1960 Split Window Resto/Rebuild

[VRSenator065]

Never got a chance to post yesterday, but have to say, as a namby pamby office boy, I am officially stuffed!! This is tiring work!! Wanted to get the other rear comer done before I head back to work. That meant fitting the battery tray and also making up a replacement repair for the lower part of the column. My favorite tool is now without doubt the stretcher/shrinker. Have had it for a while but never got the hang of using it until now, how cool is it!! This time I butt welded it, definitely ends up better but ran out of time to finish off the welds.

[VRSenator065]

That's me done for this holiday break. Really happy with the progress, learning heaps as I go. At the start of the break the plan was to give the project a kick along, but also to get me back into the swing of the resto. Think I have nailed both. Just waiting on a few little bits to arrive and pieces then its onto the nose. Then that's the main big items done, then tons of smaller repairs etc to come. But that's all part of the fun. And importantly the customer is happy with me

Few pics of how its sitting, and a couple to show how it all started.

[D-Train]

What a transformation!!!

What colour? U prob mentioned it prior, but my mind is like a sponge. Absorbs stuff then slowly trickles out again...

[VRSenator065]

It sure has come along way! I want to do it an ivory over a bronze orange. The car is officially for my wife. And she loves the polished ally safaris and pop outs as well as chrome bumpers. I am guessing purists may not approve but any changes I make will be reversable. We just want something fun we can travel in.

[067DUB]

Congrats , excellent skills , very little body work needed

[morts]

I am guessing purists may not approve but any changes I make will be reversable.

Don't matter what other people think as long as your wife (and you ) are happy.

[rusty 55]

Awesome work
Inspiring stuff

[VRSenator065]

Thank you all, the kind words are very much appreciated.

Front valance ends ordered and the complete front window (which should have come with the last parts) should be on its way also. Not sure how long they will take. Once they are here I can get really stuck into the front. Also, have to try and sort out what I am going to do about the inner B Pillars.

[VRSenator065]

I love receiving bits!! Also have scored the inside B pillars off some surplus Cooper has. Hope to get a bit more done this weekend, love it

[VRSenator065]

Got a bit done today, heading off to an Aussie day BBQ at a mates so don't have a full day. Got the two lower long side verticals in. Had a head scratch and thought if I made the join above the weld of the long side repair I could get to both side of that weld and get it finished off. So did that, then Suesy got in the cabin and slowly ran a torch against the inside of the weld and I marked off with a texta anywhere there was a pin hole. Then went along and sanded each area clean and touched up the welds. Worked well. Then did my first panel beating try, and from the inside beat out where the weld was low, that seemed to pretty good once I worked out what I was doing. So that's the long side finished off for now, and the two verticals welded in.

[spl65t]

Absolutely smashing it !!
Like the sound of the torch trick too
Well done
Cheers Linz

[VRSenator065]

Absolutely smashing it !!
Like the sound of the torch trick too
Well done
Cheers Linz

Thanks!!

More of a deconstruction day, than construction, but I think its progress. Concentrating on the front now. So decided to change the temp bracing I had so I could get at the floor. Then set about carefully cutting it all back so I could gain access the the ends of the chassis from above but also getting it back to good metal. Has come up well.



At some stage in its life its had a small whack on the end of the passenger chassis ail. I reckon it would be possible to straighten it but I have seen its actually rusted through. I think given its job I will let in a repair section. I assume a piece like this is the go?




And Suesy and I got a bit excited, I removed the high beam dipper switch and I think there is original colour paint under it, anyone know if this would have been original in June 1960? If it is I will mask it off and preserve it in case anyone one day wants to put it back to original.


And lastly after to lots of applications of Inox, I finally have managed to free the rudimentary heater tube so it works

[D-Train]

Looks like turkis paint.
Nice work on the heater tube!

[splitthis]

Looks like turkis paint.
Nice work on the heater tube!

I’m thinking Strato blue. 2 year only colour same as my bus which was a late 59 built 60 model. Looks too light for Turkish and in some of the earlier pics it looks blue above the drivers seat. Pics in the for sale post from morts below.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=11452&p=106014&hilit=Strato#p106014

[morts]

Geez Matt, that link is almost 10 years old now! Better watch out or Dave will come from behind and get his finished before ya..