Tinkering with my twelve - or my half rolling half restoration

[pattehoo]

I have always been a fan of the sleek lines of the long hood cars and I decided a long time ago to own one some day. Having sold my SC I started looking for a suitable car. Following a lead from a local enthusiast I found one only half an hour drive from home. The car was not in great shape but nonetheless was registered as a museum vehicle with a lower tax. I was looking for a car to restore, and the car for sale looked reasonably good but with some rust visible. It clearly had issues, but on the other hand what car of that age doesnīt?




She was built in October 1965 and is 1966 model. It is easy to spot some flaws in the exterior. The front bumper for example is from a younger car, as are the headlights. In the rear the script is wrong and so on.




The exterior didnīt look that bad did it? The interior wasnīt as nice.



The engine wasnīt perfect either.



The car (452742) was originally sold by Autogerma in Bologna in Italy and apparently shipped to the States later. For how long it stayed there, I donīt know but later it was shipped to Estonia where it was discovered by a Finnish Porsche enthusiast who brought it here. He used the car eagerly, I was told, but failed to maintain the engine as it should. Hence the car was left standing in an old warehouse in the middle of our capital, Helsinki. From there it was later sold to someone the east border of our country and stayed there for some ten years. The guy I bought it from had just bought it a year ago, got it taxed as a museum vehicle and sold it away.

Any info on this car is appreciated but I know it can be hard to obtain. I think it has been red for only ten years or so. Originally she used to be irish green with tan leatherette interior.

[JT912]

From my phone, the bumper and head lights look correct for a '66. Care to post close-ups that show why they are incorrect?

[Jaems]

The bumpers, trim, and over riders are correct. The headlights looked to be the correct for a US car. The parking lights front and rear are correct for a Euro car. The engine lid script is for 67 912. you are also missing the 912 script. The 912 on the glove box is for a 67. The radio is a after market one, along with the steering wheel, gear shift knob, and window handles. Weber carburetors and what is the number on the distributor, a 009 or 022? If it is a 009; you will need to get a 022 or a 031 for your best performance.

It has definitely spent some time in the US.

[pattehoo]

D*mn you guys are good ( if it is pc to say so)!

That is cool! I did not catch the wrong lettering on the glove box. Well, it will have to come off any way sometime.
I was in the understanding that my 66 would have the early front bumper with the rolled trailing edge instead of the one with the aluminium trim. I could and hope to be wrong here. The mounting brackets certainly are the L-shaped short ones with normal bolts.

Admittedly, it is impossible for me to build this car as it left the factory, nor do I want to. However, my education has given me some kind of a philosphy how to treat old stuff, so Iīll just have to go the way I was thaught.

[JT912]

The wipers are parked on the wrong side also.

[Jim Chambers]

Front bumper on a '66 does not have the trim on the ends.

[pattehoo]

The winter after I bought the car I tried to learn all about what I had bought. In the evenings I tried to make sense of the wiring of the car.
I wanted the car not to catch fire as soon as I had bought it so I figured it was a good idea to take a look at the electrics.
The "before" picture.



Unfortunately I do not have a "after" picture but I changed the fuse box with an original part and the new one isnīt melted or have odd wires crisscrossing.

I drove the last days of the summer of 2014 happily.

[pattehoo]

Originally Posted by Jim Chambers

Front bumper on a '66 does not have the trim on the ends.

It should look like this shouldnīt it?

[Jim Chambers]

Yes, here is my '66.

[pattehoo]

I have my limitations. For example, I donīt weld. Or actually I do. I am capable of joining tho metal parts together, but not in a manner that I would accept in my car. The car had already suffered from some more eager than handy welders so my plan was to right this wrong. I removed the body panels and most of what is in the luggage compartment. I removed all the old body sealant in the front area so I could see what damage was underneath. The sealant is a pain to remove, but my Fein multitool and hot air blower did the trick.



The signs of a less than skillfull welder where all there...



...and there among others.



In the beginning of November 2014 the car was ready for rust repairs and off it went to a local body shop with lots of experience with longhoods.
The front tank support was rotten so it was replaced along with the nose panel.The rotten front panel of course was the main reason I stripped the front, but it seemed to be the right decision.


We decided to remove the door sills. I had spoken on the phone with one PO who said that he had had some problems with rust repairs in that region. I thought it should be checked out. It turned out to be a good idea.




The amount of filler used to make the parts fit was a bit too much for my taste.



Some parts that where replaced. The largest ones are not visible in this picture.



And we are finally heading in the right direction.

[upwardr]

Did you find any trace of Irish green?

[pattehoo]

I did find some traces of Irish green! I am glad the car was delivered in that colour,

Hereīs a recent picture. Weīre not there yet, but closing in.



I also finally got the front axle broken down. It was a real hassle and required a blow torch, a big hammer and a press. I did not expect it to be that difficult, and I really donīt get how my suspension was suppoosed to work when everything seemed to be rusted solid.

[pattehoo]

Bushings waiting to be installed.



Got some parts back from plating.


Hopefully I have the front axle reassembled this weekend so I can get my car on its own wheels by the end of January.
I ordered all new bolts and nuts but they havenīt left the shop yet so Iīll just have to but her together w. old parts and change them once they get here..

[matt930s]

Nice progress..

MattR