Monday, June 28, 2010

Future Project #2.1 Visors

As mentioned in a previous post, I have to do some thing with the visors. I plan to eventually do some custom woodwork to make them custom, but my father came up with a ideal interim solution. Originally beige, like the interior, they pose me a problem. They are not worth $120+ to me for replacements, but I can't simply remove them as the windscreen has holes for them to be mounted.
Original Condition
Rusty, and with paint faded and chipped off, the visor mounts were simply a mess though, thankfully, they are solid.

Stripped
After chipping the paint off and brushing them vigorously to remove the rust, the mount looks just fine. My father suggested that he could probably get someone he knows to re-do them in black vinyl. With the mountings re-painted, and the recovering completed, they simply look fabu. They couldn't replace the mirror easily, though that is fine with me and they will function superbly. I send my thanks to the woman who worked the vinyl for me so superbly!


If I ever do custom make some, I will seek another set of mounts so I can swap between them. Really, they look so good, I may never end up building the custom ones...

Second Cut

The Second Cut
Cutting out the inner sill proved to be more difficult than I would have thought. Armed with the knowledge that you should drill the welds, I progressed slowly but surely. I obviously only got a bit of the native metalworking skills of my father, either that or his knowledge is hard won.

Problem area
This area is one of the worst on the car. The attachment to the wheel well is pretty well rotted out and was "fixed" by shoving a handful of bondo in the rusty cavity. I thought it would be in a bit better shape here but oh well, you push on. I may have to back this area with new metal, probably from scrap metal from the numerous repairs my friend does at his shop. He does great work and I would definitely recommend him for all collision repair work.

Inner Sill Placement
After looking at the inner sill and contemplated the situation, I realized that I had the inner sill was flipped. It fit quite a bit better with it correctly oriented. The fit was perfect.

Fender repair placed
With the metal cut away, leaving enough to be able to draw them together, the replacement panel simply clicked in place. It will still need some drawing in on the bottom to meet up with the bottom weld line, but a really nice fit.

Overview
In weighing my options of learning how to weld vs paying one of my friends workers to help, I believe I will defer to a professional. His worker needs side work and wants to work on the car. I need to get the welding done so prepping for paint can begin. I plan to let him prep the missing metal, and weld the lot into place. Once that is done, depending on my time availability, I will decide if he can remove the driver side, or I do it myself. It took me about 8 hours of work to remove and clean up one side. So I estimate that having him handle the fabing and welding will save me at least 2 weeks (16 hours of my work time).

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A Little Support

I am always amazed at how little support the rear bumpers have on the early Spitfires. It almost seems like they are purely cosmetic and I have no intention of getting hit from the rear (like anyone ever plans for it)

Well I removed the rear bumper support system and sent it to my dad for cleanup.

Supports Removed
Removed, they didn't look too bad. I plan to fashion panels to close off the sides of the trunk and leaving this support system plainly visible in the trunk.

My dad waved his magic wand and poof!... they are simply beautiful. Well, a little less magic, and no poof but it sounds better than getting them blasted, primed and painted.

Passenger Side

I roughed in the parts and only hand tightened the bolts. I didn't even put in the one that attaches to the exhaust. I wanted to have something there just in case something bumped the back.

Driver Side

The driver side was roughed in as well. This side has an extra piece that is used to holds the jack in place between this piece and the wheel-well. I need to bring the jack and jack rod to dad to see if he can sprinkle it with the magic restoring pixie dust... Thanks Dad for all you do and are!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

First Cut

Bracing for the first cut.

After getting the engine running, I have no more excuses in removing the rocker panels for replacement. It wouldn't have made much since to remove the panels if I couldn't get the engine running. Getting over that hump means there is nothing pratically stopping me from working this project to completion. From the looks in the above picture, the rust doesn't look that bad, but the rule is the rust you see doesn't compare to the rust you find underneath...

With Spitfires, when removing the rocker panels, you must always brace the door. The rocker panels provide support for the body and the body itself will distort without bracing. I cut a piece of 2X4 and wedged it in the door opening. At first, it didn't look like it was necessary, but when I jacked up the front to remove the tire for clearance, the brace was in there tight!

