H-reg phase 1 hatch

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Got myself a new project! Well, I got it about a month ago actually, but only just got round to doing anything.

This project will run alongside the rebuild of a megane coupe â€˜F7R 710â€™ 2 litre 16v engine which I bought on ebay a few months back.

engine project: http://www.retro-renault.com/viewtopic.php?t=5955

The two will be combined when finished to produce an uber beast black 19 16v Very Happy

So without further ado, the car itself!

The phase 1 19 16v was only made for about a year in total from late H reg into J reg. This one is a very early H-plate example from the first couple of months of production, so itâ€™s very rare and (to a 19 16v enthusiast) an ideal candidate for restoration. The early H reg ones are apparently made of better quality metal than the later ones and are less prone to rust. Bodily, itâ€™s not mint as it stands, far from it, but it is in very respectable condition considering its age and most importantly, there is virtually zero visible rust to speak of.

2 owners from new, second was a woman.
132k but the engine runs smoothly and quietly and the car drives very nicely, obviously been serviced properly and mechanically looked after.
Leather interior
FRSH until about 90k

I saw the car advertised as a non runner that the guy needed to get rid of quickly because he was moving house that week. The guy basically gave me the car, but asked for some cash to cover the full tank of fuel and the new Pirelli tyres he had just put on it a month earlier, which I thought was fair enough Very Happy

I gave him Â£75 for it.

He told me that he wasnâ€™t sure what the problem was but described the symptoms and I thought it sounded like the alternator was up the creek. So we took an alternator and some tools when we went to get it but were prepared to tow it if need be. We changed the alternator in front of him, in the dark, and drove the car away.

Big thanks to Stan for taking me over to get the car, helping change the alternator and allowing me to store it at his work etc.

The list of faults I noticed on the way home:

Brakes are 'OK' at best
Sunroof doesnâ€™t work properly (roof lining card has dropped)
Key snapped in drivers door (original plip key too so no RCL)
Passenger side window doesnâ€™t wind down, just blows the dash/instrument lighting fuse
Fan doesnâ€™t kick in
Driver seat a bit â€˜wobblyâ€™ (needs tightening down on subframe I think)
Heater control knob broken off
Tail light bulb blown Razz

Silly GB sticker on the bumper

The drive back was fun as we got stuck in a bit of traffic and the fan wouldnâ€™t kick in so it started to get really, really hot. Hereâ€™s me at a petrol station on the way home trying to get the fan to come on

[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/damnfan.jpg[/img:357e70bcfd]

We put it â€˜in storageâ€™ at a private â€˜secureâ€™ car park next to Stanâ€™s workplace until I could bring it back to my house.

[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/rear.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/leftside.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/rightside.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/front.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/leftarch.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/rightarch.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/rearquarter.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/rightview.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/leftview.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/sticker.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/vent.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/engine.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]
[img:640:480:357e70bcfd]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/history.JPG[/img:357e70bcfd]

It has the tin sump rather than the ally version, also the heated throttle body not present on later cars and a slide-only sunroof, where the later ones had tilt and slide.

The plan is that the car will be stripped almost to the bare shell, all rust treated and removed, fully undersealed, then the car will be reassembled with the rule that nothing goes back on without being cleaned/painted/refurbed/renewed, as appropriate. Timescale for the whole project is about a year maximum.

The idea is to restore the car as near as is feasibly possible to new condition. But I want to do it on a shoestring budget, firstly for the satisfaction of it and secondly because there is no point spending any real money on a 15 year old car that I would probably never be able to sell even if I wanted to (which I wonâ€™t Very Happy

). Therefore I will be keeping a running total of everything I have spent on the car and pinching pennies wherever possible. What this basically means is keeping my eyes on ebay/messageboards etc. for new parts I am going to need and picking them up cheap as they appear.

I actually had most of the parts I need for the car from a phase 2 I stripped earlier in the year, but I had to bin most of it when I moved house Evil or Very Mad

Total spent so far: Â£75

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

While the car was â€˜in storageâ€™ at a car park near Stanâ€™s workplace, it was vandalised by some chavvy little shits. The only damage thankfully was both front door windows and the windscreen, no panel damage. The windows are an arse but the windscreen might actually turn out for the best. I would obviously have just left it in place if it hadnâ€™t been smashed, but the fact that it has been means I am forced to remove it and if it was hiding any corrosion underneath, I will be forced to sort it. The need to bring the car back to the house ASAP was also the catalyst that made me finally get my arse into gear and put some effort into selling my phase 2 hatchback, as I needed the space.

