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Another resto...


mikeeech

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4 hours ago, clivef38 said:

I would love to see a pic if possible

Sorry, will have to wait a couple of weeks until I can get back. But, it definitely works well.

 

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OGot one on order... I won't be able to get it fitted for a couple of weeks either but will put photos up when it's on since I'm overdue for some updated pics...

Spent all day working on the drivers side door to get the door reassembled. I spent far more time than was good for me farting around with the door locking mechanism thinking that something wasn't working right with the barrel since it would not do a whole half turn to lock the car only to figure out that it is a quarter turn then back to the top! My excuse is that I have never driven this thing let alone parked it before I took it apart...

I did have the barrel in upside down though and whilst the door handle was off I repainted it. Whilst everything works fine I'm still not happy with the internal lock mechanism that doesn't go fully home against the door latch as it should but it a least locks and opens on all levers now.

These things were not made for manufacturing assembly! Door modern cars now have electric locks... This would be so much easier to assemble.

The electric window motor is in and the window goes up and down a a very spirited pace with the new felt in. I was a bit concerned by this since when I got the car the window would only go up by pulling it whilst operating the motor. This wiring will be easy too.

The external door trim is not yet on either. Whilst I got the draft excluding felt with the right clips I was one trim clip short to hold this on to the body so I will need to order more of these from an sports cars. I'm having to cut them in half btw!

The frame is still not bolted to the door correctly. I can't get all the bolt holes to line up both on the fibre glass and the door beam. Oh and all my pushing and shoving on the door plus the weight of the window and lift motor has led it to drop slighthly. I must check the passenger side for tightness before I get too far in fitting this side.

On this note I also removed the rust from the passenger side frame with a wire brush. Whilst the drivers side was in good condition considering its age (both sides still have the quarter light held in with solbit), the passenger side has not faired so well with a number of holes at the leading edge which has now been cleaned up with wire brush on my angle grinder, some rust converter and chemical metal before sanding down... Now as good as new!

I'll need another days on the drivers side door I think and these are precious. If I'm lucky this will be in 3 weeks!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pictures of the aerial. It's a tight fit with the battery in and it's not perpendicular but it's fine.

DSC_0258.thumb.JPG.81bbb117edbf98019de36beb1df42a37.JPGDSC_0259.thumb.JPG.bf90ac6a2735e0e698866a45e70472eb.JPGDSC_0260.thumb.JPG.b6875cc3706c59f749ba43b28986ceb1.JPG

I've fitted my drivers side door trim and the clips underneath have left this...

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Which is annoying!

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Hi Mike that's ashame on the door trims that's happened to me in a couple places. If your inclined you can send the trims ti Hertitage Motor works and they will straighten them for you so you can have another go. I found on the doors loosening the clips slightly but even so horrible job. 

Car is looking really nice.

 

 

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Thanks Simon. I will try the passengers side this weekend and if that goes ok I will take that advice and get them straightened. Seems a shame to spoil it now!

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The only other bit of advice would be cut strip of wood  2ft long so spread load as you push the trim on. I also put a bit of silicone grease on the clips so the trim slips under a touch easier.

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...

Spent a bit more time on the car today... The wing mirrors are now on... This meant the windows frames had to come off. I'll know better next time I do it. So my list of things to do is getting much shorter now and it looks something like,

Finish the re-wiring

Refurb the speedo drive assembly 

Fix power steering pump leak

Source a new brake servo check valve

Fix bonnet release catches

Remake dash centre switch panel

Fit interior

Fit a fire extinguisher system

Mot

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have now finished re wiring everything rear of the front seats including some neat hidden LEDs on the rear passengers compartment that will add some accent lighting since the original 70's interior lamps will be very dull.

I've started retrimming the boot and thought I would share progress on the battery boxes... I know they are notionally quite simple but I now have a drawer for some critical spares... Cool

The battery side has feed throughs for an in situ battery charger

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the opposite side looks a bit ropy until it's covered in quilted leatherDSC_0372.thumb.JPG.e5693b7304674419a348a88c7f0eca92.JPGDSC_0371.thumb.JPG.1eed0d8ac3ee311b5a565a14d212085a.JPGDSC_0373.thumb.JPG.412f06277575e6412440c20dee873449.JPGDSC_0374.thumb.JPG.58e39671643083d0efc12ed4e213f10b.JPG

obviously the drawer needs a base and a handle before that is covered. I will line the drawer then cut some foam to hold a selection of bulbs, fuses, relays, spanners etc.

the panel behind the lights is now also quilted leather but I need a new microswitch for the rear hatch before this is fitted...