First Cut

The piles of rust after slicing through the sill with a cutoff wheel was pretty amazing. Handful after handful of rust was removed from the cut opening. There was a lot of dirt trapped in the void as well, even though I blew out all I could with the air compressor. I'd hate to think how much extra weight in dirt was being drug around in the car...

Rocker Panel Removed Front View

I removed the rocker panel completely and found out quickly that I should not be using an air hammer to remove parts. You can see the ripping of the metal along the edges near the front. I hand chiseled the area near the door. I will have to re-shape the metal distorted from the air hammer. A lot more rust was hidden under the panels, but I think enough is left to be able to weld the new panels in place.

Rocker Panel Removed Rear View

I still need to remove the inner sill, but after all the hard work, I was advised that you are supposed to drill out the spot welds. You live and learn. I also need to cut out the rusted out back panel. I simply ran out of time and energy and was unable to complete the job. Not too bad for a days work, getting it running, and removing most of a rocker panel.

Not too bad for someone who's never done metalwork! It must run in the blood.

Friday, June 18, 2010

It Lives!

In my quest to get the engine running and really get the project rolling, I encountered many obstacles, though in reality, they are merely just bumps in the road. The story of the rust being sucked up from the tank and fowling the engine was proven not true. In checking the carb, crud never got past the float chamber. During the compression test, I determined that I was getting fuel to the cylinders but was getting no spark at the plugs...

The Ignition Coil
The first suspect was the coil. I checked for voltage to the coil and was happy to find out that I had the juice. I usually use my trusty Fluke Meter, but I didn't have it on hand so I used my cheap as sin Harbor Freight $2.00 meter. I tested from side to side and got what I saw on the internet as being the correct reading.

Outside Winding (yah I know it's still connected)
When I checked the inside winding, I got no reading, signifying bad coil. I found that NAPA said they had one in stock right across from the shop. When I went to the shop, they said the online catalog was unreliable and they didn't have one. This really set me back a week because I was planning to use it that day. They could get one shipped in but it would take a few days. I queried Autozone, and got a puzzled look from the worker. It was in their system, though no part number, and they couldn't get it. I checked O'Reilly and they had it at a depot and could get it the next day. O'Reilly wins!

On picking up the part, the connections were different and I dreaded having to replace the connectors so I tested the unit. Low and behold it tested the same! I scratched my head for a few minutes and then re-tested. Being used to my fluke, I wasn't used to not having an auto-range and when changing to a higher range, I was able to get a reading. When I re-checked on the existing coil, it read good as well as seen in the below picture.

Inside Winding

With the coil checked, I proceeded to the next step, the distributor. It was in good condition, and I quickly (about an hour) realized that the point wasn't properly set. I took it off, cleaned it up and then the shop owner offered some help as they were slow. I tried setting the points where I though they should be and my friend said I was close and fine tuned it.


My friend suggested we check the firing order, we changed the plug wire around and that didn't work. He then suggested putting it back and squirting some gas in each cylinder. I complied and...



I turned the key and it started up like a champ! No sputtering, no odd noises, just the warm purr of a kitten. We adjusted the timing and let it run for 20 minutes, just to make sure all was well and the juice hadn't been the cause of it starting. Later that day, my friend suggested trying to start it again and I was reluctant to tempt fate, but I complied. It started right up without issues.

It Lives, the 6 second clip of the engine RUNNING!


Please excuse the mindless dribble of words coming out of my mouth, I was still in awe. We were talking about the unconnected part on the valve cover. Now, with the engine running, I am forced to the next stage. Cutting out the rotten rocker panels...

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Windscreen Success

It's Finally Out!
Removing the windscreen was a royal pain in the @#$%&! I was advised that it was only held in by the post bolts. It was not. I'll begin this installment with the reasons why it was so important to get that windscreen off.

