Afternoon ladies & germs First off, apologies for the length of the post, but as usual I had a lot to say LOL! Not sure how many of you on here know the situation with my ST205 but just to make sure everyone is on the same page I'll give a quick catch up for you all:

Basically nigh on a couple of years ago now I took the ST205 off the road for a number of reasons, but all essentially financial The beast needed some form of engine management, some respray work, a new wing and door skin, replacement sunroof glass - basically a fair load of stuff to be honest. Even at the barest requirement it needs engine management just to get it to pass an MOT if nothing else. When the cost of that was added to the road tax and insurance & fuel costs etc and then added to my debt situation, I just had to face facts and something had to give. Understandably I expect it was the car

Now over the past 18 months or so I did consider just selling it on to someone who would put it back on the road etc or even just break it and sell the bits, but in the end I did neither and it's sat on my driveway now doing nowt for too long. Something needs to be done. What I've decided is that if at all possible I want to restore it and get it back on the road. My next problem though is this - I have absolutely nowhere to work on this level of project properly, and without that there's no way I can get the job done.

So - suggestions please people. Ideally I want somewhere where I can strip the car down to bare bones pretty much and take as much time as necessary (again, due mainly to finances) to do the job right. Now I know that finding this grease monkey valhalla is not going to be easy or cheap, but I really am serious here - if I can get the space to get the car out of the weather, up on stands and stripped down then I WILL get it back on the road. If not...then it's breaker time

Now I know there's a lot of people on here who have worked on their cars in all sorts of conditions etc and will just say "Who needs a garage? Just do it on the drive!" but no - I can't work like that. I've tried and I just can't do it. There's too much to do and since I want to strip the car down to bare shell pretty much I can't do this outside, especially with winter coming on. Since I already have the cards stacked against me for getting the job done at all anyway I want to give myself as much of a chance at getting it done as I can, so that means getting some proper working conditions at the very least.

So - any suggestions? Are there any places like this that can be hired do you think? Or even does anyone know anyone/anywhere local to me that would let me use? Any lucky fellow members who have garage/workshop space that I could "borrow"/rent for not too much money? I'll listen to any sensible suggestion at this stage so fire away. Hell, failing any suggestion on how I can get the work done myself then anyone wanting to make me an offer for the car in it's present state (unloved mess but with huge potential ) then I'll even listen to that. I just can't bear to look at it sitting out there in such a sorry state anymore

Let the games begin.

Cheers,
Mark

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Mark - 94 Red Jap ST205 WRC - Gone but not forgotten
'06 Blue Merc E320 CDi v6
'89 Mica Blue MR2 Mk1b restoration project
"Don't make me come over there"

Lo m8,
Good to hear from you.

I have found that garages for rent in the Farnborough/Fleet area are very expensive, difficult to find and generally small. I found a single garage that was costing £650 + VAT per year which was impossible to on the car in. I know someone who rents a "lock-up" many miles away (Kent) and he is paying circa £250-£275 a month. This is essentially a 2.5 car garage with about 6 feet on the length... I would say that for a project of your magnitude thsi is the kind of size you would need.

Alternatively maybe consider buying a second shell and having it prepped (shot blasted, repaired, painted) and then try and swap the bits over. Old shells seem unwanted at the mo so you can probably get hold of one for a couple of hundred quid. The prepping etc I woudl expect to cost circa £2500 from a reputable place but not the best.

Why will your car not pass an MOT on emmissions? You will need a cat (a stocker will still fit yours and only takes an hour to swap over). Is it your hairy cams? I woudl think that a Power Fc will be your most economic route and will do every thing you want? Between us we have enough maps to and experience to get you soemthing to pass an MOT and run hapilly. (although I would still reccomend pro mapping when funds recover). At least teh Power Fc does not require a new loom etc and it will run from plugging it in which is a 20 minute job at worst.

The above will allow you minimal down time if you can take a couple of weeks off work to swap bits over in teh spring once the shell is prepped.

Probs not helped much but just throwing a few ideas into teh mix.

PS how do you find the Merc? I looked at them and was very tempted as a daily luxo barge with grunt, couldn't convince my self to go auto though!

