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Last of the V8 Interceptors.. my XB Falcon Coupe

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I still haven’t decided exactly how I’m going to solve the bracket issue, but for now I just used some shorter ones that I had in the shed that I could drill to take 3 of the bolts so that I can test fit this RRS multi-link rear end (called a Mumford Link if you want to google that)

     

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    Next was to install the new lower control arms

     

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    Then it was the bracket that will hold the Coil-overs, it bolts into the mounting holes for the original diff bump stop & where the original shocks mounted into the body

     

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    Then I fitted the crazy looking link arms into the big Mumford bracket

     

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    You can see now that the brackets on the diff will be located by the lower control arm for up/down movement & by the arm of the Mumford link for left/right movement

     

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    Now the more observant of you will have noticed that the car is currently sitting side ways… now I’m not sure if you have ever felt the weight of a Ford 9” Diff with a 5 foot torque tube attached… but they are heavy… so I had to think outside of the box on how to install this, I opted for my engine hoist

     

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    That allowed me to swing the diff in & connect it to the two lower control arms

     

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Next up was to connect the arms of the Mumford link to the diff

     

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    Now I only have one coil-over bracket for the two diff brackets, so I could only install one Coil-over right now

     

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    So that’s the rear end in then I guess..

     

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    Now the links have a LOT of adjustments that can be made, but I can’t do any one that until the car is right way up & the diff is at the ride height I want… so for now here’s a look at the 3 links of the Mumford link

     

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    Then I fitted the front bracket to the end of the Torque tube

     

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    I’m not drilling & mounting this big bracket until I have the diff set up exactly where I want it, I don’t want to get the placement of this bracket wrong… now sorry for the poor lighting but it was late by the time I’d finished… but this is what the new rear suspension of the XB looks like

     

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    More hanging panel prep work needs to be done, I plan on having two bonnets for this car, one fully stock & one with the reverse racing hood scoop… so you’ve seen the work started on the bonnet for the scoop that already has the hole cut in it, next task for Mr’s XB was to strip back the original non molested bonnet that was on the car to start with

     

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    Was very happy to see that this bonnet looks as good without the paint as it did with the paint.. Now I can’t remember if I told you, but a friend took my passenger side guard to his work place to have it blasted for me, sadly it seems to have gone missing… to say that I’m unhappy is of course a massive understatement.. luckily I was able to find one no more than 10 minutes away to use.. it’s pretty good, a few small bits that need work

     

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Next job on the list was to repair the drivers side front torque box section…. Here is a pic of the good passenger side torque box, just so you can get an idea of what it’s supposed to look like

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    I had to cut the drivers one off as it was rusting badly

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    Lucky for me (well not just me for all Ford Coupe owners really), there is a guy here to makes replacement panels for this section & they are great reproductions.. same thick gauge metal & all the bends & folds in the right spots

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    It’s a great fit too… didn’t take long at all to weld this piece of humpty back in

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    Next job will be to make a new parcel shelf I think, I have to fab that bit from a combination of original metal from 2 different cars & some new replacement panels… so should be fun


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    The task over the next couple of days is to do the last of the structural work on the XB… I need to rebuild the parcel shelf section, including the bracing that joins the shelf to the boot floor (this is the bit the rear seat rests against) & of course the panel that suits under the rear window between the boot lid & the rear glass… This is very much a Mad Max movie moment as this is being built with a piece from here & a piece from there…. I’ll be using parts from 2 XB Coupes, An XB Sedan & some new rust repair panels… to make the whole section

    I bought a good rust free & unmolested rear parcel shelf out of a 4 door XB Sedan, now this won’t fit a Coupe at all…. But the middle section with the speakers holes is the same & with this one the speaker holes have not been butchered to take larger speakers over the years

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    The first step was to cut off all of that Sedan donor shelf that I don’t need & can’t use…. This bit goes in the bin

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    This bit I keep

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    Hmmmm….. looks like that new rust repair section I bought had no protection on it at all… guess I’m cleaning this back to bare metal & coating in rust treatment & primer tonight

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    Now the sides of the parcel shelf that join the speaker section above to the fat wide rear Qtrs of a Coupe are very different to the Sedans & no one makes a rust repair section yet… so I have to unpick them out of the spare XB rear end I currently have (you can see the piss poor repair done to this parcel shelf on the donor section)

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    It might be a bit easier to see how this panel with its integrated drain channel fits in if I put it in the back of my XB with no other panels in place

