A very rusty z.

[thriller]

Hahah wow. I guess my luck there makes up for the rest of the car! I'll shoot you a PM in a tick. Is it the complete skin? As in spot welds just drilled out and pulled off?

 

Also if anyone in Adelaide has/knows where I can cheaply hire an engine crane for just a day it'd be awesome. All that's left for the shell is to pull out the engine+box. then the loom, then attack the sound deadener with some dry ice and off to the blasters!

 

 

[PeterAllen]

Just lower the engine and gearbox and then lift the shell off - one/two man job.

[nizm0zed]

lol, smartass. 

 

Dont listen to him, hes got a fauxrarri! 

[PeterAllen]

I'm quite serious... If the car is stripped of panels, the interior and suspension it is very easy to lift, particularly at the front. I've had that engine/gearbox in and out half a dozen times, and with the trolley I made it's by far the simplest way.

 

Just be careful where and what you use to pivot the rear... I used a piano trolley positioned near the front diff mounting points - with that I could lift the front with one hand.

[thriller]

Yeah I don't doubt you at all, my friend did that method with a mk2 escort a while back.

 

Still, I don't have a trolley for the engine, so using the crane will be easier. Already had a few offers of use, so thanks to you guys

 

EDIT: Should also ask; what's the best way to get a windscreen out?

[Mr Camouflage]

EDIT: Should also ask; what's the best way to get a windscreen out?

 

In one piece.

[jamo240]

To get the windscreen (or rear glass out), it is easiest if you cut the rubber away from the body/hatch surround first. The rear window is toughened, so will come out in one piece if you're careful. The front glass (if modern) is laminated, so it will likely crack when you remove it unless you're a bit lucky and don't twist it in the slightest.

 

If you want to get the glass out without damaging the rubbers (ie you intent to re-use them), then you need to free them from the body/surround as much as possible without cutting them, then lay on your back in the car and push the glass out with your legs as evenly as possible to get the rubber to comes away from the body in one area and then kind of work the rubber away from the seam to get the glass out complete with the rubber on it.

 

Putting them back in (suggest you use new rubbers), you put a rope (similar to washing line rope, but without the plastic coating on it)  in the channel of the rubber where it engages with the seam on the body. Overlap the rubber down the bottom of the glass...this is where you will start to get the rubber onto the body. Before you start, put a bead of windscreen sealer in the grooves of the rubber...both to seal the glass into the rubber, and to seal the rubber to the body/hatch.

 

With that done, lay the glass on the opening, and where the rope overlaps, have a friend apply gentle pressure down onto the body, while you use the ropes to pull the rubber over the seam...you then start working the ropes out in each direction (one at a time), and inch by inch, work the rubber over the seam. If you do it right, the rubber goes over very easy, and when you go all the way around, presto, your glass is in! Then clean up windscreen sealer which gets everywhere off using turps.

 

Finally, put your stainless steel garnish pieces back in using a shaped piece of fencing wire to get the lip on the rubber over the stainless garnish.

 

CHeers

 

Jamo

[zzzzed]

I usual put the stainless strippsin the rubber before I put the window back in the car. It's alot easyer for me

[thriller]

Thought I'd chuck a couple more up.

 

I think this is pretty much straight under the rust hole in the C (or is that B?) Pillar. Going to be a mess inside here.

 

Passenger footwell:

 

Drive footwell. Must have had a bit of a ding here, run into a stump or something. Probably best to cut and replace, it's a pretty simple looking curve.

 

FRESH METAL!!!!  Peeled back a tiny bit of sound deadener on the tran tunnel.

 

 

Aaaand here's how she's looking:

[Rat1314]

I think this is pretty much straight under the rust hole in the C (or is that B?) Pillar.

It'd be the B pillar on that car, You count the pillars from the front to the rear A,B,C... you get the idea.

 

On another note this is one hell of a project you are undertaking, I hope you finish it and I lookforward to seeing the progress that you make.

[1600dave]

You're a long way off needing it, but here's a tip for making a new roof gutter section.

 

Get a bit of angle iron, and another smaller solid section of steel bar. Weld the square section on in the appropriate position for the bit you're trying to make. Bend a section of new sheetmetal up at right angles, then clamp it into your newly made jig. Use a chisel to carefully hammer the metal down into the gap between the angle iron and the bit of bar.

 

Works a treat, but hard to explain so here's some pics. Last pic is of the old (shiny) and the new (rusty, it was an offcut I left lying round for a while)

 

 

 

 

[Veloce]

While on the topic of items to make life easier with repairs i would pick up a 'shot bag', which is a sand filled leather bag used to shape metal. It came in very handy for smaller repairs that need curves forced into them. You can but them on ebay.

 

[thriller]

Thanks for those tips guys, going to come in handy.

