VAK 1972 Clan Crusader

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VAK 1972 Clan Crusader

Post by bks974c »

Just brought home another Clan, its in the right colour and has the perfect patina for track daying.

Changed the plugs and it fired right up :D

It's well know to some on here. Si sold it to a guy who wanted to race it but because of the injection wasn't able so sold it onto the person I bought it from, owned it almost to the day for 7 years. He did a few track days and autotests, a couple where I've been out at the same time but largely little used, don't think its changed much since Si sold it on and in my opinion will benefit from a thorough refresh.
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Re: Another Clan

Post by Grahame59 »

I've always loved this Clan. It used to be owned by my friend Grahame Harden (and, yes, his name is spelt the same as mine!) who was a long-time Imp Club member and has owned many Imps and this car before moving onto some very rapid Westfields. He did the initial sprint prep of the Clan before Si bought it and the roof bulge was necessary as he was well over 6' tall. For a while it had my old Clan's 998 engine installed (which was assembled by Lotus-e-Clan, small world, though I subsequently added twin 40s) which I suspect may possibly have still been in the car in this excellent vid of Grahame in a St Eval sprint, near to his then-home in Cornwall.



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Re: Another Clan

Post by ibbo »

i had a fantastic duel with mr harding in this car when it was fitted with the 1040 motor at curbourgh sprint track he made me work very hard for a class win in my davrian pleased to see the car is still around
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Re: Another Clan

Post by colimp66 »

Oooh!!! That s nice Scott 8)
2 Clans to thrash around in now.

Lucky man. :wink:

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Re: VAK The rebuild starts

Post by bks974c »

One of the things I had identified that needed sorting was to mount the seat properly as it was simply bolted to the floor, not the best idea as the floor is very flimsy in a clan. The plan was to make brackets that mount to the transmission tunnel and inner sills just like the originals, the first problem was gaining access to the inner sill as they had been filled with expanding foam, the second was the roll cage prevented access to the hole in the rear quarter.
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So after removing the seat and roll cage I started digging out the expanded foam using various tools, eventually got the drivers side done then started on the passengers, getting on well until I spotted a bit of loose fiberglass on the sill and had a poke which revealed wet wood and with a bit more digging a hole.
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No worries as would have liked to move the coolant pipes into the sills so I can fit a passenger seat and will now be able to do this :D

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Re: VAK The rebuild starts

Post by rhydian_mason »

how much of a job is it to get the foam out of the sills - I have a very similar set up to your in mine and want to route pipes down the (foam filled!) sills!
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Re: VAK The rebuild starts

Post by Impecunious »

Been over this many times before but, fwiw, the original Crusader had 2 holes in the outer sill base (front and rear) to let out rainwater. Unfortunately, the front wheelarch panels covering the door hinges were not sealed and neither were the lower hinge brackets which you see on the front of the horizontal sill surface when you open the door. The former allows road surface water to be driven past the panel edges and into the sill, the latter allows rainwater to drip through into the sill. As the inside of the sill plywood was not sealed with grp resin or anything else, the sills rot all along the lower length. This is exacerbated by the drain holes becoming easily blocked by twigs, mud and other fine debris. Anyone cutting a rotten sill out of a Clan will be familar with the mountain of muddy cr*p that is usually removed from the floor/sill joint.

The engine bay side diaphragms don't even have drain holes at the bottom. The body sections behind can fill with water driven through tiny holes in the inner wheelarch laminate by the rotating roadwheels. It can be somewhat puzzling to hear fluid sloshing about somewhere behind the driver's head....

I drilled engine bay drainholes in one Clan many years ago and got a good gallon of water out in total :shock:

'The world's most rotproof motor car'..... :roll:

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Re: VAK The rebuild starts

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

And another often ignored variable is the percentage of the time the car spends outside.

It's not so much the time spent being driven - the movement and heat generated inside the shell offset wet driving conditions to a degree, but it's rather the percentage time standing just doing nothing. - And that probably includes being parked under the full-range of unfavourable drainage angles allowing water accumulate within the structures left right and centre (for days, weeks, months, years - delete as appropriate).

Given that most classics we tend to be interested in have 'weatherproofing design faults', th classic previously owned by enthusiast(s) with a garage used as intended (for cars, not human detritus) is likely to remain structurally most original as time goes by.

