815 coupe restoration

[Kevinlincs]

I had a good meeting with a guy who does full time restoration on the same yard as me today, we had a good look under the car and came to a great agreement from my point of view.
He will tackle all the structural underside work which is mainly scraping off the thick underseal from the floors and then making new floor pans to replace what is there now.
The outer sills will be renewed as they have rust on the insides, central sills will also be rubbish no doubt. Basically anything that needs doing will be done to make it strong and secure, no area left untouched.
We are going to attach the bodyshell to a rollover frame to make that task easier. I've seen a couple of cars in his shed today that are part way through and an MG midget that is just completed and his work looks great.
Once that is done I will have the car back so I can do the damage repairs to the front and rear myself.
I've already taken the front and rear windscreens out this afternoon in readiness for the car going to him in a couple of weeks.
The rot under the rear window he is probably going to tackle, or maybe I will.

[Kevinlincs]

Bit of grot under the drivers side corner, more on the dash top than the screen aperture so will have a good look when the time comes.

[bobhenry999]

Kevin,
Great work with the portapower a good result.  I remember using them back in the day when I was in the London Fire Brigade, they were incredibly versatile if you new how to use them.
Good luck with the ongoing work, keep us all posted, and if my unrestored 815 can be of any help with measurements, profiles, photos etc do let me know I’d be glad to help.
Bob

[Kevinlincs]

Appreciate the offer Bob, it would be handy to have one local to have a look at but they are few and far between!
I did have a look and take some snaps of Colin Clamps' cars when down at his place a week or two ago collecting the better, used rear end but you don't know what you need to look at until you need to! Was handy to see where stuff goes in the engine bay though as mine has nothing connected in place!

Went up to the unit last night to undo all the rear axle bolts so it's ready for removal to go to the welders soon, the temps in the workshop in the afternoon would have been unbearable so a 7PM to 10PM session was much more comfortable, soon enough it will be too cold to be there without wrapping up like an Eskimo I'm sure, but thankfully the Evening trip was succesful with only a couple of broken or sheared bolts.
The front subframe bolts are all loose already so the shell can soon be nade fit my A frame tilter that has erved me well on mnay Lancia and Alfa cars,  I don't envy Dan the task of scraping all the thick black underseal off so he can see what needs repairing but he seems happy to do it and insists that all areas need inspecting which fits exactly what I want doing so I'm keen to see how he gets on. OK it will be a bill for materials and labour that I wouldn't get if I did it myself (materials aside of course) but it would take me many months of spare time and Saturdays ad this way it will get done far quicker and I will get the car back whilst I still have full enthusiasm, something than can easiley wane after scores of hours scraping and welding without seeming to get far.
Dan will do all the underside work, floors and sills etc plus the areas around the rear spring mounts which should see me get a car back that is structurally sound and I can then do the rear end damage repairs in realtive comfort.
Haven't yet decided if I will spray it myself, I have all the equipment to prep and paint it and have done many in the past inc recently the Y10 and integrale for example but it again takes time and would be quicker sending to the professionals but again gains a sizeable bill...
Colour wise I really like the Grigio Newmarket which is a lovely metallic grey that Colins' Flavia convertible is painted in, not strictly available for the coupe in my model year but I think it looks very stylish and is at least a factory colour. He's kindly found the colour codes for me so I will get an aerosol or a 1/4 litre made up so I can spray some tester panels. A while away from having to order the paint of course but it's nice to dream!

[bobhenry999]

Kevin,

It’s going to be a mammoth task but will be well worth it in the end. Do let me know if I or my car can be any help.

Bob

[Kevinlincs]

It is indeed going to be a big task Bob, but one I'm looking forward to!
For once I've taken the sensible decision to delegate some of the work rather than attempt it all myself, particularly the horrible jobs like the scaping of underseal from the floor pans!
I've been up to the unit today to get the remaining glass out, rear side windows and door glass. Took me a while to figure out the door glass removal as it wasn't obvious to me at least how they came out! The usual removable window channel guides that every other car I've seen puzzled me by being welded in place and seemingly no bolts to remove the rearmost channel either  Eventually I spotted the bolt holding that guide in and the glass can then just have enough room to drop to the bottom of the door and slide out of the front guide then up and out of the door at a 45 degree angle. The opening 1/4 light had some tiny fixing screws, some of which came out and some didn't but all glass now out.
The roof lining appeared to me that it must be fixed to a wooden frame as there was a row of staples all around under the side trims so I'd hoped that peeling the glued edges away would be enough but no, the vinyl split as soon as any attempt to remove was done, and the staples were straight into the metal roof frame! Upshot is the roof lining is now scrap apart from being useful for a template for a new one to be made. A shame as although dirty and stained it was in one piece but experience has told me that it wouldn't have survived the welding ans repairs ahead without being ruined if left in place besides the fire risk with leaving it in place. Just another task to be added to the list!   

