Spyder restoration - long time coming

[peteracs]

Managed a few hours over the last couple of days. Fitted the sill covers, bit of a pain with one of them as two of the screws sheared so had the joyous task of getting the shafts out, luckily they had left enough to grab hold with pliers, still took some effort to get them out. I had been using a sacrificial screw to form the threads, but obviously not quite enough. The covers had the suggested sticky stuff applied (I cannot remember the name at present!) and had the end caps fitted using the boiling water technique as they all ways seem to shrink and need softening to fit. End result is good, so happy with them, particularly like the L in the middle which is for some reason not there on the later cars I have seen. Photo below...

Next up one of the jobs I had been least looking forward to, the seals around the door. I had bought the seals from Woolies a long long time ago, being very similar in profile to the tatty originals that came on the car. I had fitted them to the doorway several months ago. The result was not great as both doors refused to close without enormous effort. So I bit the bullet and started trimming the flexi rubber. I found, by trial and error with a small sacrificial piece, the places where the fit was too tight and then either removed rubber or cut one side of the loop depending on how the door shut onto it. The end result is not that pretty in places, but I guess when the bodywork was being done the gaps were not consistent or maybe it was like that originally. I may look to revisit with new seals at some time, but for now it will do as not going to spend any more time on it.

Last job was fitting the front wings indicators as the stainless nuts had arrived. Another boiling water treatment for the lens plastic seals as they are way too small now with age and it was a struggle to get them to fit, but the end result looks well, so happy with them.

Also started aligning the headlights, which for me requires darkness or at least dusk. Having got them about right I need to do a bit of work to get the rear plastic covers to fit on the lights as all a bit tight at present. They are not essential as the lights are pretty well sealed against water getting in, but it would be nice to have them installed.

Peter

[peteracs]

On to boot mounted badges during the last couple of half days spent in the garage. The ones I have were very tired and so the debate on how to spruce them up. First idea, lightly sand and spray with silver paint and then paint in the black part. Not a great result on the silver paint, so decided to break out the polishing wheels I got for the stainless trim and see if they would polish up, it took a bit to clean up and then get a decent polished surface, but the end result is quite encouraging. Then on to the black part which requires patience, but any over painting of the polished part was easily wiped off. The end result looks quite decent. My only fear is how much the polished metal will tarnish over time, and hence do I try some sort of treatment such as clear lacquer or ordinary car polish/ceramic polish?

Any suggestions welcome.

Peter

[frankxhv773t]

If satin lacquer is available that bight bring them closer to an original lustre whilst protecting from corrosion.

[WestonE]

Hi Peter

Impressive work. Perhaps Alloy Wheel wax regularly applied?

Eric

[peteracs]

If satin lacquer is available that bight bring them closer to an original lustre whilst protecting from corrosion.

Hi Frank

After living with them a day or so I quite like the polished look and matches the stainless on the rest of the car.

Eric, thanks, sounds like a sensible suggestion. I was afraid lacquer would eventually get water underneath and look pretty bad.

Peter

[Sandro]

Peter,

Nice job with the badges! beautiful.


A.

[frankxhv773t]

They are pretty in their shiny condition Peter so if you like them that way waxing sounds like the way to go.

[Kevo]

Hi

Hopefully will go smoothly!

I have just sent an email ordering a clear with green strip which was the original in my car.

The 4 screens I have all have some issues, some small, but as Eric (and my wife) has said, no point doing all this and later wishing you had gone for a new one. I know how much of a ball ache it is to remove them as have done it twice already on this car and on the ones I scrapped. If anyone can make use of any of the screens I have, feel free to get in touch as it seems a waste to simply scrap them.

Peter

I am not sure which clips you mean, but maybe you mean the clips that hold the plastic trim onto the screen hole. Try Bresco  https://www.bresco.com/acatalog/Fasteners-p1.html

Eric

Just to let let you all know that the screen went in very well and also the clips suggested worked well but a little tight to fit.
Just new tyres to get now and I’m back on the road.
Cheers
Kev.

[WestonE]

Impressive Kev

I am just giving the Montecarlo much needed love whilst I wait for the Beta Spider to come back from the body shop. Servicing and Dinitrol basically. It was nice to look into the sills I welded on 16 years ago and see no rust  Got some use out of my fibre optic inspection device.

