My new Toy's on it's way!
Discussion
You have a little project there.....
Those photos look depressingly like mine did this time last year.
The body went on over Easter and everything is all shiny. Still a fair bit to do though. Hoping that in about a month.....
My steering UJ was a b
h to undo as well.
I dont have a lift but will be getting one if I ever do another big project.
Those photos look depressingly like mine did this time last year.
The body went on over Easter and everything is all shiny. Still a fair bit to do though. Hoping that in about a month.....
My steering UJ was a b
h to undo as well.I dont have a lift but will be getting one if I ever do another big project.
BIG DUNC said:
You have a little project there.....
Those photos look depressingly like mine did this time last year.
I have to employ tunnel vision and just concentrate on one stage at a time or it'd be easy to get dragged down by it. Well, that's the plan! Hopefully get some more time on it this Saturday before looking for shiny bits at Burghley on Sunday! Those photos look depressingly like mine did this time last year.
One step at a time.
I spent from May to July just doing one day a fortnight slowly dismantling. The first few days were just as you have already done. There is not that much more to do to get the body off. Body came off in July. Then nothing really happened for a while as I was away for a few weeks and time disappeared. Got back on it late September and by November the chassis was stripped bare.
I got it back in January and since then have been so excited that I have put every spare hour into it (& every spare £).
I spent from May to July just doing one day a fortnight slowly dismantling. The first few days were just as you have already done. There is not that much more to do to get the body off. Body came off in July. Then nothing really happened for a while as I was away for a few weeks and time disappeared. Got back on it late September and by November the chassis was stripped bare.
I got it back in January and since then have been so excited that I have put every spare hour into it (& every spare £).
Had a bit more time on this and now the body's almost ready to lift. I have had loads of fun with the chassis bolts that were so corroded that they fought all the way to the very last thread, even with a huge knuckle bar. A couple snapped off in the outriggers, which I don't envisage being an issue as I don't think that I'll be keeping them - or potentially the whole chassis, but time will tell on that.
I've now just got to remove the off-side exhaust manifold (which I thought would be a PITA, but to be honest the bolts are really quite loose) and the panel that surrounds the brake lever. Lifting the center console was an experience - I think we've had little visitors...
I've now just got to remove the off-side exhaust manifold (which I thought would be a PITA, but to be honest the bolts are really quite loose) and the panel that surrounds the brake lever. Lifting the center console was an experience - I think we've had little visitors...
I just took a grinder to all my "under body" chassis bolts.
The two under the dash were OK.
The top two behind the tank (the mushroom heads) were so rounded that I used a grinder to put flats on the outside.
The front ones in the nose were the hardest. One of them sheared flush, which didn't really matter, but the other sheared off on the head, so the bolt was still sticking through the body. You cannot get a drill in, so in the end I managed to get a hack saw blade between the body and chassis. That didn't take too long at all...
The two under the dash were OK.
The top two behind the tank (the mushroom heads) were so rounded that I used a grinder to put flats on the outside.
The front ones in the nose were the hardest. One of them sheared flush, which didn't really matter, but the other sheared off on the head, so the bolt was still sticking through the body. You cannot get a drill in, so in the end I managed to get a hack saw blade between the body and chassis. That didn't take too long at all...
BIG DUNC said:
You cannot get a drill in, so in the end I managed to get a hack saw blade between the body and chassis. That didn't take too long at all...
I'll bet, Duncan! Despite their resistance to undo, I think I've been lucky in that sense as mine have all either come undone or have broken off in a way that should (I hope) clear the body. That said, I think I'll go back and check!That one was a bit of a nightmare to be honest. I didn't realise that it was sticking through the body until we tried to drop the chassis and it was clearly hanging up on it.
My other top tip is to run an M10 tap up all the threads in the chassis before refitting the body, even if the people doing the chassis work assure you they have already done this. (don't ask me how I found this out).
My other top tip is to run an M10 tap up all the threads in the chassis before refitting the body, even if the people doing the chassis work assure you they have already done this. (don't ask me how I found this out).
Ok, so the body's off! Was not too bad a job; I essentially placed two straps under the arches and over the chassis both front and back when the car was at the top of the lift. I then attached these straps to the lift uprights and lowered the car down. Before I did this, I took a trolley jack to each corner and took the weight of the car on the shell so I could get a bar between the body and chassis just to loosen it up a bit. Despite missing an earth strap at the back of the block on the near-side and a fuel hose that got caught up, it came off with little intervention. I have to say though that in the time it took to get the lift all the way down, the ramps attached, the chassis rolled off and the lift raised back up to support the body again, I think I lost a few years of my life as I was convinced the straps would break or slip and drop the shell five foot! 
However, off it is and now I can get a good look at those outriggers. Not that there's much of them....
WARNING: Those with a nervous disposition may want to skip the following section
It's not the outriggers that worry me too much, but there is some corrosion on the top rails by the manifolds also. I will have to be pragmatic with it as getting all the repairs done may well bring me within touching distance of a new chassis and whilst the aim is to restore as much as possible, sometimes you just have to make the sensible long-term/safety/time choices.
