The Bandit

[Mr Funk]

Complacency is a terrible thing.

I'm very lucky in tht the Bandit normally gets to stay in a nice, secure and more importantly, dry shed in the middle of nowhere. This means that water isn't really a problem.
Unfortunately in my rush to get the interior sorted I've been leaving the car outside, this normally isn't a problem as the area is fairly nice but what I stupidly forgot was the issue with rain. There's always been a leak on the bandit and it's never been that bad, a couple of drips coming through from somewhere that I've never really worried about but the wrath of God like torrents that have been pounding us this week have really taken their toll. Thursday I discovered this:

Apart from being a jumble of wires this is a couple of inches of water in the passenger footwell, not a big look this year.
So here I am on a Sunday morning thinking that I should really tackle the problem, I don't mind it but it means removing the dash again (not a bad thing as I need to do some bits and pieces) and the seats.
Ah the seats.
Finally they're both in and exceed expectations. I've got to be honest I think Rocco drivers are pretty spoilt when it comes to seats. The original seats are more than adequate and hold you in really well, bin those and opt for the much lauded Raddo seats and you're onto a winner. Your arse is lower than Katie Prices Morals and they are incredibly comfortable.
The new seats are Sparco Torinos. lovely and comfy and came with harnesses that properly hold you in. The massive problem has always been sub frames.
Because no-one really makes anything for the Rocco getting hold of seemingly simple stuff like sub frame scan be an absolute nightmare and eventually I had to get a set of Cobra Frames and have a frame made up to hold the seat. But they're in and they're great. A bit odd and take some getting used to (th big thing is trying to reverse park) but lovely although Groove'll need a cushion. They're still a bit high at the rear but I think that's much ore to do with me being spolit with the raddo seats than anything else so I may cut the rears by an inch or two but we'll see.
Right, best I get on with some t-shirts seeing as the weather is Biblical before a young lady from vagingit it murders me.

[Mr Funk]

I have been rather quiet.
The rear is finished. Just taking it out for a spin. pcis to follow.

[Mr Funk]

Okay, so it's been a while.

Despite beavering away at work I've tried to put in as much time as possible to get the car to where I wanted, it's been a genuinely interesting experience and I've learnt a lot but there have been some dissapointments.

The "fun" began way back in February when I realised that UD was less than a month away. A month? You say. That's loads of time!

Um, no. No it isn't. Not when you're desperately trying to fit your hobby in with everything else. I needed to move stuff about and quickly.

A call to Powerspeed sorted the rear brace but in the end it turned out to be a cock up. They were moving that week so the car sat untouched until I went and grabbed it back. It wasn't their fault, moving was just far bigger than anyone expected.
then, two weeks before UD I was talking to Matt, the owner and general guru at Select Products. He liked what I'd done with the rear but wasn't happy with the finish and ripped it out, not a bad thing when you consider that most of it was made of cardboard. We came to an excellent deal: he would help me rebuild and, in return, I'd do a few internet based favours (writing stuff, no sex unfortunately). I got all the materials at excellent prices and learnt a lot of new skills.
The downside though was that conflicting diaries meant that the rear wasn't finished for UD, gutting but hey ho.

There's a whole lot more involving the comedy of the seat rails (still need lowering), the brace (fitted and yum) and other stuff but I'm shattered and beer and X Box are calling me, In the mean time take a look at the pics.

[Funky Diver]

Nice... VERY nice!

If I didn't need the practicality of having the extra seats (or do I?) then you're driving in a carbon copy of how I want my rear to look, and the inside of my car.

[Risocco]

Thats lovely dude, fantastic effort!

