Right then, lets gets something started in here for my new car. As the title suggests she is a 1.5 Thunder Grey BA. A pre-ford example, and she is pretty sweet. Nothing much to look at at the moment, and work is required. I bought her from an ex member from here, a chap by the name of Cory.
She has a mismatched front bumper, and possibly the most hideous set of 6x9 speakers in all the four cards. But she drives a treat(if a little slow at the moment), has good service history, good sills and will host the majority of Womble's mods(she will live on) plus some new and quite special additions I've been collecting the last few months.
No pics as yet until I figure imgur out, but those of you on the club facebook page will have had a sneek peek.

Sounds interesting

I couldn't get imgur to work either I'm using "imgbb" not perfect but I can post up pics so good enough
I didn't know there was a Facebook page I did a search the other week but nothing came up

mananged to get on the laptop, so here are a few pics of the new girl

as I saw her in the ad
https://i.imgur.com/TZrGyB0.jpg

a rear end shot after a looong drive home

https://i.imgur.com/TZrGyB0.jpg

and sat at work next to womble, you might notice the rear reflector has been updated, clear side repeaters fitted, and clear front side lights also fitted
https://i.imgur.com/TZrGyB0.jpg

there were some goodies in the boot too
https://i.imgur.com/TZrGyB0.jpg



now that I have figured imgur out updates will be a bit more interesting from now on.

nice pic but they're all the same pic mate

Oh bugger, and there's me thinking id got imgur all figured out, I shall have to try again.....

lol Paul.....imgur has forum codes too so you can post the image and not a link like photobucket

So while I try figuring imgur.out ill add a little update, with all the rain we have had its always handy to be able to use the wipers, except I have no rear wiper on the new car. There is a grommet where the wiper arm used to be though. Rear water bottle etc. Is still in place so I would guess it wasn't working af some point and it was just easier to remove it. Luckily I have a spare so possibly this weekend ill try getting it out and transferring it over.
I managed to get the god awful speakers from out of the door cards, but they have been ripped apart during installation, so I have fitted the post ford cards over from womble, few mounts to relocate and a couple of nes holes to drill for fixings to be added.

Paul, imgur is so easy working with, i just open it in my browser, catch the picture wich i want to post and just drop it right over the site overview, than wait couple of seconds and the picture is uploaded and in the right top corner there is a menu with all the codes for different aplications(there's the BB code too)
That all is without making any registration on the imgur site, i just use it free.My pictures are all stored on my laptop,and now on the site too.
I always thought that you are clear with imgur because you were the one that told me about that site if i remmember correctly.
It's nice to hear that you got a good replacement of Womble and you're working on it to make it in best shape.
Keep up the good work!

Slight update time, as its been a while. A fair few changes too.....some good, some puzzling and some awesome.

C/f skinned bonnet is on, post ford door cards are in, well the fronts anyway, for lights fitted, still struggling to find the wiring loom though. Front bumper is now the same colour as the rest of the car.
Rear drum brakes are no longer red, undersealed, rear spats and all braces are fitted, rocker cover is shinier, and coilovers are fitted. I no longer own a tractor .....
I've also decided to go a new route styling wise too, so many of the parts I've been collecting over the years have either been sold, or soon will be.
Still plenty left to keep me busy though.

**Pics kindly uploaded by Lee cos I'm a Luddite numpty**

Nice!Good work on the car.Cant wait to see more!

i guess its high time i made a bit of an effort to update this thread, being the typical tight northerner im making full use of the 'free' window provided by photobucket to get a few pics up.......
so its been a busy few months since i last updated here.

where to start, at the front i guess.

i managed to bag a pair of pre-ford fog lights for the car(still un-named!!!!) and while i was there i was offered a front bumper. those who have seen on facebook will know this already, but here is a pic



at first i wasn't very sure, but the more i looked at the pic the more intrigued i was as to how it would look fitted.
so the next week i headed back through to see john(brucey) and i picked it up. it has seen a few hedges in its time and in need of a refurb so i got stuck in.
by the layers of paint on it its had at least four owners, and seen a fair bit of action by them all, it currently is sat at the top of the garden, sanded, filled, sanded again and ready for its first primer/guide coat...



as you will also know im having a long running, love/hate relationship with my sideskirts, they are in shocking condition, but i will make them good again. sanded back ready for a primer/guide coat then fingers crossed fitted later this week



also i have been busy with the wheels, as you know i like to be different, but i think this car is possibly the only car i have ever owned which doesn't/wont have white wheels, they wouldn't suit, so what will compliment the grey???? GOLD of course....



and then friday just gone i got them fitted, and i'm very pleased with them, i think they suit a treat, others may disagree, but then that's never worried me



So whats next??

i've got a nice twin exit zhorst to fit which i got off Lee(Lerch), a bird crapped on my bonnet one night while i was sleeping, when i cleaned it off in the morning it has chipped and corroded the clear coat.....i was gutted fair few quid to get that one repaired and recoated.

that's probably not even half of the stuff i meant to mention, but ill update again again (hopefully sooner rather than later

Looking good I do like the gold with the grey.

I like the wheels as well - not too sure on front and skirts though...

