Everyday Appia

[the.cern]

Does anyone else think that where Simon lives there must be a time bubble where there are 48 hours per day, I have no idea how he gets so much done in such a short amount of time AND carries on a business/has a life etc.......

Peter

That thought had occurred to me also Peter, several times ............ Chugga falls into the same category !!!!!!!

                                       Andy

[simonandjuliet]

Peter, the days are the same - I just have a VERY tolerant wife ......

Hooray ! Dog is back, he's been away for a while so no bodywork done in the interim. He has started on the passenger side today and thinking about some of the consternation caused by James' Appia, I am a bit reluctant to share these pictures, but here goes and I'll keep my head down !!!

The worst holes have been repaired and rest have been glassed. The front wing was so wrinkled, the only solution was to skim it with filler. Dog needed the lights so he can check alignment and fit, so while we were at it I gave them a clean up and paint. A before and after on the headlights , the side lights have cleaned up really well. The side repeaters are a different matter, requiring a major overhaul. The back is completely rotten and I think the only solution is to replace the bulb holder, grafting on a later piece

I have shown a picture of a Fulvia/Flavia door light alongside because the back bit is very similar to the Appia back bit, 2 contacts instead of 1 on the Appia. Has anyone got another of these that I can buy ?

Lastly, staged shots of the valve tool showing the shape and size. I do not know if I can use a normal valve compressor tool, I think not because the centre valves are very deeply set into the head. Otherwise it is 2 people to put the valves back, one to press down on the tool and the other to fit the collets

[chugga boom]

Does anyone else think that where Simon lives there must be a time bubble where there are 48 hours per day, I have no idea how he gets so much done in such a short amount of time AND carries on a business/has a life etc.......

Peter

That thought had occurred to me also Peter, several times ............ Chugga falls into the same category !!!!!!!

                                       Andy

I believe wales and france are very similar, except the patient wife part  Simon I will look for you tomorrow while going through my appia parts, I've almost sorted everything out into boxes now and i'm sure I have a couple that I could spare you , one request though is to harras me as I will forget !!!

[chugga boom]

sent you an email, got a lamp unit for you, j

[simonandjuliet]

Thanks James !

I have been busy in the vineyard this week , staking new vines and first treatment - a liquid sulphur to help prevent "Excoriose"  (a fungal disease that can rot the wood) so it means that I haven't done much in the garage !

But Dog has !

One side is ready for primer, the rotten rear valance has been cut out and replaced. Other dings have been pushed out and filled. He has started on the driver's side and so hopefully we can move onto 2-pack primer tomorrow.

Once that is done, we are going to leave it to harden fully and I will get back onto the mechanics after I've had my mid-life crisis next week (so there will be no news for 10 days or so). I plan to put her all back together and do the Controle Technique (MOT) with her in primer, then take the chrome off again and paint her. There is a reason for doing it this way, but it is too complicated to explain !

A couple of other pictures showing the indicator repeater lamp with Fulvia door lamp grafted on and an experiment I am trying with a side-exiting exhaust....

[simonandjuliet]

What a mad day ......

Car ready to paint, and we were all ready to go by 10 am - but at the last moment a change of plans meant that we had to move everything. But no transport, alternative location or anything. So a lot of favours were called in !

A Polish friend of a Polish friend lent me his car transporter,along with an empty jerrycan and a list of maladies for said vehicle. At this point I knew it wasn't going to be straightforward. 40 km trip, diesel bought, tank filled, van jump started and we were off. First problem came when we tried to restart the van near home - I could smell burning so opened the bonnet to witness flames coming out of the starter and licking up the front of the engine .......

No fire extinguisher, so I pulled the overflow pipe off the rad, sucked up some water from the expansion tank and blew it onto the fire , phew !

Jumped the van and off again. Then we couldn't push the Appia out of the drive, so dragged her out behind the 4L before dealing with the wayward electrics controlling the winch.

