[cucinando]

Rather than further hijack Phil's thread, and without clogging up the restoration forum (this isn't particularly edifying), thought i'd share my progress on stripping down. I haven't been able to do anything for a couple of months due to other commitments, so I was really pleased to get a day on the car yesterday. The entire passenger side is stripped out now. Only a couple of rust spots, the worst is one of the seat mounting points - if not for the flash creating a shadow you could see the garage floor.

I have one problem - three of the door hinge bolts are stuck solid (the ones into the boxed section inside the door). I took to them with an impact driver at great risk to the door skin, but didn't even budge them. They have been painted over so I assume that is at least part of the problem. Any tips?

Starting to get quite caught up in it now that this is getting down to the business end.

 

[enri]

you may get better advice in the resto part of the forum but for the door bolts iv heard the "lock tite freeze spray" works well or you can use inox or something but you will have to keep them saturated them from the unpainted inside for at least a day or 2.
otherwise use a bigger hammer on the impact driver

 

[cucinando]

Thanks enri, i always wondered what came after "if all else fails hit it with a hammer"

i'll give the loctite stuff a try, cheers

 

[mcnasty560]

Heat is the other method of moving stuck nuts and bolts; you heat it up as quickly as you can to as hot as you dare, *then* you hit it with a hammer. Try the Inox route first though!

 

[smestas]

I'm at the exact point in the tear down of my '74 GTV. I'll be saying tuned to this thread. Thanks for the photos.

We really should move this to the restoration forum so others dont miss it.

 

[cucinando]

Thanks Simon, we could have a global GT resto race!

Happy to move to Restoration, as I said I don't know that it's going to be particularly informative but you never know where these things end up...

Thanks mcnasty (assume you don't want your cover blown, mister ) we had an oxy torch out at the time (bending gate tubing, not on the car!) but both father-in-law and I were a bit edgy about using heat straight off.

 

[smestas]

Thanks Simon, we could have a global GT resto race!

Gavin,

It looks like you are further ahead then me on the interior but I pulled my motor tonight so take that!


.

 

[cucinando]

sorry big fella, but my motor's been out since May (first pic). I've since pulled my entire wiring harness, too.

I can't get up to the farm for a few weeks though, so if you get your skates on we'll be level pegging!

Cheers

 

[mcnasty560]

Nice steering wheel Gavin, bet you have trouble getting that off too!

 

[cucinando]

Thanks, Gus, i don't actually know much about the wheel - it's not original, it is enormous and it is going if you like it that much

 

[mcnasty560]

Gavin, you saw what I did with my other spare steering wheel, so I'm sure you wouldn't trust me with another one. Purists look away now...

 

[cucinando]

Gosh Gus, you've had your hair cut!! Lookin' good!

 

[cucinando]

Yesterday's job was easing the liners out of the block. I am parallel-processing the engine rebuild (thanks to some sage advice) with the body stripping. There was lots of rust in there and some question as to whether they would come out without breaking something. The answer is they actually came out relatively easily - #2 almost fell out!

First pic is the original Alfa Romeo issue liner removal toolkit. I know it looks like a piece of Jarrah and a rubber mallet, but it's actually precision Italian engineering.

Second pic is the "after" - I can't believe how much gunk came out with them.

 

[enri]

now you have to re-seal it!
and careful with oil leaks with those motors from all their alloy joints
are you going to put valve stem oil seals on the exhaust valves?

 

[Blue Flame]

Hey Gavin
Re the stuck door bolts, I usually just drill the heads off, remove the hinge and then grab the remaining bit of bolt with a good set of vice grips and wind them out. Once the tension has been taken off them by drilling off the head they almost always come easy. It's easy enough to get get some s/h replacements. I've got a jar of them if needed.
Saves all the buggering about and damage caused using heat and impact.
I've pulled down some rust buckets in my time and this always works for me...but...
If they are truly badly rusted in place and no soaking with penetrating oil will shift them then drill them out. The thread size is 8 x 1.25 so ideally the drill bit should be a 6.75mm but a 7mm will do. Make sure you center punch in the exact middle first. Then clean up with a 8 x 1.25mm tap.
Hope this post is not too late.
Tim

 

[cucinando]

Thanks Tim not too late at all, the car is up at my in-laws' farm so it's a very stop-start affair. I'm going to give them a go with inox then if still no good then I agree drilling them out will be less mucking about than heating.

Enri I hadn't thought ahead as far as the valve rebuild, but i'll give it some attention. A quick look suggests probably yes. I have had a 2 litre Alfa motor that didn't lose a drop of oil so I know it can be done and I want this one just as tight.

 

[cucinando]

Santa Has Come Early!

Wow, long time since any progress to show. I have completed stripping the interior but forgot the camera that day. Plenty of, er, drainage holes in the floor...

Anyway, while I am buggerising about up at the farm, at least someone has been getting something done. Received my restored dash from Dashboard Restorations today and it's nearly perfect. Vinyl is a great match to original.

My only quibble would be that the vacuum hasn't quite pulled the vinyl onto the glovebox stops tightly, but if that's the worst of my worries then I'm doing well, I reckon.

Nice straight dash, pleasant change from what I'm used to from both of my 70s cars.

Thanks to Phil (threealfas) for providing the base dash, and a big thanks to Mike at Dashboard Restorations, they were easy to deal with and got everything done on time and with no fuss.

 

[cucinando]

After a work-induced break from the car I got back into things during the Easter break. Good news and bad news: good news is that the front end is stripped out and I have a clear engine bay. Bad news is rust in the driver's side floor and sills (that is daylight you can see through the floor).

Also the car has had a prang (doesn't seem too bad) on the pass side front that was repaired on the cheap - I am missing a Carello headlight assembly and have some bog in the headlight mount.

Great to be back in touch with it after a long absence, I am now more keen than ever to get this done!

 

[cucinando]

I can't believe how long it is since I have done anything on the car. Little matter of starting a new business (timing, huh?) has kept me away from the farm. Anyway, got back up there today and... added to my bog collection. Someone in Junior's past thought a good way to repair rust would be to slather the boot with the stuff.

Still going to be a slow process - with all the cash poured into the new venture there's nothing left for hobbies, so I'll keep chipping away on my own and do what I can for a while. Dead keen to get it back on the road though, will keep the BB on tap for inspiration in the meantime.

Cheers all, nice to be back.

 

[cucinando]

A long time between drinks but we're back under way. Today we pulled the fuel tank. Major props to the BBers who shared their experience of this task - what everyone described as a major PITA turned out easy-peasy when armed with the collected knowledge of the Alfisti.

Now you can really see how rusted out the back end under the fillets o' bog that had been smeared all over. This photo is looking towards the back of the car, that's the rear valance you can see... through the floor

After the event I noticed something on the photo of the tank - see the yellow circle. Is this a dent or is it supposed to look like that?

Car is ready for body work - undercarriage is still on but it will stay that way until we roll it to wherever it's going. Yay! Now to find a good restorer... Toodyay Classic Cars have a six month waiting list!