I havent posted for a while as I’ve been bringing everything together that I’d been working on since the beginning.  So the chassis, front gearbox, rear gearbox, rear stabiliser, rear wishbones and rear wheel hubs are together…and man does she look sweeeeeeeeeeeet! I think the thing that pips it for me so far are those blue ended adjusters, ooooh momma those things just scream Egress to me, I bloomin loved popping those on.

And now, after all this time, I’ve now confirmed that this started life as an Avante 2001 (he sobs).  I’ve only now learnt about the carbon fibre/FRP chassis difference of the Avante 2001 and the Egress…and she came with an FRP one, the final nail in the coffin to confirm how she started out in life.  And to make matters worse, the new chassis I bought was obviously the FRP one too, so while she looks shiny and new, she isnt going to be 100% Egress.  But what the hell, I’ve enjoyed this process more than you could possibly imagine.

Actually, to break it down, she really is a total hybrid…

• Avante 2001 chassis
• Avante 2011 plasitc parts
• Egress Gears
• Avante 2001 front diff
• Egress front and rear wishbones
• Vanquish motor plate
• Vanquish screws

Hmmm, she’s no pedigree lol.

I mean I knew this thing was battered, but my god, I had to get a hacksaw on this puppy to get it apart!  Yes, I bloody hacksaw!

Every screw on this car has been OVERLY TIGHTENED to the extreme.  I’ve pretty much rounded the head off every screw getting them out and that’s with an overly careful hand too.  One of the screws that held the front gearbox on though was set, totally, and I even think it’d be glued in place as nothing on this planet was going to move it.  Luckily, my handy hacksaw came into play to saw through the offending blighter and get it apart.

Now, as this was totally trashed before I’d gone all Friday 13th on it, I’d got all excited about the re-release of the original Avante due mainly to the fact that these two cars shared a lot the same components.  What this meant was that this gearbox was going to be replaceable very soon, and probably for a small price tag. Result!  Needless to say, 1 week later, the parts started appearing on eBay and boom, I got all my new plastic replacement parts for about £15, bloody bargain!  That coupled with my already new gear set, meant that I had an almost brand new front gearbox in my hands, niiiiiiiiiiiiiice!

Hooooooold on, yes, I do believe I have an Avante 2001 here, not an egress, as while the rear diff was the all metal Egress ball diff, this one is the geared plastic diff from the Avante 2001.  Hmmmmm.  Bugger.  Oh well, she’s turning out to be a hybrid.  If I can source a cheap ball diff for the front I’ll have it, but if not, she’s staying as is.