General Not giving up.

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General Not giving up.

Joined
Aug 5, 2009
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384
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Location
Leicestershire
I'm sure most of you will have seen my recent events with the Shoebox.
Well im not giving up just yet.
Plenty on the car is still salvageable and im not leaving the Cento section just yet. Half the fun with the Shoebox was just the physical conversion and seeing how it all worked while taking advice and guidence from Todger.

This thread will my development thread to document what I've been doing, any hints and tips from other members of the community and general questions i may have.


Today the car was brought back to my house for work to begin on stripping it back down to just a bare shell and see what other parts can be taken out of the car.
First step was to empty my garage of all the crap ive accumlated with the engine swap in the first place. Then to bag and tag all the bits that i have left (new classified ad will be up soon).

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The wood at the bottom of the garage and other pieces of MDF, im going to make a workbench and shelf and will probably roll in the snap on cabinet, this will save having to go grab all the tools from the lock up.
Might not look very big but with a cento in the garage has plenty of room.

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Getting the car off the truck wasn't an easy job.
Blocking off a main road to push it onto my driveway on a local bus route too.
Especially as when it was being pushed off, a group of chavs in a 106 pulled right up to the lorry cab to lean out the window to take pictures and tell me how crap my car was and if they could buy the wheels off me for a fiver.
I think my look and the fact i had my family/neighbours/friends there telling them to leave rather quickly they said a few words and reversed off rather quickly.
Car was pushed onto my drive way, then lifted up on multiple trolley jacks and ratchet straps to be pulled round to go in the garage the other way.

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First thing first, the rear bench was removed and i tired to remove the fuel pump to siphon out whatever fuel was left (fire hazard). The fuel pump wouldnt come out of the tank though. I know its a tight fit but then when the top half came off and the rest was only held together by the few cables on the fuel pump itself, I just cut off and a piece of brand new green vaccum (unused aswell :( ) was used to siphon the fuel out of the tank.

Radiator was removed, entire system was still full, no leaks at all. This also meant i could have a good look at the exhaust mani. Seems to be in good condition, slam pannel has not hit it, will be leak tested and looked over throughly once it is off the engine.
We then removed the bonnet and the glass out of the windscreen.
I know it's bonded in and isnt meant to come out.... but i think two grown men struggling to pull it out or even trying to cut the bonding material with stanley knives is a bit much.

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Due to aches and pains that's all i could manage for today, just really wanted to make it safe to work on without worrying about fuel vapour catching or the windscreen being a hazard. All the other broken glass will be cleaned up next anyway.

Going to cut the slam pannel off to get a better look at the engine and then get a hoist to pull the engine out. Reciprocating saw is already on charage and dug out the grinder is ready.
Gearbox mount is obviously buggered.The rear gearbox mount looks like it has seen better days and is badly twisted, so shouldnt be too hard to get the engine out.
The shell will then be cut up and weighed in for scrap.

The strange thing is though, looking at the Direct Gov website about disposing of a car, is that if you break a car yourself you can just register a car as SORN and then once it is all in bits just inform the DVLA 'that you no longer have it'. From reading that website i assume that means by filling in the V5 section stating you have sold it. Just seems quite strange tbh.
Thought you would have to fill in a section about destruction of the vehicle and send vin plates to confirm.


So am i mad/crazy/stupid or just enjoy owning a cento? :D

Pirus
 
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i got caught out by the scrapping car bit, i found out the hard way, you have not get the car officially destroyed by a registered scrap mechant, i found this out when i cut my cinq up over a year ago, all i did was cut it up and weight it in then went to my local dvla office and then had to set about writting a letter to say what i had done with the car and where i weight its remains in and they rang them and checked that i had been there with bits of what looked like a cinq lol, if i was you get down to your local dvla office and get some advise from them, take pics of the car so they can see there is no chance of it going back on the road.
 