Checking previous owner's abodes (and garaging habit in particular) throughout the history of the car (if only that were possible!) would be more revealing than most of the 'thorough' pre-sale inspections undertaken by most of us. :)
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Re: VAK The rebuild starts

Post by Impecunious »

Just quoting P.H. again Scott.

If you leave out all the plywood and the non-Imp steelwork which was given one coat of chassis black, the shell itself is pretty damn good. Use Airex cored grp diaphragms and galvanised/stainless/properly protected steelwork and it probably is the world's most rotproof motor car :)

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Re: VAK The rebuild starts

Post by bks974c »

Gluing the Clan back together beats welding but takes longer than I thought but no grinding of welds :lol:
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Re: VAK The rebuild starts

Post by bks974c »

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Thanks Andy
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Traffic cone 1 Clan O - Happened at an Autotest with previous owner.
Left at cone - what cone :lol:

Bad case of glass worm too :wink:
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by Impecunious »

Pre-glassing preparation looks very thorough Scott - well done. Bet you've gone through a face mask or two and had a few lukewarm showers... 8)

Did you paint the back of the diaphragm with resin before you fitted it? Anything behind the boxed in B post section you have made up (eg foam)? Did you pressure test the cooling system pipe joints before laminating them in?

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by Impecunious »

I don't think foam behind the B post section you have made is going to do much except as part of a wider sound deadening program Scott. I just wondered if you had run any sort of stiffening eg. paper rope, from the floor to the roof in the corner of the door pillar/B post.

As you know, the Crusader B post is an air outlet route next to the rear quarterlight, and drain channel into the sill for rainwater driven through the air vent. I take it they have been sealed off on VAK? The Irish car has a rudimentary rectangular cross section grp roll hoop across the rear of the roof and down the B posts.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by 617sqn »

Back in the day (early 1980's) I was briefly involved with a couple of guys running in the Slik50 race series, in SD1's and Capri's. They used to fill box sections with expanding foam to increase the stiffness of the chassis : strictly speaking it was illegal, but still went on. Further to this, my own experience of allegedly "closed cell" foam is that it certainly isn't closed, and it can and will act like a sponge. In steel cars this is bad enough, but in a plywood based vehicle I'd say it was worse as far as introducing out of sight rot. Mk 3 Cortinas had foam injected into the lower rear sections in the boot, and this led to much rusting. Not a major problem in the Slik50 cars as they were laid up more often than used, not usually being everyday cars. Unless you can guarantee that it cannot get wet, I'd personally avoid using it. Just my thruppence worth.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Today spent modifying MX5 seat runners and adding in the front support for the floor.

Fitted roll bar so I could see how it affected the seat position, the diagonal restricts the amount it reclines but that's the passenger side so not really going to effect me :lol:
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Trial fitted the seat - this is not the one that will be used
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Taken outside and the dust cleaned off before turning around to do the other sill
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by 617sqn »

Indeed it is :D However, I quite liked the green tinged colouring in the first few images, but now I see its lairy yellow :shock: Blimey, but thats bright ! :lol:

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Other side stripped out and panel trial fitted.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Hope you both had a great holiday and Sandra now allows you some time in the garage.

Used your diaphragm to make them so still have that as a template, however it will be a long time before they will need replaced again.

Roll cage falls in and out with ease unlike yours :roll:

See you on Monday.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

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Getting a bit carried away with the refresh and now turned into a complete restoration but I suppose do it once do it right applies

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Re: VAK Stan d overcome with tiredmess

Post by bks974c »

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Stan d overcome :lol:
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Re: VAK Stan d overcome with tiredmess

Post by bks974c »

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Repairs to the repairs when the lowered floor had been removed.
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Finished

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Re: VAK Stan d overcome with tiredmess

Post by bks974c »

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Came across some MX5 switch gear in stock which with a little work will be a very neat solution - can also make the self cancelling unit work :D
Will need to wait until suspension back on to set it up, need to ensure I don't catch the stalks when turning the steering wheel.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

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Underside completed.
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Preparing brackets etc for refitting.
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Wishbones strengthened.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Looking for a change to fibreglassing so thought I'd have a look at the engine, surely wouldn't need much if anything after it was running when I bought it.