 

Pulled the windscreen out the other day fairly hassle free, tiny crack in the top corner from me being too impatient, followed by hundreds of curse words at my own stupidity.

Just set up the engine crane and everything before I have to run along to work, going to do the pull tomorrow. Quick question:

 

Are those lifting eyes on the engine strong enough to pull out the engine, tranny, manifolds, headers all in one? The single bolt holding the eye to the engine looks dismally small....

[MaygZ]

Yes it is.

[chris240]

if in doubt, just replace the lifting bolts with new hi-tensile bolts....(bunnings 6 per pack approx $8-9 ..aisle 6  )

[thriller]

Last time I did that, the head of the bolt snapped off... Was holding the pressure plate-flywheel as well. Not a cheap mistake, that one hahah.

[thriller]

Engine out.

 

 

Unfortunately, the sun visor bolts have been stripped completely. Going to have to get the drill out again for them

[thriller]

Loom out:

 

Got my roof:

 

Here's the underside:

 

Back end of the roof panel sits maybe .5cm above where it should be, but that's the least of my worries. Very happy with it, makes me feel a bit better about the whole thing haha. Just need to pull the brake lines off, and swaybars etc etc.

[RB30X]

Your certainly getting into it.

Please remember to be careful with all the heavy things supported by engine cranes and cars stands.

Once supported by the chain or car stand, give the engine or car a good shake to make sure nothing is going to move. The last thing you need is a stand moving while your flogging a spanner with a hammer under the car.

[thriller]

Thanks! Ideally, I'd like to have been a bit further by now, but between comp science at uni, a measly 18 hours a week at woolworths, my silvia and 10 hours a week commuting; I'm happy enough with how things are.

 

Oh yes, I was way careful. Had the engine about an inch above the mounts and gave it a beating, just to make sure its sturdy enough that it wouldn't snap sitting above the rad support. That'd be a quick end to this project haha. Think the stands are really sturdy too. Bit of wood on top of each one to distribute the weight a bit better so I won't end up with a dent. Feels rock solid, I don't think anything short of an earthquake would push the car off.

[thriller]

Alrighty team. Pretty well ready to get blasting! Only end up having a few hours a week to work on her which is a bit sad, but I'm in no hurry.

 

Blaster details anyone? Suggestions on soda vs sand vs media vs anything else?

 

Will they be happy to work on an only-just-rolling shell? I'd rather not drag it around on rails since I don't think it'll quite be strong enough for that haha. Even if they skip the stuff around struts and mounting points since I can hit them with a strip disc later, without too much hassle. Can they generally prime the car too for me or should I get cracking and buy my own gear which I'll inevitably end up needing later anyway?

[T.A.P]

That is one very rusty car and I thought my was rusty.

Have fun welding, but I think you'd be better off with a cleaner shell. 

[Scoota G]

Usually they send them back in an etch primer. If you fill in your location in your avatar someone maybe even be able to point you to someone who does it.

[PeterAllen]

Alrighty team. Pretty well ready to get blasting! Only end up having a few hours a week to work on her which is a bit sad, but I'm in no hurry.

 

Blaster details anyone? Suggestions on soda vs sand vs media vs anything else?

 

Will they be happy to work on an only-just-rolling shell? I'd rather not drag it around on rails since I don't think it'll quite be strong enough for that haha. Even if they skip the stuff around struts and mounting points since I can hit them with a strip disc later, without too much hassle. Can they generally prime the car too for me or should I get cracking and buy my own gear which I'll inevitably end up needing later anyway?

 

Take your time, pay the money and do this part the correct way. Don't half do it.

 

Strip the entire car and have it blasted (sand is my preference) to make sure any rust in the rails is identified. Panel rust is the least of your worries, you have to make sure the shell is structurally sound or the whole project is a waste of time. Make sure the blaster primes it or rust will reform while you are trailering it back home. Let the pros do this stuff.

 

Have you built your rotisserie?

Have you removed the sound deadening from the floors etc?

Have you ...

 

Blasting it like computers - garbage in garbage out!

[thriller]

Should have mentioned I'm in Adelaide. I thought that was in my avatar a while ago, must have changed.

 

Yeah absolutely, I think this could be really the most important part of the build. Leave any surface stuff behind here and I'll be in tears if any bubbles form under paint a few years after I'm done. Heard sand can be a little dodgy around areas like the quarter-panels if they rush the job? But on the upside, it doesn't leave behind any weird residue like soda does right?

 

I'm completely ignoring the panels right now, not going to even think about them till the shell is structurally sound.

 

The only things left now are 6 bolts on the interior that need to be drilled out (sun visor and super-secret-storage hatches), and the sound deadener. Speaking of which; anyone know where to get it cheap in S.A.?