At least the front, top wishbones look ok!
However, off it is and now I can get a good look at those outriggers. Not that there's much of them....
WARNING: Those with a nervous disposition may want to skip the following section
It's not the outriggers that worry me too much, but there is some corrosion on the top rails by the manifolds also. I will have to be pragmatic with it as getting all the repairs done may well bring me within touching distance of a new chassis and whilst the aim is to restore as much as possible, sometimes you just have to make the sensible long-term/safety/time choices.
At least the front, top wishbones look ok!
Well done and the body definitely needed to come off.
Looks like the top front wishbones have already been changed.
Only you can decide at what point you would rather ditch the existing chassis and buy a new one. If it were me, when the chassis is stripped, I would take it to the repairers of your choice and ask them to estimate what it will cost to make it nice. They may not be able to do this until it has been blasted.
Mine looked OK other than the outriggers, but when blasted it had small areas of minor pitting. Nothing that will effect the strength significantly or required welding, but when powder can see the small areas of small pits quite clearly. Obviously you wouldn't get this on a brand new chassis. In my case, the specialist doing the chassis work was adamant that it didn't require any welding work due to the pits.
Looks like the top front wishbones have already been changed.
Only you can decide at what point you would rather ditch the existing chassis and buy a new one. If it were me, when the chassis is stripped, I would take it to the repairers of your choice and ask them to estimate what it will cost to make it nice. They may not be able to do this until it has been blasted.
Mine looked OK other than the outriggers, but when blasted it had small areas of minor pitting. Nothing that will effect the strength significantly or required welding, but when powder can see the small areas of small pits quite clearly. Obviously you wouldn't get this on a brand new chassis. In my case, the specialist doing the chassis work was adamant that it didn't require any welding work due to the pits.
This is good reading. Loving the laid back description. Was expecting you to say, nah the chassis is okay really, nothing some filler and wet and dry cant fix.
If I was in your position, I think after taking a few years off your life, a new chassis is definitely justified.
Keep up the good work.
If I was in your position, I think after taking a few years off your life, a new chassis is definitely justified.
Keep up the good work.
N7GTX said:
Was expecting you to say, nah the chassis is okay really, nothing some filler and wet and dry cant fix.
I'm quite positive despite the chassis (and I quote my eight year old daughter here) looking like a tree, but even I can't convince myself that a few sheets of 2500 grit will bring this up! N7GTX said:
...If I was in your position, I think after taking a few years off your life, a new chassis is definitely justified.
I'd tend to agree; I just know that standing under my car in future I may kick myself for not going new. When I was telling my dad last night about how I'd suspended the shell above my head, I happened to do it in earshot of my wife. Anyone seen Paddington Bear 2 - the bit with the "Hard stare"?
Hard stare or not, she's off to see a friend in the morning and that means engine and gearbox extraction time!
Steve_D said:
Mine was worse than yours.
Wow, Steve, is that your original chassis then? Looking great either way. I can't imagine a chassis that's worse than mine so it must've been a shock when your body came off! I've had a bit of time today and have been preparing to get the engine and box out. Whilst doing this, my Labrador wandered in and tried to eat the outriggers - god only knows what he thought they must've been!
oh yes. Little Miss Dunc has banned her shepherd / lurcher from the garage. She comes out with old nuts/bolts / cable ties / outriggers in her mouth....
Good luck with engine / gear box removal. I think that was the one think I didnt have too much trouble with (hope that hasnt jinxed it for you).
I havnt got into the garage today and have family commitments tomorrow. Mine is tantalising close but I am super busy for the next month so it wont be running over the next few weeks.
Good luck with engine / gear box removal. I think that was the one think I didnt have too much trouble with (hope that hasnt jinxed it for you).
I havnt got into the garage today and have family commitments tomorrow. Mine is tantalising close but I am super busy for the next month so it wont be running over the next few weeks.
BIG DUNC said:
oh yes. Little Miss Dunc has banned her shepherd / lurcher from the garage. She comes out with old nuts/bolts / cable ties / outriggers in her mouth....
If only I could get mine to clean up all the chassis dandruff all over my floor, that'd be useful!BIG DUNC said:
Good luck with engine / gear box removal. I think that was the one think I didnt have too much trouble with (hope that hasnt jinxed it for you).
I started today by undoing all the bell-housing bolts so I could pull the engine forward and up but then thought there may not be enough room at the front to pull the block away from the gearbox input shaft (even with the crossmember removed). So then I thought I would remove all the other gearbox fixings and the propshaft so I could move the box back off the engine but I couldn't get the four prop bolts out as they were stating to round. So back to getting the engine and box out as one I think. 
BIG DUNC said:
I havnt got into the garage today and have family commitments tomorrow. Mine is tantalising close but I am super busy for the next month so it wont be running over the next few weeks.
You must be climbing the walls being so close. I am off to Aus and NZ at the end of May and I've set myself a target of getting the chassis stripped and delivered for repair (if poss) and the engine over to (I hope) Dom's for a check-over. Should be doable but I've also got those family commitment things to take care of 
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