Cooper - 1969 1600SSS Bluebird Coupe

[carterb]

The following pictures are from Amoy Barnes - stolen from the evergreen speedway autocross facebook page I made Brenda interrogate for me.  :angel:

This one is from one of the early runs.

 

 

This one was after the cone hit and after I removed the remaining spook fragment.

 

 

I did have another passenger later but he was in high school I think and didn't have as much of an impact on vehicle dynamics.  We had a good run together and he had a great time.  He was driving a Volvo wagon and has a CVCC he plans to fix up and race.

 

I got quicker through the night with my last run being my fastest which made me feel pretty good.  Despite being the lowest powered car on the track, during the two previous events I had bettered about 10% of the field but on this event, I beat about 30%.  Super fun!

 

Jeff got 4th overall and 3rd in RWD - good for another trophy.  He was only beaten by a BMW Z3 and a 700hp Honda S2000.  Not bad for a 510 with a NA SR20.

 

 

 

 

There were a couple cars there with sparking brakes.  This corvette in particular would emit a Chinese new year spark shower every time he was hard on the binders.

 

 

 

Have you ever seen anything like that?

 

A little google search makes me think they must have been running Hawk Blue pads.  Looks like you could start a forest fire with those things!  :frantics:

[q-tip]

Good thing about fiberglas is you can patch it back together.

[moath]

Really enjoying your write ups, Carter!

 

The CV thing is really strange. I'm wondering if I'll end up in a similar situation when I get around to doing CVs since I ended up with a really odd bushing install (I had to trim like 1/4" or more of depth from the poly diff bushings I got from energy suspension).

[carterb]

Goodness!  It's been a while since I've posted anything about Cooper.  I did get another Bluebird Coupe since my last post!

 

 

Just like most "project cars" the motor is separate and it comes with a "box of parts"!

 

[carterb]

Followed that purchase with a couple more project Bluebirds.

 

 

[carterb]

Now back to my own project.  I was driving home from work one day and all the sudden the exhaust note changed massively.  I checked under the car when I got home and the leaky muffler inlet has not finally given out completely.  The two are no longer connected at all.

 

[carterb]

We've been trying for so long to find Jeff a coupe.  We thought we had this one for sure!

 

 

But at the last minute, we were outbid by 1,000 yen.

 

 

Fortunately, as you know, after we had finally given up hope, we found the Chocolate Covered Circus Peanut only 15 miles away from my house!

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/70713-chocolate-covered-circus-peanut/

 

So, um, let that be a lesson to you.  Give up and you will succeed!  :confused:

[carterb]

Then it was winter...

 

 

But that didn't stop the driving.

 

[carterb]

There are a few modifications I'd like to make for autocrossing this year.  One is to build a complete rear-end assembly with adjustable trailing arms to correct the camber, rear disk brakes, and give the CV axle installation another try.  Since I know this will take some time, I wanted to get another rear end to strip and upgrade so I can just swap everything in at once. 

 

I found this one at a friends house buried in the dirt.  (not kidding actually)

 

 

These things are heavy!  I started disassembly right there in the truck to make it more manageable.

 

 

Everything is pretty crusty but it should clean up okay.  Check out the rear sway bar!

 

 

 

It took almost an hour per side to get the finned aluminum drums off without damaging them.  But that was nothing compared to the trailing arm pivot bolts.  One of them would not budge.  I whacked on it with an impact wrench for a while and got nowhere.  Then I borrowed a bigger one from work and still no joy.  Then I realized the bushing was absorbing all the energy so this was futile!

 

 

I ended up drilling the head out.

 

 

And finally cutting off the tail.

 

 

I guess I won't be re-using that bolt...   Stripped and ready for sandblasting!

 

 

(It's funny now - but 2 months later a friend gave me two stripped rear crossmembers - no work required.  Oh well)

[carterb]

Okay, almost up to date...

 

Next on the list is upgrading the front struts and brakes to 280zx.  I started this on Monday because I need the 510 struts on the car for Granny to get ready for Canby in 1 week.

 

Here are the goodies - Dave Carroll modified the struts for me.

 

 

I've got new rotors, new bearings, and new brake caliper seals.

 

 

Stoptech Rotors

 

 

And Tokico adjustable inserts

 

[carterb]

This is my favorite method for separating rotors and hubs.  Just set them in a wheel/tire combo.  Give plenty of leverage for application of torque to the bolts.

 

 

Just like that!

 

[carterb]

New rotors installed.  I'll have to do the bearings later.  Nothing I do ever seems to go according to plan so I didn't want to mess something up that would prevent me from getting Cooper on the ground by the end of the day because I needed to get started on Granny.

 

 

Powdercoat usually finds its way onto the strut threads making it impossible to install the strut nut.

 

 

A wire wheel on a DeWalt makes short work of removal.

 

 

 

Then you have to chase the holes at the base of the strut with an M12x1.25 tap.

 

[carterb]

More parts:

 

Coil over sleeves for the struts.

 

 

It looks like they changed the design of the spring seat and locking collar.  Crap!  The old ones were barely larger than the spring OD.  These have big blocky radial protrusions.  Not sure how that will play with the tire clearance.

 

 

Oh yeah, stainless brake lines:

 

 

And Porterfield pads too.

 

[carterb]

Starting point for comparison.  About 21 3/8 to the underside of the flange.

 

[carterb]

After much deliberation and many times swapping out parts, I decided to keep the 8" 200lb springs, but swapped to camber plates so I could raise the spring seat and get the collars above the tire.  (The Experimental Engineering top hats that use the stock 510 strut bearing mounts are pretty tall compared to a camber plate with at flat top hat)

 

 

I had to remove the old struts to get to the brake lines.  They were basically rusted in place.  It took quite an effort to get the right side off.  I gave up on the left side for now.  Remember, I needed to get this thing on the ground!  So you will only see one stainless line installed.

