Misty's post-accident re-build

[Matt Tomkins]

Hi all,
Many of you will have seen my thread in the wanted section http://www.mmoc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=43195
I've had an accident in misty, and to follow is a thread showing her rebuild to her former glory.
Misty has been written off by the insurance (CAT C), but i am determined to fix her. My attitude is that she's been around for 40 odd years, why should my mistake prevent her being around for 40 more? Since i bought her, age 16, and restored her for the first time, i maintained that she would be my 'forever car', and i stand by that. Yes, it may well be a case of heart ruling head, but she's more than a car to me, and i will save her. It's just going to be a long haul, and take a lot of time and money.

I have posted photos of progress so far on my flickr account here http://www.flickr.com/photos/46862234@N03/

I began by totally stripping out the engine bay and removing the knackered inner wings[frame][/frame]

work on the shell has slowed due to the weather and lack of a garage, but i have started refurbishing all the components removed from her.

on inspection, one damper was softer then the other, and a strip down revealed a perished 'o' ring which was replaced. dampers were then rebuilt and painted[frame][/frame]

I have completed a stripdown + service of the engine -- no major work required, so simply stripped, checked, decoked, painted and reassembled[frame][/frame]

I took a trip to minorparts (oxford) yesterday, and picked up most of the rest of the components i need.
I am still shor of an engine backplate, though, as well as other bits i'm bound to have forgotten!
If anyone has a backplate spare, please let me know!

Many thanks,

Matt

[davidmiles]

well done getting your front dampers off Matt, respect for that alone, I'm jittery about this area, just this area, nothing else. They are long thin bolts there.

[Matt Tomkins]

well done getting your front dampers off Matt, respect for that alone, I'm jittery about this area, just this area, nothing else. They are long thin bolts there.

yeah, 4 long bolts into captive nuts -- all the front suspension was off first

[Matt Tomkins]

Hi guys -- need some advice.
I'm nearly finished stripping my gearbox with a badly damaged bellhousing ready to transfer its internals to my 'unknown' replacement.
How do i remove the first motion shaft?
The haynes book of lies seems to show it simple coming througn the front of the bellhpusing once the bearing's been tapped out as one piece., but the gear on the back of it's too big for the hole :/
any advice greatly appreciated

[les]

You will need to remove the 3rd motion shaft, the 1st can then be tapped back the other way. I'm pretty sure 1st motion shafts with less teeth can come out the way you hoped.

[linearaudio]

^^^ Yes, remove 3rd(output ) shaft first. This in itself requires drifting on bearing from inside the box, at a bit of an angle, unless you have some fancy kind of special puller. The three I have done recently all drifted out with very little effort. For your own sake, replace the needle bearing between the first and third shaft as a matter of course (with a decent quality one!).
The input and output bearings should also come in for some scrutiny, even if you have been happy with the box up til now!

[Matt Tomkins]

^^^ Yes, remove 3rd(output ) shaft first. This in itself requires drifting on bearing from inside the box, at a bit of an angle, unless you have some fancy kind of special puller. The three I have done recently all drifted out with very little effort. For your own sake, replace the needle bearing between the first and third shaft as a matter of course (with a decent quality one!).
The input and output bearings should also come in for some scrutiny, even if you have been happy with the box up til now!

3rd motion already removed. -- infact i held the shaft with the casting above the bench and 'tapped' with a lump hammer. came straing out
will do. and i'll clean everything off well with liquid parrafin/petrol before reassembly

[Matt Tomkins]

box now cleaned, painted and reassembled.
see my flickr stream http://www.flickr.com/photos/46862234@N03/ for some updates[frame][/frame]

[les]

Looks like some nice detailed work Matt.

[Matt Tomkins]

Looks like some nice detailed work Matt.

thanks
I know to some people painting/fettling things under the bonnet/under the car's simply not worth the effort, but i love looking at cars which are just emeculate! if things weren't clean/paiunted they'd notice, but don't because they are (if that makes any sense)
little details

[Ian46]

Hi Matt, your fettling works looks to be coming along nicely. Just one small criticism though. I do hate to see gearboxes standing on end especially with any oil residue still inside as the small particles of swarf (always present) will now be resting at the lowest part of the gearbox which will be front bearing housing.

