Rotrex 2zz Roadster - J03's Silver Shed

[J03]

Well my head has ruled, this car is just too far gone for investing anymore time or money in. So I'm breaking for bits if anybody wants anything.

I will be keeping any new parts I've built up however, the plan is to pick up one in better condition in a year or 2 & work on that instead.

[lamcote]

May be interested in the rear wheels if they are in decent nick, not bothered about any tyres. Are you putting it in the sales section?

[Jandaw]

Sad times, really wanted to see the end result. The car/engine would have been (will be, sorry) a fantastic combination.

[Bernie]

Can we please put this on hold for now can't currently allow breaking

Thread locked

[Bernie]

MOD - Now unlocked as project now continuing best of luck

[tomaky]

Good news!!!

[shnazzle]

Sweet! Keep at it son!

[Escy]

I'm glad you are carrying on. There is no serious rust that I can see, it all looks superficial, definitely not enough to condemn the car over. If you feel it's overwhelming, cut back on the level of work you're doing. I can't really see the need to be stripping it all down to the level you are (abs pump, pas, etc)

[Anonymous]

Got to agree, it doesn't look that bad. It's quite an old car now, don't lose sight of the fact it'll never be perfect...or what you want the end product to be!

[J03]

Right, socks pulled up & head taken firmly out of arse. Best to side step the slight dip in sanity!

I've found a local company who will pick up the bare chassis, sandblast & primer it, then drop back off for a very good price. So it leaves me with the easier job of removing all the underseal & clearing the engine bay.
So, with that in mind....

[Topdownman]

Very glad to hear you are continuing with this.

You have set yourself very high standards but looks like you will end up with a new car!

[Mikeymead]

Top marks for perseverance, keep up the good work and best of luck.

[Anonymous]

Blimey! You really are going for it.... You are slightly crazy but it's great to see!  s:D s:D

[Jrichards20]

Oh wow. Very impressed  s:) s:)  You don't do a half arsed job do you.

It is making me embarrassed that I'm not even thinking of doing half the things you have done. Looks like I have a lot more on my plate than I bargained for! Please don't stop, your pictures and write ups are going to help me a lot  s:) s:)

[J03]

Well this is going to be my B road blaster for, hopefully, a good few years to come. As well as getting a 335bhp motor & a plethora of other new parts, it just wouldn't feel right adding all that to a rust bucket. Whilst it's in this transition period I might as well give it 110%? That's why I fell out with it, second best would feel like a failure to me. So, a bit of professional help will go a LONG way & this company is 4 miles away, can't believe it!   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

I will say though, the front end doesn't half take some hammer on these motors, stripping the rear down has been much better. Well, the rear subframe is mullered of course & the suspension arms look like Cadbury's Flakes, but it's uncovering areas like in the pic below which makes me realise that a lot is just superficial.
You'll be surprised how much underseal at the front looks absolutely fine on the surface as well, but as the wire wheels are cutting through it, I'm finding hidden pockets of rust. You'd never know about those until they've eventually eaten away at the seam!

Anyway, onwards & upwards. Engine & gearbox are next on my list, so if anyone wants those keep an eye out in the for sale section. I may need to pull the sump or even the head to drop it out, so the engine will probably be in bits by the time I'm finished   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

[Anonymous]

It's good to see don't get me wrong, it's just a hell of a lot of work! Very impressed and envious  s:) s:)

[jonty]

Why will you have to take the sump or head off mate?

I'd love to do the same as you as a track/race car!

I would consider some full underbody flat panels, like an aero floor, but actually with the main purpose of protecting everything rather than making downforce...

[J03]

Why will you have to take the sump or head off mate?

I'd love to do the same as you as a track/race car!

I would consider some full underbody flat panels, like an aero floor, but actually with the main purpose of protecting everything rather than making downforce...

I'm not sure if there'll be enough clearance to remove the engine as a whole. Looking at the pics do you reckon it'll be possible? I suppose once the subframe & suspension bits are out it should leave a pretty big aperture.

Good shout about the underbody aero, definitely something to consider! I need to have a proper look underneath, because I'd love a FMIC but I don't think there's enough room where the coolant pipes run. If a panel could be made to accommodate the IC pipes that'd be awesome   s:D s:D

[Anonymous]

The engine and box will come out from below with lots of space when the rear subframe is off!

[jonty]

Yes mate, the engine comes out just fine through the bottom; there are plenty of threads about it here and also on spyderchat.com with full detail. You can choose whether or not to remove the subframe, so in your case where it's all getting blasted it's best to take it off... this means you don't have to lift the body so high to get the engine out.

With regards to FMIC, I think most people either have a rear IC, or a charge cooler with a rad at the front. Piping the air the length of the car sounds difficult, and bad for performance! Personally, I would go for a charge cooler, since water pipes are much easier to install, and you can make a very simple inlet path.

[Jrichards20]

Well this is going to be my B road blaster for, hopefully, a good few years to come. As well as getting a 335bhp motor & a plethora of other new parts, it just wouldn't feel right adding all that to a rust bucket. Whilst it's in this transition period I might as well give it 110%? That's why I fell out with it, second best would feel like a failure to me. So, a bit of professional help will go a LONG way & this company is 4 miles away, can't believe it!   s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

I will say though, the front end doesn't half take some hammer on these motors, stripping the rear down has been much better. Well, the rear subframe is mullered of course & the suspension arms look like Cadbury's Flakes, but it's uncovering areas like in the pic below which makes me realise that a lot is just superficial.
You'll be surprised how much underseal at the front looks absolutely fine on the surface as well, but as the wire wheels are cutting through it, I'm finding hidden pockets of rust. You'd never know about those until they've eventually eaten away at the seam!

Yes quite right, that way, at least you know that your not going to have to strip the car anytime soon for anything like that!  s:) s:) .. It should be like a brand new car by the time you've finished with it!
At least the rear is better, I've had the same mind frame as you, only worrying about the front and completely forgetting what state the rear will be in. I was just banking on the coilovers for the rear as its had the subframe replaced  s:) s:)

[J03]

Ok so here she stands at the moment, everything has been pulled from the rear including all wiring/gear linkages/throttle cable/clutch line etc...

I think the 'box & engine are all clear & ready to drop out now, but can anyone suggest anything I might've missed?

Oh & check out the dirty big hole in the sub frame   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:  

[Anonymous]

Wowsers looks good. Ready to drop by the looks of it.

Subframe is bad but I've seen worse!

[CrazySX]

Don't give up bud.. I think most of them are a bit rusty. You have made so much progress already

[J03]

Busy time at work last week so not much progress with the car, however the engine finally came out over the weekend. Rear calipers are having a Deox bath as well, after having to tediously drill out a sheared fixing bolt (courtesy of previous owner/garage)
Anyway we all like pics.