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Project Sneak

mahesket

mahesket

Hi all, I'm new to the world of Micra's with this being my first. I have just put a small deposit down on the car as I am waiting for my parents garage to become free so that i can do the required work to get it through its MOT.

I spotted the car locally, 3 months tax, just out of MOT with clutch problems and a bargain price. The plans are fix the clutch probs my self, hence waiting for parents garage to free. (currently full of new bathroom). get it an MOT generally clean it up, no real plans to mod it as of a massively tight budget. and then use it as a car for my fiance to learn in.

So welcome everyone to Sneak! (Sneak because thats what the start of the vin number is :p)

She is an absolute filthy mess inside and needs a good wash and polish, but the body is straight with not many scratches no dints to speak of. sills were repaired two years ago and look to be holding up well with no other rust to see, arches etc. not had a chance to check the front out yet though. apologies for the rubbish pics they are from the ad, will get some better ones up when she's in my possession in a couple of weeks time.

Anyway pictures:

90630467.jpg


90630522.jpg


90630496.jpg


90630557.jpg


Thoughts please, I will be keeping it updated with progress as and when i get hold of her but i needed to start something lol.

Matt
 
Thought i'd show my last few cars.

MK5 Fiesta Zetec S - the actual car tested on old top gear by VBH.

Fiesta-OS.jpg


1340cc Mini grr

DSC00098.jpg


No pics of my current motor, Renault Megane 3, 1.5dci 110, Dynamique tomtom will stick one up soon.

Matt
 
Cool will have a look at that when i get it off, looks like one hefty fly wheel. I'll see if they have the kit at the workshop at our production site next time I'm up there.

Are the clutches easy to do? any ideas where the best place to get a kit from is, euro car parts?
 
mahesket said:
Are the clutches easy to do? any ideas where the best place to get a kit from is, euro car parts?
Click to expand...

they,re very straight forward to do matt (i always leave the shafts in and lower the g/box down) and i rate the luk clutches personally :) (smaller 160mm clutch on the pre 98 1.0,s btw)
 
frank said:
they,re very straight forward to do matt (i always leave the shafts in and lower the g/box down) and i rate the luk clutches personally :) (smaller 160mm clutch on the pre 98 1.0,s btw)
Click to expand...

Nice one i'll have a luk to see where i can get them from in Sheff. I know there is a LUK office/manufacturing facility in the City so should be easy to track one down
 
Just bought a haynes manual off ebay, will get reading up on clutch changes when i get it.

I am tempted to stick it in for an MOT with the clutch as is and see what i get, at least they don't test the clutch on the MOT. Then i will know what it requires.

Matt
 
Just got the following items in the post this morning

photo.jpg


Should be getting her delivered by saturday, can't wait to get my hands dirty.

Matt
 
Finally she's in her new home, she was delivered yesterday on my birthday.

Work started today with trying to sort the clutch out. so far i have adjusted the clutch as much as possible but i have run out of adjustment. its better than before as now i can select first and it drives ok ish.

Setting pedal height

photo-5.jpg


Adjusting cable

photo-4.jpg


After that i decided to service her as i guessed it hadn't been done for a while. with the state of the oil, filter and plugs my suspicions were correct.

New filter compared to old

photo-8.jpg


Coked up plugs

photo-9.jpg


Black oil

photo-6.jpg


I then fixed the n/s brake light, just a new bulb required, fortunately had one lying around from a car we scrapped earlier in the year. Then i removed the rear wiper motor as there was no wiper arm on the car, just need to get a bigger rubber grommet as the biggest i have is 25mm, D'oh!

last thing i did was remove all the seats as its so messy. tomorrow will be a cleaning day, and hopefuly MOT on Weds to see how she goes.

I'll keep you posted tomorrow.

Matt
 
Right then today I had a mamouth day of cleaning.

I was going to clean everything whilst still in the car but decided it would be easier to remove everything. Well apart from the dash!

