Rudolfs 2+2: The gleaming emerald......

[gav240z]

Hey mate did you rush the fuel filler area? Too much heat = buckled panel?

 

S30Z stuff is so thin you have to be super careful with repair work I find.

[CroS13]

 VIDEO UPDATE 2: fuel box!

 

So i finished off the box section, so part 2 is up, with less waffling on from me and more action!

 

 

 

 

Hey mate did you rush the fuel filler area? Too much heat = buckled panel?

S30Z stuff is so thin you have to be super careful with repair work I find.

 

Gah i dunno man, i definitely didn't rush it. I  went slow, one or 2 spots at a time, and moved to the complete opposite end and worked around it that way. I also used pannel locking clips to make sure it was all straight and secure when i butt welded it, so i dunno, it literally just sunk in around the weld, its pretty on par along the rest of the body line, maybe someone who is a professional can chime in and tell us what went wrong?

Rudi.

[Brabham]

Looks good Rudi. What did you use to cut out the rounded corners on the panel before you cut it with the cut off wheel? Was it a holes aw or step drill? Keep at it.

 

Cheers

[Sirpent]

Nice work Rudi ;-)

[gav240z]

Gah i dunno man, i definitely didn't rush it. I  went slow, one or 2 spots at a time, and moved to the complete opposite end and worked around it that way. I also used pannel locking clips to make sure it was all straight and secure when i butt welded it, so i dunno, it literally just sunk in around the weld, its pretty on par along the rest of the body line, maybe someone who is a professional can chime in and tell us what went wrong?

 

Rudi.

It's hard to say without knowing exactly what you did, but I find that even if you move around when welding there is a lot of heat stuck in the panel itself and it can cause distortion. I also think that MIG is a harder weld so it doesn't have the flexibility which allows you to beat it back into shape unfortunately.

 

Look forward to how you tackle the next step.

[CroS13]

Video Update #3:  Fixing rust in the hatch.

 

Wow, so its been quite a while since my last update, but going to Japan really got me keen to keep working on the zed, it was just the motivation i needed! If anyone missed that post, i took photos of more zeds than i could poke a stick at, they can all be found in this thread: 

 

http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/15121-rudis-honeymoon-in-japan-went-to-a-few-workshops-still-married/

 

 

But it was time to get back to business, and i decided to tackle some of the rust in the rear hatch area. Next up will be another big area, the back of the roof where the hinge sits. I'm keen to get the metal work done asap, as after a year of battling with council, hopefully i am close to getting DA approval to build a double garage at my place, with enough room to fill it with a few more zeds hopefully! So it would be nice if my car was with my painter when i get approval, so then new garage can be build while i don't have my car.

anyway, on to the video!

 

 

Cheers! Rudi.


 

[CroS13]

UPDATE 12/9/16 - sneak peek at the roof repairs.....

 

 

Looks good Rudi, maybe you can do an episode on unpicking and repairing the hatch hinge area as that is a common rust area on 2+2 models, probably caused by them not having the rubber hinge pockets. There are a few double/triple thicknesses in that area too when you go near the corners.

Cheers

 

 

Just thought I would leave this here to show ya'll what im working on at the moment, remaking the pocket that the hinge sits in...... video update to come later......

 

 

 

 NEW VS OLD

 

 

Rudi

 

 

[CroS13]

Video Update  #4: Fixing the rusty roof!

 

Ok well this episode was a long time coming! I know Alex has been eagerly awaiting its release!   Don't worry bro, you kept me motivated and productive to smash out this section haha.

 

 

 

 

 

So this was quite abit of fiddly work, a lot of prototypes before i was happy with the final result.

Now this is Done all the major rust (as far as im aware) is completed on the car. There are 2 more spots the size of a 10c piece which i will be able to smash out in 1 after noon. So essentially the car is now ready for sandblasting and to be sealed up.

Which leads me to a question. Sydney people, who have you used for sandblasting and were you happy with the results. I think i read PeterAllen used someone in the northern beaches maybe? but i cant recall.

 

I need someone to sandblast the whole chassis and epoxy prime the whole thing + paint the under carriage black.

 

I'm thinking to rebuild the suspension, paint it all, get the diff rebuilt, lower it with shocks and springs, then send it to paint once its a rolling chassis, but i'll talk to my painter about that one.

Rudi.

