Thought I might as well begin a thread in which I can post some repair photos for those interested. I know I get a kick at looking at other people's work, restoring their old alfa's.
Another aim for this thread is for me to ask questions of those who have gone through the process before. So I welcome all comments/suggestions/feedback. Please just keep in mind that I'm doing the best I can and I know I'm not doing everything 'right' - otherwise I wouldn't bother being on the forums asking for advice :D
A little bit about myself and car:
- I've had this car for a long time now and you will see evidence of an earlier attempt to restore the car.
- This earlier attempt was when I was a poor uni student and I learnt a lot from this i.e. don't try and restore your alfa unless you have the time and money
- Having said that much of the body work performed by a panel beater in Perth was done terribly. To this day it still makes me angry thinking about it.
- Much of the progress on the car this time round has happened in the last 6 months. Last Christmas I took a month off to work pretty much every day on the car
- I do most of the manual labor on the car (sanding/stripping etc) while relatives do the skilled work
- At the moment I only have time to work on the car one day a week, requiring me to drive to Sydney from Canberra.
So while I don't have a lot of skill or knowledge of alfa's and cars in general, what I do have is a passion for 105's and a lot of motivation to see my car back on the road in the near future :)
Attached picture - The engine was reconditioned not so long ago by Cilliberti's in Perth. It was quite expensive and Cilliberti's have a good reputation. My aim for the engine is only to make a few modifications.
Some of old photos back when I was stripping the car.
Some of these photos are a bit out of order sorry, but you will get the gist.
A picture of the passenger door - doesn't look too bad from here, but I just stripped some paint off this weekend from one of my doors so I know the amount of bog and rust that is hidden. Will post some pictures later.
Starting to get tired of resizing the photos, so might make it the last post for the night.
Picture 1 - The wiring on the car was terrible. Apparently typical of many european cars of that era?
Picture 2 and 3 - These photos get my blood pumping. Photos of parts from alfaholics:
- Lightweight flywheel
- 12mm C&B cams
- Door handles
- Weber 45 DCOEs
Originally my engine had the dellorto DHLA 40's. These were in reconditioned recently and are in perfect working order if anyone is interested?
As I can afford them, I've been ordering bits and pieces from Alfaholics etc for months now. So I have a heap of parts stashed away for when I start putting my car together. I will post some pictures of them in the coming weeks, to provide an idea of what the car will look complete and to be honest I might as well get some joy taking pictures of them as consolation for the hours of hard work gone into paying for them :D
I've dropped the size of the images to squeeze more on.
I think these pictures are showing some of the rusted areas. The 105's always seem to rust in common areas i.e. the lower hemisphere of the car where water catches and where there is limited drainage.
I've also read somewhere that the 105's were made out of cheap Russian steel that doesn't help with the rust?
I had a question about my paint stripping options. The way I see it I have a few options:
1. Old school hard work sanding and paint stripper where appropriate?
2. Something along the lines of sandblasting which is expensive from what I've heard?
3. Even more expensive alternatives e.g. pellet blasting, acid baths etc.
Does anyone have any suggestions? While I'm want to 'do the job properly', if I can do the job by putting in some extra manual effort and save some money as well then I'm not adverse to alternatives.
I've also seen some sandblasting kits available on-line that you can plug into decent air compressors. Has anyone had any experience with these?
Back to the photos.
I've got a lot of rust around the boot floor, the u-shaped lip that holds the boot lid rubber, door sills, wheel arches (where the metal panels meet), etc.
The door sills we will be looking at fabricating replacements for this weekend, likewise with the arches. The boot floor worries me and I'm not sure if we are going to cut the entire floor out yet or just repair the rusted areas.
The only photos of interest here are the new nuts/bolts/screws/springs I picked up recently. Basically I got a sample of every nut/bolt/screw that I could find, guestimated the quantities I need and sent it to Lee Bros. Engineering. So the first photo you can see new stainless steel replacements waiting to be used.
The engine bay was fairly clear of rust. Just a few minor patches we will have to weld new metal into. I've also removed the battery tray and have a battery relocation kit and an Odyssey dry cell battery.
Fitting the wolf steel floor pans. My old floors were very rusted to the point where I'm counting my blessings I didn't fall through the floor while driving my car.
In terms of the floor, we've tacked in the floors to shape and fit the panels. Some of the rusty colour you see on the metal was this rust protector I got from Bunnings. Since then I've been using wurth rust converter which is the black paint like stuff you can see around the edges.
Since then we've welded the floors underneath and cleaned up some of the weld. We figure that once we seal the floor pans, storm guard the bottom of the car and add sound proofing that should be the floors done.
More pictures of the floors.
The last picture is of my pedals that I've cleaned up while the floors were being welded. Which reminds me I need to add new pedal rubbers to the list of things I need to order.
Last lot of photos for today, as I don't want to spam you all.
Just some pictures of my drivers door before I did a spot check of the amount of rust. I've got some other photos of my original seats, pace motors extractors that i want to get rid of, my fibreglass boot lid etc that I will post later in the week.
While I remember, some of the previous photos show evidence of dodgy rust repairs around the door sills, quarter panels etc. This was the dodgy repair job I was referring to in my original post that we are now having to fix.
Question - Does anyone have any recommendations for heat/sound proofing? I'm taking a look at a few different brands on-line and they all look much the sameness.
Thanks in advance.
Whenever this topic is mentioned Dynamat is always recommended for one reason or another. If you get on the 'mighty car mods' forum there's a few good threads on it. Hope this helps.
Much appreciated Luke. I will take a look at Dynamat.
A few more pictures, showing my journey to get my bloody beloved 105 back on the road.
Thanks to Lukes suggestion I had a look into the dyna products and will probably go with Dynapad for my firewall and dynaliner for my floor and roof.
Pictures are of the driver's door where I stripped a patch to look at the condition of the door. I had to strip off almost an inch of bog that was covering some dodgy rust repairs.
I've gone through that many steel brush wheels like you wouldn't believe it. The picture shows a small sample. Unfortunately I can't find any cheap places on-line that sell them (once you factor in shipping that is).
Fortunately the most of the rust looks repairable and just on the skin. I had a quick look at the lovely steel and aluminum skins on alfaholics but from talking to my panel beater we should be able to weld in new metal into the doors. I can always buy new skins in the future if needs be.
Some pictures of my original seats. I've ended buying some lightweight reclining race seats, so I will end up storing or selling my originals. Seems a shame to get rid of them, they just need to be upholstered, the sliding mechanisms work fine and the wood part isn't that worn.
Just a reminder, I still have my fibreglass doors that are available for sale.
Pictures of my old pace motors extractors, if anyone is interested?
I've still got my alfaholics stainless steel exhaust system nicely stashed away, waiting for the day that I can fit it :D
There is also the firebglass boot lid also waiting in the wings.
Pictures:
- Removing a section of the sill to use it as a template to fabricate a replacement.
