Practically Classics Forum

Fatbloke wrote:PS. Although I am beginning to get fed up with the ignition problem that's grounded the Herald for over a week now!

FIT THIS!

OK, so it'll change the Herald's touchy-feely handling and you'd need to upgrade to Vitesse front springs to avoid having it way too low as a result of the weight, but you'd see amazing MPGs and I guarantee that this would solve your ignition troubles. All you need is a Sierra gearbox to go with it.
OK, I know, queueing for the cloakroom now..


Liking the red paint on these rocker covers, Welshie. It's difficult to make one engine look significantly less boring than another yet you tried.

Thanks all,

Yeah I've always thought red rocker covers would be nice, the coolant pipes will be blue too, so will add some colour.

I'm going right off you JPB!

Perhaps you ought to skip the queue for the cloakroom and head straight for the door!!!

If' I wanted a reliable frugal car, I'd stick with just the company Honda! Don't even have to check the oil, tyres, water or even wash it!

john i couldnt get the linky to work...im sure it was some good advice

rich. wrote:john i couldnt get the linky to work...im sure it was some good advice

Nah, it was some grotty Ford diesel engine!

If I was fitting a diesel, it would be the early TDi Passat engine (from the mid-late 90s) - not a fantastic amount of power, but light and rock solid (or they were). Anything newer needs "computers", so are somewhat more awkward to deal with.

Of course, the Herald should have a British engine and the easiest to fit would be the Perkins Prima! At least it was used in Rover cars - and based on the "O" series petrol engine, as used in the Ital (with modified Triumph gearbox), so should be a simple swap...

And, using a diesel avoids one major problem with a certain 13/60 - no distributor, coil or spark plugs!!

It was a vm motori diesel from a 90s granada, also fitted to range rovers, large rover saloons, chryslers and alfas, probably loads more.

A pretty average engine for the time, old idi technology, as said above I would go for a later direct injection engine.

If I was deiselling a small british car, I'd stick the 1.5 TUD / XUD engine in from the Rover 115SLD / wee pugs of the same vintage.
Lightweight, nukeproof, 55mpg when driven balls out in the aforementioned 115SLD.

SirTainleyBarking wrote:nukeproof

Pretty much, apart from the odd tendency it has toward exhaust valve seat recession.

Spent a good few hours on her this weekend

Access to certain areas was limited, as dad is doing the final prep to respray the pickled rear wing and hence I had to mask surounding areas but he flatted back and T-cut the other rear wing, so before polishing it looked like this:



Up close it has blemishes, and isn't perfect but it's a home job after all, and I'm sure when trims and the like are fitted I wont notice as much.

Finally got the exhausts on! Used some of the BL spacer plates to lift the engine slightly and there is adequate room now to account for any engine movement. I have yet to install all the bolts but they are in place now. Prior to that i sorted out the wiring routes down the bulkhead then played around for the rest of the time with sorting more wiring out. I have to move the fusebox further down the engine bay to get away from the master cylinder/servo. So before I start chopping I need to make up a fuse box plate with space for extra relays I want to fit.



Hopefully next time I'm home she will be finished painted so that weekend will be spent buffing the paint up and fitting trims, along with the myriad of other tasks that need doing!

Had a very hectic Christmas with inlaws visiting, so planned to spend a few days over the New Year fitting some more bits to the project thought progress was halted by a cold for me. 2015 is the year I want it finished, by September if possible and I'm determined to try and make it happen, I've been without an MG since 2011!

Oil cooler fitted



Oil filter head fitted. Despite making this and mounting it to the exact dimentions in the Roger Williamson book, we still had to make some adjustments to get it to fit!



Now it's just the radiator, water pump & coolant pipes, carburettor and air filter to get and apart from plumbing everything in, she should be ready to fire up, thats my priority at the moment.