Right then better start my '77 S1 project...

[CharlieCroker]

Bloody hell, that was hard work! Finally got the strut off, had to cut the bolt head off and bash the bastardo back through the hole using the bolt from the other side. So now I have at least retained the old shocks (they can go on ebay) only losing one hub bolt. Will buy two new bolts for the new shocks. Still a massive amount to do before the car is back on the road but feel like I'm getting somewhere now :-) Photos next Tuesday.

[CharlieCroker]

Been scrapping and painting all the rusty parts, long laborious job...

 

 

 

Lots of surface rust.

 

 

Leak in the differential.

 

 

 

 

Starting to look a little better.

 

 

Window needs trim replacing.

 

 

 

[cbclotus]

Good on you.i am watching with interest...As i am use less with spanners...All ways liked the Elite Mike

[red vtec]

with the rust, would it be worth getting a compressor with a sand blasting tool on it? they had them in aldi

[esprit s2]

Looking good Charlie. Some super progress there!

[mdw]

For super easy rust removal  put Electrolysis rust removal in the search box at the top of the page.

 

You want the page started  March 11th 2011

 

No more scrubbing with a wire brush and will clean back to bare metal.  I posted up some pics and have used this method ever since I picked up on it here.

 

Next time I need to do a load I will get a plastic dustbin and chop up a washing machine drum to line all around the inside  for best effect. 

[CharlieCroker]

For super easy rust removal  put Electrolysis rust removal in the search box at the top of the page.

 

That's a great method but seeing as I am not doing a body off and am just tidying up this car (making it presentable) I'll have to continue with old school methods. Can't tell you the positions I find myself in trying to get to the pesky difficult areas to get to! All good fun though and even with these old school methods the car is starting to come together, will post a few photos of one of the wheel arches tomorrow, looks good. Cheers guys, thanks for all the great comments ;-) 

[mdw]

Mine didn't come of the chassis I just did all the bits I could get in the tank I used.  Its mainly to make future repair work cleaner and easier to do.

[Herc]

I am low-tech too.  I wash in paraffin ( I get it from the local Scats store), clean with a wire brush or emery cloth, but then leave in a bucket of Bilt Hambler DeOx-C.  

 

You need plenty of crystals in the mix, and remove as much solid rust as you can, and leave it for several days at room temperature, (a week even)  but the results are terrific -  better than sand blasting.  The solution can be reused quite a few times too.

[CharlieCroker]

For what it's worth I use white spirit to clean off all the oily cack, works wonders best engine degreaser I have ever used. Then scrape all loose rust off with a combination of wire brush and scraper, then clean again with meths, leave to dry then paint with, on this occasion hammerite smooth which needs a rough pitted surface to cling to, if it's too smooth then it don't stick! 

[mikeeech]

Not that I'm bragging but all of my suspension bits cost £70 for sand blasting and powder coating (front and rear!) - I did have to take the suspension bushes out though and they have cost considerably more to replace!

[CharlieCroker]

Under arch, before.

 

 

Looks tidy now, cleaned and waxoil'd.

 

 

 

 

[esprit s2]

Amazing the difference that makes! Looking good.

[mikeeech]

Is that a glass fibre repair i see in the before photo? Looking very tidy though.

[CharlieCroker]

Is that a glass fibre repair i see in the before photo? Looking very tidy though.

Yes, small stress fracture, so I drilled a hole at the very end of the crack, stop it growing. Ground out the crack to add surface area, then filled it with glass fibre strand. :-)

[CharlieCroker]

Finally adjusted the hand brake cable, had to resort to cutting another access panel in shell. So for their infinite wisdom Lotus decide to put the brake cable adjustment in the most unaccessable place on the car, undwr the chassis and above the differential, I mean please! So basically unless I am doing something completely wrong you would have to remove all the parts connected to the diff and then the diff itself to gain access?! Anyhow I've now adjusted the cable, quick question though, the two star adjusters and the spring clip that do the adjusting, should that move over the stars when the hand brake is applied. Now that I can see what is going on inside the drum I can see those clips riding over the stars as I apply the handbrake? Doesn't seem right.

Edited April 27, 2014 by CharlieCroker

[CharlieCroker]

Few photos of this weekends efforts, rear brakes giving me some bother, had to source brake shoe spring, found a mini spring on ebay, seems to work just fine. Question, the star spring clip, should that move over the star when the handbrake is applied?

 

 

Nightmare trying to adjust the cable!

 

 

Found the fuse box cover in the glove box, nice :-)

 

 

Rear all painted up now, looks slightly better me thinks.

 

 

Slowly coming together, just need to get the suspension back in, should be fun! 

 

 

 

 

[CharlieCroker]

Not a great deal done this weekend due to a car show and good weather, just more cleaning and preparation. The rear onboard drums are now ready to go back seeing as the hand brake is now free as a bird. So now I am close to adding the 'twist' to this project that I mentioned way back in the first post, should I let the secret out now or wait until all the fabrication is done? Either way, I'm sure to unsettle a few feathers... 

[vintaylor]

[esprit s2]

Oh dear, not liking the sound of this........;-)

[CharlieCroker]

Haha, gunna be a marmite moment... 

[vintaylor]

haha I hope you're not putting 20 inch rims on the thing !

[CharlieCroker]

I could post a photo... 

[vintaylor]

go for it !

[CharlieCroker]

Nah, I'll think I'll wait...