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    This is how the cut up Sedan section & the new rear repair section join up… you can see the 3 x seat belt mounting points on the Sedan section, they get cut off as the seat belt mountings for the Coupe are in the end panels above as you can see in the pics above

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    And now with the side section in place

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    Now with the rust repair sections cleaned up, rust treated & primed for use

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Now to start assembling this jigsaw into the XB as a complete rear parcel shelf… this is a very happy day in the Skunk Works as this is the last of the structural welding & fabrication that needs to be done. Once this piece is in it’s officially a complete XB shell again, there is still some stitch welding of certain spots to add more strength etc… but as far as missing bits of car go this is it.

     

    Started by clamping in the edge drain sections & the main shelf that houses the speakers inside the car

     

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    Then the new rust repair rear section that goes under the rear window & into the boot area

     

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    Then the rear window panel itself & the vertical section that joins the lower rear section to this rear window panel

     

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    Then the boot hinge/support sections go in

     

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Then it was out with the welder & start welding this whole jigsaw together

     

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    Then the diagonal rear seat braces go in  

     

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    THAT’S IT!!! We are done with the structural welding (yes there is still more to be done, but nothing structural)… this ****ing piece of poo is now a full solid complete shell again… I cannot even begin to put into words how this feels, it’s been 2 years of hard slog, having no real idea of what I was doing,  learning as I went with a sort of dumb I won’t be beaten mindset… I’ve had great support & help from my panel beater mate (the brains of this operation) & of course from Mrs XB herself…. Now I won’t lie.. I stood back in the shed last night with a beer in hand looking at this & I had to fight back a tear or two, there have been many days during this project that I really felt that this day would never come… I feel so good right now, I’m even allowing myself to mentally picture this thing is full colour painted up waiting for me to install all the running gear… now to start looking for a good painter

     

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    I was just starting to strip back the boot lid now this morning, but the weather has beaten it… it’s 10am Sat morning & it’s 35 degrees already & the high for today is 43 & as I have no A/C in the shed (make mental note, add A/C to the shed) it’ll get over 50 in the shed soon, so I have retreated to the comfort of the house that has A/C…. I’ll finish the boot tomorrow

     

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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    I bloody love this build and the other. :)

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Ok… so a quick pop quiz… what’s the first thing that you do the very next day after you’ve worked for months on end to get your XB Coupe back into a complete structurally sound shell again?

    If you answered “you cut off a rear Qtr panel again” then congratulations you win a bin bag full of genuine XB rust (Phone lines are now closed)

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    Now I apologise if anyone just spat tea all over their screen shouting “you ****ing muppet” at me… but let me explain my logic (or insanity, you choose)… this passenger side Qtr is never going to be right… just look at the amount of repair patch sections that are in it… with the best will in the world & even with days of work it is always going to need a good few mm of bog to ever ever look the right shape

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    Now you may remember a few posts back that I had sold my kidney when I found a genuine NOS Qtr panel, well I’ve decided that the right thing to do by the car is to do this job correctly (or as close to it as someone as halfarsed as me can get it)… so a tough decision was made, but I just felt that I would have always regretted it if I hadn’t done it… & as the car was structurally complete it’s a very simple swap as none of the other parts of the car are flexing or moving at all

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    This bit of the car at least will look right when I’m done & I’ll know that its bog free & straight underneath the paint


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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    On a build this well done and having a NOS unicorn panel you had only one choice really. Fair play and it'll look and be better.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    This is the sort of rust protection stuff I’ve been doing… so the section behind the rear Qtr panel has been wire brushed back to bare metal & then chemically rust treated before being etch primed

     

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    The window winder mechanism has been cleaned up & lubed up too

     

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    Then I used a top coating which is a thick sound deadener & rust preventative paint to completely covet the inside… you know to be sure to be sure

     

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    The NOS Qtr panel goes on tomorrow & then the car will be a complete finished structural shell… again.. hopefully for longer than a day this time…  

     

     


  • Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭biketard


    Fantastic! Congratulations on getting the shell back to where it should be (I mean, before you cut the quarter panel out again, but you know what I mean).