- Plus also the inner sill needs some attention.
- The headlight mounting units (not sure of the proper name) I've pulled apart to clean up. Does anyone happen to know where to buy new plastic rests/tabs?
Being paranoid about rust, I've ended up trying a lot of rust protectors and converters. The best one imo is the wurth rust converter, dries black and you can weld around it.
No more pictures for the week unless I make some good progress over the weekend.
Great progress - I love reading threads like this with detailed pics !
Driving to Canberra and back - that's dedication !
Re the image sizes - you might find it easier to post full size images to a site like Flickr or Imgur and then link the images by pasting their bbcode path in your post like this. Made my posts a lot easier when someone showed me how... There's some tips on the forum here http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=55.0 (http://www.alfaclubvic.org.au/forum/index.php?topic=55.0)
Hope that helps - looking forward to the next instalment !
Thanks for the encouragement Scott. I wasn't sure whether people are interested in repair/resto threads like I am, so I will keep on posting updates :)
I will start using flickr for the photos as well. I have an old yahoo account around somewhere.
While I have you, do you or do you know someone who has had experience with the (cheap) sandblasting kits available on ebay and amazon?
An update from the weekend.
Not a massive amount of progress this weekend. Managed to visit a sheet metal guy for my door sills, wheel arches, boot panels etc.
I've included a photo of the sheet metal guys card for those in Sydney looking for someone. He specialises in stainless steel but with the same skills he was able to turn out the beginnings of some door sills for me in minutes.
http://i.imgur.com/6qNh6J9.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/6qNh6J9.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/p97Z0tN.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/p97Z0tN.jpg)
*Edit*
I quickly threw in most of this weekends images into an album to save people having to click on all the links:
http://imgur.com/a/dqwZe#0 (http://imgur.com/a/dqwZe#0)
http://i.imgur.com/gMO9KVa.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/gMO9KVa.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/C58bQ44.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/C58bQ44.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/seTP2ZZ.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/seTP2ZZ.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/ANflkHE.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/ANflkHE.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/MKjiDON.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/MKjiDON.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/7WRepSR.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/7WRepSR.jpg)
For some reason the board only lets me post a few hyperlinks to an external image hosting service.
http://i.imgur.com/lj53Qcc.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/lj53Qcc.jpg)
I also spotted a nice old MGB sitting out in the rain while at the metal work shop.
http://i.imgur.com/4rQVvYP.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/4rQVvYP.jpg)
I got a length of 'Z' shaped metal to replace the inside of the boot where the petrol tank rests.
http://i.imgur.com/vPcGkbR.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/vPcGkbR.jpg)
From talking to my panel beater, we are considering making the entire boot floor out of stainless steel. Removing the need to paint, any worry about rust and it might look good? Has anyone gone this route?
I also started the cleaning process of my petrol tank. I did some research of some various methods on the internet and settled on trying a process that involves caustic soda, hydrochloric acid, the optional phosphoric acid and tank liner to finish.
I've left the caustic soda to sit in it for a few days, so I will post results in the coming week or so.
http://i.imgur.com/nY4I91a.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/nY4I91a.jpg)
Stuff it. I will create an album next time lol, sorry about this but I went to all the trouble of uploading the images so I'm going to stubbornly persevere :P
http://i.imgur.com/q7PGrqI.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/q7PGrqI.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/EXHlVkt.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/EXHlVkt.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/crPlxk9.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/crPlxk9.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/uCqEgoP.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/uCqEgoP.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/LNO5zVn.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/LNO5zVn.jpg)
I also cleaned up the headlight fittings, rust protected them and hopefully during the week they will be primed and painted.
http://i.imgur.com/vtjVgNp.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/vtjVgNp.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/6nFi8Il.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/6nFi8Il.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/zKfKfpn.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/zKfKfpn.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/26u2tw7.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/26u2tw7.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/EwKXymE.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/EwKXymE.jpg)
Really getting over steel brush scratches.
http://i.imgur.com/R1E5TI6.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/R1E5TI6.jpg)
Literally blood, sweat and tears have gone into my car. The tears appear every time I need receive a bill from alfaholics ;)
I've also took some pictures of my old delorto carbies for those interested.
http://i.imgur.com/PrV9qEO.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/PrV9qEO.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/vGZAip4.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/vGZAip4.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/tiVFiCN.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/tiVFiCN.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/FaJBbcw.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/FaJBbcw.jpg)
http://i.imgur.com/B0DhXnB.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/B0DhXnB.jpg)
Anyone interested in them can send me an email. I have one gentleman asking about them, so I did chase up some dates and work history on my carbies.
I have a question if someone can help me out. As mentioned before I'm fitting the weber dcoe 45's, bought new from alfaholics. I won't be doing the fitting solo, but I was trying to figure out what linkage parts I need. Please does anyone know what extra linkage parts I need?
I had a quick look at http://www.piercemanifolds.com/category_s/223.htm but I didn't want to buy anything without finding out exactly what parts I need.
Work for this week includes taking my first visit to the ACT chapter of AROCA and working on the door sills hopefully this weekend.
This is a great post mate, I'm currently doing a rolling resto on a 1973 GTV 2000 but all completely standard and original bar the odd Superflex bush and Koni shock, just for reliability really.
A big thanks to supergiuli for hooking me up with a couple of period AM radios too, the IDI is fitted up and looks great.
Pics to follow......
Regarding the sill repair sections you had folded up - you're aware that they're not straight? I've seen photos of 105s that have been repaired using straight sections under the doors, and it looks abysmal.
Hi mate, in Imgur you want to select the image size down the bottom - eg "Large Thumbnail" and then copy paste the "Linked BBCode (Message Boards)" into your posts
Here's one I prepared earlier.
[URL=http://imgur.com/GdE1QTt][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/GdE1QTt.png[/IMG][/URL]
(http://i.imgur.com/xYBZRfJl.png) (http://imgur.com/xYBZRfJ)
I haven't tried the amazon sandblasters, but have used the SuperCheap version with good success. if you want to blast the whole engine bay - will take a while and use a lot of medium - but it was perfect for addressing corroded / pitted areas and generally cleaning things up. My cheapie BR180 supercheap compressor was up to the task in bursts - you'd have to stop now an then to let it catch up.
Great pics - I see you have an early PACE filter mount. Shiny !
Quote from: LaStregaNera on April 15, 2014, 09:17:04 AM
Regarding the sill repair sections you had folded up - you're aware that they're not straight? I've seen photos of 105s that have been repaired using straight sections under the doors, and it looks abysmal.
Hi LaStregaNera - If you mean they have a slight curve, I have factored that in and will duplicate the curve in the door sills?
Quote from: f1fascination on April 15, 2014, 01:17:04 AM
This is a great post mate, I'm currently doing a rolling resto on a 1973 GTV 2000 but all completely standard and original bar the odd Superflex bush and Koni shock, just for reliability really.
