azzurro Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 This week, - ive ordered some diff/axle seals from Italy, they should turn up soon - dropped of my handbrake pads to get rebonded + new diff hard lines for the brakes - searched but did not find a spring place to have the rear leaves reset 2" lower - better luck next time maybe - fitted the brand new KYB eye-eye shocks i picked up for cheaps from the Kumeu Hot Rod show - they are perfect except for being slightly longer (~20mm) at extension and compression than the factory ones, but at least they move and they pretty much bolted up (swapped the crush wasters for the Fiat ones) also continued with fixing rust. Lower valance all back together Boot seal plugged on Ground back slop some primer on So thats the boot area except for the chassis rail 'lid' which ill leave off for now - i want to install some sort of crush tube/gusset thing for the tow bar to stop it fucking out like the original set up did. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 I was able to spend a bit of time on this over this long weekend and close up the rear quarter. First removed the remains of the inner skin and replace it with a single skin. Like the other side, instead of recreating the factory rust trap, i replicated the existing 'shelf' but made it an extra 5mm or so wider to attach directly to the outer skin. inner plate ready to bend to outer 1/4 profile inner bent up to outer profile. + a wee rebate for the bumper mount outer 1/4 from under neath (bumper rebate patch from the original just tacked on) hole which was cut from the original outer skin.It would probably have been easier to just tap it into the nice new steel given the state of it, and the amount of faffing blowing holes in it but its done now Next, make the lower panel to fit. A shrinker/stretcher would be awesome, but this tuned out ok. 1/4 fit looks ok test fit #4358754785 showing off my pie cuts and blow outs that make this shape 1/4 fit looks good, time to weld. I like to have the patch just 'fall' into place with no more than about 1.5mm gap at the most- if you have to force it it wont sit right once its welded and might warp - too big a gap and its a pain to weld and it will warp due to the amount of heat needed to bridge a big gap 1/4 tacked in, this is about 3 passes, just closing up the gaps each time letting it cool be fore stating the next pass.These big panels will warp very easily. 1/4 welds smoothed and ready for some primer Also fixed the rust patch in the sill, good to have a few patches on the go when welding as you can swap between them and avoid over doing it and warping the panel. insider the sill end, not bad for 50 years. Dunno why it rusted out above? sill patches tacked in And all ground back plus smoothed with the 40 grit sander and ready for some primer So that leaves only the front drivers floor and fender to do now rust wise, but I cant make a start on that untill the diff is back in and on its wheels. Axle seals turned up, so swapped them out, changed the pinion seal (the nut was suspiciously easy to get off so will get a new one before i put it back in) with some RTV behind the washer (to stop the leak into the flange). My handbrake pads and diff hard lines need picking up, and i need to get the leaves reset over the next week or so, and meanwhile have some crusty diff/suspension parts to clean. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted April 24, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 24, 2016 I made some progress on getting this back on the the ground, and a little closer to it as well. I got the leaves reset 2 inches lower by an onery old codger out in Glen Eden (deepest west Auckland) who cooks them in a diesel fired forge in a corrugated iron shed out the back of his house. Top stuff. about 3 days later i picked them up and i also needed a couple of shackle bushes as they were shagged out. Luckily these take 125 (and Fiat Dino) sized bushes so they are easy to find. I also got the wee handbrake shoes relined and new hard lines made up for the diff as well, and a new diff pinion nut, pinion seal, and axle seals. I was a bit worried about the new pinion nut messing up the bearing preload as it was a different depth and new nylon (the old one i could turn off by hand so i dind trust it was in the right place when i removed it either) but i figured so long as the diff felt right and i didnt exceed 200ft/lb doing it up i wouldnt further crush the crush washer and it would be ok. Fingies crossed i guess! Shiney! Anyway, spent the day connecting stuff up and etc and finally got it back on the ground to see where we ended up Pretty happy with that! 