The Raven e9 project

[autokunst]

Okay, second least favorite task (right after removing the dash) was removing the headliner. Mine is not recoverable, but I was trying to save as much of it as possible as a template for the future.

One of the main reasons it was in such bad shape was due to the left rear sunroof drain. It appears this drain tube had come disconnected at some point and it was draining into the cardboard headliner backing. Nasty.

And I found these two hand-written marks/words on the underside of the roof. Does anyone know if these are factory markings? Any meaning, or what they're suppose to say (read)?

 

[adawil2002]

Sucks about that disconnected sunroof drain. Advise rerouting the drains to the rear fender wells.
Signature is probably the quality assurance inspector.

 

[autokunst]

Disassembly continues, making progress forward of the firewall. This engine shall be pulled very soon. What is best practice regarding the dizzy? Remove before pulling, or leaving in engine? I feel like there is plenty of room to leave it on.?.

 

[HB Chris]

I removed my motor and left the hood on! I removed water pump and flywheel I think.

 

[Bmachine]

Since you now have a lift, I would think the easiest would be to disconnect the front subframe, support it and the motor from underneath and then gently lift the body up away from it.

 

[autokunst]

Since you now have a lift, I would think the easiest would be to disconnect the front subframe, support it and the motor from underneath and then gently lift the body up away from it.

Well that is a head scratcher. I hadn't planned on pulling the subframe assembly out yet, and was going to go the traditional route of pulling the engine out the top. But your suggestion probably makes quicker work of it all. Too bad I just brought an engine crane home.

So I looked under the car (admittedly quickly) and it looks like the subframe might be attached to the car only with (4) bolts, plus (2) more at the rear transmission cross member. So nothing more than (6) bolts holding that package to the chassis?

I pulled the headers and the alternator. I can see that this alternator was replaced/serviced at some point. But I'm glad the place guarantees it for burnouts. How do they know if I do a burnout?

Speaking of the lift, I lifted the coupe for the first time today in the garage. We have lift off!

After having the car up for a while, I noticed that the doors/door gap was different than when it is sitting on the wheels. This is easy to imagine as I have all the latches off, so the doors are swinging free and very sensitive to flex right now. Anyway, I decided I should set the car back down. When I did, the tires made the typical new rubber sliding/squeaking on a clean floor sound. Amy asked "is that the car?" I explained, "No, it is just the tires on the floor". Then to prove it (and to prove that I am an idiot), I hip checked the fender a few times to demonstrate that it would probably still settle a bit and make some more rubber on pavement noises. Well, I dented the fender! PLEASE, I beg the help of the forum to remind me not to do things like this when the metal work is finished. In the pic below I'd already pushed the dent back out most of the way. But it is worse than it looks in the photo.

 

[bluecoupe30!]

Not to worry Stephen. Guys have been saying and doing stupid stuff to impress upon women just how smart the male can be, for freakin' ever! So you pushed the fender a little to hard, made a dent. Embarrassing, yes, but better now than after the paint. . Leave the hip check to the hockey players. Just sayin'

 

[HB Chris]

Dropping subframe means disconnecting steering column at the flex disc as well. If dropping struts then you have brake lines, if not then control arms from the struts.

 

[autokunst]

Dropping subframe means disconnecting steering column at the flex disc as well. If dropping struts then you have brake lines, if not then control arms from the struts.

Thanks Chris. Yes, last might I started to think about this more logically than just laying on the floor underneath the car looking for bolts. While the subframe will be dropped, at the moment I still plan on pulling the engine out first.

My process is starting to form a pattern. Restoring a car is a BIG job. Overwhelming, one may say. Even just disassembling the car has proven to take more trips out to the garage than I would have thought a few weeks ago. But I have been breaking it down into small bites. 100, or 1,000 small jobs and before you know it, the big job is complete.

 

[Gary Knox]

Stephen,

Sorry to hear about the fender 'modification'. It'll probably pop out as easily as it went in (paintless dent removal type work).

I have a procedure to minimize the 'stress' to wheels/tires/suspension when I lower a car. I put a section of a folded newspaper (usually 6-10 pages thick on the area where the tire is going to contact the floor. When the tire strikes the newspaper, the tire can slide out without being stressed. Then, when the lift is fully down, the car is setting as it would have been when it was driven into the garage. Of course, it also prevents the 'squeaking' sound of the tires trying to slide on the concrete. Lots more fun to get that 'sliding on concrete' sound in an increasing radius corner with your foot on the accelerator!!

Lookin' good.

