This Moggy has been in to us before for a bit of rolling restoration. This time there was only a small crack in the chassis rail at the front. We cut it out and treated the inside of the rail with rust killer. A new chassis section was then grafted in and the whole thing treated to a dose of Waxoyl. The owner of this car takes a lot of pride in it. It’s a pleasure to take the time to do a thorough repair to a high standard.
The stainless exhaust on this Jag had kissed one too many speed bumps. Although the battered box was doing little to silence the car the owner quite liked his new found exhaust tone. We replaced the box with a sportier design and with a few modifications saved the rest of his stainless system. Another nice cheap fix to a potentially expensive problem.
As the summer sets in all the classics come out and head for the shows. This one was also in need of a few touch ups in the exhaust department. Again there was no need for a complete new system and given that the car only did limited mileage each year the owner felt a stainless exhaust wasn’t necessary. For a fraction of the cost of stainless we custom built the back box in mild steel saving him money and still giving that tailor made touch.
Sometimes even the finest quality stainless exhaust can get damaged. Speed bumps and fields at car shows can take their toll. This lovely classic had a battered stainless exhaust but it turned out that with a few select repairs his current system could be saved. This saved him spending extra on e complete new system and allowed him to change the exhaust note slightly while we were there. Everyone’s a winner.
The AA Silencers Capri is finally going back together. The inside and engine bay have been painted and lots of weight taken out. There have been various changes to the oil and cooling systems plus fuel system. The Aerodynamic underfloor is ready for construction and the exhausts need finishing but it’s taking shape ready for the start of the next race season.
I’m not being rude, Snotty is the nick name that’s been given to the Skoda, probably for obvious reasons. The cars owner has done a wonderful job of preparing the car for sprints and hill climbs. It has come to us for a Car Clinic feature in Practical Performance Car magazine. We carried out a full geomtry set up and made a few light modifications to the front suspension to help with grip. The car was tested at Mallory park and the owner now has all winter to carry out the suggested developments. If you come across this Skoda out on the road you’d better give him room, it’s a whole lot more car than it first appears. Or than the name suggests!
Another old escort made it’s way in for a Watt’s linkeage, some seat mounts and a few other bits and pieces. The watts linkeage is designed to control lateral loads on the axle and stop it moving about when cornering. We just had to weld the mounts in to the body and axle ensuring everyting was lined up correctly. The car already had 4 link boxes and slipper springs fitted so it won’t be long until this one’s back on the road.
As AA Silencers is busy with Practical Performance Car Magazines racing efforts this year our Capri is not needed on track. We decided this would be a good time to give it a bit of a freshen up and try to squeeze out a bit more speed. As always the main item on the agenda was weight saving but also to improve the aerodynamics and get rid of the rust that can creep in to any older car.
The solution was simple, identify any bits of the car you don’t need and cut them off, especially if there’s any rust in them. The shell has been multipointed and the cag extended and a complete new aero underfloor has been designed. There’s a huge amount of work to do but it shoudl be worth it when the car gets back on track. Here’s some pictures for the mean time
Ever seen a honda Jazz before? Not many people have because there’s not many around. Even rarer than Honda Jazz are parts for a Honda Jazz.
Most of these old jap cars have rotten away long before they reach the Retro Cool status that this little town car has achieved. It came to us for a little exhaust work and some of the inevitable welding that goes into owning an old car. To be fair it was in very good condition, just a patch or two here and there followed by a liberal dose of waxoyl. The main problem was the bottom ball joints in the front suspension. They are as rare as the preverbial teeth from a hen and when we did find some they cost more than the car did. The solution was to break out the parts catalogue and get welding.
We found that some Peugeot ball joints had the same dimensions so the lower arms were measured and moddified to take some bolt on ball joints. It takes a whole lot longer to do than it does to say but we’ve done this several times on track cars to get more camber on them and the results speak for themselves.
The Morris minor having a zetec engine fitted is close to completion. Cooling systems, fuel system, exhaust, gearbox mounts, chassis mods to fit the starter and many other small jobs are all hugely time consuming but progress is slowly being made. There’s a few more small jobs then the car needs switching over to negative earth and the ECU needs fitting and programming. We can finally start looking forward to the maiden voyage!