So anyway, I drove it in the dark with no windows and a smashed windscreen to its new home at the back of my houseâ€¦

It's now got a big plastic sheet over it so it doesnt get wet inside when it rains

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Managed to pick up a brand new front subframe very very cheap. The subframe usually suffers from rust or cracks with age, so that's pretty cool.

Total spent so far: Â£100

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

More bits... Got me a perfect phase 1 heater control panel, a passenger side window and the little thumbscrew things that hold the rear light clusters on (as someone has lost them and used nylon nuts instead Rolling Eyes

). All courtesy of 'Wicked Neo'. Thanks matey!

Once he starts stripping his MOT failure phase 2, virtually all of the rest of the parts I need should become available. Only thing I need (as far as I know) which he doesn't have is a lock set, but while my car does not have the full complement of windows, that's not really overly important Very Happy

Also got 2 brand new wishbones (lower suspension arms) complete with new balljoints... pattern parts not renault, but never mind - Â£37.

Total spent so far: Â£137

Parts pile is coming together nicely Cool

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Right, since it was a lovely sunny crisp morning, I decided it was about time I got my arse in gear and actually did something.

As I mentioned before, the main occupant of the rear of the car seems to have been a dog of some kind, and it still reeks inside of it.

I decided to remove the interior first so I can clean anything which might hold the doggy fragrance.

I also wanted to get the passenger side electric window working and install both new window glasses so I could get rid of the plastic sheet which currently covers the car.

So, windows first. What used to happen was the fuse for the passenger side window would blow instantly if you tried to put the window up or down. Busted window mechanism I thought.

I took the door card off and started to remove the mechanism when I noticed that it was actually unplugged.

what's left of the windows:

WTF I thought and plugged it back in. Now the window motor would go down, but again, blow the fuse if you tried to put it up. Also found these curious bits of homebase drainpipe in the bottom of the door:

curious.

Anyway I swapped the new mech in... Same thing, fuse blows when you try to put it up. I reckon some bright spark has at some point devised a 'solution' to the window problem by propping it up with the bits of drainpipe, knowing that if it went down for whatever reason, they would not be able to get it back up. So anyway, that's still busted... do it later.

Next up was the interior...

front seats out

back seats out

with the rear quarter cards off, I could look for rust on the inner arches, none in sight! Smile

Plenty of spider webs tho

I bagged up all the bolts and clips and things in labelled bags so I know exactly where each and every one came from. Some would say this is a bit anal, but when you want to do something right, you want to do it right, and there's nothing i hate more than odd nuts and bolts, going back in the wrong place!

Continued removing all trim panels, as I have to get the roof lining out so I can replace the sunroof.

roof lining out

You can see where the mutt's sweaty head has rested against it in the back... well manky. Should scrub up ok with a bit of upholstery cleaner.

Thought I'd try and remove the seat rails so I could get the carpet out. First nut I tried came off easy, second wasn't nearly as cooperative. Do it later.

Other option is to just slit the carpet under the runners between the bolts and leave the runners in there, which for the sake of an easy life is probably what I'll do.

Couple of other pics

Nice interlocking original renault mats, thanks to these bad boys the carpet in the back is virtually spotless.

Rear clusters... different colours. Both original, going by the date on them so I dunno, one on the right looks like there's a bit of mould behind the lens, maybe that accounts for the colour. I'll get another pair.

Raincatcher. Someone has modified it with a little channel to drain the water further back. Good idea in principle, but it has meant that the thing has rusted badly. No bother, Simon gave me a nearly perfect one.

Next time... dash out.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Bit more fiddling about...

I want to use the megane tubular manifold and downpipe with the engine when it goes in the 19, rather than the original 16v unit, So I was interested to see just how different they are...

here are the 2 manifold and downpipe setups side by side, 19 16v top, megane bottom:

and from different angles:

In these pictures, the 16v downpipe (left) is rotated slightly on the manifold, so it points to the side slightly. But it's clear that height and shape-wise they are basically the same, the only real difference is that the megane one is slightly shorter before the cat flange and the flange is at an angle so only minor modification will be necessary to fit the megane version in the 19. I can either cut & shut a section into the end of the megane downpipe to extend the flange further back and put it at the right angle, or make up a decat-style adapter to bolt on the end...

