So Sundance's MOT runs out today; apart from me doing the paperwork, he's now officially off the road for his long-overdue overhaul, and I've swapped the cars over on the drive, so Butch is now at the back ready for MOT tomorrow.



It will be the first time in 21 years that this car hasn't been my daily driver. I admit getting quite tearful over it yesterday (I'm a bit blurry writing this), but I've had the car for nearly half my life (terrifyingly), and wherever I've been, and whatever's happened to me (some of it pretty horrendous), I've been in that car. It may just be an inanimate object, but these things become part of you.

However, it's time for a change in energy, and now I get to be a hooligan in a V6 (assuming all goes well tomorrow ... )

All I need now is some good weather, and I can start stripping Sundance down and doing all the things I wanted to do ages ago.

There is a dark cloud: petrol. There's new cleaner petrol coming in next year, and pre-2000 cars will not be able to use it - or rather, they will, but prolonged use will kill the engine. Apparently retailers will sell both types at first, but as pre-2000 cars are becoming a rarity, I doubt parallel availability will last for long, especially as electric is on its way. So, unless someone can come up with an additive to protect pre-2000 engines (like the additive that lead-using engines had to use when unleaded came in), or there's some way to modify the cars to withstand the new fuel, I fear our BAs are basically doomed.

But for the moment I will try to put that to the back of my mind and overhaul Sundance for his own sake: he's given me 21 years, and I feel he deserves one more chance, at least until we know for certain what the future holds.

S

I think the E10 debate could be a little too exaggerated, from what I've read the most important problem is flexible fuel lines which will be cured by replacing them, maybe even the 323's lines are ok but I haven't checked on this. The whole thing seems to be full of "maybe's" and "could," to be frank I believe they don't know but aren't willing to give more slack as it goes into:







https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/869814/introducing-e10-petrol-consultation.pdf

Personally until it gets introduced and E10 is confirmed to be harmful and E5 is getting harder to find I'm not even thinking about it

Wow, that's the first I've heard of the E5 and E10 thing, thank you Serena for the alert. It also means that even my newest Mazda (a 2000 BJ) could also be doomed.
Shocking.
The consultation paper (thank you for the link, Toe) says 5 years of parallel running, but the fuel I need will cost more. They are basically taxing old cars out of existence. Already the old ones need £300+ per year of road tax (are you ready for that in the V6 ) and with newer ones' tax at anything between £0 and £145 and better mpg as well, life is going to be hard for as 323 nuts.

Apologies, I should have given more info - I wasn't trying to be crazy alarmist, I was just more focussed on my temporary farewell to Sundance, and the petrol issue has been on my mind lots. Is it even worth overhauling him; etc.

I appreciate your adding the additional details, Toe - thanks.

But yes, I've not encountered many people who are even aware of the fuel debate, and it is a rapidly approaching existential threat to us being able to continue doing what we do.

S

I'd say yes, because here in the UK we love our old cars and hate being told what to do by the Government. Sundance is the same 1.5 engine as my BA (and BJ), and I'll sure try to find a way!
I think someone will find some way of making things work. Maybe as Patrick says we'll have to replace some rubber components.
We have 5 years anyway, after the first introduction of E10.
I remember the same thing happening with leaded, there was some available but now it isn't, you have to buy additives from motor stores.

Now you see him ....



Now you don't!



Finally Sundance is under cover, and just in time, as the weather's turned. I couldn't leave him unprotected for another winter. The fabric is 100% waterproof, but breathable, so moisture can get out, but can't get back in. It also comes with straps to keep it in place, and a storage bag. It's also specifically sized for the BA. At £200 it wasn't cheap, but for Sundance it's worth every penny!

S

Are we there yet?

I shall take a guess on Serena's behalf and say: not yet, but busy trying!
Judging by the other thread(s) on here, Serena is in the middle of renovating 2 or 3 Mazdas, and may not have time to post much on here, or even to eat! But the enjoyment factor from solving BA / BG problems beats eating
I know what it's like - I'm still trying to get my BA back on the road, thwarted by either lack of time or lack of cash. In the "lockdowns" I had time but no money, now I'm back earning, but no time because ... well, because I'm doing overtime at work!

OK, apologies for the lack of updates!

Last week I had Sundance trailered to my parents' place. He's now in their garage, where I can strip him down and work on him under cover. If I hadn't done that, then because of UK weather I would probably never have got started!

They also have a workshop, tools, a welding machine, that sort of thing. I have a workshop, but it's in the garden, so I can't get the car in; my parents' workshop is attached to the garage.

My plan is to go there as often as possible, to work on him (it's 2hrs away, but I can go and stay for as long as I need)

The first job is to remove bumpers, lights etc. trim and interior to deal with rust, because there's no point doing everything on the engine, but then finding the body shell is dead. Once I know the shell is OK, then I can start on the engine (and ask for lots of advice from Todor!!)

It will also need a new exhaust and cat.

