WITW - Barn-find Final Edition

[MikkiJayne]

Replaced the CV boot and put the suspension back together:





I'm now stuck on the headlight level sensor as the 20" cars have a different arm to the others, the car doesn't have one, they are NLA, and I don't have any left. This means its probably time to print a new bracket for use with the balljointed arms I've been making...

25 hours

Parts used:

PS hoses (refurb, £200)
PS hose brackets (used)
NSF upper rear arm (used)
NSF lower rear arm (used)
NSF wheel bearing (used)
CV boot (£12)
Suspension brace (used)

[Ronin]

As far as replacing front control arms, do you only ever change only the faulty ones or do you change them as a lot?

Some say if new and old arms are mixed, the new ones will wear quicker.

[strummagnet]

Originally Posted by Ronin

As far as replacing front control arms, do you only ever change only the faulty ones or do you change them as a lot?

Some say if new and old arms are mixed, the new ones will wear quicker.

When I replaced all mine I noticed the top links were in better condition than the lowers but for piece of mind I did the lot with Meyle HD, with the exception of the ARB links... used Lemforder for those

[MikkiJayne]

Originally Posted by Ronin

As far as replacing front control arms, do you only ever change only the faulty ones or do you change them as a lot?

Some say if new and old arms are mixed, the new ones will wear quicker.

When I'm doing it properly I will normally change all of them, because its a false economy not to. Right now on this one I want to get it through an MoT with the minimum expenditure of time and cash so I can drive it about and see what else it needs, hence fitting a single used arm.

It will get a full set of Meyle HD in due course, but since the other pinch bolt is stuck thats an extra load of work that doesn't need doing for the specific target at this point.

Not the usual approach, but this is not a usual project

[Ronin]

Thanks. I'll be getting a whole set then

[strummagnet]

Originally Posted by Ronin

Thanks. I'll be getting a whole set then

And as MJ alluded to, make sure the pinch bolts have had a good soaking as it is a lottery whether they come out clean or not. I had the devils own work in getting the nearside one out, a whole world of pain.

Watch this tutorial, its not an A8 but it is a good basis for information. Take note of the introduction!! https://youtu.be/1Yc-y3o_kR4

[Ronin]

Originally Posted by strummagnet

And as MJ alluded to, make sure the pinch bolts have had a good soaking as it is a lottery whether they come out clean or not. I had the devils own work in getting the nearside one out, a whole world of pain.

Watch this tutorial, its not an A8 but it is a good basis for information. Take note of the introduction!! https://youtu.be/1Yc-y3o_kR4

Thanks for this. I even used your Meyle part numbers you posted for me from the other week. All in with steering rack boots it came to 476 shipped. I paid 650 for the car

[steamship]

Originally Posted by strummagnet

Watch this tutorial, its not an A8 but it is a good basis for information. Take note of the introduction!! https://youtu.be/1Yc-y3o_kR4

Ah, that video brings back some bad memories! Six hours for one bolt.

[MikkiJayne]

Originally Posted by steamship

Ah, that video brings back some bad memories! Six hours for one bolt.

I'll spend no more than hour trying to get the bolt out by conventional means. If it isn't moving by then, it isn't going to and it gets drilled. I don't even attempt them on the car these days - I'll just take the whole lot off, break it down on the floor like I did with this one, and deal with the pinch bolt in the bench vice.

I'm a little behind with updates so this is Friday's.

Started on the bumper:

Duff bumper number one (barnfind). The top is badly scratched, the bottom is ruined.



Duff bumper number two (my dead FE). The top is pretty good, the bottom is ruined.



Duff bumper number three (donated by Neil for parts). The top has been drilled for aftermarket parking sensors so is scrap. The bottom is intact and usable though.



I was hoping I could at least use the number plate from the original bumper, but whoever fitted it didn't drill the holes straight so this will get replaced as well. All I could save from the original bumper was one foglight and three parking sensors in avus



At this point my back decided I'm too old and fat to be playing with bumpers on the floor so I had to stop



For a long time I have wondered what the difference is between A8 and S8 FL2 lower valances to justify the 50% price increase for the S8 part.

A8:



S8:



The lower lip is removed on the S8, presumably to allow airflow to the brake ducts. It certainly appears, from close examination, that they came out of the same mould and the lip was cut off by hand at the factory! The extra £100 for the S8 part in that case is to pay someone to cut bits off it

[MikkiJayne]

Saturday - Mike helped me swap the bootlid from my dead FE. The paint on this is in better condition and it has the proper GPS antenna



The nasty shark-fin monstrosity from the old bootlid wasn't even a GPS antenna - it was an analogue radio antenna! What the point of that was I have no idea.

The car now has proper FE wheels back on it and is looking much more respectable

I also removed the driver's door card to replace the window motor. Someone had already had a go at this and failed, breaking the internal mouldings in the process so I'll show the repair of that when I get to it. I made a start on cleaning the leather which is going well. Left is as it came, right is cleaned up.



33 hours

Parts used:

PS hoses (refurb, £200)
PS hose brackets (used)
NSF upper rear arm (used)
NSF lower rear arm (used)
NSF wheel bearing (used)
CV boot (£12)
Suspension brace (used)
Boot lid (£150)
FE wheels (£500)
Window motor (£50)