For those interested in "Modern Classic" Cars

[Classsix T]

Nice pics Jim, hope you and the lad had a good time. Did you ask around for advice about your own FTO?

 

I must admit I'd have spent the entire day slobbering over Skylines, S2000s and those new pointy NSXs. Heaven!

 

C6T.

[big jim]

9 minutes ago, Classsix T said:

Did you ask around for advice about your own FTO?

we only saw 5 FTOs over the whole site! 
 

there was a whole area we didn’t reach though despite walking over 6 miles according to my watch, looking at the show guide there didn’t appear to be a dedicated FTO owners club present

[big jim]

On 31/03/2024 at 13:34, Captain Cuttle said:

Could have spent part of its life by the sea as thats a killer or may have come from some parts of Scotland where cars can last only five years because of the salt they put down.

interesting you should put this, my neighbour walked past the car earlier and said “that’s got a Lothian registration number” he’s from Linlithgow and recognised the prefix on the plate 

 

 

[Captain Cuttle]

8 hours ago, big jim said:

interesting you should put this, my neighbour walked past the car earlier and said “that’s got a Lothian registration number” he’s from Linlithgow and recognised the prefix on the plate 

 

 

Yes thats the reason, Its the same in the U S where they use road salt. Keep  the car power washed  underneath regularly and you are fine. Out of sight and out of mind though.

Something to check on in the future Jim, are there others in the market available or is that an ultra rare car?

Iwas watching a YT video where someone found a rare Mazda coupe RX-3 from the seventies in a scrapyard completely rotted out and in danger of collapse but because not many came to the UK it was worth saving. 

8 hours ago, big jim said:

interesting you should put this, my neighbour walked past the car earlier and said “that’s got a Lothian registration number” he’s from Linlithgow and recognised the prefix on the plate 

 

 

 

 

[big jim]

1 hour ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Something to check on in the future Jim, are there others in the market available or is that an ultra rare car?

it’s not ultra rare as in, worth a fortune, but there are none on autotrader as far as I know and only a couple on eBay, one is a rust free restored example for £12k and another for £3300, I’m hoping we can salvage it as it’s unusual, it’s not in original condition as the wheels are different and according to @Quarryscapes the spoiler is different too 

 

after japfest dom said he doesn’t fancy another MX5 as there were hundreds and hundreds of them there and I’ll admit it’s inspired me to get the FTO on the road as we only saw 5 there 

 

 

[Captain Cuttle]

2 minutes ago, big jim said:

it’s not ultra rare as in, worth a fortune, but there are none on autotrader as far as I know and only a couple on eBay, one is a rust free restored example for £12k and another for £3300, I’m hoping we can salvage it as it’s unusual, it’s not in original condition as the wheels are different and according to @Quarryscapes the spoiler is different too 

 

after japfest dom said he doesn’t fancy another MX5 as there were hundreds and hundreds of them there and I’ll admit it’s inspired me to get the FTO on the road as we only saw 5 there 

 

 

Hope it works out, are underbody parts still available?

[big jim]

1 hour ago, Captain Cuttle said:

Hope it works out, are underbody parts still available?

You can get pre formed corners and chassis rails but I’m hoping it can be welded easy enough but I’m really not sure, if I can get some of the prep work done myself that might save a few quid on the welding, as for things like brake pipes and the like they are readily available, I’ve read that the rear callipers can be a killer on them as they are hard to get hold of should they be seized 

[Quarryscapes]

If you haven't already found them, Amayama is an excellent place to get Japanese parts from, they've kept many of my cars going - including sourcing the new rear quarter panel to repair my FTO aftert he accident. 

 

This is what yours should have looked like from the factory Jim with the standard wheels and pre facelift spoiler. Many people in FTO circles incorrectly called the facelift spoiler the Version R spoiler and thought it was somehow sought after. The version Rs had nothing special, the spoiler design just changed in the 1997 facelift along with the front bumper, and version Rs weren't available pre facelift. (A version R was a GPX but with all the extras removed that you paid extra for, making it a GP with a GPX engine and the unique trimmed front seats. A Version R Aero Series got you to pay extra again to put back some of the bits Version R took off - foglamps and sideskirts)

 

[big jim]

Got a new toy the other day, a scissor lift, handy for the FTO and mini (that needs the brake discs changing)

 

got the FTO off the road and onto the drive by firing it up and driving it into position then it was up in the air for a quick look to see just how bad it really is, honest opinion, it’s no worse than the MX5 was corrosion wise to my eye but I’m not a welder! 
 

the worst part is the corner of the floor pan on both sides, those will need totally cutting out and renewing, the chassis rails appear to look worse than they are, couldn’t poke through them but I didn’t really try too hard 

 

Passenger side floor pan corner

 

Drivers side 

 

solid Floorpan otherwise, hopefully just a good rub down with a wire brush and underseal etc

 

