My Scots Green, and Portofino Cat C

Not posted for a little while, but an update if anyone out there is interested.

The Scots Green, from eBay last Sep for 490 quid, is going extremely well. Here is what I have done to it so far:
- Centre console colour coded and Stack manual boost gauge installed in the clock location
- Front seat transplant as the drivers seat leather was very worn (seats donated by the Cat C car)
- New turbo cartridge after it started smoking over the winter. Problem seems to be solved. Did the exhaust gasket and checked the manifold at the same time
- Tried to address the milky lacquer marks on the roof but needs more work
- Spare set of 17inch wheels and new Toyo Proxes

There are a few things still to sort, and some general maintenance to do. The rear box baffles are loose and make a real din, but the cat C car has a full stainless 3inch system with sports cat which I will swap at some point

Cat C car has lowered springs and adjustable suspension. Need to inspect this, but it also may go onto the green car

Aerial is not working which is a pain and will be sorted.

Belts were changed at 90k, but will do again in the summer as well as the aux belts and tensioners. Full fluid and filter service at the same time.

Waxoyl and underseal, and deal with stone chips and a tiny bit of rust just starting on the N/S rear arch leading edge.

Really enjoying driving this car. Smooth, fast enough in standard form, comfortable, and a nice object to look at. Wasn't so keen on green initially, but it is growing on me. Might even refurb the standard wheels slightly darker and pop them back on.

The Cat C is another picture. I bought the green because I wanted the engine, but way too good to strip. Still wanted an engine though to put into a 155, so got the Cat C car for just less than 400 quid. I am guessing it was auctioned as salvage, because someone had butchered bits from it. It has a front bumper and sideskirts with a Fiat Zender stamp, lowered adjustable suspension, 18 inch wheels, 3 inch stainless front to back pipe, and alloy charge pipe. But... an FMIC had been hacked off it with all the induction pipework except the charge pipe. It may have had a stainless CHOD which was also removed, and to drain the coolant, the lower turbo cooling pipe had been cut. The engine would start and tick over, but not run (and could not be left idling for fear of over-heating).

I have replaced all the missing bits now, and had it running for an hour today with coolant in. Not the best picture in the world though. Lots of exhaust smoke, looks like light blue oil smoke, so maybe turbo seals gone, maybe rings - it has not been run for a long time, so needs investigating.

Oil pressure was a bit of a concern. Cold straight up to 3, but as things heated up, pressure down to 1 on idle, although no hesitation in going to 3 as soon as a little throttle applied. Having said that, although top end is slightly noisier than the green, engine seems quiet and wheel behaved.

So this car will be split and many bits will end up on the green coupe or one of my 155s, and I know what needs to happen with the engine first. It would be cleaned and belt serviced anyway, but I might re-turbo, strip top and bottom as well to check rings, stem seals, mains and big ends, and oil pump. It has done 95k, so as long as journals are good, freshening the engine up as part of the transplant will be the order of the day!!

So that is where they both are!

Great write up. A plea from me to keep the car standard, it is truly the best way to be. On refreshed standard suspension mine was s dream to drive.

The milky paint I am afraid is terminal. The next phase of this (which will happen in the next few months) is the tha lacquer lifts and changes to the consistency and strength of icing sugar, the rest of the car soon follows Only a respray can sort it properly.

Not posted specifically on my Coupe for a while.

Coming up for its first MOT with me next week. Problems solved in the months leading up to this are:

- Refreshed the front suspension after the pot hole damage
- Dropped the exhaust off, tin openered the back box and re-welded the loose baffle. Put a proper sleeve on to join it to the rest of the system properly
- New front wiper blades
- New rear disks and pads, and pistons reset, handbrake adjusted
- Rear compensator checked and correct tension applied (new spring, and 10kg weight hung from adjustment arm) - This has made a huge difference to the braking. A properly set compensator brings the rear brakes in properly, and shares more of the load with the front.
- Oil change and filter
- Cleaned the K&N panel filter and re-oiled it
- Complete underbody check - Underbody protection is amazingly complete. Compare to a 156 I'm currently working on which is 4 years younger and 80k miles which is starting to loose its protection badly.

The car is running well and I love driving it. Just reached 115k miles, pretty much standard, and still feels fresh and planted.