By the way, the megane downpipe is a bit of a work of art...

where the 2 runners join... lovely!

Just look at those welds! Sacre bleu!!!

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Decided to do some more today... twice in one week Shocked

First I swapped out the sunroof for the later tilt and slide version. As suspected, the roof card had dropped and this was what was causing the original sunroof to stall halfway back. I'm sure that if I had just sorted the card the original roof would have then resumed normal operation, but i wanted the extra tilt function of the later roof anyway so in it went and that all works nicely now.

Here's a pointless pic of the 2 types side by side, old style slide only on the left, tilt & slide on the right.

Then I put the new windows in (temporarily) just so that I could do away with the annoying plastic sheet that covered the car. Over the past couple of months that sheet has made a bit of a mess of the paint but that's no bother because I was always planning on a full respray at the end.

I tried Chris's suggestion of swapping the electric window switches round to get the passenger side one working and sure enough, the man was right (again, but don't worry, he'll be wrong about something 19 related one day, I'm sure of it). Using the driver side switch, both windows work fine, so now the car is waterproof. I'll pull the other switch apart in a bit and see if I can't fix it.

also whipped the skirts off for a look at the sills. Usual build up of shite sitting behind them.

After a quick scrub:

A bit of attention here and there would not go amiss, and that little hole on the OS sill at the back will need a bit of welding, but I think we can all agree that for a 15 year old car, those sills are in great condition! Smile

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Bit more progress:

I decided I wanted to remove the dash today. In order to feed the loom back from the engine bay, you need to remove the passenger side arch liner, unclip the loom from up inside the wing and push it through the hole into the car.

So arch liner out, I got a look at the customary pile of crap built up in there.... I think I have the most of anyone so far! Anyway I cleaned it all out and there's no corrosion anywhere so that's fine.

Didn't take many pictures of the dash removal, but needless to say, it's a bit of a pain. Still, got it out

Then took out the blower unit from in the scuttle and hoovered it out. Corrosion free on the passenger side, needs a bit of a wash though...

On the battery tray side there's a bit of surface corrosion, so this will of course be sorted and sealed etc. in due course.

After this I just fannied about for a bit, undoing bits and bobs from the engine bay, heading towards getting the engine ready to lift.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Engine removal time!

Radiator, all hoses etc. came out.

[img:800:600:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/radout.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]

Then the driveshafts... passenger side one came out easy, the gearbox oil then pissed out, but I remembered to have my catch tray under it this time, haha!

[img:800:600:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/passshaft.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]

Drivers side... roll pin tapped out with minimum effort, was well surprised/impressed! However the shaft was stuck in the hub, so I had to remove the lot as one piece and hammer it out. Nothing is ever simple though and the track rod end nut was stuck and the thing just rotated in the steering arm. So I set about that with a hacksaw and mangled it until it came off.

Then the random bits and bobs like wiring, clutch cable, earths were removed. Speedo cable as usual proved resistant to my attempts to remove it, but I eventually prevailed.

[img:800:600:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/bare.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]

Then I got under the car and removed the exhaust. Back box came off OK, but as usual, the cat to downpipe nuts were siezed solid. One sheared off and the other rounded. I got 'quite agitated' at this point and grabbed the exhaust and started yanking and twisting it around from side to side like a twat, bending the remaining bolt, and the downpipe flange too. Eventually the bolt snapped and the exhaust came off. The downpipe flange is not too pretty now, and the cat has sheared bolts stuck in it. Oh well, that's a problem for another day <sigh>

[img:800:600:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/under.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]

Removed the lambda sensor and wiring from the downpipe and undid the gearchange linkage. Also needed to remove the downpipe from the exhaust manifold, but predictably the nuts were siezed on and rusty so no go there. Off to Halfords for a 6 sided socket to get some proper purchase on them. One came undone, the other sheared. Suits me, at least the downpipe was off.

All the siezed nuts and bolts are really starting to try my patience, but it's to be expected when they have been there 15 years with little or no attention.

