Upgrading A/C and Radiator While I'm In There

The same bloke who made the skid plate makes them. I'll send you a PM

 

So the skid plate has a built in included angle of 178 degrees to follow the chassis rail, but when I dry fitted it, it needed way more than that

 

The plate has to follow the fibreglass of the spoiler, not the chassis, but this doesn't look right
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The cross member was bent up (probably from jacking) when I bought the car, and I jacked it back down, but it obviously needs to be a bit straighter than the moustache you see there.
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Also, the slots for the suspension shims don't line up. I might just trim those bits off.
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Here's the new bottom plate of the cross member. There are three 5mm plates welded in so I can drill and tap mounting holes for the skid plate.
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I've panel beated the cross member into a straighter shape, and trimmed up the new bottom plate ready for welding in.
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Checking the fit.
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I had to place the panel in position, offer up the skid plate, and mark up where to drill the holes. I then drilled and tapped for the M5 stainless counter sunk Allen screws. I put the plate back in and lined up the holes with the skid plate. I will tack weld it in with the skid plate loosely mounted. When I finally put the spoiler on, I'll bolt it all together and the drill the final mounting holes.
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My fabricator mate came over and welded the steel into the chassis member. The best I could do was stand around looking useless. So I polished my horsey!
I also cleaned the grille, which was... tedious.
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Welded in, ground smooth, etch primed and painted black
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Put the spoiler on... not quite fitting. So, I took it off for a look. It turns out that the bloke who repaired it decided to add reinforcing at the major stress points, which is great, but the glass was too thick in places, so a bit of careful sanding was in order. That wasn't good enough, so off it came again for something more... thorough.
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It still didn't fit, but was getting closer. I was up to removal number 5, and was not going to take it off again, so I decided to get violent.
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That did it! In position - now to bolt it up.
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Got the skid plate mounted, with difficulty. The fibreglass doesn't exactly click into place like a Swiss watch, more like a piece of Italian agricultural machinery. Two of the mounting holes go into a closed box section, so had to be tapped.
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OK, it's been a while, but, I've... finished. Sort of. I have yet to pack foam around the radiator, which is best done with the grille out, but I just couldn't wait any longer. The bumper and grille were put on and taken off half a dozen times to get it perfect, but I got there in the end! Getting the spare wheel tub in wasn't too bad (35 #8 self-tappers), and the clearance to the high point of the fans is about 3mm. So, left to do is the aforementioned foam, some stone chips (I know), and wiring the evaporator fans through a relay (currently wired straight to 12V).
I've gleaned a few things along the way. One that comes to mind is the oily crap that I found all over the front chassis and firewall wasn't oil - it was perished underbody sealant. That's why I had so much trouble getting it off with degreaser, boiling water, and a steam cleaner. Another point is: don't start one job without allowing for a dozen other jobs to crop up along the way - these cars have been around a long time, and things need doing! I've also noticed that nothing on these cars is perfectly square, straight, or symmetrical; a margin for error must be allowed for. There's lots more, but I'll have to post them up as I remember - it's all a bit hard to remember right now! (Maybe I should read my own thread...)