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Up-date on "Look before you buy"

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dizzplaced

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Update on "Look before you buy"

Well, it's been a month since I started restoration my "rust free" Ebay 1970 TR6. I have done the following:
-removed bumpers, complete interior and stripped to bare metal all the fenders, hood, trunk lid, doors & top & seat frames.
-removed, resoldered, rewired & rewrapped wiring harness.
-disassembled & restored all gauges.
-stripped, restained & revarnished walnut fascia.
-cut out and welded new sheet metal on floor pans, rocker panels, bulkheads, battery box, inner fender wells, seat frame floor mounts, door posts, shock mounts & rear crossmembers.
-stripped and primed all interior metal.
-removed and replaced all interior seam "putty"
-replaced front suspension bushings,trunnions, shocks, ball joints, tie rods, sway bar bushings & links.
-replaced steering rack bushings.
-replaced trailing arm bushings & bump stops.
-replaced rear axle & driveshaft U-joints.
-replaced front rotors, front & rear brake pads, brake lines and rebuilt the cylinders.
-replaced glove, trunk & door locks.
-replaced back up, brake & rheostat switches.
-replaced accelerator rod bushings, hood release cable, wiper hoses & all grommets.
-replaced heater control valve, fuel filter & lines, emission control lines, vacuum lines, charcoal cannister & all engine hoses.
-new points, plugs, plug wires, dist.
-removed,flushed & repainted radiator. New hoses, cap & pipe.
-pressurewashed underside and body shell. New undercoating.
new undercoating on inside of fenders.
-cleaned and repainted engine compartment.
-flushed & rebuilt heater and resoldered wires.
-flushed out tons of dead mice, remnants of shells, insulation, newspaper, rusted metal and crud from inside of chassis/frame. Sprayed oil inside.
-stripped, sealed & repainted trunk compartment.
-replaced broken taillight lenses & gaskets.
-reupholstered seats. Obtained new top, carpet, padding & all interior panels.
-buffed out bumpers & all chrome handles, bezels, knobs & trim.
-removed crappy Monza exhaust & installed original single pipe exhaust & muffler.
-ordered new Pirelli tires, stripped & repainted wheels.
-repainted valve cover and air filter unit.
-new decals for turn signal/light switches & rear fenders.
-new enamel tr6 emblem & grill chrome.
-replaced all top, door, hood & trunk rubber seals.

I did all this after work every night until 3am and on weekends. I think all that's left is to reinstall the fenders, hood & trunk lid and take the car to the paint shop for a new black paintjob, then reinstall the new tan top & interior.
Is there some kind of material that goes between the fenders and the bodyshell? Have I left anything out? Thanks. This board has been a MASSIVE help in the process!
Steve



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Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

You did all that in a month.
Do you ever sleep?
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

So THAT'S why you haven't posted!

Congratulations on your work. I know it's going to be great when you're finished.

Not sure about the "material" you're talking about, but I know someone will post an answer shortly.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif Mickey
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

Isn't it just seam sealer?

I read somewhere where someone used sikaflex as a replacement, but I doubt that's stock.
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

Moss and VB sell an anti corrosion joint strip for about $50. Comes in a roll. Frankly, I am not sure it is needed. I have an extra roll of it that I did not use on a restoration. If interested contact me via private message. I was going to auction it on ebay, but would be happy to give you a deal on it if you decide you need it.
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

That's amazing. If I had that time on my hands, I'd be done my 1 year restoration! By the way, how much did all of that cost? Just kidding, but I'm sure that was a pretty penny! Good luck with the rest.
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

Geez! You've been busy! I used to work almost that obsessively... when I was a whole heckuva lot younger! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Obviously you are well organized, too. That helps a lot! Especially at 3 a.m. (Bet the neighbors love you!)

There are various seam sealers sold in strips that you can use between the fenders and the body. Just about any body shop supply will have something in stock.

Talk with your painter, but I think you'll want to paint first, with the fenders off the car. Once it's dry, assemble the fenders to the car with a strip of the sealer in place around all the edges. It will squeeze out and need to have excess trimmed off on all the outside joints. From underneath, I'd just press it in place and might even add some more (or use some other type of caulk/sealer) to keep dirt and moisture from intruding into the joint. Pay special attention to sealing up the closing panel that goes between the inner and outer front fender, vertically behind the front tire. If dirt and moisture get past that, they will be trapped behind the fender and cause rust problems all too quickly.

On TR6 you don't have the fender beading to worry about. The same sealing process is used on the earlier cars with that type of trim, but a good seal is even more important because the different types of metal between the beading, it's holding clips and the fenders can all interact, along with moisture, to really accelerate the corrosion process.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

Thanks for all the tips. I just figured with metal to metal contact there would be something in between.
As for sleep, yeah...that's gone by the wayside. I'm a contractor so I can work my own schedule luckily. It did take its toll though. (girlfriend said "That's it. Adios.") This was a different restoration experience for me in that I've only restored WWII jeeps and trucks in the past where making the body perfect would be not as original. In this case, the garage I'm using is being taken over for equipment & material storage in early December so I had an extremely limited amount of time to finish all the work before winter hits full force. I had no idea the car would need this much work or I would have waited and bought one in better condition. So far I'm at just below $2500 in parts. I try to do all the noisy stuff before 8pm to keep the neighbors happy but its in a solid stone garage which muffles sound fairly well.I'll post some pics when I'm done if I'm not dead first.
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

Geez, it would take me a month just to make that todo list up. lol Sounds like its gonna be sweet when ya get it all back together. Good Luck
 
Re: Update on "Look before you buy"

I'm still screwing around trying to decide whether to take out my gages now or in the spring when it's warmer. No heat in my garage, so it will probably wait.
 
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