Alternator, power steering atc. ancillary stuff came off the front corner of the engine to make a bit of extra clearance.

[img:800:600:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/ancoff.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]

Then the car went back on 4 wheels and it was just a case of moving the crane in and lifting the engine out... at which point it started to rain when I was in the middle of doing it. Rolling Eyes

[img:800:600:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/ready.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]
[img:800:600:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/lift.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]
[img:640:480:5d6a079a4a]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/enginetrolley.JPG[/img:5d6a079a4a]

Now the car really does look a complete shed Laughing

I broke my camera at this point, so pictures may be scarce for a while until I can get another one Sad

Next job is subframe removal...that's the point of no return, the car will be rooted to the spot for a while as I underseal it etc.

Also need to remove the flywheel from the engine so I can send it to be balanced with the crank from the Megane engine...

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Just borrowed a camera and took another couple of pics:

[img:800:600:e9c493169b]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/emptybay.JPG[/img:e9c493169b]

[img:800:600:e9c493169b]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/24.03/shed.JPG[/img:e9c493169b]

Like I said... shedtastic!

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Attacked the seat rail nuts with my new best friend... the 6 sided 13mm socket. Got em all off no sweat Very Happy

This allowed me to get the carpet out:

[img:800:600:491343e506]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/31.03/carpetout.JPG[/img:491343e506]

[img:800:600:491343e506]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/31.03/carpet.JPG[/img:491343e506]

When the weather warms up I'll give that a good scrubbing, it's in very good condition so should come up nice.

Then I went for the flywheel on the engine:

Took the gearbox off. Note the gay tin sump/flywheel cover plate setup.
[img:800:600:491343e506]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/31.03/engine.JPG[/img:491343e506]

Then removed the clutch cover and driven plate to reveal the prize!
[img:800:600:491343e506]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/31.03/clutchoff.JPG[/img:491343e506]

Nice shiny 'new' flywheel to go for lightening and balancing with the megane crank. That puppy cost well over Â£200 a couple of years ago according to the history Very Happy

[img:800:600:491343e506]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/31.03/flywheel.JPG[/img:491343e506]

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Between bouts of rain today I dropped the front subframe off...

Bay needs a few more bits removed, then a jetwash and some paint.
[img:800:600:0d40430fe4]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/01.04/subframeoff.JPG[/img:0d40430fe4]

Actually not in bad condition. Slight surface rust in places, but nothing that couldnt be easily treated. Chris wants this subframe to replace his rust-holed one so I have to strip all the steering etc. gubbins off...
[img:800:600:0d40430fe4]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/01.04/subframeupper.JPG[/img:0d40430fe4]
[img:800:600:0d40430fe4]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/01.04/subframelower.JPG[/img:0d40430fe4]

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Stripped the subframe bare today.

One thing I did notice is that it is slightly different to my replacement where the wishbones attach. If you look closely at the 2 photos you can see it's made slightly differently. Curious. Renault obviously changed the design slightly at some point for some reason. Don't know why they did that, nor do I care, so long as it fits!

[img:800:600:956163faf9]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/02.04/oldsubframe.JPG[/img:956163faf9]
[img:640:480:956163faf9]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/subframe.JPG[/img:956163faf9]

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

I put my new subframe through the finishing department at work (free of course Wink

). looks pretty sweet.

[img:800:600:589ff5de09]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.04/subframe.JPG[/img:589ff5de09]

Itâ€™s been sprayed up with the erosion protection coating used on the leading edge of Tornado jet air intakes. Itâ€™s bloody tough and probably has a price to match. Itâ€™s slightly flexible and I canâ€™t see it stone chipping off any time soon.

I also want to treat the insides of the hollow box sections with waxoyl/dinitrol and it should then be as well protected from corrosion as itâ€™s ever going to get. So the rest of the car can rust away around itâ€¦

Iâ€™m away for Easter so again nothing will get done this long weekendâ€¦ Rolling Eyes

Still, the evenings are getting longer now so that will enable things to move along a bit quicker.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Got me some Dinitrol 3125 today, and coated the insides of all the hollow parts of the subframe. Horrid gungy brown stuff but you cant see it anyway. - Halfords Â£5

[img:600:800:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/dinitrol.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

Bits to go onto the subframe:

â€˜newâ€™ steering rack (eBay- Â£50) and track rod ends (eBay - Â£9)â€¦ the original column has no play in it so together with a nice new rack/track rods/track rod ends the steering should be â€˜toight like a toigerâ€™ Smile

[img:800:600:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/rack.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

Reinforced rear mount. I have filled the gaps and recesses with 2-part polysulphide rubber. Will be more than man enough!