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  • 4 weeks later...

I thought I would share some more images. My spares box drawer is now finished I just need a foam block which is on order to place some spares. It should be good for two levels so might house a good few critical spares but no tools. These might have to live in the spare wheel...

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The panel behind the lights is finished with a pocket around the hatch catch which is cool.

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Once in situ it needs some spacers screwed to the boot floor to locate it properly and to stop it bowing in.

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I would post some pictures of the finished boot but everything is now black with carpet up the sides and across the back so it's difficult to see in a picture... I've fixed the hatch microswitch also which avoided me finding a replacement which is cool.

Now the boot is finished and all the cables run to the drivers foot well I have fitted the rear trim. This was a bigger job than I expected since I had the change the rear seat belt mounting brackets which required lifting the body off slightly again. This only took a morning but made fitting the rear seat more of a job than I expected.

 

I've now moved on to some other odd jobs... Siting the front washer bottle which I was going to run the water pipe to the underside of the front bulkhead where I was going to fit some proper washer jets. Now I have found out why the originals that come up through the heater intake are as they are since the bulkhead appears to be an inch thick here! If anyone has proper washer jets fitted I would appreciate some photos of the location!

I've also been poncing around with the bonnet release catch... The plate that holds the cables to the hinge plate baffles me at the moment. Can someone post a picture of theirs?

I've got to the sharp end of the re-wiring now so will make a frame to hold the dash centre panel which will avoid me having to have the dash in whilst I'm wiring it all up and should make for a much easier job running cables.

 

One other thing... Had anyone had to tighten these nuts up before and if so how do you get a spanner on them!DSC_0352.thumb.JPG.c7c4deb0bd06b0d9b4a782b3c7d2c51e.JPG

Edited by mikeeech
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The mirror will be free enough to rotate once that nut is secured (so that you can adjust it) so can't you just use an open ended spanner and turn it with the mirror, take the spanner off, turn the mirror back and repeat?

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18 hours ago, andydclements said:

The mirror will be free enough to rotate once that nut is secured (so that you can adjust it) so can't you just use an open ended spanner and turn it with the mirror, take the spanner off, turn the mirror back and repeat?

The base of the mirror has serrations on the bottom that locate in serrations on the chrome base. I have modified an open ended spanner by grinding away at the outside to make it a thin as possible but I still cannot move the nut to tighten it. A ring spanner won't go round the back since the nut is hard up against the shell of the mirror. I'm reluctant to put the mirror back on until I get them tighter since to Tang's that bend will probably snap off. 

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What is the thread pitch and the current size across the flats Mike?  I've made brass nuts in the past with smaller "AF" dimensions, as suggested by Andy.  Happy to help if I can - still got my lathe!

Pete

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In another situation a bit like this, I took a bicycle spanner with a smaller jaw size than the nut, and filed open the jaw at 45 degrees on each side to make a tool that when pressed hard against the nut allowed it to be turned. Would this be any good?

Cheers, Richard

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  • 2 months later...

A brief update... The wiring is taking much longer than I expected. I have now sited the relays and fuses under the drivers seat. Changing a relay might end up being a pain but the relays and fuses are held on a board under the seat and can be removed in it entirety after disconnecting multi connectors. At least that's the plan.

Over the last 2 weekends I have only wired the side lights, indicators, hazards, light pods, horns, head lamps, fuel pump and fuel lock valves with many more circuits to go. Still, most circuits are fused with 5amp fuses with 16 amp cable so should be plenty safe enough.

I'm fault finding the older fittings as I go. For example, a rear light bulbs holder needed some tweaking to get a good earth connection, i have a non functioning headlamp and the light pods need some mechanical adjustment. I have no idea if the wiper motors will work either!

After having a number of different thoughts regarding the location of my fire extinguisher bottle, I think the location of the fuse box now makes the footwell behind the driver the prime location. The car will then be a 3 seater.

I will post some photos of the work in a few weeks after I have had chance to tidy things up.

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I managed to buy some rear light bulb holders with integral earth connectors, this means not having to rely on the conductivity of the housing. Bought from a seller on ebay it was a long time ago so don't have the detail any more. They also fit the Aston Martin V8.  🙂

It's getting there......

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Yes I have these but the earth connector to the bulb holder (aluminium?) was not making contact with the copper strip that runs down the side of the bulb. It needed some solder to bridge the gap. 

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