AFO 723-Speedo works-up & down the box one last time.

Restoration projects and Austin related chat in here please
Fitz
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Re: AFO 723 -rear brake woes.

Post by Fitz »

Apologies.
Yes intend to put a 4 line or at the very least a 2 line master cylinder in so that I still have diagonal lines should something fail. I've still got the Ka master cylinder (2 line) and servo but these were designed to work with abs units so I'd have to look into this.

I think the fiesta or ka calipers would be a good idea for the front to keep it balanced in terms of fluid displacement and would love to keep the 'disappearing into the floor pedals' and have been looking at bell cranks etc out the corner of my eye when lying under it but I am not there yet but hopefully by the end of April if not sooner I'll be out of the rear end and get it back on its wheels to move to the front.
Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

So I thought I would get a classic van for howking all my junk about in. Something with a bit work so I bought this...

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Which when I got it home & took the wings off then looked like this...

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So I took it to my 'shed' where it now looked like this...

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Which was slightly concerning.
Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

I can't remember the order of events but I think I put the floor in first and some metal in the A post.

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then as I wanted to move it it I decided to try and piece the chassis leg back in so I had some reference points...

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then

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which later on allowed me to do this...

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Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

By now life had moved on a bit and I got a green light to move it to my gf's mum as it would be nice company for her to have me around whilst I gently pottered on my project....

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then I did this...

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& this

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then this

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some of this (might be wrong order)

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Big Daddy
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Re: AFO 723 -rear brake woes.

Post by Big Daddy »

Fitz wrote:Yes intend to put a 4 line or at the very least a 2 line master cylinder in so that I still have diagonal lines should something fail.
Diagonally or even horizontally split brakes on an A35 :!: Bet you're the first to attempt that development. Evo2 makes do with more conventional (for RWD) vertically split brakes without a rear pressure limiter :whistle:
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Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

I don't seem to have any of the doors but these were so much effort and still are needing much work but all I'm trying to do is get it on the road & may go back to finesse.

As the A post was missing the chassis had collapsed and the door wouldn't fit in the hole so I did this...

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which made it look like this...

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which allowd me to do this... (groan this was a nightmare) but I used 6mm rod and carried the shape over from the other side but Peter reckons I've got it half a thumbnail out...

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Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

I think these are out of kilter again but at some point I pulled the chassis legs together using the engine mounts on the chassis to line up on the engine mounts..

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which made something like this...

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which in turn made this... (note using the starting handle and crank pulley for alignment)

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to this...
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Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

So I moved to the back... but I am used to working on my own hence strapping the door up.

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We move to the rear and with the doors we did lots of this...

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to make this...

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which takes us to the end of the first stage for DVLA photo's...
Last edited by Fitz on Tue Apr 11, 2017 12:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

Now I know 'my van' will always be 'my van' but I bought this on ebay in good faith, where others could have paid more but I'm just someone who is self taught and potters away at the weekends when I can.
Yes the van is dear to me but I'm so looking forward to getting this on the road.

So to recap we went from this...

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to this...

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Please see it for what it was.
As Peter said, by far the worse he has seen going back on the road.

Hope you enjoy the pics and because the club was good to me I welcome positive comments.
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Neil Evans »

Was the omission of the front valance a conscious choice...
Fitz wrote: As Peter said, by far the worse he has seen going back on the road.
I've repaired similar but usually by replacement with a donor panel...

Out of interest, who's Peter... :whistle:
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by A40FARINAGURU »

it may be Pete Norbury as he inspected it on my behalf :thumbs:
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Hoppend »

Good to see a van in that state saved!
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Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-A brief history of time- big bangs and black hol

Post by Fitz »

Hoppend wrote:Good to see a van in that state saved!
Thank-you.
It is due to the thickness of the original metal that is allowing me to weld onto this (which was a pleasant surprise).
Fitz
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Re: AFO 723-Trying to start wiring query ?

Post by Fitz »

Wiring question.

I've positive earth so I run -

-a switch wire from the negative if the battery to the big or small coil contact on the coil.
-the other side I then run down to the connector on the distributor.

Is as simple as this I believe.
Got it turning over ok but don't trust the original wiring & will just unplug the dynamo.
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Re: AFO 723-Trying to start wiring query ?

Post by gazza82 »

Coil should be marked CB or + which goes to distributor. Other side is SW or - for switched-live.

If you ever go to negative earth you swap these around.
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