I vote flat bed. Experienced drivers, lash everything down, let you watch and comment. Gets there. What are you really saving?
Very true! I’ve just never seen a dolly on a flatbed.
The Raven e9 project
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Very true! I’ve just never seen a dolly on a flatbed.
Home made dolly for guys that can't weld but are pretty good at woodworking.
Good work !!!
Well, worked for me. Here is my recently painted Austin Healey Sprite Mark 1, the Bugeye, coming home on my homemade wooden dolly, strapped to a flat deck. 6pm and perfect weather helped a lot!
I'm with mike, Flat bed is safer. Had no issues transporting to body shop.
Victor
Victor
Day 89
85 hours
Milestone day - I took the car to the dipping facility. I was hell bent on renting a trailer, and went to U-Haul to size up their offerings. Both of their flat bed trailers had sides that were too tall for my needs. But the car hauler looked good - until I measured the distance between the flat surfaces where the car tires typically go. My casters are a few inches too narrow to fit on the car hauler. So I ended up hiring a local flat bed tow truck - GREAT DECISION. He was professional, courteous, and gentle. Although he did think the car was a late 60's mustang for the first several minutes.
Prepped and ready the night before (last night):
Rolled out into the alley:
Pulled up onto the flatbed:
Rolling up to the dipper (american muscle car in the foreground):
And here it is in their care. I brought them a car and left with a pink slip of paper. They tell me it will be 3 to 4 weeks, so I need to figure out what else I'll work on in the meantime. Maybe rebuild the hydraulic components, or start to noodle with the subframes...
85 hours
Milestone day - I took the car to the dipping facility. I was hell bent on renting a trailer, and went to U-Haul to size up their offerings. Both of their flat bed trailers had sides that were too tall for my needs. But the car hauler looked good - until I measured the distance between the flat surfaces where the car tires typically go. My casters are a few inches too narrow to fit on the car hauler. So I ended up hiring a local flat bed tow truck - GREAT DECISION. He was professional, courteous, and gentle. Although he did think the car was a late 60's mustang for the first several minutes.
Prepped and ready the night before (last night):
Rolled out into the alley:
Pulled up onto the flatbed:
Rolling up to the dipper (american muscle car in the foreground):
And here it is in their care. I brought them a car and left with a pink slip of paper. They tell me it will be 3 to 4 weeks, so I need to figure out what else I'll work on in the meantime. Maybe rebuild the hydraulic components, or start to noodle with the subframes...
Stephen,
My sincere compliments - you have made a gigantic amount of progress since you drove Raven to her new nest.
Gary
My sincere compliments - you have made a gigantic amount of progress since you drove Raven to her new nest.
Gary
Thank you Gary. I recall the conversation I had with Amy when we brought the car home. She asked my schedule and I said I don't have one - as long as I am enjoying the work and the process. Then about a day or so later I realized that I really wanted to have the car back before the snow flies so I could be safely in the nest working on bare metal. Now, here we are in late August and I should have a pile of bare sheet metal that loosely resembles an E9 before the end of September. I guess I can now tell Amy that I am ahead of schedule!
In all honestly, it has really been fun working on the car. And it is exciting to be turning the corner and starting on what comes after disassembly.
Day 119
99.5 hours
Without a doubt, I can say I've met the definition of a "bare metal restoration". Well, technically, I've reached "bare metal". I picked up the car from the dipping facility and it looks pretty amazing. There are areas that are better than I'd expected and there are a few areas that might actually be a little worse then anticipated. But overall, I am encouraged. I've just started to inventory the sheet metal that I'll try to source so I can keep my eyes out for sales (W&N) or members that are selling various pieces. I have to say, some of the metal looks so clean and shiny, it almost looks galvanized. Not sure if that is just an outcome of the dipping process, or if the metal is in fact treated.
I've also started to clean up and rebuild the brake MC, clutch MC, brake proportion valve, and a few other small parts. I'll post pics of that work when I have a little more to show.
Here are some pics of the chassis:
99.5 hours
Without a doubt, I can say I've met the definition of a "bare metal restoration". Well, technically, I've reached "bare metal". I picked up the car from the dipping facility and it looks pretty amazing. There are areas that are better than I'd expected and there are a few areas that might actually be a little worse then anticipated. But overall, I am encouraged. I've just started to inventory the sheet metal that I'll try to source so I can keep my eyes out for sales (W&N) or members that are selling various pieces. I have to say, some of the metal looks so clean and shiny, it almost looks galvanized. Not sure if that is just an outcome of the dipping process, or if the metal is in fact treated.
