Astral Traveller

[rv8]

had great fun today uncle pete

[mrgreg]

Tell you what Pete you've really got the bit between your teeth with this, at this rate it;ll be back on the show's next year ??
Fancy having a go at my pick-up next.

[plastic_orange]

Wings, doors, boot and vinyl roof off next, then body off chassis for blasting, then chassis stripped for the same. I need another engine though.

Pete

[GAS]

i'll have a look in my shed,i'm shure i have a 1098 somewere

[plastic_orange]

Does it have twin carbs?

Pete

[dantournay]

Awesome stuff Pete. You're a legend

Is that 3 V8 lowlights now?

[plastic_orange]

Technically it's only 1 - the other 2 are fake
Still, it's enough to be getting on with.

Pete

[dantournay]

Are you going to reinstate the spotlight on the roof?

[plastic_orange]

Nope - it will be sympathetically updated, but will still be recognisable.

Pete

[callyspoy]

Must say, there are many things i like about the car. Lots i do not.
BUT
i just get the feeling you will make all the bits i don't like disappear.
good luck Pete, you're definitely the right man for the job.

[plastic_orange]

Here's the list
NO SPOTLIGHT
Front sidelights removed (to headlights)
Proper front bumper
Interior completely changed to be more user friendly - investigate how to decrease the size of trans tunnel
Fur recycled to those who have asked for some
Engine bay re designed to remove all visible wiring and panel out in stainless
Engine located further back - and dressed
Rear lights binned - not sure on a replacement yet though.
Paint work will be the modern equivalent of Honda Motorcycle candy red
Vinyl roof to go - roof will be sprayed pearlescant white or similar (to keep car recogniseable)
Sunroof ditched
Standard bonnet with perhaps some louvres stamped out in it (mate does this)
That's for now, but we'll see how it evolves.
I'm not doing any more distmantling just now as I want to preserve the look until the DVLA decide if I can keep the original reg no. - didn't get a log book with it.

I do however need a good Ford 302 to replace the Titanic's anchor which is fitted at present.

PO

[dantournay]

NO SPOTLIGHT

Boo

[plastic_orange]

I've found an engine locally - result

Pete

[plastic_orange]

A nice warm day here, so I decided to take the engine out for a look see. As the engine I went to look at last night was U/S, my thoughts are to try to get the current one overhauled.
Well, engine came out easy enough, but as I couldn't turn engine I had to take gearbox off without torque converter attached (couldn't access flex plate bolts), so a big loss of fluid (mess on drive ).
Once separated, I took engine to rear of house and proceeded to dismantle - looks like an explosion in an oil factory. As expected, there was water in the sump, timing gear seized, cam wouldn't turn, lifters stuck, 5 pistons came out, but 3 stuck. Big end bearings would have been like new but were rusty, but mains were shot, conrods were also very tight. I'm not sure if repair is viable at this stage.

Pics:

Up in the air and crane in position












Posing for the camera





Out





I left gearbox behind



Underside







Into the work area



Sump off



The BP disaster seems to have reached here too



Timing gear seized



Had to break it off - cam seized too



Not too nice



I could only get 5 pistons out, so removed crank to access them - still wouldn't budge



All tidied up for the evening

[heathy12]

Well done Pete.

Looking like good progress, wish my projects could shape up that quickly, would need to grow an extra arm to keep up!

However.....does no one feel a little sorry for mrgreg?!

[mrgreg]

Hi, Don't feel sorry for me I could never have done what Pete's done. Good luck and it'll be nice to see it back where it belongs (on the road) You never know I mite be able to buy it when it's finished ????? a Pete

[plastic_orange]

Update:
I decided to try and free off the 3 stuck pistons, so before I went to a biking rally in Orkney on Friday past (Force 10 gale, rain etc etc ), I filled 3 bores with coke to attempt a release.
Hopefully i'll try and see if it has worked today. I'm off on holiday on Sunday for 4 weeks, so car will be wrapped in a sheet till I return. I've spoken to my friendly blaster, and he can't take it for a couple of months anyway. I will be phoning my contact at the local DVLA today to see how my request for a log book is progressing.
Before I bid for the car I did ask mrgreg if he was going to do so, and he said that the car looked a bit worse than he had anticipated, so he wouldn't. Big thanks to him for highlighting the sale though.

Pete

[plastic_orange]

After filling 3 bores with coke and leaving to mature whilst I was getting blasted by the Orkney gales, I decided to have a go at removal today - damaged 2, but will be replacing them all anyway:

Filled with best full fat Coke:





Nearly out





Then I covered car up for the duration of my hols - back to it in 5 weeks:

[MarkyB]

They do say "Things go better with Coke" I doubt this was what they had in mind though .

Nice if you can save the original engine too.

[heathy12]

Listening to Planet Rock today I heard this which got me thinking of something!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LtiF_X5pBU

I asked where the name Astral Traveller came from.
Think the age of the song ties in with the Minors build date roughly!