 

 

 

 

[Brabham]

Peter and I use advanced in Brookvale. They do a lot of car bits so know what they are doing. You could also get transverse links, K - frame and other suspension bits blasted and painted in epoxy black. They can do gloss and satin.

 

Cheers

[Cozza]

Nice video George, you did a great job of that repair!

You must be stoked the welding and grinding is almost complete.

Keep it up Mate ?

Edited September 30, 2016 by Cozza

[Brabham]

Good work on the video too, helps a lot for me. Can't say I'm looking forward to doing that section though!

[CroS13]

Minor Update 22.2.17: Not dead... still alive.... plenty happning

 

So my last update was around 3 months ago, and I've been real busy in that time.

I had a mate who is a car restorer come over, and look over my car, and is extremely happy with the repair work i have done. All i have to do now is go around and fill a few pin holes here and there, scrape the seam sealer out of the corners of the interior and I'm ready for paint. I have already filled all pin holes on the drivers side too.

 

He just came to give me a quote, he is booked for the next 2 years, So i will have to find another painter, but at least i have a general idea what it will cost me.

he also fixed my fuel door area where it had sunk in when i welded it, i know a few people commented on that, Gav for instance... Well he grabbed a bricky's chisel and a hammer and beat the hell out of my rear quarter, and in 5 minutes its near perfect... GREAT!

 

 

 

 

but umm.... then everything came to a grinding halt.....

 

i went from this:

 

 

 

 to....well.... yeah.....

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, uhhh: 

 

 

So after 2 years battling with council, Late last year i got my construction certificate to build my double garage. Believe it or not, i have spent MORE money, on red bureaucratic tape, to get approval, than the actual cost of the double garage........ flood management reports, storm water reports, survey and peg out of sewer lines....... its been a massive battle!

 

Everything is packed away in the garden shed, Its packed to the roof, so i have no access to anything, and the car as you can see is under half a carport.

 

I wanted to get my new garage built BEFORE i got the car sandblasted, half the reason i had been farting around with the car the last few months.

 

I knew the car would be out in the elements for a few months while i get this sorted. So id rather it be hit by the elements now, get surface rust, whatever,  when the shed is done, I will get it blasted, then it can be wheeled back into a brand new garage out of the elements.

 

Also, the head gasket blew on the Silvia over Christmas, and with no garage, no tools, nothing, i could not be bothered attempting to fix it myself, gave it to my mates workshop, he chucked in a Tomei Metal headgasket and ARP head studs. Hopefully she will be safe to 30psi now IF i go E85. But to be honest, I don't want to spend any more money on it. Atleast these mods safe proof it for the power it has.

So yeah....

Seem's I'll be out of comission for a few more months yet. Slab should be poured this week or next week, the piers are done already, Shed has a 6-8 week lead time.

Rudi!

Edited July 10, 2017 by CroS13

[PB260Z]

Hey Rudi

 

I had been wondering how you were going with the car.

A new double garage, awesome, you won't know what to do with all that space. Yes fill it with Z parts.

Council redtape is an absolute PIA, I am about to start that journey myself.

 

Good luck wth the build.

 

 

Cheers

 

PB

[jeff43]

Good to here about the new garage, it is a pain that it puts a Holt on the Datsun work though. I am in touch with your pain, my on project is on the go slow because the family wanted a swimming pool. Since I am trying for Dad of the year, I crazily agreed and have been busy getting that all sorted and then will have to finish of the paving and fencing once it is in. So my plans for top coats on my car will now slip from nice April weather to more like Sept or Oct.

 

Good luck with the garage build.

 

Cheers Jeff

[andyk_79]

Mate I feel your pain with Blacktown Council - been going through some of the same with a granny flat for the mother-in-law!  It's a pre-fab / demountable granny flat and they charged us about 15% of the build cost in levies.

[George]

Hey Rudi,

 

A garage DA is good practice and an eye opener. I'd love to build a house one day and I'm glad I did the DA on my garage. Took us way longer than expected and cost way more as well but it could have cost even more if we had just hired someone to take care of it. I had a fairly pleasant experience until the end when it came to the final inspection. Shit got heated but I stood my ground and we won in the end. Each time I come around the corner and spot my garage I take great pride in it. I know you will too.

 

Hope to catch up soon. It has been way too long!

 

Oh yeah, any mini-Rudis in the works? Hmm?

[CroS13]

Update 14.5.17: Garage done!

 

 

Finally! the garage is built! 

 

But i still have a while before work continues on the zed.