[img:800:600:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/mount.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

New cage nuts that go into the subframe to hold on the power steering pipes, the old ones were all rusted/seized and got buggered trying to undo them, poxy things Rolling Eyes

These worked out just under Â£1 each, I needed 5 of them.

[img:600:800:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/nuts.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]
They go in the subframe like so:
[img:800:600:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/nutin.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

Inner ARB bush. Old one on the left. I ordered 2 of these but they only got in one, the other one is to follow. - Â£7 each

[img:800:600:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/ARBbush.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

Steering rack mounting bush. This positions the rack side to side and the old one was split and falling apart so I got a new one - Â£4. The other one is OK and doesn't position the rack so I'm reusing it. Good job too, that one is Â£15 odd for some reason Shocked

[img:800:600:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/rackbush.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

I also gave all the brackets, PS pipes, bits and bobs the wire brush+black hammerite treatment

[img:800:600:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/bitsnbobs.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]
[img:800:600:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/pspipes.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

Upon offering the PS pipes up to the new subframe, the holes seemed to be all wrong for one of the PS pipes. I scratched my head for a fair while before going to look at the old subframe at which point it became apparent that Renault decided not to bother providing any holes for the nuts that hold the right hand pipe on, which means I'll have to get busy with the drill and a file. Thanks Renault. Rolling Eyes

[img:600:800:df87e97b9e]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/21.04/noholes.JPG[/img:df87e97b9e]

So tomorrow I bung it all together.

Total spent so far: Â£224

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Put it together today, apart from the anti roll bar, as I need that second inner bush from Renault, and the two outer bushes from GSF...

[img:800:600:5e8af6ae9c]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/22.04/subframebuilt.JPG[/img:5e8af6ae9c]

[img:800:600:5e8af6ae9c]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/22.04/rackon.JPG[/img:5e8af6ae9c]

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Picked up 2 new outer ARB bushes from GSF today - Â£7. Then i went and picked up the missing inner one from Renault as well.

[img:800:600:b4cf124a6f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/28.04/ARBbushes.JPG[/img:b4cf124a6f]

This allowed me to put the ARB on. The outer ends are easy to attach to the wishbones, but the inners are an absolute bitch, since you have to crush the rubber down quite a bit in order to get the bolt through to hold the retaining strap thing in place.

[img:800:600:b4cf124a6f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/28.04/bushcrush.JPG[/img:b4cf124a6f]

A G-cramp would have been ideal for this, but since I didn't have one, I used a pair of mole grips and an adjustable spanner to manipulate the thing closed enough for me to get the bolt through. Pain in the arse.

Total spent so far: Â£231

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Been sorting the scuttle area out today

After I scraped at it a bit with a screwdriver:
[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/batterytrayrusty.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

Then went over it with the wire brush drill attachment
[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/batterytraybrushed.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

Then whacked on some Kurust
[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/batterytraykurust.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

Dried out, all the remaining rust is black and the clean metal passivated:
[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/batterytraycured.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

After a nice couple of coats of the trusty black Hammerite:
[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/batterytraypainted.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

Also scrubbed the doggy stains out of the rooflining, came up perfect:
[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/cleanrooflining.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

Simon brought my engine crane back last night so I used it to lift the front end up and sit it on the axle stands at maximum height so I can get underneath properly...

[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/axlestandsmax.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

Bay as it is currently... nice and clean Smile

[img:800:600:420d952de1]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/13.05/bay.JPG[/img:420d952de1]

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Been having a bash at the sills recently but not really in a committed manner until today, when I set about it with considerable zeal!

Starting with the RH sill....

Basically I poked around with a screwdriver until i found an area that was 'suspect', then went at it like a bull in a china shop with the knotted wire wheel thing on the angle grinder...

