My Libra - recommissioning

[Rich]

I've told the story elsewhere on the forum, but essentially a lot of stuff happened over the last 10+ years that left my Midas in bits, me living somewhere else and my Libra in a lock up from around the start of the pandemic.

The Midas is still in bits, but there's a sort of plan for that one, the Libra I've rescued from the non-too dry storage and moved it to a larger and drier unit near where I am living now. Last week I hired a transporter, pulled it out of one and put it into the other.

[Rich]

So the car is in the unit and lifted up onto stands. While it has been stood a lot of the powder coat on the wheels has failed and now only one tyre will stay inflated, the throttle cable was a bit sticky when it went away and is now completely solid, which made getting it on the transporter a bit entertaining. It did however start first turn of the key with fresh fuel and battery.

There is a similar story on the suspension where the powder coat has failed completely.

[Rich]

When the car was on the road there were a few issues that needed sorting, which will get done as part of the recommissioning, they are (for now),

Replace throttle cable
Improve handbrake efficiency - this was extremely marginal on its last MOT
Repair the passenger seat - wound forward by the MOT station while trying to get it through on the handbrake - may end up replacing both seats
Improve the engine cooling system - there are marginal at best and there's a number of elements of the original build that need improvement.
Repair or replace the alternator - unit has frozen solid.
Strip and recoat wheels
Strip and recoat suspension
Replace brake discs and pads, rebuild calipers where needed.
Repair or replace broken/fogged headlights (see below)





All the lights are 5 3/4" Cibies, I'm hoping I can sort out the fogging, the broken one is obviously scrap.

[Rich]

The wheels are with a local firm ( https://autobodytec.com ) for blasting and painting, probably the most expensive single part of the recommission.

New light units on order to replace the broken Cibie, all of them have fogged up, but hopefully have saved the main headlight units with careful cleaning. The GTM Libra uses four of the same Morette unit holders as the Midas Gold, whoever thought that fitting them with mild steel adjusters was a good idea needs to have a word with themselves. All fittings have now been removed with varying degrees of brutality and replaced with stainless parts and new nylon adjusters.

The throttle cable needed cutting to get it out, you can just about get away with a MGF cable, but due to the way the pedal box is set up they really need the inner cable to be 10-15mm shorter. I'm going to send the remains to Speedy Cables to see what they can do for me.

I'm trying not to pull too much off at at time, starting at the front and working back through the car. Once the lights are sorted I'll start on the cooling system, specifically the radiator at the front which is poorly set up and makes the car prone to overheating, not something you want in anything with a K series in it.

[Rich]

The wheels are back and looking brilliant, pictures to follow.

I've replaced the side and indicator lights at the front with Wipac LED units a Durite 3 pin flasher relay is keeping the flash rate sensible without worrying about resistors in the system. The Libra uses the Metro (or MGF) loom, so Mk3 owners will be familiar with the fusebox.

Seem to be getting through a lot of Plusgas in readiness for the bonnet and front suspension coming off.

[l_jonez]

Nice car, I only wish I had room for a Libra as well. in fact it's probably one of the only cars I'd consider selling the Midas for, it would have to be a honda variant though.

[Rich]

Nice car, I only wish I had room for a Libra as well. in fact it's probably one of the only cars I'd consider selling the Midas for, it would have to be a honda variant though.

Thank you, I'd definitely recommend one. It drives very well with the VVC and I wouldn't rule out a car due to the K series engine.

[manifold]

Not sure if I asked this earlier Rich, but is the Libra back on the road now after the recommissioning? Whats it like to insure?

[Rich]

Not sure if I asked this earlier Rich, but is the Libra back on the road now after the recommissioning? Whats it like to insure?

Hi David,

No, still in pretty much the same state, the unit is unheated and I've become a bit of a jessie with age.

It isn't ridiculous to insure, low enough for me to keep it running while it has been laid up.

[manifold]

I know what you mean re a cold garage. It has been known for me to pull an engine outside whilst it was snowing when I was but a late teenager. It isnt going to happen now. .

Since I changed my heating system at home to an air source heat pump I now have a nice heated tank in the garage to keep it all warm. Its going to take me a few days to dig the car out though as I seem to have accumulated a lot of tools and things.