GT mediated Awesomeness

[saintjamesy89]

Rich - that's great, cheers mate! WIll just do the rears then, be good to see the pictures. WIll probably post some up here if that's ok with you?

Not sure if I want to put the stickers on, will have a look. Got my pack from the PO yesterday though.

Went for a 50 mile drive yesterday morning with some friends, we were having a champagne breakfast, nibbles and geberal booze and films so went to a faraway supermarket to do some shopping, so good for the GT, loaded up with a bootfull of shopping and four people in it. Drove beautifully, especially on the shjort bit of dual carriageway - a short 5th gear makes for good acceleration at 80, even with a fully loaded GT!

[Tim Leech]

Stickers peel off again and don't damage the paint....I would put a coat of polish on before applying though!

You can't go on a challenge with a "naked car", it's not the done thing!

[saintjamesy89]

Hi all, made some progress with the GT today.

First off I wanted to have a go at adjusting the autochoke, I'd previously found a PDF of the HBOL carb manual so took direction from that and adjusted it. I wasn't quite sure what i'm supposed to be adjusting, so started with the first which they call the Strangler (choke) flap setting.



With a stone cold engine, and using a very accurate measuring device, you have to measure between the bottom of the little roller and the inner-top of the autochoke housing. I measured 27.0mm and as it was 17 degrees outside, the carb manual says it should measure about 28.0, so I adjusted this to as close as that as I could. Not sure if it's improved yet as i only started it to move out of the garage, I *think* it seemed a bit smoother when cold but we'll see. There are 3 other adjustments to make, although these look a bit more techically involved!

I put the original steelies back on, with their Avon generic tyres, they look a lot better than the michelins (which are really quite cracked and one is almost crumbly) with plenty of tread, hopefully they'll be an improvement and help with the fidgetyness at low speeds.



Also bled the rear brakes, car has hydraflush in but all the fluid that kept coming out was LHM! Didn't want to empty the reservoir, so whenm it was a good green I stopped. Bleed screws came out really easily, was worried they'd be difficult.



NExt I had a look at the radio. What a performance on a MK1 to just get the radio out! You have to take a ridiculous amount of the lower dashboard off to access one screw, so you can remove the radio console trim surround.







Anyone know what the white plastic thingies on the red wire in the lower part of this picture are for? It looks to be the radio power supply and the leftmost one has quite a bit of coiled wire in, the plastic is a bit see through. The radio is dead, unless there is a problem with it's power supply. It was working before it went in for its MOT last year, but when I got it back it was dead. SOme creative wiring is going to be required to fit a newer radio/CD player I think!

I also thought i'd get the drivers window sorted, new runner on. Check!



However, either the plastic balls that fit in the runner are too big (likely) or the runners channel is too narrow (unlikely), because the little buggers would not fit in there! I have borrowed a file to take a little bit off the plastic balls, so next weekend hopefully i'll finally have a set of working windows! Will have to re-do the sound insulation AGAIN too, as it was warm today it was very sticky and gooey.

[Tim Leech]

Well done Tom, I was lucky with my mk1 radio that it just pulled out by hand. Have you checked the inline fuse in the power lead?

[Way2go]

Anyone know what the white plastic thingies on the red wire in the lower part of this picture are for? It looks to be the radio power supply and the leftmost one has quite a bit of coiled wire in, the plastic is a bit see through. The radio is dead, unless there is a problem with it's power supply. It was working before it went in for its MOT last year, but when I got it back it was dead. SOme creative wiring is going to be required to fit a newer radio/CD player I think!

The white cylinder on the right of the one you mention undoes with a bayonet action. Inside of that you will find a fuse which is worth checking out. Also with the fuse housing apart you will be able to measure the continuity through the first white "thingy" too.

[saintjamesy89]

I will have a look at the fuse then, thanks chaps, is it likely to be the same as a household plug fuse?

I've bought a new 'retro' style cd player with bluetooth and usb ports and everything, as Mr Saintjamesy89 (not me, the other one) can't connect his phone to the original radio.