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 Trailer has been stealing most of my car time, but also been waiting on a couple of things. When i went to bleed the rear brakes after taking the shots above, one of the lines that joins the caliper halves together had a leak, i though it was some grit in the threads or the flare being over tightened, but no. Anyway, all back together now with new lines (shoulda got them made up first time around) Also pickup up a Civic Radiator from Zebra when i picked up the trailer to try, and it JUST fits. Dont look at my janky extened pulley! The nose of the waterpump shaft is only 45mm from the radiator and is pretty much bang in the middle of it This is all so i could remove the noisy, hp sapping and unreliable electromagnetic fan. It also has a shroud so might even suck some air though the radiator instead of just mixing the air in the engine bay with an assortment of fingers. I may swap it out for a bigger pusher fan on the other side eventually. Just need a top (and probably a bottom) hose so i can run it for longer than a few minutes, which i need to do when i use this to pull the spare car from its pit on the lawn. Next job is to clean up and refit the towbar to do just that. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted June 5, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted June 5, 2016 got this old bus running again after buttoning up the cooling system, and fitting the tow bar Then backed it out in to the sun for the first time in aaages. leetle bit of rake! will hopefully come down with interior etc installed then proceeded to pull the parts car out of its spot (which is over a bit of a hump and slighlty down hill) with it. YO DAWG! I HEARD YOU LIKE 2300 WAGONS SO...etc I had to get Mrs Azzurro to drive the tow car while I 'steered' the parts wagon (by kicking he wheels, as it has no steering box or steering wheel!) and controlled its forwards momentum with wooden blocks. Seems a shame to put an exhaust on it, but in other news, she said she likes driving it So now its in reach of my air hose and extension cord its dismantling time Unfortunately when emptying the boot out (so i can remove the fuel tank - the one that came in the nautilus has a massive dent in it,) the pane of spare hatch glass smashed lucky i have two more i guess. 14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted June 6, 2016 Author Share Posted June 6, 2016 Pulled the remains of the exhuast off the parts car, wasnt expecting much, but is acutally in pretty good nick (after filling a few hioles) and has a stainless back box, so that will do for WoF. Now that the towing is done, time to remove what little structual rigidity existed in the front right quarter... this is what i looked like before: After my treasure more than a couple of spot welds to drill then i will start adding new steel back in. Like a complicated jigsaw puzzle where you get toi make the pieces. Im going to rebuild the sill to strengthen it up again before removing the floor panel and heater cross member itself. The jack is under one of the cross members to ensure the door still closes nicely! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted June 19, 2016 Author Share Posted June 19, 2016 Prodding away at this, couple hours here and there instead of watching dribble on TV adds up,havnt taken many photos tho.front end of the inner sill back in place. Small section in the bottom corner of the firewall too- i will pull the floor panel out in the next stage and replace it, thats why its still haggardOuter on to the lower kick panel, and lower A-Pillar/strenghtner and a bit in between them you cant see to join them and stop crap going into the sill proper. \You would never know Now thats done and stronger than its been for years, I have removed the door (still closes, no worse than it was ) to finish off the outer sill area and then make a start on the floor.Also got some new tyres and rims for my model (1:43 Campagnolos are for winners) so i painted them and slammed them on.Just needs a roof rack, monsoons and a visor and it will be perfect 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 Another angle of the sill closing shenaigans, also showing the outer sill less the end cap. No wonder they rust out here. 3 knife edge plug welded seams (triple thickness) all facing the rear of the tyre with a couple of pockets to collect grime. Just like it lest the factory... With the door off i can remove the rest of the sill and clean up everthing a bit sill outer test fitted to size up the end cap (i forgot to allow for the lip that plugs to the inner sill! ) a bit extra added to the patch including the end cap, mostly buzzed on and first grind back not bad! The fender on this side is a replacement , im guessing a fender bender based on the gobs of leading i melted from the repairs in the bottom front valance 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 then the welder ran out of gas. