Wanted to start a thread for my newly imported zed, but it's really hard to think of a name :-P

 

Put the number plates on at the weekend so this is something of a rebirth for it! Swapped the wheels over from my old zed as the ones it came with had a terrible offset, needed 10mm spacers to get over the front stock calipers and thus only had 3 turns on the nuts.

 

Tried to take it for a drive, but the front right wheel was catching so badly I only made it to the end of the road and back! Was then too late to adjust anything. Bit surprised really as it doesn't look that low, might need to stiffen the dampers. So not a great maiden voyage :-P

 

 

 

Wheels are filthy bit didn't have time to clean them.

 

Plan on driving it around a little bit just to check everything is alright before starting some proper work!

I've been a bit quiet lately, didn't get much done over Christmas and on new years day me and my girlfriend moved into our first house so busy with that as well! Zed is staying at my parents until I get a garage built (hopefully this summer) but they're only 40 mins away so I can pop back at weekends to keep things moving.

 

In terms of actual work, brakes have been sent for powder coating, now have a passenger seat rail (bride RO) but the rail is so low you can't pull the slider handle up as it's touching the seat! So I'm having some spacers made up at the moment, should be here soon. Will make the seat the same height as the drivers. I should have just got two of them really, but live and learn.

 

Also looked at the clocks to see what I'm going to do about MPH conversion. I found an excellent video on YouTube that details how you can wire converters into late series speedos so that only the speedo is changed and the power steering etc is not. After seeing Andy fit a series 3 boost gauge in though I'm quite keen to find one of them before I worry about faces, anyone got one lying around? :-P

 

Oh and wanted to show off my new socket set as well, not bad for £150 with a lifetime warranty, the ratchet spanners alone are £50!

 

Got sent this picture today so will be able to rebuild soon!

 

Finally got a chance to get some work done last weekend, forgot to post though! Got all the brakes finished, very pleased with them

 

 

 

Got the passengers recaro fitted

 

 

And swapped the stereo over from my old zed

 

 

Though I'm currently trying something out stereo wise in my Saab, if it works as well as I hope I'll replicate it in the zed.

 

Does anyone know what these are? One either side stuck on the inside of the front windscreen, aerials of some kind I guess, got two 3.5mm plugs for either side. DAB or phone signal maybe?

 

 

 

Now to decide what to do with my manual swap. Looks like jimmer will be doing it for me along with cambelt at the same time, and I'll take the manual kit from my old zed. But the box isn't great, synchros are weak and a bearing might be a bit noisy. Currently looking at options for rebuilding, but might have to pick up another I guess.

Got the manual box off my old zed yesterday, gonna take it to SVS in Cardiff to get looked at, they have some experience with them and I couldn't find anywhere closer willing to do it! Will see what happens.

 

Also wired in a speed converter to my clocks and fitted some titanium rings from Z1. Did it like this

to try and keep the ecu reading the right speed, will have to see if it's worked when I put the cluster back in. Oddly my converter had an extra grey wire that I couldn't really find anything about, so I just left it disconnected. Fingers crossed.

 

Oh is it normal for the fuel gauge to be like that?

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

Oh is it normal for the fuel gauge to be like that?

 

Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

 

The needle holding position without power? Mine does.

Oh is it normal for the fuel gauge to be like that?

 

Perfectly normal.

 

If memory serves i have a grey wire that does nothing, don't worry about it if that's the case.

Yes I know it needs a clean but I fitted 99 spec rear lights instead!

 

 

Need a 99 centre panel as well but got other things to spend the money on at the moment.

 

Finished getting the last of the manual bits off my donor, then swapped over a few little bits like brake brace and hard pipes. Oh and red nose badge but I forgot to get a picture of that.

 

Also SVS have had a look at my box and said new synchros and a few new bearings is all it needs, everything else looks good so happy with that as well.

 

Getting there now!

That looking good Chris bet you can't wait to get it over to jimmer?

Hell yea! I've barely driven it yet so very much looking forward to getting it back as a manual and with a clean bill of health. Got an order from CZP arriving this week so then once the gearbox is done I can drop it off.

 

Also going through plans with our architect at the moment so should have a garage for her by the end of summer

Done a few little bits and pieces this weekend, put the speedo back in, new air filter etc. Then took it for a spin for the first time since before Christmas I think!

 

Speedo was spot on after I soldered in a converter to the speedo itself rather than the cluster so pleased with that!