The weather seal between the windscreen and the main body was horribly shot. cracked and falling apart, it still resisted removal. I slowly worked the seal out from under in pieces over many many visits. Eventually, I had made a trip just to remove the seal, and when finally completing, I still couldn't remove it! Apparently it is also held in place with three bolts and clips to keep the windscreen down. To get at them, I had to remove the top dash pad. I wanted to not touch it, but apparently I had to :(

On touching the first bolt, my work called and I got into a drag out troubleshooting session that consumed the rest of my day! The next two weeks, my other duties kept me from the car. I was going crazy! I wanted it off so bad but had to wait...

Removed

The dirt buildup is on the inside of the car, under the dash pad. I was worried about removing the dash pad, having lasted so long in such good condition and was puzzled how it was in such good condition. On removal, it had been covered over the original vinyl. I would have never known, the job was well done!

Windscreen

There is not much to it, once removed. There are pieces rattling around in there that I assume are the remnants of the pop rivets used to hold the top cap on. I will have to work to get those out, strip the vinyl covering off it, clean and prep for paint. I hope that I can forgo replacing the vinyl and just leave the inside the paint of the car, if there are no holes in the metal. The mounting brackets to hold the posts in place were stripped and repainted black by my dad and will be stored until eventual re-install on the windscreen with a replacement seal.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Center Dash

The center dash is somewhat of a mystery to me. Originally delivered without it installed, it was spirited to my father for rework by my brother along with the passenger piece. I have no pictures with it installed and I don't think it was on the car when my brother got it (At least from the pictures of the delivery it's not there).
The Donor Dash

Provided with the car was a donar for the center dash. I suspect that the original gauges were removed from the car and all I'm left with is this RHD center dash. I believe it's from out of country (yeah, I know it is a British car, but out of the US market) as the gauges are flipped. It's definitely seen the worse for wear but it will provide the needed bits for my car. The piece is definitely not the correct year for my car as it has more switches than mine should have. This piece provided the replacement plastic for the vent controls, as the one from the car was cracked.
Warning Lights

Disassembled Warning Lights
Included with the goodie bag o' dashboard parts was the warning light pieces. They were stripped, cleaned, and re-painted. A delight in simplicity! I don't really know what they are warning me of, but I have an request out to another '69 owner/restorer that has his labeled. I guess I'll have to be blissfully ignorant for a while.


The dash board is beginning to look like something with the plastic piece and warning lights installed. It stayed like this for quite some time while the gauges were given a little TLC.

The Fuel Gauge
This is the original condition of the donor fuel gauge. The rust was brushed off, being afraid of what the evap-o-rust might do to the workings of the gauge. The bracket was straightened and the outer ring was worked over.

First, the remains of the rubber seal was scrapped out, being completely shot. Next, the rust and paint was scrapped off until the ring was back to base metal. Finally comes priming and painting. The spray went quite well, and I decided to cheat, and leave the underside in a primed state. In retrospect, it was the right thing. Painting the underside is a bad idea.


With the fuel gauge installed, the dash is beginning to look like it should. The donor parts leave a bit to be desired but all that can be addressed later in fine tuning.


The Donor Temp Gauge

In noticeably better condition, the temperature gauge in its raw form. Treated similarly as the fuel gauge, the ring proved to be much more of a pain.

The ring bottom

Stripped down to bare metal, then primed.
The ring top
Stripped of it's paint to bare metal, then primed. I sprayed both sides this time and quickly found out that this wasn't such a good thing. I sprayed it and it all looked good, on install, the pain on the bottom was ripped up by the gauge base. Not too bad, but it took a lot more effort to get the ring and seal on than it should have. In getting it together I scratched the paint.

The paint was then removed and re-sprayed. It crinkled, I sanded and re-sprayed. Crinkle again. I stripped it back to bare metal and finally got a finish I could live with on the thing. ARGH!


Semi-finished product, is anything on a project car ever truly finished... Added is the light switch to go from low beams to high beams. It was floating around the car when I removed the carpet. In the goodie bag is the other metal pieces to make it into a working switch. The switch base is still on the wires in the dash. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the look, though I'll likely be looking to source some better gauges. It kills me to have to wait to install the dash, but several important items need to be dealt with before that will happen.

I still need to get the engine started, replace the rocker panels, prepare for paint, etc before I can re-assemble. Oh where does the time go. The wife is getting impatient, wanting it to run.