Portuguese Aprilia

[Parisien]

Yet again Mic...your industry and passion shames most of the rest of us!!

Absolutely brilliant........on home straight now, well done


P

[Parisien]

Have a look on this thread for any useful info/links re the glass.......

http://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=5503.0


P

[fay66]

Being your only talking 2mm is it not possible to have them ground down if the correct size isn't available?

Brian
8227

[Mic]

Thanks for useful and, indeed, nice comments. If only I were doing something myself apart from write cheques!  Days of hands-on work long past.  The advantage is that it will be on the road soon, hopefully, rather than my ten years battle years ago with a 1959 250GT which told me how awful those so called exotic Ferraris were.  Great engine but suspension and body ****.

I have checked out the recommended links but can't find anything quite right for Aprilia glass but will consult the fettler on grinding a touch away.  Diameter of the new glass supplied is 19.4 cm by the way.  I await more comments from Hans at Italparts.  I'll report progress as and when.

[simonandjuliet]

Looking great Mic, keep writing those cheques - excellent progress ....

[Mic]

Far too long since my last submission but when the real work is done at a distance – well, 15 kms – it is just a case of reporting from visit to visit.  I don’t want to go over too often and get in the way.

So here is the update.

Engine, looking very pretty and ready to run.  The stainless steel exhaust system fitted absolutely perfectly.  No mod needed.

Gearbox.  A few problems here but new bearings fitted and then discovered that it was possible for two gears to be engaged at the same time.  In the past some bodger had hacked around at the back end of the box and one of the small balls had been smashed hard down into its housing thus fouling up the selectors.  However, Paulo has put that to rights but it needed some very accurate and delicate drilling to clear out the metal that had been forced in.

The rear axle is in place; see it in a few bits in an earlier posting, as well as the front end and the car was ready to sit on wheels for the first time in six months.

So then to the next major stage, to the electrician for all wiring to be put in place and I am told – not yet seen – the fuel tank sender and gauge work.  Must not get too excited.

One oddity was that at this point we found out that one hole in the facia, where the distribution panel fits, had been filled up; the top hole that houses the trafficator switch.  One wonders why.  Of course I will have flashers – pisca pisca they say here – rather than trafficators

Two days ago the car was shifted again, this time to estofador – which sounds much more interesting than upholsterer.  I am sticking to cloth and this came from Calabria, eventually.  I think it was DHL who fouled up and there was a delay of five weeks before they discovered the bolt of cloth had arrived in their Barcelona depot and never reappeared.  So a replacement bolt had to be sent although did not really delay things.

Hopefully, Easter now being over, the trim will be finished end of next week before which I hope to be able to go and inspect progress.  Did make a visit before the car was sent to this guy so have been able to see his work on other cars and brief him my wants.

There still remain a few jobs to be done back at the main workshop.  Another visit to the paint shop will be needed as I had not noticed before that there are two nice holes in the side of the car, just forward of the driver’s door.  Why?  For one of those radio antenna.  Not needed so will be filled.  Who wants a radio in an interesting car?

So I guess end of April or early May to be up and running at which point the road tests will begin so life should get really interesting when inevitably problems show up.

[simonandjuliet]

Lovely - but MORE photos please !!

Great progress- keep at it .....

[Sliding Pillar]

Hi Mic, Those rear bump stops look very long, I'm sure they didn't look like that on my Aprilia...... but perhaps that was something to do with my driving!! 
Ade.

[simonandjuliet]

You are right Ade, I think mine are pretty standard - Mic, maybe invest in a Stanley knife ?

[Sliding Pillar]

........although with those bump stops you won't need to put the rear spring on, just tell everyone that it was the first use of rubber cone suspension........... way before Moulton!!

[Mic]

Rear bump stops.

Can anyone tell me some measurements please.  I can get this sorted before the car is on the road which we now hope will be end of May.  I think the delay is professionally called slippage.

At the moment the car is with the upholsterer.  The cloth came from Calabria (I think there was a TV programme last night about certain events in this area) but we had doubts as to its quality.  It is supposed to be original type of cloth.  It seemed very weak but experiment has now shown that it is stronger than it looks but needs a lining which it obviously would have had originally. 

Photos will follow when I have some worth sending but difficult at the moment.

[Mic]

At last an update.  The car was delayed at the electricians and stuck there while we waited for a slot at the estofador, the upholsterer.  Some worries about the thin material that came from Elvezio in Calabria and is said to be the original type of material.  However Rui the Estof played around with it and found it is really strong and, as a test, he only managed to damage a portion by making up a small cushion and spending a weekend jumping up and down and sliding over it, all of which it survived, then deliberately attacking it with a screwdriver.  He decided the material is more than good enough, although obviously it is backed with a good lining.

We decided to have carpet in the front as well as the back as you can see.  May not be original but certainly make things quieter.  Rui also made up a shelf in the boot and, surprise, surprise, I found that he had lined the glove box with carpet as well!  To save time today the car was moved back to the main workshop and will be followed by the front seats and the door pulls whilst other items are attended to.

I hope we are on the last leg.  There is a list of things to be done including taking the advice of Ade, Simon and others in cutting down the vast bump stops.  Although the wiring is fitted the varoius instruments and lights still have to be connected, the flashers etc. to be fitted to the bumpers to avoid making more holes in the body.  Locks to be fitted to driver's door and boot, windscreen and rear window glass to be fitted, various little blue plaques to be replaced - bit faded with age, like me, but they are the ones that came with the car.  Then the wheels to be aligned and brakes introduced to fluid and so on.  In other words a number of small jobs and hope that there are no major snags.

More news before too long I hope.


We are still awaiting the grill.  I am told it was made some while back but the guy who does the chriming has been off sick.  Hopefully will be there on next visit end of this week.  By then the gearbox will be back in place and I trust it will not be long before I can hear the engine! 

[davidwheeler]

Please don't replace the little blue plaques.  It is a lovely restoration but that would be just a bit too Palm Beach.

[simonandjuliet]

Looking lovely, Mic. Some nice individual touches - is that a small shelf to the left of the battery box ?

You are very lucky to have found someone who is able to do all this, and at quite a pace !

[Mic]

Just back from a check on progress and photo here shows the wiring covers. The horizontal one, by the bulkhead, was missing and it has been fabricated from photos and dimensions kindly provided by Simon.  Looks very smart.  Just pushed into place at the moment to show it fits.  I know a number of cars do not have these covers but they make a big difference.

Rear window glass and surround in place and windscreen about to be mounted along with its surround.  Whilst we were there they were fitting a driver’s door lock.  Not sure where the lock comes from but one that has been adapted.

Major item is the grill which has been delivered, chromed, and will be in place shortly so watch for a photo of that.