Rebody Pingu's Kit Car Project

I made some covers to prevent the dirt coming through the suspension turrets...

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and I've also added the voltmeter. This is the "driver's eye view"...

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Not much evidence of the original car. I just need to change the plastic ends of the wiper and indicator stalks.
 
Not much evidence of the original car. I just need to change the plastic ends of the wiper and indicator stalks.

I've just used my Dremel to butcher the plastic ends off without damaging the stalks, and I've paid £9.05 for some aluminium bar. Some shaping on the lathe and I'll have some new ends for the wiper and indicator stalks :)
 
I've just used my Dremel to butcher the plastic ends off without damaging the stalks, and I've paid £9.05 for some aluminium bar. Some shaping on the lathe and I'll have some new ends for the wiper and indicator stalks :)

Got these on mine:


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Interior Finished 1.webp
 
Hey Pingu

I was the same in making as much as possible on both of mine (interior panels, leatherwork, bodywork and spraying plus making custom brackets) it is part of the fun learning new skills.

I don’t think a lot of people get it.
 
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I was taking a look at the air conditioning system on the car. I took the car for a £25 fill and the gas poured out when he connected the coupling. @bertiejaffa was correct. The condensor was toast.

I took the old one off and noticed the coolant radiator was sagging and had forced the oil cooler to pop off.

I removed the coolant radiator, held it in a press to make it square and made some steel straps to prevent it from sagging...

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I found a new air condensor in eBay for £95. It was in Malaga, but looked really good.

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It has just arrived and it looks as good as the photos. If it doesn't leak, it will be a bargain. I didn't even have to pay any Customs Tax.

My plan is to fit everything, then take it to the air con man. He can test everything, then connect it all up and pressurise it.

Pingu likes the cold :thumbsup: 🐧
 
Did you convert the window winders back to manual? or is the winder for show?

That's the peril caused by posting your images on another's build blog. That interior is from @MisterP007 's build.

Contact him to confirm, but I think they move by about 30 degrees and hit a micro-switch that moves them. Obviously one micro switch for up and one for down.
 
How much work is involved in getting the V5 redone with the new car model name? Is it strictly necessary?

Just take your V5 to the test station and they will amend the MOT database to match the V5 data.

I think that it's worth doing, as it avoids the awkward "It says BMW Z3 on the MOT" comments.
 
Air conditioning has now been fixed.

I can now confirm that it's a cool car 🐧 .

New condensor £95
New dryer £30
Labour to connect and fully clean the system £72
Regas £54

£251 total. Not bad, as I thought it was going to be north of £300.

I may get a few quid when I take the old condensor to the scrap man.
 
Just take your V5 to the test station and they will amend the MOT database to match the V5 data.

I think that it's worth doing, as it avoids the awkward "It says BMW Z3 on the MOT" comments.
So it's the mot tester that updates the database? What proof doea he need apart from the car in front of him. What about updating the v5 with changes to the dimensions ie length.
Is there no problem with the period dash? ie missing airbags.?
 
One big grey area.

Tony.
 
How much work is involved in getting the V5 redone with the new car model name? Is it strictly necessary?
I sent my V5 to Dvla with their form completed stating the new name I wanted. Photos prior to strip down showing number plate, fully stripped and then when rebuilt with the number plates on again.
new v5 arrived in about a week.
no problems at all

I did have issues trying to get the private number plate fitted, but again it was all posted to Dvla and returned inside 7 days
 
DVLA - Don’t Volunteer Little Amendments.

don’t mention the cars longer! They will probably come and inspect it thinking you have cut the chassis and extended it.
just give minimal information. Basically on their form it asks what is used for engine, gearbox and axles, you reply it’s all factory Fitted components
My car does not show the engine number on the V5 and I don’t intend telling them in case they decide to want details from the German factory.
Keep it simple
 
Mine is now Bmw Tribute 507

but I think you could caI’ll it ‘Duncodin’s dream car’ and they’ll probably add it to the logbook
 
One big grey area.

Tony.

If I turned up at a German TUV testing station with a non-original steering wheel and sans airbags they wouldn't let me leave. I'd have to trailer it home. Over there you can't even add a spoiler unless it has a TUV certificate confirming that it was made for the car it's on. Wider tyres? No Chance unless it's a size authorised by the OEM and even then I had to take the car for a special inspection and the tester drove it in ever decreasing circles to see if he could get the tyres to foul. That was when I changed the tyres on my bagheera from 155-13 on the front to 175/70-13
and the backs from 185-13 to 195/70-13. Permitted by Simca so TUV guy entered new sizes into the docs.
 
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