Figured I would start this post in the right forum.. as I KNOW I am going to need some help..

Thanks to John Erskine (erskinej), I have already gotten a good bit of parts, help and direction.

Well anyway, as with any good restoration project, you have to have a "Story".

About a month ago (9/26 to be exact).. While watching Monday Night Football over some beers (Don't all good stories start that way). A friend of mine told me he just got a car off ebay for a Christmas present for his wife, and if I knew any transporters as I am a Car Guy and into Opels (OF which I have a small "collection" of them, and a number of friends cars have found their way into my garage for repair ) so maybe I knew someone.

Long story short, by the end of the conversation, I offer to help him keep it at my house, and I will look it over and make sure it runs, etc.. Since supposedly the car ran according to the eBay listing (And we know we can all trust what someone says on eBay ), I figured it would be a few maintenance items, change the oil, etc.. nothing major.

Well this is what arrived and Yes is was painted with a brush (poorly at that). I even think the owner of the car painted it with a brush SPECIFICALLY for the Ebay pictures as it seems the paint was still drying as I was working on the body.



















So that's what I started with.. A really rough 1975 124 Spider. Lets just say it is Unnecessary to let me know this was a marginal parts car that probably should have been left well enough alone. But I am also into Opels so call me a glutton for punishment.

Motor didnt start, brakes went to floor, broken clutch cable, leaking coolant and fuel, rusty and wornout front suspension to name the "few" mechanical issues.

At this point I figured I promised I would try to get it running for him. So, I diagnosed it wasn't getting spark, and since the fuel pump had shot about a 1/2 gallon of ancient fuel (Got to love that smell) all over the driveway and the fact the spark plugs cables were rusted into the cap and the coil it wasn't a huge leap in logic. Well $60 later and a new ignition system (Cap/Points/Rotor/Wires/Plugs/Coil), and replacing a few fuel lines, Surprise ! Surprise ! Surprise ! the damn thing started up and idled fine, like it was just running yesterday. Here I was hoping I could tell my friend I "gave it the college try" and it wouldn't start.

Well since I got it started, I couldn't give up, now it was a challenge. Also since I knew it was a Christmas present to his wife, I didn't want to see him get divorced. I know he said his wife wouldn't mind and she would be happy to get it. I knew it simply was too ugly and unsafe to be a Christmas present, and if I gave that to my wife, well I would be divorced .

So, I decided I would at minimum sand the body down and see if I could make it look better. Well once I got started it looked better than expected.. Perfect no.. but better than rough bondo on top of 8 -11 coats of paint and then painted with a paint brush.. Yep I could at least improve on that. Well my body skills have improved over the years, but I never tackled a whole car, and not one in this shape. But figured I would give it the college try and sand the body down as smooth as possible, fill areas with All-Metal (Where it was structurally needed) and Bondo as judicially as possible. I then primered the car, sanded that down and it was turning out to look quite respectable.

Thats when I realized I hadn't checked the windows operation. Opps.. See originally I was going to leave the doors it came with on (Although the bottoms of the doors were very well ventilated ) since the outer skin was good, and with a door panel it would look OK. I also figured it was going to be a fair weather car and windows weren't a huge necessity. Well of course when I checked them the cables were messed up and the pulleys were rusted in the doors to the point they didn't turn and the cables would bind.

Fortunately thats when Jeff found John during his quest for finding the front bow of the convertible. Well, long story short (I know too late), talked Jeff into getting new doors, the bow and a new cowl (BTW Old cowl was built and held down with bondo on the sides, and the wiper motor and assembly was rusted shut..).

So I have since prepped them, and even welded in new floorboards for the passenger, rear behind the driver and along the driver floor, welded the front hinge of the hood back to the hood (It was broken and hood was held down by one hinge and the latch) and repaired the seat mounts.

That all said, believe it or not here it is almost a month to the day and I am about ready for paint ( Will take "during pictures" this evening ). Paint will be a 2 stage "Ferrari Red". The red is a mixture of 4 different reds a buddy of mine had left in his garage (where he paints cars on the side). Color is good, and the price better (Free).

As for mechanical.

Replaced the ignition as mentioned before

Drained the 10 year old gas, put in a new fuel filter and lines.

Changed the oil and filter, drained the tranny and rear axle,

Brakes were so bad the flex lines were dry rotted like none I have ever seen. I have since replaced them all and put new pads on and compressed the original calipers (will find out if they and/or the master cylinder are any good soon).

