How it looked before I started, after sitting in various garages and car ports for about 6 years. It looked reasonable at this stage, but "Ohh boy" was I in for some surprises. |
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I pulled all of the bits off and went around to get some quotes on bead blasting. All companies suggested I clean off the proofcote before I took in the car. This meant the rotisserie would have to be made quickly. |
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Sent off the gearbox to be rebuilt from a number of old ones I had lying around as well as the one I originally got in the van. The convertible had a Datsun gearbox and adaptor plate in it when I bought it, so I will keep that as a spare if I ever feel the need for synchro. The most important point was to get the gearbox nice and tight in the gates. |
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Started cleaning off the proofcote as the bead blasting will not remove it. A hot air gun and a paint scraper was the best method, although the bitumen was sticky when hot and got all over the driveway. Solution -- clean it off on the grass. |
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While the body was off being cleaned I got the engine ready for a rebore and new reconditioned head with hardened valves and seats for unleaded fuel. I picked up the gearbox and doesn't it look pretty? |
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A bit of a disaster. I was looking forward to working on the car for the school holidays. When we were getting the shell off the trailer, after picking it up from bead blasting, I dropped it on my chest and am now out of action for the whole six weeks. Everything slows down until late January -- come back then and see how its moving again. |
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The main reasons I took the car off the road initially were the engine was getting a little smokey and there were signs of rust appearing in the bottoms of the doors. I have had the engine re bored with new oversize pistons. The crank was reground with new bearings and I have purchased a reconditioned 1000 head. The one on the car was a 750 head -- I didn't find this out until I took the bits in for reconditioning. The rocker assembly is past being serviceable, I have two others and I will have a look at them in the near future to see if any are usable. |
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Beginning to tidy up the rust. It seems every time I remove one rusty section there is another below it. I have found that the main problem is the most recent restoration job, done in the 70s where all manner of patches have been cut in, but no rust protection done to the patches. I think the body has been assembled in grey primer and then sprayed with top coat. All of the joints are rusted, as are many of the inner panels. I purchased some of the more complex replacement sections from MMW, and also a sheet of steel to make the simpler patches. |
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