Always lay them down.

Keep up the good work and posts.

Ian

[Matt Tomkins]

Hi Matt, your fettling works looks to be coming along nicely. Just one small criticism though. I do hate to see gearboxes standing on end especially with any oil residue still inside as the small particles of swarf (always present) will now be resting at the lowest part of the gearbox which will be front bearing housing.

Always lay them down.

Keep up the good work and posts.

Ian

thanks for that advice, though it should be clean as a whistle in there, i was planning on flushing it through with some parraffin/diesel before refilling with oil anyway.

I'll be sure to take heed when i'm nedt at home and lay it down (somewhere!)
cheers, Matt

[Matt Tomkins]

Righto, it's been a while since i've posted so thought i'd share an update...

A couple of weeks ago i was given a weeks access to a workshop with a ramp in order to get a good start on the welding etc, and Kevin Colley, a fellow young member with his own business (KGC Engineering) came down for the week. Ashley Wakeling and Abbie Sheard also came to lend a hand for a few days, and i am very grateful for their help [frame][/frame]

Throughout the week, we discovered more and more issues - such as the fact that the rear of the roof (when taken to bare metal) was more like puff pastry than metal, and needed cutting out and pannels making.

Colin Frost came down for a couple of seperate days to help with this, and some other areas of welding/fabricating so as to maximise the workshop time.

By the end of the week, and as we currently stand, we have rebuilt most of the front end, patched the front of the chassis leg, lots of bodywork welding and priming with acid etch after taking it back to bare metal.

We took the decision to do everything propperly now, while we have the chance, so i have a new floor pan waiting to go in, and am making the panels for the rear wheel arch too.

I finished uni on wednesday, and will be preping everything now for welding, and Kevin will be down again soon to glue it all together

respray should be the first weekend in june, and then hoping to have her reassembled and moted in time for national

[chickenjohn]

Well done on saving the car despite being a cat C! Sounds like you are making great progress, keep it up, I will be following this one!

[chrisd87]

Well done on repairing it, rather than taking the 'easy' option of scrapping it and buying another. Hope to see it at the national

[Matt Tomkins]

i've found a few pics of the weeks work where we had all hands on deck, so thought i would share with you all
you'd never know we share a common interest...[frame][/frame]

the week saw everyone getting stuck in, and i'm so grateful for all the help i've recieved.

we took advantage of the week in the workshop to really crack on[frame][/frame]

I was keen for me to learn the art of welding, and kevin was happy to teach...[frame][/frame]

and even let me loose with the welder![frame][/frame]

we took the roof back to metal, after a small amount of reaction after the previous respray.[frame][/frame]

10 layers of paint later...[frame][/frame]

However, the rear of the roof resembled pastry, rather -- Cooollliiiiiinnnn.....[frame][/frame]

New wings and bonnet also bare metaled. Abbie was keen to get stuck in...[frame][/frame]

with great results[frame][/frame]

with great efforts from everyone, including ashley shown here, the tie plates and front x member went in, followed by the inner wings being tacked in place, as well as all colins remedial work to gutters and tthe rear of the roof[frame][/frame]

so, overall, thank you everyone soooo much -- it is so appreaciated, and your support both in helping physically and in friendship has been key for me in getting through this. i truly couldn't have done this without you all [frame][/frame]

[davidmiles]

Now all off down the pub for a well earnt drink, or two...

[Matt Tomkins]

indeed, dave -- tell you what, your pickup's been a hell of an inspiration-- if you can fix that, anything's possible

Kevin, of KGC engineering, is down again this week to finish the welding, so here are a few update pics:

[frame][/frame]

glad we checked this rust sandwich...[frame][/frame]

all repaired now [frame][/frame]
^^note that alot of that is my pigeon sh1t learning to weld, and not kevins mater work [frame][/frame]

lining up panels:[frame][/frame]

keep watching for updates

[charlie_morris_minor]

all repaired now [frame][/frame]

wouldn't it be less writing to say where you have not been keep up the hard work

[charlie_morris_minor]

double post for some reason