Post by Miguel Parot on Nov 21, 2013 15:14:26 GMT -8
Hello everybody,
Unlike most of you, I know nothing (sorry : I KNEW nothing) about mechanics 3 months ago, and I don't own a place to work on the car, so it was important that I would buy a car in good condition. Which I did. Various previous owners did some work on the car, and there was not much left to do.
Still, inevitably I could not avoid to start a list of things to do, some that I could find, or see, by myself, some that my mechanics explained to me after he had a close and detailed look at the car.
Good points : the car is complete, no parts missing (except a set of rubber door straps, and a regular ignition switch). Car-body in perfect condition, paint brand new (2010) very well done in the right ruby red L-457 tone, original chromes revived (2010 also), all windows original and in perfect condition, all trim parts OK, battery new (Optima, in 2011), gearbox re-done (2011), engine running smoothly, front and rear compartments quite clean. Horn, radio, clock, lights (front and rear), foglights, turn lights, work. Most seals OK (a few ones are not the right ones, they will be changed). Heating works, at least in the front, in the back ? Carpets clean, may remain as they are. Seats look good (but the drivers seat's bottom is crushed)
Less good points : the underside of the car is not clean, covered with gunk, specially front axle and chassis. Rear axle, engine +transmission bottom are cleaner. Some welding badly done on the chassis. The car is lowered in the front, thence badly suspended. The rubber stops of the front axle have been chopped off to allow the lowering. The rear shock absorbers seem out of use. The Firestone 560 x 15 white sided tires are not used but as hard as wood (15 years old, more ?), and show no adherence (adhesion ?)at all. A few electricty points need to be fixed : no blue lamp when beams on, turn signal arm does not come back in position automatically, no green arrow when turn signal on (yet the tik-tak noise is heard). Both rubber door straps missing. Back shelf re-done with black vinyl, when should be silver beige leatherette.
So, my project will not be very long, nor difficult, nor too heavy (in time and in finance).
The visit to the garage showed that :
- the car needs to be rised to its original level
- front brakes need to be re-done (linings, cylinders, springs). Rear brakes are ok, recently re-done.
- rear shock absorbers need be replaced. Front ones are OK ; after rising the car they found back their normal efficiency.
- the rubber steering coupling is out of use, needs to be replaced.
So I defined a phase 1 for my project which is currently in progress :
- rise the car : already done
- new front brakes : in progress
- new rear shock absorbers (Boge, oil) : in progress
- new steering coupler : in progress
(the NOS parts for the 3 above items were received yesterday)
- new tires : 4 Michelin XZX + 4 inner tubes ordered from Vintage Tyres, in England were received today
- new H-4 Halogen headlights to be mounted : in progress
- new wipers blades to be mounted : in progress
- electricity defaults to be fixed : in progress
- front seat seats to be restored : done, got them today.
Concerning the seats, all that could be kept original was kept. On the bottom part the original letherette and the dark grey material were kept. New leatherette was replaced on th both sides of the back, the dark grey material of the seats was kept. Metallic parts were not re-painted, just left as they were, as did not need been painted again. The knobs (original) were re-positioned an fixed in their place. The saddler's job consisted mainly in working on the padding and sewing. The result is more than fine, see pictures :
When this phase 1 is completed I will own a car :
- risen, back to its original level
- in beautiful exterior condition, paint, chromes, windows,
- with an engine running smoothly
- new brakes, front and rear
- shock absorbers OK, new in the rear
- steering all checked and corrected
- adjusted clutch pedal free-play
- lubricated according to the 35.000 miles / 50.000 km service schedule
- with powerful halogen headlights
- new wiper blades
- new tires, considered as among the best in their category
The completion of this phase 1 should allow me to to discover the joys of cruising with my 1963 in a safe and enjoyable manner.
I will be back later with details on phase 2. (Doors, door pannels, interior details, seals, cleaning in general).
And possibly a phase 3, that will have to do with paint options, and wheels, rims, beauty rings.
