Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[D4B]

Ouch Murphio, you tell him

scozzesi sanguinose!

[kevin2306]

Shame about the battle scar but it just adds character!

Kev

[vitesse]

Ouch indeed. Good to hear that Murphio is going well though, once you wind them up they do really fly.

Have you thought about maybe getting one of the mobile dent people round. I took the other halfs modern 500 to one of these Eastern Europe car washes when it was only a few months old and in front of me was a big tall van and the guy was washing it with the big long brush thing with a hose attached. He was really going for it and I am thinking he is getting nearer and nearer to me with the end of the brush. Then bang he smashed it into the front wing. He looked down and wing and rubbed it with his hand and said it was ok. Stupidly I didn't get out and have a look. It was one of these drive through places where they all swoop down on your car.

When I got home there was this pretty bad dent on the wing, so I drove back and they denied all knowledge of it and the guy who had done it was no where to be seen. So I got home and called this local dent guy and he did an amazing job, he had all these little tools to smooth out the dent with. I am not kidding you could hardly see it, you really had to look hard.

I assume you are going to get your tank from Motobambino they seem the cheapest, when you consider that Ricambio will sell you the same thing for £70 more. My fuel sensor broke on mine last year when I was putting it back together. Fortunately I managed to fix it with a bit clever soldering and wire bending because they cost £50 to replace.

[colwyn500]

I thought about the mobile dent guys and might try that. I'm not chuffed about the dent event but I'm sure there's more to come the way I'm throwing it about.
I have ordered a tank from the old faithful, Axel Gerstl. Not a lot of difference in price from the UK but it came down to me being too lazy to look for my debit card and Axel takes Paypal. I also noticed they sell a diaphragm for the fuel pump. I haven't had any leads on the Savara pump I want to restore as a spare. It's worth a try at 3 Euro, to see if I can adapt it. There seem to be no spares available apart from the one US supplier that wanted about $100 to send it and a few Italian suppliers who can supply compatible, sealed pumps. I'm stupid really because you can get a brand new pump for £25...just not original-type.
Being very patinated at the moment.

[D4B]

[colwyn500]

[D4B]

I did say it would be profitable: £36 + £12.95 P&P

[colwyn500]

[vitesse]

Oh no less Patina.

I use an additive. I use Castrol Valvemaster Plus.

[colwyn500]

No tears shed in seeing that tank go. To be honest, I think I was being a bit mean with that part of the restoration because it was really wrecked.
The main thing for me is that it adds to the reliability to know that it will have a new one.
I'm also planning to chuck out the front wheel bearings. So never mind patina, there's a hardly a wearing part that hasn't been replaced now!

[colwyn500]

A busy'ish day ahead as the new front bearings have arrived and the tank is due for delivery. the strange things is that the same make bearings from the same supplier are double the price of the rear ones. Everything is the same but smaller, the main difference being that the fronts have two dissimilar ones and the rears have two identical each side. A handy thing is that there are two of the expendable lock-nuts supplied, one being reverse thread needed on the offside, so you end up with two spares.
DSC_1863 by peterthompson, on Flickr
I can thoroughly recommend Mister-Auto, despite the daft name, as long as you aren't in a hurry.
http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/?gclid=CM2T4OzR_MMCFUHItAodTzkA0A

[colwyn500]

The tank arrived on time and I am pleased to say that it is a very good replica of the original. It's very heavy, seems to have all the internal baffles, is very accurately dimensioned and fits perfectly.
DSC_1867 by peterthompson, on Flickr
Note the stainless steel replacement strap, annoying, but I refuse to paint it so that it forces me to find an original. There is also some paint stripped by the petrol leak but i have re-coated the spare-wheel well with Waxoyl.
DSC_1870 by peterthompson, on Flickr
The bearings were a doddle to fit, partly because I had removed the old ones for cleaning and re-greasing for the MOT. I wasn't sure they were worn as I couldn't detect any noise but I had to slightly over-tighten them to eliminate play and that worried me..
DSC_1880 by peterthompson, on Flickr
The new ones needed only a slight nipping up of the nut to remove any play. The procedure is then to slacken slightly and then peen the nut. This is the nut for the right-hand hub which has notches to indicate the left-hand thread...Look at them mucky fingers!
DSC_1873 by peterthompson, on Flickr
All jobs done within an hour and I can have a little drive tomorrow to relieve my Fiat 500 withdrawal symptoms.

[vitesse]

The new tank looks very smart Peter. Do you end up getting hit with any extra P&P charges from Axel Gerstl considering you are in the Highlands? Mine seem to always be €10 once my order has reached a particular cost or weight not sure which?

[colwyn500]

[vitesse]

Yes you are right I misread my invoice it is €10 before VAT so that's where the €11.90 comes from, so about £8.70, it's pretty good really I bet a UK supplier would charge more to deliver the petrol tank than AG do.