SSC Stylus Restoration

When building or restoring a kit car, it is often the little details that make the biggest difference to how the car actually drives and feels. This week, I spent some time ticking off a few of those smaller jobs that had been lingering on the to-do list. First up was a minor but annoying issue with the cooling system. I had noticed that the coolant cap overflow dripped a little bit and consistently lost a very small amount of water over time. After taking a closer look at the cap, I realised the issue. It was the short neck version of the classic radiator cap you typically get on these cars. They actually come in two different lengths, one with a long neck and one with a short neck. It turns out my thermostat housing should have been fitted with the longer neck cap all along. Swapping it over to the correct longer version completely solved the bubbling and water loss problem. While I was still working on the plumbing, I decided to replace the heater control valve for the cockpit heate...

I'd done everything I thought I could to prepare the Stylus for its MOT. However, handing the car over to the tester, I was still feeling a bit unsure about what the outcome would be. When the results came back, it was a fail. Surprisingly, it was not as bad as I had feared. The Fail Sheet: Stop lamps not working: This was a slightly embarrassing minor issue. I had simply forgotten to plug the connector back in after tidying up the rear wiring! Rear brake efficiency and imbalance: This was the main hurdle. The handbrake and rear brake efficiency were both recorded at less than 50%, and the rear brakes were imbalanced across the axle. The Rear Brake Remedy  I had already completely rebuilt the front calipers and repainted the rear drums. On my initial inspection during the build, the rear brake internals looked absolutely brand new. The pads and all the mechanical components were clean and shiny, so I had decided not to bother rebuilding or changing anything inside the drums. It t...

When it came to the braking system, a quick inspection revealed that a complete overhaul was absolutely essential. After popping the pistons out of the front calipers, I found a significant amount of ancient, solidified gunk inside. It was clear these had not seen fresh fluid in a very long time, so a full rebuild was definitely on the cards. The first step was getting the old components completely shot-blasted back to bare metal. With a clean slate to work with, I decided to add a bit of colour and painted the calipers using a tough 2k paint in a brilliant Gulf Orange. I also took the time to paint the rear brake drums to match, tying the whole aesthetic together nicely.  For the internals, I made sure not to cut any corners. The calipers were treated to brand new stainless steel pistons, a comprehensive seal kit, fresh bleed nipples, and completely new brake lines to ensure everything works flawlessly. While reassembling the brakes, I decided to carry out a subtle upgrade. I fitt...