17535 full restoration begins

The time has come to start the restoration of my 365BB 17535 (Big Phil). Due to current values and the need for originality he will be stripped and returned to his original specifications. He is the original UK demo car and the only series one RHD supplied to the UK. Lots of differences from the "normal" to look out for on the way,
Nick
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Struggling to load more than one picture at a time, any helpers ?
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

what is your time schedule to be finished?
good luck ! ! !

 

Good luck. It will be a good challenge but very rewarding!

 

Hope to have it all done and ready for summer 2017

 

Loom out and front / rear bulkheads and floor out next
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Lots of corrosion on seat runners
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Amazing !! Good Luck !

 

big project - but worth when it is finished

keep us up to date with pictures please

 

Mr Fox, for those that were wondering has been part of the project since 2005 and has become a mascot.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Great photos, great project

 

Let the fun begin! I'm looking forward to following this one.

 

Question for those who have done restorations.....what is the best type of paint to use on the frame?

 

for coming direct on the metal I use always "rust-oleum". it is a dark-red-brown color and even if there is a little rust on the surface and you spray this paint on you see how the oxygen is coming out of the rust.

about 20 years ago I tested this paint. took a piece of rusty metall, ginded the rust a little and sprayed this paint on first time and about 1 hour later a second time. the I let in outside in the weather - sunny, rain, snow - and after 10 years it was still looking like new.
may be today there are better things on the market, but I did so good experiences with this that I still use it.
later the topcoat I would prefer a 2 component paint

 

Thanks for sharing this with us Nick. will watch close and will of course try to get up in my 365 at some stage too.

its worth it in the end and on such an early UK too, its going to be awesome

Paul

 

Good day Nick,

Wow, this should be an fantastic thread!

All the best with the resto!

Cheers,

Sam

 

Cant wait to see how much fun it is to get the foot wells out in one piece! Dont be tempted to cut it in half!!

 

That's just beyond weird and OCD..........just like something I would do

Actually, like something I did do when deciding on the dash covering. I made up a 14" board with the 5 or 6 option samples, clamped down with another half-width board covering half of all of them, and hauled it around with me on dashboards, or just sitting in the direct sun, for over 6 months of Texas Spring/Summer. When I pulled the cover board, only a couple had insignificant fading, and I went with the one that looked and felt best, and that I had long-term experience with from another car. Sometimes, the new stuff just gets beat silly by the old stuff.

 

Very cool, use POR-15....expensive but any good restoration shop uses it. Flat, gloss or semi gloss and when dry good luck trying to sand it. tough as nails. Use directly on metal, rust or not it converts the rust to a inert status. Anything else always seal with epoxy primer, followed by a primer filler, sand , block, repeat primer until flat.
Yes I have restored countless cars.

 

oh, rattle can paint holds up to weather, ie sitting outside. It does not hold up to tools, road rash of sand, power blasting water on a rainy day, gravel rocks and cleaning chemicals for detail let alone spilling some brake fluid. If you want some good tips that I have learned over the years from doing Nart cars at pebble beach to Camaro's in the garage let me know. I would be happy too. And I do my cars in my shop. You don't need to go to a pro shop for these things. You just need to know the right chemicals and process and it will last forever.

 

Need all the help possible to find some of the potato sack material for the seat and inner door pockets.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Small patches of original colour showing up now and again, strange to think of that paint being 43 years old !
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

For 4 pictures I need to select one and upload it right away then select another one and upload it again. When all four are upload then submit. When I try to select more then two and upload them all at once it doesn't work.

 

I'll try that next time thanks for the help
Nick

 

The stripping continues, getting ready for his "acid bath"
Image Unavailable, Please Login