[img:800:600:33b92faecc]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/25.05/grinder.JPG[/img:33b92faecc]

Here's a section just behind the front wheel arch where I ground back some rust/dodgy underseal and kurusted

[img:800:600:33b92faecc]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/25.05/ground.JPG[/img:33b92faecc]

then ground it back again and painted over with Acid 8 etch primer
[img:450:600:33b92faecc]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/25.05/primed.JPG[/img:33b92faecc]

I went to pull off the clips that hold the fuel pipes to the bottom of the car and unfortunately a couple of them pulled a chunk of floor off with them...

[img:450:600:33b92faecc]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/25.05/clips.JPG[/img:33b92faecc]
[img:800:600:33b92faecc]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/25.05/hole.JPG[/img:33b92faecc]

from inside (the 2 round holes are the holes for the seat runners):
[img:800:600:33b92faecc]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/25.05/inside.JPG[/img:33b92faecc]

so they will need patching.

Remember that little hole in the back of the sill from before? Well after jamming a screwdriver in there, this is what it turned into:

[img:800:600:33b92faecc]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/25.05/rearsill.JPG[/img:33b92faecc]

Not too pretty. Dunno what to do really. Could buy complete new sills and weld them on, or just patch it up knowing that in a years time I may be doing it all again...

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Right... progress.

Decided that I will be replacing the rear half of both sills with new metal. That can wait for a while though, while I sort the front half of the car.

The excellent weekend weather and lack of other obligations meant I could really get going grinding away all rust from the underside on the front half of the car. What I learned from this experience is that the thick rubbery OE underseal is horrid, evil stuff. Just hides the rust from you. You see a 5mm spot where you think there's some rust and grind away the underseal, only by the time you've uncovered all the rust, you find it's actually a 50mm patch of rust, concealed under the underseal.

So anyway, I stripped back all underseal from behind the sills and at the junctions of the box sections underneath, as these seem to be hotspots for rust. Also along the edges of the shell in the wheelarches and behind the front bumper, where rust was sneaking in. Thankfully there were no areas of proper hardcore rust, only mild surface corrosion hiding under the underseal.

All the areas with primer on in the pictures have been ground back, treated with Kurust, ground back again and sprayed with rust-inhibiting primer.

[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/frontcornerprimed2.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]
[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/undersideprimed.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]
[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/archprimed.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]
[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/archprimed2.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]
[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/frontprimed.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]

The idea is to just paint it back up with stonechip paint rather than underseal, as that way I'll be able to see in future where the rust is starting to creep back in, rather than just putting on more underseal and letting it get on with its business underneath that again.

So, tools:

[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/tools.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]

I'm using U-Pol Gravi-Tex Plus, sprayed from a 'schutz' gun. The gun doesn't spray the paint so much as splatter it, so you get the nice mottled look of the OE underseal.

[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/frontcornersprayed.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]
[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/undersidesprayed.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]
[img:800:600:1a3d36139f]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/06.06/archsprayed.JPG[/img:1a3d36139f]

I want to get some more Dinitrol 3125 in schutz form and coat the insides of all the box sections and hollow bits. Inevitably a fair bit of this will leak onto the outside, making painting afterwards difficult, so I painted as far back as the box sections go.

Once I've got the Dinitrol work done, I can bolt the subframe on, get the wheels back on, and lift the back up to start on that...

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

I've ordered several litres of Dinitrol 3125 in schutz canisters, they should have been here by now but they're not Evil or Very Mad

Anyway, As I was itching to do something, I've sprayed the rest of the front section of the underside in stonechip paint. Don't know why I didn't do this in the first place tbh but there you go.

My awesome setup:

[img:800:600:84a1b43aee]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/20.06/thesetup.JPG[/img:84a1b43aee]

How it was before, as you can see, I'd only sprayed the bits that I had been at with the wire wheel and primered:

[img:800:600:84a1b43aee]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/20.06/before.JPG[/img:84a1b43aee]

I washed it with soapy water, masked it up and sprayed the rest. Masking off...

[img:800:600:84a1b43aee]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/20.06/after.JPG[/img:84a1b43aee]
[img:800:600:84a1b43aee]http://www.renault-turbo.com/neal/H255HLF/20.06/after2.JPG[/img:84a1b43aee]

Looks pretty good. That's nearly the full litre bottle of paint gone on there!

Now just need the Dinitrol and I can finish up at the front. I'm assured by the courier company that I'll have it tomorrow, we shall see... Rolling Eyes