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thread: My long awaited 87b mk1.5 swap

  1. #1

    Jun 2010
    Hatfield
    40

    My long awaited 87b mk1.5 swap

    I introduced myself after a long time lurking during the week, so now it's time for my latest build thread. Technically this began back in October ish last year so I have a few bits to fill in first. The car as I bought it looked quite clean and respectable





    I drove it from purchase on 7th December 2013 until the engine gave out (later diagnosed as major head gasket failure) in early Febuary 2014. It was parked down he side of the house and left for the year as I had other commitments, like getting married and honeymoon. Once I got back in August I had planned to start straight away, but beer got in the way, and it was nearer September before I pulled my finger out.

    I had to start by giving myself somewhere to work. The house was equipped with a rather crap pile of gravel for a drive, not nice for working on cars, so cue 120 slabs and 2 tons of sand/ballast along with 2 weekends slaving I had my work area.



    So I dragged the car out, gave it a wash and got it up on stands



    The following weekend it was time to get the engine out. I started on the Saturday after work at 12. The engine sat on the floor less than 3 hours later, love these mr2's, so easy to work on





    Now it was time to have a look around the car and evaluate the rust, apparently it had has arches at some point, but during it's sit down the side of the house a few patches had started to show





    With the skirts off things didn't look much better











    The front wings practically fell off, but I don't have any pictures of them. Nothing at the bottom where they join the sill, the side skirt was holding them on. There was also nothing under the front splitter where they overlap the wings, and the separate valences were sieves.

  2. #2

    Jun 2010
    Hatfield
    40
    Next up was to drag the engine out from under the car, not the easiest, and involved jacking the car up with various lumps of wood between the jack and the car, with an old seatbelt wrapped around an engine mount I managed to manhandle it out. That's now the 5th engine I've removed without a crane. Not fun and I should really invest in one, but hey, where's the fun in that

    Removing the front end was fun, lots of broken bolts than will need drilling out, and lost of lovely rust, yay. Not too many pictures of this as I was cracking on, so the after shots, showing a few questionable mot patches as the paperwork showed, these will be removed and done properly













    Oh and a small hole in the passenger side floor/chassis area



    The front bumper bar had seen better days



    Last edited by Hurricane; 08-02-2015 at 18:58.

  3. #3

    Jun 2010
    Hatfield
    40
    During the last year I had been stockpiling parts ready for the build, some were lucky finds, others came from the death of other mk1.5 (project outrun)
    The toys include
    Brand new BC coilovers
    Brand new front valance pieces
    Hasslebeck rear panel
    Alloy radiator
    Complete chargecooler setup
    St165 twin pot calipers, rear rev 1 mk2 calipers and disks
    New braided brake lines
    Mk1.5 driveshafts











    Unfortunately they will need a refurb, oh well



    During the last few months I've also been cleaning up and refurbing suspension parts after work, so handy having the father inlaw as a boss, and working in a machine shop.







    Rear hubs with brand new bearings and bottom ball joints




  4. #4

    Jun 2010
    Hatfield
    40
    This brings it up to this weekend, where I have managed to sneak a few hours when I should have been doing housework. I decided it was time to get the interior out and check out the rest of the floors. Didn't take too long and I was left with this on the passenger side



    I had a little helper while I was pulling it apart, meet Sargent Furrysides, or Sarge as he is mostly known







    Little patch up the front, as I expected due to the hole underneath in the floor, and after a few pokes



    The back of the passenger side was perfect though, no issues here



    So time to tackle the drivers side, mostly the same story as the passengers side, small holes up front



    But another rubbish patch for mot purposes, another to cut out and do properly, but nothing major



    Whilst I had it apart I could remove the rather rubbish scorpion alarm, that was clearly fitted by the dealership when it was first bought. Eurgh scotch locks and crimps





    I also found these in the dash while removing the glove box



    Must have been tucked away back when it was resprayed back in 2008

    I also took a bit more off the front end, the slam panel and radiator so I could check for any more rust. Actually pretty clean up here, just a small patch on the drives side rail. The upper rad brackets are toast and will need cutting off the front panel, the bolts won't turn, but the panel is twisting, so I need to be gentle on them







    Headlight mechanisms look crusty, they should be fun


  5. #5

    Jun 2010
    Hatfield
    40
    That was Saturday after work, today I managed to steal a couple of hours after the weekly shop. I attacked the old engine mounts with the angle grinder, flap wheel, power file and spot weld drill. Now I'm just ready for the engine jig. Which reminds me I was meant to call Patrick yesterday, bollocks





    I also attacked the stubborn bolt holding the drives side rear arm on. It didn't want to know, and the head of the bolt shared off, so I attacked the other side with the grinder and got it off finally. Now I can clean this up and polybush it to go with the rest


  6. #6
    cdwood2010's Avatar
    Sep 2010
    Earls Barton
    6,003
    Bloody hell. Working like a hurricane that's for sure!

    Nice launch, pretty much all common issues uncovered, and we've seen a lot worse. Another recent build ended in "I've scrapped it", but that was a bit of a lost cause.

    There's a well trodden path to follow on TwoBrutal, lots of templates, and of course all the help / insults / banter a guy could want for.

    :)

    Chris.

  7. #7

    Jun 2010
    Hatfield
    40
    It looks like a lot of work, but that has taken me 3 months. I do have a target date, which is massively optimistic, and I will no doubt fail, but got to have something to work to. It is my 30th over the Easter weekend, and I'd love to have this drivable as a present to myself. There's a long way to go, but when I get cracking I don't hang around, I rekon 2 weekends of welding to be done. Mechanically it should come together nicely, with all suspension parts ready to bolt on in a day, engine will go in quickly, but the mounts will add a bit of time. Worst parts will be wiring and plumbing I think.

    I'm not doing it to a perfect standard for now, just drivable, the paintwork will be rattle cans, as I have plans going in for a garage, so once that's done in a couple of years it will all come apart for a bareshell respray

  8. #8
    Grenade's Avatar
    Dec 2012
    Cleveland Ohio USA
    2,027
    Very nice thread! Well prepared too. Very impressive and honest expectations about the whole thing. Really cool.

  9. #9
    racerADS's Avatar
    Jan 2008
    Belper, Derbyshire
    440
    Keep up the good work, very enjoyable read. The planning and forward thinking you have shown should see you right :-)

  10. #10
    snowtigger's Avatar
    Sep 2007
    stockport
    5,475
    Little and often is the way, some people take years others as you say rush mot slap a patch on (guilty as charged) throw some black Shultz/under seal on and flog it for lots of dineros shure In the knowledge that 2 maybe 3 years and the tin worm strikes back.
    Carry on ive seen worse been restored.

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