At first I was rather reluctant to undertake such a large and complex project as the engine bay. However, once I got into it I found it to be rather straight forward and nowhere near as difficult as I expected. Having a factory workshop manual and spare parts catalogue on hand helped to guide me through some of the more challenging items and I am very pleased with the final result.
Photo Gallery - Engine bay and suspension
The starting point. Thirty years of grime and neglect just crying out for some care and attention. All original untouched but faded and scratched paintwork.
More "before" photos follow...... The E-Type was very original and appeared to have never been apart.
New rotors, reconditioned calipers and rebuilt and painted Koni shocks all on the project list.
The original suspension plating had become a dull grey colour and it was hard to identify the black painted items.
Every last nut, bolt, washer and bracket etc was thorougly cleaned and zinc plated. This is only the first batch from the engine bay and suspension, another smaller batch was plated later!
Suspension parts as they arrived back from the Zinc plater. Everything was thoroughly cleaned and bead blasted before being zinc plated. Good preparation ensures a quality final result.
After Zinc plating, all larger items were sprayed with POR15 Glisten, a urethane clear coat that protects the new finish and makes it easy to clean.
And this is the end of result of draining my wallet and applying many hours of care and attention to the project.
So much detail. Every last nut, bolt, washer and component required special attention.
So much detail work. Every bracket and small fitting was attended to.
A view few people will see but one that indicates the depth of detail required for a concourse finish.
Oh, yes, and then there was the heater! This is how the original heater looked. The top panel was badly pitted and the control valve was frozen.
The underside of the heater was obviously rusted through in places and the motor required an overhaul.
This was the disappointing mess found inside the heater. The bottom plate and control flap were rusted through and had to be replaced.
Replacement top and bottom plates, mounting rails and control flap were fabricated.
All the new and refurbished components bead blasted and prepared for painting inside and out.
Partially assembled. The heater core was completely blocked so top and bottom tanks were removed and the core flushed.
Bottom view of the newly rebuilt heater.
Top view. A new control valve assembly was fitted to finish off the new heater.
Heater in place and connected. And yes, it works great.
Brake power booster and master cylinder reconditioned and zinc plated.
Vacuum reservoir tank for power brakes, bead blasted and painted two pack satin black.
Radiator fan and parts in original condition. Also note the alternator in background.
All rebuilt, shiny and new. Fan motor was overhauled and the body painted in hammertone finish. Alternator rebuilt, media blasted and coated with POR15 Glisten clear coat.
Even the horns were given a full refurbishment.
I had trouble with the notoriously unreliable original Lucas OPUS electronic ignition from day one. After two weeks changed to Crane XR700 electronic ignition and had no further issues.
Fitted an after-market cruise control which made highway trips a breeze.
All fixed, fitted out and ready for the engine.
Tight engine bay with everything installed. Clever the way the alternator is forward mounted.
The fans were rebuilt. The radiator had recently been recored but the top and bottom tanks were removed and the core flushed. Engine cooling works well and no trouble with overheating even on the hottest of days.
Don't drop a spanner in there, you will never see it again!
