Few questions

[Dragonheart]

Just a few quick questions if ye don't mind putting some thoughts down please;

1 - First off a question about the gearboxes, does the manual box and set up from all FTOs fit each other, like if I was putting in a manual would it have to be from a GPX or GPvR or would the one from a GR or GS fit as well? I presume the GR would definitely fit but its the GS one I'm not 100% sure about. Does a VR4 manual box fit?

2 - Secondly, are there any websites or places that are good for buying scrapped cars and half cuts, (do we even sell half cuts in Ireland??), and whats the craic with trying to buy one that has been written off by an insurance company? Where do scrap yards and breakers get all their cars from?

3 - Last question, if you were to totally refurbish your FTO, what would the main things be to do? (Bearing in mind that brakes would be fully upgraded and all engine related items such as fuel pump, injectors, and ecu would be fitted with a new engine).
The list the way I see it is;

i - Suspension refurb (What would be involved in this?)
ii - Bushes
iii - ARBs
iv - Droplinks
v - Underseal


Appreciate any thoughts or comments, trying to put together a list of things to do for the future and want to put together a costing and time plan on it all.

Thanks.

[Wildhound]

I only have an answer for part 2

Most scrap yards and breakers are full of insurance write-offs. That's where the car ends up if you don't take it back from the insurance company.

If it's a Category C write-off and they haven't stripped it yet they will usually be willing to sell you the car complete. Category B can not be driven on the roads again but can be broken for parts. Category A can only be scrapped.

[Dilogoat86]

If you were doing a once over on the FTO I would personally take out all suspension parts. I'd probably take the engine out too and do a complete check of all nuts and bolts. I'd replace all bushes, links, balljoints. I'd paint the engine bay and the underseal the car. I'd hamerite all road side exposed metal parts before underseal or waxoyle. While everything is out you would get a very good feel for how good or bad the body is and if there's any rust forming. Light rust can be ground off and painted with kurist before a sealing paint put on and then painted. I'd replace any exposed braking lines if they looked worn or perishing.

It'd cost a small fortune for all the links and bushes and suspension bits. Taking bits off an old car reveal bad things sometimes and taking them off means they need to be replaced where as they would have worked normally.

Thanks.

[Dragonheart]

Cheers lads.

Wildhound do you have any idea how the scrap yards get them off insurance companies? Are they offered them through a cmpany deal as a registered scrappage company or can anyone do it do you know?

Dilogoat some nice input there cheers. Thats the exact type of stuff I'm after, know most of what has to be done but theres always little things that you'd forget. I'm not too worried about the engine parts as I plan on replacing the whole thing eventually anyway, in theory at least....

[dstocks]

Manual Gearbox is the same for all models - its a one fits all thing.. Having said that, the presence/absence of an LSD will make a difference as the driveshafts are different lengths. Tip boxes are a bit trickier as the 4 and 5 speed tips have different drive shaft ends as well (different number of teeth on the splines). Hope this helps

[steelroe]

Manual Gearbox is the same for all models - its a one fits all thing.. Having said that, the presence/absence of an LSD will make a difference as the driveshafts are different lengths. Tip boxes are a bit trickier as the 4 and 5 speed tips have different drive shaft ends as well (different number of teeth on the splines). Hope this helps

All 2 litre boxes physically look the same and will fit, but the gear ratios are not the same. This has been discussed before, I cannot remember off hand what the exact ratios are.
1.8 is not exactly the same.

[dstocks]

Sorry for the mis info, we dont get the GS in Australia, so I just tend to forget that one even exists