Shocks were gone (And have since been replaced with KYB GR2)

Tires were replaced. The others were so dry rotted the tread were split in half, and when they were deflated immediately went into a D shape.

Still have to:

Replace the front suspension (All the ball joints, tie rods, bushings, and such were rusted, worn out or both)

Replace the Water Pump (Leaking at the front), along with belts and hoses.

Replace the Carb base gasket and tighten the carb down (Small vacuum leak there)

Assemble the front cowl and wiper assembly

Replace the timing belt and tensioner pulley

Assemble the new seats (Thanks again John) as the old ones required a crow bar to remove and lets just say they were "Slightly rusty"

Install the new top

Install new carpet

"convert" all the interior pieces to Black with some black vinyl paint and reinstall them.

Last but not least cross my fingers that a replacement turn signal relay will cure the turn signals not working.. The only major flaw in electrical I could find, as the engine ran, lights, fan and brakes all worked.

So hopefully by the end of November, it should be a street legal, 5-10 foot car that will be fun to drive. Then after Christmas, after Jeff recovers from all the spending. Possibly new seat covers, and fix the dash and center console, maybe even get the heater to work, etc..

I think going from $700 ebay parts car special, to resurrected (Hate to use the word "restored" in this instance) and ready for Christmas in 2 months isn't terribly bad. When done, might even be able to have a car worth at least what we have into it, and not have broken the budget too terribly bad for what he got. Especially since I'm paid in Beer and Jeff owns a Bar..

Anyway that's it, and I am sure I will have questions, and will be posting more pictures.

Very Fun.
By far the most common issue with TS is the hazard switch,the wiring get pulled apart there when radio is messed with.
You are a glutton
Keith

Thanks I might not have looked there until much later.

The wiring is as unique as the bodywork and brakes.. so I am praying I don't have to rewire it. Although I have rewired a number of cars with the universal harnesses I sell, so it wouldn't be terribly difficult.

Although, if there was ever a car that needed it more it was this one.

All for Beer!!! Well, thats a lot of work in a short period of time. Looking forward to seeing the pictures when you are done. I picked up an 82' from e-bay and have a similar story. However, it was not half as bad as what you have descibed. It took me 15 months to get the car right. I'll never get my money back out of the car but it is a hoot to drive.

Well mastrer cylinder is bypassing and calipers are sticking hard.. So guess theres another thing replaced..

the rear axle "in the air" will lock the rear brakes
unless supported buy the axle

Well the fronts are the ones locked. Front and rear in air and even. Fluid from the front resivour was filling the rear after i bleed the front. Cant seem to get much fluid to gravity drain to the rear.. Love to save the budget and not get calipers and a master. But knowing how everything else looks.. Im pretty sure new hydraulics are in order, but would love to be wrong.

Caliper rebuild kits?

If the rear axle is hanging the compensator will close off the rear calipers. Need to support by the axle to bleed.

yea its supported by 4 jack stands, two under axle and two on frame right behind front suspension.

Rebuild kits are an option, just not sure these calipers and master are worth trying to rebuild. They were pretty old and dry.. Did i mention the flex lines were all cracked open and rusted internally.. As i mentioned, this is a parts car being brought back from the dead. If the motor hadn't started so easily and idled so well, and the body being moderately straight with only moderate rust it would probably be on its way to a fiat owner needing a cheap parts car.

Should mention best of the flex lines was the one from body to axle and even it was rusted closed internally.. So have a feeling new hard lines from master to rear are probably in order too... UGH

Thanks again to John, calipers, and booster on the way. So going to take out master, booster, and pedals (to get at clutch cable). anything I should be aware of when taking all this out, and thing to look for.

Btw the driver door wont open from inside. acts like its locked, but when i push down on the handle to unlock/lock it it doesnt click like passenger door. I can still open by the push button from outside. The door was working when it was mounted and for a few days after that. Then all of a sudden it quit working.. Any ideas..?

ez2wire wrote:Btw the driver door wont open from inside. acts like its locked, but when i push down on the handle to unlock/lock it it doesnt click like passenger door. I can still open by the push button from outside. The door was working when it was mounted and for a few days after that. Then all of a sudden it quit working.. Any ideas..?

the little bolt on the inside door handle get loose and that allows it to skip

push it in while lifting and lowering.it should grab the cam and slide back on.then tighten the bolt.