Just bought a shed (knowingly) - Advice/guidance/prayers

[sostylus]

Hi All
Thought Id introduce myself as ive just bought a stylus (older Sylva kit) , its fitted with a 2.0lFiat twin cam and all the basics had been done. Unfortunately the owner then ran out of cash, time, motivation and its been sat under a tarp for a couple of years and no documentation came with it apart from a chassis number, couple of receipts etc so no idea of parts used apart from what i can see. Suprisingly it still starts but thats where any similarities to a complete car end !
Anyway, plan to bring it to life and build some mechanical experience along the way, first things first though: It needs new engine mounts (maybe an engine too - thoughts?), all the wiring is a big nest and v difficult to decipher, interior has the added benefit of its own swimming pool, and im sure there are 1001 other 'major' issues. On the plus side... OK there arent many apart from the fact the chassis seems generally OK, bodywork scruffy but intact.

In the first instance I want to stick it in somewhere (mechanics/kit builders) to go over the whole thing and come up with a list of 'required' nice/must do works, Im based in SE London - any recommendations? I will then work out how much I can afford for the builder/mechanic to do and what jobs I can subsequently tackle. Im looking at it at the moment as a gosh... where do I start so any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

[kevp]

Hi Sostylus

SE London is a bit far for me but Im sure there are plenty of Stylus owners near you who can advise on many asspects.
But it starts. Does it move?

What chassis No?

Kev

[whiterabbit]

Welcome to the clan. Good luck with your project, we await progress reports. You will see by surfing around that even the most basic questions gets a straight and honest answer, (I should know I've asked some). So when you need to know some specifics, fire away, you will find plenty of support.

Steve.

[Werner Van Loock]

congratulations and welcome

First thing may be to put some pictures up here. Maybe people on here can give you some pointers already.

I'm also interested in having a bit of your details so I can add you and the car to the database and if you want also to the site.

Just email me. I'll also send you the newsletter that was recently sent out.

[Cerberus]

Welcome sostylus, if t runs then maybe stick with the Fiat lump from memory they went well in the mirafiori(don't know if thats spelt correctly) in fact so well it used to blow the bodywork off(then again that may have been due to rust), i will dig around in the garage tomorrow as mine has had a new loom fitted and you can buy it as a kit, probably better than sorting out the old loom as everything will be corroded_ spade terminals etc.


Phil

[se7ensport]

welcome to the madhouse, while it may be a cliche it is certainly accurate!!

[sostylus]

Hi again all, just a quick line to say thanks for the welcome (that was fast ) etc.

Ill get some pics and further info on the car and then start with the task list... my biggest problem is where to start (unlike you guys im not that mechanical/experienced), hence the thought that I would put it in somewhere professional to start with for a full review?!?
Regards
Steve

[stylussprinter]

Hi All
Thought Id introduce myself as ive just bought a stylus (older Sylva kit) , its fitted with a 2.0lFiat twin cam and all the basics had been done. Unfortunately the owner then ran out of cash, time, motivation and its been sat under a tarp for a couple of years and no documentation came with it apart from a chassis number, couple of receipts etc so no idea of parts used apart from what i can see. Suprisingly it still starts but thats where any similarities to a complete car end !
Anyway, plan to bring it to life and build some mechanical experience along the way, first things first though: It needs new engine mounts (maybe an engine too - thoughts?), all the wiring is a big nest and v difficult to decipher, interior has the added benefit of its own swimming pool, and im sure there are 1001 other 'major' issues. On the plus side... OK there arent many apart from the fact the chassis seems generally OK, bodywork scruffy but intact.

In the first instance I want to stick it in somewhere (mechanics/kit builders) to go over the whole thing and come up with a list of 'required' nice/must do works, Im based in SE London - any recommendations? I will then work out how much I can afford for the builder/mechanic to do and what jobs I can subsequently tackle. Im looking at it at the moment as a gosh... where do I start so any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Hello sostylus,
The car needs to be seen face to face to offer any good advice really. Shame you're S.London area. Only problem with ' mechanics ' is that they are not knowledgable on '' kit '' details like suspension '' how to fit poly/inner tube'' plus numerous other things peculier to kits. You may find one that has experience of kits but not easily. If you're not in a hurry , I'd be happy to look at it in the next few weeks/weekend maybe ? I'm 15 miles west off M25 junc 20. I would love to know the chassis number and who bought from ? There weren't many Stylus's built on SYLVA chassis. Actually they were not really Stylus chassis , they were FURY chassis.

