Introducing my second baby...

JohnJL · 04:17 AM

Firstly, thank you to Mike B, Milt/Zeke, Grady, Steve@Rennsport, Art Z, Jon, RoninLB, Chris Streit, Wayne and everyone else who has helped along the way.

It has taken a year to get the car imported, all the transport damage fixed, everything mechanical and cosmetic corrected and today officially made street-legal.

She is a 1971 T but in truth a 'bitsa.' But all the bits are ones I fully approve of...

2.7 engine
Unknown cams but they definately come on at 4000-7000.
Coilovers
sways front and rear
15x8 and x9 Excstas
Weber 40IDA3C
Prototipo steering wheel
FG front and rear bumpers
Triangulated strut brace

Thats how the car came to me. Little story first...

I bought the car from a Pelicanite last December. Two months later I get a call from the shipping company explaining they shipped the wrong car. Mine was still on the dock (in the rain/snow/saltwater) for months. They finally shipped my car however it had suffered severe mildew damage. The import guys also obviously tried to jump-start the 2-battery system and mixed up the leads, killing my alternator.

After a battle with the insurance company, I got my check. Interestingly, the end result the car was essentially free...but here's what I did to it:

Removed every stitch of interior.
Ground back to metal
2 coats 2-part epoxy on all metal
All vinyl replaced with black leather (Dash, caps, roof hoop, visors, kneepads)
RS door cards
single-battery conversion
fuse block all neatened back to original
headlight relays
all seals replaced (but waiting on the front seal still)
new windshield & rubber
Seats are early items stripped and metal re-painted re-padded, covered and stitched in silver thread. Sooooo comfy and perfect for me...I showed the upholsterer exactly where I wanted support, where I wanted it firm, where soft.
I used rockclimbing slings for the door pulls. I think they are perfect. Comfy, strong, light and I think stylish.
Zymol'd the hell out of it. 3M rubbing compounded all the imperfections. Followed by clay, zymol ice carnuba
Repainted the engine grill cover in "Silver Galv" and clearcoat, replaced the grill in chrome
I installed a stereo and alarm/automatic power door locks.
The stereo:
Sony CDX610u iPod 52x4 head unit in the glove compartment
Kenwood 200x2 amp under passenger seat
Kenwood 220w 6.3 eXcelons in the front doors
Kenwood KSCW-1 150W sub under driver's seat

I did some mechanical work too...
Replaced the alternator
Installed Crane optical pickup/replaced points
MSD 6T box
MSD Blaster 2 coil
Clewett wires
Sport engine and trans mounts
Valve lash adjustment
new plugs
oil/trans oil change
Completely rebuilt the carbs (34 vents, 57 idles, 180 airs, F26 emulsion, 145 mains)
Re-set the throttle linkage
Adjust clutch linkage
Chased out all the electro-gremlins
Replaced brake fluid (ATE Blue)
Australian lighting conversion

She purrs like a kitten and pulls like a truck. I am absolutely in love with how it looks and sounds. I got thumbs-up from strangers all day, but the best moment was a 5-year little boy who was holding his dad's hand...dad's chin was wide open and the little guy let out a "WOW!" and pulled on his dad's hand...exactly!

Here are some before, during and after pics. Ask with any specific project questions.

JohnJL · 10-10-2007, 02:57 AM

Last pic is this morning before I got the legit plates on it....

jbrinkley · 10-10-2007, 03:19 AM

can I ask you about the door panels and straps? do you have a close up of them. I hate the app biz handles and I would like to copy yours.
did you make you own or did you get a kit from somewhere.

livi · 10-10-2007, 03:26 AM

Wow! You have done a fantastic job, that little missy looks great. Brilliant!

JohnJL · 10-10-2007, 03:26 AM

Hi Jerry,
My door cards were the Appbiz ones and I agree, the pulls are tacky. I dont have a close-up of the interior workings but it is pretty straightforward. For the latch pull I just folded over the pull and used a heater-up nail to poke through the webbing, then threaded a bolt through the hole. THen I just bolted it through the original door-pull bolt hole. No modifications necessary and the webbing goes through the Appbiz door pull hole. I used a standard bulkhead grommet glued with a bit of rubber cement to finish the door card.

To fit the door pull I installed the door card and market the pre-drilled holes on the card onto the door. Roll up the window and removed the card, then drilled 2 6mm holed and used stainless bolts and washers through the webbing.

john

Zef · Zef's Garage

Very nice job...I'm impressed by this kind of project...Simply beautiful.

JohnJL · 10-10-2007, 03:31 AM

Thanks Markus

Here's a close-up of the pulls. Climbing webbing is $6 per meter. So the pulls cost $4 altogether. Australian.

jbrinkley · 10-10-2007, 03:42 AM

thank you, I've said for a long time I was gonna redo mine with some new board.
thanks.

JohnJL · 10-10-2007, 12:35 PM

Thanks Syl. The first project was about building a learnable, competitive circuit car, this one was about having a unique, sporting weekend spirited driver.

RSBob · RSBob's Garage

Absolutely remarkable work. From a smelly pit to a thing of absolute beauty. Well done.

JohnJL · 10-10-2007, 07:18 PM

THanks Rick. SHe did indeed stink. I have a great picture at home of them delivering the car on flatbed...in torrential rain...with the windows down! Even better was the wet, waterlogged vehicle report paper on the floor of the passenger side showing the car in excellent condition at departure!

JohnJL · 10-12-2007, 08:18 PM

Went on a great 3-hour ripping joyride today up the coast roads and back through the hills...what a beautiful sunny spring day in Sydney!

And with the ever-patient Barbara...

This is the one we're submitting for the Targa Tasmania book and website...