1977 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6 GL

[usedabused]

I use petrol or cilit bang,oven cleaner is good or comercial truck wash acid...

Best results with a jet wash to strt with though and cheep plastic bristled paint brushes work well...

[sleag40]

Brillo pads and petrol have it clean now.





I'll paint it tomorrow when it's dried out properly - then I can make a start on all the bits and pieces that bolt to the block.

[sleag40]

Finally got the lump painted now - after the first coat -



Once the second coat was dry, I got giddy and fitted my new water pump and fuel pump -







I promise - no more engine pics until it's ready to go back in!

[sleag40]

I had good intentions of getting a load of engine parts cleaned up today, but the first job on the list threw up a small snag. I started to strip the thermostat housing to give it a clean and replace the thermostat within, when one of the bolts holding the two parts together sheared. By the time I'd got my drill bits, drilled it centrally and biffed it out, my available time for today was all but over. Luckily, the threads in the main part of the housing remained in good condition, so there was no need to tap it out to the next size up.



All the other stuff I wanted to do will no doubt still be waiting for me next time.

[sleag40]

Decided to tackle the last bit of car pox on the list today. I've been putting it off for a while - much like cleaning the engine! The bottom front corner of the nearside front door is a little crusty, and my inability to find a better one means it must be repaired.



After unfolding the door skin around the affected area, the grot was cut out. This shot was part way through the cutting, my apologies for the dark picture - the flash refused to work.



I made a piece to go into the top of the repair, but I left the lower piece to my main weldist and his metal shaping skills - the shape required is too complex for my poor collection of metalwork tools (and skill level!).



Gonna take it over to him tomorrow.

[sleag40]

My main metal man knocked up a piece of metal with the moulded shape required, I then went away and whittled it down to fit the hole left by grot removal. The missing triangle will be replaced before the piece is welded in - it was necessary to allow the shape to be attained.



Once glued in with the sparkly stick, the job should be a good 'un!

[darrenh]

engine looks great never really paid attention before but i see the head overhangs the timing case. how odd !

[sleag40]

Mar 31, 2016 21:31:04 GMT darrenh said:

engine looks great never really paid attention before but i see the head overhangs the timing case. how odd !

Cheers! Yeah - it does look a bit odd!

Cleaning up engine parts for painting occupied my free time today - not particularly interesting, but the muck encrusted starter motor came up a treat.



This can go into the pile of parts to be painted over the weekend.

[sleag40]

More cleany/painty stuff today - alternator and it's bracket were first up.





Painted a load of odds and sods, including these.





Not a great deal of filthy oil encrusted stuff left to do now.

[VW]

All good and that, but everytime you update I get all excited and expect to see a nice fresh blue shell.

Come on man, pull ya finger out!

[sleag40]

Apr 2, 2016 18:31:20 GMT VW said:

All good and that, but everytime you update I get all excited and expect to see a nice fresh blue shell.

Come on man, pull ya finger out!

Ha! I wish! Shouldn't be too long before things get bluer though.

[sleag40]

Stripped the carburettor off the manifold earlier - I won't be needing the Solex any more, but the rest needs a good clean. The exhaust manifold can be sand blasted, and the inlet can be wire brushed, but the base plate responded well to some petrol and elbow grease.



The throttle linkage came up well with the same treatment.

[sleag40]

Throttle linkage de-gunked.



Inlet manifold scrubbed up nicely.



Engine mount + bell housing brackets sand blasted ready to paint.



Exhaust manifold should be blasted tonight, thanks to Big Steve at work.

Finally put the lid on the engine.

[sleag40]

Exhaust manifold blasted.



Debating whether to paint it or not (?)

[sleag40]

It does look nicer painted!



I expect it'll loose its brightness with use.

[sleag40]

Manifolds + nice new carburettor now installed.





Painted the last of the brackets/engine mounts etc. today too. Once those bits are fitted, it just needs the clutch and flywheel throwing on and it's ready to go back in.
Oh - spoke to the painter bloke this morning, and it can go over to get the front end painted on the 16th.

[sleag40]

Unexpectedly, I got a bit of time on this today. Engine mounts and bell housing brackets were fitted, along with the thermostat housing and coolant hoses etc. Basically, apart from the clutch and flywheel, its ready to go back where it came from.







With any luck, it'll still work!

[sleag40]

Today's installment is all about getting the front end ready for painting at the weekend - once I've finished rubbing down the last bit of grey paint around the nearside headlight panel, I've just got to rip the nosecone back to bare metal and it's good to go.



I'll chuck a pair of space savers on the back, and wheel it over the yard on Saturday morning for its prime + paint session.

[sleag40]

Nosecone stripped bare -



VW steelies with track day tyres on the back.(lost one of my space savers!) -



Rudimentary "handlebars" in position to facilitate wheeling it over the yard -

[

Once I've given it all a good clean (its very dusty in there right now) we're ready for Saturday!

[sleag40]

Gave this a good clean on Friday -



Car was delivered to the paint blokes, then I got stuck in to some other jobs. Started dressing the welds on my passenger door - this is after chucking some primer on to see how much more needs to come off -



Painted my wiper arms, horn, and a few odds and ends, then went over to have a look -





You can't beat fresh paint as a motivational aid!