Rebuilding the S1

[Kelvin]

When I was replacing the perished fuel lines the other day, I had a poke about the rest of the car and it's in a bit of a sorry state with corrosion in places. e.g.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/61762886@N ... hotostream

The paintwork is also fairly terrible at the front although not too bad elsewhere for a 12 year old car. I figured that a rebuild might be on the cards. However, I've only got a single garage. Assuming the clamshells are off the car, what do you reckon is the minimum amount of space you need around the car to be able to work on it safely?

It's slightly complicated by the fact that Ashley and I will be buying a house together within the next 12-18 months so starting the rebuild and then getting sidetracked with life leaving the car undriveable and before I know it we'll be moving and the new owners will get a free half built Elise! However, having a date that it needs to be finished by will keep the pressure on me to get it done.

The alternative is that a friend is willing to let me use one of his farm outbuildings so loads of space and it's relatively secure although it's a big barn and the other end of it is in constant use so I don't know how safe it will really be. Plus it's less convenient to use as it's 10 miles away.

Alternatively I could leave it until we eventually move and make sure we buy a place that has a big enough garage/barn for me. If I wait and do this I'll do a complete nut and bolt restoration rather than a refurb as I'll be less time pressured.

[robin]

Provided you don't want to remove the steering rack then for everything else if you can sit down next to the car (even with legs under the car) then you're all set.

I think if your garage was empty you would be OK, but it isn't is it

Wait until you move then have a double garage with dry connection to house so that you can wander in/out whenever you want; this is the only way you will get on with it. If the car is 10 miles away in a barn you may as well take it to the tip as you'll never find the time to pack up tools and stuff, get in the car, drive over, do something useful, drive home again.

Bring the car up here and I'll look after it for you

Cheers,
Robin

[campbell]

Life is never simple, eh Kelvin.

A bit of working space is highly preferable, I think. I had the incredible luxury of working on UJI, clam-off, at Sanjoy's barn last autumn and it was incredible compared to working in my relatively wide single garage.

Robin has achieved some sizeable feats in his own single garage too, I believe.

That said, if I had no choice, I'd be game to use my own garage but a couple of things would need to happen:

1. Clams off and stored elsewhere, safely. Not trivial without a van or trailer to move them!
2. Regular garage "clutter" removed...bikes, hardtop, spare wheels, timber offcuts, kids' outdoor toys etc, allowing full use of the width (oo-er)
3. Chassis generally kept in rolling state allowing swapping round to work on one side at a time. Not ideal when doing whole front or rear tasks like wishbones I suppose.
4. Serious discipline to complete tasks that make the car un-rollable, otherwise it is guaranteed to end up in there rotting!

Tough one. Only you know best how your mind works. The pressure-on route is commendable, but might easily backfire and lead to frustration, disappointment and perhaps even relationship strife (!). If the car is dry enough, I'd be tempted to wait until I'd picked the new house...avec garage double, naturellement...then start the project with the luxury of time. Remember you have that SC to enjoy now too. And you never know, by then Rachel or Ben may be up for helping (sic).

All very timely as UJI will be getting some kind of partial rebuild this winter, front wishbones at least, however I am in gentle negotiations with Herr Von Iddon regarding real estate options and something tells me he'll convince me that doing it elsewhere than Ford Motor Engineers makes more sense...

Campbell

[campbell]

PS I just saw Robin's post and reviewed mine in light of it. I wasn't far off the mark!

[Mikie711]

I have completely stripped and re-built my old S1 in a single garage. You'll need to take at least one of the clams off in the drive, which ever one goes in to the garage first IYSWIM. My garage is 2.9m wide and about 5.5m long (clear floor) but has an enormous power washer by the door and had tool boxes plus shelves up one side.
There is no substitute for floor space but you can do it in a single but you tend to spend quite a lot of time tidying up. My only advice is allow yourself plenty of time, these things have a habit of spiraling and the to do list just gets longer and longer as you discover more and more things you want to refurb/change etc.
Keeping the car as a rolling chassis is handy but when doing your wishbones make sure you get the car in a position so that you can work around it. I have left as little as 12-18" between the car and a wall and it's a squeeze but you can still get access to stuff. Bear in mind it's alot easier to work around an elise when the clams are off and it loses a fair bit of it's bulk when in that naked state.