Fingers crossed for MOT, and maybe after, I'm starting to think about paint to solve the emerging lacquer issues and multiple little dings in the doors!

Oh, and maybe in the autumn, the AC from the spares car will make it across to this one. It gets very warm inside in the sun!!

Passed its MOT today - yay

Dammit, knocked the front edge of the bonnet while reversing another car and put a small dent in it.

I have been thinking of getting the paint and a few other dings sorted over the winter so suspect this will tip it that way!!

Bad news about the bump, but as you say every dark cloud has a silver lining.

My daily driver while im sorting the Coupe for paint. 155 V6.

Started stripping the Coupe ready for painting today.

Bumper, lights, side badges, wing mirrors, side indicators and panels all off.

Rear bumper tomorrow, and a few other bits and pieces, and then ready for delivery to the paint shop next weekend (with the zender skirts off the porto spares car) where they will be keeping it for as long as they need it!!

Its looking a bit nekkid!!!







You can clearly see the dent I managed to put in the leading edge of the bonnet that drove the desire to get it painted.

Nice to see a coupe getting some love.
The champers twinny looks tidy too.

Get them oil cooler pipes painted and protected pronto!

Good work though, last time I took a bumper off it was a right nightmare.

Yep, while it is all off that will be done. They are pretty good condition as it happens, and I have a set off the spares car that are even better, but yes, sound advice.

The car has just been delivered to the paint shop today. They are keeping it for as long as needed as it would be off the road for the winter anyway, so not sure when it will come back yet, but no hurry.

In the meantime, driving my 155 V6, which is a thing of beauty to drive.

Paintshop phoned to say the car is ready.

Going to inspect it on Monday. Very excited!!!

We will need pics on it's return home please Neil.
Has my bro sorted the Alfa engine out with you yet?

First glimpse! Very shiny

Looks real good!
Not got around to posting any pics of mine as it's been in bits too
Been 4 weeks now! just took it out for the first time tonight that paranoia is back seems different and different sounds etc. still got door cards to stick on so hoping that's all it is!

Very nice.
Is it staying standard or do you have plans for it?

I have a 2.75 inch stainless exhaust off my spares car which I will try out. It has a center silencer and back box, but i cant see if it has a built in cat, so not sure if i will stick with it.

Suspension wise it will probably stay standard, and the engine will not be modded. I have a spare engine I will rebuild in good time to pop in.

Will build a 6 speed box and have all the selector bits as well.

Externally, a refurb of the standard wheels in a slightly darker grey is on the cards, and the zender side skirts.

Internally, handbrake console needs a refurb, and I the wheel and gear knob will be recovered, knob with the 6 speed gate embosed.

Thats about it plan wise, oh, and a lot of ditrinol under and in the cavities.

Sounds good. An exhaust is compulsory to release the noise of the 5 pot!
I was hoping to get some dinitrol into mine before winter but just haven't had chance this year.

Got most of the Coupe back together again.

Just waiting for tiger seal, trim tape, and a rear badge then I can finish off the externals.

A few pics of shiny paint



LE grill







Test fit of the zender skirts

All together with the skirts:

Looking really Nice!

coincidently i have just finished mine today about 1 hour ago! just needs a good clean now, well tommorow now!

Just sorted the rear calipers this morning and re-insured.

Handbrake seemed to be sticking on a little and the lever just felt odd, so thought I had better check. Calipers themselves were fine, so re-adjusted the pistons, cleaned up, and re-installed. Looks like the offending item is the drivers side inner cable which was moving with difficulty. Freed off and lubricated, but past experience suggests that won't last long, so new cables about to be sought and ordered.

The car is now re-insured and if it stays dry, will be out on the road tomorrow. Insurance was a difficult mission. I had hoped to transfer from the Alfa V6 which is now off the road until the summer, but I have it insured via Lancaster Insurance and they seem to offer policies that are extremely inflexible, but only reveal this when you want to change something. The vehicle change was declined with no reason available, so have asked for a full explanation in writing.

Having said that, I always shop around for any new policy requirements, and via Confused.com, Performance Direct brokers, with Ageas, managed to get the price down to 202 quid with 50 quid voluntary excess which is somewhat cheaper than I paid last year.

Looking forward to driving it again, and have a whole bunch of little things to do on the interior now to tidy it up.