@Fiatseicento2002
F/N/S is buggered, might have to get the sledgehammer out to just get it off the hub (might just cut it off with a grinder). Other wheels will be pulled off and whacked on the balancer. The stress that they have been subjected to is outside of their normal remit, so not sure if i would even use them again (obviously all wheel bolts will be scrapped) If the other 3 wheels arent in bad condition, i might try and get another or just sell them on. Telling any prospective buyers of the previous damage.
@blu73
Thanks, hadnt actually looked at the V5 yet, cant even remember how many previous owners it has had. Think only 2/3.
@fingers99
Well there's no point hanging about, the day after i was back out on the road driving the other car. Plus i dont really want to open my garage and be reminded of how all my time and effort (and help of others) was nearly finished within the space of a few seconds.
@puntoproject
thanks :) If you could keep it for me, I'll send you a message once the engine is out of the car.
@mariocinq
thanks exaclty what i wanted to know. I work only round the corner from a DVLA office so will walk round or just give them a ring and see what they say.


In other news:
i'll update everyone tomorrow with what happens..... ;)

Pirus
 
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I know the passenger seat frame has had it. But what about the foam? Could be handy for repairing a driver's seat, seen as the passenger seat tends to get less use and is in a better condition... :chin:
 
i have a pair of cinq sporting seats sat in the shed getting mouldy not doing anything - they same as sei seats aren't they frame wise?? Your more than welcome to have them - can strip them down but might be a arse to package them up for posting - may end up be cheaper to just go the scrapyard and get some.

offers there though ;)
 
On the subject of scrapping a car yourself. I got the scrap man to sign the box and sent the V5 off, only to have it sent back again but with the signed half retained by DVLA and a letter saying "we dont know why you have sent us this" !!! Bloomin annoying!
 
had a thought about this, why not do a re-shell?? then you get to keep the plate number and tax on it and you get to clock the miles to the same as your crashed car if you get a high miles one, then all you have to do is register the new chassis number to the current logbook and colour if it changes, maybe not the easiest way but all it will have on the logbook is a change of chassis number and then your current chassis will auto be decleared as scrapped due to unrepairable damage. just an idea for you.
 
Well as Ouby has already hinted I went to look at a car and took Todger along.
Was a Black MPI SX with a dead HG.
Not bad condition with 59k on the clock, however not in great condition for a reshell. Would use it as a run around instead. It was on ebay but the buyer wouldnt accept a cash offer, so if no one bidded on the auction i was going to offer the seller some money. Someone bidded in the last few seconds.
Nevermind, wasn't in good enough condition for a new shell.

So ive been taking it easy for the last few days and just having a break instead of rushing back into it. Charging up the saw tonight ready to chop into the slam pannel tomorrow though.
At the minute im just looking for a little run around, then once The Shoebox is in bits ill look for a shell in good condition, though i know ill probably have to pay for it.
mariocinq
I would do it that way but just seems alot of paper work and the DVLA are pretty crap with letters at the best of times.
So just going to buy a new shell and do a 16v conversion on that.
Tax im just going to reclaim whats left and my numberplate will be transfered over when i get my run around.

Pirus
 
So much for taking it easy....

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Can see its been running slightly rich.

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Bottom of the mani is only scratched on the surface, other than that its all good :)

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What's left of the slam panel now.
A reciprocating saw and two people bending it, bit of new age art now.


Gearbox mount it smashed to pieces and only the rear mount and a trolley jack are currently holding up that side of the engine up. Rear mount it starting to flex due to the weight.
Engine and gearbox should be out next week, going to borrow a hoist off of a friend. I think it's easier to not remove the gearbox; means that it will be wider (easier strap placement), less bolts (only two; rear gearbox and engine mount) and hopefully less time.
'Removed' far side wing to see the state of alternator and its belt. Couldnt remove wing due to the sideskirt, so out came the saw again. :D
The wing was in great condition though, freshly resprayed. Ah well.

If anyone does want any body panels send me a PM.
The rear bumper, spoiler, seats (for now) are not for grabs though.

Will take more pictures as the dismantling continues.

Pirus
 
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