Volvo P1800ES...kinda

Nice progress. That miata shifter looks goofy in there though. A jag shifter would look great i'd think. 

In reply to simon_C :

+1 on the Jag shifter idea

No idea what Jag shifter y'all be thinking about, but it aint gonna fly.

Require a E36 M3-ton of work, $$$ , it would be out of context and probably look silly when done. Plus it would be non-sustainable.

The Miata auto shifter fits in the Miata console as if it were designed to be there, and if it ever requires service the parts can be obtained from Mazda for not much $$.

A Jag shifter would involve finding one, agreeing that I like it, doing the fab work to the shifter and/or console,and/or toombstone that would probably end up looking home made and then organizing the shifter mechanism to speak to the AOD and whatever Miata wiring is involved in the shift quadrand.  If and when said Jag shifter ever needed service, the next owner would not know what it came from, what was required to make it fit,  and if he did, would have a hard time finding a replacement or repair part. 

The design book is pretty much closed at this point. Not looking for more fab work if it can be avoided ( actually that has been the case all along; this build has been the Anti-Fab build. Just does not look that way at first.

Pete

NOHOME said:

The Miata auto shifter fits in the Miata console as if it were designed to be there....

And with good reason.

In reply to NOHOME :

'70s XJ6 shifter, they're a nice clean old school looking shifter. But I definitely get using the Miata one.

So there is still a list with over 200 items on it. And yes, a lot of them are more important than putting shinny stuff on the car. But berkeley it, that is what I felt like doing today and I like what I am seeing!

I fired up the buffing wheel  (background) and the beer fridge, and made some bling.

Oh and the tires are new.

And it would seem the door needs to come up about 1/16" .

The cargo floor is pretty much what it is going to be for now. I could spend a winter just innovating on what I might do with the spaces under this flat surface, but not this winter. Gonna put a rubber layer over top and carpet for the immediate future. 

And yeah... this is kind of a diversion since procrastinating about going back to wiring. But that too will get done eventually.

Pete

Ive learned that the dust from my polishing rouge is a stone cold cast iron motherberkeleyer to get off paint.

Hope you knew this, or have different supplies. 

Dusterbd13-michael said:

... a stone cold cast iron motherberkeleyer ...

The worst kind of motherberkeleyer known to man.  :-P

I don't know what this mesh is made of, but thank the lord for a plasma cutter. 

Pete

Just in case you haven't already seen it, check out topmiata.com for some nice interior parts with a retro style. They might even have a shifter knob that would solve the earlier debate. Or a center console delete kit that would give you free range to use whatever shifter you want, but then you'd loose the center console. *shrug*

I've been drooling over the site for the last two hours but I don't get to put on shiny parts yet. I must first earn it. 

and I'm sorry you don't have the only two-seater station wagon project on GRM anymore.

In reply to mannydantyla :

No probs with you going down the two door wagon path with your project, My wife has always maintained that were it not for being a bad example I would be useless.

Pete

NOHOME said:

In reply to mannydantyla :

No probs with you going down the two door wagon path with your project, My wife has always maintained that were it not for being a bad example I would be useless.

 

Pete

"were it not for being a bad example I would be useless"   I'd like my Tshirt in XXL thank you very much 

Where this project is at..."Progress by a thousand setbacks and direction changes"

A lot went on here, but mostly changes to stuff that was already there:

The cooling has gone from mechanical to electrical

The alternator has gone from 1 wire to the 3G that bolts directly to the Ford bracket

Abandoned the idea of tucking the AC compressor under that PS of the engine and went with factory brackets and locating.

The good news is that the Grille shell fits the body perfectly. The bad news is that the mesh grille will need to be redesigned to fit and attach.  That sucks! Plan was to cross that off the list on Sunday!

See the one headlight bucket with no light? Plan was to have eyeballs in this thing by today. ant find one of the headlight bucket rubbers and the standoffs to hold/adjust the lights are also on the way but not here...so that slides down the calendar also.

And before anyone chimes in that exact air filter as you see it now is not going to clear the hood, but there is a solution in place.

The good news is the vent window is in place. The bad news? See the key location is vacant? Waiting for a new lockset from VP. Cant move ahead until that arrives.

See all the nice shiny stuff, the good news is that I have not yet had an industrial accident with the buffing wheel.

Yet.

Here is something that is pretty much off the list. The mudflaps and front rubber mud protector are attached to the car.  With the wheels moved out a few inches from stock, it needs this to protect the quarter panels.

The bad news is that I still need to find a "Gill"  that goes in front of the filler, for this side of the car.

All in, it was a good Sunday.

Pete

i've never before noticed that the quarter trim on these cars originates as the door handle.  i am having a hard time expressing my love for that without swearing.

In reply to AngryCorvair :

It is a neat feature of the S through ES versions.  The earlier Jensen body cars have different trim from the doors forward where the handles are not connected and the trim follows the styling lines.  A few folks have done the conversion to later cars.

You're almost done man! I'm excited for ya

I'm trying to read through the whole build thread but my eyes are starting to bleed. Have learned a lot though.

ccrunner said:

maybe fab a fuel tank in where you currently have your spare sitting

I had a good chuckle at this! (back on page 43, when you had the spare tire sitting where the miata fuel tank used to be)

In reply to NOHOME :

Regarding the grill in front of the fuel filler - you looking for just that one or both sides?  New or used?

I Know A Guy...

In reply to CJ :

Two would be best if they have all the mounting pegs, but I can manage with the one that I have on the PS. Used is good.

Pete

He will check in the AM

In reply to mannydantyla :

Can't tell ya how many times I have gone back to the start of this thread to get a chuckle, and/or motivation. 

Good to hear you found it entertaining. As for learning, never sure what lesson is to be gleaned from this trip!

Pete

Check your IMs for the board if you have time

And a few more bites of the elephant got chewed.

New lock barrels installed and working. Door latch mechanism installed and working. Glass installed and it goes up and down. Smoothly and quietly even...

Need to repeat on the DS. 

I installed the window before the vent window but am not sure if it would not have gone in even with the vent window in place.

Awesome!

Ian F said:

In reply to AngryCorvair :

It is a neat feature of the S through ES versions.  The earlier Jensen body cars have different trim from the doors forward where the handles are not connected and the trim follows the styling lines.  A few folks have done the conversion to later cars.

To be nice & pedantic, the early S cars actually had the same trim as the Jensen cars; 1966 was the last year of the trim that followed the curve up the door, with the separate door handle. I had a '66 and learned all the little nuances. To me this was a quick way to tell a 64-66 1800S from a later 67-69 1800S.

Why you need a sense of humor when doing this E36 M3. Petey and I got to assembling the DS door today. For some reason the DS is not wanting to cooperate and gave us a hard time coming apart.  This carried on to the lock cylinder that refused to leave for its replacement. Petey finally prevailed and the new one was installed. All is good eh?

Then this got noticed.... (old lock cyl on left new installed on right)