1 Month into Chim ownership!

[MadMark911]

Hello fellow nutters!

So I picked up my 450 from Str8six at lunchtime and all I can say is that I have been grinning like an idiot all day! Helped by dry weather and some bright sunshine in the depths of Buckinghamshire - full throttle was utilised a number of times today! It's fast becoming the car I thought it could be, because I was convinced she needed quiet a bit of TLC bought her ....

So what has been done? Well I asked Jason to do their full works 12K service bar the engine oil and filter that were done before I bought the car) and go over EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb! The results have been frankly amazing and I have the selection of "advisories" that I wanted to know about.

First things first, the chassis and the outriggers are fine, just a little surface rust on the outriggers that I will get sorted before it gets any worse. I thought this when I bought it, but I can sleep at night now that I've had a professional 2nd opinion! Fuel lines and brake pipes are fine too.

She has also had a Wilwood big brake kit (great callipers, discs and bells - but st fitting kit), all new brake fluid and braided hoses all round, fuel filter, diff oil, gearbox oil, re-gapped spark plugs (they were new but set wrong by the seller), a full geometry reset and an ACT smooth bore induction kit (which helps throttle response and feels like it lets her breathe a bit better over 5,000rpm).

They also fixed:

• The slow drivers window
• Non opening boot
• Non working cigarette lighter
• The "Targa" seals against the windows - replaced with new rubber strips
• Stiff throttle cable - which wasn't fitted correctly
• Water leaks in the drivers footwell from missing gromets and the sealant around the brake fluid reservoir
• Heat shielding coming off the bonnet - fixed using some incredibly expensive heat resistant glue!
• Gear lever rattle
• Etc.

Advisories were:

• Door seals starting to perish
• Power steering may need a recon rack
• Radiator starting to show signs of age / corrosion
• Radiator hoses starting to show signs of age - recommended silicone hose kit

Firstly the suspension seems to be fine, no issues with the Bilstein springs and dampers or the bushes and the drop links are rattle free. The geometry reset (definitely recommended) has transformed the way the car feels. It's now totally stable in a straight line, under firm braking and through even bumpy corners. And yes I'm amazed how well it handles when properly set up. When I first bought it, it felt like a real handful and I didn't trust it. At all. But now she is sublime! Oh and if the shocks do go - the advice has been to replace them with more Bilstein's as they are reasonably priced, comfortable and reliable, especially the stuff made today, which has been so much better engineered than those produced when the car was new.

The new brakes are bedding in, but oh wow, what a difference (300X32mm discs, with separate alloy bells and super stiff 4 pot callipers). Adding the braided hoses and getting rid of the old brake fluid and air in the system means she now brakes "square" and evenly, with superb pedal feel. But the combination of the Wilwoods and Mintex 1144 pads is superb. Quiet, no squeaks and instant stopping power, for half the price of the AP kit. Despite the lack of ABS, I have the same confidence I used to with my various Porsches (which is my gold standard), although I've had several RS Audis and BMW "M's" with pretty good brakes.

On top of this I have bought an additional set of Imola wheels in 16" - to go with the square look and much better choice in tyres, but still looking "OE". (The Bridgestone SO2's are 13 years old and the brand new Goodyear Efficient Grips are just too soft and a bit too much of a "touring" tyre for me). The wheels are currently being refurbished and a new set of Toyo TR1's has been procured with suitably high speed ratings in 205/50/16 (they actually measure 215mm) and 245/45/16. I also have 5mm spacers, new Ford wheel nuts and new centre caps waiting to go on, to complete the look. I'll post some pics when I get the wheels back.

Next stop I'm waiting for my Clive F Decat "Y" piece (although I am tempted to change this to his "sports cat" version for ease at MOT time) and I think I would like a Mk3 light conversion and some trumpet / inlet manifold mods are definitely in order. And I nearly forgot the new Meta alarm to be fitted by Cliff, but for now, she is going to get a really good clean and polish and she will be in storage until the spring!