When I get home I'll order some new dash bulbs and a pair of strut returns.

[Tim Leech]

Yes it's the best of style fuse but replace like for like with ampage.

[Way2go]

I will have a look at the fuse then, thanks chaps, is it likely to be the same as a household plug fuse?

I've bought a new 'retro' style cd player with bluetooth and usb ports and everything, as Mr Saintjamesy89 (not me, the other one) can't connect his phone to the original radio.

Unlikely to be a household plug type. That type of in-line fuse is likely to be a glass 1.25 inch type, possibly a glass 3/4" type but judging by the scale of your photo I'd bet it's 1.25". Check the info on your new unit for correct amp rating.

Maplins is probably your best bet for buying a replacement locally.

[saintjamesy89]

Excellent, thanks Way2go. I was planning a trip to maplins anyway, will have to get some connectors to wire the new unit in. MK1's don't come with ISO plugs, what a bugger!

[saintjamesy89]

Anyone know what the white plastic thingies on the red wire in the lower part of this picture are for? It looks to be the radio power supply and the leftmost one has quite a bit of coiled wire in, the plastic is a bit see through. The radio is dead, unless there is a problem with it's power supply. It was working before it went in for its MOT last year, but when I got it back it was dead. SOme creative wiring is going to be required to fit a newer radio/CD player I think!

The white cylinder on the right of the one you mention undoes with a bayonet action. Inside of that you will find a fuse which is worth checking out. Also with the fuse housing apart you will be able to measure the continuity through the first white "thingy" too.

Btw, what is the yellow wire in this picture? IIRC it wasn't connected to anything. Is it likely to be an earth? Or maybe as it comes off the loom with the inline fused (is this switched?) power, could it be a constant power (for memory or clocks etc that Mk1s don't have). Starting to think how im going to go about wiring the new unit in...

[Tim Leech]

Excellent, thanks Way2go. I was planning a trip to maplins anyway, will have to get some connectors to wire the new unit in. MK1's don't come with ISO plugs, what a bugger!

Neither did a Mk2! Far too old for that!

[saintjamesy89]

Im sure I fitted an ISO plug I bought in Halfords straight into the TXD's loom, without any modification - when I put a cd player in there. They don't come with an ISO connector - that would be far too much to ask!

[saintjamesy89]

Anyone know what the yellow wire with the spade connector is in the photo's above? It's taped to the main radio feed.

[saintjamesy89]

Anyone know what the white plastic thingies on the red wire in the lower part of this picture are for? It looks to be the radio power supply and the leftmost one has quite a bit of coiled wire in, the plastic is a bit see through. The radio is dead, unless there is a problem with it's power supply. It was working before it went in for its MOT last year, but when I got it back it was dead. SOme creative wiring is going to be required to fit a newer radio/CD player I think!

The white cylinder on the right of the one you mention undoes with a bayonet action. Inside of that you will find a fuse which is worth checking out. Also with the fuse housing apart you will be able to measure the continuity through the first white "thingy" too.

Any idea what the first white thingy is?

[Way2go]

]

Anyone know what the white plastic thingies on the red wire in the lower part of this picture are for? It looks to be the radio power supply and the leftmost one has quite a bit of coiled wire in, the plastic is a bit see through. The radio is dead, unless there is a problem with it's power supply. It was working before it went in for its MOT last year, but when I got it back it was dead. SOme creative wiring is going to be required to fit a newer radio/CD player I think!

The white cylinder on the right of the one you mention undoes with a bayonet action. Inside of that you will find a fuse which is worth checking out. Also with the fuse housing apart you will be able to measure the continuity through the first white "thingy" too.

Any idea what the first white thingy is?

I would take it that this is a coil which constitutes electrically part of a Low Pass Filter to eliminate high frequency noise generated by the alternator or other car components. (there will also be a capacitor somewhere, perhaps at the radio input to ground which forms another component of this filter.)