>Here's the question: Where do I start???
Begin with the end in mind. Grab a sheet of paper and write down what it
is that you want the end product to be. Be realistic. Concourse winners
or contenders are not driven cars.
Next go out to your car with lots of paper. Go over your car one section
at a time and write down what needs to be done to that section in order
for your car to be what you want it to be in the end.
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Tip #1
After market replacement parts may not fit properly and may have to be
bent or filed to fit.
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Tip #2
After market chrome is poorly done and will start rust pitting or pealing
fairly soon. You will be MUCH better off paying to get your old chrome
rechromed by the best chromer you can find.
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Tip #2A
Your local Harley Davidson custom shoppe usually knows the best chromer
in the area and how to order the highest quality chrome job. Ask them.
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Tip #3
Do not remove the body from the frame unless you need to do major work on
the frame. The frame aligns the body. Lifting it off the frame and
manipulating it can take it out of alignment and create poor panel fit.
Tip #4 Nothing you can do to the car will be as good as the original
factory paint that was applied to the fresh metal. What I mean is that
the factory primer and paint does seal very well and if there is no rust
in areas now you KNOW the metal underneath is dry and sealed. If you
take that functional paint away, moisture and impurities will get to the
metal and that moisture can become the source of future rust where a
working seal once existed.
I have seen too many down to bare metal restorations starting to bubble
up rust soon after the restoration was completed. I would advise to go
down to bare metal ONLY in places where there original factory paint
protection has been compromised. Where the original paint is still
sealing I would only go down far enough to provide a good grip for a
covering paint.
That said, check the underside of your front & rear scuttles very closely
as well as the underside of all other panels. The factory painters may
have skimped in places you can not see.
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Take your list of things to be done and set them up as little projects.
Figure you will need to get the deepest done first (You do not want to
put on upholstery until the metal underneath is painted. You do not want
to paint the metal underneath until after the dents & rust have been
removed..That kind of thing). It will become obvious which ones can not
be done until the one underneath it is done. You should be sable to come
up with a list of what needs to be done in order for the next thing to be
done.
Now mark each task (sub project) as to which ones you feel you can/want
to do and which ones to farm out.
SO now you know what needs to be done in what order. Just take off
whatever it takes to get to the deepest part & get that part done. The
rest will go from there.
If you want some inspiration (or to be frightened off) rear about my TR3A
rebuild.
You can get to it by pressing the Triumph button at the bottom of my home
page
http://www.cruzers.com/~twakeman
TeriAnn Wakeman If you send me direct mail, please
Santa Cruz, California start the subject line with TW -
twakeman@cruzers.com I will be sure to read the message
http://www.cruzers.com/~twakeman
http://www.overlander.net
"How can life grant us the boon of living..unless we dare"
Amelia Earhart 1898-1937
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