Finally. Wanted a Spider..more details!

[RRoller123]

How do you do that properly?

[seabeelt]

Just curious as to why you would replace them if they appear to be in good shape and are not leaking?
R/

[wizard124]

Over the past few weeks I've been doing some preventative maintenance items and tearing into my 5 speed.

I took the starter apart, checked the brushes, cleaned and lubed. Posted a thread on it: http://fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=25986


My 4th gear syncro was no good. I tore into the transmission to find this:


Go here if you want more details: http://fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26031

In the transmission, I have replaced the following parts: 4 syncros and 1 spring, 2 shift forks, 2 sliding sleeves, 3 bearings, needle bearing, speedo seal, front and rear shaft seals, new gaskets, gear shift boot, clutch disk, throw-out bearing, pressure plate, clutch lever boot.

Engine work includes: new cam belt, new cam wheels, new aux shaft seal with housing gasket, new front and rear crank seals with housing gaskets, new oil pan gasket, new crankcase breather elbow and breather gasket. Had the exhaust manifold surface ground and replaced with a new gasket.

These 9 pages are a time line of the progress I have made in "fixing up" the car I bought about 18 months ago. It didn't start as a restoration, at least in my mind. Maybe it has turned into one
With the repair of the syncro and all the troublesome leaks, I think I am at 99% mechanically. There may be some item, but I honestly can't think of anything mechanical! Engine performance improvements would be nice. Since, I have smog requirements, I am not ready to go down that road.

Turning to paint, interior and cosmetics, I have much to do I am still vacillating on painting the car. I am in the process of obtaining local estimates...more on this shortly.

Once the car is being painted, I'll need to move on the interior. I have talked to some local shops but their pricing is more than I want to spend. I'll probably decide between World Upholstery and Convertibletopguys.com. I haven't contacted either yet.

[wizard124]

I am all in at this point.

I 've stripped the car of all exterior trim items, removed the top, removed the fuel tank, pulled the seats, removed the door panels, gaskets, most all components are out of the engine bay, etc. Bins full of labeled items and bagged nuts and bolts are lining my garage.
I used POR15 on some rusty areas on the door panels, engine bay and crossmember. I masked off some items in the bay and had it towed to a body shop:


I signed the contract today. The car should be ready in a couple of weeks. The color? ( Drum roll ). I decided on BMW Atlantic Blue Metallic. A BMW was for sale awhile ago. I had to stop just to find out the color; classy and refined, beautiful. So, I am going for it Check out this example..


I ordered some samples from World Upholstery today. I am thinking a saddle or brown interior. A bit darker than in the picture.

[Fi8spider]

Hi wizard, just read through your whole thread and really enjoyed it, sounds like you're having fun!
Well done mate and I hope the paint job comes up a treat, great color choice.

[wizard124]

Fi8, thanks for your response. Yes having fun! Lots of TLC.

I just dropped off the hood. The body guy started yesterday and has already prepped most of the body work and will weld in the rusty door sill fix today. Primer by the end of the week. Smok'n!

[wizard124]

I headed over to the body shop to check on progress. They replaced the rusted piece along the passenger door sill, filled and sanded the few rough body spots, sanded the body. Primer should go on this week with epoxy in the engine compartment. Color sample should be ready in a day or two.

Meanwhile, I have been cleaning the pulled pieces. It kind of takes you by surprise by the number of articles. Some of the engine compartment rubber weather seals are still salvageable. After a scrubbing, I sprayed Rustoleum black bumper and trim paint on them; adhesion and flexibility seem good. Washed and metal polished the chrome license plate fixtures, marker lights, headlight rings. I started a list of replacement parts I want/need as the car gets put back together. AR will be happy with me

After the car is painted. My plan is to install the engine, transmission, fuel tank, engine compartment components to the extent that I can run the engine and test my newly re-built transmission. Assuming that goes well, I'll finish the exterior and engine compartment items. This should tidy up the garage to where I can focus on the interior.

I ordered and received some samples from World Upholstery. I recommend doing this as the colors vary from those shown on the computer screen.....a bit more than I would have thought. No final decisions made yet but I am leaning towards BWM Llama??

[wizard124]

The trunk and engine compartments are painted. He tells me it should be ready to bring home on Monday!

[wizard124]

not quite ready. There are a couple of paint issues and the owner wasn't there this afternoon to discuss/resolve. I did snap a couple of pictures

[AriK]

She's gonna be so beautiful once you start getting her clothes on. The most gratification comes to those who have abstained from driving their Fiat the longest. It's surely been a long haul. Congratulations

[wizard124]

My car has been out of the body shop for a couple of weeks now. Vacation with the kids for Spring break. I started putting it back together 4-5 days ago. The paint issues i had mentioned were happily resolved! The owner had already chewed some ass and the car was being worked on by the time I arrived that following morning. The final polishing is still on the to do list, but the car is really looking good
I bought new gaskets for the taillight lenses and plastic trim rings for the headlights. Polished the taillights, cleaned side lights, scrubbed the trunk seal, wire brushed latches and ground junctions, painting the horns and other odds and ends,,,,,,,,all those tasks that eat up the hours. Gas tank in and lines re- clamped. Lights in. Re-wrapped parts of the engine/FI wiring harness and added some split wiring conduit.
I'm just about ready to put the engine and transmission back in; it will be a week or so before i can find the time. I am really looking forward to testing the re- built tranny, and wringing it out with a new timing belt

[wizard124]

Progress

First wash:


Engine bay coming together:

[Exit98]

Looks great. Don't know how some of you guys do this stuff so well.

[wizard124]

I still haven't found the time to install the engine and transmission. So, I have moved on to other things on the "to do" list. My garage is too cluttered and I need to put items back.

I soaked and scrubbed the rubber windshield gasket. Ready to install my new windshield. I also cleaned out the "V" channel windshield base and painted it with Por-15.
But, before the windshield goes back on, I decided this was a prime opportunity to swap out my dash boards. I obtained a used one with only a single minor crack. I used some epoxy glue to fill that crack and painted the entire dash with Rustoleum Black Vinyl paint. It cleaned up nice. I painted the round vents. Tomorrow,,,,,,,,the dash and windshield will be re-installed.

Yesterday, I started chisling away that floorboard tar gunk covering. Is this a miserable, contorting, ackward job!. I found some surface rust,,,,,but nothing compared to the rot documented on other threads. I'll Por 15 it and lay in some HushMat. I bought the HushMat on Ebay, best price I could find.

[wizard124]

More progress, but at a much slower pace than I care to admit to. I layed in some Hushmat in the recesses to the side of the dash and in the trough to either side of the vent. I installed my repaired dash ,,,,,,only to have to remove it to install my new windshield properly.


The windshield is tricky, takes 2 people to do it properly. Mine was a trial and error process as I couldn't find any detailed guidance. The dash needs to be removed so that you can work the gasket over the lower channel/support. I also took the time to replace the rubber seals on the windshield frame that abut the forward edge of the vent window frame. That task is pretty easy using pop rivets. I also used black nail polish to dab the heads of the rivets to match the black trim piece.



I cleaned up the components that fit on the rear hood panel. I removed the wiper motor and actuator linkage months age. The wiper motor was re-lubed and is operating properly. I needed to clean and lubricate the linkage. I painted the plastic grates. Hopefully, I will have that panel back together and re-installed on Thursday.

Engine and transmission back in by the end of the week.