Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby phil dawson » Wed Jun 01, 2016 12:27 am

Just read this tonight from start to finish, what a brilliant read.....are there no limits to your talents Chris/Joe, what a Team.
Can't wait to see this one on the road.

Phil
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby chrismc » Sun Jun 05, 2016 6:15 pm

Thanks Phil, it was yours and Davids build threads that planted the seed for this restoration :D

David,
I remember getting a bump on my head


....I did wonder :D

For me the doors have been the most time consuming, complicated, frustrating and boring parts of the resto so far

:pullhair:

It has taken three days to build up both doors and hang them. even then I am not happy with the way the drivers side closes.

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Most of the mechanisms were missing or broken on the original doors but I had a couple of estate items to scavenge off. I even used the rubber seals but had to cut and mitre them at the corners as they are slightly longer due to the shape of the window frame.

I was pleased to find out that the vapour barrier membrane that protects the door cards is still being manufactured and supplied in most builders merchants as 'rubble sacks'. Once the bags were cut to shape they were glued to the inside of the door with contact adhesive.

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Joe, Mel (wifey) and I went to pick up the interior today. We had the two front seats, the back seats and a full set of door cards recovered for a very reasonable £450. I am happy with the results and the price as a set of door cards from East Kent Trim is £385... :roll:

I used BMW door clips to hold the cards on which fit well and are 8mm like the originals. They are very brittle though and shatter if you are rough with them.

The vinyl on the seats needs to settle in a bit and it would have been nice if the stitching had lined up with the front and rear cards but over all very happy. Jackie the upholsterer is based in Doncaster and is recommended ( 07824448527).

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The Seat Belts are Securon 500/15. I had to weld in a mounting for the inertia reel.

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The carpet has been ordered from East Kent Trim and has a lead time of 3 weeks so brakes and mechanicals until then 8)
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby phil dawson » Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:06 pm

Chris,

You Guys are doing a wonderful job there, keep it up.

Phil
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby chrismc » Sat Jun 18, 2016 9:27 pm

:pullhair: Well last weekend was a bleedin' nightmare.

The plan was to fit brake pipes on Friday, bleed them on Saturday and get the engine wired up and attempt a start up on Sunday.

Sounds simple?

What actually happened was I took all day Friday making and fitting brake pipes which was fine. On Saturday the back brakes just would not bleed up. When I disconnected the pipe that goes to the rear it became apparent that there was no pressure. I removed the master cylinder (several times) to check if I had rebuilt it correctly but I was flogging a dead horse. The cylinder was obviously worn out.

I went inside and opened a bottle of red... :cry:

Sunday (headache). Whilst I tried to source a new Master cylinder we decided to get the engine wired up and ready for a start up. First job was to set the valve clearances. I put the ratchet on the crank pulley nut to turn the engine to TDC and it would only move 1/2 an inch in each direction before a 'CLONK' was heard. Joe identified the noise as coming from the bellhousing area.

It then dawned on me that there were 2 different size clutches. We are running an HB gearbox and a Chevette engine and the pressure plate was interfering with the bellhousing. We took the gearbox off and could see the witness marks where the contact had occurred. I told Joe we would have to order a new clutch but he suggested we 'trimmed' the bell housing a little. When I looked a little closer the amount of material that needed to be removed was minimal so this was done and the gearbox successful fitted. I am proud that my Son has inherited my botching ways... :lol:

David (1972Nail) replied to my Master Cylinder wanted ad suggesting 2 alternatives that may fit. The first was a TR7 item which looks identical but probably has metric pipe fittings, second was off a late rubber bumper MGB. This had a different shaped reservoir. The TR7 one cost £170 and the MGB one £59. Guess which one I chose :roll:

The original cylinder is on the right.

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This bolted straight on and connected up after the brake unions were changed for metric items.

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When it came to filling the cylinder with fluid the front chamber (back brakes) would not fill due to the angle the reservoir was sitting. It crossed my (botching) mind to drill through the partition between the two reservoir chambers but this would have effectively turned it into a single circuit system. In the end I drilled a hole in the top of the master cylinder, filled it via a funnel and plugged the hole with a grommet. :whistle3: :oops:

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Surprisingly this has worked and doesn't leak at all. Thinking about it later all I had to do was jack the car up at the back and the front chamber would have filled. Remember, I make these mistakes so you don't have to :lol:

The brakes bled successfully :hourra:

The rest if the day was spent wiring the ignition and making up HT leads.
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby 1972nail » Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:38 pm

Good to see I'm not the only bodger in the Firenza world!

I think I had suggested swapping the old and new resevoirs over but looking at the MGB cylinder, now that it's fitted, probably taking the reservoir off and turning it around would have done the trick.
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby chrismc » Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:48 pm

Hi David,
I tried both of those. The original reservoir will not fit and if you turn the MGB one around the mounting bolts don't line up.
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby 1972nail » Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:53 pm

That clears that mystery up then.
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"When you have a Firenza like mine, who needs any Minis?" copyright David Maxwell 1979.
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby rizzo » Sun Jun 19, 2016 5:11 pm

Coming along nicely, wont be long now. :D
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby chrismc » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:08 pm

Got it started today.

(Click on this)

Image

Or watch on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/92WLtjltrNk

Oil pressure of 35psi on tickover.

Plenty of leaks oil and water. :D
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Re: Joe's 1972 Firenza Project

Postby fistfullofV5's » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:12 pm

It's great when you get one up and running isn't it and an enigmatic smile from Joe at the the end as a bonus,at least I think he was smiling :D
Regards,Dave.
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