Eric

[peteracs]

A small update. New wiper blades arrived, now the arms look decidedly tat so looking to see if Tex have any nice shiny ones...

Wheels had to go back to be rebalanced and checked as had a couple of weights come off whilst stored. They were happy to recheck each one FOC even after 4 months as they had not been used. Installed on car with polished wheel bolts and put centre caps in. Happy with result.

Also drilled second hole for each of the rear badges and fixed them using stainless lock washers. Also put the same Butyl strip behind the badges to support them as was used on the sill covers.
Not overly happy with the badges end result. They are both level but the angles of the boot gives an odd optical appearance to my mind. They are however staying as is at least for now.

[frankxhv773t]

That looks stunning.

Was there anything special about polishing the wheel bolts and how are they coated to preserve them in good condition?

[peteracs]

Hi Frank

See previous comments on the bolts, I had them rechromed, so nothing to do with them as far as I know!

Peter

[peteracs]

Good day today, the V5C arrived stating Historic Vehicle, so all sorted on the Tax front. I still cannot believe it was that simple to apply for it.

Nothing much else to report as doing some service work on the Saab as has been neglected over the winter. Following on my recent comments about rust on it, I suspect when the Lancia is on the road, the Saab will take its place for parts to be cleaned and painted.

Peter

[frankxhv773t]

Sorry Peter, when you said "polished" I thought it was another set.

[peteracs]

A little bit more bling arrived today.

First up, I spoke with Tex re stainless wiper arms and they do not have the spindle mount used on the Betas only a type they call the Lucas fit, however a bit of Googling and I turned up some ‘adapters’ which looked like they could be used to modify the the existing spindles to accept the Tex ones. I received these adapters a week or so ago and needed to drill out and re-tap the nut to fit the 8mm spindle. I also needed to drill out a small shoulder on the adapter and provide a seat for the existing cone shape on the existing wiper spindle. It actually fits quite snugly. I then sent one of the adapters and nut pairs off to Tex together with a pair of the original arms. The new arms arrived today and go really well with the blades I had previously bought from Tex. One of the photos shows the part numbers Tex use for the Wiper blade, top number, the smaller of the two wiper arms, middle number and the longer of the two arms, bottom number. All I need now is the windscreen to arrive!

Also in the post were a set of McGard locking wheel nuts which look the part as the plating matches the existing chromed wheel nuts.

Peter

[peteracs]

Not much progress due to family stuff and just off on a 1 year delayed holiday to Scotland. Timing was almost perfect with the relaxing of lockdown, pure luck as it happened as these were booked last April....

Anyway, only work recently done was falling out with rubber sealing strip around the door as getting the door to shut reliably without major effort has had me hacking the rubber seal with mixed results. Will have to revisit sometime and replace it. Very frustrating.

The other job I have been putting off for a long time was the fit of the rear hood. I bought this back around 2011 and went for a canvas one rather than the normal vinyl one. This appears to have given me a whole load of pain. I fitted it a few years ago, but have never been able to close the clips without them pulling out. Not sure if the later clips are better designed. The canvas is also very very tight which does mot help. So, after some reading about stretching the hood, and making up some makeshift ‘fasteners’ to keep the clips closed I attacked it with some steam and brute force. Finally managed to get the clips permanently closed and the intermediate bar in the correct place using pieces of wood to keep the space. The result is looking promising, but will need to make up permanent ‘fastners’ for the clips and keep having a god at stretching it a little more as part of the lip is now pointing upwards. However progress has been made.

Next major job will be the windscreen when it arrives.

Peter

[Nigel]

Looking good Peter.

Would a Vinyl version stretch a bit vs. your canvas?

Canvas always looks better I reckon.

Well done.

[peteracs]

Hi Nigel

Thanks, yes a bit relieved that it is getting there, at first I thought I needed to buy a new hood. If you Google shrunk hoods however you will find folk with canvas hoods on various cars which look almost impossible to fit, but after working on them they get them to fit.

I think the vinyl responds more to heat than canvas. With the canvas it appears water/steam is the way to go.

Peter

[WestonE]

I have this joy to come with my new canvas hood. I am dreading it and wish I had just taken the whole lot to a trimmer to make on the car.

Of course it might fit perfectly first time, but that sort of luck is for others.

Eric

[frankxhv773t]

It's probably better to have to gradually stretch it into place than have it be an easy fit straight out the box and then go saggy in use.