Never worked on a car which was so easier to strip! When empty I proceeded to remove all the builders rubble in the car (think it was used as a skip by the last owner) then vacuumed, washed and polished the interior.

photo-10.jpg


Carpets and some trim in

photo-11.jpg


Seats drying after a quick shampoo

photo-14.jpg


Interior trim for polishing

photo-13.jpg


That's the last photo I took. I did manage to get the whole interior back in the car. Just got to give her a good wash and polish in the morning and then take her for the MOT at 10:30am think I'll go the long way round to get there as much in second gear as poss. She hasn't been driven properly since the start of September so needs clearing out :).

Wish me luck for the MOT.


Matt
 
BAD NEWS!!! It failed.

Front crossmember excessively coroded!

Small hole in rear floor

n/s CV gaiter split

Been quoted £20 for small hole, £60 for CV gaiter and about £170 for patching the crossmember (although i think a new panel would be easier/safer)

dont know what to do? i really wish i could weld right now, or know someone who can! i dont think i can justify spending that money.

CV boot i should be able to do fo cost of parts

Welding to floor price is ok but the crossmemeber has ####ed me off! really dont know what to do, sell, scrap, fix?

I have seen whole front panels for £30 is it possible to do if I hired a spot welder for the day £35 quid for a saturday?

What are peoples thoughts?

Cheers

Matt
 
mahesket said:
BAD NEWS!!! It failed.

Front crossmember excessively coroded!

Small hole in rear floor

n/s CV gaiter split

Been quoted £20 for small hole, £60 for CV gaiter and about £170 for patching the crossmember (although i think a new panel would be easier/safer)

dont know what to do? i really wish i could weld right now, or know someone who can! i dont think i can justify spending that money.

CV boot i should be able to do fo cost of parts

Welding to floor price is ok but the crossmemeber has ####ed me off! really dont know what to do, sell, scrap, fix?

I have seen whole front panels for £30 is it possible to do if I hired a spot welder for the day £35 quid for a saturday?

What are peoples thoughts?

Cheers

Matt
Click to expand...

just bolt a new lower x member on matt, and arcweld a few tacks on (Y)
 
frank said:
just bolt a new lower x member on matt, and arcweld a few tacks on (Y)
Click to expand...

Is it a bolt on part? would it be ok to do that then get the garage to stick a tack on while they are doing the hole?

or would the MOT man even notice that it was just bolted?

where could i get the panel from?
 
mahesket said:
Is it a bolt on part? would it be ok to do that then get the garage to stick a tack on while they are doing the hole?

or would the MOT man even notice that it was just bolted?

where could i get the panel from?
Click to expand...

ebay eh matt, and the tiedown/towing eyes bolt into the x member, but there are a few spotwelds too
 
mahesket said:
right then just bought a lower x member of ebay and also a cv boot, that will be my jobs sorted for the weekend then.
Click to expand...

you can usually get the shaft out of the hub by removing the 2 shock bolts, and sticking it on full lock matt (Y) (instead of the bottom balljoint mission)
 
frank said:
you can usually get the shaft out of the hub by removing the 2 shock bolts, and sticking it on full lock matt (Y) (instead of the bottom balljoint mission)
Click to expand...

Cheers again, really appreciate all the advice (Y). I really want to get started on it and get it done and re-tested but have to wait for parts and getting really concious that my fiance is getting annoyed with all the time i've spent on it this week and i know that there is so much more to do.

But heyho we'll get there, (i love being impatient)
 
Bought a cheapo arc welder last night off gumtree. This should be fun. Hopefully I won't be blowing holes everywhere.

Even if I mess it up/can't do it I'll be able to prep it for the garage so that should keep the costs down. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
 
Had a bit of a ##### of a day today. First off spent an hour trying to get her to start which was strange as I had driven her into a flat garage and not touched for 4 days and it just wouldn't fire! Spark, fuel but no go. Any way after shortening the gap of the plug I got it to fire.

Any way after that I didn't manage to get far taking the bumper off its a proper mission!