[Kevinlincs]

Quick update.
New outer sills are on order from Italy, they should be here in a week or so Customs delays permitting.
The car will then go to Dan to have the vast majority of the welding done, certainly all the sturctural underside and sill work. I may end up doing a few of the upper bodywork repairs, certainly the repairs to the bootlid and rear end damage.
Hopefully ina few weeks progress will start.
I aim to strip the engine down too.

[DavidLaver]

Sounds like the rule is that anything sitting or standing you'll do, anything over head or flat on your back can get done the other side of the yard.  How many Alfasuds etc etc have you done?  You do know what you're missing out on!!!!

[Kevinlincs]

Sounds like the rule is that anything sitting or standing you'll do, anything over head or flat on your back can get done the other side of the yard.  How many Alfasuds etc etc have you done?  You do know what you're missing out on!!!!

I'm less inclined nowadays to spend time underneath cars with hot tar dripping on my face, that novelty has worn off now!
Although it pains me to pay someone for what I could do myself I am convinced it will be worth it to get the car back with a few bodywork jobs left to do with the floors and sills done whilst having a tank full of enthusiasm rather than having already had that eroded, so the car will be pleasureable to work on rather than being a noose that I fitted arounf my own kneck!
This car will finally, very much finally be my last restoration, to this depth at least. I'd have loved to have done the Flaminia coupe also with that  belonging to the old guy who also had my integrale, but knew I didn't have the stamina left for both cars and the Flavia is a car I really want to do and cherish.
As for cars I've done for myself and for friends over the last 15 or so years in my spare time, there has been a few.
For myself there has been,
S1 AlfaSud Ti
S3 AlfaSud Ti
S3 Alfa Sprint
Lancia Y10
Lancia Prisma
Lancia Delta integrale
Lancia Dedra turbo
Alfa 145 modded to run 20V turbo from Fiat coupe
Alfa 155 TS
S3 AlfaSud 1.7 16V trackday car
Alfa GTV
Probably others I've forgotten about
Also did a full restoration on a Hillman Imp for my lad, weeks of welding and a full respray.
I've done a few 'Suds and Sprints for friends mostly at home on my gravel driveway before getting the comfort of a rented workshop!
There was also the Fulvia Berlina that I did a few years ago for my good friend Richard.
I've lost count of how many hours, evenings and weekends that have been sacrificed to the tasks. Holidays too were often spent having a busy week sorting cars before going back to work for a rest!
Once the Flavia is done, which will not be rushed, then I have no itch to start any other big jobs. So I aim to make this car as nice as I can then cherish it with the integrale. The Dedra I would love to keep but fell it will make way, a pair of Lancia is surely enough.

[Kevinlincs]

This was my first sight of the Flavia on the back of Richards trailer, back in 2016 according to the date stamp so it has been a long time coming to get started.
When bought the plan was for us to sort it out between us and share any profit after having the car a season each.
As time moved on I became the sole owner via various deals and work done etc, many a car has gone back and forth between us including the Y10 GTie for instance, and a 145 QV, both of which contributed to my sole ownership of the Flavia.

[Kevinlincs]

The car has now gone to Dan for him to start on the floor and sill replacement, a bumpy and dusty ride being towed behind his van but at least I've now had a ride in it albeit with no glass and a seat not bolted down, a great 1/4 mile ride!
He should be starting on it next week, says might even have it back by New Year if all goes well...

[Kevinlincs]

Can anyone help with a query over the jacking points please? My car currently has none and looking at the one at MITCAR last Sunday it appears that there should be a flat pad at each corner for the jack to sit on.
Can anyone give me more details as for size and what the jack location should look like, I don't think I have a jack yet but will check.

[Kevinlincs]

I have partially stripped the engine now, heads off and pistons out.
Oddly all 4 pistons had broken top compression rings, no real scoring of the bores so hadn't been run for long like that.
Head gaskets had been changed at some point, certainly weren't the original 60 year old ones, head bolts had copper grease smeared on them which no doubt helped them all come out OK with only a couple slightly furring up the holes through the head.
I wonder if at some point it had overheated, had the head gaskets replaced but the heat had broken the top rings so the wengine didn't run well with the lack of compression so was removed? No way of knowing I guess so the only thing to do is a full strip and rebuild.
Has anyone removed the liners on the 1.8 engine succesfully? Looks like it could open a can of worms disturbing them but rebuilding the lot and not fitting new base seals would be foolish. Do they take a lot of pulling out? I thought a tool could be rigged up like a long puller, weld a big X to act on the base with a long theaded bar pulling on a top bracket braced over the engine casing, shsould draw them out I figure...

[bobhenry999]

Kevin,

I’m away on holiday this week but will be home on Friday the 20th so would be happy to send you some photos of the unrestored jacking points on my car if that would help.

Bob

[Kevinlincs]

Kevin,

I’m away on holiday this week but will be home on Friday the 20th so would be happy to send you some photos of the unrestored jacking points on my car if that would help.

Bob

That would be greatly appreciated thanks Bob, I did crwal on the grass at Burghley but a better idea on diemnsions and any other details would be handy, didn't look like a simple flat section.