And now the screaming starts., Ham fisted refurb

Right then, it's stripped to a chassis and engine with the drive and suspension.

First order of business, wire brushing, lots of it, in fact a monumental ammount of brushing with a wire brush.

I have priced the paint and hammerite would cost me a fortune.
Can anyone suggest a decent primer and black enamel please?



Any idea what type of gearbox this may be? Would it accept a Zetec?



The rust is mostly surface, I think I may have to replace one part of the chassis at the back, seems to be really rusty, I think petrol spills damaged the paint and the corrosion got in there first.



The front shocks seem ok but the rear dampers are shot. I'm going to retain the leaf spring set up for now to keep cost down and just replace the dampers. I'll be fitting adjustable coil overs to the front next Winter but the ones in the car will have to do next summer with just a tidy up and lick of paint.





I'm totally unimpressed with the seat mounts, They are getting cut out and replaced with something rather more substantial and sides of the tunnel is getting a set of guards tubed along the prop to stop it coming through the tub if it breaks.

The tub is going to be modified to allow me to use seats that fit me as well as the car. It broadens choice in both styling and lower prices.

Getting the tub off took a bit out of me so I've had a few days off but I'm doing at least an hour with the wire brush today to see how it goes, If I pull up crook again I'll ask one of the younger lads to do it for me, I only ask them to do the heavy stuff, I want to do as much as I can on the car myself.

More chaos later

The good news is it's sunny so we can get it out on the drive and degrease and jetwash it.
And those going to Stafford may well stay dry, it'll be next year I start doing the shows, look out for a tatty Dutton and an even tattier driver, that'll be me

A quick suggestion - price up getting it blasted and primered. Might sound a lot at first, but when you think of the time, the facefuls of dirt, rust and brush spikes, the number of wire brushes it will take and the crap you will be treading into the house and getting told off for, it will seem quite cheap.

Strip everything off it, take it and front wishbones, roll bar anything metal and loose and get it blasted. Wishbones & rollbar - you will probably find a local powder coaters who can tag it onto the back of someone elses industrial order and charge you pin-money to do it - as long as you want the same colour as them . . but black is a common colour.

Get your clean, de-rusted and primered chassis back, and it'll be a joy to work on, easy see points that need work, and easier to do as it will be nice to weld - no dirt, paint and underseal to clean off around the repair.

Paint - try yellow pages for industrial suppliers - I actually use machine enamel - can be brittle, but enough layers of different colours and you can see damage and repair it before it gets too bad.

Have fun - but be aware zetec installation, while it will give you more power etc, will probably cost a lot more than a simple refresh of your crossflow. And you'll be longer doing it - when you could be driving it . . . Not driving a car leads to lack of enthusiasm and next thing you know, you'll be persuaded to stick it on ebay . . . and someone like me gets a bargain . . .


Bri

yeller Dutton - classic trials.

I used Blackfiars red oxide primer a £4 tin did the chassis and then their Metal paint gloss - I used two £7 tins one light grey one black and mixed them to make a dark grey simialr to Lotus racing chassis paint colour. A nice subtle colour - I dont do red or yellow or blue chassis colours it looks cr4p.

My chassis was very rusty - see pick on website and on S4 rebuild bits on this board but mostly superficial and only one bit needed a small patch. I did do a few mods though which added a fair bit of extra strength. and made sure the known leak points were dealt with

The cost of trailering the chassis about to blasters and then powder coaters I didnt think worth it and if doing mods to the chassis the last thing you want on it is powder coating

I used a rotary wire brush and then a flap disc to clean it all up and to be honest it was only a couple of days work.

That box looks like a 4 speed type 3 a Zetec would lunch that in short order + the input shaft is too small for the clutch plate you would need to use.

Chassis are not usually covered in at the sides and those seat mounts are a bit odd.

For hills and sprints a roll bar is not mandatory on a roadgoing class car - but its advised to have one - the Dutton Roll bars are no more than decorative and were just made from exhaust tubing and would provide only minimal protection in an accident and without bracing would fold flat anyway.

Andrew

It's definatly going to be wire brush and paint, like Andrew says if I'm going to mod the chassis to take a different engine at some stage it'd be a waste to powdercoat it.

The chassis is up on the jack stands and We'll get it stripeed to chassis and engine with gearbox.

I'm taking the suspension out to clean and paint it all up.

I'm not going to take the engine or box out, we are not set up for that sort of lift at my house.

Cheers for the info on the paint and gearbox, I'd need another box along with a different engine so that will come another time.

The galv sheet has been removed and I'll keep it to sort a few patches in the floor where it needs strenghtening.

Regards

Gary

Hi Gary
If you need the hoist to get the lump out its no problem, Spoke to Dave today and it seems we will be popping round soon anway, i'll just bring the ambulance instead of the kit ... are you sure of what your letting yourself in for?
Had a sort out in the garage and have plenty of foam for a chassis/body insulator, a few spare crossflow parts, 3 angle grinders and fresh flap wheels, MIG welder, loads of resin and matting for repairs to the shell if required.
I did mine last year (2007) and it took me 7 months.
Best of luck with the wire brushes in the mean time.

Adrian

Hi Adrian,

Dave and yourself are more than welcome to pop round. Any advice on the rebuild will be a great help.

I look forward to meeting you both.

Regards
Gary

I'm sore ,tired but very pleased with the progress.

It was a bit of a git getting the old seat mounts out. The tin plates are now off the car and the exhaust manifold and carb are off.

A small disaster, as I took the exhaust manifold aff the car I noticed it had a crack through one of the bolt holes. As I undid it a bit fell off and it looks like I now need a manifold as well.