For me, the skirts are a big yes, but I know what you mean about the bumper...... I like it, but I'm not too sure how its going to look fitted.
I'm not committed to it, so if I don't keep it, at least the lad who's it is will be getting a totally sorted bumper to sell.
We will see though, it might look awesome

I love the grey & gold

At JAE you'll have to give me the lowdown on bumper prep/respraying, I need to sort out both Butch's and Sundance's and I'm still a paint novice

S

Sadly ill not be at JAE this year(once again) .Daughter is off to uni so we are doing the big move on that weekend and the following one. However, she's off to Huddersfield so I might pop in as a visitor on the Saturday if i get the chance.

But the key to a good paint job is the quality of the base its goin onto, sanding, sanding, sanding, filling, sanding......it goes on forever.

Oh that's a big shame!

A big day for your daughter though, I hope it all goes according to plan

Huddersfield to Peterborough is a looong way, but if you're up for the trip then see you there, I'll put the kettle on!

Sanding - yeh, I don't do enough of that, I get too impatient to start spraying ...

S

well, after a morning of filling up the swear jar i managed to get the front bumper to kind of sit still for a little while....... not a single bolt hole lines up to mount the thing so work will be required to get it to be physically attached to the rest of the car.

but here it is, in none of its glory......



with lights in place....



and head on.....



I'm really unsure, in some ways I like it, in others I really don't......it will look better with the sideskirts on I'm sure, but I will need to make up some mesh infills for the upper vents, I thought id left that behind in the 90's....lol.

but then again this is a nineties car, so the styling should have a 90's feel to it.

I also managed to get the pre-ford fogs fitted to the original bumper while it was off, so not a total loss for the day

A quick skip back in time by about a month, this is a little job id always fancied doing on a few of my older F's but never got round to it. Colour coding the door handles, the rears are straight forward to remove, but the fronts are a right pain.
Houdini would struggle to get this job done. You will need at least one extra bend in your arm, and an empty swear jar.
but once done, it looks a treat

sanded back, primer on, sanded back with 500 grit wet n dry, base coat on.



then at least 4 coats of clear coat



it helped that the job was done during our early summer heatwave so the handles were left outside in direct sun to bake them a bit. they were then left for a good week to cure and harden off properly.
I'm planning on doing the bump strips to match too, yes the BA looks clean without them, but I do mundane stuff like shopping and going out(which involves car parks) so I'm happy to have that little extra bit of protection for the (relatively) ding free doors

Can you please not proceed with the front bumper thing?
Thanks

it doesn't sit as low as I was expecting. After drooling over your car I thought it'd sit far too low at the front with maybe 25mm road clearance.

Yeah I should have parked on a level surface, sure it does sit a lot lower, and I have massive tyres on at the moment which has raised the full car a good inch...... Now just need to figure out getting it to fit right.
It can be done, I'm sure of it
Then its a case of getting it painted, then the side skirts on, I think that will help it look the part.

The sideskirts are a little lower than the mudguards at front so it should be close to the bumper low end.
Side view/picture would help to imagine it better.
I kind of like the bumper but also it's a little bit too much for my taste.
At the end, it's what makes you happy that's count.
Keep up the good work!!

I didn't think the gold rims would match at all. Then you fitted 'em.

I thought the bumper would be fine. Then you fitted it.

Lantii have a smooth, rather understated curvey shape and I think the bumper is too angular and 'overdone' for the styling. It jars.

Just my opinions!

Great work on the door handles, by the way.

Patrick

Yeah that's exactly what's going through my mind Patrick, in many ways I like it, in others not. I guess I wont get the full picture until its painted to match, and the skirts fitted too to give it the overall effect. But then I will probably hate it but have already paid for it.....lol

Fit a nice strong metal mesh to its gaping holes and keep it to protect the car when going though the kitty litter on (sorry, off) the track

Patrick

Hahaha, its got more mesh than 1990 already lol, but it will require mire on the upper vents

After the best part of two years, I've finally got the sideskirts looking half decent, and fitted!!!!!! they still need a fair bit of work to them, I thought id be super chuffed with them, but I'm decidedly underwhelmed , I guess once I have all of the screw holes filled in I will feel better about them.
I went with the tigerseal option, what a chew on. in hindsight I would have got some bigger clamps to securely hold them in place while the stuff went on and bonded them, but after an hour or so of me and my daughters holding them in place they are now going nowhere





The eagle eyed amongst you will notice the gold wheels are off, just a temporary thing till I can do a tyre swap. The tyres on the gold set are too big (225/45/17). the tyres on the silver set are 205/45/17, once they are swapped the arches will no longer scrub as they do at the moment.

Time for a little update, but just a little one.....wheels are finally on and really happy with how its looking. Re-fitted the number plate hanger, which I wasn't going to do originally, amber side repeaters are on, just need to get the front sidelights tinted orange now, kinda going for a bit more of a JDM look/feel.



Plenty more to do, still need to sort out delivery of the new exhaust, rear and back windows to tint, uprate the rear ARB, spacers for the wheels to order and fit and then get the rear door cards all sorted and fitted....busy winter ahead