'Ellie'/Project Panda - My FD

[Si]

Aww, shuckses, thanks peeps But no plans to sell for a good while I'm afraid

Well, it's not much, but considering that I've been working a million hours a day and 7 days a week, and have an 11 month old whose teeth seem happy to kick the crap out of his face all day and all night, I'm quite glad to have properly sorted out the wiring for the battery. Main big fuses now properly relocated to under the trim, brackets made, and fuse put somewhere that's actually accessible, as opposed to behind rear quarters. Next job is to box it in, and cover the box with the old boot carpet (hurrah, it's finally got a boot carpet that fits, all trace of Bose now banished!)




Rear speakers are going in at the moment, but had to remove the pockets that were in the rear quarters, as my car never had the rear speakers. So Gizmo is now homeless, poor chap.

Next jobs: Wire up speakers (yay, more trim out, more broken clips ), and try to sort the cabin.

[Si]

Hugely impractical oil filler neck ahoy!


Need to get a takeoff welded on for the catch can, then get it anodised.

[Si]

Big ugly filler neck


Big ol' space


Big ol' heap of fun changing oil


Now need to figure out how to route the breather but keep it hidden - a choice I never had before.


Other things: Anyone know why the DIY paint job I did on some parts (can you guess which?) has gone all supertoss? I used U Pol acid etch and some random satin black. Is it just poor prep?

[JP]

Emm... I know you're not driving Ellie much but being honest, you're just asking for trouble & a lot of unnecessary hassle with that filler-neck... Could you not get an extension or something for it?! Or have you actually gone bananas & decided function is going out the window completely??

[Si]

Yes - look how pretty and clean it makes things look! I have a funnel and hose.
It goes really well with the 'I got through 4 of these in a year' TNS relay (kills Tail Lights, Numberplate lights, Side lights) that you now have to remove the wing to get at.

[dandan]

It would be easy enough to make a small piece of bent pipe with a funnelled end that you could keep with your oil for when you need to fill it up, I can't see it being that much of a pain, either that or the elbow comes off with 4 accessible nuts and one jubilee clip anyway.

(I may or may not be defending this because i may or may not have bought one too...)

[Si]

I'll use my fab skills to makes us up 2. Here, hold my phone, and stand back.
You may want to stand the other side of the garage wall.

[JP]

(I may or may not be defending this because i may or may not have bought one too...)

Oh goodness, if this is the way things are going it seems I got out of FD ownership just in time..! I do miss it from time to time though...

[dandan]

Nah, there is just a higher concentration of anally retentive FD owners on this forum than average...

[Si]

[JP]

^ Lol!

[Ed]

This makes me want an FD again

I had almost decided it was too impractical and utterly pointless trying to convoke the wife, but now I am trawling ebay again

Si, you're a git

[MapBoy]

This thread is the reason I keep looking at them too. I keep thinking...I could get xxxx for my Sil80...then spend xxxx on and FD......then I have a word with myself...and change my mind for a day or two.
Btw...there is a ropey red FD for sale up here in Aberdeen for 1200.....

[Ed]

I got offered a white FD in need of a rebuild 2 days after I fractured my spine, having been asking for about 7 months

With the price of rebuilds dropping at the rate they are, once I get back to work its high on the list of priorities (depending on wifes verdict )

[Si]

RX7 ownership in one single image:

• An open bonnet,
• A to-do list
• A shitload of spare tyres
• Tools
• Petrol
• An empty can of cider
• A tow rope
• An alternative form of transport
• And an axe.

All it's missing is a pile of burning fifties.


I have spent the last week chasing an electrical niggle. I nearly kicked the stupid thing so hard, so many times. After relocation of all the fuseboxes it appeared that the 'you've left the door open with your keys in, you twat' buzzer went off every time the door was opened, regardless of whether the keys were in or not. I spent yonks systematically reversing my changes, double checking wiring, unplugging things etc - no joy. Then I stuck a multimeter over the relevant pins in the ignition barrel multiplug that switches if the keys are in, and found it wa a continually closed circuit, regardless of key presence

Hnnnnnrrrrrrrr,
Now all I have to do is redo everything I did, then subsequently undid. Stupid car is stupid.

[Ross.]

Looks so pretty though

[Si]

I know If it did everything else the same, but looked like a Multipla, I'd have sacked it off years ago. But those poppy-up doey eyes just keep melting my tiny geek heart.

Also, thanks

[Ryan]

I have spent the last week chasing an electrical niggle. I nearly kicked the stupid thing so hard, so many times. After relocation of all the fuseboxes it appeared that the 'you've left the door open with your keys in, you twat' buzzer went off every time the door was opened, regardless of whether the keys were in or not. I spent yonks systematically reversing my changes, double checking wiring, unplugging things etc - no joy. Then I stuck a multimeter over the relevant pins in the ignition barrel multiplug that switches if the keys are in, and found it wa a continually closed circuit, regardless of key presence

Hnnnnnrrrrrrrr,
Now all I have to do is redo everything I did, then subsequently undid. Stupid car is stupid.

I know that feeling. I spent a month shortening the engine loom in the 205, only for it not to work (at all) afterwards. I had to make a new one from scratch.

[Si]

Cobwebs. ****ing cobwebs. Even the spiders are taking the piss now.
Anyways, interior almost back in, only taken 6 months.
However, driving DanDan's glorious FD the other day has made me realise what I'm missing, and that manual racks can be rather nice. Add that one to the list...

[JP]

Manual racks?