You were right. Once you pry away the grey plastic cover plate it's a piece of cake.
I've left a rope inside the steel channel so when the time comes you can actually feed it back the other way.
CSL Barn Find 2285251
- Thread starter Wes
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You were right. Once you pry away the grey plastic cover plate it's a piece of cake.
I've left a rope inside the steel channel so when the time comes you can actually feed it back the other way.
Had chance coming into the Easter break to do a bit more on the CSL.
First things first off to get some inspiration:
*Lola insisted on doing her best 'stupid face.'
Then down to the workshop to meet the tow truck as we are off to the body works.
Not sure my CSL is 'unbeatable' as present as looks more beat up..
Simon (my restorer) has worked wonders with the decals. I really like the whole Dukes of Hazard theme he's gone with on the roof.
We've some more tear down this week including pulling the front fenders. Probably should include a trigger warning here as I suspect it will be pretty gruesome.
Once all of that is exposed we are having the engine bay, wheel arches, sills and boot blasted with garnet. This process is sufficiently gentle for these areas to withstand.
As you can see we are taking serious precautions to ensure they stay away from sensitive areas. The doors will also come off before it goes for treatment. I'll also go out just to make doubly sure.
First things first off to get some inspiration:
*Lola insisted on doing her best 'stupid face.'
Then down to the workshop to meet the tow truck as we are off to the body works.
Not sure my CSL is 'unbeatable' as present as looks more beat up..
Simon (my restorer) has worked wonders with the decals. I really like the whole Dukes of Hazard theme he's gone with on the roof.
We've some more tear down this week including pulling the front fenders. Probably should include a trigger warning here as I suspect it will be pretty gruesome.
Once all of that is exposed we are having the engine bay, wheel arches, sills and boot blasted with garnet. This process is sufficiently gentle for these areas to withstand.
As you can see we are taking serious precautions to ensure they stay away from sensitive areas. The doors will also come off before it goes for treatment. I'll also go out just to make doubly sure.
It’s great seeing such rapid progress !!
We pulled the fenders today for the big reveal and the good news is it's not as bad I thought it would be.
Below is an overview of the RH side. The guards took some removing as a PO has obviously done some 'repairs' in the past. The good news though is they are CSL specification and can be restored in order to go back on the car.
Similar story on the LH side.
Will need to replace this rubber seal.
Found this on the inside of the guard cover. Shows when the car was last touched and that it was in Hampshire in 1983. This must have been just before the car was created for Hong Kong.
We will know the full story after all of this section gets the treatment. From our initial inspection the base of the A Pillars is pretty much intact.
You can see where some of the paneling has gone though as that's daylight coming from inside the car.
Just placed an order for repair panels with W&N. We have a few jobs to go on with while the car gets some garnet treatment for these problem areas.
Below is an overview of the RH side. The guards took some removing as a PO has obviously done some 'repairs' in the past. The good news though is they are CSL specification and can be restored in order to go back on the car.
Similar story on the LH side.
Will need to replace this rubber seal.
Found this on the inside of the guard cover. Shows when the car was last touched and that it was in Hampshire in 1983. This must have been just before the car was created for Hong Kong.
We will know the full story after all of this section gets the treatment. From our initial inspection the base of the A Pillars is pretty much intact.
You can see where some of the paneling has gone though as that's daylight coming from inside the car.
Just placed an order for repair panels with W&N. We have a few jobs to go on with while the car gets some garnet treatment for these problem areas.
Since I last updated this I've spend the GDP of a small country at W&N and we are only just getting started 
The Car has been off to the blasting works to give the problem areas a good going over. Before anyone chimes in to the contrary I don't recommend this unless parts of your car need it AND you really trust the blasting works. In my case the business owner is a life long friend and we devised a process that would give us the desired result without overheating or distorting the car. We did this via using the 'mighty might' on the lowest possible pressure and using second hand garnet abrasive as it's less harsh. I also was present when the work was done, as was my panel guy.
Just to further ensure we got the desired result we painted the sections we wanted done pink. 'If you see pink blast it, once all the pink is gone - STOP.' The rest of this work we will do by hand as we don't want to risk damaging original panel work.
Here is the car arriving at the blasting works. Love the whole demolition derby look we have going on.
The rear has already had some beating work done and looks much better.
I've also secured some mounting brackets for this roof hoop that came with the car. Was still in the original wrapping. Turns out it was Werner Hand a friend of @Keshav what a small world.
While the car was away Simon turned his attention to the doors. This is just etch primer but they are as straight as an arrow and the original alloy skins were in excellent condition so have been restored rather than replaced. Where possible I want to keep the original fabric of the car, so long as it doesn't compromise safety or the quality of the restoration.
The car came back yesterday, pretty happy with the results.
The boot area came up a treat.
This week we will focus on welding in some temporary reinforcing for the chassis ahead of starting to remove and replace all of the rusted sections around the A Pillar and the inner fenders. Then the subframe will come off and we will be in a position to work on the underside of the car.
The Car has been off to the blasting works to give the problem areas a good going over. Before anyone chimes in to the contrary I don't recommend this unless parts of your car need it AND you really trust the blasting works. In my case the business owner is a life long friend and we devised a process that would give us the desired result without overheating or distorting the car. We did this via using the 'mighty might' on the lowest possible pressure and using second hand garnet abrasive as it's less harsh. I also was present when the work was done, as was my panel guy.
