Mondo

One of my winter jobs this year is going to be getting a replacement TT rear subframe shotblasted and powdercoated, as well as fitting all new bushings and renewing the consumable Hicas parts. Are the Driftworks polybushes the best option for the subframe itself, or is there a better alternative I should be considering? I don't want to go down the route of solid bushes as my Zed's not going to go on track and I don't want to make the ride too harsh on our superb roads! :lol: Also, can the diff itself be split down (for cleaning and painting the casings) and, if so, are there any gaskets or parts I need to be replacing? Cheers!

C'mon Russ... you have to be at JAE - remember our conversation?! :lol:

Well, we're back from Shrewsbury now after a well-earned break. The Zed was faultless (as expected) and even went for a jaunt to Cardigan Bay in Wales on Wednesday. :) Good fun on some of the twisties with the roof off! Lots of admiring looks and "thumbs-ups" from pedestrians and other drivers during the week, which was nice :biggrin: We dropped in to see Lee Dent on Monday and also Friday before we headed home and I got a proper opportunity to have a good look at the underside - all is well and nice and solid :thumbup1: MOT due fairly soon so I have a couple of daft little jobs to do in readiness for that, like wiring the foglight up to a switch. Other than that, it's all quiet on Mondo's Zed front at the moment. I'd like to find time to trim my own steering wheel before JAE, but it remains to be seen whether or not that actually happens...

You're doing very well so far! :thumbup1: I'd suggest making the seam allowance on the wheel joints a little smaller though, so they're not as obvious once it's all finished. Maybe trim them down to about 5mm or 6mm.

Looks like a good job on the steering wheel there! A different method to how I do mine, but definitely looks the part! :thumbup1:

Peasants...?! :glare: No flimsy brackets or chrome struts on mine, sunshine - sturdy colour-coded brackets and black struts for me. Win :thumbup1:

You are what we mere plebs refer to as "privileged".... :tongue_smilie:

I have the WinFactory strut kit fitted to mine and it's super-sturdy now. Bonnet was open today in the wind and all was perfectly fine :biggrin:

I'm not going to give all my tips and secrets away as I really will be out of a career! I also gave a fair amount of help and advice to an aspiring trimmer a few months ago and I was repaid by her openly promoting another trimmer instead of me!! :thumbdown: I'm not suggesting you'd do anything similar, but she's taught me to be very wary... However, if you're going to give the steering wheel a bash, you will need an awl and a curved packing needle. :thumbup1:

Thank you! :biggrin:

Of course :)

Today, she's had an oil and filter change and a damn good clean - she's now ready to head to that log cabin in Shropshire tomorrow! :biggrin: :thumbup1: I've got a few new bits and bobs due to arrive in the next couple of weeks so, once they're all fitted, I'll post the obligatory pictures up! :)

Today, she's had an oil and filter change and a damn good clean - she's now ready to head to that log cabin in Shropshire tomorrow! :biggrin: :thumbup1:

:lol: I'll just retire now.... :biggrin:

Doing myself out of a career here...!! :lol:

When you make French seams on your armrest cover, you need to have it inside-out (sort of). When you've sewn your two main seams (in black thread), you leave the cover so that it's the reverse of how it is when it's fitted. So it's dished inwards at the ends, rather than dished outwards when fitted. Make sure you have the "edge" of the cover closest to your right hand, so the other edge and the large centre sections are held in your left hand. Start slowly at the end and topstitch the right hand side of the seam that by your right hand. This will undoubtedly be the side where it "bunches up" underneath so you can either take it very slowly and keep manipulating the seam allowance with every stitch... or you can snip little triangular sections out so, when it's laid flat, there's no bunching. :thumbup1: Rinse and repeat for the three remaining topstitches. When you do the French seams on the large centre piece, you won't need to worry about bunching as the curve is going away from itself on that piece, whereas the curve is coming back on itself on the two side sections. Hope that makes sense!

Couple of tips: you either haven't left enough seam allowance for topstitching on your armrest cover... or you've cut the seams back. If you're going to put French seams on it (topstitching either side of the seam), you really need to leave enough seam allowance to enable you to pull the two pieces of leather tight. When the leather's pulled tight at the seam and topstitched, you don't end up with the slightly wavy seam that you currently have. Everything's straight (as long as you've sewn it straight) and looks as it's supposed to. :thumbup1: Massive kudos for giving it a go yourself. The industrial machine will make a world of difference! This is NOT an easy skill to learn, but you should end up with a huge feeling of satisfaction at the end of it all. I have strong visions of you wishing you'd never started when you get to the seats though... Z32 seats are fiddly little buggers in certain places! If you need any help, just drop me a line :) *edit* Did you really ask how hard can a car interior be...?? Let me know your answer on that one...! :biggrin:

Ermmmm... no! :lol:

Run them through again. Having had experience of Dylon stuff in the past, I'd be surprised if the fibres of the mats are particularly suitable for dyeing. You might need to try them a few times, and one at a time...!

^^^^ Oooops!!! *edit* Post #2000 from me! :biggrin:

How much were the rebuild kits for the fronts and rears, Lee? As I mentioned to you before, I have a full set of alloy calipers here in need of rebuild.

Mine came via email about 10 seconds after I ordered them....

Just ordered our tickets this morning :biggrin:

Those dashmats are a terrible invention...!!

It'd be nice, but I'm away... :(