The Journey Begins - BJ8 restoration

[John Turney]

So how are the shiny bits on the wall? Do they look as good on the back side as the front, or are they also full of filler?

 

[Westcoast M5]

I'm replacing rear shroud and rear fenders. In addition to alot of corrision on the rear shroud, it's been hit in the back and not repaired well. The doors, front shroud and front fenders I believe are all repairable, but will of course need them stripped down to know for sure.

 

[John Turney]

Don't get rid of the rear fenders until you can fit new ones. The previous customer of the guy who painted mine bought new ones and sold his old ones. The new ones fit so poorly, he bought the old ones back.

 

[Westcoast M5]

Thanks, I have heard horror stories about replacement fenders. I plan on keeping every peice until the car is completed, just in case. I don't expect the replacement fenders to fit perfectly but hopefully it will be easier to shape the new fenders then rebuild the old ones....fingers crossed.

 

[Healey Nut]

I'm replacing rear shroud and rear fenders. In addition to alot of corrision on the rear shroud, it's been hit in the back and not repaired well. The doors, front shroud and front fenders I believe are all repairable, but will of course need them stripped down to know for sure.

You will probably spend as much time and money modifying new fenders and shrouds as you would just repairing what you have .

 

[Westcoast M5]

You will probably spend as much time and money modifying new fenders and shrouds as you would just repairing what you have .

Agreed, but in the end I will have "fresh" metal. My existing rear fenders have multiple patches and a 1/2" of bondo as a starting point. Regardless of time, I would rather massage the new panels (english wheel and a shrinker stretcher) than have the patchwork quilt that would be my existing fenders. Hoping to save the front fenders, we'll see.

The other complicating factor is it has had a rear end hit at some point (see attached photos). It has been "banged out" but the rear shroud is about an inch shorter than it should be and as best I can tell, the rear fenders and inner wings were "reshaped" to match the distorted shroud. Add the fact that galvanic corrision has eating most of the edges of the shroud and it is a mess.

I completely hear what you saying and if it were just a rusty fender, I would definately go for a repair, but given the hit, I think I am better off starting fresh.

Stay tuned....I may have to eat my words

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Hi Everyone,
I did a new member intro a little while back and now plan to share the journey of restoring my 1967 BJ8. Thank you to every poster who has filled this forum with fantastic information. You know once you are re-reading threads for the third time it is time to get away from the computer and out into the shop....

I began taking the car apart on June 1st and am now ready to begin building. My Jule frame will arrive in about a week!

Cheers

I made a List of stuff that you’ll need to do to rebuild your Healey with a Jule Frame. PM if you’re interested in it. I did mine and I wasn’t prepared proper for some of the things I had to do.

 

[Healey Nut]

I made a List of stuff that you’ll need to do to rebuild your Healey with a Jule Frame. PM if you’re interested in it. I did mine and I wasn’t prepared proper for some of the things I had to do.

I would be interested in that list Patrick .
I have noted that I need to test fit the engine/ gearbox assy to be able to do the locations for the gearbox mounts and install threaded inserts for them .

 

[TimK]

I am interested to know if you were aware of the extent of the poor condition and were able to acquire the vehicle at a reasonable price. It looks like a potentially fraudulent seller given all the coverup. I am very impressed with the task ahead of you and your willingness to take it on — you must have a lot of skill and experience!

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

P

I would be interested in that list Patrick .
I have noted that I need to test fit the engine/ gearbox assy to be able to do the locations for the gearbox mounts and install threaded inserts for them .

PM with your email. I just tapped my Frame where the trans installs and installed bolts and they have not come loose. I do wish that part had been done by Jule. I guess you also could drill through the frame and install long bolts too with nuts. There’s other areas that need captive nuts installed too.

 

[Westcoast M5]

I made a List of stuff that you’ll need to do to rebuild your Healey with a Jule Frame. PM if you’re interested in it. I did mine and I wasn’t prepared proper for some of the things I had to do.

PM sent - thanks!

