It’s been a long project to get this car back on the road! I started working on the car as a way to improve my mental health, and give myself a way to focus my mind while trying to process my own grief.
That was in April/May 2020, and now 16 months down the road, where is the restoration of the car at?
The car started off on the driveway, where it had been for the last 3 years since we moved house. I knew there were a few issues with it – the power windows had barely worked when I bought the car and had since stopped working, there were a few relays that needed replacing, and a few other minor things.
However, having been sat for so long in our glorious British weather I had noticed that the sills were starting to rot, and this was going to be a big job. I have welding experience, and tackled the job myself, ordering some new panels online. Its taken nearly a year, to get to a stage where the rust is gone and replaced with new metal – but the end is in sight!
Other jobs that have appeared since, or I’ve taken the time to do are:
- Make new rear seat covers (the original fabric was falling apart)
- Replace the headlight wiring loom and upgrade the headlight bulbs so that I can see in the dark.
- Put LED lights in the dashboard, to illuminate the dials at night
- Replace the front shocks and springs, as a previous owner had cut the springs to lower the car.
- Refurbish the front anti-roll bar and upgrade the bushes to PU.
- Replace the electric window motors.
- Repair the drivers seat which had the usual bolster damage.
- Fit a new radio with Bluetooth support.
- Replace the clutch slave cylinder and clutch fluid pipes.
- Replace the brake discs and pads all round, plus new brake fluid
- Replace the rear shocks
- Replace the gear gator, to prevent exhaust entering cabin
- Replace the rear hatch seal and struts
- New throttle cable
- New gear linkage
- Repair front door cards with 3D printed support brackets
- Replaced fuel lines with modern rubber
- Fix fog lights
- New fan relay
My aim was to get the car passed it’s MOT test by the end of the summer. It’s nearly there, a few more days work and it’ll be ready for the test. Watch this space!
WILD SPIRIT 