Once that is done, and I can get him through a MOT, then I can take him back home and do the nice cosmetic stuff

Meanwhile, here at home, I have to replace the rocker cover gasket on Butch (urgent, but a quick job), and the PAS pipe on the BG.

S

Glad to hear you have managed to get him inside for the winter stripdown, its never the best taking on a big project and being outdoors.
Do you have any idea if the PAS pipe is the same as that from a BA? If so, im pretty sure i have the pipe from my breaker. Ill check it for condition, and if so just let me know and ill get it to you.

Hey Paul! Really appreciate it - miraculously I found a new pipe online (I bought it before I bought the car, I didn't want to buy without one as apparently they're like unicorns), but I'm intrigued to know if it's the same as the BA one. I didn't think BAs had PAS cooling pipes - Sundance doesn't - is it just pre-Fords?



It's just "plug and play" but the next step is to find out how to get the front bumper off!

S

All V6 BAs have PAS cooling pipes here, so i presume that is from factory to make up for the heavier front because the system can overheat from the weight,tyre size and such..

Ah, that's interesting. The EPC is confusing. It offers three model year sections (Why? Different regions?)



In the first section (1994-04), all models have the cooling pipe
In the second section (1995-08), the 1.5 doesn't have one; the 1.8 and V5 do
In the third section (1996-10), again the 1.5 doesn't have one; the 1.8 and V5 do

I've just asked, and apparently my V6 had one but it was deleted when the engine was overhauled. Sundance has never had one!

S

1.8s here are rarity, so i don't realy have an eye for them having a PAS cooling pipe.If the EPC says that they have, they sure have.

Finally, refurb begins ...

First step is to take out the interior and treat any rust.




I'm also taking off the seam sealant, because it covers up a ot of rust problems .. like this one below, in the driver footwell. This was completely hidden by the sealant. There's a small drain hole (maybe .5 cm) in the floorpan just behind this corrosion, and presumably water has been getting IN for the last 24yrs rather than draining out.



So now I need to treat this, and add a bondo patch or something, because the metal is too thin to weld. I'm not sure if I can access the space behind it, which needs treating as well - I'll have to get under the car and find out. If it's a fully enclosed cavity I'm tempted to seal up the drain hole as well, which seems to have caused more problems than it prevented.

The strange silver sound deadening(?) stuff glued to the floor pan inside doesn't help (lower left of the photo), as I can't get to most of the pan, and can only work on corrosion from underneath the car. I'm concerned about what will happen if I need to weld the floor but can't because of all this stuff on the inside.

Has anyone used Bilt Hamber anti-corrosion products? Are they good?

S

Hello S,
Haven't tried Bilt Hamber, I have tried others and concluded that the effort and preparation are more important than the product.
Clean off the old rust as much as you can, rather than rely on the chemical to do it.
My go to product after that is the cheaper Kurust + Hammerite black paint, that's not so much a recommendation as an observation, because I've had mixed results. Tried Waxoyl as well, and again it depends on how it's applied.

Quick tip: remove the sound deadening!!
You'll be much more calm knowing that there's no rust left underneat it than crossing fingers and hoping there's no rust there..
The silver sh*t is absorbing water too, so remove it and be calm there's nothing under it,or if there's rust youl be happy that you found it and removed it.
Best way to remove rust will always be mechanical, second best is chemical.
I've always been fan of the mecanical remove as with grinder you can remove most of the rust to bare metal then treat it with chemicals like rust repelant,paint etc..
Only chem. is somewhat gambling as you pray that it stops it..
Soo get grinder, sandpaper(s),spatulas,take your time and do it right!


Edit: Jinglebells got ahead of me by some minutes..

Also: I find a wire brush attachment to an electric drill is ok, but do wear goggles and gloves.

Thank you both

I will definitely be taking my time and doing a proper job.

Todor, have you taken out the silver sound deadening from the floor, inside? If so, how did you do it? It's completely glued to the floor, and it's really sticky when you cut it. I can't get tools under it. I don't know how I would get it out.

S

With metal spatula hiting it with hammer.
The kind of spatula used from construction workers for application of plasters or such..
I did it to a friend's car "because RACE CAR"
And he definately had some serious rust underneath it.
Infact while removing the sound deadening i removed some of the floor and made a pretty huge holes(the rust had eaten the metal compleately) that my friend later just covered with aluminium sheet metal.
Soo, yes it's a bit tricky at some places, but you can always use one flat screwdriver to peel it at the hard to reach with the spatula places.
And as Jinglebells pointed wire brush will help alot in removing every leftovers to bare metal.

Quick search in the internet.. It turns out there is better and faster way to remove it:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Eesr-AcQzNw

Brilliant, and I can buy the dry ice cheaply on eBay! Problem solved!

Nice find, Todor!

I'll inspect the underside of the car first, so I am warned about areas that might be completely rusted. The I'll freeze off the deadening.


S