Scattered Progress

UR Quattro fuel tank with a round fuel cap on a workshop floor, a green detergent container labeled 'dishwasher salt' in front

Scattered progress since our last update but progress none-the-less.

We started to attack the drive shaft last week. The CV joints seem a bit stiff so we are going to clean them out and see if we can save them. If not we think we can replace them. The universal joint in the center seems fine but we might have to destroy it removing the center support bearing which is also fine but whose rubber bushing is decidedly squishy.

Rusty driveshaft lying on a metal workbench in a garage with tools and buckets in the background
Close-up view of a dirty, greasy mechanical component, showing a circular part with bolts and a central shaft.

We also started refurbishing the fuel tanks. Initial inspection revealed only surface rust so we cleaned it out with some dish washer detergent.

Rusty URQuattro fuel tank interior with a small pipe and mounting holes
UR Quattro fuel tank with a round fuel cap on a workshop floor, a green detergent container labeled 'dishwasher salt' in front

We had a visit from the guys who run DIYAUTO.com last week, Nick and Steve Balistreri. DIYAUTO.com’s goal is to collate all the cool information in the various forum build threads on the web so the information is easy to search and the knowledge is not lost to us auto enthusiasts. We are proud they have both our quattro builds and our 911 build on their site.

Three men in a workshop with automotive parts on a table and shelves with boxes and tools around

We continued to dismantle parts that are being sent out for refinishing. This week it was the turn of the suspension components. These did not want to come apart and the students learnt a great deal about persistence and the use of heat wrenches.

Person using a blue torch to heat a UR Quattro suspension component in a workshop
A person wearing a gray cap and black shirt working with a blue bench vise in a workshop

We’re not even sure we can get replacement ball joints and bushings for this stuff and may have to fabricate our own.

We optimistically mocked up the rear calipers again to see if we can make them work. Both the handbrake cable and the brake fluid line want to go through the rear axles but as we intend using a hydraulic handbrake we wanted to see if we could make a banjo fitting attach. Think not:

Close-up of disassembled UR Quattro suspension components showing a bearing assembly and black metal parts.

Next update we hope to share some news about the shell. Stay tuned.

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