For any of you who are not familiar with Rivnuts.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y.../z3gto/nut.jpg

They are sleeves that fit in a hole, you then tighten them with a rivnut tool which compresses them. You are then left with a threaded hole. They are available in steel or alloy, I always go for the alloy so that they won't rust.

With GRP the panel is often too thick so you tighten the rivnut as much as possible, this makes it expand in the hole to give grip. I also give it a smear or cold weld epoxy to give it extra strength.
On the door skins I used M5 rivets with countersunk screws. Always buy rivnuts with the serrated shank as I find they grip better.

Wheels/tyres

Front tyres are the problem, they are catching on the strut pan, the clearance between the tyre and wheel arch is also too small and to finish it off they catch the bonnet.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/z3gto/t6.jpghttp://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/z3gto/t5.jpghttp://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...r/z3gto/t7.jpg

I have fitted 225/75 x 15 which gives a diameter of 718mm

225/70 x 15 =696mm

original tyres fitted were 225/50x16 =631mm

I'm now thinking215/65x15 =660mm

Nubodi fitted 225/70x15 and hasn't reported any problems.

Any thoughts or suggestions welcomed before I go and waste another 99p on tyres!

this is a good site to dial in your present size and assess options

http://http://www.wheel-size.com/calc/?wheel1=225-45-16X7.5ET40&wheel2=225-40-17X7ET47&fcl=50mm&wcl=30mm&scl=50mm

Hope you can also get some nice discs on Ebay for 99p as well :icon_eek:
Hmm, why didn't that photo reproduce?

Plenty of life in them!

As its going to be sitting for some time before it goes back on the road I thought I would leave them to last. I did rebuild the handbrake but the back plate is beginning to rot and its a lot of dismantling to replace them.
Trouble is I have quite a few cars on the drive that need things doing to them, I seem to waste the morning trying to decide which one to start that day. By the time I've decided its normally time for my nap and then of course its time for the pub.

Hi, I had the same issue so had to change struts for adjustables, they dont have the 'lip' that fouls on the tyre, then had issues with turning circle, so ended up with a small spacer to give clearance. You can trim a little of the inner body that touches the tyre, or just turn the front wheels before opening the bonnet section?

https://c3.staticflickr.com/1/758/21...f48cf6da_c.jpgDSCN4801 by eric holm, on Flickr

Im running 225/50/17 on front with 5mm spacers think they were ET35?

Good luck!

Thanks Andy

You have a picture on Flickr showing a low side view in front of the house. It shows the size of the wheel and tyre combo perfectly and they fill the arches perfectly.
Your 225/50 17 should have a diameter of 656mm, the closest I can get is 215/65 15 which gives a diameter of 660mm. Hopefully being slightly narrower they will clear the struts.

Will post results when I have found a set.

I've managed to pick up a set of tyres 215/65x15 from a Kia Sedona for £58 but the tyres are all nearly new. They fit much better and give a clearance that I'm happy with.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y.../z3gto/215.jpghttp://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...z3gto/2152.jpghttp://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...z3gto/2153.jpg

Grill and wiring
Just finished wiring up the front, thought it would be a quick job but seems to have gone on forever. I used 22mm plastic pipe for the main run and then 15mm plastic pipe across the front to wire up the drivers side.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...gto/grill2.jpghttp://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...gto/grill3.jpg

Just waiting for some bulbs before I finish taping up the exposed ends.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...gto/grill7.jpg