Rob. Welcome and all power to your elbow

[sostylus]

Hi again all, first bit of confusion - chassis/car number etc: Car is not SVA'd but has the following (handwritten) Vehicle Number 483454Z Chassis No stated as: SSCSC105 but then a plate was made up by a well known kit car builder with the number SSC97015 - not sure which of these is correct? Where can I find out more or if one of you Gurus can shed some light...
Thanks

[kevp]

Hi again all, first bit of confusion - chassis/car number etc: Car is not SVA'd but has the following (handwritten) Vehicle Number 483454Z Chassis No stated as: SSCSC105 but then a plate was made up by a well known kit car builder with the number SSC97015 - not sure which of these is correct? Where can I find out more or if one of you Gurus can shed some light...
Thanks

SSC97015 is a typical Stylus no. (see Stylus units sold thread) it would be made in 97 and only the 15th stylus chassis ever sold.

If the chassis is earlier than 97 (the body could have been bought years later) it may be a Fury as I believe the SSC ones started about 95. I do not know the Fury Chassis run numbers.

Maybe Roo4 can help has he has an early Stylus (No 5?).
When you present the car to the SVA they will probably want to tie the purchase invoice chassis no. to the one you stamp on the chassis itself, so I would go with that if you have it.

Hope Iv helped.
kev

Kev

[stylussprinter]

Hi again all, first bit of confusion - chassis/car number etc: Car is not SVA'd but has the following (handwritten) Vehicle Number 483454Z Chassis No stated as: SSCSC105 but then a plate was made up by a well known kit car builder with the number SSC97015 - not sure which of these is correct? Where can I find out more or if one of you Gurus can shed some light...
Thanks

I suspect the 2nd one's correct as the first SSCSC105 has extra SC so has probably been mis-read. SSC97015 means SPECIALIST SPORTS CARS 1997 supplied 15th chassis that year. Now Tim Benbow has the company SSC means STYLUS SPORTS CARS. The other number could be engine number ???? The rocking arm , inboard front suspension was changed under SSC in 1996 , to a single joint at the wheel end , unlike SYLVA's wheel end joint which I think is CHEVETTE and fixed with TWO bolts into the rocking arm.
Rob.

[Werner Van Loock]

Hi again all, just a quick line to say thanks for the welcome (that was fast ) etc.

Ill get some pics and further info on the car and then start with the task list... my biggest problem is where to start (unlike you guys im not that mechanical/experienced), hence the thought that I would put it in somewhere professional to start with for a full review?!?
Regards
Steve

Hey Steve, I'm not mechanical/experienced either. Having a bachelor degree in electronics and having a IT job in the industrial automation world I don't have any experience at all. Though having raced and build RC model cars and boats for years, and I just look at this as the real thing compared to the RC cars.

[sostylus]

Hi again all, thanks for the info re chassis No,s etc. Im told the car front end is based upon Escort and first look seemed that this could be the case. back end mmmm? ill let you know after its been up on a ramp in the coming weeks (along with a whole lot of additional questions im sure ).
Im going to do what I can myself, learn by trial and error and farm out the bits that are beyond me. I suspect that the lack of documantation (nothing 'official' anyway) may give some probs on the SVA front..... when we gat that far, which is some time off.

Expect a lot of stupid questions over the next few months.. hopefully not years!

Regards

[Pete&Matt]

i would highly advise taking a trip up to SSC in Wales and getting Tim to look over it for you. He will be able to do the work that you dont wish to do aswell.

[stylussprinter]

Hi All
Thought Id introduce myself as ive just bought a stylus (older Sylva kit) , its fitted with a 2.0lFiat twin cam and all the basics had been done. Unfortunately the owner then ran out of cash, time, motivation and its been sat under a tarp for a couple of years and no documentation came with it apart from a chassis number, couple of receipts etc so no idea of parts used apart from what i can see. Suprisingly it still starts but thats where any similarities to a complete car end !
Anyway, plan to bring it to life and build some mechanical experience along the way, first things first though: It needs new engine mounts (maybe an engine too - thoughts?), all the wiring is a big nest and v difficult to decipher, interior has the added benefit of its own swimming pool, and im sure there are 1001 other 'major' issues. On the plus side... OK there arent many apart from the fact the chassis seems generally OK, bodywork scruffy but intact.

In the first instance I want to stick it in somewhere (mechanics/kit builders) to go over the whole thing and come up with a list of 'required' nice/must do works, Im based in SE London - any recommendations? I will then work out how much I can afford for the builder/mechanic to do and what jobs I can subsequently tackle. Im looking at it at the moment as a gosh... where do I start so any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Had more info now regarding your chassis number. It cannot be SSC97015 because there were higher numbers during 1997 so it's SSC96015 , just after Andy Bailey's chassis/made by Neville Powell not the Yorkshire constructor. Tim SSC has seen this car before
Rob.