A big thanks to supergiuli for hooking me up with a couple of period AM radios too, the IDI is fitted up and looks great.
Pics to follow......
f1 - Thanks mate, I look forward to taking a look at your pictures :)
Aiken/Scott - I promise the next update will be better ;) Oh and thanks for the advice on the sandblasters.
Quote from: Balfa on April 15, 2014, 02:58:19 PM
Hi LaStregaNera - If you mean they have a slight curve, I have factored that in and will duplicate the curve in the door sills?
From memory there's a compound curve in them (curved top and bottom edges curved cross section), - Wolf Steel's repair panels (which would be otherwise similar) factor that curve in, but when I did the sills on mine I hit a point where it the time/effort of stuffing around to get that style of sill repair to work and be tidy massively outweighed the cost of buying the full length sill pressing from Alfaholics/Classic Alfa... I did however fabricate my own A/B pilar bottom repair panels...
Oh, and while I think of it - don't use the Hydrochloric acid for treating/cleaning rust - get the Phosphoric acid (rust remover/rust stain remover) from bunnings - it leaves a protective phosphate coating on the steel and doesn't continue to attack the steel if it gets wet after being allowed to dry, or if you leave it in the acid too long... (it's also what most of the "rust converters" actually contain as a functional component)
Argh. I'm not sure I/we will manage to duplicate the compound curve you describe, but we will do our best.
Man, I wish I got your advice regarding the hydrochloric vs phosphoric acid before I bought two bottles. I'm going to have to take a visit to Bunnings again and see if I can find phosphoric, I couldn't find it last time.
It's in amongst the cleaning section from memory.
Just a short few updates from the last week or so. Unfortunately I have not been able to do much on my car with Easter, work, life etc taking up my time.
I did however manage to take some group shots of my new parts that I've collected over the months in preparation. I can't fit them yet to my car so I thought I might as well show them off and enjoy as I can :)
(http://i.imgur.com/DMXgV0Yl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/DMXgV0Y)
(http://i.imgur.com/rIIsN11l.jpg) (http://imgur.com/rIIsN11)
As you can see I've focused mainly on the essentials and the parts I should replace while I've got my car stripped. Another thing I've learnt is that you can keep on spending money on your car if you don't have a limit.
P.s. most of the parts have been sourced from alfaholics, some from other sources.
I did also order some red kote to seal my petrol tank. The main reason for using red kote was after a little bit of internet research and reading some reviews on the stuff.
(http://i.imgur.com/Bh1F3Dyl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/Bh1F3Dy)
(http://i.imgur.com/LUmY87pl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/LUmY87p)
I know that phosphoric acid is recommended however after checking my tank, there wasn't much scale or rust so I ended up just doing a 3 stage treatment:
- 1 week of caustic soda.
- 10 mins of a weak hydrochloric acid solution.
- Red cote to seal.
Also I had already bought 2 litres of hydrochloric acid so I didn't want to waste the money. I couldn't get a good inside picture of the tank, but after two coats of red kote days of drying I ended up with a nice red lined petrol tank.
The outside of the tank was cleaned once all the red kote was fully cured.
I thought I'd spend a bit of time cleaning the heater unit under the dash.
(http://i.imgur.com/5PwE5OAl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/5PwE5OA)
(http://i.imgur.com/jeJx2lsl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/jeJx2ls)
I tell you what, that unit was a nightmare to remove. Mainly because I've never done it before and it took me around an hour of trying to remove the worn metal clips that hold the two halves together at the back.
Figured it out in the end and ended up cleaning the unit as best I could.
Also managed to clean up the (not sure what the proper name is) the air intake/wiper cavity.
(http://i.imgur.com/WMeKJUzl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/WMeKJUz)
(http://i.imgur.com/onPIjfnl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/onPIjfn)
Seems to be a limit on the linked thumbs I can add per post?
I had already cleaned up this shield a bit ages ago, but thought I'd have another crack and do it properly even though it's not seen.
(http://i.imgur.com/BBTcMLvl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/BBTcMLv)
(http://i.imgur.com/gy4QlYsl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/gy4QlYs)
Still some stubborn surface rust spots that I didn't want to grind away too much on, so I ended up rust treating it.
(http://i.imgur.com/iuF68DUl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/iuF68DU)
Oh the red kote once you add the acetone.
(http://i.imgur.com/DQ9mAzul.jpg) (http://imgur.com/DQ9mAzu)
Nothing more satisfying than seeing shiny metal after your hard work.
(http://i.imgur.com/osUZu9il.jpg) (http://imgur.com/osUZu9i)
(http://i.imgur.com/RWO6Dxml.jpg) (http://imgur.com/RWO6Dxm)
(http://i.imgur.com/SclZgQIl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/SclZgQI)
(http://i.imgur.com/GiojD9vl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/GiojD9v)
Thought I might as well do the wiper grill.
(http://i.imgur.com/jD0eFOAl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/jD0eFOA)
(http://i.imgur.com/CNG6gTVl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/CNG6gTV)
(http://i.imgur.com/PsZys03l.jpg) (http://imgur.com/PsZys03)
(http://i.imgur.com/grMVVeal.jpg) (http://imgur.com/grMVVea)
Getting in between the teeth of the grill was a nightmare. So here is a pic with a strategically placed piece of sandpaper. Which honestly I didn't end up using much of because I got too frustrated and used a steel brush.
(http://i.imgur.com/YXna7YHl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/YXna7YH)
I reckon I'm getting pretty good with the old drill and steel wheel brush after so many hours working on my car. If I ever lose my day job then I know what I can do ;)
Inside of the tank is cured so time for the outside.
(http://i.imgur.com/Nm0htq3l.jpg) (http://imgur.com/Nm0htq3)
(http://i.imgur.com/FqYDyVnl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/FqYDyVn)
(http://i.imgur.com/rB3n45Vl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/rB3n45V)
Interesting points about my fuel tank.
Yes it's been through the wars and I was considering grinding down some of the old weld to clean it up. But I got some good advice in that if it's not leaking and you don't see it...leave it alone.
I could have forked out the money to buy a new one, but I kind of liked the idea of cleaning up the original tank. As I've said before, my repairs aren't of the same quality of some of the rebuilds of I've seen but I will do the best with the resources I have available to me and my car will always be a work in progress :)
(http://[url=http://imgur.com/kZ9PF0r%5D%5BIMG%5Dhttp://i.imgur.com/kZ9PF0rl.jpg) (http://imgur.com/4Ae77rX)
All the metal I stripped was treated with rust converter/protection and will be primed and painted in due time.
I've got some interesting ideas about the final paint job or should I say that I've borrowed some ideas from 105 paint jobs I've seen. So I won't say too much about at this stage as I'm sure it will be to everyones taste or like.
Also I buggered up the hex nut that plugs the bottom of the petrol tank. Does anyone know where to get replacements from?
