779 replies to this topic

[Dog]

nope its been 10 months and counting
Although, flywheel etc is now sorted, their only 4 things left to do...

Fit my FD, get some gaskets, get some new 1275 push rods, and build it

Done by November? Doubtful - I want to take my time and get it perfect.

[Dog]

The Van has finially decided to die, and is now awaiting his winter rebuild, and this after this post, is where this thread will fall silent to what work I am doing to Flubber. I will unvale what he looks like when hes done... but for now - I am staying hush hush


So for now - let me tell you the story how flubber died....

Let me set the day out for you... Your due to catch a flight at 12midnight, so with plenty of time, you take your time to go and pick your friend up, that lives 2hrs away.

I decieded to go in the Van, as its NEVER let me down before, and after doing almost 13k miles since April this year, and never missing a beat, a small trip of 200miles is nothing. Well....

Head of to pickup my said friend, Van is trooping away as normal, but get near the M4 after going though Swindon, and the Van starts to "choke".

I put up with it, thinking its just a bit of C**p in the carb, and it'll clear........ get going properly on the motorway, the Van would rev past 50mph, foot to the floor and nothing, just plain flat, choking, couching and spluttering. Get to my destination, and the engine dies, and it found it hard to restart.

Get it going, and head to Hell-frauds for some carb cleaner, just incase it was C**p in the carb, and it needed a help.. nope, get about 5 miles down the road, and it a pull over and ring the breakdown company...

Ring the AA, explianed what the syptoms are, and that I'll NEED a tow, as I suspect it to be head gasket. This being around 1pm, found my membership had run out :doing: (lost paper work their end apparntly) So pay £120 to get a tow home... only to find as I was already broken down, they'll only tow me for 50miles, and I'll have to pay £2 per mile after that... so I agreed to it all, I needed to get home.

So sat on the hard shoulder for about 2hrs, when I get a call, "Hi, its the AA, Where are you, I can;t find you"... explained I was on J10 of the M4, and then he said "Oh, I am MILES away from there, the office has given me the wrong details"

So ring head office, and I eventully had to put onto the Manager, as the muppets on the phones were useless. Give him his due, he did try all he could to get someone to me asap. But eventually, he organsises a tow to a safe place, then arrange someone to pick us up from there.

So the first truck arrives around 5pm, and takes us to reading services (that chap was a awesomly nice man taking us there) so rang the AA again and told them I am at the services, and "politely" told the to hurry up. While eating a quick snack, the second AA man rings "Hi, its the AA, I am with your Van. Need the keys to load it onto the Dolly". So theres me skipping with joy that after ringing at 1pm, saying I had broken down, we eventaully got on our way at 6pm....

Remember now, I needed to be at the airport 2hrs before the flight... and I live 2hrs away from the Airport... so ideally need to be home BY 7.30/8pm. Get on our way as I said, 60mph all the way from Reading services to Hereford. We arrive home, finally at 8.30pm!!!!

So it was dump the Van, load the Nissan and away we went Thankfully, the Airport was Coventry, and just lucky it is a VERY small airport, so never needed to be there 2hrs before (as we thought we had to) but we got there with 40mins to go... phew.

But since getting back this morning, I have found whats wrong with my poorly Van...... the Rings in #2 cylinder have gone
Not really a problem as such, as now I can use the 998, as spares to finish the 1380

Sorry for the rant, but AA are C**p!!! I am now a member of the AA AND RAC as according the friendly AA man that took us home, the biggest problem was due to Minis being narrow, it might not fit onto the Dolly, so they were hunting round for a pickup, and a driver that was ok with going to Hereford (even though, its their job to pickup and tow home ANY member)



So Rant over, and I have this as a memory...

[MINIMON]

hey bud, sorry to hear about that, sorry ive not asked sooner but ive got all the bolts ready to send i was waiting for you to come on msn but you havent been on in a while so i will ask you now please can you send me your adress for me to send the goods

[Dog]

Cheers dude
I've not been online due to being in Ibiza. Will PM you now matey

[camp freddy]

wondered where you where.
sorry to here about old Flubber.
Hope its not too serious Matt.

[Dog]

Well dropped the subframe and engine today...
Think I've found the cause for a "ball-joint going" noise, the from pear drop mount on the subframe had gone, and the drivers side rear subframe mount had also gone. I also found on the trip to Reading last week, my gear selection felt "sloppy" and yep, yet another rubber mount had gone. Also found a split fuel pipe, a blowing LCB and a few other little things.

Going to strip the rest of the strip down of the engine bay, just the bulkhead bits to take off... then I am going to degrease and paint up

Hopefully, I should have time to start stripping the engine off the subframe, ready for me to "rebuild" the front subframe. I am still in a hunt for a 1.1/2" Socket to change my pinion on my gearbox, but thankfully, now my 998 has decided to give up, I have all the nuts and bolts I need to get the head, block, and box all together So the 1380 is nearly born.

[Dog]

Stripped the front down tonight, and flubber is rotten underneth the headlamp rings

Just trying to work out what to do, get new wings, or stuff the lot and get a flippy...
I'll pressure wash him off tomorrow, hopefully, I can start rust treating him ready for spray

[MINIMON]

i owuld go flippy dog, a quality one so it remains standard in looks, it will be easier of r all that engine work your going to have

[Dog]

If I did go flipper, I'd go for a steel front, and try and make hidden catches... Don't know yet, will access it more later, the front seems to much of a waste to just cut off...

[camp freddy]

you could always copy mine Mart

[Dog]

Ooooo a lift up front, tempting.... But I do want to try and keep it looking original. Thing is, I don't want this to become a "long" project, I just want to sort it so when I come to paint it, I know its not going to rust thought in 2 years time.

As someone just said to me, I won't even cut out my grille to put a chrome one on, so why do I want to put a flippy on?

[camp freddy]

Ooooo a lift up front, tempting.... But I do want to try and keep it looking original. Thing is, I don't want this to become a "long" project, I just want to sort it so when I come to paint it, I know its not going to rust thought in 2 years time.

As someone just said to me, I won't even cut out my grille to put a chrome one on, so why do I want to put a flippy on?

only mentioned it as minimon had already suggested it . keep it as it is
as i don't want you nicking my ideas LOL.

[Jammy]

Keep it standard front! Even compared to a steel flip, it'll look better IMO.

[Dog]

only mentioned it as minimon had already suggested it . keep it as it is
as i don't want you nicking my ideas LOL.

Keep it standard front! Even compared to a steel flip, it'll look better IMO.

Think you guys are right, been chatting to a lot people about it. Seems its wise to keep the front on, as like I said, its a waste to cut the front off, as its only the headlamp ring areas that are a little cruddy... Might flap wheel it back to solid metal, and see how bad it actually is and go from there. If need be, two new Heritage wings it is.

[Dog]

Well just got in from the shed. Didn't realise I was in there sooo long

Anyways, gearbox is back together New final drive is in, and shimmed up. Had a little trouble with the selecting forks, but soon realised reverse was engaged, and then everything fell into place after I disengaged it

Started on the block, decided I needed to upgrade my big end bolts to something a little better than standard, so started fitting ARP ones. Got fed up half way though, as one piston just wouldn't go back into place - might have another go after I've had this little break, but its all going well

Going to spend most of my nights now in the garage, building my 1380, as to be honest all I need are gaskets, and a flywheel now I might put a sneaky piccy up of what it looks like in the end - but I am sure you've all seen a A-Series by now