Off to the pig farm - Jim lent us his barn for painting, although the day was warm, still and ideal for painting undercoat outside. We decided to keep the Appia on the transporter for painting and all went well until we had a sudden April shower and, because the van wouldn't start, had to push the them both into the barn and rearrange the compressor etc. The barn electrics were very dodgy - I didn't realise at first that the barn electrics consisted of a series of extension leads that interconnected and they all arrived back at a single socket. In effect we had a powerful compressor at the end of 200 yards of cable, so it would not run

That got sorted !

Paint went on well, thin coat of etch primer over everything and then a good 2K filler primer back out in the sunshine. By this time it is 6pm and we haven't even had a cup of tea, let alone a biscuit

Back home without further ado and the Appia came off the van easily and then with Juliet's help (and approval !) we pushed her back into the garage , breathed a huge sigh of relief, poured a glass of wine and collapsed in a corner

(sorry for all the pictures, but just flick through them and it's almost a video)

[simonandjuliet]

Couple more pictures

[DavidLaver]

For all the struggles you make getting a car painted look easier than a drive through car wash...

David

[fay66]

Simon,
No need to apologise for too many photos, the more the merrier, as they're an inspiration to all of us..

Brian
8227

[chugga boom]

great progress , well done 

[simonandjuliet]

Not much progress since the undercoat. I have been away (Haute Route - Chamonix/Zermatt on walking skis) and lame since my return, and Dog has been doing the neighbour's  HY Citroen.

But, guide coat done, body stoppered, engine bay painted and we have started to strip the underseal. David Laver coming to stay tomorrow so I will give him a scraper !

[simonandjuliet]

Dodgy village, ours - leave a car for a few days and someone nicks your wheels .......


Wheels actually removed for painting and new tyres. Tyres off, stripped and undercoated today. Topcoat tomorrow and new 155x80 R14's on Friday. The only option I had for this size was a "Nankang" and stocked by Longstone, although I found them locally at a very reasonable price.
The car still had Michelin X's on 3 wheels ..... (other 2 were ZX's which I have kept because they have a lot of tread and someone may want them for "exhibition" tyres)

Note the stamps and threads on the back for balance weights - stamp says "612" - I think, and all the wheels have different marks. I have no idea what they mean !

ps David managed to get away without doing any scraping .......

[DavidLaver]

No scraping but a bit of heaving wheels and tyres in and out of cars and a garages.  Anyone else think that cream middle and blue rim might have been original?  The blue is a mid metallic so not original to this car which was built silver with lots of silver on it still such as the interior metal.  With Chugga's car in a "two tone" anyone got pictures of an original two tone car?

The rest of my "work" was wobbling piston rings and little ends and sucking teeth going "arhhh, well, 'spose it depends where you want stop with it doesn't it...and any more in that bottle its thirsty work here isn't it".

One moot point is how to fit a core plug - the particular one is below the block above the sump if that makes a difference.  Dry, with a sealant, or some kind of glue or filler over the top?

Another question - can the top part of the dash, the bit with fabric over it, come out without disturbing the wiring?  It would be nice to get the screen inner frame out and that fabric section out to paint rather than having to mask and then touch in with an artists brush.  No particular rush on that one as the plan seems to be to get it on the road and then, as with the Aprilia, bring the details up over time.  It should make a really nice every day car with a fresh engine, new brakes, newly painted but still with seats you don't need to dress up to sit on.  Nice robust plain rim wheels, cheap tyres, rubber mats, decent boot. 

David

[chugga boom]

dash top is 4 bolts into the A posts (2 either side) steering wheel off then it slides towards you with ease and leaves the bottom in place which is held in in a similar fashion , as for wheels, my car was grey originaly but 2 tone wheels, the 2xS3 cars I have broken (both blue 1 light metallic 1 lancia blue) had 2 tone wheels so I think correct

[simonandjuliet]

Have gone 2 tone ! Taken a lot longer esp since we had some paint interaction with microscopic traces of old paint.

Very pleased with the result. Centres are Old English White and the rims are dark blue. I have not chosen a classic Lancia Blue because Juliet wanted something a bit warmer, so couple of shades lighter.

Final picture once lacquered. Now sitting in the kitchen to harden fully ........

Tyre fitting tomorrow ?