Operation Orange - 1980 Sprint restoration

[Robert 352]

Mark

All these photos take me back to when I was assembling my car, bringing together a substantial collection of parts and melding them back into a proper car. An exciting time!

In a post further up Paul makes a valid comment about reducing the weight of the sub frame although that has never been an issue for me. I have all the suspension components and the fully dressed engine and gearbox sitting on the sub frame before attaching it to the body.

I lower the body until I just pick up the four sub frame bolts and then while the sub frame is about an inch lower than the car body you will find that, if you have the shock absorbers bolted up into their respective turrets, that the bottom shock absorber bush holes will be in line with the holes in the top suspension arms. Fit the bolts at that point which should just slide in, then lower the car fully down onto the sub frame, and do the sub frame bolts up.

I also find that it is necessary to use a bit of tape to hold the top rubbers that sit on the top of the sub frame and tape them up onto the chassis rail. I have the bolts sitting in the chassis for they, and the sub frame rubbers act as a guide, as you lower the body down onto the sub frame.

I guess I am a bit luckier than most for I have a bit of head room above the car and I use a very cheap chain hoist to lift and lower the body. I bolt a couple of lifting lugs onto two of the top shock absorber mounts, attach a couple of chains to a spreader bar which sits above the engine and which runs across the engine bay so that I have a nice easy lift and lowering motion. The space around the engine and the car remains clear.

Robert

[SprintMWU773V]

The assembly is quite weighty but with the aid of an assistant it shouldn't be too bad. Currently the car is supported on stands and I have ample clearance underneath. We were able to move the temporary frame quite easily together and the weight will be virtually identical.

The plan is to move the assembly into position on a platform that can be raised and moved from side to side and forward and back as required. To achieve this I might use a motorcycle scissor platform which is nice and low and is wound up using a screw like a scissor jack. Will probably add some wood to the top of the platform for added stability as the platform is quite narrow and as the frame isn't level when its resting I can pack out the supports to achieve the desired level. Alternatively I can probably use the skateboard the subframe is currently on, lose the axle stands which it sits on and use the jack with a cross member attachment to raise it. It's perhaps more unstable using this method so it's not my preferred option at the moment.

I've attached the shocks to the turrets already, though on reading some other posts it sounds as if the ride adjusters would be better off they were facing inwards to avoid bumping into the top ball joint, an easy job to twist them round.

Either way it might be a few weeks before I install it but glad when I do as it's quite a large piece of car in the way in the garage!

[Daz50]

Mark,
If you need any assistance you know where I am. Instead of breaking the wife! Also if you need any st/st bits and pieces.

Daz

[SprintMWU773V]

Installed the subframe this evening. I'd put it onto a small motorcycle scissor lift and wheeled it under the car on my trusty board. A bit of adjustment, some winding it up and it went straight on, no real dramas.

Just the one slightly rubbish pic as the phone complained it needed feeding with electricity again.



I actually removed the dampers to put the subframe on as they got in the way. Putting them back on will be the next job, I had to turn them around anyway to point the adjusters inwards. There's lots of nuts and bolts to be tightened up a little before I can lower it back down onto the wheels then I can tighten them properly with some weight on it. Then it'll be a case of finishing the brake pipes and fitting the steering joints.

[tony g]

Nice one Mark its great seeing the frame in . To save chipping paint or powder, when you need to lift the lower arms to get the shock bolts in, fit a socket onto the lower ball joint nut and put the jack on that.

Tony

[Carledo]

Nice one Mark its great seeing the frame in . To save chipping paint or powder, when you need to lift the lower arms to get the shock bolts in, fit a socket onto the lower ball joint nut and put the jack on that.

Tony

That's a neat idea Tony!

Steve

[tony g]

Cheers, it was after I chipped the newly coated lower arm I did it on the other side

Tony

[Carledo]

Cheers, it was after I chipped the newly coated lower arm I did it on the other side

Tony

I'll probably clean mine up, if only to make reassembly more pleasant. I doubt very much whether i'll even bother to paint them, i'm building a more or less daily driver not a pot hunter! But I do admire the folk who paint and polish every last screw, whether anyone will ever see it or not. It's just not for me!

Steve

[SprintMWU773V]

I went to fit the shock assemblies but of course found they were too long as the springs had not compressed enough to allow the bottom bolt to go in. After much deliberation I decided it was easiest to lower the subframe again, attach the shocks and then wind the whole assembly back up.

This strategy proved effective and actually very easy. I highly recommend the use of the little scissor lift I used. The subframe is nicely balanced on it and it's extremely easy to wind it up and down, and indeed to move the whole unit about to get it lined up with the bolts. It seemed like an expensive tool to use once so glad I've been able to use it twice!







With the whole assembly now mounted I've finished off the brake pipes and flexi hoses and attached the steering joints and column. I've got some jobs to do at the back end whilst the car is still on stands then I'll lower it down onto the wheels and undertake a little tightening of nuts and bolts. I'm thinking of buying some wheel dollies as the car is quite tight up against one of the garage walls and it's not very easy to move, the wheel dollies should work well on my carpet tiles which are smooth and even.

[tony g]

Nice

Tony

[James467]

Oooooohhhhhh automotive porn!

It's so nice!

[mahony]

Stunning comes to mind

[Carledo]

It certainly is the mutts nuts, but will you be able to bring yourself to drive it and get it dirty?

Steve

[sprint95m]

This doesn't look right to me…the subframe seems to be far away from the body, especially at the back.
The upper bush should be in compression.
The usual cause of this not being so is that the ferrule is too long.

At the front, there should be a couple of threads proud of the nylon nut.




Ian.

[SprintMWU773V]

Fear not, I did tighten it up some more after this picture was taken. When it's down on the wheels I will check it again. I'm assuming that all the bolts are loose currently across both front and rear so I have quite a few to torque correctly.