South London Sport

[DavidLaver]

For fans of the grit today is all about the smell of burning paint, clouds of rust dust and ooooops - I had my finger over the cooling vent and the angle grinder is now smoking...

Its a good one so a little fire isn't going to kill it.  I'm also glad I paid stupid money for an industrially rated corded drill that can run all day as hard as you like.

David

[simonandjuliet]

Any pictures - progress not flames ?

[DavidLaver]

I'm taking a huge number of photos so getting them out the camera, resized and then the severe edit takes a fair bit of time.  At the moment the weather is just too good to waste sitting at a PC.

There will be photos - and a bit more detail as to what's been going on and what I've found as captions.

Today I really did do the flintstone / ant hill mob thing as I was sitting where the passenger seat would be with my feet out the rear foot well and it was too good an opportunity to miss.

David

[blueboxer]

So what are your plans for 'Patch' now David?

[DavidLaver]

Fret not "Patch" (the Strada Abarth) got a touch more paint yesterday.  I will go back and have another go joining the 130TC forum...  William thought the inside of the roof deserved the same protection as for "severe marine application" and put more primer on instead of going for the gratification of the top coat.  We've just done the front foot before putting the painted roll cage top bar back in.  Lots of ragged holes but painted to stop it spreading and look like someone cares. 

We're using brush on zinc primer.  Brush sits in a jar of water ready to go.  Single pack, non drip.  Its lasted with no top coat on the Augusta and came out very well in several magazine long-term-tests.

http://www.bilthamber.com/paints-and-coatings/electrox

Unlike Simon's "I want to touch everything only the once" approach I'm of the mind that once you've got something free and off the first time taking it on and off later is no big deal - in fact it becomes a pleasure.  In time the screen will come out, the welding get done, and everything back in again but meanwhile it protected.

"April" (the Augusta) is well and enjoyed some sunshine (she was in the way of compost spreading) and is waiting for the rear mudguards to be hung in place if only to fill the cover better.

Another "on and off and on and off" example will be the Flavia's bumper.  Yesterday I started wire brushing the bumper on the car.  I was a bit nervous of snagging the blanket protecting the lights or slipping and having the brush cut through the body.  On my back to wire brush under I thought "maybe it won't take all that long to remove".  Having had several days of WD40 on the bolts they came quietly and pretty soon the bumper is in the back garden and some pipe insulation over the brackets on the car (to protect shins and the car cover).  To my eye it needs a bumper so when its been wire brushed, primed and painted it will go back on.  The car will look better, I don't need to find a place to store the bumper, the bumper won't rot any more.  In time I might bash the dents out and weld up the holes, or a filler and fibre repair, or a rechrome or a better bumper goes on or one of those stainless repros.   

I could buy new bumpers now, restore that one to as new.  However in its role as "static exhibit" the look of the car being the same all over is important.  If the body was pristine that bumper would look wrong.  Likewise with dents and paint scabs a new bumper would look wrong.

Coffee break over...

David

[blueboxer]

Fret not "Patch" (the Strada Abarth) got a touch more paint yesterday.  I will go back and have another go joining the 130TC forum...  William thought the inside of the roof deserved the same protection as for "severe marine application" and put more primer on instead of going for the gratification of the top coat.  We've just done the front foot before putting the painted roll cage top bar back in.  Lots of ragged holes but painted to stop it spreading and look like someone cares. 

We're using brush on zinc primer.  Brush sits in a jar of water ready to go.  Single pack, non drip.  Its lasted with no top coat on the Augusta and came out very well in several magazine long-term-tests.

http://www.bilthamber.com/paints-and-coatings/electrox

Unlike Simon's "I want to touch everything only the once" approach I'm of the mind that once you've got something free and off the first time taking it on and off later is no big deal - in fact it becomes a pleasure.  In time the screen will come out, the welding get done, and everything back in again but meanwhile it protected.

"April" (the Augusta) is well and enjoyed some sunshine (she was in the way of compost spreading) and is waiting for the rear mudguards to be hung in place if only to fill the cover better.

Another "on and off and on and off" example will be the Flavia's bumper.  Yesterday I started wire brushing the bumper on the car.  I was a bit nervous of snagging the blanket protecting the lights or slipping and having the brush cut through the body.  On my back to wire brush under I thought "maybe it won't take all that long to remove".  Having had several days of WD40 on the bolts they came quietly and pretty soon the bumper is in the back garden and some pipe insulation over the brackets on the car (to protect shins and the car cover).  To my eye it needs a bumper so when its been wire brushed, primed and painted it will go back on.  The car will look better, I don't need to find a place to store the bumper, the bumper won't rot any more.  In time I might bash the dents out and weld up the holes, or a filler and fibre repair, or a rechrome or a better bumper goes on or one of those stainless repros.   

I could buy new bumpers now, restore that one to as new.  However in its role as "static exhibit" the look of the car being the same all over is important.  If the body was pristine that bumper would look wrong.  Likewise with dents and paint scabs a new bumper would look wrong.

Coffee break over...

David

Well, it sounds like you've got plenty on the go. Great news that Patch is on the mend. You're definitely set up on the  130tc forum as I asked whether you're account had been activated. All keen to hear what the history/identity of Patch is. Lots of Primer and rust proofing is money well spent on a 130tc.

