Gertie the 72 crossdresser. Full resto....and it needs it!

Discussion in 'Restorations' started by exuptoy, Jul 5, 2012.

  1. Got it in etch primer to stop any flash rust.

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    Also got my plasma cutter out as I found it hard work with a grinder. I also removed the rear hub but couldn't shift the trailing arm as it is seized on the end of the torsion leaves. It was lifting from the other end but not off the top. I've left it soaking overnight.

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  2. Decided to remove the rear hub assy and clean & paint some bits. Already looking better but loads to do. Once the last section of chassis is done I can concentrate on the beam then.

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    Inside of the drum looking a bit tired though. Need to order some bits.

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  3. Stripped off the drive shaft and back plate earlier and found a tub of Bilthamber Deox C I had purchased when I had the Mini but forgot about.

    This stuff mixes 1 part powder to 19 parts warm water and just leave your rusty bits to soak overnight. For bad rust you can do 1:4.

    I decided to drop in a load of bits like the brake seperators and bolts etc along with the hub assy and only half the back plate to see the difference. I'll do the other half tomorrow along with the drum. I also stuck in the rear shoe backing plates but only submerged half as a comparison.

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    This was only after 1 hour in the solution and no rust agitation!

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    This was after a flash over with the wire wheel!

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    Best thing is you can save the solution a keep reusing it until it turns black!
    My stuff is back in the bucket until tomorrow.
     
  4. Got my tubs emptied and cleaned off. Happy enough but it's not the most amazing outcome. Cleaned off the back plate and stuck it in the solution for another evening. It also needs a repair. I may get a new part yet. Be a shame to spoil an otherwise nice job. We'll see.

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    Brake arms look ok and once given a coat of satin black will be ok.

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    Hub looks ok and wil be fine once it's had some paint.

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    Bolts cleaned up pretty well. Look at my flower pot underneath, no coating left on it!!!

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    Remember that brake shoe?

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    Valveandy likes this.
  5. A spare hour or so saw me wash off the back plate and give it a coat of Kurust, also etch primed the brake bar and handbrake arm and hub centre and gave them a coat of satin black. Gonna carry out the repair on the back plate tomorrow and hopefully give it all a coat of Epoxy 121 whilst I await the brake parts from Machine 7.

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    womball likes this.
  6. Yep defantly repair back plate :thumbsup:
     
    exuptoy likes this.
  7. And I thought mine was rusty, this gives me hope. Nice work mate.
     
    exuptoy likes this.
  8. This mornings work was repairing the back plate. Sorta wish I'd sprayed the Epoxy instead of brushing it. Too late now.

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    This afternoon I made a start on the remaining chassis repairs, a little more to do and it should be ready for the torsion tube gusset plates.

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    womball likes this.
  9. So, after my last update the wife said she was off out with the daughters so I went back up the man cave and finished off. Then I painted half the torsion tube with Rustoleum. Aside from a couple of fillers around the torsion tube to strengthen up the chassis I think all underside welding is done. Still lots to do under there before it goes back on it's wheels.

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    Not pretty but functional and I've saved 50 quid in the process. Anyway who's gonna see it once it's fitted!

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    Almost there.

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    Attached Files:

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  10. Got home from work to a parcel from Machine7. Couldn't resist seeing how things looked and ended up building the backplate up. The only thing I have forgotten is the step which is missing from the backplate. Anyone know the reason for its inclusion? Do I need to Spot weld it back behind the handbrake cable?

    Also how does the little spring steel attachment for the adjusters sit on the back of the adjuster block?

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  11. A long day today. Stripped the bearings from the rear hub, pressure washed and de-greased it then gave it a coat of Rustoleum along with the new torsion bar end cap.

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    Flicked some satin black over the drive shaft stub.

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    Got my 1kg package of Citric Acid (£5.49 delivered), mixed half of it with 10L of warm water in a builders bucket and after running a flap wheel over the very rusty rear drum and stuck it in the solution along with a fish tank heater, as the CA works better with warm water, then lifted it out after about 2 hours to agitate the rust then stuck it back in for another 2 hours with a fresh sprinkle of CA to top up the solution. Totally amazed and every bit as good as the Bilthamber Deox-C which is over 3 times the price!

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    Look at the result!

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    I've left it soaking in Kurust until the morning before it gets a coat of paint. Next up was fabricating and welding on the fillet around the torsion bar to strengthen an otherwise known weak point when rust attacks. They have been known to snap off. Gave it a good coat of paint after. Still need to swap over the end cap once it dries so used the new one for the other side with new rubber doughnuts.

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  12. Stuck some paint on late last night.

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    Valveandy likes this.
  13. The rear valance I had here was seriously rusty so I dropped it into the bucket the following day (still had it kept warm with the heater), and this was the outcome.
    Totally blown away once again! I haven't a trough big enough so the middle section is 'cooking' with some saturated cloths on top. I'll check it later.

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    mcswiggs, Valveandy, womball and 2 others like this.
  14. Following soaking the centre with soaked cloths. Now coated with Kurust before painting with etch primer.

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    Also changed over my torsion cap and masked a line to paint to.

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    Last edited: Apr 16, 2018
    paradox and womball like this.
  15. nice work with the citric acids bath...:thumbsup:
     
    exuptoy likes this.
  16. Cheers bud.:beer:

    Today's work was to reassemble the hub with new bearings and brake assy which went without issue and my new Boge dampers arrived so a new one was fitted at the same time.

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    I cleaned all the floor (half) back to clean shiny metal before covering it with Rusto, still have minor floor repairs to carry out and a half load floor to purchase but it's still going forward.

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  17. MorkC68

    MorkC68 Administrator

    some good work going on here fella :thumbsup:
     
  18. Thanks fella. :thumbsup:
     
  19. Fish'd my drive shaft out of the de-rusting bucket and stuck a coat of Kurust on it then some black Rusto. Also sprayed the CV joint silver. Tried getting my handbrake cable pipe fitted which entailed drilling the jacking point and the chassis a little but the pipe was 12.5mm OD so was tight but it was a pig to fit as it was too stiff to bend to shape. Wrote it off as a bad job so need to find thinner walled pipe. Called it a day and went out on the 675 Daytona.

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  20. After previously struggling to shape the handbrake conduit in little increments I had a bit of a brainwave and I used my conduit bender and pre shaped the rear end where it travelled through the main chassis rails then tapped it rearwards until it was past where I needed then knocked it back forwards and popped it through the crossmember before threading in the cable.

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