Am i on the wrong path here? encouragement needed

[timbn2]

I have a line on a windscreen and all related parts, in very nice condition for my BN2. the "asking" price is around $1500.
Mine current one has some decay and would need some heartfelt attention to get it back into nice shape (if even possible).
I still have a rusty hulk in my drive way and so many other things that need attention as well... it is only in the very beginning phase (see motto at bottom).
My question is this:
am i putting the cart before the horse by considering purchasing this item? it will have to be purchased (or money spent to restore my currnet one)at some point in the future regardless. But im torn because $1500 could go a long way in the blasting, primereing and repairing of all the rusted panels that have to be replaced, or engine rebuilding, or etc...

in general, should i be doing this in more of an orderly , step by step fasion, or does it really matter since at some point the money will get spent anyway?
opinions...?

 

[Keoke]

Keoke says save your money and do the important things first.---Fwiw--Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

 

[ronzet]

Tim,

Just a thought... When undertaking a project such as ours, a systematic approach is always in order.

What I mean is this: Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize...effort, time, money...

It is false economy to spend a chunk of change for a part that will not be needed until late in the project. If you spend $1,500 on the windscreen today, will you run short of funds to invest into the engine rebuild that needs to be done tomorrow... etcetera...

Lay out a project plan for the restoration....

First: determine the level of restoration that you will be undertaking.
Second: list out the major assemblies and sub-components that will be rebuilt. Determine what you will do and what needs to be shopped out.
Third: Put all work in a sequence... then try to stick to that plan.

I have a goal that once I touch something, I don't touch it again... Such as; when I am rebuilding the brakes I rebuild the wheel bearings, seals, and repack the hub while I am doing the brakes as well as lubing the suspension components that are in the vicinity... When the brake drum goes back on, I don't have to take it apart again... That part isn't touched again.

In my plan, for example; the brake system: rebuild the masters, run the brake lines, take the left front apart, rebuild the hub, rebuild the slaves and intall the brake shoes, reinstall the hub and drum, roughly adjust the shoes, then move on to the left rear, rebuilding the rear half axle seals, bearings, and rebuild the slave, install the brakes, put the drum back on and move on the the right rear and repeat.... Once all four wheels are done I then bleed the brake lines and move on to the next major assembly... as in the electrical harness...or whatever is next in the plan...

I am going overboard here... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Anyway... just lay out a plan before you start and try to stick with it...Plan your time, your effort, AND you expenditures as part of this project plan /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[Randy_Gay]

One of the national club magazines has been running a restoration step by step series for the last few months. I wish I had done it that way many years ago.

 

[nevets]

Re: Am i on the wrong path here? encouragement nee

I agree with the others. although it may be tempting to purchase the windscreen now, it doesn't make good economic sense. a while back I bought a tr4 to restore and promptly proceeded to buy parts willy nilly, thinking that I would eventually need them all. then personal issues forced me to sell the car before I could even start the restoration. I ended up including a whole bunch of new parts at fire sale prices...ouch! so I'm a fan of "just in time" purchasing when it comes to restoration parts. don't worry, you'll find a nice windscreen when the time comes.

 

[ronzet]

Re: Am i on the wrong path here? encouragement nee

Just footnote:

My business partner, who owns this BN4 with me, keeps insisting on buying a set of chrome spokes for it... I have disuaded him in that there was soooo much to do before that point and they would either take up room in the shop OR get damaged.... there will be plenty of time to buy the glitzie schtuff when the RIGHT time comes... and that is, actually, in our project, pretty darn close....

Happy Austin Healey'ing

 

[mjobrien]

Re: Am i on the wrong path here? encouragement nee

I’m 2.5 years into a BN1 and can say that prioritizing has been the key to seeing progress getting made and having the reward of seeing the evolution. Always felt that buying parts and sticking them in a closet until I needed them was not as rewarding as seeing the Chassis all painted and ready to go together as an example.

Michael
1955 BN1

 

[ronzet]

Re: Am i on the wrong path here? encouragement nee

OK, OK, OK.... you've got me on a roll.... When you start your planning, think about what parts will be out of the car and what around those parts will be easier to rebuild with the part out...

For example: with the engine out, plan to do all the hydraulic tubing, electrical harness and components, heater blower, heat shielding, etc., BEFORE the engine goes back in... It's easier if you can crawl into the engine bay with the engine out.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Just a recommendation...

 

[JamesWilson]

Re: Am i on the wrong path here? encouragement nee

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif

I agree with the prioritizing position. Buying major items long before they're needed doesn't actually help push the project forward, and I've found by experience that it can tie up cash that I'd rather have kept for more basic needs later.

I've picked up a couple of good bargains, and a couple of rare-ish items but otherwise I don't now buy things until they're about to be needed.

The about-to-be is important too, for I've also found that buying evrything only when I need it leaves me exposed to being held up by one or two items being on back-order.

Buying too soon ties up cash... leaving it too long increases the risks of not getting what you need and holding up the work.

 

[anthony7777]

randy, yes the austin healey magazine of austin healey club of america is printing the disassembly an assembly sequence as per the anderson/moment restoration guide, probably the first expense one should incur before even purchasing the car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

 

[JamesWilson]

[ QUOTE ]
....the anderson/moment restoration guide, probably the first expense one should incur before even purchasing the car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif

...as are the Haynes and Bentley manuals.

 

[Cutlass]

You described your baby as a "rusty hulk" in the first post. I'm over two years into my restoration now, and never thought of my BJ8 as a rusty hulk, that is until I took it apart and found all the hidden cancer. My point is that there is probably more to this project than you expect. So the first thing I would do is get the car up in the air, safely of course, and start probing for rust spots. If you find rusted through, or very thin areas, especiallly in the sills, outriggers and floor pans, I would probably recommend a complete tear down. I know that components can be replaced piecemeal, but with these cars I just hate to see that approach.

And if you go with complete disassembly, then the strategy is pretty simple. Start restoring the car pretty much in the order it was assembled in the beginning. Start with a solid, intact chassis, then add components, cover the chassis with the body panels, and finish with interior. I know this is over simplified. But as far as plans go, that's about the only way really to plan. You will never know what components can be reused until it's time to bolt them on. For instance, I just sent what I thought was a perfectly good transmission in for a teardown, thinking that it would cost a few hundred dollars. Guess what? The front bearing end of the mainshaft is galled. So that few hundred buck inspection is now a thousand dollar plus rebuild. And worse than that is the rust. You just have to start peeling back the layers till you get to solid steel, and rebuild from there. You'll never know how far back you will need to go till you're there.
All this sounds a bit gloomy, but it's not intended that way. Doing all this stuff is the fun part. Laying out the big bucks is not fun, but disassembly, inspection, restoring, rebuilding and all the other steps are what this part of the vintage car hobby is all about.

 

[JamesWilson]

[ QUOTE ]
You'll never know how far back you will need to go till you're there.

[/ QUOTE ]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif

And it can then be a long way back to being on the road.

But that's what I wanted- a project that I could do the work on and get the pleasure and sense of accomplishment from finishing. You'll have a greater feeling of satisfaction for doing it.

I keep telling myself. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif