New owner - Introduction & trailer Loading Question!

[Mart1n95]

Hi all!

First of all I'd like to introduce myself to the forum! I've just bought a 1983 Elcat Excel, Reg BRS 500Y. It has been off the road since 1994 but seems to have been stored inside for the vast majority of that time, pictures to follow when I get it home!

So first of my many questions is around where is safest to have the winch strap when I load it onto a trailer. The car is currently head first in a garage, which is at the bottom of a hill, with the driveway being a hill as well. So no chance of pushing the car out to have a strap at the front. It seems to roll free and isn't seized up, so would having the strap around the rear centre suspension points be strong enough?

[Marten]

Hi all!

First of all I'd like to introduce myself to the forum! I've just bought a 1983 Elcat Excel, Reg BRS 500Y. It has been off the road since 1994 but seems to have been stored inside for the vast majority of that time, pictures to follow when I get it home!

So first of my many questions is around where is safest to have the winch strap when I load it onto a trailer. The car is currently head first in a garage, which is at the bottom of a hill, with the driveway being a hill as well. So no chance of pushing the car out to have a strap at the front. It seems to roll free and isn't seized up, so would having the strap around the rear centre suspension points be strong enough?

wrap a strap around the two upper legs of the X in front of the differential cover

[Mart1n95]

Hi all!

First of all I'd like to introduce myself to the forum! I've just bought a 1983 Elcat Excel, Reg BRS 500Y. It has been off the road since 1994 but seems to have been stored inside for the vast majority of that time, pictures to follow when I get it home!

So first of my many questions is around where is safest to have the winch strap when I load it onto a trailer. The car is currently head first in a garage, which is at the bottom of a hill, with the driveway being a hill as well. So no chance of pushing the car out to have a strap at the front. It seems to roll free and isn't seized up, so would having the strap around the rear centre suspension points be strong enough?

wrap a strap around the two upper legs of the X in front of the differential cover

Do you mean here?


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0wpwo51j ... bq7tf&dl=0

[Marten]

Hi all!

First of all I'd like to introduce myself to the forum! I've just bought a 1983 Elcat Excel, Reg BRS 500Y. It has been off the road since 1994 but seems to have been stored inside for the vast majority of that time, pictures to follow when I get it home!

So first of my many questions is around where is safest to have the winch strap when I load it onto a trailer. The car is currently head first in a garage, which is at the bottom of a hill, with the driveway being a hill as well. So no chance of pushing the car out to have a strap at the front. It seems to roll free and isn't seized up, so would having the strap around the rear centre suspension points be strong enough?

wrap a strap around the two upper legs of the X in front of the differential cover

Do you mean here?


https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0wpwo51j ... bq7tf&dl=0

Yes, the tube is stout enough. You don't want to pull on suspension arms. If you need the rope to be lower to clear the bumper you could wrap the sling around the tube from the rear of the car, cross between dif and bracket and and go down to exit underneath. That should leave the suspension links free

[Hawaiis0]

When posting from drop box dont for get to swap the last 0 for a 1

[Mart1n95]

Yes, the tube is stout enough. You don't want to pull on suspension arms. If you need the rope to be lower to clear the bumper you could wrap the sling around the tube from the rear of the car, cross between dif and bracket and and go down to exit underneath. That should leave the suspension links free

Perfect thank you very much!

When posting from drop box dont for get to swap the last 0 for a 1

Ah okay didn't know that, was struggling a bit with attaching photos so that will be why then!

[MetBlue]

Welcome to the forum and mighty impressed you've already cracked photo posting to the site. That's the hardest part of any Excel restoration done .
Don't know how much you know about the cars, but you'll find all answers here and if you do find something new, these a vast wealth of knowledge waiting to assist.
Number ONE thing though is DON'T get tempted to crank the engine until you've changed the timing belt !!
Where in the country are you ?
Tony

[Mart1n95]

Welcome to the forum and mighty impressed you've already cracked photo posting to the site. That's the hardest part of any Excel restoration done .
Don't know how much you know about the cars, but you'll find all answers here and if you do find something new, these a vast wealth of knowledge waiting to assist.
Number ONE thing though is DON'T get tempted to crank the engine until you've changed the timing belt !!
Where in the country are you ?
Tony

Used to post on forums a bit a while ago so vaguely remembered how to do it!

I'm a VW guy really with a couple of Beetle, a MK1 Golf and currently a 1986 B2 Passat thats now for sale to make way for the Excel, so this car will be quite a change from the ease of work compared to a VW where everything has a part number, readily available manuals etc!

