Hi all. Was writing this to another lister, then thought: list traffic is
low on the weekend, at least one lister needs their Spit-list-fix, (Fred?)
so decided to share this long message and fill the void. I can't compare
with the likes of Paul, Jon, Andre, Liv and others, (welding and forming
patch panels "challenge" me) but have been moving ahead.
I was on vacation again last week, so have made progress. I think my last
message left off with the front suspension installed on the newly blasted
and painted chassis, but asking the lists for ideas on how to spruce up the
appearance of the brake lines.
On the front lines, I used a wire brush then changed to 3 M type stripping
wheel on a drill to remove crud and corrosion, then wiped with varsol,
primed and painted with a chrome type paint. On the back lines, I tried a
different approach. Lines were cleaned with a section of 3 M type abrasive
pad soaked in Simple Green. I think this was a better process because the
resulting surface was not as rough as with the stripping wheel. Also,
although there was a greater length of line, the job was done faster. Again,
varsol was used to prepare the surface for paint and let dry. This time I
followed a listers' recommendation (thanks Jeff Terrio) and used Rustoleum
Hammered Finish Silver paint. Excellent results with no primer necessary.
Its may not be OE, but I think it'll get used on the rest of the lines. Any
deterioration evident next Spring will dictate which way to go, if I haven't
got the others lines done by then.
In the meantime, left axle and rear suspension were removed from donor
chassis, taken apart, cleaned, painted, greased and re-assembled. I used a
right axle and suspension that I had renovated previously. Both were
installed on "new" chassis, along with diff, spring, and rear brake lines.
The chassis had its 4 feet, but needed new shoes. I have admired the wheels
on another listers' car (CJ), and wanted this project to have nice shiny
wheels. (Yes, to those still reading and paying attention, "shiny wheels" to
go along with the "shiny metal brake lines"...). To that end, used the 3 M
type pad soaked in Simple Green to clean 2 wheels, and the stripping wheel
on a drill to clean another two. (The first two had no rust, just dirt and
grime, the latter two had some surface rust that needed to be removed). Once
there was no visible dirt or grime, used Varsol on successive paper towels,
and kept on cleaning until there was no dirt or grime showing on the paper
towel. Painted with Duplicolor Steel Wheel Silver paint (thanks John Acuff),
and couldn't be more pleased. They all turned out great.
So now I had a newly renovated rolling chassis, and the body intended for
this chassis still sitting on another chassis. Body securing bolts were
removed and inserted into holes in a piece of cardboard in a pattern
approximating their location in the car. Small sections of cardboard were
cut, holes made in them, and then used on the reverse side of the main
cardboard to hold the body spacers under the bolts to which they belonged.
Working alone the body was raised off the chassis. This involved a trolley
jack, two long planks, and many small sections of wood. Four piles of wood
carrying the planks, carrying the body, gradually rose into the air. When
the clearance underneath was about 30 inches, the old chassis was dragged
out and remaining bits stripped off it. (It had no engine etc.)
The "new" chassis was rolled into position, and the body gradually lowered
onto the new chassis. Daughter and her boyfriend assisted to hold up body
and to remove planks at crucial points. The two bolts in front of the
bulkhead were lined up and installed first, as they seemed to require the
best alignment of body and chassis. After a little adjusting (really, only
very little) some of the rest of the body securing bolts were installed. At
the time of writing, there are 4 bolts in the trunk still to go, and two
more in the body shell. The ones in the trunk have large slots so I'm hoping
they won't present too much of a problem, and the two in the front of the
body have their own nuts (as well they should...!) so as long as they go
down their tunnels they should be OK as well. Fingers crossed! That will
have to wait until next weekend, as its back to work next week.
The project is located outside in a plastic barn. Progress will be
incremental from now on, as its getting cold, and our West Coast rainy
season from now 'til May is about to commence.
Cheers
Nick Moseley
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