Edited by MadMark911 on Thursday 25th January 08:22

[Belle427]

Pretty standard stuff really, most do the silicone hose kit and the radiator is a problem but may be worth removing it to inspect and paint if its not too bad.
Fresh coolant mix wont hurt either.

[MadMark911]

Belle427 said:

Pretty standard stuff really, most do the silicone hose kit and the radiator is a problem but may be worth removing it to inspect and paint if its not too bad.
Fresh coolant mix wont hurt either.

Which is good isn't it? Nothing out of the ordinary and all as warned / advised. I'm just having to adjust to having such an old car, but the pleasure of getting her back to how she should be (and feel) is great.

[PabloGee]

The power steering rack recon was done on mine a few years ago by Lawfield Engineering during a body-off refurb. I have the record of it costing £466.10

Interestingly I thought it had gone awry when I discovered the whole rack was loose on its mount - the four bolts had worked loose. Got that sorted with new serrated stainless bolts and a bit of threadlock, then later found a loose bolt on one of the steering column UJs, steering is tight as a Yorkshireman now.

It's a lesson on keeping an eye on the general fixings, I've definitely found a couple of other bits that the bolts had loosened slightly (recommended as a service check at least), but as you say, adjusting to an older, handmade car. Love it though!

[MadMark911]

Well that price looks a bit better Pablo! Much more palatable .....

[MadMark911]

MadMark911 said:

Hello fellow nutters!

So I picked up my 450 from Str8six at lunchtime and all I can say is that I have been grinning like an idiot all day! Helped by dry weather and some bright sunshine in the depths of Buckinghamshire - full throttle was utilised a number of times today! It's fast becoming the car I thought it could be, because I was convinced she needed quiet a bit of TLC bought her ....

So what has been done? Well I asked Jason to do their full works 12K service bar the engine oil and filter that were done before I bought the car) and go over EVERYTHING with a fine tooth comb! The results have been frankly amazing and I have the selection of "advisories" that I wanted to know about.

First things first, the chassis and the outriggers are fine, just a little surface rust on the outriggers that I will get sorted before it gets any worse. I thought this when I bought it, but I can sleep at night now that I've had a professional 2nd opinion! Fuel lines and brake pipes are fine too.

She has also had a Wilwood big brake kit (great callipers, discs and bells - but st fitting kit), all new brake fluid and braided hoses all round, fuel filter, diff oil, gearbox oil, re-gapped spark plugs (they were new but set wrong by the seller), a full geometry reset and an ACT smooth bore induction kit (which helps throttle response and feels like it lets her breathe a bit better over 5,000rpm).

They also fixed:

• The slow drivers window
• Non opening boot
• Non working cigarette lighter
• The "Targa" seals against the windows - replaced with new rubber strips
• Stiff throttle cable - which wasn't fitted correctly
• Water leaks in the drivers footwell from missing gromets and the sealant around the brake fluid reservoir
• Heat shielding coming off the bonnet - fixed using some incredibly expensive heat resistant glue!
• Gear lever rattle
• Etc.

Advisories were:

• Door seals starting to perish
• Power steering may need a recon rack
• Radiator starting to show signs of age / corrosion
• Radiator hoses starting to show signs of age - recommended silicone hose kit

Firstly the suspension seems to be fine, no issues with the Bilstein springs and dampers or the bushes and the drop links are rattle free. The geometry reset (definitely recommended) has transformed the way the car feels. It's now totally stable in a straight line, under firm braking and through even bumpy corners. And yes I'm amazed how well it handles when properly set up. When I first bought it, it felt like a real handful and I didn't trust it. At all. But now she is sublime! Oh and if the shocks do go - the advice has been to replace them with more Bilstein's as they are reasonably priced, comfortable and reliable, especially the stuff made today, which has been so much better engineered than those produced when the car was new.

The new brakes are bedding in, but oh wow, what a difference (300X32mm discs, with separate alloy bells and super stiff 4 pot callipers). Adding the braided hoses and getting rid of the old brake fluid and air in the system means she now brakes "square" and evenly, with superb pedal feel. But the combination of the Wilwoods and Mintex 1144 pads is superb. Quiet, no squeaks and instant stopping power, for half the price of the AP kit. Despite the lack of ABS, I have the same confidence I used to with my various Porsches (which is my gold standard), although I've had several RS Audis and BMW "M's" with pretty good brakes.

