Sprint Restoration in South Australia (pic heavy)

Message

straylight · #46 Post by **straylight** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:03 am

i don't think i could buy the paint for 370 kiwi, which is, oh, about $30Au isn't it ?

At the risk of repeating the endless jokes I have with my NZ friends, you guys are lucky in that the kiwi auto-industry is a generation behind and they are still selling new Dolly Sprints aren't they ?

....sorry in advance......can't see your car atm newguy, images are blocked here at work, I'll check i out tonight.

I'm taking the work that is being done is the patching/bog work, the hours of sanding to get the line back. George's quote was top of his head, so there might be room underneath it. Every fiddly bit he has to do is time, so doors, sills, roof gutters and so on...he's a guy I know personally so It isn't a case of being ripped off, the work will be to the standard.

got onto the soda-blast mob too

http://www.sodablast.com.au

the only rep in SA happens to be in the town 45km away....beauty !

looks like a great process, he has estimated $1700 to strip it, he comes to me, gets done in my paddock. It involves BiCarb of Soda...(Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate) at 150psi. That is down to bare metal, and he claims the "factory" finish isn't prone to rust since it doesn't actually remove metal, so the car can be left for a little time naked. I'll have to carefully sandblast the rust.

price is escalating by the hour, might have to go back to the safe little projects like the instrument panel

newguy · #47 Post by **newguy** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:37 am

Haha

Yea the old kiwi jokes, its so hard to get Dollys here, parts are even harder all my ball joints tie rods etc have been fully re built to a modern day standard.

Everythings either a rebuild or find something else and make it fit etc.
You can buy brake pads for the front and the shoes are very cheap to get repaired.
I got brand new front pads and they only cost $13 bucks

That soda blast looks like a great way to strip paint.
I used a supercheap paint stripper and just covered the panels with plastic sheets for 30mins or so then when you pull the sheets off the paint comes with it.

What color are you gunna go for?

straylight · #48 Post by **straylight** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 4:07 am

sprints only came out in yellow in Oz, so yellow it will be....still not sure whether it is mimosa or inca....got to cross check. that is a while off though !

the paint stripper route is tempting...dunno. I've got until January I reckon before I start the sodablast, maybe late december. Starting to save .....

KWM338R · #49 Post by **KWM338R** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:49 pm

Hi Stu, I'm in the other colonies, the USA.

Keep up the good work, we all enjoy reading this kind of stuff.

have a look at the link in my sig, there's a few pictures of some rusty bits I found on my car.

Cheers
Mark

#50 Post by **sprint95m** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:24 pm

straylight wrote:sprints only came out in yellow in Oz, so yellow it will be....still not sure whether it is mimosa or inca....got to cross check. that is a while off though !

the paint stripper route is tempting...dunno. I've got until January I reckon before I start the sodablast, maybe late december. Starting to save .....

Mimosa paint code 64 was used on all Sprints sold in Australia.
Mimosa is nicer than inca too IMO

straylight · #51 Post by **straylight** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:31 pm

okay....more pics....from the effort on sunday afternoon when a mate turned up with a 3/4" drive 1 1/2" socket to get the crankshaft pulley off....which meant the engine came apart....and it was pretty easy. Took care not to knock the crankshaft...it was the furthest I've ever gone with an engine, so bear with my enthusiasm !

got the pistons out....the simplest, simplest job ever....bits all marked and stored in containers, this was really satisfying

classic, had to get a shot through the cylinders...

damage done to #1, it didn't feel that bad. My old man told me human fingers can detect a few thou of difference, but the bore felt pretty good...

last sunday, facia out. Should have done this first, would have made getting the brake servo out much easier

tonight's work, removed all the doors. Couldn't drill out the securing rivets on the door retainers (the things that stop them swinging too far forward), so a combination of hacksawing through the rivet and then punching them from underneath in restricted space. Found 3 "spacing washers on the drivers side rear door, bottom hinge....curious

the "spare" red beast. For a moment, I thought I could restore this one as well, but really, she'll be sacrificed for spares. (and the money factor) I'll try to do minimal damage, but having got a few more prices in, anything I can re-use is now worth bucks so she'll be slowly stripped. I had thought of moving the sprint running gear across to this car, but while the sprint has rust in the roof, this one has rot underneath.