WRONG :shock:

First thing I spotted was the flywheel had an unusual ridge - VAK uses a modified version of the original 930 flywheel with a disc of metal added to provide a surface for the clutch plate, on closer inspection the ridge was where the disc was lifting due to a split around one of the bolts.

I ground out the cracks and welded them up and retapped the hole, will loctite the disc back in place and then have it refaced.
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Then I removed the sump just to check the bearings, first issue was getting it apart plenty of loctite had been used and I'm sure it would have run without the nuts /bolts quite happily. After I got the bearing caps off :twisted: the bearing surfaces looked fine but I wasn't happy with the witness marks on the rear.
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My thought is the bearings have been moving due to lack of crush on the mains - any no. of issues may have played a part.
I have refitted the old bearings and they do seem loose however dry fitting the new ones are much tighter.
I will check clearances with plastiguage during a dummy build.

If anyone has any views on this I'd be happy to hear them.

The big ends were perfect and a wee polish of the crank show its unmarked with NO wear.
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Wasn't really planning to remove head but now thought I should. Just as well :roll:
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Nothing initially wrong with the head, so continue stripping the block and start cleaning everything up and that when I saw the gudgeon pin on No. 4 was pushed over in the piston. Closer examination revealed a lack of circlips.
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No. 4 liner has 2 nice narrow grooves where the pin has been rubbing :roll: No signs that the circlips had failed simply forgotten about when being built.

Time to strip the head and inlets 3 & 4 show marks on the stems due to the valves hitting the pistons, there are witness marks on the corresponding pistons
where they just caught the edge of the cut outs. Again will dummy build and relieve the cut outs.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by ImpManiac »

You are right, of course. :wink: But at least it should be right from this point. If not, you only have yourself to blame! :lol: :wink:

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Back onto bodywork while waiting on bits for the engine

Masked of the newly painted floor. Its a lot easier to do the sill etc while its upside down rather than me lying on floor getting all the muck in my face :(
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1st coat of primer on - tinted yellow to provide better coverage for the top coat.
Rubbed down dry to prevent micro blistering when finished - get through a lot more paper but worth it in the long term.
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2nd coat on ready to rub down tomorrow.
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

As the property where we have the cars is being sold we are unsure whether new owners would continue to rent out the space so the need is to get my cars mobile. Time to get VAK back to a rolling shell so it can be moved if neccessary.

Cage and harness bar installed and rear crossmember bolted up.
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Last of the floor repair done, just some fabrication for the heater matrix and hopefully that will be the end of the fibreglassing.

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Today ran the fuel, clutch and brake lines and fitted the front suspension.
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Managed to get a few hours in tonight and stripped one trailing arm and got it welded up.
As I will be using slicks some of the time it puts a heavy load on the arms so they have been strengthened where they bend.

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Reinforcement similar to sport arms
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Rear of bearing housing boxed in
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Arm plated over where they crack

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

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Arm cleaned up
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and painted
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Grooves in the backplate where the handbrake lever pivots and would have prevented the cylinder from sliding
welded up and ground flat.
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Original sport arm and factory reinforcement
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additional reinforcement

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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Rear end all done
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MX5 switch gear mounted using fibreglass paste to provide a close fit
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Having run a car in the past without a heater I found it a real pain so adding one to the Clan

Initial mock up
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Mount for the heater and bar needed to attach the steering column
Original ran through where the heater is now.
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Heater sitting on its shelf
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Dash initial cut to clear the heater
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Steering column mounted
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Plumbing in of the heater
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Initial layout was neater but T piece slightly longer than straight joiner which screwed that up
Anyway it will work OK, booster pump to be added to the circuit as well as a bleed valve
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Plumbing for the radiator nearly complete, adaptor for a fan switch to be added to return pipe.
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Thanks Paul

Pulled out the interior again :?
and got the inside primed, pipes will be painted once they are proved to be leak free.
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Got less done today than I had hoped as I stayed at home until the issues on the City bypass caused by a lorry crashing into the central barrier had clear - that was 3pm :evil:

However got the interior painted
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and the calipers refurbished and fitted
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Scott
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Re: VAK The rebuild

Post by bks974c »

Clan now back to a rolling shell :D
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Rear panel filled in as fitting alternative lights
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Can't decide whether to stick with the Imp engine or do the BMW conversion, the 1200 obviously.
For £120 I can have a rebuild 998, R21 big valve engine with full engine management and injection or
£1500 - £2000 for the BMW. The appeal of the BM is it should be more robust and long lived and a bit more power wont go
wrong but the Clan is already costing a fortune but will be as I want it.