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JP
GT4DC Treasurer

Grey St185 RC
Silver BMW E46 M3
Multicolour yawn Honda VFR400
Silver Honda Civic Type-R

Hi Mark, I think we're all looking for the sort of premises you've described. In my part of the world (similar to JP) everything seems to cost the earth. I've ended up gutting the interior and engine bay of Stormy Blue sitting on my driveway. The trim etc. is all now stored in my loft and hopefully in the next couple of weeks the shell will be transported to JEMS for them to complete the strip and shell prep.

Its really fustrating as every day on my rail commute I see what appears to be loads of old warehouses in the Byfleet area.....and quite a few seem to be empty...grrrr!

Any particular reason you are planning on stripping the car back to the bare bones? Putting it all back together in working order is a big job.

BTW, I'm removing the sun roof glass and mechanism from mine so I can fit the roll cage. If you are interested let me know.

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Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

And then weld the hole up with sheet metal? How doable is this since I don't mind getting rid of my sunroof too when it's respray time..

I'd also say don't make the project bigger than it already is - A mate of mine went all out too and now he's going to sell the unfinished project since it's WAY more work to complete it than expected. Little jobs devided in smaller projects would be easier I guess?

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René - Carlos Sainz 2433•5000
Turbocelica.nl | ST185 CS restoration and full rebuild

If it ain't broken.. it soon will be

I'm a driveway worker but purely out of necessity

I had a unit lined up to do my engine swap/strip work in but wouldn't you know it after being empty for 2 years the owner rented it last month just when I actually need it I've rarely come across large places for rent though - at least not for sensible prices. It's criminal becuase as Don says I know of several empty units around Wokingham and Bournemouth but have no idea who you'd even approach about renting/borrowing them

I might be interested in a project though. You engine has a spec quite similar to what I have in mind but I wouldn't want to insult with an offer lol
I know how much work, blood, sweat and tears goes into these things and you know you're never going to get it back. Most annoying

René
In and of itself sunroof removal isn't a huge job if, as ever, you have the tools and skills to do it

Fundamentally all you do is cut a hole in the roof around the old sunroof opening. A pristine cut at this stage will save much work!
Then you make up a matching plate with the right curvature and a lip like ---_ round it, the thickness of the metal sheet. When you offer this up the lip keeps the raised section flush with the existing roofline. Of course you'll need metal rollers to achieve the curves and a stamping machine to make the lip. Welding it will be nerve wracking and tedious as you'll only be able to do very small sections - otherwise the metal will warp

Get it right and you're only a grind, bondo skim and complete roof respray away from a finished, sunroofless roof

It sounds daunting but in relity it's not that big of a deal for an experienced coachbuilder. Not DIY though

Mark,

The council will rent 'household' garages at something like £8 a week (don't quote me on that) BUT it is dead money and usually barely big enough to shoe horn the car into, certaily not enough room to work on the car too.

Seems to me there are a few people wanting the same thing . . . why don't you club together and take a lease on a warehouse/lockup or something for 6 months? Should give ground space for a couple of cars and share the cost?

_________________
Loosey
Loosey@gt4dc.co.uk
Storm Blue JDM ST205
Super White JDM ST205
http://www.gtfours.co.uk

Some people are like a Slinky .. Not really good for anything, but they make you smile when you shove them down the stairs!

First off thanks to all for the replies so far - the great community we have as 'Four owners is one of the many reasons why I want my beast back on the road as opposed to sold off or in bits!

As to the suggestion for clubbing together and renting somewhere decent, I am more than willing to join in on something like this if enough "local" people can be found to make it economically feasible. The only other main issue then would just be one of whether we could find something suitable. I'm going to have a word with one of my neighbours who currently owns and runs his own heating and ventilation systems manufacturing business - he owns a unit on an industrial estate and I'm going to see if he has any spare space or knows of a cheap unit that could be used.