On top of this I have bought an additional set of Imola wheels in 16" - to go with the square look and much better choice in tyres, but still looking "OE". (The Bridgestone SO2's are 13 years old and the brand new Goodyear Efficient Grips are just too soft and a bit too much of a "touring" tyre for me). The wheels are currently being refurbished and a new set of Toyo TR1's has been procured with suitably high speed ratings in 205/50/16 (they actually measure 215mm) and 245/45/16. I also have 5mm spacers, new Ford wheel nuts and new centre caps waiting to go on, to complete the look. I'll post some pics when I get the wheels back.

Next stop I'm waiting for my Clive F Decat "Y" piece (although I am tempted to change this to his "sports cat" version for ease at MOT time) and I think I would like a Mk3 light conversion and some trumpet / inlet manifold mods are definitely in order. And I nearly forgot the new Meta alarm to be fitted by Cliff, but for now, she is going to get a really good clean and polish and she will be in storage until the spring!

Edited by MadMark911 on Thursday 25th January 08:22

Just to add to this, the new tyres feel so much better and the refurbed wheels look lovely! The car is planted but has a nice supple ride, plus tons more grip and traction than I had previously - wet or dry. The tyres seem to work well with the monster front brakes that are just getting better and better as they fully bed in. I might have tested the retardation firmly on a clear section of private road at 4,000rpm in top and there was no grumbling at all.

I also reckon I don't need the 5mm spacers as I have had zero clearance issues and the wider front wheels actually "sit out" a little further than the rears for perfect aesthetics.

I have also modified my order with Clive F and I am now having the sports catted Y piece (£900 inc. VAT plus delivery). The backup will be the ACT cherry bomb system if I want more noise and to replace the rusty original system (for the looks alone I had budgeted to do so from the pre-purchase inspection).

So what have I spent? The full 12,000 mile service, with all the of the fluids changed, a geometry reset and rectifying all of the issues I outlined, plus fitting all of the upgrades was £2,000

£1,300 went on the Wilwood big brake kit, Mintex 1144 pads and braided hoses all round. The fitting cost was included in the above, but cost a chunk more than expected because the supplied fitting kit was so st! But I have some beautiful custom made aluminium brackets for the stainless hoses!

4 x 16" New (old) Imola wheels £260, new tyres £390, wheel refurbishing and fitting new tyres £300. Plus new wheel nuts, centre caps and the 5mm spacers was about £1,050 all in and I have kept the original set of wheels for now. (I should probably sell the 15" front tyres as they are literally a couple of months old and have only done 250 miles)!

ACT Induction Kit - £250 for all of the smooth hoses and the air filter. Fitting costs included in the specialist service.

So a total of about £4,600 to get everything where I wanted it to be. And I couldn't give a monkeys .... I'm happy!

Next stops - some paint (mirrors, sills and anything else that needs doing) - decatting the manifolds and fitting the Y piece .....

[porterpainter]

And you need to buy a camera to share some pictures

Glad to hear you're enjoying the car.

[MadMark911]

porterpainter said:

And you need to buy a camera to share some pictures

Glad to hear you're enjoying the car.

Actually that's a very good point - well made!

I've had to give up my photobucket account as they were going to charge me - where do you use for webhosting photos?

[sixor8]

I use imgBB since binning off photobucket. I used to use it to embed photos into eBay sales but they've upped the allowance for some items now, especially vehicles so I use it less now. I like that you can get embed codes or links as required.

You only have to pay for a pro account - https://imgbb.com/

[porterpainter]

Personally I just upload them onto PH directly

[sixor8]

Trying to get under the 2MB image limit is a chore though sometimes.

[PabloGee]

Take screenshots of your original photos?

I often end up using Photoshop, but I have it for work so easy for me.

More interested in seeing your work @Madmark!