 

[Westcoast M5]

I am interested to know if you were aware of the extent of the poor condition and were able to acquire the vehicle at a reasonable price. It looks like a potentially fraudulent seller given all the coverup. I am very impressed with the task ahead of you and your willingness to take it on — you must have a lot of skill and experience!

The short answer is no. I bought it at an auction as a bit of an impulse buy (sold as is where is - buyer beware). Based on the condition, I overpaid for it. I knew the car had some faults, but didn't realize the extent of it. I could have driven it for a summer and flipped it back through an auction, which probably would have been a smarter financial decision, but decided the project would be fun to do, and in the end it's really about enjoying the hobby.

 

[Patrick67BJ8]

Thanks, I have heard horror stories about replacement fenders. I plan on keeping every peice until the car is completed, just in case. I don't expect the replacement fenders to fit perfectly but hopefully it will be easier to shape the new fenders then rebuild the old ones....fingers crossed.

I had a paint job done on my Healey back in 1976 and new aluminum panels I bought we’re not curved plus my frame had been in two wrecks. The body shop that did the work did a good job of fitting everything, but ALL of their work had to be redone when I received my Jule Frame. With the new correct curved rocker panels the rear fender doglegs stuck out about an inch and those had to be redone. I think I can say, that your body panels will need work because you now have a straight frame compared to the old original one.

 

[Westcoast M5]

That is my understanding as well, that these frames suffer from a lot of movement and overtime they twist and bend. In fact when I placed my old frame on a flat concrete floor, it rocked back and forth (like a wobbly table at a restaurant). Granted concrete is never flat, always some slope, but the amount of rocking was significant. The panels had to twist and stretch as well over time to match it and to the extent they have been repaired and repainted over the years, it has always been to conform to the twisted structure. I would expect that none of the panels will fit nicely on a new frame/superstructure.

As you did, the process I am undertaking is to start with a frame that is dead straight and rebuild the superstructure to be square and true, then outer panels (whether new or used) will have to be shaped to fit the corrected structure. It is a lot of work, but in my view that is the correct way to do it.

 

[Westcoast M5]

My Jule frame arrived today. Thanks Martin!

 

[John Turney]

Looks like it came from IKEA!

 

[Westcoast M5]

Looks like it came from IKEA!

Hopefully it is easier to assemble than Ikea furniture.

 

[Healey Nut]

Hopefully it is easier to assemble than Ikea furniture.

Well one thing is certain ......it wont end up in the garbage in six months like Ikea particle board junk furniture ..
I despise that stuff!!!!!

 

[Randy Forbes]

Just before of the front xmbr, and aft of the forward most LCA pivot are two (2) horizontal square tubes, each with a hole on their inboard ends; what are they for?

It's been a while, but I'm certain that my lower radiator to frame brackets sit flat on the leading edge of the crossmember, attached with two (2) bolts per side; the upper bolt holes being visible above the sq tubes in your picture below.

Custom radiator? Custom electric fan? Doesn't seem to be an ideal location for a suspension support brace, nor does it look to accommodate a removable crossmember.

You got me, I give up... ? ?

There are going to be times during your build that you'll just want to throw the whole thing in the pond (we have a couple of ponds surrounding half our lot, and "I feel like throwing *it* in the pond!" is my standard threat when some inanimate object gives me grief...). You'll want to persevere until you've mastered the situation, but I find that if I just walk away, what seemed insurmountable only an hour before can be more easily accomplished with a fresh outlook.

Looks like you have an ideal work setup__gorgeous shop BTW__and I'm more than a little envious, wishing I was embarking on a full scale project myself! Perhaps within the next year, as I'm winding down working on other people's cars, so maybe I can do something for myself again.

 

[Westcoast M5]

Thanks. I feel really lucky to have this project ahead of me. I don't have a pond nearby, but I need to learn to walk away 10 minutes earlier when I get frustrated (before I decide a bigger hammer is the solution, rather than after)

The frame brackets are for a steering rack. In addition to the brackets, the spindle arms get reprofiled and the rad recorded with an electric fan and mounted at a slight angle to accommodate.