Th
Unlike most of you, I know nothing (sorry : I KNEW nothing) about mechanics 3 months ago, and I don't own a place to work on the car, so it was important that I would buy a car in good condition. Which I did. Various previous owners did some work on the car, and there was not much left to do.
Still, inevitably I could not avoid to start a list of things to do, some that I could find, or see, by myself, some that my mechanics explained to me after he had a close and detailed look at the car.
Good points : the car is complete, no parts missing (except a set of rubber door straps, and a regular ignition switch). Car-body in perfect condition, paint brand new (2010) very well done in the right ruby red L-457 tone, original chromes revived (2010 also), all windows original and in perfect condition, all trim parts OK, battery new (Optima, in 2011), gearbox re-done (2011), engine running smoothly, front and rear compartments quite clean. Horn, radio, clock, lights (front and rear), foglights, turn lights, work. Most seals OK (a few ones are not the right ones, they will be changed). Heating works, at least in the front, in the back ? Carpets clean, may remain as they are. Seats look good (but the drivers seat's bottom is crushed)
Less good points : the underside of the car is not clean, covered with gunk, specially front axle and chassis. Rear axle, engine +transmission bottom are cleaner. Some welding badly done on the chassis. The car is lowered in the front, thence badly suspended. The rubber stops of the front axle have been chopped off to allow the lowering. The rear shock absorbers seem out of use. The Firestone 560 x 15 white sided tires are not used but as hard as wood (15 years old, more ?), and show no adherence (adhesion ?)at all. A few electricty points need to be fixed : no blue lamp when beams on, turn signal arm does not come back in position automatically, no green arrow when turn signal on (yet the tik-tak noise is heard). Both rubber door straps missing. Back shelf re-done with black vinyl, when should be silver beige leatherette.
So, my project will not be very long, nor difficult, nor too heavy (in time and in finance).
The visit to the garage showed that :
- the car needs to be rised to its original level
- front brakes need to be re-done (linings, cylinders, springs). Rear brakes are ok, recently re-done.
- rear shock absorbers need be replaced. Front ones are OK ; after rising the car they found back their normal efficiency.
- the rubber steering coupling is out of use, needs to be replaced.
So I defined a phase 1 for my project which is currently in progress :
- rise the car : already done
- new front brakes : in progress
- new rear shock absorbers (Boge, oil) : in progress
- new steering coupler : in progress
(the NOS parts for the 3 above items were received yesterday)
- new tires : 4 Michelin XZX + 4 inner tubes ordered from Vintage Tyres, in England were received today
- new H-4 Halogen headlights to be mounted : in progress
- new wipers blades to be mounted : in progress
- electricity defaults to be fixed : in progress
- front seat seats to be restored : done, got them today.
Concerning the seats, all that could be kept original was kept. On the bottom part the original letherette and the dark grey material were kept. New leatherette was replaced on th both sides of the back, the dark grey material of the seats was kept. Metallic parts were not re-painted, just left as they were, as did not need been painted again. The knobs (original) were re-positioned an fixed in their place. The saddler's job consisted mainly in working on the padding and sewing. The result is more than fine, see pictures :
When this phase 1 is completed I will own a car :
- risen, back to its original level
- in beautiful exterior condition, paint, chromes, windows,
- with an engine running smoothly
- new brakes, front and rear
- shock absorbers OK, new in the rear
- steering all checked and corrected
- adjusted clutch pedal free-play
- lubricated according to the 35.000 miles / 50.000 km service schedule
- with powerful halogen headlights
- new wiper blades
- new tires, considered as among the best in their category
The completion of this phase 1 should allow me to to discover the joys of cruising with my 1963 in a safe and enjoyable manner.
I will be back later with details on phase 2. (Doors, door pannels, interior details, seals, cleaning in general).
And possibly a phase 3, that will have to do with paint options, and wheels, rims, beauty rings.
Th
Attachments:
there are still a few pending issues to be dealt with... 
