On the way back!

[Angle Grinder]

This is ODF 351F, a former concours winner in her class back in 1991 when she was owned by John Crooke.

The restoration has really been going on since June 2009, but it is now starting to take a more meaningful shape now that new metal has gone into the wheel arches.

Hoping to have her mostly finished for next summer.

[fay66]

Good luck Mike,
Looks like the welding skills are coming in handy

Brian
8227

[thecolonel]

There is a special pleasure when the welding
practice turns into a successful rebuild.

[the.cern]

That is definitely looking good !!!!

Please do keep us posted as you get on with the various parts. How are the mechanics? Is there a lot to do there?

Good luck,

                 Andy

[Angle Grinder]

I wish they were my welding skills, I'd be a wealthier man today.

Mechanically she is very sound and I have a dossier of service history that dates back to 1990. She had £'000's (literally) spent on her in 1999 and has had some nice mods done (e.g. stainless steel liners in the brake cylinders, braided steel brake hoses, a modern alternator fitted, a modern master cylinder fitted, electric fuel pump fitted (she is a carb model), stainless steel exhaust.

I've had a new wooden dashboard made up by a mate for £60. The instrument binnacle was fine, but the main section across the bulkhead was delaminating.

The heater matrix has been re-cored and the heater actually works gloriously well.

She passed her MoT in 2009 without any issues. I just flushed through the brake fluid, changed all the lubricants, cleaned up some electrical contacts and had some welding done to the floorpan. She'll need a new MoT soon, but hopefully all will go well with that.

[HF_Dave]

Nice welding job, It's hard to get the corner looking right where the front wing meets the sill. But that looks like a very good job.

[Angle Grinder]

Near side fromt wing now done. Not too bad, but some new metal required at the 3 o'clock position and some new metal in the box section. Looks great in the temporary top coat that we are using to keep all the good work water tight.

Just the NSR corner and some tidying of the front panel and then we're ready for the final paint.

[Angle Grinder]

The paint job is finished. An excellent job and I'm very impressed by the painter's attention to detail. He's been a great find and it was a pure chance that our paths crossed. Destiny...

The only thing that I'm a bit miffed about is the fact that he's sprayed the anti stone chip finish right up the rear panel between the lamp clusters and up to the bottom lip of the boot. It'll maybe look OK when the trim and bumper are back in place. I'm interested in your thoughts, do I get it sanded down and sprayed smooth (more expense and I just want the car back) OR do I leave it as it is and take comfort in the extra protection against clowns with 4x4s reversing into me?

[DavidLaver]

Try with the bumper first - but my inclination is that they'll never be a better time than now to get it how you want it and it isn't that way quite yet. 

The price will be forgotten (forgiven?) while the quality will be enjoyed for a long long time after.

Google tells me the exact quote from John Ruskin: "Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten."

David

[Angle Grinder]

Nobody has said how nice she looks... I'm feeling a bit hurt! 

[rogerelias]

Shes lookin great There better now 

[fay66]

Nobody has said how nice she looks... I'm feeling a bit hurt! 

Abject apologies Mike, it looks lovely, but I go along with David nows the time to sort the stone chip out and personally I'd rather see it without, on the front valance and along the sills is sensible if body coloured afterwards, but not necessary or desirable for rear valance IMHO

Brian
8227

[Parisien]

Looks the business AG, well done, agree with other re dropping the stoneguard on the rear.


P

[DavidLaver]

Looks good?   Goes without saying 

Great colour.  For me with a maroon interior or a dark biscuit but would look great with grey or cream or light mid or dark blue.

David

[Angle Grinder]

A new clutch is taking priority over the stonechip paint at the moment. 

I've got an HB 1042 clutch disc 200mm with 10 spline shaft of diameter 20mm. Unfortunately, it's for the 819 engined Flavia or the Fulvia 1200 GT (I'm told).

I'll do a good deal on it for anyone that needs it. An even better deal if someone wants to swap it for the correct clutch that my Flavia 1800 needs.

The clutch I need is a Fichtel-Sachs KFS 200K (I think it also has part number HB1043 and is 200mm diameter, with 10 splines and a shaft diameter of ~29mm.