Glad the Flavia & 130tc are still making progress. It must be nice to flit between the two restorations and I tend to agree that once you've worked out how to do a job the first time then it's seldom as difficult the next.

[phil-m]

For the seized engine engine, rocking it will very likely cause the timing chain to skip and bend the pushrods when fired up or cranked over. Filling the bores with oil or redex or any other liquid will only ever bend a con-rod never a valve. I would fill the bores to the plug thread and leave for a week or so and then gently try and turn it over in the correct direction but to be honest, it is going need a full rebuild anyway in all probability.

[DavidLaver]

The engine will come out and to bits anyway.  As for rocking it free first there's too much to go wrong and it would be for little more than for the fun of it.  As so often patience will be rewarded.

This timing chain issue is something I don't quite understand yet.  I've read that with the very early cars a backfire would be enough to get it to skip.  All sounds a bit Gamma to me

Todays "victory" was the fuel filler pipe to tank connection.  The tank side has a very find thread and the filler pipe is clamped on with a big slotted nut/sleeve like a giant version of a hose pipe to a garden tap.  Photos to follow.  I had thought it would need a special tool but a biker friend put me on to this adjustable "hook wrench".

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/laser-4930-adjustable-hook-wrench-50-120mm 

Having soaked for a week or so (I bought another six pack of wd40 today as well as the spanner) it came quietly, and much of it was hand tight for all it would need a nudge with the spanner every now and then.  The joy of a Lancia: all that effort up front for our pleasure 50 years later.  The pipe could be confused with a bit of exhaust and is a single piece from the tank, along the back of the car, turn under the light, up to the back of the filler box and turn in with a cap on the end.  My hope is that I can get it through the rubber on the back of the box with the cap still on - that would let me open the flap from behind.

Machine Mart made me feel like a kid in a to shop.

David

[HF_Dave]

I have enjoyed reading this thread, I am catching up with your progress only now. Keep up the good work . THANKS. David Mirolo.

[DavidLaver]

There's a contrast with a Strada Abarth we have on the go at the moment.  Its 20 years younger but with that car its all about shearing the head off a bolt, when to use a chisel, when to get the grinder out.   Some will be how it was made, some how its been looked after.

David

[the.cern]

David, have you stumbled on Toolstation. It is run like Screwfix/Argos so is not the Machine Mart toy shop, but it is often the cheapest readily available option. There is one not far from you.

                  Andy

[DavidLaver]

Its right next door to my local screwfix.  I've been in but they've yet to have my money. 

Living in the smoke also B&Q, Wickes, Homebase, Selco, Jewsons, Halfords within a couple of miles - multiple branches of several of those so the puzzle is to get the prices I want on a handy route for the full list.  Wickes price promise (10pct less than the lowest you can point at) is great as is their van in the car park for a bacon roll and a cuppa.  In my first job this old boy would look at the rain lashing down on the window and say "its still too nice a day to be stuck in here" and I remember that having a cuppa and a roll in wickes car park in the drizzle.

Back to abrasives this has some funky stuff for anyone wanting to bling up castings:

https://www.turners-retreat.co.uk/

The J-Flex (cloth backed in inch wide rolls) is brilliant stuff I think was first for metal.  The inflatable drums I didn't really get on with (on wood). 

These are a copy of someone else's design - the originals are brilliant (for wood) and I'll look up the name later.  A proper precision tool and can load with anything you like off the roll.  I've yet to use them on metal but we'll see...

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-sleeveless-sanding-drums-prod896201/

Axminster are still brilliant for all they've grown.  Rutlands are also good.

Anyone use a portable HVLP?  Yet to be tempted but I don't really like rattle can spraying, I avoid spraying anything (but WD40!!) as much as possible.

David 

[DavidLaver]

Somewhat delayed but here's the first batch of photos from the journey home.  The bonnet is up to remove the last few loose bits and bobs.  The oil cooler pipes had to be cut but, much to our surprise, out came good black oil.  Checking the dipstick golden oil to level. 

The weather wasn't good at all.  Drizzle at best and proper downpours at times.  We were in and out in surprisingly short order having had "the tour" as well.

The caption for the last one is "what have I done says the vendor, what have I done says the purchaser".

David

[DavidLaver]

Photo 10 somewhat shows how tight.  I needed to drive through about 4ft of hedge on the left for about 20ft then on the right for 10ft.  Within an inch or so of that wall going down, got it a bit wider, perhaps 3in on the way back.  V.tight the last turn at the bottom out of sight as well.  Getting the other car out they gave up with the trailer and towed it up to the road.

Some good news that day was that the bumper and its mounts were strong enough to pull it.  William didn't like the groans loading but I think they were all the trailer.  (DO NOT TELL ME I'M DELUDED - I KNOW THAT ALREADY).

I understand that spare engine to be from a 2000.  Having now learnt where the number should be I can clean up the right spot and find out.  It doesn't turn.

David

[DavidLaver]

What a shame that door skin fell off in my hand?   

No...how LUCKY.  Better that than when on the road. 

It also lets me see how to remove the door card which will help when it comes to removing the other door card which I'm starting to think necessary to get the other door open.

David