Complete and utter strip down

[andy-w]

Just thought people might be interested in my project...
Strip my chim down right down so that every nut and bolt is undone and rebuild it before my wife has our 1st baby in 13 weeks time....

This will be a full body off, shotblast the chassis, respray and re trim of the interior and an engine rebuild just for good measure...approx time 12 weeks and then that gives me 1 week to decorate a spare room to use as a nursery....

hopefully i will have a website up and running next week so i can fully document, with picture, everything thats going on....!

any pointers greatly appreciated...!!!

[andy-w]

no way!!!

Got the chassis booked in for nex week...while thats being done i will be respraying the body...re-trimming the interior at the moment so it is all on schedule at the moment!!!

luckily i have a VERY understanding wife...but she has warned me if the nursey is not finished in time i will be dead and the car is being sold...

[andy-w]

edtvr said:

I,ll be thinking of you while I'm in the pub,
and if you want any leven bits give me a shout and I'll bring then up next time I'm at Nissan,
Good luck to you and your wife!!

Ed,

Cheers ed....forgot to mention that i am not letting this get in the way of pub activities!!!

[andy-w]

frazer guest said:

good luck on the resto, and congrats on the upcoming fatherhood.

Cheers

I noticed one of the outriggers had rusted through so i thought i might as well go for a complete rebuild.

just one thing...if anyone has done this before, how did they get the body uo to a height where they could roll the chassis out...i was thinking of mounting a hoist on the garage roof timbers but i dont think they will be strong enough (4X2 timbers) and axel stands dont go high enough...

[andy-w]

As much as it hurts i shall have a look in the TVR family saloon section!!!

[andy-w]

frazer guest said:

andy-w said:

As much as it hurts i shall have a look in the TVR family saloon section!!!

if i was forced to have one as a family saloon, i dont think i would feel too dissapointed about it.

i know...i am seriously thinking of trading in for a cerb...i have had my chim for two years and loved every minute of it but i will need a 4 seater and what better 4 seater can you get rather then a cerb...trouble is my chim needs the outriggers replacing and i wont be able to sell it the way it is now...but if i do all the work it needs then i might be able to get a good trade in...a bit mercanary i know but thats the way it goes...!

And i was really joking about the cerb being a family saloon!!!

Edited by andy-w on Wednesday 21st February 23:40

[andy-w]

victormeldrew said:

andy-w said:

frazer guest said:

good luck on the resto, and congrats on the upcoming fatherhood.

Cheers

I noticed one of the outriggers had rusted through so i thought i might as well go for a complete rebuild.

just one thing...if anyone has done this before, how did they get the body uo to a height where they could roll the chassis out...i was thinking of mounting a hoist on the garage roof timbers but i dont think they will be strong enough (4X2 timbers) and axel stands dont go high enough...

You'll probably need to make a trestle arrangement and support the body on large timbers - though there's a guy here did it with big axle stands.

My neighbour has a truck trolley jack that is about four foot long and lifts several tons about that far in the air - very useful, but it bit far away from you I'm afriad Andy!

damn....now that sounds ideal...

i might buy some box section steel and see if i can rig up some kind of lifting arrangement.
I dont relly want to balance it on axle stands while i am spraying it...i want something a bit more solid than that...

[andy-w]

frazer guest said:

dont demon tweaks sell full width axle stand things with wheels on? the type that they use to work on single seaters in the workshops.

I shall have a look on demonn tweeks tomorrow and see what they can come up with...

Cheers

Andy

[andy-w]

Cloggy said:

Andy have a look at this complete refurb of a Chim on TVRCC
www.tvr-car-club.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5551

cheers

all pointers help!!!

[andy-w]

that daddy said:

Andy W, i have a good idea do the nursery 1st,then if you run over (and i think you may)then you will have one less thing to worry about,except the baby of course,good luck with both you know you can do it.

Thanks...

I like your thinking BUT...once the baby is here how much time will the enemy allow me working out in the garage instead of baby duties???

[andy-w]

bennno said:

andy-w said:

frazer guest said:

andy-w said:

As much as it hurts i shall have a look in the TVR family saloon section!!!

if i was forced to have one as a family saloon, i dont think i would feel too dissapointed about it.

i know...i am seriously thinking of trading in for a cerb...i have had my chim for two years and loved every minute of it but i will need a 4 seater and what better 4 seater can you get rather then a cerb...trouble is my chim needs the outriggers replacing and i wont be able to sell it the way it is now...but if i do all the work it needs then i might be able to get a good trade in...a bit mercanary i know but thats the way it goes...!

And i was really joking about the cerb being a family saloon!!!

Edited by andy-w on Wednesday 21st February 23:40

Depends on the age etc but it might be quicker and easier to sell for £4-5k as is, as opposed to spending £5-6k minimum on a rebuild (assuming your labour is free) and then struggling to realise £9k

bennno

5-6k on a rebuild???

