Bit of tidying...

Since I started stripping the Mazda, I've just been dumping it all in my garage which doesn't really give me any space to get on with the Scimitar.

Anyway, this evening I had a reshuffle in the shed, popped in some shelves and shifted everything from the RX8 in there (except the heavy mechanical bits - suspension subframe/gearbox).

So I can now make a start stripping the Scimitar down to chassis and body.

I still have one front seat in the garage, well, in the Scimitar actually as the door got closed and I can't open it! No prob though as the RX8 door handles/locks/central locking and electric windows will be going in there.

Going to have a bit of a reshuffle in the garage over the weekend so I can get the heavy mechanical bits in there and then get on with stripping the Scimitar.

That's that stripped then.

So, the Mazda went from this

 to this:

but giving me

Plus the wheels, seats, dashboard, wiring loom, central locking, alarm, electric windows an awesome sounds system, steering column and column switches, abs etc etc.

So, I finished stripping the car this morning but this afternoon had to get on with the garden as we have a fence run with just grass up to it that has never had anything done other than mown. As we are having a few people around in a couple of weeks, thought we ought to do something with it. A quick trip to our favourite garden centre - Capel Cottage Garden Nursery and got some plants.

After "deturfing" the bit of ground, turning it over, putting the plants in the ground and covering with chippings, we ending up with this:

which I think looks a bit better:)

The next job to do is store all the Mazda bits and pieces, then start stripping the rest of the stuff off the Scimitar - front/rear suspension, running gear, interior etc and disposing of it.

Till then then!

Too much on..

Sadly, not much to report this past week as I keep finding (or being found) other things to do.

I am hoping to finish stripping the RX8 this weekend (need to really as landlord was asking about it today) but have to take my mother to see a good friend on Saturday afternoon (fingers crossed for a speedy recovery Pam!), who was hit by a drunk driver and is very poorly at the moment.

Only really have the loom/dash and front subframe that I need to remove but also want to get the front and rear bumpers off as they'll have a small resale value.

Once the strip is completed I can box it all up and put it in the shed and proceed with stripping the Scimitar down and disposing of surplus parts - all the front suspension, steering rack/column, rear axle etc etc. Separate the body and chassis and get shot blasted.

Then it'll be on with the mods to the Mazda subframes to fit Scim :D

But that's getting ahead of myself so till Sunday for an update :D

That was quite a good (fathers) day

Made a start on the RX8 dismantling - surprised how light some of the parts were!

This is me working hard when friend James came to say "hello".

I have a few bits and pieces that I'm going to sell - be good to recoup some of the cost of the car - free donor would be great!

It's a bit "redneck" but didn't involve me getting under the car so don't panic. When I needed to get under it was lowered onto axle stands :D

I got the rear subframe assembly out and have also managed to remove all the from the back of the car to the A post.

Over the next week or so (it'll be a bit slower as I have to work!) I want to get out the whole dash assembly, steering wheel/column, pedal box, engine and gearbox, brake and clutch master cylinders, abs unit and associated pipework etc, radiator, front subframe assembly and anything else that may appear useful.

If you need RX8 boot/bonnet, both front doors (bare), rear light clusters/ front/rear bumpers - give me a shout!

Till the next one!

Got it....

The donor that is.

And I started taking it apart which proved slightly problematic as the further I get, the more I thought "Ooo, that might be useful!"
You know - things like electric folding mirrors, electric window winders - brilliant system as the inner door panel has everything bolted to it. Winder mech is fab and might be useable in Scimitar
I've got all the seats out

The actual runner is attached to the black panel and is lifted/lowered by wire!
I'm also planning on using the door handles/locks etc as, if all goes according to plan and I use all the Mazda wiring, the alarm immobiliser etc with key fobs will be in use too (incl remote boot opening :D )

Tomorrow the disassembly starts in earnest - gearbox, both subframes and gearbox. I'll also get doors, tailgate, lights, bonnet, front bumper off and onto ebay and try and get some of my £300 back :D

On the downside, I broke the screen on my S6 Edge + (fortunately it's insured!!!)

Hahaha..

Well, the other day I got a bit bored and looked for a Mazda RX8 to use as a donor for

Front and rear subframes complete with relevant brakes/steering/driveshafts/diff etc etc
Pedal box and master cyclinder
Steering column and rack
Wheels
Mirrors (maybe?)
Ignition switch
Handbrake and gearlever
Seatbelts and catches
Dash (may use some of it)
Centre console
Seats (both front and rear)
Gearbox/propshaft and flywheel/clutch assembly as I'm going to make an adaptor to join this box to the Lexus V8 - no idea how it'll last but all this is so cheap, who cares.
Wiring loom
Window motors/mechs and switches
Door locks and central locking stuff
Keys
anything I find that might be useful in bringing the Scimitar up to date.

erm, and whaddya know.