Alex

[Bill]

Looking Very nice

[Mr Funk]

Sometimes getting up as early as I do, especially at weekends, can be a real dog's cock. With Groove usually still kip from an evening shift my choices of what I can and can't do at 6am are pretty limited (before any of you come up with anything hilarious Groove is A: a light sleeper and B: very grouchy if she wakes up with me dry humping her leg).
Usually I'd just disapeer out into the yard and potter around as there's uually something I can do, a bit of wiring, marking things for utting etc but mornings like today there's bugger all. With Pod tomorrow there's little I can do as we actually leave today to drive up and stay with family this evening and I'm dead excited.

Hence the problem.

I haven't got time to start anything as we leave late morning but I've been up for a while, made tea, blown up half of a Central American failed State on Mercs and am thinking what to do next. I think, to be honest I'll go and get the car cleaned, bring it back and assume that half 8 on a Saturday morning is an exceptable time to start hoovering the inside.
So while I'm here let's have a little catch up and I'll explain where I'm going next.
The interior is "pretty much finished" i so much as it's got the basic look. The seats still need lowering, the rear install is top but I'm not 100% as I cut a piece of board too bloody thin, now I'm more comfortable with fibre glassing I want to do the front door pods again, the headlinging needs replacing and possibly colouring and there's still the dilemma of the dash board. I really would like to squarely punch the man that decided that all that plastic was a good idea squarely in the head. trousers idiot, no wonder the car wasn't as quick as it should be when it came out.
The outside is bang on but the paintwork needs a professional going over as I'm just not doing it justice with my half arsed attempts at cleaning and the rear rims need redoing.
I actually had the borricks to open the bonnet yesterday and look at the engine bay, it's always been a bug bear but never something I've tackled. First off it needs a damn good clean as the paint work is pretty much perfect. The head shield needs replacing on the bonnet but that's to be expected and easily ordered. While the bonnet is off I can finally go to work in the bay and start getting it all sorted.
Any easily removable parts (alternator, rad, m/c etc) can be taken out, overhauled as needed and painted/powder coated up. It'll only be black but should make everythign a bit neater and even with my very basic knowledge of cars I reckon even I'd have trouble screwing that one up. I've still got the 2l bottom end sitting in the garage so I might take the time to strip it down, clean and replace, paint it up then stick it in or I may just leave the perfectly functioning original block in and give that and the gearbox (which reminds me, I need to sort the clutch) a lick of paint and just do the head with high lift cam/vernier pulley. And while it's up on jacks the wishbones, hubs and general front end will get the good news, there's a knock that's been worrying me for a while, everything it solid enough but I'm funny like that. A short shift and samco hoses should finish it all off nicely and if I'm feeling cheeky I may even relocate the battery but I'm not holding my breath.

I'd like to point out that when I say "I" I really mean "we". I'm lucky enough to have very understandanding and knowledgable friends without whom the Bandit wouldn't be half of what it is. These guys will happily listen while I burble down the phone or, worst of all, call after a few beers then calmly tell me what a tool I'm being and what the simplist solution is.
Right, that's enough tea for this morning, anymore and I'll be peeing all the way to Northampton. Have a nice weekend.

[Mr Funk]

Okay so I'll be the first to admit it: I;ve been rather slack in updating.

But it's fine, you've not really missed much. I slacked off over the summer to concentrate on what really mattered - driving and appreciating the car I've spent the past two years building.
That' not to say I wasn't still working on it and doing stuff, quite the opposite, but it's been maintenance rather than the fun stuff.
After UD I had a little rethink and really pushed to get the interior sorted and to a point it worked. The speakers all got fitted nd the sound quality was superb but thi was just a Version 1, a tester, to see if everything worked.
So with the summer upon us I thought I'd get it cleaned and take some pics of it:








