Thread: New 403 owner
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Old 13-02-10, 12:41 AM
Des Des is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2008
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From the pics that car looks in quite good order, but you need to take a close look underneath so you know what you're taking on, as long as you have somewhere to work on it comfortably, and have the time, then it needn't be terribly expensive, depends on what you want from the car. If you want to make it look factory fresh, you'll sink many tens of thousands, and be left with a car you daren't use, just another old car that hides under a dustsheet. In your pics I see a car that oozes character, you could even call it shabby chic or patina, it's unique, and it looks 'right'. I'd 'roll' it as is.
Have a good old prod, under that shapely panelwork is a steel support structure, look closely behind bottom rear of front wheelarches, under the alluminium splash panels are outriggers to support the bulkhead via square uprights, going rearward more outriggers to meet door pillars, take a good look at the door pillars also, especially the lower part, then there's strangely engineered sills, these are easy enough to make, then have a good look inside the rear arches, look under car below rear door pillar, shorter outrigger here, and the underside of the chassis in this area is where I've found them to go first. Lots of alluminium covers hide these areas, heavy corrosion / bulging on alluminium often means very rusty steel behind. Look inside the car, behind trim, at the steel tubing that makes up the roll cage like frame, this needs to be in good order. I've just listed areas I've noticed needing work on a few cars. A car of 50 plus years can have problems anywhere.
If you're happy you can handle what you find go for it, you will be learning / gaining skills.
There probably aren't many RWD engines that won't fit, the transmission tunnel is screwed down, no big deal to modify / make, biggest problem may be clutch actuation, exhaust or inlet clearing steering column, but the pair of nice flat chassis legs for engine mounts are a bonus. Maybe best to look for an upright engine, with carbs keeps it simple, Fiat / Alfa twin cam? they are quite nice, the red Volvo four pot is a good reliable lump, (a lot of jap stuff suitable but would just feel wrong) Should be easy to source something more powerful than the Bristol engine yet cheaper than buying a head gasket for the Bristol lump.
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