• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Short & Long term plans

Share this page

Bret

Bret

Yoda
Offline
Things to do in 2004 (& 05).

Here are some of the more pricey things that are either in the works or I am planning on addressing before years end as part of my long term plans.

First of on tap is to redo my 78Bs suspension. The parts are already on order! I am chucking the tired old leaf-springs & lowering blocks in favor of some new lowering (~1”) springs. Second, while I’m under there I’ll be replacing all of the bushings (front & rear) with the polyurethane ones made by Energy.

Breaks are next. Up-rated pads & shoes and stainless steel brake lines. Possibly vented & cross drilled Rotors.

Wish list: I plan on making a final decision on what I want to do with the engine & transmission. The question is do I go with a V6 engine swap or stay with the 1.8L.

If I stay with the 1800cc I’ll want to take my time and do it right. So I’ll be looking to locate another “used” engine (short or long) block to rebuild. This will also allow me continue to enjoy my car while the work is being done. I am possibly considering going +20 or +30 over. Go with a fast street or road cam, double timing chain, up-rated oil pump and generally beef up the lower end wherever possible. For the top end – I’ll probably go with either Aluminum or a European spec head (ported & polished?) and maybe go with some roller rockers too.

As for breathing: I think it’d be smart to wait for a final decision on this until after I finish with the major engine work above. But while I really like the new Supercharger offered by Moss, I think for my money I would be better off with duel SUs, a downdraft Weber or maybe consider a side draft DCOE Weber.

Electrical & fuel delivery upgrades: Depending on some of my upgrades I will more than likely have to upgrade my Distributor and go with a solid state fuel pump.

Transmission? This too will probably wait until the engine is done. But I’d like to go with a solid 5-speed with an up-rated heavy duty clutch.

Granted some of these options implementation will have to wait until my 78B is exempt from emissions testing once & for all. Or I might start looking for an earlier car that is already exempt.
 
Brakes & suspension go hand-in-hand....if you upgrade the suspension & push your car beyond the limits of your old brakes - uh-oh! So, don't run that new suspension too long without redoing your brakes - were it me, I'd do the brakes at the same time as or before the suspension...

...."familiarity breeds contempt" (i.e., you become more familiar with the improved handling and ignore the dangers of the old brakes!)
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tony barnhill:
Brakes & suspension go hand-in-hand <<SNIP>><hr></blockquote>

Hey Tony,

That’s a great point. The only reason I’m not doing anything with the brakes at this moment is that I recently replace the pads up front about 4 or 5 months ago with stock units. At the same time I also checked the rear shoes and they looks like they had plenty of life left on them. But what I’d like to do is go with one of the many up-rated pads out there in the next couple of months.

Any suggestions or advice as to what would be the best?

Simi-metallic,
Kevlar (Green Stuff)
Hawk
Something else?

I just installed some “Ceramic” brake pads (front & rear) on my 2000 Intrepid and they seem even & really sticky compared to the OEM types I replaced.

cheers.gif
 
Bret: If you are going to all that work and expense why not replace the front crossmember with one from a chrome bumper car and get the ride height out of the clouds? Bob
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bob Claffie:
Bret: If you are going to all that work and expense why not replace the front crossmember with one from a chrome bumper car and get the ride height out of the clouds? Bob<hr></blockquote>

If I can find one I just might do that at some point down the road. But for now here is the lowdown on my B’s suspension upgrade I will be working on this weekend and/or next.

violin.gif

I basically cheated when I first lowered my 78B about three years ago. I used the up-rated springs with between a 1.75” to a 2” drop. In the rear I just used Moss’s lowering 1.5” block kit. Both seemed to work fine, but I am starting to think that the previous owner had the rear leaf springs re-arched at some point, because I am starting to notice a slight rub on my wheels when I hit a dip that I never remember hearing before.

Anyway it all festered last weekend when “acquaintance” in the neighborhood (you know the type know-it-all & kind’a nosy) told me that he thinks that my rear springs are starting to flatten out and I should be re-arched.

That’s when I decided to move the suspension upgrade to the top of my wish list. Sense I was replacing the rear leaf springs I decided to go ahead and replace all of the bushings with polyurethane. One thing led to another and I decided to go ahead and replace the bushings up front as well. Figured that while I’m at it I may as well replace the steering rack boots too.
cheers.gif
 
I've lots of chrome cross members..
 
& sloppy hanger bushings will also allow the bolt to 'wallow' out the holes i the front hangers causing wheel shift along with the thump!
 
Aloha Bret,

My short term (I think it will take a while but I'm starting soon)plan is to rebuild the wood frame of the body tub on my TF. While the car is apart I will change the rear end ring & pinion gear to a lower ratio for low engine revs at road speed. I also want to refurbish the engine, replace piston rings, bearings and install new lip seal rear main oil seal. I also need to replace the glass in the wind screen. lastly repaint the car. I have the major parts and hope to finish in 12 to 18 months. I'm being delayed because I need to get my TR3A back on the road first.

Good luck with your project.

Safety Fast,
Dave
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tony barnhill:
& sloppy hanger bushings will also allow the bolt to 'wallow' out the holes i the front hangers causing wheel shift along with the thump!<hr></blockquote>

Hey Chris & Tony,

Yes, this would seem to make sense, as the rubbing is on the passenger side when I hid a good-sized dip, pothole or speed bump. I don’t hear anything one the driver’s side. The funny thing is, if you look at the car from the side or rear it doesn’t seem to be off or leaning one way or another. But because I’m re-doing all the bushings I figured that it would be a good idea to replace the leaf springs and some of the suspension hardware too.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MGTF1250Dave:
Aloha Bret,

My short term (I think it will take a while but I'm starting soon)plan is to rebuild the wood frame of the body tub on my TF. <<SNIP>>

Good luck with your project.

Safety Fast,
Dave<hr></blockquote>


Wow Dave,
shocked.gif


That sounds like quite the undertaking. Luckily for me, I don’t have to worry about wood like you do with the TF. Couldn’t image having to be concerned about my lackluster carpentry skills, along with everything else I have to deal with. In my case – thanks to a rust free body, all I have to do is have my B repainted.

Anyway the only advice I have for you is, when things get tough just remember that Jesus Christ worked with wood too. Perhaps, Devine intervention will guide you?
angel.gif
wink.gif


Good luck to you too.
Bret
 
I had a 74 1/2 B that someone had installed what I like to call the "Dukes of Hazard" spring hangars on. While replacing those with stock parts (who would raise a r/b B?), I also put in new rubbers. That got rid of the wheel rub. Whether the rub was from the taller hangars or the worn rubbers, who knows, but I think it was the rubber parts, as the hangars should have given more clearance.
 
Back
Top