Rexanne - Gold s2 restoration project

[Nik da Greek]

Hopefully a V6?

[Steve-A]

Sorry to disappoint guys but its a 2.0 Twin Spark. It does lack the power and sound of the v6, but fuel economy is better and the weight distribution is better too.

She\'s done plenty of miles, about 140k, but with full service history, 9 months MOT, 4 month tax, what looks like recent suspension bushes and fairly recent cam belt change and for £850, I think it was a good deal.

And at that price, less than 1/4 of what the mx7 sold for, it leaves me plenty of money for rotary goodness!

[Nik da Greek]

Bargain, nice score! I understand a cam belt change on a V6 is around six hours labour , so perhaps it\'s best this way anyway. Still a fine handling car even with the four-pot after all :Thumbs-up

[TiddlesRX7]

maybe the FC brake conversion parts will be winging their way to me soon hopefully !

I\'ve a set of shiney TII front callipers for sale if you go this route.

[Steve-A]

Seem to be on a bit of a go slow with Rexanne at the moment.

The weathers not been helping! I need dry days to paint, but whenever its been dry its been really cold also which the paint doesn\'t like!

Still I\'m amassing a reasonable stack of parts (including Ade\'s callipers soon hopefully!) and if the weather plays the game and I can finish painting the axel and tank thursday/friday then over the weekend I can begin to put the back end together.

That said I imagine thursday and friday will probably be reasonably full of picking up the Alfa and giving it a service/fixing a few niggles.

I had an interesting phone call with Jon at the weekend which has given me some things to think about, and I\'m just doing some more research but I\'m hoping to order supension and brake parts soon!

[CHC (RIP)]

Put a deposite down on this today!
 

1stly like the choice of transport mate - always liked the Alfa and although I\'d normally choose a light coloured vehicle, like this colour a lot (looks to me like an anthracite shade with a hint of blue).

Didn\'t know what car you would choose as your \'run around\' but fair to say that you haven\'t disappointed us - a bit like myself, choosing something different from the norm.

:cool :yes

[Steve-A]

It is a straight up gun metal grey, I think it was the blue sky (!!!) reflecting that gives it a bluey hue. If I\'m honest I\'ve have chosen pretty much any of the other colours over this, the midnight blue, the black or the classic red. Unfortunately when looking for cheap, comparatively rare cars that need to have been well looked after then colour comes at the bottom of the priorities list!

I blame my parents for my taste in cars, they carted me found in a Lancia Fulvia for the first part of my life

[Steve-A]

Been a busy old day today.

Started off with some painting, 2nd coats on the top side of the diff, rear brake guards and tank straps.




I did the 2nd and final coat on the rear under body the other day but never pictured it.




Next up I started prepping some of the more minor metal pieces, such as the little guard that covers the fuel pump.



I\'m just gonna give these a quick aerosol Hammerite smooth silver, nice to break up the colour under there a bit and not so structurally vital to be rust proofed.

Then this afternoon I went down and had a chat with Jon at Atomic Rex about brakes and suspension. I have to say the kit he had on offer looked utterly awesome, I just need to take some time to think about where I\'m best spending my budget and getting the best and where I can save a few quid.

[CHC (RIP)]

It is a straight up gun metal grey, I think it was the blue sky (!!!) reflecting that gives it a bluey hue. If I\'m honest I\'ve have chosen pretty much any of the other colours over this, the midnight blue, the black or the classic red. Unfortunately when looking for cheap, comparatively rare cars that need to have been well looked after then colour comes at the bottom of the priorities list!
 
I blame my parents for my taste in cars, they carted me found in a Lancia Fulvia for the first part of my life

 
No shame in the Lancia\'s Steve - yeah they may have been rot boxes but they were always different and something special (okay a few of them were).

[CHC (RIP)]

Isn\'t it amazing how different it looks underneath with all the rust, c**p, filth out of the way and just to see smooth painted surfaces - I\'d call that pride.  Well done mate.

[Steve-A]

No shame in the Lancia\'s Steve - yeah they may have been rot boxes but they were always different and something special (okay a few of them were).

I meant that in a positive light! I\'d kill for an 037!

As in because my parents took me around in an idiosyncratic stylish italian sports coupe as a child I\'ve naturally taken to not following the trend to normal boring cars but lusted after the special ones, like our beloved rotary engine!

[CHC (RIP)]

I meant that in a positive light! I\'d kill for an 037!
 
As in because my parents took me around in an idiosyncratic stylish italian sports coupe as a child I\'ve naturally taken to not following the trend to normal boring cars but lusted after the special ones, like our beloved rotary engine!

Good old mum & dad - did a grand job rearing you with all the finer points in life.

[Steve-A]

:GrrrTodays been a bit up and down.

The day started well. Ian popped over to pick up his bushes this morning, was nice to meet him and to have a bit of chatter about cars

Just after Ian left though I got a call from the dealer who\'s got the Alfa, he\'s still not got all the docs :Grrr So basically if its not sorted by Sunday I\'ll be getting my deposit back and back on the hunt! I\'m very very lucky to have the old Punto to run me around in for a few days, even if I do end up feeling more like a kipper than a driver :Giggle

So anyway the sun shone, so I got on with finishing painting the axel and brake guards.




And I painted the fuel pump bracket silver, which looked nice.



Then I spent a good couple of hours finishing off cleaning off the tank. Up to this point I\'d left the old fuel hoses attached to the tank, but now I decided to take them off, so I could seal over the pipes just while I acid etched and washed it. On removing the hose from the fuel return point, this is what I found....



Not good! Anyone got any repair ideas? If not its probably time to get a new tank!

Very frustrating after I\'d put some much time into trying to save this tank so far! In a way the return line carries no real pressure, and a new home made flare on that end would do, but I\'m fairly sure now I\'ll be going fuel injected which will mean a much higher flow on the return line, and seeing as I\'m doing this properly there\'s no point in cutting corners.

[TiddlesRX7]

Not good mate. Can you source some steel tubing weld it to a plate. Cut the old tube off and weld the new plate and tube on?


On a side note I\'ve not had chance to pack up and send off those callipers yet mate. I\'ll do it in the morning for you mate.

Ade

[Steve-A]

Welding to old tanks is very very dodgy. But possibly cut out old tube and epoxy in a new one, tis a good thought!

That\'s cool about the calipers mate