Tbh I'm tempted to just replace it with a more common plug if possible?
That looks spectacular - love the collection of shinies on the table too - we all do the same ;)
I think any plug would work on the tank as long as it seals on the same surfaces. did the hex socket warp or the plug snap off ? I'm due to give my tank a good cleanout soon...
The hex socket has got worn over the years to the point where I couldn't unscrew it.
Someone made the interesting point that if I'm not going to take it off I might as well leave the worn one in, but I didn't like the thought of leaving a broken nut in so I tried to drill it out.
I need to play with it some more carefully before I fully remove it, without damaging the thread.
It has been a while since I've posted an update. Mainly because after looking at how much rust is in my sills and boot it got a bit disheartening. Also given the amount of time we are spending on the car, I'm getting anxious to see it back on the road.
Anyway, a few pictures of the sills and the amount of work we are facing.
(http://i.imgur.com/6FKC2fAl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/yH8mFLml.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/p7zGfprl.jpg)
Ordered enough dynamat to pretty much cover the entire interior of the car, but I think i will just end up doing the console area and firewall for now.
(http://i.imgur.com/oCFtDQIl.jpg)
I haven't seen a need for this yet but I'd be interested in seeing it work.
(http://i.imgur.com/baHWOInl.jpg)
The last panel beater welded in like this great length of angle iron into the inner sill??
(http://i.imgur.com/hKwFcn3l.jpg)
You can see it better in this shot.
(http://i.imgur.com/l6cd2esl.jpg)
Starting the cleaning up process.
(http://i.imgur.com/Iu7ACFdl.jpg)
The left hand side.
(http://i.imgur.com/DTYepHil.jpg)
I'm quite happy how the petrol tank turned out.
(http://i.imgur.com/nrhcmsal.jpg)
Back to the rust.
(http://i.imgur.com/WUMyA3Hl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/xg5WdR5l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/f6CbIaMl.jpg)
Rust in all the usual 105 spots.
(http://i.imgur.com/g8oznC7l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/KaP390jl.jpg)
The tyre well isn't bad.
(http://i.imgur.com/pwTqUBRl.jpg)
You can see the antennae hole here, we end up welding a new piece in as I will go for a more modern antennae set up.
(http://i.imgur.com/CmqMu6zl.jpg)
Making a petrol tank lip.
(http://i.imgur.com/uz4eTqtl.jpg)
Welding it in.
(http://i.imgur.com/tuZ6CPEl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Z38OMVOl.jpg)
Ended up ordering some new outer door sills from alfaholics.
(http://i.imgur.com/IAm5RvUl.jpg)
Playing around with some metal trying to get rear wheel arch shape.
(http://i.imgur.com/G7eSsOdl.jpg)
I will keep working on it and will post more pictures in the coming weeks showing it goes. Or if it ends in tears, I will probably just end up ordering a new arch from alfaholics like I ended up with the door sills ;)
(http://i.imgur.com/A0ubH24l.jpg)
Pre-clean up
(http://i.imgur.com/IsqwsM3l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/nbOX1Fal.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/k0T7t94l.jpg)
Antennae hole gone.
(http://i.imgur.com/23WrBYWl.jpg)
Trying to make a replacement piece for where the rear light unit fits in.
(http://i.imgur.com/qlplIlAl.jpg)
Interestingly I found these inside the door sills. Two 1968 Australian coins, they must have been stuck in there for decades. Might clean them up and make memento.
(http://i.imgur.com/y63qaYyl.jpg)
It's been a while since I've updated this thread. All the work done since the last update has been pretty much rust repairs - it seems endless.
General update:
- We are about 90% done with the rust repairs.
- Beginning to lose heart with the amount of work yet to do.
- Next step will be to finish off the doors and other small bits of rust in the body.
- The inner door sill repairs were tricky and we repaired them quite well I think. Not as good as if we bought pre-fabricated replacements.
- However if we were ever going to fabricate any parts ourselves I thought the inner sills would be a good choice.
- Sorry in advance if anyone is offended that we didn't replace the inner sills with pre-fab stuff. But I know the job we did will ensure they won't be rusting anytime soon and structurally stronger than the original.
- The outer sills were alfaholics replacements. They fit very well :)
- Aiming to strip of the paint off the rest of the shell later this month, hopefully will use some sort of media blasting on the tough areas.
Posting some photos in no particular order, I won't bore you with too many.
(http://i.imgur.com/XhH8nxql.jpg)
Adding drainage holes to the inner (middle) sills.
(http://i.imgur.com/9Yqdsf4l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/lBpplDil.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/9gicHnIl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8tUi94Tl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/LYvfpsll.jpg)
Created a bit of an indented lip to fit the replacement panels to ensure a flush finish.
(http://i.imgur.com/dI7VrTFl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8mwuh1il.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Xb7bWdHl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/4RftlzQl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/6eMWs48l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/JkLXSc2l.jpg)
Wheel arch section replacement. Yep, I could have bought a new arch section, but it was a good experience doing it ourselves and the result will look quite good after the paint stage.
(http://i.imgur.com/eikSLChl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/BG9FhbKl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gMEFNhAl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/negzzCol.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ahdx0sFl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/gobzLG4l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/dkDP3oIl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Ko6Pg6Jl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/lwthkfnl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/5XzIAKPl.jpg)
I'm only posting this picture because I got a heck of a scare using an angle grinder. Parts of this blade went flying everywhere and I'm ultra careful cutting anything now :P
(http://i.imgur.com/pCkhDdol.jpg)
Wow - really impressive work. Always in awe of people who can tackle the complete resto like this.
It looks like you're past the worst, and the satisfaction at the end should be very sweet.
Great effort :)
Thanks Tjb. It's quite encouraging to hear good feedback as the amount of work is starting to take its toll :)
Still got a long way to go, but as you say we are over the hump. I dream about the day its back on the road :D
Keep sharing the pics - you're going to have a very nice restoration history when you're done :)
Brilliant work !
Thanks guys. I will keep posting the pictures and updates :)
Love your work mate, I'm currently in the same process fixing poor repairs in my new shell, so can sympathise with getting disheartened, and exploding angle grinder disks!
Are some of your repair sections Gal? That must be fun to weld!
Quote from: Balfa on August 06, 2014, 08:37:50 PM
I'm only posting this picture because I got a heck of a scare using an angle grinder. Parts of this blade went flying everywhere and I'm ultra careful cutting anything now :P
(http://i.imgur.com/pCkhDdol.jpg)
Thin cutoff discs only do that if you side load them - it's not too much to freak out about, just make sure you cut on edge!
Colin - Gal as in galvanized? then yes. Fortunately for my car, I'm not the actual person doing the welding. I do the manual labour stuff like sanding, cleaning, grinding, cutting and making coffees etc :)
I wish I had your skills and experience that I've seen from keeping up with your Targa v2.0 thread Colin. Strangely enough, on one hand I can't wait for the car to be finished but another part of me constantly thinks - 'hmm if I had a second 105, I'd probably do this better/differently'.
