SSC Stylus... new owner

Start here if you are new to the forum, and just want to say Hello
Boondougal
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:44 am
Name: Sam Carney

SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby Boondougal » Tue Jan 03, 2017 12:51 pm

Hi Guys,

Just thought i would introduce myself and show a couple of pics of my latest purchase.. A SSC Stylus.

If there are any owners in the South Cheshire North Staffs region then let me know... it would be great to connect with a few local owners as well as the wider forum.

Its my first kit car although i do have a 1989 Mr2 Mk1 that have been slowly restoring so i'm not adverse to picking up a spanner.

This car was built in 2001, 1700 cross flow, twin 40 webber, high lift cam and type 9 5 speed box and wildwood callipers. More than enough power for me right now and i am 100% loving how simple things are too work on. If anyone knows anything about the car then please don not hesitate to let me know, i do have a wad of paperwork and few old pics.

I got the car late last year and managed a couple of blasts around the village and a somewhat daunting trip along the by pass - my face was a complete picture of happiness after that. There were definitely a few jobs that needed doing though. The engine was pretty noisy - especially when warm, the fan wasn't kicking in and the brakes didn't give me any confidence (although they did stop me), the whole engine was very wet and the catch-can seemed to be dripping oil out of the breather on top which was spitting out all over the bay. The webbers filter looked saturated and the rocker cover oil filler cap looked like it had been through some plastic surgery gone wrong (it had slits cut in it?)

Current list of jobs done or in progress involve:

Standard service items -
oil / filter / plugs / fuel filter / coolant
Front discs and pads plus fluid replacement - i bought rear shoes and kit but once i had the drums off they were like new so i have left them)
new filter for the trumpets on the webbers
others:
Catch can breather cone replaced / burton breather elbow added and total breather pipe replacement (catch can was brimming with oil)
New rocker cover cap - no idea what was going on with the previous one but it was nasty hash of a replacement that didn't fit
New gaskets - rocker cover / water pump / sump / thermostat housing
new water pump
New thermostat - going to run a cooler one
New thermostat housing - went for the burton one
New rad fan switch - screws into the new housing and replaces an older (not working) variable switch thing and manual over ride
new o ring plate things, studs (one was missing ffs but i have put a new set in), nuts and rubber washers for the webbers
Top ball joints
Valve clearance set (i had no idea what i was doing there but you tube was my friend)
split the gear box plate for easier future sump servicing (and to recover a socket i managed to drop behind the plate... don't ask :? )
throttle connections need re-bushing to take out the pedal play
Clutch pedel connections need "tightening" up (just too much play in the whole mechanism)

The body work is not perfect but ok for now - it looks ok from a distance but will need some attention once the mechanicals are sorted
Door catches need re-securing
Speedo bounces
Steering wheel needs replacing and horn wiring in (i thought this was an MOT failure)
dash needs either refinishing or replacing - i personally like the wooden look but i think this one has been varnished in situ and its not neat enough for me.
1 boot hinge not attached
Headlight chrome to re done (may also update the headlight units to a more modern one)
Roll bar could do with a re-chrome
Hood - well its functional and will be the last job i do (if at all) but i would like to tidy up the interface between the hood and the windscreen.

Well i hope you guys don't mind the long post, i like to use these posts as a bit of a record of what i plan to do / have done and of course its always great to hear / see what other people think and do.


Few pics of the car from the advert / previous owner...

Image

Image

I took this pic at the end of the first day of working on her.... (yep it was dark)
She now has even less "bits" attached and is raised into the air on stands

Image

this was the engine that faced me... i think in this pic i had already removed the catch can.

Image

A sneak peak of my other toy... fresh out of the paint booth in the lock up next to the Stylus...

Image

Well there you go... my first post. Thanks for reading.

jeffw
Posts: 2605
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 12:31 pm
Name: Jeff Wiltshire

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby jeffw » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:02 pm

Welcome aboard. Lovely looking Stylus you have got yourself.

Boondougal
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:44 am
Name: Sam Carney

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby Boondougal » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:48 pm

Thanks for the approval.

All in all I am pleased with it... I bought it without seeing it in person and over all I think its been a gamble that has just about paid off.

User avatar
peter030371
Posts: 447
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:37 pm
Name: Peter Smith
Location: Hawkhurst

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby peter030371 » Wed Jan 04, 2017 10:15 am

Welcome and nice car. Its a bit quiet on here these days but still some useful advice when/if you ever get stuck :)
Editor of 'The Proper Job'

Boondougal
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:44 am
Name: Sam Carney

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby Boondougal » Wed Jan 04, 2017 8:41 pm

peter030371 wrote:Welcome and nice car. Its a bit quiet on here these days but still some useful advice when/if you ever get stuck :)


Thanks Peter... I did spot that its not the most active form but non the less it seems like a good place to document my car and the work i do. I have tried to register on the club stylus forum but i don't seem to get any replies to my registration emails.

