[ame="https://youtu.be/KY3Umg5jVDY"]https://youtu.be/KY3Umg5jVDY[/ame]

New well as good as new headlights. The drivers side one I repaired before Christmas will be available soon. Good reflector, clean lens and re-glued reflector mounts.

Someone (on another forum) asked how I mounted the drive lamps without taking the bumper off...



...holes cut in the bumper under the number plate so I can get a slim socket up there.

Results of my labors...



...cleaner...



...better penciling...



...brighter.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-punto-convertible/352257838104

Great news!

I have the loom, ecu, inlet manifold and other bits I'll need in the Punto Convertible.

Bad news.

https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/vehicle/fiat_punto_cabrio_16v

There are only 68 left? Crap! That's right on the boarder line of being too rare to mess about with.

I guess I will wait to see the cars condition before I decide.

1/ Donor.
2/ Test mule for the 1368 conversion.
3/ Restoration
4/ MOT and sell for a Spring/Summer profit.

I've just had a look at the MOT history and the Punto has been very poorly neglected all it's life.

Donor would be best from the lists, and lists of previous advisories that were left unaddressed.

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

top work. I didnt realise those punto carbrios were quite that rare to start with!

NordicAnt said:

top work. I didnt realise those punto carbrios were quite that rare to start with!

Click to expand...

Just like the Punto Sporting the 1.6 was the one to have but the 1.2 16V in a heavy old lump like the Punto with extra support and the weight of the electric hood must have been a bit of a faff to own. Almost as bad as the 1.2 16V Stilo. That poor little engine was designed for a 800Kg vehicle not a 1,250Kg one.

The Punto is being collected Friday so I'll get a good "cold light of day" look Saturday but with more advisories in the MOT history than the complete works of Fred Durst I'm thinking donor.

I took my Alfa to Lakes Auto's to pick up a gearbox for a mate in America.



A nice mix of A roads, dual carriageway, urban driving and country lanes that if I had something as vulgar as a "hot hatch" and not my Cloverleaf I would be writing this from a chiropractors instead of home.

From Lakes to a lake (well ings at least) as I took the back roads home via Welney.



A pretty good day out.

Also in a spot of serendipitous timing. The cam'belt has gone on Stilo 1.2 that belongs to a friend of a friend so I get to practice taking the SuperFIRE apart and have sold the Punto straight valved head.

The Punto cabriolet parts donor arrived today and...

...well...


...okay...

It was advertised as a "runner" but was out of petrol. No big deal, Can of fuel, primed and the old bus starts first turn of the key.

Also advertised as a "driver" but sadly the clutch master cylinder seals are gone and the clutch arm itself stuck.

The photo's in the advert are ages old as the car is covered in moss now.

None of these are an issue as the parts I need are all fine. One problem is the roof does not open. I was relying on that being functional to get most of the money back. Never mind. The wheels are near perfect and as far as I can tell the front brake calipers are good to go.

If anyone wants any Rialto blue body parts let me know.

So one of the eight month old Nangkang tyres went bang!



:bang:



I feel bad whenever I have to use a spare as I could hold people up. So I made a sign.

What a pest!

Because it doesn't drive and weighs the same as a small Moon it was a bit of a push to get it on the drive. Washed because I don't like working on or selling parts from a dirty car and ready to start stripping.

I have provisionally sold £300 worth of bits already. :slayer:

So the parts I need could end up being free.

Such a shame the roof doesn't work. I'm sure it'e the switch or relay as there is nothing from it at all when I try it. Could be a fuse or loose wire somewhere but it's raining and I can't be arsed to chase it.

Thhhhhhhaaaaaaaaatttttttt'sssssss better. :worship:

A spot of Driveway CSI today and the mysterious hood.

[ame]https://youtu.be/fUFD2Mm_oTk[/ame]

Relay, switch or loom issue then. The fuse is fine and the roof works directly from a battery.

A working roof is worth three or more times a non-functional one.

Don't you just love it when you order a pair of something from a UK supplier, it's takes a week longer than a larger item to arrive from Italy and...



...when they eventually arrive they aren't even a bloody pair! :bang:

Oh well. One clear and one tinted indicator. Just as well I'm not anal about things like that at all eh? :devil:

it bugs me aha,got a matching pair of orange ones here doubt they'd be any use to you!

I should have stayed in bed today.

It has been a perfect, sunny, chilled winters day.

Ideal for stripping the Punto Cabriolet; but every single, simple part has had a dozen other things in the way and every nut, bolt or screw has either rusted to crap or inaccessible due to another half dozen things in the way.

I'm glad I am parts harvesting and scrapping the donor car because it would be on fire now if not. Seriously I haven't been this annoyed since the clutch master cylinder job on my Alfa Spider.

I think I'll get an early start at it tomorrow so more neighbours can appreciate my swearing.

It was the windscreen or the engine block!



Okay I need to calm down and look for something positive.

SuperFIRE HT leads.



They have a little handle to pull them out with.



The first time I have come across it. Brilliant!

After a few hours of faff I managed to harvest the parts and minutes later the engine was out.



I am very impressed with the SuperFIRE engine. The cam's are a sealed unit...





...once out it was pretty obvious what the issue with the car was.

Driveway CSI and another Punto postmortem.

The thrust bearing was rusted to the gearbox input shaft. Also I read somewhere that gearboxes are supposed to have oil in them. This one didn't.





Oh and what I thought was the car being jacked up in the wrong place was actually where it had been lifted with forks. The passenger side door does not close when the roof was open. :bang:

Good effort. Is there any part numbers on the inlet manifold or engine loom? As I am sourcing parts to do the same thing.

DIDCOTT said:

Good effort. Is there any part numbers on the inlet manifold or engine loom? As I am sourcing parts to do the same thing.

Click to expand...

Somewhere.

It's dark now. I'll have a look in the morning.

The black silicone curse strikes again.

Part 1/ I opened the roof to remove it and because it was colder than it felt the rear screen cracked.

No problem my uncles are upholsterers and it's a fairly simple job.

Part 2/ The roof was stuck down with it so the material ripped as soon as I tried to take it off.

I have taken the rams and pump off so I could get £30 or so for those to someone restoring a Punto or £100 to a chav who wants a low rider bonnet lift.

On the floor in the rain harvesting the last parts from the Punto to raise funds to buy parts for my car.



Just part of the fun building on a budget. I feel sorry for people who give someone a car, some money and say "build this".