Mk1 PFL Estate

[Forkie]

You have done such a lot of work in such a short time !! Looking good

[iani]

You have done such a lot of work in such a short time !! Looking good

Thanks, the car is currently with Richard Brake, he is addressing some corrosion issues underneath, I hope to underseal it on its return. The next step is a 2.5 PI conversion.

[iani]

Not much work done on the car of late, I am still gathering parts for the 2.5 & PI conversion. The engine should be ready in a couple of weeks, I think I have almost enough PI pipework now and a modern pump & filters to use with it. I bought a NOS rev counter of the type that was an option on the cars originally, they need converting to electronic operation to run with electronic ignitions, it didn't matter that the one I bought was originally a 4 cyl unit as the internals have largely been bypassed now. I fitted it today, bit of a struggle getting access to the pre-drilled hole in the dash but I got there in the end.

[Forkie]

Looking good !!! I wish i got into these cars much earlier and thus gained more knowledge to work on them properly. My hat comes off to those like yourself that do all that kind of stuff

[iani]

Looking good !!! I wish i got into these cars much earlier and thus gained more knowledge to work on them properly. My hat comes off to those like yourself that do all that kind of stuff

Lot’s of help from those more knowledgeable than me involved

[iani]

A fairly grubby morning, wire brushed the arches & underside before applying jenolite rust converter, 5 aerosols did the job, now need to underseal once it has cured in a couple of days. To cheer myself up after a 5hr stretch, I fitted a set of Stag steel wheels & trims, I think they suit the car well, another step on the way to the Mk1 PI estate homage.

[iani]

I have finally started on the conversion to 2.5PI, a neighbour has kindly loaned me a garage so my PI Saloon is safely tucked away there and my Estate is in my garage for the conversion. With my GT6 currently languishing in a French recovery yard awaiting repatriation, I have the use of its garage as a lay apart store for the Estate

I have a new 2.5l engine to go in:
early spec' PI TBs & linkages
150 BHP metering unit
6-3-1 exhaust manifold
semi-sport exhaust
later fuel tank (my car is pre-facelift, they have a smaller tank than later models)
3:45 diff
J-type OD gearbox

I've opted for a mild hotter than standard early PI cam, hoping for a good balance of performance & torque, aim is to use this car on the 2025 RBRR so will be aiming to get a lot of miles in it before then.

[iani]

My conversion is well underway now:

2l engine & A-type OD gearbox removed
Radiator removed - repainted ready to reinstall
engine bay degreased, cleaned & mostly painted
wheel arches cleaned, rustproofed & undersealed
Transmission tunnel cleaned & derusted
Most suspension parts cleaned & painted or powder coated, new balljoints, strut gaiters etc
PAS rack bolted to X-member with poly mounts
engine & gearbox x-members powder coated, new poly mounts fitted
twin speed wiper motor installed, additional wiring run into passenger compartment, access limited to driver area for now
twin relay fitted for fuel pump
inertia switch fitted for fuel pump
wiring cleaned & re-taped where required

2.5l engine & J-type OD gearbox scheduled to be installed 15/11, a dim light is visible at the end of this tunnel!

[iani]

Almost ready to install, just need to mate the engine & gearbox then good to go.

[iani]

Thanks to the invaluable assistance of Dave Harvey, my new engine its now installed and the suspension x-member & PAS rack fitted. Fitting PAS to a PFL Mk1 is challenging due to the lack of a chassis cutout to accommodate the intermediate column coupling, we addressed this by packing the rack mountings with washers.