New Gilbert

[louisw]

Looking good! What paint was it you used on the underside? Looks real nice especially for brush painted!!

Louis.

[epcot_pete]

Hi Louis,
I asked my local paint supplier (Spraywell Paints 01527 835621) for a good under-body paint and he suggested 'Eurospeed 2' which is one of his brands and is quite thick ideal for brushing but can be diluted for spraying. I brushed several thick coats on and was surprised just how well it came out. There are some runs, but hey it is underneath so not bothered. I madly chose a Ford Diamond White colour, not because I am one of these at the shows with mirrors showing the pristine undersides of their cars, but for the fact that I had spent seemingly weeks removing the original underseal and the horrible additional underseal that several people had added to cover up the patched up underside. It was an awful job with hot guns and wire-brushes and it is not that this crap is removed that you can fully see the extent of rust and holes which have remained masked for years. Now I can just look underneath and see if there are rust problems arising.
I am doing the same to the front section with a view that by completely de-rusting, strengthening and replacing parts that there will be no need in the cars future life for any of that work to be done again.
Have been doing a lot of welding to the front, which is nearly ready for painting and have started painting all the front subframe and suspension parts so I can make the car mobile enough to push the car out of the garage to have room to fit wings, bonnet, outer sills and doors with replacement lower sections with correct gaps etc. well that's the thought process! I will add photos in due course.

[epcot_pete]

I have nearly finished the plating and strengthening the front inner wings and passenger floor section. The more I think I have finished a section that I find another weak rust affected area, but after 50 years I suppose I am not surprised. A few more areas need to be done and then I can tidy the weld bumps up with trusty angle grinder, seal with tiger seal and paint white. Managed to soak inner sill with Dinatrol and then weld strengthening plates to the centre sill section which had rotted through at the bottom. Not pretty by any means but it will not be seen when outer sill is assembled and is very strong. While doing this I managed to build a 'box-section' supported by the door pillar which I will use as a jacking position for front wheels. I will do the same to the drivers side before fitting outer sill. I have added a location on the rear subframe for removing back wheels when it was off the car.
I have spent some time de-rusting the front subframe and attached assemblies. This was done with rotary wire bush in angle grinder or a pedestal drill on full speed for the smaller bits. Jenolite was used before 2 coats of Zinc paint and one top coat of Chassis Black. Not the perfect of finishes but they are on the underside and should not rust again.
My next goal is to assemble the front subframe to the car with the wheels on so I push it out of the garage and fit bonnet, new wings and doors with new lower bottoms to get the gaps right and then strip down and finish - sounds easy.................

[epcot_pete]

Nearly finished front section reinforcing and welding (thank God!), so decided before doing anything else that I would angle grind and wire brush all my awful looking welds to make them look better! I then painted them with Zinc paint, but soon ran out, but had enough to see any mistakes and generally make me feel better that I can move onto something else. When I get the front subframe assembled and on the car, I will take the car out of the garage and fit the wings, doors and bonnet to make sure best fit gap possible with all the distortion. I will then mastic all the joints and put second coat of Zinc and finishing coats.
Have also started on the bonnet which needs the outer skin bonding to the inner support frame. On closer examination, it is evident that the car has been in a front end bash as there is some 5mm thick filler in places and I think that caused the original bonding to have come undone. I need to do it as when I went to close the bonnet holding the top bonnet corner on the off-side, the otherside touched the body with the off side still about 100mm to travel, such was the flexing!
Had to make some wooden clamps to grip tight the joint on the edge while bonding, looks a bit heath-robinson but it works.
Off the Malvern autojumble on Sunday for list of bits needed to finish my restoration.

[epcot_pete]

Painted the front engine section, inner wing section and all underneath up to rear subframe in zinc primer. When dry I will tidy seams up with sealant and paint all with white paint to match completed rear underside.
Also started doors today by removing bottom section in readiness for replacement panels. Managed the two rear doors and realised that I will also have to rebuild the inner door section as mostly rotted away especially the off-side which has been patched up before. I'm getting quite good at this patching up lark!!!!

[Triumph1300]

Your target is taxed, tested, and in Coventry at the end of May!

[epcot_pete]

Fingers crossed and every thing else!
Wish weather would warm up, bloody freezing in the shed at the moment!
Ordered the exhaust this morning.

[Reg]

Incredible work..

[epcot_pete]

Decided today that I could not weld the lower part of the door to the new bottom door outer due to rust. All 4 doors are in the same condition so I have decided to cut rot away and make new inner plate attached to door bottom so new part can be closed over it and them weld new part to door. Best look at photos as I do not think that makes any sense!!!!
The end result looks quite good and once filled and rubbed down it should look good.
The insert I made will be welded into position after doors are fitted to body along with wings and sills to make sure all line up.
I did paint Dimitrol onto all surfaces before welding and closing over the edges so trapping it, with a view to stop any more rust.
Managed to do back doors today and will have a go at front doors tomorrow. Will not post any more photos as all the doors will be the same.

[epcot_pete]

Was not going to post another update on the doors as I thought the other three would be the same. The passenger front door had more rot than the rest as the lower front corner was totally shot and also part of the hinge mounting had rotted through. Managed to patch them up so nice and strong now.