I've also started to clean up and rebuild the brake MC, clutch MC, brake proportion valve, and a few other small parts. I'll post pics of that work when I have a little more to show.
Here are some pics of the chassis:
That looks REALLY good Stephen!
Marc-M
Well-Known Member
I wished my car looked like that after dipping, when i got it back it was a total mess.......................... what a great start you have.... its going to be great..
marc
marc
Thanks for the inspiration, Marc! I have my fair share of rot, too. But I think it is well within the realm of repair with some careful metal shaping and fitting. Right now I am trying to formulate a plan on what sequence to tackle the metal work. The rockers need replacement, but they are holding the chassis in proper shape and alignment right now. My current thought is to begin by peeling away the rockers and floors (what's left of them) and replacing all of that. I will be replacing the front frame rail pieces, and assume that will be part B. From there, I'll work forward and back, and end with the roof, cowl and dash. But my plan would benefit from removing some or all of the fenders and quarter panels relatively early in the process. So I am crafting a plan for how best to accomplish that. At least that is my current outline. I welcome suggestions, cautionary tales, and experiential wisdom.
There are 275 spot welds to drill out both rear quarters & the tail.
Did the dipper-stripper coat the metal with the peel-away protectant spray film to keep the metal from oxidizing?
Did the dipper-stripper coat the metal with the peel-away protectant spray film to keep the metal from oxidizing?
Only 275?
They applied a water based coating that helps to reduce / slow down the flash rust that would otherwise occur on the bare metal. At my pace, it will likely flash a bit by the time I bring it back to them for a second dipping (which will remove the flash rust easily) and the electrodeposition coating which will seal everything up once and for all.
They applied a water based coating that helps to reduce / slow down the flash rust that would otherwise occur on the bare metal. At my pace, it will likely flash a bit by the time I bring it back to them for a second dipping (which will remove the flash rust easily) and the electrodeposition coating which will seal everything up once and for all.
Marc-M
Well-Known Member
This i swhat i got when it came back... you are deffo off to a far far better start than me... i wish i had yours to start with.....
I'm quickly realizing that I grossly underestimated my storage needs during this restoration. I had some fun graphic items that I'd intended to hang on the walls, but clear space is quickly evaporating.
It is fascinating how clean the metal looks after the dipping process. It seems the bottom of this door should look much worse than this. Perhaps there has been some restoration work in the past.?.?.? Perhaps - ha.
It is fascinating how clean the metal looks after the dipping process. It seems the bottom of this door should look much worse than this. Perhaps there has been some restoration work in the past.?.?.? Perhaps - ha.
quote: It is fascinating how clean the metal looks after the dipping process. It seems the bottom of this door should look much worse than this. Perhaps there has been some restoration work in the past.?.?.? Perhaps - ha.
well, I cannot judge the doors for their 'as factory'condition as I haven't taken any door apart yet, but I can tell you that at least all underbody shots show an untouched body. all welds (spot welds and stick welds) are strictly original.
well, I cannot judge the doors for their 'as factory'condition as I haven't taken any door apart yet, but I can tell you that at least all underbody shots show an untouched body. all welds (spot welds and stick welds) are strictly original.
HI Erik, Well, nothing makes me happier than to hear that. Thanks for commenting about that! I've been trying to verify that through found pictures on the forum. The car has been bumped in the rear, and the left rear quarter panel had been replaced at some point with a new panel. And there has been some patch repair on the front fenders. I still haven't completed my strategic plan yet, but will be digging into the rockers first, I think. Then work my way forward and rearward from there.
I did find (or finally take note of) some holes in the original quarter panel and fenders, just above the body line crease. I am not sure why someone drilled these, but assume it may have been part of the repair - some sort of panel alignment/bracing strategy? Not sure, and I'll learn more every day, no doubt. Regardless, there are cleaner coupes to start with, but I've also seen much worse. So I am pretty happy. I'm waiting for WN to have a body panel sale so I can place a LARGE order.
Yes, I've been looking at my 1 car garage and contemplating the space needed to hold the parts that come off the car and had built one small shed and was on the cusp of building another when we decided that this isn't the house for us long term and we switched gears to prepping the house for sale which means packing everything. I'm tossing a lot of stuff that I 'might need' at some point in the future. Planning on getting a place with a multi car garage or space to build a shop in a little cooler climate
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#COVIDnomads
#COVIDnomads
Let the record show that I placed a large order of sheet metal today. WN's weekly sale is on "body panels". The fact that their shipping charge is a flat 49 Euro, for what I am getting, is absolutely amazing.