Things to do:

 

1. Finish building my pallet racking storage, possibly getting another one 

2. Build 2 work benches, spanning the full length of the back wall. One to hide my air compressor, 1 for working on and sinking a toolbox or 2 into.

3. Get a hoist put it

4. Maybe start working on the car again?

 

Here she is! Plenty of room to store more zeds! 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

I went and got about 40 meters of box steel. Should be enough to make all my benches. Also scored the old dexion racking out of the scrap bin at work. have to narrow it down from standard pallet size to about 600mm wide.

 

 

 

 

So yeah, I haven't stopped working.

I really need to come out on another cruise, and no George, no mini Rudi's yet! 

 

 

Rudi.

Edited July 10, 2017 by CroS13

[gav240z]

Epic man cave bro!

 

I'm so jealous...

 

Sorry to hear about the Silvia blowing a gasket, damn unreliable piston motors. Should have got a rotor!

 

Life seems full of set backs, shame they make it so hard to build something in your own yard.

[Cozza]

Wow, that looks fantastic. Definitely get storage sorted or it may end up looking like my shed.

Any plans for Insulation and lining? My shed has brick walls and tin roof and gets very hot in summer. Insulation in the roof would make a massive difference.

 

Looking forward to some updates or a cruise!!

Edited May 14, 2017 by Cozza

[PeterAllen]

Always admired your work ethic - well done, again.

[PB260Z]

Hi Rudi

 

Love it, much jealous.

Lucky score on the Dexion racking, that stuff is great and normally expensive.

 

Cheers

 

PB

[Riceburner]

Looks great and so much room! 

 

I put up the blue foil paper (sizilation?) in my tin shed last year. I just used 3M brand foil tape to fix it on and also fitted a whirly bird. It was 46 degrees in there on a hot day during my engine rebuild with just the bare tin roof and walls. Now with insulation on the roof and walls it's fine on a hot day, the concrete is even cool to walk on. I was amazed at the difference. It's fairly cheap, but a two person job and will take a little time to do.

[CroS13]

Update 19/6/17: Pimp my shed... then... maybe... the zed!

 

So its been a very very busy month for me.

I've been decking out the shed, spending usually a hour or 2 every afternoon chipping away at it.  And now i'm about 60% complete.

 

Firstly, i sorted out all that racking:
 

 

 

Then on to the first major project. Building a workbench that would also hide my air compressor, saving some room.

First step is get some metal, Its a mix of stuff i had to buy and steel i scored from work:

 

 

building up the frame:
 

 

 

Welding on the bench top and adding bracing underneath it:
 

 

 

Welding on the side plate:

 

 

The right hand side needed to be removable, so i could wheel in and out my air compressor, So i drilled into the C channel and tapped the holes, and made a removable plate:
 

 

 

building up the frame for the doors:

 

 

 

 

 

welding on the door skins, i scored the 2mm plate out of the scrap bin at work:
 

 

 

door mounted and welded up on the hinges:

 

 

finished and painted:

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

So this was a major hurdle completed. I didn't really know which direction i was going with the bench when i started, i just winged it and went with the flow.

Really chuffed how it turned out. It was about 3 weeks of work, 2 hours every day after work and 2 saturdays straight.

Next on the list is building another bench for the right hand side of the garage. It will have toolboxes sunken into it, and i plan on inlaying wood into the sides, and into the bench top.

My mate is a cabinet maker, and a dam fine one at that. When we knocked down the old garage he took all the 60 year old hardwood framework from it, and said he will make my bench tops out of it.

 

Plenty of work getting done here!


 

 

 

Any plans for Insulation and lining? My shed has brick walls and tin roof and gets very hot in summer. Insulation in the roof would make a massive difference.

 

 and:

 

Looks great and so much room! 

 

I put up the blue foil paper (sizilation?) in my tin shed last year. I just used 3M brand foil tape to fix it on and also fitted a whirly bird. It was 46 degrees in there on a hot day during my engine rebuild with just the bare tin roof and walls. Now with insulation on the roof and walls it's fine on a hot day, the concrete is even cool to walk on. I was amazed at the difference. It's fairly cheap, but a two person job and will take a little time to do.

 

Yeah, i do have insulation / Sarking in the roof, and i plan on getting something for the walls too.

 

 

Rudi.

Edited July 10, 2017 by CroS13

[Cozza]

Looking great Rudi!!

I wish I could get my shed organised like that.

[Riceburner]

Yeah +1, great work space!