[epcot_pete]

Been very busy painting the past few days. Have managed to paint inside bulkhead and front floor, which looks tidy and a pity that no one will ever see it! Also underneath before sills and wings get welded on - maybe this weekend fingers crossed. Have also de-rusted and painted lots of individual items ready for assembly.
Also stripped down gearbox to make sure it is OK before putting engine on it and back into the car.
I have 2 questions that I need help with and have posted them on the technical section as not sure what to do - if you can help I would be very grateful.
More piccy's shortly.

[epcot_pete]

Just finished a really busy weekend and made lots of progress as can be seen in photos.
Nice to see it back on its wheels!
Managed to get the doors on with the gaps quite good, had to file the bolt holes out to achieve this. Obviously, the car has been in several bumps in its life which has distorted the shell quite a bit. The bonnet has a thick covering of filler so it had taken quite a beating and had to adjust the brackets to their extreme to get the line up correct. Put the one wing on with two self tappers and a g-clamp and it looks quite good. The passenger wing is not far off when offered up so will fix it with self tappers in the week. Will then do the same with the front valence and sills. When I am quite happy with all the gaps and fits, I will then weld it all together and spend the next days or weeks (seemingly!) filling and rubbing down.

[epcot_pete]

Have no pictures but this is current status of many hours work.
Fitted doors, sills, wings and bonnet with good even gaps, which I was very pleased about. Took the doors off to weld the inside strengthening plates to the inside bottom of the door and it distorted the bottom of the door again so spent some time 'tweeking' the gaps again. Welded the wings and front valence and bonnet would not fit properly so had to remove the triangular box section that the bonnet hinges bolt to and realign it. So lots of problems but now looking good and I am starting to do the filling and rubbing down.
Bought new parts for the gearbox, which turned out to be a 1500fwd one! Cleaned all the old and new parts and laid them out in order and got my 1300fwd manual at hand as I did not have a 1500fwd one. Seemed awkward on the bench so we stood the gearbox up on the floor and found it much easier. Found it best to assemble the syncro rings and gears with all springs and the 3 little pressings together by hand and then put them on the shaft. All went together as per manual until inserting layshaft assembly and found the thrust washer very awkward to sit in place while inserting layshaft, tried all sorts of things but took ages until we managed it, but forgot to turn the flat on the end of the shaft to its correct orientation. Instant gasket goo on all faces and assembly of plates when well until screwing together and found about a 3 gap due to layshaft orientation not being right. So taking it apart I disturbed the selector forks and one of the small pressings came out of the syncro assembly so I have left it until I am in a better frame of mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did find out that on the 1500fwd gearbox there is an extra piece of packing holding the top bearing in place which is not on the 1300fwd manual, which I moved as I thought I would not be using it any more only to find it underneath! Now in place.
Got some grease off Allan Cassie for the top bearing, more like glue though but I am sure it will prolong the life of the bearing.
So that is it at present, a very frustrating period in the restoration and end of May show coming up quickly!

[1300_2door]

Hi Pete, yes those shifting plates inside the sychro's are a pain, but as you said best to just walk away have a cuppa and a biscuit until one's a bit calmer. I also assemble the gearbox up-ended

Isn't that grease for the input shaft splines not for the bearing ?

[epcot_pete]

My friend and I sorted gearbox out today. The layshaft 'flat' on the end was not in correct orientation and was fouling the casting preventing it from sitting down flat. To find this out we had taken off outer casting and also the inner one and in doing so we disturbed the 3rd & 4th synrco by pulling the selector fork out too far, so it lost its 3 little pressings and springs! Took it all apart, reassembled it, torqued up the bolts and fitted the gearstick, was we chuffed! That was until we tried to select gears and could get only 1st & 2nd, no reverse or 3rd & 4th, bugger! Took it all apart AGAIN and spent sometime trying to understand why and then it dawned on us, we had fitted the outer gear-ring of the 3rd and 4th syncro the wrong was round so the selector groove was in the wrong place and therefore selector shaft in wrong position, Doh! Reversed it, reassembled it and tried it again and absolutely perfect, all gears as sweet as a nut so really chuffed now.

In reply to 1300_2 door comment about the grease, I am not sure and would like any reply from other members?
Certainly the gearbox does not lubricate the top bearing. The grease from Allan Cassie in 35mm film canister is considerably more that could be used on the splined shaft. After reading Robert Leadbetter's problems with his broken bearing in 'Dolly Mixture', I thought this grease could be used for the bearing as well - unless anyone else has a comment?

The body is also coming along well and nearly finished filling in the front end so grille fits well, the curves between headlight casting, grille and box section where bonnet is fitted to is good. Think I have nearly got this box section form ok as it has been badly damaged in the past, so buckled to buggery. The front section is curved in the middle and is nearly flat on the ends where they meet with the headlight cast surrounds - if that makes any sense? Well its looking good anyway.

Stainless Steel exhaust arrived the other day and looks good. Going to Spares Day at Stoneleigh tomorrow with a final list of my needs so hopefully all systems go for the next few weeks.