Rebuilding my Noddy

[Simon P]

Started 25/2/10
Collected the new project cars. The red car to use the chassis and engine.


Picked up a blue body that i thought was in a better condition.


I thought it would be easier to cut red body off in pieces so it was easier for one person to remove and unstick from chassis.



Although i did get the engine running before i stripped the car i have planned to overhall the cylinder head and clean out the sump before fitting the engine, also it is easier for me to manually lift the engine out on my own.

 

[nicky4tl]

Hi Simon,
EXcellent. Looking forward to seeing the progress.
best of luck with the project.
Nick

 

[ggcton]

Simon it is looking better than this now lets have some of the later pics Gary

 

[malcolm]

That red one had an unattractive body - amazing that the chassis survived so well. I've found good chassis under terrible bodies on early cars, but the bodies from 1985 seemed to survive better.

Do post photos of the repairs and progress.

 

[Simon P]

I decided to have a go at the new body first so i bolted it onto the chassis so nothing moved but when i started cutting the rust away i began to think it would never end.I ended up repairing the bulk head,replacing both A panels, replacing part of the sill and rebuilding the C pillars.I also rebuilt the top of both the rear wings, repaired the boot floor and replaced the boot floor lip.






I took the shell off the chassis painted the underneath and then put it back on a trolley.
Although the chassis has been filled with oil over the years it needed a few patches welding on the floor.



I decided not to shot blast the chassis i thought the more paint left on the better. I finished the chassis with anti-chip mastic on the floor and then painted it with some agricultural black paint.

 

[Simon P]

Front and rear suspension has been refitted,had to replace ball joints.
Had to have new handbrake cables ,shoes,wheel cylinders and brake hoses.
Found a use for part of the old body shell to hold master cylinder in place whilst i made up new brake pipes.

 

[Simon P]

Progress report

The Engine is back in and we have a car with wheels back on .
Picked a nice sunny day to clean out the workshop apart from the body
i think the worst of the mess is over.

 

[Simon P]

Got round to refitting the L/H inner wing and welding the repair top panel on.

Fount a inner wing in a Friends garage for the R/H side think is of a F 6 van
but all the brackets seem to be there.

Getting the body ready for colour change.

Took more work than i was planing to get the rear wing filled after the
welding work.

Look better for being in one colour even if its under coat.

 

[pepper]

Looking good, very good indeed!

 

[Simon P]

The inner wing that i think is for a F6 van seems to have no hole for the brake
pipes . Are they routed differently on the Van.
I have drilled a hole but will have to see if any thing else needs to be changed.

 

[Simon P]

The body is to the stage where i am going to refit it to the chassi. Malcolm do you think i could get away with using tubes of mastic and running two thick beads ?

 

[ggcton]

Simon the car is looking great well done.
I am still in Spain and have been tempted by a couple of F6s but to keep Jackie happy the 5 turbo would have to go.
Gary

 

[malcolm]

The body is to the stage where i am going to refit it to the chassi. Malcolm do you think i could get away with using tubes of mastic and running two thick beads ?

I use this stuff - http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/butyl-sealer-strip--butyl-1564-p.asp One bead is fine.

I've used mastic in the past but the sealer strip is much easier and better in many ways. Whatever you do don't use anything with silicone in it - that can contaminate the panels and ruin the paint job..

 

[Simon P]

Do i need to order more than one roll of mastic?.

 

[malcolm]

I used 2 rolls.

 

[angel]

Very nice work Simon! I see that you have not removed inner wings. Do you think it is better that way? Don't you fear about the front end panels losing their alignment and gaps after the body goes back on the chassis?

 

[Simon P]

I did take them off because i had to weld up the front end,but i put them back on so i could get a neat mastic seal and paint it in one .
The next stage for me is to fit the body back on chassi and see how it lines up, I can then
try the bonnet and wings.But i am no planes to paint much more till the car is back together because i know i will scratch it .

 

[ggcton]

I am very impressed Simon can't wait to see it finished.
John and I hope to take part in Pepper's road trip next summer, there are other 4s in our area perhaps we could start our own convoy down from Lincolnshire to join the others.Gary

 

[Simon P]

I have just got the carb to rebuild and fit then it will be time to see if it will run again.[/ATTACH]

I am having problems getting the vinyl clean on the front seats,they are really
grimey I have tried JIff and trim cleaner but i need something stronger any suggestion please ??

 

[Steve Hennessey]

Looking good!! To clean vinyl and anything else made of plastic use a strong solution of 'Flash' and a hard nail brush. For nooks and crannies use an old tooth brush.

For the seat fabric the only way to get this really clean is by using a professional spray / suck tool and special detergent. Maybe your locl car valeters will do this.