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted July 17, 2016 Author Share Posted July 17, 2016 Havnt updated for a while but havnt been doing nothing. sigh. nothing or it but to keep cutting till its clean steel. Cut it all out Floor panel pattern. Pretty sure this is the first panel installed on the chassis, it is under all the other panels and was a pain to get out and install spotted in and primered 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted July 17, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 17, 2016 Then the cross member. The factory part is crazily complicated becasue in the 'De luxe' version its a rear passenger foot warmer. My car is not deluxe, but has the heater and the vents just missing the section over the tunnel between them. Managed to reuse the factory 'airbox' parts It does make the part signiicantly stronger if nothing else. The factory contruction is 4 rectangular holse with 2 on the rear and 3 on the front covered by a plate spotted over them. WHy? I dont know, so i didnt do that. IT FITS! Then the tunnell strengthening plate. I dont have a bead roller but i do have hammers and a vice and a bit of rod to make the ribs. Flattened out and then bent the other way, plus drill a lot of holse in it. I made this a bit bigger than factory to pick up on the cross members instead of the middle of the floor. BAM! - and the rust is gone I did reuse the remains of the cover plate. Just the drivers headlight area to go and thats all the rust! I have yet to chop any sections off the parts car, other than the exhaust which I faffed around with this evening and is going on next. 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted July 22, 2016 Author Share Posted July 22, 2016 Patch work quilted up the original down pipe with a section of pipe with a joint already in it, welded the other joiner end (and some patches) into the parts car exhaust, and installed it. i installed the fuel tank from the parts car after a clean out and the sender from the original tank the other day so as its now down off the stands and away from the wall, I also connected up the fuel tank/pump piping in the engine bay incl with a filter but i have to get some gas and remember to prime it to see how slow and boring it sounds now */*/*/* Also cut my very first rust section out of the parts car for the very* last** rusty area on the project car. Rust traps! I wish i could say thats all done but ive got a few fiddly patches to make one good one out of two and a lot of careful measuring to do yet! Check out this area in behind the valance/bumper mount/radiator support. One bonus is its going to be easy to sort this properly with all the other bits out of the way. Guess which one is the parts car 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted July 24, 2016 Author Share Posted July 24, 2016 This weekend I got as far as tacking the rust cut on ater remaking the lower half of the headlight bucket. Valance is also back together but my potato couldnt get a good shot after pushing it back into its spot. /*/*/ I went and picked up these or the 125 yesterday from up north, had a good yarn to the seller who is about to get his 125 back on the road. While i was up there I also pickup up another couple of projects : This Rat-leigh 20 (to go with the Mrs' mint Healing Cruiser) from a guy who might also buy a few of my surboards, and this which I found in a pile of rubbish by the road Which is now sorted with new brake pads and a tidy up for some as yet unknown little charger to do some mean skids. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azzurro Posted July 25, 2016 Author Share Posted July 25, 2016 Just a quicky, Valance quilting, DONE Rust Cut stitching and indicator/park light bracket installed, CHECK. So, I have now finished all* the welding on this. In the tradition of my 125 build, "take that, you rusty f@&ker!" :drunk: *Obviously i mean 'mostly', other than a few touch ups (and the inevitable forgotten or missed bit) including a couple i can see in these shots Next job, filler 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted August 5, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 5, 2016 grrrr! looks kinda like < > but blue major body work completed! Then painted the interior, a light grey same as the engine bay and as per the few original patches you can see not covered in 'tacky brown'.That rusty coloured stuff all over everything is actually some sort of aftermarket cavity wax that has worked very well where it was, so i just went and enscapulated it. Cleaning with paint! primer coat 1 grey top coat. I then rattle canned the black things black and even managed to put a couple of minor interior grommets and things back on! 