So, call me crazy but I was gripped with curiosity! I wanted to know - roughly - what an empty Milano shell weighs...
With the stock fuel-filter and fuel-pump still hanging on it (don't ask me why), the rear doors still with all 4 pieces of glass in it, the steering column, the shifter and the hand-brake still installed, the upper control-arms and the 4 power-door solenoids still there, we are looking at a whopping - are you ready - Drum-roll please! ~ 690 pounds!!! (a little over 313 kilos) for just the shell. The pedal box was out for this exercise BTW...
The large off-set front to rear/left to right may just be from how I had it positioned on the crates. The actual crates were excluded by zero-ing out the scale with them on there - before lowering the car, (but the car was not sitting completely center.) At least the overall weight is accurate.
Yes, yes - I know, I know - like a runway supermodel - always obsessing over my weight, but Jes started it!
So here - some pics on the scales, the suspension all torn-down and that nasty thing in the rear with (what looks like) rat poop all over it! It's all going away in favour of a nicely refinished DeDion with one of the RSR "SZ" style spherical bushings pressed in to the front and brackets welded to the rear to facilitate the outboard rear-brake conversion! Brand new wheel-bearings are done!
The transaxle will be alternated between a built 4.10:1 and a built 3.55:1 ratio with 50% lock-up, race clutch, lightened cross drilled and back-cut gears - all 5 as well as reverse - shot-peened everything, all new syncros, lightened and balanced clutch-assemblies etc etc!
Any way, while it does not look like much progress, there are so many little things that just takes hours and hours (such as little clips and plugs and screws and things everywhere that the OEM production process uses to hold down harnesses and bottles and coils and canisters and relays and what have you...)
I still have to rip out the rest of the brake hard-lines to the rear, the fuel pump and filter (like I said) and old gas-lines, handbrake assembly, shifter, steering column, door solenoids and rear door-glass and then drill spot-welds 'till the cows come home (front seat-rails - I cut them off for now - spare-wheel well edge, old battery tray and a few other sundry items. It never ends.
The power-steering rack is out (the new manual 2.1 turns lock-to-lock rack is sitting ready on the shelf), the gas tank is out and I discovered more of that insulating crap under there!!!
Rear bumper is off now too, the spare-tire well is cut out and now I have to do battle with those &%@#%$* upper control-arm inner-bushings next!
Later today I may have time to wire-wheel every spot weld seem in the engine-bay (as well as underneath the car along the frame-rails) that I want seem-welded. (Even the old paint and any oils etc contaminates the welds...)
Welding should start next week including an aluminium frame for the fuel-cell, roll-cage, new radiator supports etc.
Should I weld the rear door shut and shave the rear door handles? Anyone have pictures of the process? Time? Cost? Effectiveness? Downside...?
- Bronze
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(the trunk and doors any way.) You can't use a hammer/chisel combo there - the doors are too soft. Can't pack dry-ice there and the heat-gun just turned it all in to an uncontrollable mess! Glad that's over...
Maybe I can go on the track with you when my car is finished. You can give me some pointers. I know this is going to sound dumb but what is aquasump.
