Bonnet disassembly (again!) (24 – 26 May 2003) I completed the body filling on the front section of the bonnet, and so it was time to take the various pieces apart once again. You might recall that we inserted thin cardboard strips between the sections before bondoing (more details here near the bottom of the Read more about May 2003 – Bonnet, part 5, etc.[…]
Right door cleaned and fitted Removing the guts of the right door was considerably easier than doing the left door, since I had already been through the process once. In a nutshell, this is the process: 1. Remove the window crank and the door latch handle by pushing the escutcheon away from the handle and pushing Read more about March 2003 – Right door cleaned and fitted, right front suspension disassembled[…]
Right upper wishbone removed (02 – 03 March 2003) Things have been getting too clean with the floors fitting and being sealed with POR-15. This weekend I turned to the front frame that we had removed long ago with the front suspension and steering mechanisms intact. The entire structure needs to be completely taken apart Read more about March 2003 – Right upper wishbone removed, other smallish stuff[…]
Fixing the Right Inner Sill (19 – 21 October 2002) I mentioned evil rust. Well, we found plenty in the inner sill on the right side of the vehicle. Apparently, the right outer sill had been “repaired” by a previous owner, whom we shall call the HVAC Man (thanks, Mark O’Neill, for coining the name). Read more about October 2002 – Right inner sill[…]
Frame Removed (9 November 2002) The front frame that holds the engine, the front suspension, and the bonnet was removed. Overall it was No Big Deal, though bolts on the left (driver’s) side were rusted tight and had to be drilled off. The heads of the bolts had fused, though the threads apparently are loose. Read more about November 2002 – Frame removed[…]
Basic Body Repair, POR-15 (2 – 3 November 2002) Although I’ve categorized this as happening over the period 2-3 November, it’s actually been a longer haul. But, it’s been a longer haul over very short periods. Doing bondo work isn’t exactly time consuming, though it is putsy. I probably worked in half-hour periods at various Read more about November 2002 – Basic body repair, POR-15[…]
Right “B”-Pillar (5 – 6 October 2002) The “B”-pillar is where the door striker is located, and the right-de “B”-pillar on this care had some rust damage that was cosmetically repaired, although not as badly repaired as the inner sill. The original fix did nothing to the internal corrosion, but the plates that were added Read more about October 2002 – Right “B”-pillar[…]
Sand Play (29 September 2002) We were quite industrious the first week, and we stripped most of the “tub” (the name given to the basic body stripped down to essentials). We used aircraft stripper, old wood chisels, putty knives, and rough scrubbie pads. Because rust reappeared in several areas overnight, I used some WD-40 (you Read more about September/October 2002 – Sand play and evil rust[…]
We’re off! (13 September 2002) Wouldn’t you know that this adventure in car restoration would begin on an auspicious day: Friday the Thirteenth. This follows a revered tradition (well, perhaps it creates a tradition) in Jaguar restoration by transporting on auspicious days. The restoration of the “first” Jaguar E-type, known by its UK registration number Read more about September 2002 – Fetching and dismantling[…]