Has anyone got any tips. I want to leave the headlights in as the studs on the lights will definately break as they haven't been taken out in 14 years!

Need a tip which bolts ate best to remove?

Cheers

Matt
 
the studs usually just spin round matt, but if you spin them and push the light to 1 side the stud will slide out of the light without breaking anything
or you can leave the pods on the bumper and remove the 4 x 12mm nuts and 2 x 12mm bolts instead (tho the 2 x offside nuts are tucked behind the washer bottle fwn
 
Nice one, think ill give that a go with the lights, i can always cable tie them back in if i fudge it up.

Mission for tomorrow night get the bumper off!! my new panel and CV boot should be with me today i hope.

so far i have been working with the car up on ramps but i want to stick it on my axle stands so i can take the wheels off. Where is the best place to jack the front of the car up, obviously not xmember now as that is ruined. front lower wishbone? then axle stands under the front sills?

Matt
 
Both my lower x-member and CV boot have arrived today. Hopefully i can get that bumper off easily enough now and start to get it sorted!!
 
Crossmember!!!

My local garage mot tester had a look at my crossmember because i was concernced about how rusty it was and holed and said as it isnt a structual part it will pass fine as it is!
 
purp k11 said:
My local garage mot tester had a look at my crossmember because i was concernced about how rusty it was and holed and said as it isnt a structual part it will pass fine as it is!
Click to expand...

As far as i'm aware it isn't "testable" as it was changed a couple of years ago. although it does support the beam that runs under the engine which has an engine mounting point on. Mine is so far gone there is basically nothing left of the top or back edge that now its been pointed out and i've seen it i wouldn't feel safe driving it, let alone teaching my fiance to drive in it! its also corroded around both mounting points at each end. as a replacement part is so cheap and i should be able to do the work my self (albeit with a lot of shouting and swearing, it wouldn't be as fun if you didn't!) so thats a bonus, plus i don't need the car to use as i have a company car so if it takes a bit of time thats ok.

Cheers for the info though. Tonight i will hopefuuly get the bumper and x-member off:grinning:, fingers crossed!!

Matt
 
Right then, where i got to last night.

Head light and bumper off to reveal the x-member, already taken vertical support and both end brackets off in this pic. Presenting one crusty x-member

photo-22.jpg


Close up of n/s front

photo-18.jpg


Behind

photo-20.jpg


I dont think you should be able to see daylight through there!!

so the next thing to do is remove the remaining bolts, two from the fore/aft member, then the radiator bottom brackets.

Is it better to take these off after removing the x-member or whilst in position on the car? i'm guesing i just need to remove the bolts highlighted below

photo-19-1.jpg


photo-21.jpg


And then is it a case of carefully grinding away at the x-member until i am left with the space for the new one?

As always, guidance is very much appriciated.

Cheers

Matt
 
frank said:
you just need to support the engine cradle matt, and chisel the baulk of the x member off, then grind the last bits off :)
Click to expand...

Cheers, so if i support the cradle (guessing you mean the beam that runs under the engine) with my trolly jack and get chiseling i should be good.

What should i do regarding the radiator?
 
just support the rad with some rope from the bonnet matt, the rad brackets are usually rusted solid and are best removed by grinding the captive nuts off at the back
 
Small update. I've got most of the from crossmember off. Just need to grind away at both ends now to finish it up. But I need a better grinder. Borrowed a cordless one from work but it doesn't last long and gives in quite easily. Dont think it has much torque. And it's quite bulky.

Will get some pictures tomorrow when I'm back up there doing some more to it.

Matt.
 
R-REG-SR said:
this is why i asked to see members grinders to get a good idea which one's good for this car work
http://www.micra.org.uk/threads/47235-Grrrrinder-pics-up

mine goes "graaa" "graaaa" some times trying to get some speech out and talk on the job
Click to expand...

