New (old) Project

[sixfan]

In my shed resides a couple of 1970's beasties a daimler double six and a merc 280se...

Having decided that it's time to actually do something about these homes for nesting spiders and breeding wasps, I opened the bonnet on the daimler and got busy...

It sat there for ~ 4 years and wasn't running when I pushed it in.

under the bonnet:

So the epic journey begins, I fitted a battery and begun fault finding:

1:LH front outer headlight is the only one working

2:RH front indicator not working

3:brake lights not working

4:starter not engaging

5:Injector harness decayed

6: Oil leaks, various

7: wasps nests everywhere

I found the starter circuit and found ants living in the relay, after I evicted them, the starter motor engaged and it started...then stopped.

a lack of hum from the boot told me the fuel pump wasn't going, having had luck with the relays previously, I found the fuel pump relay,

some fidgeting with it got it working. 20ltrs of premium in the left tank and this time if started and kept running, for a bit longer...

I pulled the spark plugs, the front 8 were easy, the last 4 not so easy... same result rough running then a stall..

I pulled the air filters to see if they were blocked and found the engine temp sensor was off.. OK plug it in and try again.

started first crank and kept going! A bit rough though, musnt be running all cylinders.. A quick drive around the block and yeah, no brakes

(or very little brakes anyways)

I'll keep u all updated if people are interested...

The rear calipers were a BIATCH to remove, the first side took me 4 hours.....

Can you belive step 1 was to disconnect the exhaust from the down pipes at the front of the car? I came out from under the thing

black as the ace of spades...

the exhaust is a fascinating piece of brittish engineering

it runs tucked up nice and tight to the floor, with fuel lines right next to it, then weaves in around and out of the IRS, with millimeters to spare passing the brake calipers then

into rear mufflers tucked up next to the fuel tanks in a little recess designed to heat anything you put in the boot....

Some specs on the Daimler:

5.3 ltr SOHC V12, 215Kw, 425Nm

Bosch electronic injection, 3speed Auto.

IRS with LSD, inboard disks.

Climate control AC and electric windows.

top speed ~ 230kph.

Gross weight 2350 kg

205/70/15 tyres (you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get tyres that have BOTH the load rating and the speed rating to suit this car)

[ZAP]

Welcome to a whole world of pain.

You have chosen the 2 most frustrating, expensive and loveless tasks.

Restoring a car

Choosing a British car to restore.

I cut my teeth as a mechanic restoring Jags, VW, Porsches. etc for nutcases with more $$'s than cents.

They would happily spend $50,000 restoring a car woth $20,000. I guess you do it for the love ro something like that.

Have fun with your project, but I suggest you keep anything sharp or loaded away from arms lenght or you may be lying in a pool of blood when it gets too much.

[sixfan]

  ZAP said:

You have chosen the 2 most frustrating, expensive and loveless tasks.

I'd suggest you might have it wrong it can't be worse than;

getting married

having children

[ZAP]

LOL, I guess you chose 3 & 4 then.

Does that now give you all 4 ?

[sixfan]

Hmm...

when 1 + 2 get too much off to the shed, then when 2+3 get too much, 1 + 2 don't seem so bad...

Stop it you, I'm still in the enthusiastic phase, that'll end on it's own soon enough....

[seduced]

Keep updating, this is interesting stuff.

The wiring and plumbing over the engine is horrible. Looks like it all needs tearing out, a complete engine rebuild, re-wire with a new harness and keep it tidy. Would love to do something like this one day, I just don't have the time (wife) or the money (wife).

[our06t]

should keep you busy for a while

gamer man than I , I threw in the towel on a 79 ltd because I couldn't find people to do the stuff I wanted done properly

[fordboy1981]

very nice brother, my step-dad is resto'ing the 3rd last ever built series 3...

[sixfan]

Just ordered a new injector loom, boot seal and indicator grommets, plus brake pads for the handbrake....

It's actually quite astounding how many parts for this car you can get new / remanufactured....

ordered a set of 4 new tyres too....this one delaminated at ~130kph that woke me up..

N.B green coopers lid above boot, I used to go into the shed and "drink about it...."

more coopers lids....lots of drinking about it it would seem....the dash pad in undamaged under that manky mat..

the boot after I took almost everything out, in unrestored Jags of this age, the boot is usually rotted out.

the boxy thing to the extreme left bottom is the auto antenna, the fuel pump is to the right..the fuel runs from the guard tanks,

(either side of the boot) 2 inches away from the rear muffler (resonator....whatever) and back into the boot.

I found this out by dislodging the hose and soaking myself with stale fuel while trying to get the muffler free so that I could get at the handbrake caliper

so that I could remove the brake caliper.....sigh.

[sixfan]

Had an engine fire yesterday....The fuel pump relay has the pump running all the time, fuel running out the cold start injectors and out of the airfilters, backfire...hey presto! fire. Lucky there was a hose handy, no damage done, good fire though!