LaStregaNera - I think I was applying too much pressure, trying to cut too quickly and yeah probably side-loading the pressure :D Lesson learned.
Fantastic effort here, keep up the brilliant job!
Would you mind popping over on the weekend and doing my rear floors... I can't be arsed.
Thanks Craig.
With regards to your rear floors, I feel the same way sometimes :D Besides that it's a long way to Brisvegas ;)
Hi all, I need a bit of advice.
We are repairing my doors have ordered new skins, however the bottom of the doors look to be quite rusted as well. We can do a repair job on them but I was wondering if anyone knew if anyone sells fabricated bottom part of the door frames (excuse my bad description).
I've checked alfaholics and classic alfa and but only seem to sell door skins. Any pointers and tips would be appreciated.
(http://i.imgur.com/SXUDLcYl.jpg)
The going is slow and painful and I'm close to end of my patience with my repairs quite frankly. Work is busy, time is short and the bills are never ending.
Anyway pushing on, some progress has been made. Some of these pictures are out of order but I'm tired and I'm sure you will get the idea.
(http://i.imgur.com/jKEgKDWl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/LelRu1Wl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/WX1mCMYl.jpg)
The never ending rust repairs. It has been hundreds of hours on just the rust repairs.
Started hang stripping my bonnet but with all the acrylic it was hard going. In the end decided to leave it for the blaster.
(http://i.imgur.com/xiVVrW6l.jpg)
Before blasting
(http://i.imgur.com/PZPQmesl.jpg)
Gear box.
(http://i.imgur.com/NeEukUCl.jpg)
Media blasting.
(http://i.imgur.com/v7r8Co4l.jpg)
Found a guy who did the mobile work. He came out to the work shop for around $600. I avoided using soda because of the rust and paint issues I've heard it can cause?
The blaster used a media that was between soda and sand in terms of abrasiveness. With the amount of bog etc on the car, he certainly earnt his money.
(http://i.imgur.com/c0s71cAl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/tmDwhXol.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/v7su6d8l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/8pSQTGel.jpg)
Doors - didn't worry about because I was going to replace the skins. A few places I regret to fully blasting e.g. inside of the doors and boot area. Don't know what I was thinking but I think I was feeling sorry for the blaster as what should have been a 2 hr job was taking around 4-5 hrs and he was fast running out of media.
(http://i.imgur.com/l6kUG9ql.jpg)
Some of these photos you will see evidence of old repairs. More about this later.
(http://i.imgur.com/14zBJKXl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/jpqPF8Cl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/tXk2zUBl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/mj3FQOOl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/RyfCFrLl.jpg)
new door skins $$$
(http://i.imgur.com/MuzUzlul.jpg)
An old honda s600 I saw going for cheap that I briefly, briefly considered how much work would go into repairing it - that was it.
(http://i.imgur.com/no8mcEBl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/fZ2hXT8l.jpg)
Back to the front of my car and some old repairs. This was my fault. About 5 years ago my car had a flat battery and I got my partner to steer it into the garage while I pushed. She missed the brake pedal and that was that.
(http://i.imgur.com/asmphLTl.jpg)
Okay this is stretching the memory, but this could be from well over a decade when I was going through a set of lights, someone in the oncoming lane turned in front of me causing me to clip his car with the left hand side of my car.
(http://i.imgur.com/WAt7dmCl.jpg)
Some of the new alfaholics door skins shipped over a bit dented. Nothing major, not the best packaging from alfaholics imo.
(http://i.imgur.com/JxN4UGDl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/yeTs5nul.jpg)
More replacements.
(http://i.imgur.com/DUz5ZnRl.jpg)
f'kn more rust.
(http://i.imgur.com/1DtGzKWl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/17iau4Nl.jpg)
Lord give me strength...and patience to see me through these bloody rust repairs. And a lotto win might help as well.
(http://i.imgur.com/Z8Askfjl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/btBozRhl.jpg)
Yeah yeah...the repairs aren't pretty on the doors, but at least there is no rust, they have strength and have minimal putty.
(http://i.imgur.com/OdFQKsLl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/IElvIFxl.jpg)
Time to start using all my new stainless steel bolts/screws/nuts etc.
(http://i.imgur.com/qKdpHGkl.jpg)
Tried this stuff as well as the rust protector on the doors. They won't be rusting any time soon.
(http://i.imgur.com/dj0Uxtyl.jpg)
dynmat on the doors. Just that little bit add's a fair bit of weight.
(http://i.imgur.com/QRiBJsil.jpg)
The black stuff is the rust converter/protector.
(http://i.imgur.com/DHROF8bl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Q1YGEZ8l.jpg)
Gaps and alignment around the doors...seriously took us days.
(http://i.imgur.com/aTBewsyl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/7bkgBuBl.jpg)
Some rust repairs in the engine bay. Ended up cutting out the rust. welding in a new piece then a plate over top of that.
(http://i.imgur.com/mxS8lvMl.jpg)
This is that same repair with the plate over top of it.
(http://i.imgur.com/8pw4z5El.jpg)
Yep, its not pretty but we've added some strength.
Back to the doors.
(http://i.imgur.com/5YLOpWJl.jpg)
We wanted to get the gaps just right or close enough. ended up extending all the neighboring panels to ensure better/correct gaps.
(http://i.imgur.com/AfXgdIul.jpg)
A pic of the door lip repairs that the door skin rests on.
(http://i.imgur.com/KU2ITW5l.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/NyCmCWnl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Q3JDEb0l.jpg)
These last 4 pics I got sent while I was at work today. Priming the engine bay. Starting to see progress.
(http://i.imgur.com/LgiazUsl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/OzrohInl.jpg)
Anyone in Sydney who wants to help putting it together? :D
On another note, I met a Luke C. while dropping off my steering unit to him. A very knowledgeable and nice guy and I look forward to using his services once my car is back on the road and I need to do some engine mods.
A question for anyone please - since repairing my doors I've come to realise how little side protection my car has. What are the options for adding a little side protection without going to a cage or half cage?
I know I could possibly add a intrusion bar in the door but considering the doors are only held by a small hinge this probably wont help. What about a bar running diagonally from the B pillar to the front floor?
engine bay looks great!, amazing what a bit of etch primer does for morale! (that's why I've been spraying mine as i go)
as for side protection, it it's going to be a road car, any sort of external bar work will be very intrusive when getting in/out of the car
As for fitting something in the door i've never done it but done correctly i think could add some safety. As you said the hinges aren't massive however you might be surprised to hear that, in my accident, the passenger door was completely destroyed but the hinges didn't fail, the weak point of the door is the catch. but even with these weaker assemblies, you do have one thing going for you, the door is bigger than the hole from the outside in, good in a car, not so good in a plane (think it was the DC10?).