I won it :)

So, tomorrow afternoon, I hire a trailer and go and collect this:

As is usual, this has suffered rotor tip wear so the engine and rest of it will be going in the bin. Shame really, as they are quite nice cars but just not worth spending money on saving.

Hope to have some pics up over the weekend.

Download!

So another "not much to post" post as I went to Download at Donington Park on Sunday - left home at 8.30 and got to Premier Inn at 11.00 - about 160 miles in 2 1/2 hours. Great run up there but as I couldn't get into my room, ambled off to Burger King for some "food" (Whopper and chips), then went to Fosse Park shopping centre to pass some time.

Finally got room at 1.30 so washed and changed and left to do the 20 odd miles to the Fest. THREE AND A HALF HOURS !!!!!!

Missed most of the Disturbed set but saw all of Nightwish (best band in my little world atm) and having seen the mud soup that was the car park decided not to stay the end when I guess 10,000 cars would be trying to get out of some very muddy fields. I'd heard of some Kent residents didn't get back to this county till gone 6 the following morning after last year's gig. 

Anyway, on the car subject, I tried a Buy it Now on a motor I'd like to donate front and rear subframes, and quite a lot of the interior but eBay/PayPal had a hissy fit and wanted me to change my address etc. In the end I've just bid on it and will see if I win.

I'm thinking about another daily driver to go with the Old Dog (my Rover 75 Tourer 2.5 V6 Connoisseur which I absolutely love!). Now, the choice is a bit bizarre for a petrolhead but I think Jay Leno hit the nail on the head, when he said that most people really don't car what powers their car so long as it gets them from a to b in a timely and reliable manor (to which I'll add excludes anything german - three Audis, two BMW's, a Merc and a VW Golf all on Saturday.  So I'm going to have a look at the Vauxhall Ampera. Work is three miles from home and the vast majority of my journeys are within 20 - 30 miles - all of which will be covered by electricity and charged batteries which work out at about £1 for 45 - 50 miles (as opposed to £7 - £10 for petrol). With free rfl I reckon it'll pay for itself :D Watch this space!

A bit quiet...

at the moment.

I was hoping to finish the trailer this evening but it has been er raining and as it's outside and I'd rather not have interesting paint patterns I'll wait till tomorrow.

The car will have a bit of a delay as the seller has somehow managed to send the wrong V5 off to the dvla despite giving me the right "new keeper" bit and I'm a bit reluctant to get carried away till sorted. I'll ring him tomorrow.

I'll  probably take three body off and strip the rest out anyway 😂

A bit of an aside...

As I'll be having to move various bits and pieces of the car to numerous locations - such as shot blasting for chassis/paint for shell  (though I'll be doing the prep work) I decided to build a trailer. Ordered some 80mm x 40mm x 2mm steel box/suspension etc etc and got to work.

Had it towable in six hours then had to go away - so it rained. Today I've started cleaning it up ready for painting.

Hopefully get it primed/painted and boarded by the weekend.

New Project

Ok, so I sold the last project (Deimos) just over four years ago, then a couple of years back got myself an MG TF which I was going to swap engines with a Rover 75 K Series turbo but following a minor ding kind of lost interest so that got sold around Xmas 2015.

A friend of mine has an early Scimitar and done a cracking job on the restoration which got me thinking.

It took a while of thinking and umming and aaring to decide on getting one which I did a few weeks back.

I bought it from a chap who was going to restore it but had a change of plan.

Now, one of the things that appealed to me is the fact that body and chassis are separate so I can get on with both parts at different times and both need an awful lot of work.

That's the car on the recovery truck bringing it back to my place:)

Once home the investigations can begin.

Obviously the Ford Essex V6 and auto box will be going in the bin (or sold, which as it would happen is what has since happened with the engine and box being collected tomorrow) as I'm going to put a Lexus 1UZ FE V8 which has around 260bhp though without cats and better exhaust should be a bit more. Collected that today.

As it happens I also got the old engine etc out today.

I also started removing the interior today with friend and nayybarrr James which was a laugh as nearly every nut and bolt has seized so out with grinder (James's:) ).

This is just to get the seats out!

Anyway, I think that'll do for today, there's a load more that I could add that I've been up to over last couple of weeks but.....