Well tonight i literally had an hour on the car, a few days ago i had made a dolly to take the weight of the engine so i could separate it from the gearbox and slide it forward.... this would enable me to A: remove the current single pierce plate and turn it into a 2 piece plate and B: rescue the socket that i had dropped behind the plate.

Success!

Image


It was getting pretty dark by this point and i was rushing a little and forgot the golden rule of measure twice cut once. In my haste i got the plate orientation confused and then made a cut... Unfortunatly its in totally the wrong place.

Image

So tomorrow i will welding and grinding and re cutting.....

Oh well, at least it will be one of those jobs that will make life easier int he future....although i am not going to change it this time my sump has definitely been in the wars and does look a tad bashed in places... i can see it taking one too many blows in the future at some point... at least I'll be able to change it with ease Once i get this plate put back right and then cut in the right place.

Boondougal
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:44 am
Name: Sam Carney

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby Boondougal » Fri Jan 06, 2017 11:39 am

Well a mixed effort yesterday. Had an hour at her, managed to get the plate welded and re cut.
Managed to get the engine mounts re bolted up but then when attaching the bell house to engine discovered that one of the bolt holes has been cross threaded previously. I remember thinking it wasn't very tight when I took it out.

My guess is that as the engine to bell bolts are metric but the bell to engine are unc someone has previously tried to put the wrong bolt in this hole.

Anyway it screws in ok but just spins out near the bottom. I'm going to run a tap down the hole and see what happens, it might give it enough to nip up and with some good thread lock might be ok. If not i'll have to come up with a plan B.

Anyway I also managed to get the sump off which i'm glad I did as the gasket was fubared. Just need to get it cleaned up and put back on. Might treat it to some paint just to help protect it... up to now the oil leaks seem to have been doing that job.

DavidM
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:47 pm
Name: David Merriman
Location: Warrington

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby DavidM » Fri Jan 06, 2017 4:59 pm

That's a nice looking Stylus, the colour combination gives it a lovely classic look.

My wife used to have Mk1 MR2s too, a red one that slowly rusted away and then a white supercharged import. Great fun, but they did need a fair bit of tlc to use all the time. Your's looks very tidy though!

Boondougal wrote:My guess is that as the engine to bell bolts are metric but the bell to engine are unc someone has previously tried to put the wrong bolt in this hole.


I did that too, my engine to bellhousing bolts were M12x1.5 and bellhousing to gearbox were M12x1.25 (or the other way round) and the same length and I picked up one of the wrong ones... I wasn't best pleased, the engine and gearbox weren't in the car at the time though so it was probably an easier fix :)

CRAIGR
Posts: 95
Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:19 am
Name: CRAIG

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby CRAIGR » Fri Jan 06, 2017 9:51 pm

Looks very much like the Stylus that used to be in Eastbourne near the Rodmill pub . Very nice

User avatar
adithorp
Posts: 1198
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 8:26 am
Name: adrian thorp
Location: Hyde, Manchester

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby adithorp » Fri Jan 06, 2017 10:53 pm

That looks good starting point for a nice Stylus. There is a slight birds nest element to the engine bay.. If the thread is stripped then tapping won't improve it. Best choice is heli-coil it (which would require engine out for good access). Alternatively you could check the depth of the hole. If the existing bolt is shorter there might be good threads at the bottom of the hole. You could then try a bolt thats just shorter than the hole depth. It would tighten but might not take full torque.

What motor is in the the MR2? A mate rebuilt a mk1 with a Camry v6 squeezed in. Went like stink and sounded amazing but exterior was standard so a bit of a sleeper.

Boondougal
Posts: 48
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2016 9:44 am
Name: Sam Carney

Re: SSC Stylus... new owner

Postby Boondougal » Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:58 am

DavidM wrote:That's a nice looking Stylus, the colour combination gives it a lovely classic look.

My wife used to have Mk1 MR2s too, a red one that slowly rusted away and then a white supercharged import. Great fun, but they did need a fair bit of tlc to use all the time. Your's looks very tidy though!


That classic look is something that drew me too the car, i had flirted with the idea of getting a Raw Striker but when i saw this it seemed like a good mix of kit car and classic car.
I have always wanted a super charger but i was only about 24 when i bought this car, I had it on the road for a 3/4 years but then had to get a "sensible" car... since then its been a painfiullly slow restoration.

If the binging was out this would definitely be an easier fix... especially if i have to heli coil it.


Return to “Introductions”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests