Respray progress

[Diver944]

ORIGINAL: zcacogp

timescales only ever move in one direction[] All the best with the cotswold rally.

No comment from me on that front I think I now have a pathological hatred of bodyshops and their version of the Gregorian Calender.

Peter, is the sunroof still going to open and close or is that panel going to blank the whole thing off and be sprayed white so it looks like a non sunroof model? Lots of extra headroom that way.

Talking of MOT's, our S2 has just sailed through hers again and I now have a set of 13 certificates in the history folder, unlucky for some [&:] I love S2's such simple cars, no problem at all

 

[Peter Empson]

The sunroof is going to be sealed shut, I've never been much of a fan of them to be honest. I fitted the manual latches a few months ago and that reinforced my opinion that I never actually used it. It'll be nice to get rid of the drain pipes too []

I was happy for Alan to use some black sealant to fit it, so it still looked like a white sunroof, but he thinks he should be able to blend it in and make it look like a non sunroof model. A guy did this on a 968 (would never find the thread now) and it looked pretty good.

Congratulations on the MOT pass. That's something else I've got to look forward to soon []

 

[morris944s2john]

ORIGINAL: steve 944t

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson


I'm curious to know what the front wings cost from Porsche,

£377 + VAT was the best I could get from Chris at Exeter.

For 3.5K you could go on a restoration course, buy lots of tools and materials, and do the job yourself and have plenty of change left over!

or alternatively find someone who has done just that and wants some practice. []

Out of luck! They'll be too busy with their own projects[]

 

[Peter Empson]

Took a bit longer than intended (mainly because I've not had the time), but I'm just back from the seeing what's left of my car and thought I'd post some pics []

I have to admit I'm starting to question my sanity as more rust has been found (rather inevitably). Fingers crossed this'll be the last, and it'll be going back together the next time I see it. I need to order quite a few more panels and parts but they're all relatively small so (fingers and everything else crossed) they wont be too expensive.

The rotten rear wing is now off, the inner wing section is also poor and whilst repairable I am planning on having it replaced:

This one speaks for itself:

The new floor sections being trial fitted:

A very poor previous repair to the inside offside front wing is found:

The nearside sill is worse than I hoped, but it looks like the wing itself can be saved, which is a relief:

More Pics here

 

[sawood12]

Crickey it'll practically be a brand new shell at this rate!! At lease you'll know it is pukka this time. The wings are pretty pricey. I could do with two peope expertly running into my current wings without causing any other damage simultaniously and claim of their insurance for new ones!

 

[zcacogp]

Strewth Peter - that's a pretty serious rust-replacement project!

I recall you talking about the merits of re-shelling ... you are a brave man to have continued.

All the best with it. You will have a largely new car when it is done!


Oli.

 

[homesea]

That's drastic removing the front and rear wings just to make your car lighter.

Personally I would have just removed the rear speakers. []

Actually with all that mig wire that will be needed to weld it back up and all that new metal you might have to look for other ways to save weight.

It will be great when it's all done.[]

 

[pauljmcnulty]

What was that part number for "body in white" that I saw on PET? []

 

[Peter Empson]

Right, I'm now another few hundred pounds lighter in the wallet, but all the metal work I needed has been ordered (with the exception of a pair of fairly innocuous looking inner panels that would have cost £1K, so Alan is going to fabricate and replace just the small damaged section).

The paint is being ordered this weekend, so it's too late to change my mind on the colour now (I so nearly went for Viper Green, but I wimped out in the end []).

The new fibreglass rear bumper has apparently turned up and the fixed headlights are ordered - the latter are possibly going to be a short term bodge but necessary to allow me to get it close to my intended spec for now. I've even bought a tiny screen washer bottle which will probably last no more than a short journey [].

I'm sure I'll feel happier once the car starts looking like a 944 again, so I'm looking forward to the next time I see it in a couple of weeks. I also feel I have made some real strides forward with the SC parts too, but I'll save that for the other thread later on []

 

[Peter Empson]

Car has been used daily in snow and salt so I guess that's resonsible for the nearside sill (offside is due to previous accident damage as discussed elsewhere). I should have attended to it sooner to reduce the scale of it, but it's always easy to say that in hindsight.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: Peter Empson
'87 944 Lux with S2 engine & gearbox, SPS head, ProMax chip/MAF, ESS exhaust, M030 arb's, 944T brakes, Porterfield pads, Lexan hatch, carbon bonnet, short shift kit, 17" Cup 1's, Turbo S spoiler and Leda suspension. Oh and lots of rust...

[/quote]You'll have to chnage that now! []


Oli.

 

[Peter Empson]

Lol! Well there's still plenty of rust, just not all of it is currently attached to the car []

 

[Lemon]

WOW And I thought I was getting a lot of bodywork attended to, but mine is only the tip of the iceberg in comparison.

Hope yours comes back quicker than mine.

Will look fab when finished though.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Lol! Well there's still plenty of rust, just not all of it is currently attached to the car

Just a thought.....have you worked out how much more the car will weigh when the rust is replaced with steel and paint? []

 

[morris944s2john]

Should weigh less, as rust is hydrated iron oxide, thats Iron + water + oxygen. If you just have iron + paint, the car should weigh less after the rust has been repaired.

 

[zcacogp]

John,

True, but a fair amount of the car had dropped off as a result of rust, thus decreasing weight.


Oli.

 

[steve 944t]

come on Peter, after all that effort the car deserves to be Viper Green. Go for it!

 

[Peter Empson]

Ah, but the rust fell inside the sills, so I've been carrying the weight of it around with me all this time. []
Gotta justify it to myself somehow you know []

Steve, don't start me on the colour issue again! I'm paying for the paint tomorrow and at that point it's final. Don't worry though, it will look different, just in a slightly more subtle way.

 

[John Sims]

A frightening display of what could be lurking in many of our cars unfortunately. []

Good news - as more 944s fall victim to cancer of the metal good cars should appreciate in value (well maybe)

 

[Hilux]

Hi Peter,

Well done with your perseverance and persistence. I understand entirely why you would go down this route as you know the mechanics of the car so to buy another with a better body may well cost the same as your restoration in mechanical bills.

One recommendation (I would do if it were me) would be to strengthen the front jacking point (the one that bends the floorpan) and install one at the rear of the sill so you can jack the car up easier. I know (heaven forbid) its more weight but how much easier would it be to work on it?

Your car reminds me of a Rover P5B Coupe I restored some 17 years ago. Painful memories but ultimately rewarding as its still on the road and still perfick I am told so it can be done. Note that you know now that your car will last longer than some of the currently `rust free` 944`s (unless you prang it [])

don't start me on the colour issue again! I'm paying for the paint tomorrow and at that point it's final. Don't worry though, it will look different, just in a slightly more subtle way.

Your not saying you`ve found your feminine side are you.................................


.............................its not.......................................pink.............................[].....................................ist it?