  • Registered Users Posts: 171 ✭✭bluferbl


    "Halfarsed" - a new level for me to aim at! :-)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Ok… uber quick update, so my madness has been rewarded…. Please behold my complete 1975 Ford Falcon GS Coupe body shell!! The NOS panel looks a million dollars (as you would expect). The pics don’t show it as well as it looks in the metal but the Coke bottle wave curve in the Qtr Panel & the door are lining up so well & they just look so so sexy…. Or at least to me the fat arse lines of the XB Coupe look sexy…

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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    She is a beauty. :) Love the lines and for me coupes are my fave car shape/layout of all.

    Lucky where you are too. In Ireland it would have flashed a rusty red in seconds. :eek:

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Lead wiping of the panel joins has begun on the XB now… the Qtr to Roof join

     

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    Also the inner door jam join

     

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    Now I don’t expect any of you to have noticed but the Sill panel is for a Sedan & so there was a recess here for the B pillar base to join the Sill, I’ve lead loaded this with lead too

     

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    Work has also started on stripping the engine bay clean so I can weld up any non-factory holes that have been added over the years & get it ready for paint.

     

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Stripping back the engine bay continues & is a long slow dirty process, but it has to be done… no corners can be cut with the metal prep for painting or it will show when it’s finished. The difference between a good paint job & a great paint job is all in the prep. Excuse the poor lighting but work only happens in the shed at nights on weekdays

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    The Plenum area under the front window is perfect, I’m so blessed here… it’s a known problem area for these cars & I had expected to find some rust but nothing to report

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    I’ve also taken the build tags off too… storing these somewhere safe for now… here in Aus the tags for a good spec car are worth thousands as folks use them to reshell say a 6 cylinder Falcon 500 shell into a full GS Fairmont like mine to double the cars worth.. I think I’ll spend some time & effort to clean these up & make them shiny again so that when they go back on they look good

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    I had cleaned most of the underside off already, but hadn’t tackled the really hard to reach areas but that’s not a job that can be put off any longer now… this is not a fun job I can tell you, rewarding when you stand back & look at all the shiny metal but not fun

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  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Daved_XB wrote: »
    I’ve also taken the build tags off too… storing these somewhere safe for now… here in Aus the tags for a good spec car are worth thousands as folks use them to reshell say a 6 cylinder Falcon 500 shell into a full GS Fairmont like mine to double the cars worth.. I think I’ll spend some time & effort to clean these up & make them shiny again so that when they go back on they look good

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    That hits the spot D.

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    All in the details. These cars and your build story are fantastic reading. TBH D it's informative and genuinely humbling for this weekend petrolhead to observe your skills and perseverance.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Thanks man, Any skills I have I learned on the job.... anyone can do it, just need to decide to start


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    This is one of those updates where it probably looks like nothing has been done, but in fact several long hours have been spent…. Cleaning of the front end continues unabated & I’m happy to report that there is no evil rust being found anyway as we clean this up… there are a few (read a lot) of little holes in the engine bay where people have attached things with self-tapper screws over the years & I reckon I’ll weld them up so that there isn’t a Swiss cheese effect once its painted

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    If you cast your minds back to what seems like a long time ago now, you may remember that the bottom of the front cross member was badly damaged… well I’ve reconstructed that section & it’s back on now looking very square again

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    The last section of boot channel that needed be fabricated & fitted has gone on

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    Now this little bit of metal in the far right bottom corner of the rear window opening may not look like much & in fact on its own it isn’t… it’s 3 inch long slightly curved piece of metal that has been welded in to finish off that window lip… BUT in the bigger scheme of things this may well prove to be the final piece of new metal that ever needs welding into this car… unless I find something I’m not expecting whilst finishing up the cleaning of the front I think that we are done with the welding bits of metal on this car… I will probably add some extra spots or stitch welds to the torque effected areas for additional strength but this is the end of making repair sections to be welded in/on… another big milestone reached

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    I’ve removed the battery tray from the engine bay, there will be a lot of catch cans & other such stuff needing to live up here so I’m relocating the battery to the boot to make some more space & to tidy up the engine bay a bit. Plus over the year leaking battery juice has damaged this section, so off it came

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    No real damage behind it, it’ll clean up nicely

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Lead wiping the Roof to Qtr panel seam.. coming up nice

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    I’ve also decided to wipe & fill all the factory panel gaps on the rear, like the join between the Qtr & the panel that crosses under the rear window

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    Also the gap where the Qtr joins the sill panel

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    I think that it will look cleaner (& different) than the stock gap join looks

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    I’ve also lead wiped the join of the inner door jam & the qtr

