Thought it was about time I updated this thread. I'm currently off work due to a stupid incident with an angle grinder fitted with a wire brush attachement, so thought I'd update this thread while recovering.
Lat year I managed to get the nose cone off. It took lots of penetrating oils and I still managed to snap quite a few screws/bolts/studs so will need to repair some of the metalwork inside the nose cone. Thankfully it isn't anything too fancy, just flat plate with studs welded to it. I took the offside front wing off and cut out the rusty wing rail and area under the strut top strengthener plate. Trimed the repair section for the inner wing top, then I left the car alone...
As some will know I bought a little BMW Z3 3.0 litre at the beginning of March this year which has got me out tinkering on the drive. This lead to a tidy up of the garage to sort out my various tools and fitting cheap kitchen wall units and a small workbench. I must confess the initial purpose was to sort out all my detailing kit, but it lead onto better things. You can just make out the cut down kitchen worktop bench in the bottom of this picture, my vice is out of sight.
Trusty Cebora welder that I recommisioned last year with various new parts, fresh MIG wire and converted it to use the little disposable Argon/Co2 bottles as I no longer have access to the full size bottles I used previously.
I received my new Auto darkening welding mask on Saturday, only cost £30 inc delivery and it has made such a difference to how easy it is to weld and actually see what and where I'm welding. To be fair the old flip mask was badly spattered and I couldn't replace the glass on it, but not having to flip the mask down when ready to weld is a revelation.
On to some of the work done in the newly tidied garage and with new mask. I got the inner wing repair section welded in last weekend, ground the welds down and sprayed it with Bilt Hamber High Zinc primer. You can't see, but the underneath of the repair panel and the metal it is welded to below were also sprayed with the BH zinc. It does burn off near the weld, but only about an inch from the weld,so I believe it's worth doing as the original parts were bare metal inside the joints.
Trimed ready to fit:
After grinding and priming:
Yesterday was triming the new wing rail to fit and a couple of small infill pieces let into the inner wing corner ready to weld to the wing rail:
View from inside the engine bay. I need to clean off the black primer, then weld the join all the way along where the two parts meet in this picture:
It's not all fun and games though as just after I'd prepared this area by cleaning off the old stonechip next to where I need to weld, I injured myself with the angle grinder. I was using a wire brush attachment and it kicked back despite being at arms length away, I couldn't stop it from skimming my mouth and face. Rather sore today, hence off work and reading on the web instead:
thanks for updating the thread, I've been dying to tinker again after being introduced to Wheeler Dealers and doing an engine service on my Dad's car last week.
Looks a sore one that, maybe another use for the new welding mask!
Actually, when it first happened I felt as if the side of my mouth was hanging off in a flap. It was only that there wasn't that much blood dripping down that made me realise it couldn't be that bad. Somehow I turned everything off in the garage and locked the door before going back in the house...then felt a bit wobbly when the Mrs started dabbing alcohol on it to kill any germs.
If it hadn't been raining I would have been outside polishing my Z3, which might have been safer for me.
Going to get myself one of these or something very similar:
Are you sticking to original spec, as much as possible?
I love seeing old cars (especially 70s/80s) restored.
But people tend to spoil the effect by modifying them.
Bigger carbs, daft looking air filters, that kind of thing.
Haven't fully deceided yet. It'll never be concours due to the sunroof, so I may make some reversable upgrades such as polybushes and better brakes. However, I've done a few mods on my Z3 which means I've scratched that itch already. A 2.1 bottom end and a gas flowed head, uprated camshaft might be subtle improvements though (it already has an unleaded head off a Granada injection I once owned).
I don't want to turn it into a mueseum piece that only gets taken to car shows where anoraks can bore me about how some part of the car isn't original. This would be ironic seeing as my parents and I have owned the car from nearly new, so I think we know what's original. The door cards have speakers in them and it had a Hitachi radio cassette player rather than the original Ford MW radio for example, but that's how it's always been. Though I could replace the door cards with remanufactured ones if I want to, but they're about £250 the pair.
The only mod my RS2000 had was a 'quick-rack', to stop arm twirling when the tail went out.
God knows what make it was, I gave it to a local bloke who did rallying and he did it all.
After years of driving cars with power steering I don't think I'd cope with a quick rack now...even the standard steering is pretty heavy when parking and low speed. Hard to believe my Mum (who is barely over 5' tall) used to drive it to work every day back in the early 80s. In fact I saw an electric PAS kit you can put on for about £600 (reversable of course) that may get considered if I can't cope.
Author: KelvinS1965
Author
24-11-2019 22:28:14