Gary

 

[autokunst]

Hard to find parts: rocker covers. After a recent miss, these rocker covers traveled from Seattle to Maine, and then to Wisconsin. Special thanks to @adawil2002 for sending them my way after harvesting the moulding trims Athena needed. These covers are not perfect, but quite solid and definitely workable. I'll be able to make these brand new again, and I already have perfect moulding strips to add to them. I went from zero covers to two decent covers! Thanks again!

 

[Bmachine]

Dropping subframe means disconnecting steering column at the flex disc as well. If dropping struts then you have brake lines, if not then control arms from the struts.

Chris speaketh wisely as always. But if you’re going to either sand blast or dip the car, you’re going to have to do all this anyway.
This being said, whatever feels best for you is obviously the way to go.

 

[adawil2002]

Glad they arrived in a timely fashion. The plastic trim clips are available at WN, $14 USD for 10 which will do both sides.

By the way, the Nitro Brewed Coffee here in Maine I've tried is lackluster. Lobster & Craft Beer they've got covered.

 

[autokunst]

I picked up the clips from Jim at Mesa Performance. I have them tucked away somewhere - I hope to find them when I need them. "I hope to find them when I need them" - this is a phrase that makes me very nervous as I am using it for a lot of parts - ha ha.

 

[CSteve]

Stephen, I kept a detailed journal of what I removed, what it looked like if an odd piece and where I put it until I needed it. We are all guilty of putting a part or a tool where we know we will remember where we put it. Just did that with a Dremel. Of course I found it by accident while I was looking for sometho

 

[jefflit]

As others said, pulling up or dropping down is a matter of preference -- do whatever feels right.

However, given that you plan on disassembling suspension etc anyways, and you have a two-post lift, I humbly suggest that dropping is the way to go. I dropped mine on a four-post ramp lift, which was much more difficult because I had to remove the struts to clear the ramps and lift the car much higher to get the motor under the crossbar of the lift but it was still a one-man breeze of a job. I just built a strong "coffin" on wheels, lowered the car onto the coffin, unbolted the aforementioned 6 bolts, along with steering column, (distributor needed to come out to clear), etc., and lifted the car right up. It felt much safer than lifting the motor over the car, and doesn't require removing bell housing bolts, etc. to separate the trans in the car. The two-post lift will make that even easier. Many on the list would sacrifice minor limbs for such a setup. You can always make use of the engine hoist for later engine disassembly, etc.

Either way, you'll be fine. Best of luck.

 

[Markos]

Sucks about that disconnected sunroof drain. Advise rerouting the drains to the rear fender wells.

I’m not sure if members have rerouted the front drains to the rear. The rear sunroof drains exit immediately behind the rear fender wells from the factory.

It is the c-pillars that drain to the rear rockers, and all e9’s have them (not just sunroof cars). Behind the c-pillar emblem there is a little steel funnel with the same sunroof tube hooked up to it. That goes down to the rocker.

 

[adawil2002]

I’m not sure if members have rerouted the front drains to the rear. The rear sunroof drains exit immediately behind the rear fender wells from the factory.

It is the c-pillars that drain to the rear rockers, and all e9’s have them (not just sunroof cars). Behind the c-pillar emblem there is a little steel funnel with the same sunroof tube hooked up to it. That goes down to the rocker.

The rear sunroof drains are what I mean routing to the top of the rear fender well. Fronts can be extended further out the A pillar.

 

[autokunst]

I’m not sure if members have rerouted the front drains to the rear. The rear sunroof drains exit immediately behind the rear fender wells from the factory.

It is the c-pillars that drain to the rear rockers, and all e9’s have them (not just sunroof cars). Behind the c-pillar emblem there is a little steel funnel with the same sunroof tube hooked up to it. That goes down to the rocker.

This is all really interesting. And I have to admit I really haven't poked around to follow these drain lines. I thought that the hose I am seeing running down the front of the rear wheel well was the continuation of the rear sunroof drains. But it sounds like that is separate. I'll dig around soon to better understand this.

 

[Markos]

The rear sunroof drains are what I mean routing to the top of the rear fender well. Fronts can be extended further out the A pillar.

Do you mean instead of exiting in the trunk? I say this because many people assume that they exit in the rocker panel, which they do not.

This is all really interesting. And I have to admit i really haven't poked around to follow these drain lines. I thought that the hose I am seeing running down the front of the rear wheel well was the continuation of the rear sunroof drains. But it sounds like that is separate. I'll dig around soon to better understand this.

Take a look immediately behind the wheel arch in the trunk. You will see the sunroof drain.

In this pic you can see the c-pillar funnel with no hose attached. This funnel drains to the rocker. All coupes have this. It isn’t clear to me what water it catches as this area is theoretically sealed off. The roundel itself is a vent though, which leads to the drain. Go ahead and stick your little finger under the roundel.

You can see the cut sunroof hose, and the hole behind the rear arch where the sunroof drains.