage to the frame rails, I assume from speed humps and the usual gunk and detritus from being sat outside.

I'm taking it apart and fixing the things that need fixing, taking out as much weight as sensible with the intention of it being a project track car. It will have to be road legal to get it about but I don't intend to drive it on the road otherwise.

This is a learning experience for me as I've not done a lot of the bigger things only basic servicing and repair.

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I started at the front at the start of December taking stuff out and cleaning - it was festooned with rodent s**t and god knows what

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The cooling system was full of cheese

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Everything up top looks very clean tho

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Pulled the engine - first time I've taken an engine out. I got a nice second hand crane on the bay for £80ish plus delivery. I separated it from the gearbox because i was tight on space and it was p***ing it down outside.

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I struggled to find the M12 fine bolts to hold it on the stand so I got a die and made some studs from 12mm bar with fine on one side and coarse on the other so I can support it just on the block allowing the pan to come away later.

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The previous owner had de-powered the rack but not plugged any holes, I wasn't sure what s**t had got in there so i took it apart and cleaned in paraffin.

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While it was apart I removed the hydraulic parts following a guide I saw on the carpassion YouTube channel. I wanted to plug the hydrauilc lines without using silicone etc so I've bought some M16 x 1.5 hex plugs and M12 x 1.0 brake pipe male fittings will be drilled and tapped to take a plugging machine screw (probably M6, will see when they arrive).

Front sub frame removed, degreased and pressure washed - amazing condition!! Will be wire mopped and painted in black POR15 (I like this stuff, I used it a couple of years ago on my Mk2.5 wishbones)

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Front of the car is looking empty, I'll be pulling the loom back and then repainting the engine bay - same colour just want to fix some surface rust and tidy a bit.

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Moving backwards (the PPF is a pain in the backside to get off!!) - I think this car is supposed to have a Torsen LSD, will find out for sure when the diff comes out

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When i've got all the weight out I need to rotate the car on it's side and fix the frame rails, the picture makes them look better than they are

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I think that with everything removed (interior, boot, doors etc) the shell should be around 250kg so i'll either make or buy a basic rotisserie jig, but for the moment I'm continue working backwards and start on the rear suspension and subframe next. I've got some bits to shot blast too.

This is pretty basic compared to other projects on here but I thought I'd share my project. If it sounds like I don't know what I'm doing it's because I don't - apart from YouTube and the things Wayne and others have helped me with

Tom

[Mazda Mender]

Keep it coming Tom.
M-m

[DavesBRG5]

Good work Sir

That garage looks huge compared to mine. I can just about open the car door enough to squeeze in & out & i`m built like Mr Puniverse

[GlennyGills]

Excellent project work going on there.

[blackyb]

Good write up with supporting pictures, keep it up.

Makes my double garage look small, that said theres a Passat GT estate and a Honda Blackbird in there as well as the little red un and a number of tool chests.

Will be following this thread.

[Lumphammer]

Thanks for the comments

The garage is nice, about as big as I could get away with. I did labouring on the foundations and the boarding / inner structure / electrics / door, my friends did the harder part of the blockwork and roof. The back rooms got machine tools in it and the front bit is for the car.

I took off the rear stuff today. I realise i messed up because I didn't crack the hub nuts while i could so punched back the tangs and took off the half shafts and hub as one lot. My friend has a powerful rattle gun, hopefully he can get the hub nuts off for me

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I had an absoloute sod with this, I think the only way the lower rear bolt could be so bent was if the car had been pulled out of a ditch or something on it. No real rust just really bent!!

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But this is the highlight of the evening, pretty sure this is a Torsen...?

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Hoping to get the rear subframe off tomorrow

Tom

[Lumphammer]

I've been shotblasting and painting parts in POR15 for the past few weeks, the majority of the underside is done. Most evenings...

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All of the car is now stripped, only the windscreen left - the rotisserie should arrive this week to allow the frame rails to be fixed. Made a contraption to get in into the right position for the jig.

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I've cleaned up all the fasteners, going to take them to the platers this week maybe. They charge min rate of £45 for quite a lot of stuff so want to get it all done in one go. Front and rear fasters:

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I took apart and rebuilt the shifter assembly - the insides were full of this rancid oily paste, thought I should clean it all out and start fresh.

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I finished the plugs for the rack, bought some cheap male brake line fittings, machined a bit off and plugged with an M6 grub. The supply lines were plugged with off the shelf hydraulic plugs.

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I got a really good price on a set of Mk2.5 Big Brakes on eBay, arrived looking like they'd spent a few decades in the everglades but they freed up alright. Bought a Frentech rebuild kit with new pistons and seals and I'm part way through shotblasting the calipers and carriers.

Waiting on the rotisserie to arrive for the moment. Should hopefully get the big brakes rebuilt this next week too

Tom

[Mazda Mender]

Why the so called large sports brakes'...they are nothing but hassle and not as longer lasting and reliable as the standard 1.8 units already on the roadster...
Love the frame ...
M-m

[Lumphammer]

It's a fair point, my road car has them from factory and they do sieze a slider pin every couple of years. This one won't be out in the elements all year round, it's a summertime track car and I expect I'll be giving the brakes more servicing than a road car in any case. If I don't get on with them I can always swap back

Tom

[John&Luke]

Very good write up. Please keep us all updated.

[Natehd9]

Nice work, you're in a similar position to me (albeit seemingly you're cracking on much quicker than I am!)

What's your plan with the frame rails? I bought 2 bits of 2mm mild plate from Metals4U (measure 820x210mm if you needed to know!) and then stuck them through the sheet bender at work, yet to cut the old ones off to replace, but slid over the top of the originals which received a serious hammering and they're the right size! The only downside is delivery cost as much as the material, I should have bought some 0.8/1mm plate for making blanks to clean up holes in the engine bay really...

[Lumphammer]

Similar to yourself in constuction but my friend advised me to go for 1.6mm sheet as opposed to the 2mm I was going to use. I'm going to put a few 20mm holes in the underside for drainage. I'm holding off making them until I get the car on its side but my plan is to drill out the gazillion spot welds in the bashed rails, cut a few slots and pry out. Then drill the repair sections for plug welds into the floor and the strengthening sections at the end. Probably put a few small holes with M4 nuts / screws to pull it in together for welding.

I think I'll have a job getting the floor near straight. I think I'm going to have to work a lot of this out on the job!!

Just seen you thread

Tom

[Lumphammer]

Had a few days machining spacers and stuff to mount the rotisserie to the car - made them out of alu, have a lot of it around from offcuts accumulated over the years.

Ended up using 3 of the M6 bumper mounts on each side to a plate. Would have prefered larger but it seems to be ok. The rears are really easy, there's big 10mm holes everywhere.

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Used a engine crane a lot to slowly walk the car upwars to the rotisserie mounting height, took ages but nothing broke so I'm happy with it

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Seems to hold alright, quite solid

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Best start chopping and learning how to weld now

Tom

[Mazda Mender]

M-m

[blackyb]

Love the approach work etc.

Wish I had the space and time.

Got my eye on another mk1 that needs a good tidy up and would be the ideal starter project for me in my planned retirement in the very near future.

It will be my second retirement tho, first one lasted six weeks ?