I also started on the grill, every time you move it the bloody slats fall apart. I put it on the buff and it comes up very bright and shiny, I then wiped "ever bright" on it, this is a lacquer that will stop it going dull. A combination of the buffing slightly bending the slats and the ever bright making them slightly thicker meant that after assembling the slats they stayed together. I dabbed some thick superglue on the reverse side and it now stays together on its own.
There are two bars that Chris supplies that hods the grill firmly against the aperture panel. However when you fit the aperture panel to the bonnet you have to pull it apart to get a snug fit. Once the aperture panel has been fitted the bars that hold the grill in place don't fit, I bent them slightly and got them to fit but it pulled the aperture panel badly so it was distorted.
Cunning plan B
I used the mounting holes for the fitting bars and held the grill in place with zip ties. I then bent up some alloy 90 degree angles that I bonded to the inside of the bonnet, positioning then to hold the end of the grill slats. When dry I used zip ties to hold the slats to brackets. Holds the grill firmly against the aperture with no distortion. The length of the slats is marginal, If Chris were to supply the horizontal slats 50mm longer it would make fitting the brackets much easier but would save him from having to bend up the mounting brackets.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...gto/grill9.jpgURL=http://s803.photobucket.com/user/jaguartvr/media/z3gto/grill4.jpg.html][Ihttp://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...gto/grill1.jpg
http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...gto/grill4.jpg
I hunted hard for my headlight trims and made sure they were stainless steel. Been fitted for a month and they have already gone rusty, not impressed so they have been sent back.

lacquer on aluminium...... I've always found it traps water (or water gets) underneath ie between the ali and the lacquer, making the problem worse.
Only way (asside from frequent polishing) is anodising IMHO

This lacquer is put on with a cloth rather than spraying. I used it on some copper letters that were part of a shop front signage and they lasted 18 years before they started to tarnish.

Was going to say there's no harm with this stuff or AutoGlym or similar. Maybe give it a once over ever 6 months and it will always stay shiny .

The other option is to use polished stainless steel slats . Food grade 316 / A4 spec will stay mirror shiny for ever.

With the everbright it is seal and forget, the chances of me ever going back and polishing or even cleaning the grill again are nil!
Apart from being a closet bodger I am also incredibly lazy.

Looking good so far - like the front grill a lot

Dave

That IS impressive, no more I can say.

Here's a link, a little goes a long way. I find for the best results just wipe it in with a lint free cloth.

http://everbritecoatings.co.uk/prote...ating-19-c.asp

Looks interesting. I remember years ago a product at Motorfair '85? which 'chrome plated' just by rubbing it on a suitable metal. I offered them a 2p coin which they duly 'plated' just by rubbing half of one face..... I carried it around in my pocket with my other loose change for at least 3 months. I wanted to see how durable it was, but alas I either made the mistake of losing or spending it one day! Amazing product though (it lasted at least 3 months as good as it started). I wonder if it's still available? No idea of a name unfortunately.

Fuel tank filler

Desperately wanted to avoid the problem Smash had with his car, the only way I could see was to cut a recess.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...3gto/fuel1.jpg
Cut a flap and folded he metal down and then used some matting to create a waterproof box.http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...3gto/fuel2.jpghttp://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...3gto/fuel2.jpg
http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...3gto/fuel5.jpgUsed a fuel resistant 90 bend and a small tight radius bend by the filler cap. Used a longer 90 bend at the other end. The flexible filler tube is from CBS but I used the standard 500mm cheap one (about £12) I drilled the top elbow and fitted a 6mm rivnut and glued it in place with JB weld, as the rivet has a flange it does fit tightly. Onto the rivnut I attached the anti glug breather, this was simply cut in hal by the old filler, the end that goes into the filler I blocked with a tight bolt and ziplock, the other end I extended with a connector.
It all fits rather well with no cramping and it still has a downward flow.
http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...3gto/fuel6.jpg
http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/y...3gto/fuel7.jpgThe final part is to seal the pipe into the fuel filler. I only found one fuel proof mastic, sikaflex tank N available herehttp://www.uksealants.co.uk/sikaflex-tank-n-oil-and-fuel-resistant-sealant--p260.html

The whole filler tube will be covered and protected once the wheel arch liner has been refitted.

Judging by your post and attention to detail I'm sure you've checked that flexi with some fuel? I bought some flexi years ago and was told it was petrol proof - a small shaving in a dish of petrol proved otherwise, so I took it back to the shop!

It came from Car Builder Solutions who are well know for there their parts so I hope not to have any problems. The silicone hose is also specified as for use for petrol. The weak link will be if any the mastic use to seal the elbow into the filler.
I had tried appearing a piece of the spare silicone pipe to use as a packer but as you tighten the jubilee clip it just squeezes out.