 

Brakes are terrible though, pedal is going to the floor. I'm pretty confident I bled them well and they were rubbish like this before I put my new calipers on as well so I guess the master cylinder needs rebuilding? Think I read that the ABS on later car's doesn't need bleeding?

 

Jimmers will have to wait a bit longer!

 

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Tried out a different master cylinder this weekend and the brakes were a lot better. Still not 100% though and not sure why, I've got the same set up as my last zed and it was much better on that, pedal on this is much spongier but sure I bled it well again.

 

It's good enough to go to jimmers now though finally and get that kicked off, just waiting for the gearbox to get finished (taking quite a while!) then will have to see when he can fit me in.

 

Gave it a quick clean as well, came up nicely

 

 

 

Looks fantastic [emoji41]

Gearbox is going to be ready for this weekend and jimmer can fit me in the next two weeks so off for a little road trip to Bristol this Saturday, I'm excited!

Tried out a different master cylinder this weekend and the brakes were a lot better. Still not 100% though and not sure why, I've got the same set up as my last zed and it was much better on that, pedal on this is much spongier but sure I bled it well again.

 

It's good enough to go to jimmers now though finally and get that kicked off, just waiting for the gearbox to get finished (taking quite a while!) then will have to see when he can fit me in.

 

Gave it a quick clean as well, came up nicely

 

 

 

 

Lovely looking car you have there Chris:thumbup1:

Lovely looking car you have there Chris[emoji106]1:

Still a few niggles to sort out but getting there!

Been a bit quiet recently but things have been happening in the background!

 

Car has been to Powerzed for a service (cambelt, plugs etc) and it's manual conversion! Jim thought it was a very solid car and was very impressed with the engine particularly, said it pulls amazingly for a stock engine, so I'm rather pleased with that assessment :biggrin: got one of his refurbished clutch boosters fitted as well so it's much nicer than my old one where it was broken. Jim did an excellent job and am really happy with it :thumbup1: Funkysi was there as well when I went to pick it up and was nice to meet him and have a chat.

 

Unfortunately though I had a bit of a debacle with my gearbox in the end. To cut a long story short SVS in cardiff, who it went to first and who said they had experience with the boxes, literally gave up trying to make it work after reassembly after having it for about 8 weeks and messing me about no end :cursing: they couldn't get it to change gear smoothly, said they couldn't afford to spend any more time on it so gave up. Didn't charge me anything, not that I would have paid!

 

So then it went to a place nearish Powerzed that Jim knew. They fixed the gear change for a grand total of £80, so was pretty pleased with that initially. When Jim got it back to fit, it came with a box of parts from the first place SVS that they had replaced, and Jim reckoned it was about £1k worth of stuff! He couldn't believe they had given me those parts for free. Well I was rather pleased with this of course.

 

Except that as I pulled off the motorway on my way home it started making horrible noises in most gears :( I'm sure it must be the gearbox as it stops when you put the clutch down and revving the engine makes no noise at all, and the noise changes in each gear. A real shame as I'm so pleased with the conversion itself (the auto's are dreadful!). At least it hasn't actually cost me much money, £50 delivery between the two places and £80 for the fix, but it's still disappointing that it's been to two specialists and still doesn't work properly. None of it Jim's fault of course though!

 

So it's back to the drawing board for a little while...

Good to hear about the engine but a pity the gearbox is giving trouble. Need to take it back to the last guys if possible Chris.

That is a shame, almost a perfect ending. Such a shame that there isn't a go-to place for the gearboxes on these cars, they must be so simple by modern standards?

Yes gonna see what the second place says and take it from there. I'd love to just buy a brand new gearbox from the states, car deserves it really, but a bit too pricey for me at the moment!

Yes gonna see what the second place says and take it from there. I'd love to just buy a brand new gearbox from the states, car deserves it really, but a bit too pricey for me at the moment!

 

I know the feeling, group buy on gearboxes?!

Did you have a brand new clutch and whatnot fitted, Chris?

Did you have a brand new clutch and whatnot fitted, Chris?

 

Didn't have a new clutch actually as my current one had only done a few thousand miles, not actually sure if the release bearing was changed but I'm convinced Jim would have checked it and put a new one in if he didn't like it! I don't think it could be that anyway as the noise stops when the clutch is down

Double check your rubber *******s haven't popped off of the transmission tunnel.

Double check your rubber *******s haven't popped off of the transmission tunnel.

The rubber what?!?