 

 

 

 

I couldn't get the left side caliper to open up enough to get the brake pads over the new rotors.  Took a while to figure out what was going on but It turned out one of the shafts on the floating portion was exposed and rusted beyond repair.

 

 

 

[carterb]

The next surprise was that after everything was together, I find that one of the lug studs is bad and won't take a lug nut.  Also that the wheels hit the brake calipers so I needed spacers to temporarily re-mount the rims.

 

 

I'll probably press them all out and install slightly longer ones when I take the hubs back off to put the new bearings in them.  I'll address the caliper clearance at the same time.

[carterb]

Back on the ground.  Now at 20 7/8" in the front.  May or may not change.  Will worry about that later.  Need to get going on Granny!

 

 

[carterb]

Well it's been all Granny and Bruiser since early June but finally got back on Cooper last weekend.

Before I can drive it again, I need to fix the broken stud, replace the front bearings, break loose the left front brake line that I gave up on earlier, and fix an interference between the calipers and the bolts on the inside of the wheel rims.  Then I can bleed the brakes and make sure the camber plates and strut inserts are secure.  It's been so long I don't remember what state I left them in.

 

First thing's first.  Front struts stripped of their hubs again.

 

 

I was able to get the brake line loose finally with liberal use of the vice grips. 

 

 

Rather than deal with the broken lug for now I grabbed another hub and will just use that instead.

 

Check out the rotor that was attached to it!

 

 

Bearing removal complete.

 

 

Now I just need to take a grinder to the calipers and remove about 1/16" from the surface that hits the bolts - and make sure it won't get worse as the pads wear.

[carterb]

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, I will get an adjustable rear end with Byron brackets on the back of Cooper to correct the overly negative camber.

 

I sent a few parts out to sand blast at Bulldog Powdercoating.

 

 

They should be so much easier to work with now.

 

 

Need to make one for a couple other 510s too so I'll just do them all at the same time.

[q-tip]

Good to see Cooper getting a little love!

[carterb]

About three weeks ago I finished rebuilding the hubs.  A press sure makes it easy to get the new bearing races in:

 

 

[carterb]

After re-installing the rotors and hubs, I took the opportunity to roll the fenders.  The ZX brakes pull the wheels in a little so it isn't really an issue with these rims/tires but who knows what will be on the car later.  I hadn't rolled fenders before.  This tool makes it easy!  I didn't bother heating the paint first and it did crack and flake but I wasn't worried since these fenders will be replaced later anyway since they are so rotted out.

 

 

I also needed to clearance the caliper since they rubbed on the bolts on the inside of the wheels.  My little grinder made quick work of that.  I primed and painted the bare steel before putting them back on the car.

 

 

 

After bleeding the brakes and putting the car back down on the ground I was able to go for a test drive to bed the pads.  First time I've driven since early June!  So much fun!!!  Oh, and I was able to brake loose the left front brake line and swap in the stainless one so we're in good shape now.  I wasn't able to get the brakes to lock though.  Seems like I may still have a bubble in there, probably in the master cylinder.  That's what it feels like anyway, like stepping on a big spring.

[carterb]

Let the records show that on the 20th of November, 2017, I drove Cooper to work again.  This is important because Jeff bet me he would be driving the Chocolate Covered Circus Peanut to work before I could get Cooper on the road again.  I know he was just poking me  :poke:   but still.  I win!!!  :w00t:

 

 

The front turned out to be quite a bit lower than before.  The tape only showed 1/2" but it may have settled a little.  The T/C mounts crack on the driveway when I back out in the morning.  It was a pretty good thud when I wasn't expecting it the first time!

[carterb]

Wouldn't you know it 2 days later I get hit by a rock in the morning and it cracks my windshield! 

 

 

For those that don't know, the coupe windshield is not the same as the sedan windshield.  It is shorter so I will need to get one cut down.  Dang it!  Back in the garage anyway to get matching Porterfield rear shoes and another brake bleed and adjustment so I can get my confidence in the system back up and go autocrossing again.

[carterb]

Well...  Turns out the cracked windshield would be the least of my worries.  I took the day off today to do some work on the house, Christmas errands, etc and work on the car.  My daughter's Neon was acting up so everyone traded cars today and I drove Cooper today instead of working on it.  On my way home from Costco, in front of Alderwood mall, a young girl in a VW turned right out of the parking lot and into my lane instead of the lane nearest to her.  When I realized what was about to happen I hit the brakes (they locked up!) and slid into the side of her car just behind her left front wheel (she was still on her way into my lane).  The wheel hooked my bumper and lifted my right front corner off the ground as we made contact, then I ricocheted off into the median strip where I came to a stop. 

 

She came to a stop herself halfway in both lanes.  After getting out to see if she was okay, I guided her up in front of me to open up the right lane and then surveyed the damage.

 

 

 

 

 

And once again, a Bluebird is needlessly deformed by an inattentive driver.  You can see by the damage on her fender how high she lifted me up off the ground!  People turning across lanes is a pet peeve of my wife and I.  So of course one of us would be the victim of this illegal maneuver.  The young girl made a simple mistake as people do from time to time but this was a completely unnecessary accident just like the last one.  She quickly apologized and admitted fault and one of the first cars going by offered herself as a witness so that was nice.  I didn't think it'd be necessary though.

I called 911 and within 2 minutes we had Lynnwood's finest behinds us with the flashing lights going to keep someone from rear ending me while I sat there in the left lane.  Both of our cars were driveable so he had us go to the nearest parking lot to conduct business.

Edited January 31, 2020 by carterb