sprint build up

[meizhak]

Hi Guys,

Paul, the engine lowering mod is something i definately have on the cards once the car is sorted. I have searched high and low for the bolts in WA but know one has them or reckons they can get them.

Southern75, I am using sud box with 16v susp and outboard brakes. The spacer I have is 23mm thick, does this sound right?

Cheers,

Meizhak

Hi all, have made some engine lowering blocks out of aluminium bar and modified the gearbox mount, I will use some small round bar to space rear of gearbox. Have also found a supplier for the bolts over here in Perth.

I have the car all together and to the naked eye it seems to have alot of neg camber. Any ideas, I will try to get it on a wheel alignment tomorrow.

cheers

When I get the bolts I will bolt it all up and see how it goes.

[meizhak]

Oops forgot this,

[Sportscar Nut]

Meizhak

Your Sprint should be a lot of fun when complete and enjoy the updates. Glad you found the bolts.

Paul

[colcol]

I had to get the longer bolts made up by an engineer about 15 years ago, tried every where in Melbourne - NOTHING, but now metric fasteners are a lot easier to get, and imperial fasteners, not so readily available, about one million years ago with my first car, a VW, metric stuff was still a curiosity, thank christ things have changed for the better, Colin.

[meizhak]

Thanks Paul, will keep the updates coming

Colin, I tried everywhere over here about a year ago and basically got laughed at, thats why I was going to change to imperial bolts.

Now after one phone call there seems to an abundance of them.

Still have to do some playing around with suspension arms. I suspect I will need to use the sprint ones to get the camber right.

I have made the gearshift shorter using the shift rod from the sud grafted on to the much simpler shifter from s3 33 and also extended the

steering wheel out using a quick release hub I had lying around from another project.

I have simply done this to make the driving position a bit more comfortable but have kept all original parts if I want to put it back to standard.

Pics to follow next week.

cheers

[Evan Bottcher]

FWIW (not much)... I grabbed some 156 front suspension bolts a couple of years ago from Milano's.  At the time I checked they were the right thread and size, and about 40-50mm longer than the standard Sud crossmember bolts.  I think.  Haven't got around to actually lowering the engine and crossmember...

[colcol]

A long time ago, we tried to graft the front suspension of a 33 onto a 80 Sprint so we could dump those horrible inboard brakes for some outboard vented discs of a 1.7 33, and we found nothing worked, the control arms were different lengths, even the pickup points seemed different, and after a few goes, we went back to standard Sprint suspension, as it was the guys daily driver, but it can be done, so keep at it, Evan, the front suspension bolts of a 156 sounds like a great idea, they would just go in and thats it, when we had made the front subframe bolts for the Sud, we decided that imperial bolts were a poor fit in the subframe and may lead to it not being correctly located, so we went the way of longer metric bolts, excess thread cut off and a new fine thread machined on the end of the bolt, Colin.

[meizhak]

Evan, I've got four spare gearbox mounts that I was intending on modifying plus some spare 40mm square ali bar. If your interested I will let you know when there done. All you will need is a new bush to press in. Have to remove them when welding, plus there all stuffed.

Colin, I need to get it back up on the hoist and have a look at the differences in suspension arm lengths. Worst case I will make some adjustable ones with some fancy arse

internal threaded bar, although I hope this is not the case.

Cheers Guys

[colcol]

There are differences in the control arm lengths, ie early \ late Alfasud, early \ late 33, they all look the same until you lay them side by side, thats after you have put them in the car and the wheel is in a different spot, ie hard up against a mudgaurd, or other nonesence, Colin.

[meizhak]

Hi All,

Not much progress until this last week.

Was just going to tidy up this car and drive it until one of my employees reversed our mobile welding truck into it!
The damage did not look that bad but has bent rear panel and the steel spoiler lip below rear hatch. To cut a long story short I have decided to
tidy up the body and repaint with a view to having a road registered club car for sprinting/ motorkana etc.

So Far,

Brakes- fronts fitted, just need to finish brake lines and fit hydraulic handbrake
Suspension- All new bushes to be fitted and then thinking of these http://www.intraxracing.nl/?cat=productdetail&prodid=587&title=33_schokdempers_RSA
About the same price as getting konis and springs fitted in Perth
Engine lowering mod done, people that said they had the bolts actually didn't. had to use course thread bolts and made new inserts for chassis rail.
Tyres and wheels to be sorted, Currently have 15 inch rims off my alfetta with spacers to clear the brakes
Inside stripped out, deadener removed

Cant remember any more, anyway attached are some photos of progress so far

cheers

Meizhak

[meizhak]

Some Pictures of the engine lowering blocks and gearbox mounts in place.

[meizhak]

So work today included making some new seat rails, picking up some parts and removing all old brake lines and load load sensing valve in rear in preperation for new lines, hydraulic handbrake and bias valve.

[Sportscar Nut]

Meizhak

Laughed when reading your post as brought back memories re 'had to use course thread bolts and made new inserts for chassis rail' - same experience!

Car should be great when finished and agree with the 33 suspension swap for track work - although will make the Sud feel more like a 33 to drive.

All the best
Paul

[colcol]

The difference between fine threads and course threads is course threads are stronger as the thread is deeper, fine threads have a better wedging action, as the thread angle is less and is less prone to loosening off, thats why i stuffed around getting fine threads for 'my' Sud, if you can, loctite the course threads, and if there is enough thread pokeing through the top of the chassis rail, put a nylock nut or a plain nut, Colin.

[meizhak]

Colin, you are totally correct about the thread pitch. Fine thread is def the stronger option.

Once everything is sorted and i am happy I will apply a loctite product called bearing mount to the bolt threads.

this is about a squillion times stronger than thread locker from loctite, I use it all the time on bearings in mining equipment.

its mint till you have to get it out, luckily they make a product to disolve it.

Anyway more updates tomorrow