What I am doing!

[JonathanT]

Latitude was great but that's 3 whole days of Wombling lost . Yesterday straight back to work, but able to get back out in the garage in the eve. At lunchtime Rolemin popped over with his new R4. It's looking great and all set for summer days out.

So what have I to report? Well probably the most interesting thing is the engineer across the way at work came over with my little top hat wheel centres. These are designed to adapt GTL wheels to accept hubcaps. They can be easily removed for wheelbalancing etc . They work brilliantly!

 

[JonathanT]

Then I carried on with the rear lighting and tow bar wiring. The repaired wiring loom I had to further adapt to bring the towing relay sound alert thing to within the car not dangling under the wing as the towbar fitter had it .

 

[petak]

You have specially made those adapters for wheel hubs or you can buy them somewhere

They are great.....i really like your sense for small details.

 

[JonathanT]

You have specially made those adapters for wheel hubs or you can buy them somewhere

They are great.....i really like your sense for small details.

Hi Petak


Yes I designed them and a friendly engineer working opposite me made them for me.

Hard to see in the photo but there is a shallow groove near the back flange. The flange holds it in place against the wheel. Pushing it in from the back then sliding an 'O' ring over and into a small shallow groove just on the face side, holds it nice and still so the hub cap bolt can be tightened up.

 

[petak]

Perfect.....just thought about that detail.....how you secure them hold still?

You have answered my question

 

[Azazello]

Really brilliant!
Which colour did you use for wheels?
The special grey listed in the colour code page?

 

[JonathanT]

Hi Azzazello

I used RAL 9002 as I thought the 'proper' colour was too heavy for my scheme.

 

[JonathanT]

The cream car is Ornella with the correct colour wheels. Its darker more like RAL7032

 

[JonathanT]

Last night was a late one ....but pleased with myself as all the wiring is complete and working. Took ages to work out why the fog lamp wasn't working. Then I remembered the head lamps have to be on before it will work. Got the parcel shelves in remembering to put a little blob of butyl over the hole before entering the screw. The last big challenge is the final conversion of the GTL dashboard to the L type with its letterbox speedo.

So now I have a reverse light and the fog lamp hanging at the back instead of reverse lights in the boot lid. My heated rear window doesn't work and happy to have plain glass. (I'd prefer this) so the wire to the heating element is redundant. I might put a light on the inside of the boot lid switchable from the front

 

[JonathanT]

Tonight my son helped me refit the bonnet. It's on but not quite right so extensive fiddling required tomorrow to get it to sit square and low enough

 

[Paul Narramore]

I have had no need so far to remove the bonnet, is removing it straightforward? It looks like it needs to be in the wide opened position, then remove the wire stays and headlight/indicator wiring then simply slides to one side. Yes?

 

[JonathanT]

Hi Paul yes that's pretty much it but really best done with an assistant as once it's let go of the car it's a bit unwieldy

 

[JonathanT]

Phew been a full on day with the Samba Band but I have managed a little late night tinkering which has seen the return of the boot lid. It's catch and the spring stay . That Spring stay had my brain doing somersaults trying to work out how it goes ! But I managed it in the end .

 

[JonathanT]

My little helper

 

[JonathanT]

So more Samba today . This time playing in procession the whole length of the promenade in Lowestoft in swealtering heat. Tomorrow I shall be just across the water in Amsterdam for a few days 121 time with my son . I wonder if I will see any R4s?
In between all the other full on activities I've squeezed in a bit of Wombling. Today has seen the hub cap adaptors fitted, the tailgate light restored and fitted , the tailgate latch restored. The dashboard and the roof lining scrubbed phase 1

 

[JonathanT]

The rear number plate light has a very pleasing design with a lovely lensed bulb cover. The moulding has lost its colour and looked very tired. So I painted it black. The paint dried in strong orange peel finish unintentionally . I've decided to leave it this way as it looks like Wilfrids(my dog) nose!

 

[JonathanT]

Would anyone have the aluminium trim to a switch spare? Missing one

 

[petak]

I still admire your adapters....simple and functional.....brilliant

 

[mr-reno-139]

Maybe as seen a spare switch like that recently no grantee I can find it again
How are you getting on rewiring dash and switches etc isnt column different type position etc ?

 

[JonathanT]

Hi Paul ha ...yes column is different but relatively easy to adapt. It means cutting off the bracket at the front end and prob welding on something different. I haven't fabricated the vent ducts yet which also seem to support the column and speedo. The length of the column isn't an issue - the old type look longer but in fact aren't. They just end differently beneath the steering wheel. I've got all the wiring working and blindly thinking it shouldn't be too hard to adapt here in. The dash itself fits perfectly as you might expect. Just needs a few more screw holes in the right place to secure it. This is possibly the last big challenge. But the one that's worrying me is not that at all ...but the bonnet. It's sitting too high on one side despite me setting it all up really well with the wings when assembling the front end. It's the whole reason I put it on the chassis only to take it off again prior to spray booth.
Hopefully I'll sort it quick !

Away in Amsterdam at the mo. AND IVE SEEN A RENAULT 4 on the road! Yay!!!! In my excitement I fudged the camera shot and missed it. I'm determined to find another or the same one to post on here