Finally, Restoration Begins!

[vintaylor]

Looks great Giorgio

[giorgio67]

Hi guys,

while I'm waiting to discover how to fit the rear pads on calipers...I have made a llittle progress on my restoration, so rear bearings mounted on hub carrier, two beautiful stud split spacer (80 GBP for the pair...) installed and driveshaft adaptor and disc assembled on the box.

Tomorrow I will try to install the pads ( maybe...) and I will fit the box on chassis to see if everything works as it should.

Finger crossed.

Giorgio

[giorgio67]

OK, pads fitted easily and a lot of work today

gearbox fit perfectly as all the other trasmission and suspension parts.

I'm very happy for the result, after so many time now it's looking good, maybe I'm using too much stainless steel bits but... (it's too bright!!!) .

Here some pics of my chassis as it is now, tomorrow rear suspension, driveshaft etc...awaiting for some bits to finish the front end.

Ciao

Giorgio

[giorgio67]

Very good day guys, a lot of work done and everything has been easy, great!

All the rear suspension and transmission parts have been mounted on chassis and now I'm ready to finish the front end so next week I hope would be the time for the engine rebuild

Here some pics of the finished rear end.

Ciao

Giorgio

[esprit s2]

Looks amazing Giorgio! Shiney is good!

[vintaylor]

Looks great giorgio, really coming together well!

[Loose Cannon]

Beautiful, shame to put the body on really. And all those little bits of bracket, unions, pipes and buches, don't they all add up ? ££££££

[giorgio67]

Uhmmm yes they add up a lot of money but...

I have a page on my PC where I mark every cent spent on the car for parts, postage of parts etc... at the moment the bill is more than 15.000 Euro guys...

Ciao

Giorgio

[vintaylor]

Ouch Giorgio,

I'm hoping to not spend more then 10,000 euro restoring the car . At least after all this work, it's yours to enjoy! Its definitely worth holding onto !

Till now my estimates (rough) are :

2,000 - full respray

2,500 - engine/gearbox and suspension rebuild (labour)

2,000 (hoping to get a cheaper deal) - full retrim

1,400 - engine parts

1,000 - suspension/chassis parts

1,400 - fibreglass repairs and engineering work

So i'm already at the 10,000 euro mark! other then that I should have small things to buy like rebuild kits etc .

[Jeanvm]

It's Art, money is not importent

Lovely time spending

Jean

[giorgio67]

Hi all guys,

finally found some time to finish the front assembly of my chassis, I have cutted and modified the pivot bush on chassis to fit the upper right wishbone as it was badly welded at the factory, now with a pair of original Opel spacers it fit perfectly and the upper/lower joints centre hole are perfectly alligned.

I've fitted the steering arms with the new bolts and nuts, brake calipers, joints and track rods end on steering unit.

I'm happy, everything has been easy and it looks amazing!!

Next week I will put wheels on after near 5 years of stand....

Here some photos of the finished front end, looks great! :thumbsup:

Ciao

Giorgio

[Paul Coleman]

Looking good Giorgio

I have taken 6 years to get to this point!!

Are you going to leave the gearbox in place when you fit the engine or take it out?

Does anybody know what torque the top bolts of the front SJ dampers should be done up to? Obviously they're not original so any existing workshop figures may not be correct?

I don't want to worry you but isn't that dipped bit in the lower suspension arm (where the hole is) to locate the end of the spring in to stop it turning?

Cheers, Paul.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Paul Coleman

[giorgio67]

I don't want to worry you but isn't that dipped bit in the lower suspension arm (where the hole is) to locate the end of the spring in to stop it turning?

Sorry for my english Paul but I've not understand the sense of your phrase, could you write it again in a more simple way?

Giorgio

[vintaylor]

Hi Giorgio,

This is an inspiration to get my rolling chassis done! Great work

Did you zinc plate your dust covers, or buy replacements? They look like they're in great shape.. Especially when compared to mine!

[giorgio67]

Hi Vin, dust shield coming from SJ, they are used but they are near new, in fact Steve charged my card for 90 GBP for the pair....they are painted with two pack epoxy gold paint.

Ciao

Giorgio

[Paul Coleman]

Hi Giorgio

I believe the area shown here with an arrow is designed to hold the end of the spring

Hopefully if I'm wrong somebody will correct me as I'm also in the process of putting my front suspension back together.

Cheers, Paul.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Paul Coleman

[giorgio67]

AHRGGGG! Thanks Paul, I will check...in case it's a little job, five minutes with the spring compressor to rotate them.

Ciao

Giorgio

[sprint123]

Hi Giorgio, hi Paul,

I just finnished to build my front and rear suspension back in the chassis of my esprit S2. while doing this I was not 100% sure which are the springs for the front and the rear suspension. On the first look they have only a slightly different diameter. I mounted the larger diameter springs at the front, there they fit perfect in the lower arm. On your picture the diameter of the spring is smaller then the diameter of the springbase on the arm. I am not sure but perhaps you have your front springs at the rear suspension and your rear springs at the front suspension. But perhaps I made it wrong because my chassis seems to be quiet high at the front without body on chassis. I hope someone can help with this problem.

ciao Lutz.

[giorgio67]

No, the springs are different in diameter as reported on the manual and also different in lenght.

The end of the springs, front and rear are also different.

Ciao

Giorgio

[giorgio67]

Hi friends,

finally the engine has been fitted on the chassis with the gearbox already in.

Well, reading some post here I was thinking about a nightmare as the fitment is very tight but I must admit that has been a twenty minute job...well with a good trick

So, engine lifted up with the hoist and carefully slided down on the chassis, the engine don't need to be plane at this stage because it needs to go slightly inclined versus the clutch side to pass the gearbox shaft easily and to not touch the chassis tube with the water pump pulley.

Then a jack under the sump to equalize the engine and at this point I've get an idea on how to solve the problem as I was ALONE to do the job..

ok, first of all checked the nylotron washer on the shaft and then I have put round bars and long bolts on the engine/gearbox mounting holes, slighty tightened the long bolts on the bellhousing perimeter until the two section were about at 2 cm from each other and then I have pulled the chassis (wheels previously fitted...) to match the engine.

First attempt and really 10 minutes job!!!

Great, now after seven years of restoration the engine is again on the chassis and it looks amazing.

I have shoot some pics of the job,  I'm happy also beacuse It's not a one man job!!!

Giorgio

 

 

 

 

 

[Mysterae]

Well done Giorgio!

 

It doesn't look like you are alone, judging from the first picture. Unless you normally fit engines with a little black number on !

[giorgio67]

No no.. my girlfriend was only looking at it...not a job for her.

G.

[vintaylor]

Looks Great Giorgio... Hopefully I will be getting close to your result in the coming months!

 

It seems my restoration is going to be the opposite of normal as my upholstery will be the finished before engine/chassis/suspension/paint

[giorgio67]

Looking at some old pics on the pc today, I'd like to post these two photos of my car before and now...ok still not finished but I'm cooming soon again guys

[LOTUSMAN33]

Great work Giorgio, looking really smart in silver. Keep up the effort !

Dave