I am doing ALL the work myself.
Welding in new outriggers, paint spraying engine rebuild and the upholstery (apart from the roof)...luckily i have a very good automotive background ...the only parts i am going to need to buy are bushes, mounts and any upgrades i want...

[andy-w]

depends how you do it....why buy brake pipes when you can buy the tooling and long coils of pipe and make your own?
I am going to change the discs anyway to alluminium centers front and read (making them myself)

Paint
3 litres of black 2 litres of red candy + primer laquer and thinners i have sourced for £150

Chassis
Shotblast, hot zinc spray and coat in color of my choice £160...if you look about you can get good deals.

Material for trimming i am getting from work....cant really do it much cheaper!!!

[andy-w]

that daddy said:

Yeh,and when he,s finished hes starting on mine,yes hes a good old stick Andy, hes stated that having a new baby wont hold the work up on my one either, which is nice,lol.

Hmmmm...not sure i like the way thats going...

[andy-w]

victormeldrew said:

I've seen some of the work and I think he's got it under control! It is very easy to get carried away though - "might as well just replace that, and while I'm here ...". For some people though that's a large part of the fun of having one.

Cheers Victormeldrew,

I have got more pics that i will have to send to you if you are interested and i am fully documenting everything with photos.

that daddy said:

andy-w said:

that daddy said:

Yeh,and when he,s finished hes starting on mine,yes hes a good old stick Andy, hes stated that having a new baby wont hold the work up on my one either, which is nice,lol.

Hmmmm...not sure i like the way thats going...

Oh and whys that,but you said Andy,dont you remember and you borrowed £500 off me you must remember,he,he

hmmm £500 for a body off chassis refurb.....yeah ok...

[andy-w]

ray_von said:

Do you not want to get something decent

I am just getting the leather and pvc from work - oo-er!!!
No i will not be making gimp outfits...i know what you lot are like...never miss a chance to take the mick out of someone!!!!!

[andy-w]

pink_floyd said:

Hi Andy-w, I am just about of start taking the body off my chim in March. Any info/help or photos would be of great benefit to me.

I am going to photograph every thing i do from strip down...clean make and repair to rebuild.

My boot was actually delaminated near the hinges...i have typed up about 4 pages with photos on how i repaired this already...thats how detailed i am going...!!!

Anything i can help you with give me a shout!!!

[andy-w]

The Surveyor said:

Andy

If you need a hand for lifting the body off, let me know and i'll see what support i can drum up.

Paul

Cheers Paul,
No problem...if i can get the engine hoist delivered tomorrow or saturday then it should either be ready sunday or very early next week...cheers

have got most things disconnected now...apart from the battery...need the stereo to work to...!!!

Oh and there is a fridge full of beers as well....that makes for 'interesting' working conditions...!!!

Edited by andy-w on Thursday 22 February 16:36

[andy-w]

bhpjon said:

Maybe we should have that beer at yours then! I had no idea you were so immersed, count me in for the lift off!

Its ok...i have always got time to drop tools and indulge in some beer/design meetings!!!
As for the offer of a hand for the body lift...the more the merrier!!!
Cheers

yellow5 said:

Hi Andy

what's your plan for the engine, you talked about putting a 5 litre in, is that still on the cards

Ian

Hello ian,

Am i right in thinking, judging by your profile, you have lost one or two cylinders somewhere????

Still thinking about the engine...i have found a site that has a 5.7 chevvy lump for £1200 and that looks tempting...but the way things are going i am going to have to get a cerb anyway.

[andy-w]

red1 said:

the tuscan is just wow

Take me for a blast in it!!!!!
Looks really nice.

Just a quick progress report and things i have found so far.

Tonight

Drivers seat out, door rubbers/window trim out, drivers side carpets gone, roof struts off,loads of pictures taken and then i was dragged to the pub by clare...!

Problems found...

Bolts holding the roof above the petrol tank have rusted and impossible to undo....seat belt bolt that goes into the sill snapped!!! Under the drivers seat (Need to get a photo of this)...i am not sure if the other seat is the same but someone has made a 'spring' for the seat squab using clothes line and weaved into a net!!! Seriously!


Apart from that no other serious bodges or faults.

Tomorrow, rest of the interior and move it all into the dinning room to start restoration and retrimming!!!

I shall make a note of as many part numbers as possible as well...

[andy-w]

Just a couple of questions

How many bolts hold the lower section of the roof on?
Are there any 'gotchas' to watch out for when lifting the body?
How many bolts hold the body to the chassis...two at the front (rad) two on the center console, outriggers front and rear and 4 behind the petrol tank?

Edited by andy-w on Friday 23 February 20:23