I'll keep that in mind, I have heard that being mentioned on these forums, it looks like it was done recently but unfortunately the previous owner passed last year so I'm starting from scratch regarding history of the car. Once I get it home it will be a case of timing belt & tensioner first, not sure what kind of tensioner it is but I'll find out when I go past in a week or so to collect parts & spare windscreen that comes with the car.

My main concern is that the service manual is £250! I'm used to being able to get a Haynes manual cheap so thats a it of a shock!
How much do I really need a service manual compared to finding a lot of the general day to day running and servicing info from forums?

I'm in the very far north of Scotland

[DavidOliver]

Some important points.
Body lifting with hydraulic jacks must only be done at any of the four jacking points at the body corners, just behind front wheels and in front of rear wheels.
A locating peg-hole indicates where, if there is no metal jacking point, which is normal, use a wood block to spread the load.
Do not try and lift the car on sections of the steel backbone chassis. By lifting the car you can ensure brakes are not locked on.
Before spinning the engine, remove spark plugs, check crankshaft/piston free movement, oil level and quality, and check cambelt condition. If cambelt OK you can change later but as you are trailering you will not be driving distances before further inspection.
If the engine has not been spun for some time I suggest you spin on no load until the oil pressure guage indicates pressure. To be more cautious and if you intend changing the cambelt you might consider spinning the auxiliary shaft without cambelt as this operates the oil pump and pressurises the oil galleries prior to engine spinning.
To pull the car out of storage strapping around the differential means you are pulling on the backbone chassis, more than good enough to be also pulling on engine, gearbox, body etc.

On this Forum under Board Index you have a wealth of information for everything Excel.

Dave the cog.

[Mart1n95]

Some important points.
Body lifting with hydraulic jacks must only be done at any of the four jacking points at the body corners, just behind front wheels and in front of rear wheels.
A locating peg-hole indicates where, if there is no metal jacking point, which is normal, use a wood block to spread the load.
Do not try and lift the car on sections of the steel backbone chassis. By lifting the car you can ensure brakes are not locked on.
Before spinning the engine, remove spark plugs, check crankshaft/piston free movement, oil level and quality, and check cambelt condition. If cambelt OK you can change later but as you are trailering you will not be driving distances before further inspection.
If the engine has not been spun for some time I suggest you spin on no load until the oil pressure guage indicates pressure. To be more cautious and if you intend changing the cambelt you might consider spinning the auxiliary shaft without cambelt as this operates the oil pump and pressurises the oil galleries prior to engine spinning.
To pull the car out of storage strapping around the differential means you are pulling on the backbone chassis, more than good enough to be also pulling on engine, gearbox, body etc.

On this Forum under Board Index you have a wealth of information for everything Excel.

Dave the cog.

Thank you very much for the detailed info! My main concern is around pulling it out of the garage more than anything else really! Would you recommend strapping around the diff rather than the suspension mounting point that I've shown in the top photo?

Absolutely agree with everything you've said there engine wise and is my plan. Once I get it home it's going on my 2 post lift, under the 4 jacking points with some load spreaders

New cambelt (black normal gates belt from PNM), rebuild the tensioner with a new bearing (SKF14300)
I'll make sure I change the awkward bolt for the water pump whilst the belt is off so I can have that sent off after I've got it at least running
Then as you say, new oil (going for 20w50 Valvoline VR1) new genuine filter, plugs out and spin over to build oil pressure

I've read that the genuine oil filter is the best option as it has the pressure valve inside, do any of the aftermarket ones have this too? Not even the PNM one? I had a similar issue with my 86 Passat that had the oil pressure light blip on every so often when idling hot, so changed the filter out to a Mann one with the pressure valve but it didn't make any difference unfortunately!

[Marten]

! Would you recommend strapping around the diff rather than the suspension mounting point that I've shown in the top photo?

Don't pull or lift on components bolted (with or without silent blocks) to the chassis, especially when there is a very obvious and strong solid chassis member present.

[DavidOliver]

Mart, the comments about oil filter valves, priming the oil circuits by spinning an unloaded engine, etc. is because the oil pump is high in the engine and any lengthy non-use may allow the pump to drain oil to the sump which requires many engine turns to create sufficient air depresion to suck oil from the sump until it primes the pump. Obvious why to do this with no plugs.
You can tell your friends that the engine was designed for Racing and with a dry sump, the external scavenge pump being set low at sump level. The final position was supposedly a temporary measure which never got fixed, something to do with money?
Check the air filter before ordering all the other spares you mention.
Dave the cog