Anyway with that in mind a well placed bar inside the door could probably help
Wow - lots more work there! Engine bay is looking nice with the primer... Can't remember if you've said earlier in the thread - what colour are you going to paint the car?
Thanks Colin, I didn't think about how the doors overlap. P.s. I enjoy the updates to your wordpress blog, keep them coming :)
tjb0274 - I've been thinking long and hard about the colour and am open to ideas. I've bounced from the original silver colour, to alfa red to a cherry red.
At the moment I'm favouring a deep dark silver. I'm going to talk to the spray painter over the weekend so I might get back with some photos of test colours and if I understand enough - the type of paint we will be using etc.
It has been a while since I've posted - not sure if anyone wondered what ever happened to my resto job :P
So much has happened since I last updated, so many highs....and oh so many lows. But my car is back on the road and I'm loving doing the finishing touches.
I will post some dodgy photos off my phone after this post. If you want a full set of photos, or care - then give me a yell and I will spend some time uploading them.
Long story short:
- I eventually finished off all the metal repairs. You will recall I went to bare metal.
- 3 people spent just 12 days (10-12 hrs a day) just on shaping the body and the lines. We minimised the amount of bondo required and therefore spent days getting it rights.
- Painted the car
- Paint half the car again because I put some scratches in some panels and we didn't want to leave lines so we ended up repainting half the car again. This was costly. Just the paint and clear alone was expensive...
- Engine had a complete performance rebuild (way too many new parts and work to list) - Thanks Luke Clayton.
- Gear box was rebuilt again thanks Luke.
- Engine was dyno'ed @ ~180 BHP (110 kw at the wheel). Yes the car pulls and pulls :D
- Installed a sound system.
- Got a few scratches in the paint....dammit. Will have to learn to live with this. It's inevitable.
- and a multitude of other things.
Things I need to do:
- Fit carpet.
- Tidy up the wiring.
- Eventually get someone to redo the hood liner. I tried doing the hood liner myself and while I did an 'okay job' I haven't gone to all this effort for an 'okay job'.
- Eventually look at my suspension.
- Tidy/clean up the multitude of parts I didn't clean up in my eagerness to put the car back together.
Things I have learnt:
- Fibreglass panels are hard to fit well. I've just had to buy a new boot lid as my fibreglass one never fitted well.
- I massively underestimated the cost to restore a car. Everything but my engine, gearbox and media blast was done with friends, family and my own bare hands. I did a quick mental calculation of some of the bills and I'm glad I've hidden them from my partner - she would kill me.
- There are many things I would like to do again i.e. do better now that I know.
During the last stages of the repairs, I thought I'd go through it ever again. But now the worst of it's over I do feel tempted to find another project. I actually want to take a welding or metal fabrication course during my spare time....
I still wake up at around 3am thinking about things I still need to do on the car and go out to the garage to do it. That list of things to do is getting shorter...I hope.
Remember these photos don't do the paint justice. I will take more recent one's, including more of my engine sound system etc. But not of my hoodliner and carpet :D
(http://i.imgur.com/4C7sABQ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/aWAuVkC.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Fmz1a0t.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/uclKHhp.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/j2NFnqW.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/pfMbHPO.jpg)
F'n boot lid! Will post new pics of the new boot lid after I get it painted tomorrow.
(http://i.imgur.com/Wfjmrzj.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/C7k6Lzu.jpg)
Feel free to criticise the choice of paint...tyres etc. But keep in mind:
- I'm never selling the car.
- It is only for me and for me to drive, as long as I like it :D
- But happy to take on advice :)
If you want me to post the rest of the photos of the repairs. Give me a yell.
The best thing about having a hand in most of the restoration is that I know no shortcut was taken with the body or the paint (The carpet and hoodliner excepted.) - I think the body will outlast me.
The engine...speaks for itself. Literally you can hear it a few streets away :D
Please post the pics and tell the story like it was.. Restoring a car is really expensive, hard work and bloody emotional! I for one would love to hear it all, heartache, mistakes and all.
If it's back on the road you've already succeeded, the fettling can and will go on for years.
So bloody well done!
Thanks Craig. I'm definitely at the final stage although I'm constantly pulling off parts to refit or clean them up.
Plenty of mistakes and emotion which I will share. Not sure how my partner put up with all the stress over the last 3-4 years :P
I will start posting the pics tomorrow after I fit the new boot :D
Couldn't sleep as I was thinking about painting the new boot lid tomorrow. So here are some images going back to late last year hopefully picking up nearing the end of the body repairs.
(http://i.imgur.com/U4IqryE.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/x7I0Yeq.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/IyfEAPd.jpg)
Here is that fibreglass bootlid that I ordered from England along with a boot floor and doors that I never ended up using. A costly lesson.
(http://i.imgur.com/MVv9tWV.jpg)
Fits well enough holding the bloody thing down :P
(http://i.imgur.com/YPykZbe.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/80pMw1Z.jpg)
This is the battery relocation kit I used to put a dry cell battery in the boot.
(http://i.imgur.com/Tp2huUp.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/njEReLI.jpg)
As a lot of you guys know, getting the gaps on the doors right is problematic. We fitting the doors constantly throughout the process and it would seem that the doors would change size everytime we fitted them!
(http://i.imgur.com/xveUBQf.jpg)
I no longer wanted an antennae sticking out from the boot so I decided to fill in the hole. I have now installed a powered antennae that hides under the dash.
(http://i.imgur.com/mwqnpHp.jpg)
When the car was finally painted, I spent around 2 days straight just trying to get the door gaps right and closing nicely. I spent a lot of time on the alfabb forums researching and now have a better understanding of the nuances of the hinges.
I also went through 2 sets of door rubbers from classic alfa and a set from alfaholics before finding some really good rubbers from clark rubber. I've used two varieties of rubbers from clark rubber which look fine and seal well. If you want pictures of the rubbers I ended up using give me a yell.
(http://i.imgur.com/NLxWtiZ.jpg)
This picture reminds me that I need to polish up the door latches one day.
(http://i.imgur.com/gal0ROS.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/kD6frvI.jpg)
Can't remember if I posted this before. Steering unit reconditioned by Luke Clayton
(http://i.imgur.com/K9qjAiJ.jpg)
Indicator and light switch was cleaned up by Luke as well. Since then my light switch has been playing up again. I've read on alfabb that all 105's should have a relay on the light switch to prevent the contacts spoiling. Also your headlights shine a bit brighter.
So Luke if you end up reading this - I might need to talk to you about this ;)
(http://i.imgur.com/MbL8W4K.jpg)
More parts from classic...including seat belts.
(http://i.imgur.com/TSPJgxI.jpg)
Hard to tell from this picture but this is the lip that runs around boot. We fabricated and replaced most of it and then used Belzona super metal for a smooth finish.
(http://i.imgur.com/rjwJ8oK.jpg)
These seats I bought years ago in the hopes of using them. They just fit :D
(http://i.imgur.com/delBjEj.jpg)
Creating the holes for the upright pedals.
