Here she is wearing the designer glasses!!
Easier than facelifting it and with 150 % brighter H4s as well it is brilliant... Literally!!!

Looking good mate and glad to here you getting better

Looks great Andy. What are the spotlights you've fitted? If lockdown continues well into May I'll be getting some for mine to fit to a number plate bracket I've had knocking around for a couple of years.

Apologies, couldn't find the boxes!! The spots are SIM 3229. Bought a while ago. EBay now seems to only list them with chrome front rim.

Started on the rear today.
Wheel arch liners out, interior trim out in rear. Determined to find source of fish tank water while I am at it.
Will be pressure washing underside then drying prior to strip, reunderseal and refit replacement powder coated parts.
All subassemblies are ready built up for fitting.
Photos to be added.

Will be reporting back on this thread as it progresses.

Some photos before and after stripping the two sides. Took about an hour a side, also, having soaked the main bolts, only one gave me a bit of grief. Managed to tighten, unscrew, then repeat until it came off.
Newly refurbished bits with some part assembled ready for fitting.
Brake assemblies on powder coated backplates (with copperslip on contact pads).
Shocks assembled ready to fit.
Wheel arch liner removed, ready for rear suspension removal.
Ta da !!!
Old bits will be stripped and refurbished for another vehicle, subject to condition, I will be refinishing and reusing the driveshafts as they are fine.
The other side stripped.
Wheel arches will be cleaned back, rust converted and then spray undersealed before refitting arch liners with stainless screws and clips.
More rusty but faithful components removed from other side.
Stripped of the working bits, tomorrow will drop subframe and remove fuel tank cradle (after strapping tank - although it is now empty).

Some may ask "why are you doing this when there was nothing wrong with it!" the answer is basically -
I like the vehicle and have put much time into it and so I want to keep it in good condition.
The diff was noisy, the tank cradle was rusted, the VCU needed refurbishing and the brake lines started to look iffy.
Simplest route to doing all this was to drop everything off and do it all together with the parts prepared over the last few months.

In addition, I am finding some areas of surface rusting and, particularly behind the plastic trim, areas where the metal is starting to corrode. I can attend to all this at the same time.
The vehicle is nearly 20 years old and hopefully will do another 10 or more with this refurb.
The cost of all the parts, including a new set of tyres, comes in at about £1000.
None of this would be cost-effective in a garage but as I enjoy the work.......well why not?!?!

Will reuse the good condition bolts, all nuts will be replaced with new (as they are the squash variety of lock nut), any damaged bolts will be replaced.

Not looking forward to wire brushing the underside and spraying it with underseal, but hey, it can't all be enjoyable!

The small spring star sleeves on the brake end of the handbrake cable have rusted and fractured.
Anyone know if they can be bought separately?? Otherwise will probably replace with a couple of split collars that screw together with allen screws, it may be better than the original bodge clip !

I've got to say that the base vehicle, before restoration, is "cleaner" than my vehicle is after a rather massive workscope. I know you had suggested I get my rear subframe powdercoated, but given COVID has killed two and a half of my businesses, that was unlikely to fly. All the same, you are doing an astounding job on it, and I admire the attention to detail.

Today did a couple of simple tasks. Removed rear subframe and dropped off fuel tank cradle which was rotted. Fuel tank is now held in temporarily with a ratchet strap as leaving the cradle off allows more space for undersealing and accessing brake pipes.
Placed a trolley with a couple of old tyres on under the frame, lowered car a bit and removed subframe bolts. Subframe dropped onto the tyres and trolley. Lifted car and pulled subframe out. It is certainly good enough to blast and powder coat, no rot on this at all.
The cradle on the other hand was very rusty. The tube and strength was intact but the base plates quite badly rusted away. This one will get checker plate replacement shields and be reused.
Fitted the replacement subframe with the good replacement differential and new mounts ready for refitting. Using the same tyre and trolley combo for replacement as it stops scratches and is the right height !!

Next job is clean and replace, if necessary, any brake lines. I have unclipped them and replaced any clips that were fragile and split.
Then prepare underside for reundersealing. May remove the exhaust or just mask it and spray around it.
Then all brake lines will be zinc coat painted and replacements remade in Kunifer pipes.
Wheel arches will be resprayed and then reassembly can begin.

Solved the handbrake cable retainer problem with 2 x 3/8 inch split collar hex fixings.

Are you using the OE style of clips along the sills? If so where did you get them? Last MOT I had to replace the pipes from ABS block to rear, and a few of the clips were brittle as buggery and shattered when flexed to release the pipes, so they are held in with stainless p-clips, but it's not 100% OCD, and I wouldnae think twice on replacing them with OE clips int he future...

None of the multi clips broke. I made a small 'C' section tool to open them gently then pop the pipe out into the 'C' of the tool.
The problem is that the pipe drops behind the lugs and prising the pipe out breaks the lugs off..
They do go brittle, the ones near the tank shattered when touched, but these can be bought off ebay.

An absolute credit to you Andy,a great write up and pics,something I’m contanplating my self in the new year when weather gets warmer,and like everyone said mate keep yourself rested as it’ll still be there when your feeling better and stay safe to you and to nodge with your family’s,

Jayridium said:

Are you using the OE style of clips along the sills? If so where did you get them? Last MOT I had to replace the pipes from ABS block to rear,

Click to expand...

So the dual clips from the abs to the bulkhead are bigger for the larger pipes. Part number ANR 6000.

The smaller dual clips that run on the chassis from front to rear of car are SKG100920 and are available from the usual places which come up on a search. LR parts, Britcar etc

Only problem is that the postage is more than a few clips!!

Worth trying a LR dealer parts dept.

Thanks for that info Andy, I'm 35 miles and the wrong side of the city from my nearest dealership, so by the time I consider fuel and time to get to the dealer, I'm often cheaper to get the bits posted.

If it's the ABS to bulkhead you need let me know as they come out easily and I have some spares. The chassis ones are a one trick pony and cannot be removed from chassis rail without breaking.

Excellent Andy, that looks if it would be better than new once done. Can understand what you mentioned. Would do the same if I would have space where to work it but need to run all through garage.

Wire brushed underside. Treated any rust spots. Cleaned underside with degreaser. Masked exhaust system, unclipped pipes and masked. Sprayed underside with Tetro seal over entire underside and arches (with liners out).
Cleaned and checked brake pipes, replaced any rusty ones and painted with cold galvanising zinc paint.
Refitted new /painted pipes.
Cleaned and zinc coated driveshafts ready for reuse.
When it has all dried out and I have got the dang stuff off me!!! Will be fitting tank cradle, subframe and then rebuilding it up.

Bought 10L of Dexron 3 to change the atf while car is on the ramp.

10 L for £20. Bargain.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303177021275

Why are you using Dexron 3 instead of the jatco specific N403?