Anyway - keep the suggestions coming Oh and Don - yes, I am interested in the sunroof glass - mine is cracked you see so a decent 2nd hand one will be top banana Drop me a pm with an idea of what you want for it

JP - by back to bare bones I guess all I mean is getting it stripped down as much as necessary to sort out the current issues that need addressing, so not really a bare bones rebuild as such. That would require far too much time and money As to engine management, yes its them hairy cams mate - stock ECU just can't handle it, with or without the CAT in place Despite my previous preference for complex EMS systems, at this point in time I guess a PFC would indeed be sufficient to get it back on the road long enough for me to save up for maybe something more complete again at a later date I suppose, but for the moment I'll be leaving that bit till last - no use worrying about the engine running right if it won't get through an MOT on everything else first

Cheers all,
Mark

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Mark - 94 Red Jap ST205 WRC - Gone but not forgotten
'06 Blue Merc E320 CDi v6
'89 Mica Blue MR2 Mk1b restoration project
"Don't make me come over there"

It'd probably be simpler to source a "new" door rather than skin it Mark, especially if you're going to get it done
By the time smomeone's spent all that time grinding off the old skin, fixing the inevitable rusty frame and re-welding it's a mugs game
Source a red door (possibly from a 202?) and get it blown over will cost less

If you want a Dastek I still have one lurking about you're welcome to borrow. Unfortunately I suspect the cost of mapping it will get you close to Power FC + self mapping prices but the offer's there if you want it If you could only map them yourself...

Maybe you could pick up an old SAFC or possibly even another emanage of the bay of fleas to get you mobile again
Maybe you cou find, say, a fisherman with a spare Haltec, for example, and something along the lines of a car which has maybe been SORNed in favour of a wheezy French turbot diseasel...............

BTW,

C43AMG + Skint = Does not compute, divide by zero error lol

I'd agree with Steve on the door. It turned out Stormy Blue had had the drivers door re-skinned, probably as a cheapo insurance job before I bought it. The rust just took hold and I replaced with a new door. Most doors will start rusting from the lower seam weld. Both the passenger door on Stormy and the drivers door on Snowy are rusting in the same place. If you buy secondhand make sure you check this before you buy.

I have a Dastek I'm currently holding hostage for Steve

_________________
Don
GT4DC Chairman
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four ST205WRC JDM 269bhp @ 0.9bar
1994 Toyota Celica GT-Four Special GT 590bhp @ 1.8bar
1989 Van Diemen RF88/89 Formula Ford 1600
2008 Nissan Patrol GU 3.0L ZD30DDTi 154bhp

i'd be well up for that too, but i think were all a bit too far spaced apart for it to be any good for me. ideally i need one between home and work

i've had me eye out for a lock/unit for a while, but as mentioned the costs can be high.

farms are a good place to look for lock ups.

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Pete
ST185
Basingstoke

Well there's no rust on my doors - it's just the fekking crease/dent from the time that Transit drove in to the side of my car on an offramp I think I was actually thinking about just replacing the door anyway to be honest, just that when I was originally getting a repair quote they said it only needed a re-skin.



Not really that fond of the Dastek TBH but thanks for the offer anyway. Think the e-manage showed me the limitations of piggy backs and I'd prefer to put something more capable of looking after my engine - I'd hate to get it all running and back on the road and then have the engine pop and require even more money



Noop - no more piggy backs, I'm swearing off them



LOL! I'll have a word with Kris, but like I said, think I'll put EMS on the back burner until I'm sure I can get the rest of the work done.



Ah you're just jealous It wasn't actually that expensive to be honest by the time I'd part ex'd my old car in against it etc. Still, yes, I see your point - I'm weak willed I know

Cheers,
Mark

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Mark - 94 Red Jap ST205 WRC - Gone but not forgotten
'06 Blue Merc E320 CDi v6
'89 Mica Blue MR2 Mk1b restoration project
"Don't make me come over there"

Don you going for a multi point weld in cage I hope.

please not some 6 point bolt in plastic job, that offers next to nothing in side protection etc..

_________________
Black UK 96 205 shed with heater full on telemetry.

project six million dollar 185, faster, stronger, lighter than before.

Don will be getting a genuine weld in job AFAIK Jon. Possibly something which will be compliant with certain race regulations and FIA specs


Mark,

How's the old girl? Any sign of a big key turning ceremony?

Any cage constructed meeting regulations is accepted .

All they do is measure & inspect making sure its up to spec, then tick box in book..

seen it many times..

As it happens soon have a dedicated hydraulic bender for professional tubular construction, covering chassis and roll cage fabricating.. extra formers for aluminum etc.

_________________
Black UK 96 205 shed with heater full on telemetry.

project six million dollar 185, faster, stronger, lighter than before.