The one I've been using is a ryobi 18v lithium jobbie. Borrowed from work, really handy being cordless but just doesn't seem to last long at all. I'm talking only a couple of mins grinding 10 or so. It's quite expensive too for the grinder alone no battery it's about £80. Think I'm gonnaget my self a decent DIY one at least there is power in the garage I'm working in.
 
Right then, works grinder had to go back, they needed it as the gypo's keep breaking through the fence to the site to try and steel any old metal they can find laying around on the old works grr !!

So I decided that i may as well just get my own, was looking at the bosch and makita ones as I know they are quality pieces of kit, my only problem was money, they were all £45 cheapest, then I found a black and decker reduced to £26 with 5 free discs so I thought why not! My drill is a B&D from the 80's passed down from my dad and that's still going well.

Quite pleased with it for the price, fairly short so should be good at getting in behind the front and has so much more power than the battery one so should make short work of the rest that I have left to do.

Back on with the front end tomorrow, I hope to get it all cleaned up and the new panel offered up.

Need to get some 1mm cutting discs, only need cheapo ones, any idea where to get some from. i did see a good offer in screwfix but sheffield is sold out!

Cheers

Matt
 
top work sorting the interior out mate...i thought taking the front seats out to clean the carpet in mine was OCD enough XD inspired me to clean mine again... went to all that effort and 2 months down the line the interior is in worse state than i got it haha. sorry to hear about the MOT though... but it will be a good car for you after this is done (Y)
 
johnbr6 said:
top work sorting the interior out mate...i thought taking the front seats out to clean the carpet in mine was OCD enough XD inspired me to clean mine again... went to all that effort and 2 months down the line the interior is in worse state than i got it haha. sorry to hear about the MOT though... but it will be a good car for you after this is done (Y)
Click to expand...

Cheers, hopefully I'll make some good progress tomorrow with the crossmember.

The inside was such a mess wish I took a proper photo before it was like a rubble skip. Minty fresh now though. (Y)
 
Got the afternoon of work today so hopin to get a big chunk done.

I would like your opinions on wheel colour please. I'm going to freshen up the steeliness as they look rubbish.

Should I stick with silver? Go darker more anthracite? Or a complete colour change?

All opinions welcome.

Cheers
Matt
 
The work i completed yesterday.

I managed to get all the old rusty crossmember off :grinning: i then set about cleaning up the areas and gave them some treatment with the rust remedy!

O/S

photo-27.jpg


N/S

photo-25.jpg


Centre

photo-24.jpg


and the whole front

photo-26.jpg


You are required to leave the rust remedy 24 hours before painting, filling etc so unfortunately thats where i got to with that side of things yesterday. I managed to remove the old radiator bottom brackets from the old cross member too and gave them a good clean up, they just need a bit of hammerite on then and they will be as good as new (didn't get any photos of these).

Going to nip round at lunch and give the front bits a coat of primmer i think.

Just one last thing do i need to re-fit this piece highlighted? as the bottom brackets are pretty rusty and it would be time saved if i didn't bother! from what i can tell its just a bit of a weather shield for the alternator etc!

photo-22-1.jpg


Cheers

Matt
 
Just bagged an instrument cluster with rev counter for £4.99 I know I dont really need it, but for that price I couldn't resist.

Also stuck a few coats of primer on the treated areas. Panel is going on on Saturday!!
 
Bit of an update, not really done much in the last few weeks, last night i got the near side drive shaft out, not such a hard job really. the hardest part was i had left half my tools at home so had make do with my dad tools, he hasn't got that many!!

Anyway drive shaft out and split, i like the way in this pic you can see how the metal in the bearing has changed colour due to it heating up over the last 15 years. bit of a pain to split the shaft but just kept hammering until it moved.

photo-32.jpg


Empty space on the car

photo-34.jpg


Then i decided to clean up the shaft and give it a quick coat of hammerite, ready to recieve the new gaiter.

photo-33.jpg


Thats all for now, hoping to get the gear box out next.

Is it easier to remove the bolt through the rear engine mount or the engine mount from the gearbox?

Cheers

Matt
 

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