Enjoy

[Kelvin]

Lol. Robin knows me too well.

Although my garage isn't actually too bad. I floored the roof and put shelves up two years ago and chucked out a load of stuff so it's fairly clear and with a bit of final tidy I'd have space all around the car no trouble.

I tend to work better with a deadline and under a bit of pressure otherwise I drift a bit. I refurbed all the suspension pivot points four years ago on the drive over the course of three weekends with the deadline of a French Frolic trip to make. Although I ached for days afterwards, burned myself, cut myself, and bent a wishbone in my 10 ton press!

If I'm going to do it I guess a nut and bolt rebuild is probably the best thing to do to do it properly and guarantee the longevity of the car and I think time might be a bit tight if we decide to move in 12 months.

Front wishbones refurb is easy enough you just need to get brave with the high speed cutting tools rather than buggering about trying to use traditional methods to undo/press out stuff that's seized. It's just a bit disconcerting using an angle grinder in a wee space with a few important bits and pieces nearby crying out to get sliced through.

[tut]

It's just a bit disconcerting using an angle grinder in a wee space with a few important bits and pieces nearby crying out to get sliced through.

Piece of piss. Alan will show you how it is done.

tut

[Kelvin]

Bring the car up here and I'll look after it for you

Cheers,
Robin

Could do. I'd need to put the other seat back in as the daft bucket seat is no use for you as you know. That said, it's no use for me now either as I've gained a few pounds over the last couple years and can't sit all the way back into it properly. Middle age spread. Plus I've become too stiff to clamber in and out of it.

[Kelvin]

It's just a bit disconcerting using an angle grinder in a wee space with a few important bits and pieces nearby crying out to get sliced through.

Piece of piss. Alan will show you how it is done.

tut

I cut every bolt off the car nowadays if it gives the merest hint of reluctance to undo. Once you pop your cherry it's gets easier.

[robin]

I had to get the Previa into the garage last night (just fits - I was surprised) and use the angle grinder left handed to cut away the old spare tyre frame lock bolt that runs up into the boot. I think that's the first bolt on the Previa that's been WMD'd (it's a '96). Despite the vintage of the car Toyota still stock spares, including that part, so now has a shiny new mofo and covered in coppaslip for good measure.

Funnily enough I contemplated a nut-and-bolt rebuild of the Previa for about 15seconds ... you just cannot buy that kind of car anymore and we've had ours from new. Despite looking like a shed it's still in reasonable condition. Would be great to get another 100K out of it. The problem is that is has a steel body and floor pan. The body work can be tackled if rusty, but the floor pan is a tougher proposition - ideally you would remove it, clean and galvanize it, but too big and has the chassis rails welded to it Anyway, it's not worth the effort really, just sentimental.

Cheers,
Robin

[alicrozier]

Thinking about the single garage work and also for my relatively generous doubler (as it needs to get another car in), it would be great to have some way of moving the whole chassis around while it's jacked up (suspension off for example)...some kind of jacking point frame on castors...





Sounds like a project...

[Mikie711]

Something like this

[Kelvin]

It's funny you should post that. When I was at Silverstone earlier this week the workshop beside Earls was some kind of Porsche restoration place and they were wheeling a race car around on something not too dissimilar. They wheel the cars around on dollies at Lotus.

[campbell]

They wheel the dollies around in cars at Lotus.

Fixed that for you, Kelvin.

Back on-topic, and a dolly solution probably has a lot of potential, particularly with the Elise being relatively light...especially with various bits removed. I think my father in law could knock one out...he's OK with metal...if you don't mind burrs and sharp edges

[Mikie711]

Have to be careful putting an, even partially stripped Elise on a dolly. They are quite tail heavy and if you positioned tha rear of the dolly at the jacking points it would probably fall off the back. Would need to be extended to support the chassis rails by the engine or have a means of securing the car to the dolly. Other than that it would be handy.