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    Been working on getting the door & the Qtr lines to all run perfect (or as close as I can get them) sadly there is a need for bog, but when it’s sanded down it’s a skim of less than 1mm thick & I don’t know of any restored car that ended up with metal so perfect it didn’t need a light skim (unless 7 digits where spent on it)

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    God this sanding back process is a messy & thankless task… there will be many more hours spent on this now…. But the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight… I can see this thing being in hi-fill & ready to go to paint this month if I’m lucky


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Haven’t updated this in a while… but I did finish off the passenger side door & Qtr panel of the XB to a high fill level to be sure that lines are right… I think it came out well

    The process involves a lot of spraying light black paint over the primer so that when you are block sanding off you can see the high spots & the lows

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    By now the shed has been getting way to dirty for my liking with grinding dust & sanding dust covering everything…. So I decided that enough was enough & emptied the whole thing out for a clean… so the XB had a quick spin into the open to be cleaned off using the air compressor

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    Then I started (with the help of Mrs XB of course) to pull everything & I mean every single thing out of the shed….

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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    Every inch of the shed was then cleaned & washed & every item was cleaned before being stacked back inside again… this took an entire 3 day long weekend to do…. This was so so worth it, I found parts I forgot I had, tools I’d lost etc ect… plus it’s just so nice to be in a clean shed where you can pick stuff up without getting filthy… it’s not quite up to Ron Dennis standards… but it’s good enough for me

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    Another reason for doing this is that my new Camaro will be arriving sometime around the end of March all things being considered so I needed to be sure I’d have the space to put it in the shed with the rest of the family.

    I’ve taken a few weeks off doing any work on the cars now as it had been becoming all consuming & it was starting to feel like a chore & not be enjoyable at all…. So now I feel a renewed energy to get back into it… I have some maintenance on the GTO I’d been putting off until the hoist was free so I’ll have to crack into that on the weekend & then get back into operation restoration..


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Regional West Moderators Posts: 59,559 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gremlinertia


    I have serious, serious shed envy.. Thanks for the update :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    I’ve had a custom long range drop tank (160ltrs) sitting around for the XB for a while now & I’d been wondering what fuel pump set up to use, today I unboxed my Aeromotive stealth kit…. It’s a very neat setup designed to fit almost any fuel tank & is designed to be able to feed a 950HP NA Carb engine, I’ve only a meager 700 so this should be fine for me..

    First things first mind you, the tank had a protective covering on it which peeled off easily but the there was also some masking tape on it & wow this stuff does not want to come off..

    IMG_7272_zpsgmqvyomg.jpg

    Any ideas? last resort will be a scraper as that will scratch the polished aluminum of the tank sadly.. I’ve bought some can of stuff called goo off & I’ll see how soaking it in that helps…

    Once I have that tape off I’ll be able to cut a hole in the top of the tank & lower the sponge swirl pot tank (for want of a better description) in.. my tank is almost too tall to take this kit but it just fits

    IMG_7271_zpsftnebdzr.jpg

    The sponge houses the pump within it & the design is such that it holds the fuel in the pot even when it is fully drained away due to cornering (there are some good clips of it working on YouTube if you’re so inclined)

    IMG_7261_zpsfaull8ln.jpg

    IMG_7262_zpstzlfp66h.jpg

    IMG_7263_zpscaec2103.jpg

    The kit is pretty comprehensive & comes with everything needed except he actual fuel line they do sell it but I didn’t see the point in paying for shipping from the US for something that I can get here easily

    IMG_7259_zpsqegnsdbt.jpg

    SO if I can get that bloody tape off then this will be one of the weekends jobs, installing this in the tank


  • Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭biketard


    Nice!

    I'm sure the goo off will do the trick, but if not WD40 or lighter fluid (naptha) both work well. You more you soak it, the easier it'll be (might have to do two or three passes if it's really, really dried in). You really shouldn't have to scrape it.


  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Acetone another option. You can get bottles of it cheap in pharmacies as nail polish remover.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭quietsailor


    I have serious, serious shed envy.. Thanks for the update :)

    I'm really happy you posted here again, I've some one coming to the house next week to look at putting up a shed for working on cars and he wanted me to figure out what size I want. -- Can I ask what the L x B X H of your shed is please?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,211 ✭✭✭Daved_XB


    The shed is 14.5m wide & 10m deep... the height at the low point which is the top of the front hanger doors is 3.5m & the apex height is a little over 4.5m


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