Missing cat and broken flexi on the down pipe so obviously they will need to be replaced by new parts and I’ve got the rest of the exhaust from quarryscapes to collect at some point 

 

i then tilted the car forward on the platform to get a good look at the rear end 

 

Generally I think a good clean up, wire brush and underseal as well as the required welding and it should be salvageable as it’s not too bad 

 

i didn’t go under the car or start poking around as it’s there was no secondary bracing (axle stands) should the lift fail, Ill have to get myself some tall ones for when the car is tilted forward or backward, I’ve got 4 decent short ones for when I’m working on it and it doesn’t need to be as high such as when I do the brakes and clean up under the arches 

 

mechanically as I say I managed to move it to position by driving it, only had it running for about a minute as it’s going to need the fluids and belts doing, also noticed the fuel tank is a bit rusty inside when I put a splash of fuel in it to fire it up (2 litres or so), can it be flushed somehow when the time comes to look at the mechanicals 

Edited April 11 by big jim

[stewartingram]

I like the look of that scissor lift, do you have any more details?

[big jim]

13 minutes ago, stewartingram said:

I like the look of that scissor lift, do you have any more details?

I got it off eBay but it’s a Sealey product 

 

https://www.sealey.co.uk/product/5637706758/portable-pivot-car-lift-1500kg

[big jim]

Lifted the carpets for a look from the inside and have a poke around and the car now has extra air conditioning!

 

The driver’s side is the worst

 

it’s also rotted away part of the bracing from the chassis rail 

 

Passenger side not so bad but still not good 

 

Hopefully still salvageable with a lot of work, I have seen preformed floor pan panels for the fto on an older mig welding forum which would save a lot of hassle but the guy was in Australia and I can’t find anything in the UK other than a complete floor pan! 

 

[MJI]

My Discovery 2 is getting rather grotty on the chassis,  a footstep is rotten, and a rusty seam under bonnet where it got pressure washed a year or so ago.

 

Footstep will be welded, if it fails mot new chassis.

[stewartingram]

That scissor lift looks an impressive bit of kit, sadly as new price is too much for me.

[monkeysarefun]

14 hours ago, big jim said:

Lifted the carpets for a look from the inside and have a poke around and the car now has extra air conditioning!

 

The driver’s side is the worst

 

it’s also rotted away part of the bracing from the chassis rail 

 

Passenger side not so bad but still not good 

 

Hopefully still salvageable with a lot of work, I have seen preformed floor pan panels for the fto on an older mig welding forum which would save a lot of hassle but the guy was in Australia and I can’t find anything in the UK other than a complete floor pan! 

 

 

Wow, hopefully  the bit that is sitting on the scissorlift is in better nick!

[big jim]

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

Wow, hopefully  the bit that is sitting on the scissorlift is in better nick!

Fortunately yes it is, I did check before I jacked it up!
 

9 hours ago, stewartingram said:

That scissor lift looks an impressive bit of kit, sadly as new price is too much for me

I got it for 1/2 the new price otherwise it would have been far to far out if my budget too, you can get a similar one for £415 new but again it’s quite an initial outlay 

 

https://automotechservices.co.uk/products/09013-adjustable-mobile-tilting-lift/

 

 

Edited April 14 by big jim

[monkeysarefun]

Nearby Picton had their regular Coffee and Cars show this morning. A few modern classics amongst them.

 

 

 

First, for the JDM enthusiasts...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, for any  Australian muscle car aficionados!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by monkeysarefun

[big jim]

I know @russ p complains about new MGs being cheap Chinese rubbish so I’m sure he’ll appreciate this!

 

This my current hire car, a 72 plate MG MS suv, not a bad car, does the job 

 

it has approx 25k miles on clock and this is the state of the carpets in it, granted there are no mats fitted but that’s shocking! 

 

my Skoda Superb has 230k miles on the clock (almost 10x the MG mileage) and the carpets are nowhere near like being in that condition! 

[woodenhead]

@big jim Could it be that car is on constant rental to railway workers wearing heavy duty boots for work?

[russ p]

1 hour ago, big jim said:

I know @russ p complains about new MGs being cheap Chinese rubbish so I’m sure he’ll appreciate this!

 

This my current hire car, a 72 plate MG MS suv, not a bad car, does the job 

 

it has approx 25k miles on clock and this is the state of the carpets in it, granted there are no mats fitted but that’s shocking! 

 

my Skoda Superb has 230k miles on the clock (almost 10x the MG mileage) and the carpets are nowhere near like being in that condition! 

 

When partner bought her MG3 I asked the service manager what they were like and he said they aren't too bad but they aren't a rover. 

That carpet is shocking,  I cannot understand why hire companies don't fit even just a cheap set of mats. That carpet will knock quite a bit off resale value and to replace it would be quite expensive in labour alone

What gets me with these cars if they are using crap materials in carpets what else has crap materials in it