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted August 14, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 14, 2016 Paint, yay! high build primer. Then the blue. Colour contrast looks good. What's better than eating a mandarin? Need to wait for the paint to dry for a couple of days then i will mask if off and spray it an off white to match how i got it, but just the roof panel not to the bottom of the window line, thusly: 24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted August 21, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 21, 2016 Got the roof paint finally finished this weekend. mrs a found this cool lace in an op shop a while ago, and ive wanted to use it on the car since Unfortunately the spray glue i used to stick the lace down was a bit too 'repositionable' and it didnt turn out as crisp or consistent as i would have liked. Lucky i have a massive roof rack to partly hide it! I swapped a visor with j.e.d. a while ago or a mustard one that it his HQ perect, but it was gloss black I so painted the upper side to match the of white roof, but the underside has a secret special glare reducing coating. Needs some trimming and a bracket before i can fit it (and a windscreen!). The boy and I put the doors on today as well as a few of the very many trims, and Ive just picked up the boxes of trims and random bits from the lockup, at least some of which that i have partially cleaned up to start mixing and matching with bits off the parts car. As you can they do look a bit 'bolted on' but hopefully the colour and shine will even out a bit more when I get around to waxing/polishing the doors and wet sand & buff the paint (you can see a few spots of putty on a couple of the bigger runs!) Car was runnning very rough, idling on 5 and missing etc, but I ixed it with on eor a combination of a - actual new spark plugs instead of carboned up 125 hand me downs, - the 'new' dizzy cap from the dizzy I got from Horopito and - some new spark plug leads - tighten alt belt - also tightened/changed a couple of hose clamps and stuff and shes seems to be running sweet as a nut again so hopefully leaks a bit less now too. 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted August 28, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted August 28, 2016 Went treasure hunting with EURON8 @ Zebra today, I got a Delta GTi head & manifolds (just because) alternator (for wagon)and starter (maybe also for wagon) + some bits off that cortina for my escort trailer (shocks, rims & a jack) as well as some newish retractable seatbelts. Also been busy cleaning and bolting things back on, and its got its face back on And got as far as the lights and bumper on the rear. Tail gate and lift needs some work before fitting, hopefully i will be able to resist 'over' tidying it. Soon! 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted September 4, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 4, 2016 Started installing the interior, this car came with a tan interior but the parts car came with most of an extra red carpet set in good nick that i have used so far, as well as the red interior it has, that i will use the seats, doorcards and sill covers from. Unsure what to do about sounds as yet, as there are no good spots to put the (most important IMO) front speakers without cutting something rare and finealled. Amp will slot under the seat easy and 6x9s will fit in the side panels in the boot no trouble and they are just vinyl over card and i have a spare. May do a suitcase boom box thing but IDK. Will have another think after the interior is a bit more together Tail lift and tail gate installed, both spares that came with the parts car. I painted the lift with spray cans but just polished the enamel painted gate. The original tail gate from this car that i had carefully welded, bogged & sanded (x100) primed and painted, sheared a hinge pin while bolting it on for the first time... Also test fitted the monsoons 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post azzurro Posted September 11, 2016 Author Popular Post Share Posted September 11, 2016 I needed to get a new windscreen for my daily, and managed to convince AALAWS to do it and have him swap the good wind screen in from the parts car. I was prepping the parts screen for removal and managed to remove all the trim apart from a couple of rusty clips ok, and levering the remains of the last clip out I flippin blimmin bloody darn gosh cracked it didn't I, so left it there. The Nautilus just has the original screen so its waterproof and drivable, but has massive wiper gouges and is cracked from when we removed it Fingers crossed I can source another one! despite that huge self inflicted dick punch i got a bit more ore stuff installed, its been slow going as the interior all overlaps a smidge and has to go in in a specific order, as I clean as find stuff not quite in that order. However with the extra weight, the back is starting to come down Back seat in Cut up a cheap rug that didn't suit the house, but suits the wagon, even managed to use a few offcuts for a couple of the front sill covers too. Sweet view of the tat collection from the master suite/coffin position 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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