The carb needs a good clean but I noticed one of the butterfly valves isn't working properly, it's the second one, it's not working when the throttle is opened fully, I think maybe it's been set up wrong. I have no idea how to strip or service one of these carbs so any advice will be very helpful.

I'm going to strip the front suspension next hopefully I can't make a hash of that and shouldn't break anything.

More later, Piccys tomorrow.

Gary

Today has been a total disaster,

The drivers side rear lower damper mount sheared off, and we are having a mare with the axle , the u bolts are all rusted and twisting as we try to undo them.



Any idea if the shaft can be ground and drifted out and a replacement fitting or do I need a new axle carrier?

The dampers are totally shot as well.



It also looks like the drivers side spring is shot, the leafs seem to have slipped round and the springs are uneven.

These problems have thrown me a bit of a curve, No idea where I'm going to find decent springs and a carrier.

On the bright side the rust isn't too bad on the frame itself and all the bolts in the front suspension loosened off without any bother. That should strip out withpot breaking with a bit of luck.

So far I need to replace the exhaust manifold, and exhaust,
the right side axle carrier or pin,
A set of springs,
set of rear dampers, the wheel nuts are two different types so will need sorting.

I'm a bit fed up at the moment but hey, lifes a biatch occasionally.

It looks like I'm going to have to cut the U bolts and find replacements.

I should have just taken up fishing

Hi Adrian,

Dave and yourself are more than welcome to pop round. Any advice on the rebuild will be a great help.

I look forward to meeting you both.

Regards
Gary

Advice my ar$e.
I'll bring the toolbox.






My toolbox has 6 wheels, 2.5l tdi and blue light boxes.
and I might have a set of u bolts too... If only I can find them...

Cheers Adrian,

Bring a very big hammer, I feel the need to reshape a bit of steel and a very big hammer should do the trick nicely.

Theres no escaping the fact that the u bolts are rusted up so I'll get Dom to chop them with the angle grinder.

At least if the axle is out we can strip ,clean and paint it ready to go back in.

I'm minded to note , not one of my projects has ever gone without mishap and mayhem and it seems my little Dutt isn't going to be any different.

We are going to start stripping the paint off today as well. I have the Undercoat so we can do all of the chassis apart from where the new bits need to be welded in.

I'm going to measure up later today so I have an idea of what steel I need to get to get the job done. It may not be the best looking or fastest Phaeton on the planet but it's going to be one of the safest to be sat in in the event of a mishap:P

Today I are mostly covered in rust dust.

The broken bit on the lower rear damper mount, any ideas?



The weld holding the pin in is minimal, any chance we could grind them back and drift the shaft out and replace it with a new one?

Ideas, comments, words of wisdom and encouragement etc below or on a postcard please

Looking at the springs it seems the drivers side has a couple of more leaf's than the passenger side, is this normal or are my springs a mismatch? Yes I know it's a silly question but hey it's being asked anyway

All of the rear suspension parts are available from Rally Design cheap as chips so get new stuff.

No its not normal to have different springs - they are mismatched - probably good for oval racing

Andrew

Suspect one of the previous owners eat more pies than his wife

Alan...

Suspect one of the previous owners eat more pies than his wife

Alan...

I eat a lot more pie than my missus too mate

It still leaves me with a set of funny springs though, Head scratching time methinks.

The chassis paint is falling off in places but some of it is still really good and proving to be a bit of a git to shift. I tried to have a go but my back is killing me and my knees have swollen up again so I've had to get young Dom all suited up in goggles, respirator and gloves.

I'll have to content myself with painting the bits he's prepped. He does a bit of cleaning with the wire brush, I let the dust settle, wipe all the dust off the steel and paint. Then we go for a brew, ciggie, play on the playstation for an hour and then the cycle all starts again.

I'm ringing round for prices for the suspension bits I need. I want the chassis painted and reassembled by Xmas, I have binned all the old brake lines, they were squashed and pinched in places and the fittings have all seen better days.

The brake cylinders and adjusters off the back all need stripping and cleaning, the front brake calipers are also being redone.

All this extra stuff has bust the bank and put me back a fair old bit and I still have steel to get and fit in the chassis. It's for new seat and harness mounts. I also need to get some steel pipe for a new roll bar and braces. The old on is too narrow for the new layout and not up to much anyway.

More later.

Gary

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHh!!

The diff has a hole in it, I know they have breathers but this ones in the dome section of thin steel at the back of the diff. it needs a spot of weld but I'm bricking it thinking about welding it. As mentioned somewhere else on the forum, my welding is pants, in fact extremely pants. The tin on the diff is thin, extremely thin.
I just know I'm going to blow a hole in the thing and wind up with a lumpy, oily mess.

It leaked all over the place, fortunatly on bits of chassis that are still rusty and not my new battleship grey undercoat. It's engineered on the same lines as a battleship so it may as well be the same colour.

It's gorgeous out today and great driving or biking weather, but it strikes me it's a great day for getting the axle out in the garden and doing the wire brushing and painting in the sun.

It's mostly stripped down now and all the little niggles have made themselves known so hopefully with a bit of planning and foresight the rebuild will go mostly as anticipated.

I'm working on a list of bits I need to rebuild it the way I want it. The rewire is in hand and the new loom is nearly done. The electronic dash is here and ready to fit.
Bricol has some spring plates for me I just need a week or two to sort the time and dosh to collect them, Thanks Bri. Thats one problem out of the way.

I'll post a list of the parts I need later, If you have bought a similar part for your car could you let me know what, when, where and most importantly, How much!?


Thanks,

Today I are mostly painting in the sun