Magnum 2300 Resto

[MattyE]

and now for the good news...

NEW TOYS!!!!

Spax adjustable shocks, loads of superflex bushes and a pair of new track rod ends




PROGRESS!!

engine, gearbox and front suspention out


subframe after having 31 years of grime removed

all work checked and approved by the cat

parts of the subframe after an attack with the wire brush and liberal dose of "metal ready"- seems to eat the rust pretty well and leaves behind a zinc coating (thats why its all grey instead of shiny)



-matt-

[viva2300]

Lookin good Matty
Good job the motors bores are in good nick...i think +040 is max oversize on the 2300.
Also you will run into problems with emissions if you fit twin carbs to the engine. The reason a single carb was fitted to the very last of the Magnums was because they couldnt get the engine to pass the emissions checks with twins fitted, so if you want to make it a bit more lively its better to keep your eye out for a single twin choke weber setup with manifold, or maybe a single 2" SU may be ok too.
Paul

[MattyE]

oh, i didnt realise that the change to one carb was due to emissions

I thought it was just for an attempt at better fuel economy (with the oil crisis around that time)

well.. ive got a few probs with the carbs i bought off fleabay anyways, turns out that they are not a pair.. but two right handed carbs (if you get my meaning) and also have different needles / apatures in each one
the manifold that came with them is fine and for £25 for the lot im not to annoyed about the state of the carbs.. was an impulse buy so only myself to blame!

I so far have not seen any weber setups, but i will keep my eyes peeled... no mega rush at the moment im still a long way of getting the car back on the road

[MattyE]

Just realised my last post was at the end of August!

well, ive got all my front end mechanicals ready to go back in & found myself a weber setup (38dgms) as suggested by Paul

wanted to respray the engine bay before i put the lump back in.. got as far as a smooth coat of primer before the rubbish weather every weekend started in the middle of october

im so envious of people with enough garage space to keep their viva under cover! mines out on the driveway and its too wet/cold to do any work on it if it wasnt so damn windy i'd consider putting some kinda marquee/tent round it but as its just a shell balanced on axle stands with no engine/cogbox/suspention im worried enough about it blowing away as it is

-matt-

[phil dawson]

Hi Matt,
Don't despair, maybe you will be able to work on the car if we get some crisp clear frosty days, far much better than wet and windy ones. Just keep thinking of all the fun you will have once you have her back on the road

Phil

[MattyE]

cold and dry is always better than cold and wet!!

not sure how well cellulose goes on when its 0 degrees outside though

[phil dawson]

Very true, but at least the preparatory work keeps you warm...stripping, sanding etc

[viva2300]

i wouldnt try to spray when its cold Matt...the whole lot will bloom. Its not so bad if you're under cover...you can use heaters, but they arnt much cop outside!
By the way, did you manage to get a water pump?

Paul

[MattyE]

yeah i figured the sprayings going to have to wait till the weather warms up! ill be leaving that bit to my old man, hes an ex-vauxhall guy and an experienced sprayer / panel beater / prettymucheverythingelse

and yes, found a new water pump

shopping list at the moment is :-

brake master cylinder (lockheed)
brake lines - seen these on ebay...
tubular manifold & stainless exhaust system

slightly lower down the list are the "bling" bits
rear bumper
front seats - probably something a bit more modern in black
black doorcards (4door) - will experiment with black vinylcote first!
carpets - found a few places that can make these for the viva
wheels, looking at 13x6 or 13x7 minilite or similar
vinyl roof - my old man recons we can make one up if i buy the vinyl, he made&fitted the vinyl roof on his old magnum - see The Transplanter's blue magnum GCD 404N thats the one!

-matt-

[viva2300]

Matt
I will be able to help with the manifold & stainless system.
I am having one made any time now, & it will be patterned. The manifold is based on the Janspeed setup which is a lot easier to fit. It is also uprated to suit the 2.3 engine, so slightly bigger primary pipes than the original. This manifold is more efficient than the 'all 4 pipes down the back' setup. It benefits from having equal length primary pipes and 2 of the pipes come forward and go under the front engine mount, so leaving a lot more room down the back for the other 2. Its a good setup...i'll let you know as soon as its ready...probably early new year.
The exhaust system is specially designed to suit up to a 200bhp engine output. Its a 2 1/4 inch bore pipe all the way through with a 2 1/4 inch tailpipe. it has twin boxes that will be designed for maximum flow with minimum noise. Its being built by a company that designs a lot of one off systems for racing cars. they are doing the manifold too...its costing a packet!! But as we are patterning it to market, we can keep the prices a bit more sensible. I'll let you know prices as & when its ready.

Paul