Fanalone restoration

[ncundy]

Ahh, the Lancia Bambino Coupetta, yes: obviously because of the colour I can only go out when it is dark and it is killing my back, but on the bright side wheel bearings are easier to get hold off and the special tool count is considerably lower. Inevitably though the time will come when I have to give it back to my daughter 

Spring interleaves were fine - a little bit ragged at the ends (a few small holes) but no tares and good were it matters, so I just cleaned them and put them back.
Thanks for the comments - I think I need to do a bit of tidying up, my original intention of annotating each photo has somewhat fallen by the wayside.

Neil

[ncundy]

In amoungst restoring the window mechanisms and locks I have made (actually my father in this case !) this little gismo to replace the rather ineffectual S1 windscreen washer systems. It replaces the pull plunger behind the dash, looks exactly the same and works in the same direction - but switches a completely hidden electric washer pump. The complete "box of bits" cost less than £20 and should make for a much better solution. It is a straight replacement and requires very little fitting.

The locks required a bit of work as the pins were worn and burred over, and I still have to make some shims for the female barrel on the drivers side, where there is too much wear on the barrel causing the key to stick.

The window winders are very nicely made, particularly the lovely little clutch mechanism in the winder and are now smooth and solid.

[ncundy]

I have done a bit of catching up. There are some more pictures of my brothers bodyshell and some of the door fittings I have been finishing.

[Scarpia]

looking at the rear suspension pictures I see an engineering technique I am unfamiliar with but possibly a useful tip. In the first picture you are clearly machining the corroded edge of a rear disc with a toothbrush.? Are they now selling steel fibred toothbrushes in the UK for the more akward to remove deposits and if so ,did it produce a good finish on the disc? This may have other useful applications.

and by the way, excellent job. looks really great.

[ncundy]

Cracking finish on the discs, specially designed for people with a mouth like Ken Dodd - highly recomended for for large surface area, highly abrasive surfaces !

[ColinMarr]

Sounds lovely, but I can't see any pictures! I can see the earlier ones to do with door catches, but how do I access the ones you now refer to?

Colin

[ncundy]

They are on the 03_rear_suspension page. Not new photos but annotated now. The new photos of my brothers car are in Stripped_shell. Sometimes they take a while to load, but they ar all there - honest!

[ColinMarr]

I would dearly love to understand this better, but where is the ‘03_rear_suspension page’? I have searched back on this thread and found lots of good things, but not this. How about re-posting it!

Yes, I have struggled with rear springs, hangers, discs, and dampers and want to know more about how others have coped – probably better than me I am sure.

Colin

[Scarpia]

10 posts below Colin

By the way Neil, I'll hear nothing said against Ken Dodd. A fine "god" like figure of a man if ever there was one.

Took the calipers off my fulvia for a refurb just yesterday (without the aid of a toothbrush I must admit.)I had managed to break a bleed nipple off flush with the caliper body when trying to bleed the brakes.Bugger.Anyone had the same experience and how terminal could it be.?

[ncundy]

Try these:

http://fanalonerestoration.com/03_rear_suspension/index.html
http://fanalonerestoration.com/S2_1600_Bodyshell/index.html

Hope that fixes it.
Neil

[ncundy]

Well it can always be drilled out and a threadsert or some such put in - so not terminal. If you can get it on a pedestal drill you would be able to drill the nipple out as far as the thread (not into the thread) and then tap it out with the correct size tap - I have done this few times but you have to able to get the drill in straight and control it. Either way you would have to strip and clean the caliper afterwards. Alternatively can you file a shallow slot in the top and get a small screwdriver in (if its not seized) to rotate it ?
As you say - bugger !

[ColinMarr]

Now I see them! Silly me, I was looking for photos in the text, not a link. Yes, very nice too and now I also see the significance of the toothbrush! Mine doesn’t seem to have the blue plate so probably not a Fanalone - see below:

[Scarpia]

I fear the wheels on this are an aftermarket "add on" by a previous owner.They were never fitted on production models in that colour.Is this a factory homologated special perhaps as I note the minimal seating arrangement presumably to save weight.?

[Scarpia]

Neil,

what are you doing with all the minor components in terms of paint/finish .I see the calipers and various other bits and pieces painted in a black paint.Did you clean up the calipers by hand and hand paint them or have them cleaned by some professional process? Generally I have always done it by hand for such jobs  and applied something like hammerite as carefully as I could but the results are variable when hand painting.(will I now be excluded from the forum for admitting to use hammerite?)

Sorry if you already mentioned this somewhere in your text but I didn't see it.   

[ncundy]

Most items were shot or bead blasted (depending if they were aluminium or not) - then in most cases stove enamelled (professionally). Brakes were spray painted in brake paint. Some bits were cleaned by hand and degreased etc, but this mostly applies to nuts, bolts and the springs (which I hand painted with coach paint). Anything that needs re-plating, or stainless that needs polishiong is being put in a box until I have a job lot which will then go to Derby Plating to be done as one batch - bit of a pain but this is v.expensive and one batch is the cheapest way of getting in done. Other bits, such a the heater, various small brackets etc I have cleaned by hand, degreased, sprayed with etch primer and used matt black Hammerite.