Front shock absorber top nut access

[Rich]

I cut holes in both sides of mine to do this mare of a job, there have been no problems since doing this.

One things for sure, trying to do this job without cutting a hole confirmed that I'd never make it as a gynaecologist!

[Hans Efde]

I took the trouble of doing it the baboon way. It's good for your zen since if you're fed up with it and start cursing, you won't get the job done. At a certain point I walked away and let it rest for a day. The job is especially difficult if you use new locknuts and have to find a way to get 2 spanners in, one for preventing the shockabsorber shaft from rotating and one spanner for the lock nut. Ofcourse the cavity is full of glasfibre needles and other sharp stuff, so your arm looks like it is attacked by a swarm of bees when you're done.

[DavidL]

I admire your resourcefulness, Hans, but I think in the interests of retaining my sanity and skin integrity, I am going to make access holes in the inner wings, since no-one has so far given me a good reason not to.

[Hans Efde]

I admire your resourcefulness, Hans, but I think in the interests of retaining my sanity and skin integrity, I am going to make access holes in the inner wings, since no-one has so far given me a good reason not to.

The only thing that stopped me from making access holes is how to make a neat cover for it and the time needed for that. Possibly an aluminium plate painted in the color of the monocoque and fastened with allen key bolts with rounded heads, but that would be more work than doing the job itself. Stripping the dash and glovebox is just an hour work. But I found out with my 213 dash it was also necessary to unbolt the fusebox and put it aside. Behind that is a large cavity, so I kneeled down at the side of the car, inserted my arm through the cavity behind the fusebox and could look through the hole where the speedo used to be. I recall I did the same with the glovebox. It also has a large hole underneath that can be used for arm insert.

I had the car stripped anyway, but starting with a drivable car would be 1 or 2 days work for the shock absorbers when taking it gently. Cutting holes, making a cover and painting it, would mean for that alone 1 or 2 days work.

[DavidL]

I agree, except that if you ever have to repeat the job, the car with the access holes will then be (theoretically) a much quicker job.
On my car, the locations where the holes will be behind the battery tray and behind the header tank; I was thinking about a pair of flat plates stuck on with silicon sealant.

[Rich]

I agree, except that if you ever have to repeat the job, the car with the access holes will then be (theoretically) a much quicker job.
On my car, the locations where the holes will be behind the battery tray and behind the header tank; I was thinking about a pair of flat plates stuck on with silicon sealant.

I've just used foam tape on the back of both the trays to create a seal. Now I'm having a bit of a rebuild I will probably turn up a couple of caps on the lathe, there's plenty of thickness in the panel to hold an o-ring seal.

[DavidL]

I cut a hold in the right inner wing but did it too far forward. It lined up with the top of the shock absorber but went through the thicker strengthening member to the front of there. I had also cut too high and had to enlarge the hole downwards, so no O-ring will fit it now!