My new RX3 and restoration

[steve garbutt]

I know, just need to redrill half shafts, and get the front hubs cut then the rest will be east, bit of painting to do but thats a days job.
 
When are you thinking of picking the engine up?

Hopefully before the weekend Grant, if not then it will be sunday again.
Ill bring some cash with me :Thumbs-up

[Grant Monkhouse]

ok brilliant, just let me know before hand so im in the house

[steve garbutt]

At 6:30pm i thought id better stop work and start play

Started with the suspension as id just previously brushed it off.

I was amazed at how easily it came apart, i was expecting some rusted and sized bolts but everything came apart as it should.
 
as you can see, although a little rusty the front disks are hardly even used.
The brake pads had about the same wear, as they should on a low mileage car.

[steve garbutt]

Rest of the suspension stripped and painted.

[steve garbutt]

even the rubbers were in fantastic condition.

[steve garbutt]

everything to finish underneath has arrived minus just the full bushing kits front and rear from Aus.

Cant wait to get the bottom cleaned off ready for paint and new lines

[steve garbutt]

Well today i decided to do some more cleaning of the underbody, but after 1hr of getting grit in my eyes i decided to have a look at worst part of the whole car, the door bottoms.

They looked like this and had me a little concerned as to weather id be able to make the good again.

[steve garbutt]

i decided to concentrate on the inner door 1st, also i thought it better to attack it in sections to make it easier on myself, after a little cutting the 1st part of the door looked like this.

[steve garbutt]

I only had sheet steel and the lipped panel for sill sections so i had to fab my own bends.
Not easy when all i had was 2 pieces of angle iron, 3 vice grips and a hammer.
After a few hours of bashing, clamping and welding i ended up with this.

[steve garbutt]

As you can see, the next bit to attack is the corner of the inner door.
Made a start but at 8pm i decided to call it a day.
Not bad to say i was dreading doing the doors.

[Grant Monkhouse]

Well done steve, not too bad once you get stuck into the worst looking bits.

Quick bit of advice for cleaning underside of car muck off, WEAR SKI GOGGLES, NOTHING GETS THROUGH THOSE. have used them on all the cars we have stripped and makes you able to scrape and brush for hours! Lol

[Grant Monkhouse]

I\'m sure you don\'t need me to say this but when you have completed the repairs, hang the door back where It belongs, check nothing is rubbing and you can practice at lining up the lines.

[steve garbutt]

Well done steve, not too bad once you get stuck into the worst looking bits.

Quick bit of advice for cleaning underside of car muck off, WEAR SKI GOGGLES, NOTHING GETS THROUGH THOSE. have used them on all the cars we have stripped and makes you able to scrape and brush for hours! Lol

Yer i was wearing safty glasses but not the goggle ones, but still it ended up in my eyes mouth, ears , just about every orifice that was exposed :Giggle

[steve garbutt]

I\'m sure you don\'t need me to say this but when you have completed the repairs, hang the door back where It belongs, check nothing is rubbing and you can practice at lining up the lines.

Yer they will be hung back on the car before i start on the outer skin, as it will give me a guide as to where the outer sections need to end.

Luckily there was just enough metal left to let me know where the lines needed to be.
It will be a case of hang, cut, grind, weld and shape

[Grant Monkhouse]

Yer i was wearing safty glasses but not the goggle ones, but still it ended up in my eyes mouth, ears , just about every orifice that was exposed :Giggle

Yes it gets everywhere you don\'t want it. If I do a restoration like mine and yours again I am going just cut and replace rear end for real coil spring racing car setup, save the Hastle of of time consuming bits, or just get something solid to start with. Ha

I think if I was to do this sort of thing again it would have to be an rx3, 20B.

Nudge nudge hint hint!!!:Giggle:Giggle