Mike MacLean wrote:
> I still don't know where you get the time to do all this. I work 7 days
> a week. I can't even find time to do a 5000 mile service, let alone
> build a whole car.
I work 5 days a week. So after dinner say 6:00pm, I go out to the garage
and spend about 4 hours working on the project. There is nothing on TV
worth watching so I don't kill any time doing that.
This last one was a blitz, I had Kevin coaching me to finish before his
rally ;) He wanted daily progress reports, he came and helped me for an
entire weekend too. Those days were l o n g! Engine,trans, suspension,
and brakes all in a weekend. And everything had to be powdercoated.
A week of rough body work, another week of sanding, priming, sanding,
priming, over and over to get it nice, then paint, Paint only takes a
few hours one night. Then 2 days of wet sanding and buffing. the rest is
"Some Assembly Required" I tend to keep one of everything in stock.
Hell, with 3 or 4 A series vehicles on the road at any given time, when
I need a water pump or hose, it's nice to grab it off the shelf in the
garage. Same with brakes, clutch, and most suspension parts. And then I
order a new one right away.
I buy all my nuts and bolts at Central Jersey Screw and bolt supply,
they only sell by the 100 so I always have plenty on new nuts and bolts
and washers. It beats cleaning and painting used ones or buying them for
a buck each. $50 worth of nuts and bolts does 4 or 5 Spridgets.
1/4 x 28 x 3/4 does most of the car. I get those in nickle plated
phillps drive, screw gun the car back together :)
Strip the car, that takes less than a day.
Figure out what you need, order the parts
Start the body work while the parts are on order.
New parts arrive the day the paint gets applied.
In the meantime, inbetween bondo and primer drying, use the time to
repair/refresh sub assemblys.
Do SOMETHING every night even if it's flipping a bracket over to paint
the other side.
Metal can be bought from any local sheetmetal supplier, Ok, so some of
my floor pans don't have the ribs in them, who sees them? Patch panels
can be bent on a home vice for the most part. $20 worth of metal will
patch most rust holes on a Spridget (not counting the floors)
Interior panels are 1/8" masonite, available at any lumber yard.
A 4x8 sheet does 2 cars with some careful layout. Cut it with a jig or
saber saw, sand the corners, use Formica brand contact cement to
watterproof and glue the vinyl to it. If you have a later model with the
foam, use Pergo underlayment 1/8" foam available at Home Defect in 100
sq ft rolls. 3M # 74 spray foam adhesive holds that on along with the
fields of the interior vinyl. Contact glue the back folds with the
Formica glus, it doesn't come loose in the heat. Cover the whole back of
the panel with glue, now it's waterproof to some degree. Better then
what was original anyway.
Carpet can be bought at the local upholstry shop fairly cheap. I just
paid $30 for enough to do my Bugeye. I cut it to fit, and glue it in
with 3M #74. It holds yet is removable with some effort should I need to
remove it. And it looks alot nicer than those "carpet kits" for $150
cause it all fits! (in my opinion)
I can do all the carpet in one night.
Wiring, By now I know it by heart. All I have to check is the 3 wires on
the flasher unit. On my new Bugeye, I made the harness from 2 66 Sprite
harnesses because I have a few too many switches and extra gauges. But
it looks like it belongs and I have provisions for more *stuff* when the
time comes.
All the lights can be bolted on in about an hour, 2 tail, 2 head, 4
signal lamps, a few screws each and the wires plug in.
Engine cleaning is nothing specail either, I just cleaned that 1098
today after work. Superclean and a tooth brush and garden hose. When it
drys, I'll paint it green. Paul A supplies the correct green paint,
again, I keep a few cans in stock for just this purpose. I am still
debating whether or not to rebuild this engine. It is in good shape but
was real greasy. New rings, bearings, oil and water pump, about $100
bucks.Another $100 for a head job. Who knows, somebody may need a
temporary engine or I might find a MKIII Sprite project.
If nothing else, I will have a spare good engine (or 3)
So plan on a few hours at least 4 nights a week and give it a whole day
on the weekend, spend more time working and less time drinking or BS-ing
and you will get that project finished before you know it. Yeah, I know,
there are chores to do, yards to mow, places to go, and people to see.
I DO have a life outside of work and Sprites ;)
My longest project was the Austin A40, no restoration manuals, no list,
and no catalog for parts. Where do you get a radiator for a 59 A40?
You find one that will work, same for the hoses, wrong rad, now make up
some hoses. Seats? Junkyard. Engine and trans? Sprite. Leaf springs, a
spring shop, Now add 3 point seat belts, power windows, and puddle
lights and that project took me 9 months. But it was painted 2 weeks
after it I bought it.
--
Frank Clarici
Toms River, NJ
Down to just a few Sprites
http://www.exit109.com/~spritenut
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