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.New mechanic.. very cute but doesn’t seem to be getting much work done, pretty sure he’s asleep under there
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car now approximately 50% painted…
fixed the driver’s mirror the other day, soem bits on doors, found a better grille in the archives, cleaned that up etc. I ran outta paint again (naturally) so bonnet and driver door etc need another coat before they’re even but hey..I got a lot more prepped and first coat than i expected to, and it’s all still progress.
If i only show half the car in the camera shot it looks like it’s finished xD
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this weekend.. new coolant tank (with sensor this time), a very tedious repair on 30-year old wiring for said sensor. still no idea whether it’s working but no temp still.
Also somewhat restoration of the clean grille I found. It’s not perfect but it’s looking reasonably tidy all things considered.
I think once the front half has had another coat of paint we should be about ready to turn her around and work on the back end. There’s a little filler needed on each flank where the new wheel arch meets the old and a little bit of other fillering/shaping needed but let’s see. Am not trying to go nuts.
Interestingly the last couple of times I’ve run it there hasn’t been any smoke from the manifold/downpipe…and if that trend continues then it might be enough to get thru an mot. Not sure I’d want to go racing on that downpipe but sometimes these things last longer than you’d think.
I’ve got a spare wideband o2 sensor from my bike which I’m going to put in place of the narrowband that’s there currently and that should give me some better feedback on what’s happenign fuelling wise. She pretty much starts up right away now which is also good. Confirmed the charging circuit is charging too.
On the grille you’ll notice there’s no zipties holding it on too π
(well I mean obviously there are but they’re hidden better π )
My website | My Youtube channel (both mostly bike related)
Wow another year passed… and still virtually no progress. I’m pretty sure I’ll be long gone before this thing ever sees the road again :-\
It’s annoying, as soon as I get the time to work on it, there’s not the funds, or when there’s the funds there’s not the time. So far every time I get to a point where I think “YESS, finally i get to work on the syncro” there’s some major life calamity or pandemic, or national financial meltdown which throws everything off track again.
Unfortunately the cost of fuel (and everything else) going up hasn’t really helped matters, or helped making a car more practical.
It starts (usually first time, despite standing for months), it runs, there’s no rust I’m aware of, it’s even mostly painted (albeit a shitty rattle-can job just to even the colour out, some of which is already peeling).. tbh it really only needs the fuel lines securing underneath properly and a rear-right brake-cylinder, flexi-hose and the short hard line replacing and a wee bit of tidying up inside and then it would arguably be somewhat MOT-able..the leaky downpipe issue seems to have actually resolved itself somehow so I may even be able to skip the downpipe rebuild, though it would still benefit from a better setup there long-term (turbo manifold and v-band piping would work nicely).
I’ve learnt a LOT about fuel mapping and injection systems from doing the bikes so now would potentially even be in a position to do something cool with that side of things or at least throw a wideband in it so that I can tune it somewhat… but everything on cars is so big and expensive and takes forever and I get older and weaker and more injured as time passes :-\
But even if i got through all of that, what the hell am I supposed to do with a car? I can’t put bikes in the back (like the van), there isn’t the room to stay overnight in it (like I do in the van)…if i want speed/thrills then the bikes are definitely the way to go – but at the same time I can’t bring myself to sell it. I guess to a large extent it’s an example of “sunk cost fallacy” but also it’s literally been my mechanical education.
All the stuff I do on bikes and other vehicles now relies on skills I learnt from working on the syncro. I’d love to see it on the road again but for me a car is about the least practical vehicle possible, especially since with the bike “traffic” doesn’t really apply and that’s one of the features I most enjoy about 2 wheels.
Thankfully it doesn’t really cost anything to sit there on the drive SORN’d but it makes me sad to see it so close to finished but not quite make it there.
idk, there’s not really any point to this update other than explaining where I’m at with it..life is quite difficult for us atm and work/financially/healthwise we seem to be going backwards rather than forwards, the bikes are mostly what’s keeping me sane/motivated day-to-day. I just wish there was more room for the syncro in that equation.
Ironically – it seems like the syncro is the one vehicle I’ve ever bought which is worth more now than when I got it xD
innabit π
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My website | My Youtube channel (both mostly bike related)
ok well, I tried but I failed.
I can’t afford to keep the house anymore and with my best friend RIP and separated from my partner there’s nothing keeping me in this area, so am selling up and moving into my van (where I’ve already been living since march, just minus the house + bills). I’ll hopefully have a workshop on a bit of land where the syncro & bikes will go (that’s the plan anyway) but who knows.
*hopefully* the idea is to reduce my outgoings to the point that I can actually get back to working on the syncro and bikes and have some actual quality of life rather than just trading every spare minute and future sanity for being barely able to get by, which amounts to a completely pointless and pretty shitty existence.
Either way I have a few engines which need to go, so before I list anything on ebay (or call the scrappy) I thought I’d mention them here in case there’s any interest.. I’m not fussy at this point so am open to any offers..both sensible and not. The syncro itself and one spare KR a spare Syncro box and a few syncro bits are coming with me.. the rest has to go.
– G60 block/short engine, restored, (i think) decked and (defintely) honed, currently with g60 crank, 16v pistons, new shells, rings etc. (and by “new” I mean 10+ years old but has done 0 miles). This was the basis of my PG/KR hybrid engine which ran but I wasn’t happy with so I took it out and worked on fitting a KR. It’s sat there ever since.
– GU engine – the original 8v carbed one from my syncro, no carb but otherwise as it was when removed 15 years ago. Has stood outside but relatively sheltered so completely unknown status. I probably/may have a carb or two to go with it in the shed somewhere
– KR engine – one I got for spares ages ago, has been stood outside for a long time so could be a mess inside or could be ok, who knows. Was under a tarp for many years but eventually tarp disintegrated.
– 8v Digifant engine removed from a 91, has some oil pressure issues. Has sat under a table outside for ~8 years
– KR head – unknown status, may have had a coolant leak, hence removed. I have a feeling it was from my 16v gti and on one corner it was leaking coolant into one of the cylinders.. which meant it ran super chill..right up until it didn’t.
– 8v gti head.. possibly the “small ports” one which apparently nobody wants. Was very clean though and stored wrapped up in plastic in a shed.
– probably a 2y (16v) gearbox… I think. will need to check tho. There’s definitely a few boxes knocking about.
– engine building stand… heavy duty sorta thing which can hold 400kg iirc. Offers?
Obviously the heavy metal can be cleaned up, honed and whatnot so will probably be fine. The status of any of the smaller components is a complete unknown at this point.
Stuff is in northampton, collection only unless you want to organise transport
Thanks for looking π
My website | My Youtube channel (both mostly bike related)