(http://i.imgur.com/0AQ3LZK.jpg)
I think this was stone guarding under the car.
(http://i.imgur.com/L9Htxa0.jpg)
Using minimum filler on the body to smooth the lines. This process took about 2 weeks (2 days off), 3 of us sanding constantly. Redoing things if they weren't right.
My hands were raw after this.
(http://i.imgur.com/4aNvIzB.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/O5fFAq5.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/lzZ2FGc.jpg)
The roof was fairly smooth but still took a lot of work.
(http://i.imgur.com/hZ3ETsp.jpg)
This might look like a lot of filler but this was all sanded back. You can see the guide coat still.
(http://i.imgur.com/fMdw8zW.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/xO7zcYr.jpg)
Sand and sand again.
(http://i.imgur.com/DNs76eo.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Kf7XKnN.jpg)
I really didn't have the feel for the finer parts of sanding and shaping the body. Experienced body workers could run their hands over the panels and feel bumps that I couldn't even notice.
(http://i.imgur.com/a4qDb2A.jpg)
At this point I've that keen to see paint go on anything. I swear there would be some days I couldn't wait for the car to be finished and was prepared to sell the bloody thing as is or just throw parts on it anyhow.
I'd also have this inner 'Pancho' voice, tormenting me, saying that thing he says in his threads - something like "Do it once...do it properly". Apologies to Pancho if you ever read this, your level of work and patience was something that I aspire to.
(http://i.imgur.com/gOmTeyS.jpg)
Looking at this pic I'm tempted to consider replacing the bonnet with a light weight aluminum one...one day.
(http://i.imgur.com/pbh8UUW.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/Y1JtBnR.jpg)
Just an indication of the work put into the car up to this point.
This was a typical week for myself and my partner. We would work in Canberra 5 days, I would be reading the forums, ordering parts and thinking about what I need to do on my car. We would then drive straight after work Friday afternoon to Sydney where my car was.
I would then work on my car for two days then drive back to Canberra Sunday night - repeat for around 2 years. I don't know how my partner put up with it :P
I would also use my 4 weeks holidays to spend working on the car - all but Christmas day. Plus all public holidays etc.
(http://i.imgur.com/GGnQ9Ud.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/aSuPyo0.jpg)
Shaping the rear quarters took a few goes :P
(http://i.imgur.com/2q28nbP.jpg)
Finally ready for hifill
I remember this because it was the end of a long preparation process. I think this was around midnight new years eve 2014/2015...can this be right, has it been that long since I posted?
Just checked the date on the photo and its right :o
(http://i.imgur.com/IB1QaJ8.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/g9jwnXj.jpg)
Anyway we ended up staying up most of the night priming the body. The body took at least 5 coats of primer. Could have been more, I need to check with the spray painter.
(http://i.imgur.com/yWQqbUt.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/R8ofUmu.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/cVWrxrc.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/zBOKmPG.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/VP0S0TH.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/kXsa0aJ.jpg)
Just when I thought I'd never touch sand paper again...I see guide coat being applied #$@$@#
(http://i.imgur.com/Aidc9wk.jpg)
Skipping over a lot more sanding of primer...here is the floor pan. I decided to apply dynamat to the entire floor, the firewall and the inner door skins. It's damn heavy so I didn't go with the 534728423 different types of dynamat they want you to apply.
(http://i.imgur.com/IvNIlr5.jpg)
Yes I've modded the seat mounts to accommodate the Bride seats. I'm hoping all new seats these days have a standard mounting set up so if I wanted to change seats I won't need to create new mounting points?
(http://i.imgur.com/IvNIlr5.jpg)
And now onto the doors.
(http://i.imgur.com/Fxgsmrg.jpg)
New wiring loom
(http://i.imgur.com/4cqb6JI.jpg)
This reminds me when I put in a new carpet kit, I want to sort out all the small electrical bits in the car that I haven't yet connected. E.g. the rear demister etc.
I'm really disappointed with how the fuel tank has turned out. I totally cleaned up the tank to bare metal, coated with rust protector then I thought I'd try stone guard on it. Now its looking grubby and the stone guard is coming off in some areas. Any suggestions on the best way to have a long lasting paint job on the tank that looks good?
(http://i.imgur.com/CFlPI2J.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/EsgAWwx.jpg)
I knew this booster was shot. Probably needed rekitting so I took it into a brake specialist and they reconditioned it. Wasn't cheap...but then I struggle to think of anything I've done on the car where I've said "Hey that was cheaper than I thought."
(http://i.imgur.com/GIEu0io.jpg)
Putting the engine back together. No mods done except for the lighter flywheel at this stage.
I had planned to bring the car back to Canberra and get the performed rebuild with Luke.
(http://i.imgur.com/kl2zbzu.jpg)
To be honest, we struggled putting things back. For example the brake lines were a b$tch and was nearly the straw that broke my back.
We didn't know how the brake lines ran, I spent hours on the alfabb forums looking at diagrams.
The brake cylinder needed replacing.
The clutch cylinders needed replacing.
Some of the brake lines broke.
One of the lines went missing.
We sprayed brake fluid on the bonnet causing bubbling. We had to repaint it.
When we put the bonnet back on, we chipped one of the edges. We had to repaint it again - all of it - you don't just repaint small areas as this is noticeable. The clear alone was in the hundreds of dollars per litre from memory.
I was ready to put my foot through the door of the car.
(http://i.imgur.com/62l6GNy.jpg)
Now that I have that out of my system...moving on...fitting the stainless steel exhaust system from alfaholics.
(http://i.imgur.com/2PRECJl.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/GYPeb5I.jpg)
The original dellortos and some old k&n filters.
(http://i.imgur.com/mlwGSl3.jpg)
Bonnet 2.0
(http://i.imgur.com/wDwOjCt.jpg)
It's hard to tell with my crappy pics, but the paint has a lot of pearl in it so it changes hue depending on the light and angle.
My stripes are darker than the rest of the paint but at certain angles it looks lighter...looks great when you see it in person.
(http://i.imgur.com/VXARhGr.jpg)
More raw fingers.
(http://i.imgur.com/A3lc0iT.jpg)
While I remember, another thing I wish I did was something I saw on Pancho's rebuild thread. He reinforced the door handle openings on the inside of the skin.
On my drivers door, I've noticed small cracks in the paint appearing from the pressure of opening the door.
At this stage, I'm learning to get comfortable with small imperfections in the paint and scratches and not get tempted repainting the whole damn car again...again.
The cost of repainting the car is expensive and I have to realise that the paint won't remain perfect forever especially being a dailyish drive.
(http://i.imgur.com/olPiXMX.jpg)
My brow is starting to sweat just thinking about the time and effort put into this car:P Posting these pics was meant to be cathartic :P
(http://i.imgur.com/VIFqpRH.jpg)
Electric fan...this has since been replaced with a better one and another radiator.
