Finally after 2-3 weeks looking, I have a donor, it's a 1990 1.8 CVH Engine, just failed it's MOT. I collected it up last night.

Donor Car £50
Trailor Hire £30
Haynes manual £4 (ordered from Amazon)

Total £84, so still under the £250 budget
I still need to get a 41mm socket.


Donor1

I'd like to say thanks in advance to everybody on this forum, as I will be asking alot of questions!!

Thanks to Mark/Colin at MAC#1 for answering a good few questions allready, also to CaLviNx Mark for coming along and checking out the donor with me.

Can't wait to get started.....

Woooohoooo

looks liek a beaut

I managed to borrow the required 41mm socket from the garage I use for MOTs - always worth asking - you don't want to blow your £250 too quickly

I'm two months in front of you.

Got hold of a donor on 4th March and have worked on it one day per weekend and one night per week. Finished stripping it last weekend and shell was picked up last night.

Worst bit for me was removing the diff as the aluminium had corroded where the long bolts pass through attaching it to the car. Took a whole day to remove with special penetrating oil, a lump hammer and some M12 threaded rod!

Haven't started trimming down the loom yet though!

Best bit is the collection of parts in my garage ready for me to clean and paint.

You will find it all straight forward if you do it step by step. Give me a shout if you want anything confirming.

I got an £11.41 41mm x 3/4" socket from DraperDirect and a £6.95 CK 3/4" breaker bar from Dave-TGTS, both on ebay. Borrowed a 2m length of 2" steel heating pipe to go over the breaker bar to loosen the hub nuts and it was still hard work (lifted the car off the ground at first). Just remember to keep the handbrake assembly in tact in order to lock the back wheels so they don't spin when you're removing the nuts!

I woud'nt advise removing the hub nuts, only required on the front if the bearings are nakered. On the back I think it's the same story.. You've got to do them up really really tight on the serria (with new nylocs)!! Thing is if you have to get the torque correct... I don't fancy the nut's coming lose...

Only my opinon mind, plenty have changed the bearings as a matter of cource...

Dan

[Edited on 12/5/06 by Bluemoon]