I was dead happy but wht you can't see, but would have notcied if you;ve been to any of the shows this year, are the massive chips in the rear wheels. It's my own fault and they wont be getting a refurb until the last minute next year. I'm not angry about it, these things happen and cars are meant to be driven. But that didn't stop the Waf and one of the neighbours laughing like trousers drains then doing the usual (ooooh, are they alright) when I kerbed them both in once attempt. Cows.
So anyway, fast forward through Inters (brilliant company, brilliant show), the Register National (superb - full stop) and Action (best year yet) and now it's back in the yard getting an overhaul.
With another car potentially taking up the space at the barn I'll make the most of keeping the Bandit at Funk HQ but it's a mixed bag.
I can work on it whenever I like. This means that I can get all the crappy jobs out of the way but I also have a really nasty habit of going out at all hours and doing stuff for the sake of it.
So as it stands the water hoses are all off and the engine is in the middle of coming out. Ben's helping me and his help has been invaluable but he's decided to relax the car scene for a while and after the summer we've had I can totally dig his decision.
The interior is almost all out and it's getting an overhaul - the doorcards are being rebuild, the dash is getting the once over and the rear lights will get covers.
Engine wise it's coming out, everything is getting the good news with the powder coating, a spot of home breww porting on the spare head and inlet, new wish bones, driveshafts, bushes etc.
Rear end has been redone. Dear god it's one of the worst jobs I've ever attempted, even with help I wanted to kill. But the long and short of it are that everything got vinegar dipped, coated and refitted:

[jimmyconway]

I love this car!

Have you thought about GTI headlights? I think they would suit.

[MrD]

Amazing work Mr Funk,wish i had the patience and skill.
I would garb a quick release bracket for the extinguisher though,with your brakes i can see that flying through the screen

[GTXTRA]

awesome Rocco Jim - well worthy of a pic on the main web site home page.


looking forward to next years shows/drinks.

[G Beats]

Very nice Jim looks very good just shows what you can do as in projects to these cars.

[bens_cab]

Mr Funk seems ive had all the relaxing i need been out in the cabby for the last 2 days and guess what i need a scirocco and a mk2 synchro you know where this is going dont you

mk1 cabby + mk2 rocco +mk2 syncro = 20vt 4wd rocco strip monster

so best we get yours finished and banging out a little more hp

[Mr Funk]

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh.

Frustration is a real killer.

As odd as it may seem if you've every met me I'm a fairly patient guy. Granted I leg it round like a demented chimp but I'm normally quite prepared to wait until something is done properly.
But after two long months I'm getting really itchy feet.

Work was going really well - we cleared the engine bay of a lot of the stuff and bits were ready to be either painted or powder coated and the head was off ready for some home brew polish and ported. But as you might have read the head appeared to have a hair line crack under the cam which pretty much wrote it off. It's not all bad as there's every chance that the crack would have got worse and potentially ruined the engine but now I'm having to wait for another engine to be taken out of a car and delivered to me. And it's a Digi so there's always the interesting prospect of making the fappin' thing work.
Joy.
The other major pain in the arse with all this is that I keep seeing little things that I keep thinking I should do like cleaning the engine bay properly and tackling the little bits of rust, the problem with all this is that I get distracted from the original task and make more work for myself. I only ever wanted the engine bay to be smart but the obsessive complulsive in me wants everything perfect which just won't ever happen. Then there's the wishbones and all the associated gubbins to change along with the new arb and all the bushes.
Then there's the interior.
It's always got right on my tits as for such a good car the cheap plastic just winds me up. But other than that the central locking needs totally refitting as the bastard that fitted the aftermarket kit was quite as professional as he appeared and mount the actuators vertically rather than at a slight angle as they should be. The hilarious result of this is that the plastic clips that connect to the door locks are completely buggered and can I get my hands on any more? Can I fuc....
So I can't put the doorcards back on just yet. Not that I could anyway as the material I use to cover it is currently on a cargo ship somewhere in the atlantic. And that dash.....
As I type this there's a converted rado dash being stripped out and sent down to me but until then I can't help but play with the other one. This means taking it out and reseating the tweeters, not a simple job.

Just remind me again why we do it?

[bengould]

It's not all bad.

I have never driven mine yet. Itchy feet doesn't even come close. But that's another story......