Return to Website

NG Owners Club Forum

Welcome to the NG Owners Club Forum.

This forum is intended for members of the NGOC, if you are not a member
please consider joining  it only costs £15 a year...

The views & comments expressed on this forum are the views and comments of the person that posted them. The NG owners club does not take any responsibility for any views or comments made on the forum. The NG owners club reserves the right to remove any posting from the forum.

NG Owners Club Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Winter activities

Hi All,

So what NG based activities have you been doing in the cold dark days of winter???

Have you been busy in the garage doing some modifications to your car? Have you been on any interesting journeys/events with the top down when those on the road think you are mad??

Come on, stop the forum turning into a cobweb and share what you have been doing. Just a couple of sentences will do. Just to keep in touch with other members.

Regards

Paul

Re: Winter activities

Hi Paul,

Just in the process of removing an ugly square fog light from the tear valance. But, as these jobs normally do, its turned into a bigger project! Now replacing all the rear lights for matching units and some upgrades too!

Just need to apply some resin and glass up the old holes and some careful spraying to match the old paint. Sadly I don't have the original paint code so that will be a voyage of discovery. I hope it doesn't lead to a complete respray !!

Happy New Year
Andrew

Re: Winter activities

Hi Andrew,

I know what you mean. What starts as a simple task always seems to be more involved than first thought. Also takes a lot longer than anticipated too.

Regards

Paul

Re: Winter activities

I know what I should be doing, but in an unheated garage I'm not so keen. I have to renew the master & slave seals on the clutch hydraulics. I have a leak from one of them, probably the slave, but I thought I'd buy both sets, as they probably both need doing. So when it's a bit warmer I'll give it a go.

Andrew, I also didn't know the paint code, but I went round to a local car paint supplier who was able to identify it with the use of a spectrometer. I then bought spray paint from fleabay.

Dave

Re: Winter activities

Hi Dave,

Yes, an unheated garage is part of my issue too. Not an inviting place right now!!

I'm encouraged by your paintshop visit. Who did you use and did you think their analysis/recommendation was accurate?

kind regards

Andrew

Re: Winter activities

Hi Andrew

They were a local depot (Plymouth) of a national outfit Waregrain Group. Looking at their website there are a few depots. I was put onto them by a car bodyshop.

The first thing they do is ask what panel you want to match, because some of mine had bleached a bit lighter - my colour is cream. They then take a scan of the paint with the spectrometer and it gives a traffic light colour match, ie green for a good match, amber not so close etc. They actually offered 4 options on the green range, I just ordered the 1st one which was a good match

Cheers Dave

Re: Winter activities

Having had some interesting chats about suspension and the like, I'm planning on drawing my NG chassis in CAD so I can understand and develop the front and rear suspension, then add cross members to support the fuel tank, seat belt fixings, seat fixings.

Then I have a rebuilt, uprated 4.2ltr V8 from a Range Rover LSE to go into my Rover SD1 Vitesse, which will then provide a 3.5ltr EFi V8 to go into the NG. (having met John Eales of JE Developments I suspect the 3.5 might be a little "warmed over" !)

If half of that happens in the cold, I'll be a happy bunny !!!

FWIW

I was in Machinemart at the weekend and you only need 2 inches behind and 8 inches around a wood burner to fit one in your garage (provided your walls are fire proof).

Re: Winter activities

I haven't been in my garage for quite a while for various reasons. Went out there yesterday but have run out of gas for heater and have got a bit soft so feeling the cold a bit more. Must make a run to get more gas and man up....

I have lots to do and have set myself and have set the target to finish the car for the spring....

Regards

Paul

Re: Winter activities

I have just fitted a new stainless exhaust downpipe. The company that made it earlier in the year, told me they only had one size. It turns out it is made for a 1.3 B series engine. I later found out that they did actually have a 1.8 engine size, so they re-made it for me. Could be the reason my car seems slightly down on power. Hopefully when she comes out of storage all will be revealed. Just have to sort out the engine running on problem then.
As for the paint. I do not know where you live Andrew, but St Helens Paint have a spectrometer and also mix the paint there and then. Will do acrylic, cellulose (shhh) and two pack, in aerosols.

Re: Winter activities

Hi Ron,

I'm near enough in Portsmouth. St Helens would be a hike, but after reading your thread you've given me an idea to try. I've found a local firm that does paint matching - Www.Express-paints.co.uk. Will give them a go and see what they come up with.

Thx for the idea. Best of luck with the new pipe and engine fettling!


Kind regards



Andrew

Re: Winter activities

Hope the colour matches when you get it done. Don't know what colour you have, but make sure the part you take in has not been in the sunlight. The ultra violet fades colours over time. I took the small panel from the front, that fastens to the radiator surround (if you have painted the inside of it that is).