440 Turbo Back from the Dead?
 

Hi, I've only posted here on the 400 section once or twice, I've been on the 300 section and V300 mania forum a lot more over the last few years as I have one or two of them kicking about!

In 2007 I was driving my 1992 440 Turbo (which I'd bought in 2003) when once again, a rear caliper seized and a also, by coincidence, the rubber boot came off the drive shaft.

The return journey from the Lake District during which I tried to avoid using the brakes (which I almost managed with one stop to free them up by hitting the caliper with the wheel nut spanner!), was the final straw and the car went into the garage where it stood for 2 years!

During this time I bought a 360 and also got my existing 340 on the road again. Thus the 440 was then pushed out of the garage for a year or so, then stored in neighbour's garden. For the last 3 or so years it's been at my storage yard.

http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/a...psunxiwcjm.jpg

The time has come to either sell, scrap or get some fun out of this neglected car!

Yesterday got the car to a garage for an idea of what's needed. Normally I do what I can myself over time but time I do not have time so I know I'll need to spend some money on this to ever see it on the road again.

As you would expect, it's not in tip top condition. Lots of rust on the arches, seized brakes all round, an engine misfire, blowing exhaust, faded red paint and sodding mice have eaten the boot carpet and a headrest.

Despite 7 years of neglect, everything actually works, lights electric mirrors, windows etc. (I did start and run it and activate everything 3 or 4 times a year).

I may need some advice and help with one or two things!

1st Question:

Can I remove that CAT and expect to pass an M.O.T. It's knackered and blowing I think. The car was first registered in May 1992.

Thanks

440
 

Yes, you can remove the cat, it is not required on that age of car...

Looks good, and a rare old beast now.

Whack a Richmod or Robou ECU in it and grin from ear to ear as you shred tyre after tyre ;)

Get a project thread up in the showroom, we need more 400s.
I pretty much holding the fort on my own in there. Well, me and a crazy bloke who's shoehorned a T5 lump into one with a turbo from a dump truck!

Thanks for the replies, I was hoping I could loose the CAT. I did wonder about getting more power out of it, I just need to get a quite a few things done first. If I was to uprate the power it might be worth replacing the discs and pas with some uprated ones as they are no good anyway. I'm assuming new standard calipers would be OK with better discs and pads?

I know the 440 turbo is rare now, that's why I've still got it! They were pretty rare when I got it over well over 10 years ago. How many are on here?

In a word - none.
Not that I know of anyway.

I've got one of the last two 460 CD Turbos in the UK (silver one in my SIG pic), there just aren't many turbo'd 400s (that aren't 480s) left at all.

Despite this, mind's just come off the road for a manual conversion, lower, stiffen, big turbo...
Then it will be abused on the track ;)

Yeah, new calipers will be fine with uprated discs and pads.
I've always found the stupid cross-linkage to the servo on RHD Turbos takes a lot of feel out of the pedal, so would be worth uprating to braided flexible lines to the calipers to take some of the flex out and regain some feeling.

Binning the cat can only be a good thing on these, as they are such a restriction.
Without it, they spool quicker (really quick spool anyway tbf) and sound better, as they only have the one silencer then.

BTW, Dai (Classic Swede), who I'm sure you'll know from V3M, is working on poly bushes for these.
I'm his guinea pig :D

And only the wishbone bushes left to do

Don't scrap that Andy! Super rare car now, I think time has been kind to the earlier models - quite like the more angular look now. Whether or not there will ever be much demand for one, they're certainly damn rare!

Don't worry Steve, the chances of me scrapping any vehicle in a hurry are very low! I did think of selling it but it would have probably ended up being pulled to bits and
the engine put into 300. I did consider this for my 340 but there aren't millions of 1.7 340's left unmolested either so two two rare cars in original form would have been lost in one go!

The car has a bit of sentimental value for me anyway, I was driving it when I met Rachel and Jack arrived home in it after he was born! It's also the quickest car I've had and I did quite like driving it, although it is FWD. Jack also used to like it as it's got a spoiler which as we all know means it go goes faster.

I do have the proper wheels still, those are 440 ones on it but they are normally on my 340 which is off the road for the moment (nothing wrong but needs a cam belt and I'm running the gold 360 this year).

I'd like to get the 440 on the road for next year. Progress may be a little slow but I'll post up things here.

That's interesting about the polybushes and info on brakes. I knew there's not many left probably 5 or so of this model according to figures on the web.

I loved reading this! I have this year fulfilled my long dream of owning a 440, sadly not a Turbo but a 440 nevertheless. I intend to post some threads of it.
If you ever think of selling your Turbo, please let me know. I have been hunting for one for the past decade!

Best wishes and hope to read your next updates :)

Joe

Does anyone have a spare boot carpet for sale for a 440, I think it's dark grey/black, I need to check as its not with the car at the moment. The mice made a nest above the spare wheel and chewed a hole right through the carpet!

Also I need a another passenger headrest, there's a small chunk out of that too.

There is a small amount of foam chewed on the footwell/under dash covers but that's on the inside. They also had a go at the underside of the seat squab but that's not bad or visible either.

I think that's the only internal damage, I just hope they left the wiring alone.

It'll need a good clean inside, good job I've got a carpet cleaner!