The time to make the decision is now as the plumbing and wiring for the engine compartment is next.

Scott
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Re: VAK To BMW or not to BMW now thats the question

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

For your own enjoyment as a competitive person who likes to focus on driving skills the BMW conversion would suit you/serve you better. The Clan is easily to convert to BMW and reconvert to IMP without that much hassle - but I think it would enhance the appeal of the car if you took extra care to make the reconversion (esp electric/fueling) painless for you and/or the next keeper of VAK (Clans are bound to outlive their owners!!)

When the time comes for a major engine rebuild on Jo J49on I intend to do just that - fit a BMW but make it painlessly interchangeable with the 1040. :) Clan004

EDIT: - your biggest problem will be the transaxle! BMW torque + your driving style = busted diff! You could always talk to Eric about reinforcing the tranny for high torque use ...
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Re: VAK To BMW or not to BMW now thats the question

Post by ylee coyote »

BMW all the way ...
Simple fact is it is a modern engine ,efi ,electronic ignition and brings reliability and economy with it
But it also brings POWAAA...the stats on the engines are on the pessimistic side ,the Horsepower quoted by BMW are at the wheels and are usually understated (remember the ban on m/c engines over 100 hp ?) also you are removing the cat and a very restrictive exhaust ,my guesstimate 90 hp becomes 110 -120 and 100 becomes 120-130 one 130 becomes 150 ,stick in a performance chip and another 20 hp becomes available (and runs the risk of the injectors leaning out )
So how much would you have to spend on an imp engine to get it to these kinds of power ? a lot more than I am spending to totally renovate the clan with top notch components
The transaxle issue is one that did trouble me ,but after I saw the abuse Clark gives his clan conversion ....(I know he broke it ...)
The BMW engine is a high revving ,relatively low torque engine and it is torque that typically kills transaxles ,so no turbo for me ,in saying that there are imp turbo's that seem to be ok .
To me it was a no-brainer ,If you start to modify the car ,then go whole hog ....
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Re: VAK To BMW or not to BMW now thats the question

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

No competition then. £120 wins in my book :lol:! Clan004
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Re: VAK To BMW or not to BMW now thats the question

Post by bazzateer »

Spend the 120 then sell the engine and go BMW and keep the extra cash for treats!
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Re: VAK To BMW or not to BMW now thats the question

Post by bks974c »

I will probably build the 998 up and fit it with the engine management and fuel injection that came with VAK but wire and plumb it to allow as
simple a swap in future.

Scott
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Re: VAK The rebuild continues

Post by bks974c »

Heater modified to include ducts for the windscreen
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Scott
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Re: VAK The rebuild continues

Post by bks974c »

New Rear Lights
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Need to change to a square number plate but black and silver pressed plate
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Scott
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Re: VAK The rebuild continues

Post by bks974c »

Rear quarter has been repaired at some time, nicely done apart from it being concave
so sanded back to fix.
20160426_174149.jpg
Scott
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Re: VAK The rebuild continues

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Yes me too.

I know it's not strictly legal and it's too late (even if you wanted to), and you probably already knew, but you can get shorter rectangular black and silver plastic plates that would fit in the space between the lights .. I have them on JOJASON - they are more in proportional with the narrow Clan - I now think proper sized plates look mahusive on Clans Imps and the like. :)

Also think it's better off now you've done without Graham's side scoop in the rear panel - it wasn't really any great advantage I'd guess. Clan004
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Re: VAK The rebuild continues

Post by bks974c »

Plumbing work now complete, booster pump installed, the reason the pipe work pushes out is to clear the wiper motor.
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Re: VAK The rebuild continues

Post by bks974c »

bks974c wrote:Rear quarter has been repaired at some time, nicely done apart from it being concave
so sanded back to fix.
20160426_174149.jpg
Scott
Really happy with the repair to the "dent"
20160428_164859.jpg
Then I rubbed back a couple of cracks in the paint at the base of the C pillar to find this
after chasing out the body filler. Why not do it properly its not difficult :shock: :shock:
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20160428_193933.jpg
20160428_193939.jpg
Scott
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