Here we go then. Having been given a sorry looking 1991 Bis by my friend who's emigrating to Turkey, I thought I'd best keep a record for both my interest and your amusement.
Over the past couple of years I've worked on my friend's race cars. He competed in the Cannon Motorspares Tin Top Challenge driving a MKII Escort, MKIII Fiesta, Honda Type R and finally a rather handy Audi S3. Now, I had a hand in building the last three, doing some wiring, helping out generally and turning up at the track to push or cheer.
Here's the latest car, the Audi S3:
So, the inspiration and a little experience. With a copy of the Blue Book in hand and a host of ideas and not much ready cash, let's begin!
Problem one was getting it to my drive. Part one was easy enough, a tow rope and my trusty Micra for a tow car. My mate gave me no chance to get used to the idea as he dragged me at top speed the half mile from his workshop to my house. Good job the Fiat still has good brakes! Having unceremoniously dumped it on my sloping drive early last week, it was decided (mostly by the wife) that we should tuck it up the side of the house away from the neighbour's unforgiving gaze.
My drive is about 30 degrees uphill. Hmm, how to get a non-running Fiat backwards uphill. So, I made a wooden push bar and bolted it to the front of the Fiat, fortunately at the exact same height as the Micra bumper. It's almost like a mysterious governing body issued rules for things like that. With a daughter behind the wheel of the Fiat with a foot firmly ready over the brake pedal, I nudged the Micra against the wooden fender, slipped the clutch a lot (oh yes, burning clutch smell) and charged! With rapid backwards movement, up it went, surprised and unqualified driver daughter (she's 11) managed to steer it into place! Enough words, here's how it looks.
Not too shabby. Whatever I find, please remember it was free!
Oops, growth. Having sat outside without a cover for 5 years, it's been ravaged by weeds.
Quite complete inside, but we don't want any of that.
Engine then. My first rear engined car. The head has been skimmed, just not re-assembled. It was running before it got laid up so hopefully after a tank flush and a bit of fiddling, it'll fire again. Feel the power...
Oh, and there's a bit of this going on. Nothing major and following the experience of TonyBMW over on RetroRides, some repair sections will be made. I have some welding experience, a reasonable Mig and plenty of grinding disks. My soon to be leaving friend is putting his panel beating tools in trust with me so I get to use them.
And relax. But not that much, maybe a new front panel may be in order. Some further investigation is needed I think.
Several hours this afternoon got the interior mostly stripped. It's all going in the bin. The carpets were damp, the sound deadening sodden, but the floors look fine. The headlining almost fell out and the plastic sides were so brittle, one tug and out they came.
It's going to be stripped to an empty shell over the next few weeks ready for repairs and I might even get the engine out too. If anyone wants anything including the seatbelts (all fine) then ask fast, otherwise I'll be binning it all.
