Project Thunder Saloon

[Taps]

Thought I'd show ya my ongoing project, its been ongoing for 2yrs now

Project car

XR4i brought for 40 quid



Was fitted with a 2.9 which I blew up on the way home from buying it up north, still saved petrol coming back the last 150 miles on back off the AA

Didnt matter as I ideas on an engine change so once home it sat there waiting for me to start. In the mean time I spotted this



Another trip up north this time with a trailer and £300 later it was mine, getting it on the trailer was another thing lucky there was a building site next door with loads of bricks laying around to make some ramps to get it over the rear lights as it was to wide for the trailer



So another one back home, stripped it all out and was fit for nothing but scrap rotten to feck with loads of bodge repairs, so stripped the bits I wanted



[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/Taps56/Thunder/a44a17f7.jpg[img]







Shell went to the crusher and sold off the bits I didnt want

[Taps]

So work started on an engine replacement for the 40 quider

Now I was going to drop a V8 into the project converted to 4x4






Until it came to light that with the wheels I'm using couldnt get the centre viscous with in the specs it need to be, so that little projects went on hold, and something else to power it being look for.

Another £300 quid got me this off ebay came with 6 months MOT and only 50 miles away



So I taxed it and used it while I got on with the rest of the car

[Taps]

Took one side of the body kit off expecting all sorts of horrors under it but it looked as sound as a pound





Fronts stripped out, found some rust but werent surprised.









Front bumper mounts and bottom of front wings at the front end worse





Rusty bits found at the back







Took the other side body kit off and about the same as the other side just a bit more surface rust here and there





So on the surface not to bad so I thought

[Taps]

So took a break from rust hunting and tried the wheels on

[Taps]

So was time to sort out the body












O/S/F inner wing repairs
















1 job done, onto the next one

Right, next



Cause, some dickhead jacking car up in wrong place in its history, instead of raising the car they raised the floor

So Ford cover up all theses holes with sound deadening




Sod that I want solid metal under my feet thank you Mr Ford

So that lot went

[Taps]

Got the floor repair finished




Then cut out the shite inner sill repair if ya can call it a repair and welded in new.




and on to the next bit

[Taps]

Another crap repair done in its past

[Taps]

That out the way was onto the wheel arch, had it past had new arches fitted, well tacked in a few places and then hidden with filler so just as well I was taking 3inc's out of them.















Had to sort this out before I could finish it, the bent back flap was all held in there with Fibre Glass , right fecking bodge job someones got in the past.

[Taps]

So that was all cut out along with the rest of the rust all the way back to the rear and repair panels made and welded in

[Taps]

[Taps]

That was one side finished wing at that time was not welded on and just as well really as your see later.




More to follow tomorrow.

[NRspeed]

Excellent work done there so far! Interesting project.

[Gmac]

Great project, great work, great thread.

[Tone]

excellent job m8 keep the pics coming great fabbing skills

[Retromotorsport]

Ahhhh Thunderloons... when men were men and cars were proper race cars..

I'll be watching this one grow

[turbo m]

Great project all ways loved the4i i guess cause its not a cossie! will be keeping an eye on it too. Wont she be wwwwidddeeee

[sierra3dr]

Here's another kit version Rob http://www.fibresports.co.uk/product...odykit/FS10903

[runoutofrigos]

I'm loving the use of galvanised steel plate for the repairs, a man after my own heart.

Great progress on this interesting project.

Simon

[RChambers]

Very nice work there

[4parajon]

Good read mate, should be good when its done