'kay, more questions....removing and replacing the headlining ? any hints ? could a sewing wife help make a new one ? It needs to come out to gain access to the roof underside.

I had a look at your project mark, yeah, fascinating stuff....nice car, cute kid ! I put some bosch spotlights on mine but found the alternator couldn't keep up....the combined rating of spotties, driving lights and headlights was just too much. They were broken when a guy reversed into them at a petrol station in Darwin anyway. I'm going to put the bumper things back on.

now that is inspiring !

some good rust repairs there, I think I'm lucky that my rust is superficial. Poking a screwdriver through the roof isn't good, but it can be fixed...I'll get some pics of the rust I've found so far.

classic line from my wife tonight...."this is a bit all about you isn't it ?"

oh...she's Mimosa Yellow.....

(the car, not the wife)

stu

#52 Post by **Mad Mart** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:48 pm

Good progress Stu. Not too sure about no.1 cylinder though, the bit at the top left of the photo looks very suspect.

straylight · #53 Post by **straylight** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 2:03 pm

yeah....I saw that just after I posted....it is actually deposited aluminium....so I'm hoping it will magically disappear when the boring is done. I'll know by the end of next week, engine is being picked up on monday arvo for delivery to the engine shop in Mount Gambier.

Noted your hint on lowering the car onto the engine/subframe in another thread. Got me thinking, thanks for the advice.

newguy · #54 Post by **newguy** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 7:28 pm

Have you primed the engine bay?

DavePoth · #55 Post by **DavePoth** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 8:36 pm

straylight wrote: 'kay, more questions....removing and replacing the headlining ? any hints ? could a sewing wife help make a new one ? It needs to come out to gain access to the roof underside.
stu

The headlining can be removed fairly easily, although if I remember correctly you need to take the windscreens out. (that will need to be done anyway if you want to re-vinyl the roof)

I found the best way was to start at the back, on one of the pillars, and just gently ease the edges up from around the door apertures, Just don't tug it too hard as it is brittle. In the middle of the roof the headlining is supported by some steel bars which it is best to leave until last to remove.

straylight · #56 Post by **straylight** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:06 pm

thanks Dave....It needs a good wash, not sure if I can re-use it.

I'm a long way off repriming the engine bay newguy. 'bout 2 months I reckon.

newguy · #57 Post by **newguy** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:12 pm

straylight wrote:thanks Dave....It needs a good wash, not sure if I can re-use it.

I'm a long way off repriming the engine bay newguy. 'bout 2 months I reckon.

I thought so i just thought that was a picture of your engine bay i was think WTF.
Lol

#58 Post by **sprint95m** » Wed Nov 14, 2007 10:28 pm

straylight wrote:thanks Dave....It needs a good wash, not sure if I can re-use it.

UK built Triumph 2000/2500 saloons used the same headlining material as early Dolomites and Sprints (like yours). Not sure if Australian built T2000s also used this same headlining, but may be worth a look?

straylight · #59 Post by **straylight** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:25 am

thanks 95M.....that is good news.....I'm not even sure how the whole thing works, but If I got the pattern from the existing headliner and sourced the material, with the wife sewing and then me sticking it in, it might be easier than it first appears. There are a lot of old 2500's kicking around in Oz in wrecking yards, but the pattern wouldn't be the same I'd guess.

this is longer term obviously, but I don't want to undo something on the car that I later can't (or is too expensive) to redo.

money....blast !

on the plus side, we don't have MoT's here in South Australia. I think we are the only state in Oz left where the car won't have to go over the pit to get it registered. Not that a pit inspection would worry me. It is a case of the local bobby having a look at the car to ensure it is safe, then paying the money. She has been out of rego for 10 years so I'll have to pay a whopping $30 "late" fee......Since the local policeman is excellent, it won't have any trouble to pass. Crikies, it passed before when it looked like crap !

stu

#60 Post by **sprint95m** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 10:30 pm

sprint95m wrote: UK built Triumph 2000/2500 saloons used the same headlining material as early Dolomites and Sprints (like yours). Not sure if Australian built T2000s also used this same headlining, but may be worth a look?

I have thought of a possible snag - your Sprint has the interior light at the top of the near side B post? T2500 saloons (in the UK) have a different type of light fitted in the middle of the roof, so if you were to use a T2500 headlining there would be holes in the centre to contend with?