(http://i.imgur.com/BoJGIEv.jpg)
Many hands makes light work?
(http://i.imgur.com/UwYT8bf.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/hsgTGqV.jpg)
Boot lips turned out well.
(http://i.imgur.com/22tUGUM.jpg)
I'm surprised at how well the new rear light units fitted the rebuilt boot.
(http://i.imgur.com/O22SB4V.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/h27aiXK.jpg)
Due to the slow process and my need to see progress...I started watching car restoration shows like fast n loud, car SOS and overhaulin to get my fix.
Didn't help...just made me anxious. And these shows are unrealistic, they show restorations being done in like 1 to 3 weeks. If only...
(http://i.imgur.com/FqWTDit.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/vTw3I5H.jpg)
Stripes go all the way..
(http://i.imgur.com/djy5o6K.jpg)
Before driving the car to Canberra for the performance rebuild.
(http://i.imgur.com/LHG4HSw.jpg)
Even untuned I loved having the old girl back on the road.
Made it to Canberra and none too soon. The gear box started making noises and was eating itself. This had to be rebuilt.
(http://i.imgur.com/Ev85o6B.jpg)
Some progress pics of the engine rebuild.
(http://i.imgur.com/EsyKzev.jpg)
I can post a list of parts and things done to the engine a mile long if anyone is interested. But I might post a video from the dynotune which shows how well the engine is running now.
(http://i.imgur.com/1UFoNrj.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/08h6Ly8.jpg)
New weber DCOE 45's
(http://i.imgur.com/92etmgw.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/zXADH8j.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/VKei8xd.jpg)
I'm ever amazed at how much Luke Clayton knows. A encyclopedia of knowledge on alfa's and cars in general.
He also puts up with the stupid questions I ask without laughing...too much ;)
(http://i.imgur.com/gmZlLlS.jpg)
Luke showing me some of the ordinary repairs done when I paid around 13k (a lot of money back then) for a rebuild back in Perth.
(http://i.imgur.com/4SEWdzw.jpg)
Don't ask me what he was showing me here.
(http://i.imgur.com/g8rWyIO.jpg)
Wet liner cylinders.
(http://i.imgur.com/M1YTwaT.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/e7iYMiI.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/0s6M4zi.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/97LHgCC.jpg)
This is the sort of thing I occupy myself with these days. Pulling back off parts that I didn't have the patience to clean up before.
(http://i.imgur.com/B9B4TNh.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/wr7XPs8.jpg)
Yes that is the partners hair dryer I snuck out of the house while she was asleep so I could speed up the paint drying process.
(http://i.imgur.com/3VE4FDm.jpg)
Some pictures I took just before the dynotune. Also the thing about the dynotune, even though I was happy with the results - I'm no tuning expert but I suspect I could pull a few more hp out of the engine. The dynotune guys didn't have a lot of parts for webers in stock and I suspect with some more adjustments with the jetting etc might elicit more hp.
(http://i.imgur.com/0JjNiIk.jpg)
You might also notice I've got the tinting done. The guys had massive trouble doing the rear window. I spent around 9 hrs with them most of it was them tinting the rear window multiple times. The curvature of the glass made it difficult for them to do it without spears appearing. They didn't get it perfect in the end but credit to them they tried for hours and said that if I was unhappy with it I could come back they would redo it.
(http://i.imgur.com/gIjyPus.jpg)
I never thought the old girl could rev that high or scream as loud as it was on the dyno.
(http://i.imgur.com/94QgkzQ.jpg)
Okay, here is another question. Most of the gains I got through the tune were when we removed the ramair foam air filters from the trumpets.
They had too much oil in them blocking the airflow.
This meant a gain of around 50hp :P
I've since cleaned the filters and applied penrite foam air filter oil. It runs okay but now i'm paranoid about losing a few hp with having too much oil and then worried about not having enough and letting in dirt into the engine :P
Any recommendations on oil or high performance trumpet socks?
(http://i.imgur.com/wfpXiRC.jpg)
Anyway, a couple of friends and I spent a day installing modest sound system. Please do not laugh at the carpet or the wiring sticking out under the dash :P
(http://i.imgur.com/HizJFjF.jpg)
Yes, we made that parcel shelf and covered it vinyl. And yes I haven't reupholstered the back seat :D
(http://i.imgur.com/NMIPQoz.jpg)
The amp unit we've mounted discreetly under the parcel shelf.
I didn't go with a sub due to the weight issue.
Now some pics of the new boot lid from a few weeks ago. I've since had it on the car to adjust it. Had to made some adjustments to it but all in all it fits well.
(http://i.imgur.com/3za4nUt.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/ghp09dC.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/16ceUyH.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/iwmg5nF.jpg)
The funny thing about having a decent sound system. My friends laugh that there is no point as my engine is that loud that I can't hear it anyway. There isn't a lot I can do about the engine noise, I have sound proofed my car nearly as much as I can - I just have a loud engine :D
The noisey engine just adds to the joy of driving the car...it's such a 'raw' driving experience that you don't get with modern cars.
Before I hit the sack, I might just add another observation. With moderate power (gains) comes great fuel consumption. I used to be able to drive from Canberra to Sydney on half a tank. Now I am lucky to make it in a single tank :P
If anyone can answer some of the questions I've got littered through out my posts that would be great.
Also any suggestions on wheels and tyres that would be appreciated. I'm happy with the wheels and tyres but if I manage to win lotto, I've been looking at the superlights or the lightweight wheels from alfaholics (some of their wheels weight around 5-7kg's from memory).
My next lot of tyres...I've seen many 105 owners put on yokohama's or bridgestone potenza's. My main usage is obviously road but I wouldn't rule out the odd track use. Wet weather grip is important to me.
Lastly, has anyone had experience with the black/RHD/Standing pedal carpet kits from classic alfa and alfaholics? A friend said they are most likely the same and come from the same manufacturer?
http://classicalfa.com/products/IN056-GT%7B47%7DGTV-CARPET-SET-%252d-RIGHT-HAND-DRIVE.html
http://www.alfaholics.com/browse-parts-by-car/105-series/interior-trim/coupe/gt-carpet-set-1300-1600-1750-and-2000-lhd-or-r/
So this happened this morning as I was driving the old girl on the way to work on the boot lid.
I'm driving along the road and an elderly lady decides to reverse out of a drive way into the side of my car.
(http://i.imgur.com/rOIpaDp.jpg)
Could have been worse...but seriously? Why now? Why me? F#!@k
(http://i.imgur.com/RQBmcWM.jpg)
And as usual, the car driven by the party in error takes minor damage.
(http://i.imgur.com/NDOla06.jpg)
Besides the dent repairs that I don't need, this means a sand down of the entire front third of the car. I don't want the clear to make lines anywhere there shouldn't be.
Fortunately this time it will be someone else (insurance) paying for it.