Just to further ensure we got the desired result we painted the sections we wanted done pink. 'If you see pink blast it, once all the pink is gone - STOP.' The rest of this work we will do by hand as we don't want to risk damaging original panel work.
Here is the car arriving at the blasting works. Love the whole demolition derby look we have going on.
The rear has already had some beating work done and looks much better.
I've also secured some mounting brackets for this roof hoop that came with the car. Was still in the original wrapping. Turns out it was Werner Hand a friend of @Keshav what a small world.
While the car was away Simon turned his attention to the doors. This is just etch primer but they are as straight as an arrow and the original alloy skins were in excellent condition so have been restored rather than replaced. Where possible I want to keep the original fabric of the car, so long as it doesn't compromise safety or the quality of the restoration.
The car came back yesterday, pretty happy with the results.
The boot area came up a treat.
This week we will focus on welding in some temporary reinforcing for the chassis ahead of starting to remove and replace all of the rusted sections around the A Pillar and the inner fenders. Then the subframe will come off and we will be in a position to work on the underside of the car.
Looks like some top quality progress Wes.
Great job
Great job
Great! There is some rust, but still seems to be pretty manageable. Keep us updated
Great! There is some rust, but still seems to be pretty manageable. Keep us updated
Would it be a CSL if there wasn't
Compared to what I expected there to be when I first inspected I've been pleasantly surprised.
Having followed a few ex-UK CSL build threads it feels like this car got off pretty lightly on the rust front. Probably on account of having been off the road and in storage since 1983.
Wladek
Well-Known Member
To add to what Wladek has said, the door seems to be missing the very distinct mid line crease.... maybe just the angle of the pic but it should be very visible. Have you take a magnet to the door hinges and door skins....they should be Alu too.
The midline crease (on all 3 panels/ skins) should not be formed out of filler/ bondo.
The midline crease (on all 3 panels/ skins) should not be formed out of filler/ bondo.
The doors looked like the rest of the car before we started, when you looked inside the door I'm pretty convinced they are original. I'm the first person to work on the car since 1983, so any work would have to be pretty early.
I think it's just the light in the image as the mid line crease was quite obvious when you see them in the flesh.
And for the record bondo is banned in the workshop
If we can't beat it out it gets replaced.
If we can't beat it out it gets replaced.
Here's a pic of the car from early on in the tear down, might already be on the thread. You can clearly see the mid-panel line on the doors as pointed out by the apprentice.
Wladek
Well-Known Member
Of course i might be wrong, but i just noticed that relying on my own experience with e9 body (not only mine csi) - if everything around have rust holes (not minor), then part in middle usually also should have them.
With aluminium csl skins due the age & humid climate there is also galvanic corrossion problem.
The level of rust in this car is actually quite low compared to other CSL's I've seen - it just looks terrible
The exception seems to be around the A Pillars and under the fenders. Suspect this rust relates to driving/racing in the UK on salted roads.
From my understanding of the car's history the 30k miles on the clock are original and of that was all before 1983. The car featured in local CSL meets and racing (as detailed in CSL News). I suspect the under fender rust was why it was taken off the road and into storage as it wouldn't have passed the UK MoT, it was offered for sale shortly after and shipped to Hong Kong, where it continued to languish until coming to Australia in 2000 where it languished some more.
Wladek
Well-Known Member
Do you have matching numbers fabric engine block?
If yes - check oem numbers on cranckshaft, then check mounted cranckshaft/conrod bearings type/size, cylinders diameter. If they will be just with usual usage nominal (cranckshaft bearing - 60mm; conrod bearing - 48mm/47,975mm; cylinder diameter 89,22/piston rings 89,22-89,25mm) - then it will be original 30k miles.
Someone could say, that this is CSL & it could be used as track car, so all this engine parts during even 30k miles, could be replaced couple of times, cranckshaft could be grinded, cylinders honed etc.. But the potential answer is - if that someone didn't care about body, why he would care about engine?
Original cylinder head also can be checked - if it was shaved ever before.
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Back down to the car today to see how Simon the Magician has been faring.
Lots of progress as you can see. First up some temporary bracing for the chassis:
Next up sorting out the fender boxes and replacing the sheet metal forward of the firewall. Looks a bit better than last week.
Bottom of the A Pillar has also been replaced. Turns out the steel was in very good condition apart from the one section where moisture could collect. We also put a light inside the sills and inner channel and were amazed to find they were in excellent condition.
Looks like there has been some kind of bodge here in the past, would be good to see a picture of what it should look like.
The plan for this week is to finish out the repair work on both sides for the fenders before we turn our attention to pulling out the subframe.
Lots of progress as you can see. First up some temporary bracing for the chassis:
Next up sorting out the fender boxes and replacing the sheet metal forward of the firewall. Looks a bit better than last week.
Bottom of the A Pillar has also been replaced. Turns out the steel was in very good condition apart from the one section where moisture could collect. We also put a light inside the sills and inner channel and were amazed to find they were in excellent condition.
Looks like there has been some kind of bodge here in the past, would be good to see a picture of what it should look like.
The plan for this week is to finish out the repair work on both sides for the fenders before we turn our attention to pulling out the subframe.
A brave man you are!
Just determined
It's great being able to walk around the car now and actually see progress.
I don't view it as a massive job just lots of small ones that need to be ticked off one at a time.