Fuel tank out - body unbolted - wk 12 - 28/10/12

Cheap petrol syphon purchased and well worth it. With a whole fuel tank to empty it was definitely needed. Managed to fill my daily drive up :-) bonus.

Fuel tank out with out to much trouble when it was empty

Fuel tank out

Next I disconnected the break lines and had a look around under the car. Looks ok, few little bits that will need attention with a few bits of rust under the car and a few bits that will need replacing.

Looks like the rubber is a little past it

The last job for the day was removing all the bolts that hold the body onto the chassis. This went well apart from one slip resulting in the first real injury of the build, a cut and very sore knee.

Next we need to work out how to separate the body so that it can be stored in one half of a double garage so need to be able to roll the chassis out from under the body

Strip down complete - wk 11 -21/10/12

So this week the strip down was complete.

First off was the bonnet. The aim was to take the fuel tank out and drain the petrol but when we checked how high the fuel was (the fuel gauge didn't work) it was right to the top and up into the filler hose so some will have to be removed before we can take it out.

The windows came out. All came out complete. The seals all need replacing after 40yrs, no point saving them, the front windows and quarter lights came out fine, most the seal and window parts are savable apart from new outside seal part needed.

All the windows out

Next the headliner came out, wasn't to difficult. Will see how it cleans up but will probably replace. The felting behind the fabric was all fine and i will be reusing it.

Headliner out

Finally the doors came off and were stripped down. All the window winder parts and locks were removed.

All stripped down

So the car is now stripped down apart from the petrol tank which will need removing next week. It was a very productive day, now I will need to start planning what needs doing next.

Continuing the strip down - wk10 - 14/10/12

This week I continued the strip down. The wings and side skirt from the drivers side came off, this was much easier then the other side to get them off.

Drivers side wings and side skirt off. 

Next I took out the wiring loom, although pretty much everything had been disconnected already this took longer then anticipated. The front came out easy feeding it through into the car but the back proved to be more difficult. From the engine bay into the car there was some high density foam stopping it. After a long time poking and using various home made tools i got enough out to get the wires moving and through. All the wiring look was out.

Next off was the last of the chrome trim and the wiper blades and mechanism

Trim, wipers, mirrors and wings off

Next week a few more bits to come off, petrol tank and windows out

Bumpers, lights and wings off - Wk9 - 7/10/12

This week I finished off getting the last of the sound deadening off the inside. Then moved to the outside, took off the taillights, headlights and indicators. All those can be saved though i might replace the rear lights as some of the plastic has started to perish over 40 years. Hopefully I go to a show soon and can have a look at what the cheaper replacements look like.

Front and back bumpers were next to come off. The bumpers are a little rusty in places but look ok. I am definitely more inclined to keep them, clean them up, re-chrome them and get new rubbers for them as they aren't cheap replacement ones.

Lights, wings, bumpers and trim strips off

Next off was the front and back wing on the left. Didn't come off to bad. They are both the original, the front was always going to be replaced and the back one will probably be replaced as i picked up some rear wings, new ones, cheap. The underneath of the wings and inside the arches seems to have an extra layer of paint, was a bit worrying at first but turned out that someone had at some point took the time to extra paint inside the wings and arches before under-sealing them.

Last thing to come off today was the chrome trim down the left side. Was much easier then i thought and we even managed to save a lots of the clips.

Here are the bits of rust on the left side that will need some work

Some rust to repair on the front end

Only one bolt are of the left side that will need repairing

Some welding needed on the panel near the rear swing arm