Aussie Testarossa rebuild

Good work Mel. So in both cases we can see that the lower pivot point is towards the rear of the car and the blades of the rotary adjuster on top is also orientated in the same direction on each side.

Thanks Mel.

 

It's gotten worse since this thread started. Now trying to work in the shop around two other hoists with cars and bikes seemingly hanging from the rafters. Been a couple of new additions since this thread kicked off.

 

Sorry guys, been away from this project dealing with other issues for a while. Then a mate here in Melbourne started giving me serious grief about the car being off the road for so long, so I'm back at it again. Pics to follow from the work over the Christmas period.

 

Previous images show the underside of the engine and gearbox complete and restored along with the fully refurbished lower sub frame and suspension.

Once completed, I rotated the engine on the stand and began working on the upper section.

The engine was pretty clean but the usual build up of deposits and grime under the throttle body assembly was found. This is a difficult area to maintain as access is virtually impossible without serious amounts of strip down.

Once I got to that stage, then it was a simple matter of keep stripping parts off until I got down to the bare block.
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Seems strange that some Testa's have painted engines and some are raw alloy. My 87 car s raw alloy, yet both 88 cars have painted engines.

Over the years some of the paint had flaked, particularly under the fuel injection system where there isn't much airflow. Probably caused by heat buildup in this area. I started cleaning the top of the engine about 10 months ago. Some paint came off easy, but some was seriously affixed to the block. Months and months of work with various wire brushes, rotary tools, dremels etc, and finally I had the block back to metal. Then the issues began. I searched the World for an aluminum etch primer that was heat resistant. Thought that wouldn't be too difficult but it proved to be near impossible. Plenty of etch primers for alloy, but none designed to take the temps of an engine.

In the end my Son talked to his painters at RAAF and put me onto a product by PPG Aerospace designed as an etch primer in engine bays of planes and spaceships.

It has to be applied when ambient temperatures were between 26 and 35 degrees centigrade so I had to wait till Summer came around again before I could do this part of the project. Goodness knows what Ferrari used as for the most part it has stood the test of time and apart from the flaky area, it was still in good shape.

I applied the primer which was a nasty fluro green / turquoise colour. Next day I applied another PPG aircraft coating in white to neutralize the primer colour. Then I dusted over the top in a custom colour enamel to simulate cast alloy which was as best as I could locate to replicate the original Ferrari colour.

Suzie got handed a job when she got home from work one night to scrape a little overspray off the head flanges.
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Next came the white neutralizing layer.
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And finally the top coat................these pictures were taken after a small amount of assembly had begun.
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Finally it was time to start re-assembly of the upper section of the engine. Suzie and the 'family' were all keen to help, cleaning, cleaning and then some more cleaning...................................!!!!!

First step, clean the loom and lay it all out. Make any small repairs needed and then fit it onto the engine and figure out where it all goes.

Alternator on and fitted off. This is a great place to start as you have a number of wires that terminate here, and also three sections of the loom that go under the alternator.

Temporarily fit the starter as this also assists to lay the loom properly.
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I think she want's it off the hoist as she knows that her's is next to go on David.

 

She has an 88 Testa in blue and a 56 Thunderbird convertible that are vying for attention David.