44 Days to the Motherlode!

Giulietta gets the motherlode overhaul

I have been sitting on the Giulietta for many months now, having sourced a nice engine, and done a pocketbook restoration of the gearbox. All that was left to do was all of the dirty work that I would really feel shameful if someone else did. Where’s the fun in that?

Well instead of finding out how long I could procrastinate and leave the car in the corner of the shop. I decided to finally light a fire under my ass and get the thing running. Summer is coming and the Ti is ready to come out of rotation for rust repairs.. The time is now. The iron is hot.

What I needed was a goal. A deadline. So I have decided to set my sights on having the car ready by July 19^th for the Motherlode 400 rally. “Ready” may be different than “finished” but I hope to heck that I can get it in shape enough to take out on the two  day drive.

Here’s what I can see needs doing from here..

• Suspension needs going through/cleanup.  Fronts get the business, rear is mostly left alone until determined to be awful under power.
• Wheel bearings (fronts will get done first, hope to heck that I won’t have to do the rears as jaan says they’re $$ and a pain to fit. If they do need fitting maybe a day in the freezer for the bearings and the acyetaline torch on the housing will get-er done)
• New axlelimit straps for the rear
• Brakes need to be re-lined, with new hoses, and all the cylinders rebuilt.
• Pedal box needs to be refreshed, disassembled/cleaned/lubed and re-assembled
• Need to source and refurbish a set of steel wheels.
• Floor sheet-metal needs replacing, with provisions for seats/seatbelts
• Trunk sheet-metal needs replacing
• Hood and trunk need to be anchored/strapped deal with broken hinges
• Fuel system needs to be refreshed. (add the Electric facet fuel pump I have kicking around?) clean the tank clean the lines, re-hang the tank, mount a filter.
• Engine and transmission need to be mated and placed in the car.
• New donut (donut protectors?)
• New exhaust. Order the front and fabricate the rear?
• Shocks refreshed.
• Rubberized underbody (seam seal first!).
• Refresh the radiator (braze the sideplate on) & polish.
• Mount engine and transmission, plumb fuel line, starter/generator/distributor/igniton
• Need to have working headlights/brakelights  and turn signals I’m short headlights right now.. maybe buy a battery now and see what works what doesn’t ahead of time..
• Pertronix electric ignition to solve the worn cam on the tI’s dizzy.
• Gauges refresh?
• Windshield?

Would like to have:

• Doors gutted
• Airbox solution: sock over the current crossover style, or can I figure out a way to run the curved trumpets and GTA airbox?
• Roll bar (3 point harness) same color as rims (matte black?/ white?)
• Cleaned pumpkin &  Rear axle.

As of these words I have 44 days to complete the list, and any other things that might pop up. This in conjunction with daddy duty, quality time with the friends and GF, and oh yeah.. work.

The motherlode deadline and regular updates to this blog thread should keep me honest and working hard..

To buy:

• Car cover
• Wheel bearings (front)
• Radiator hoses
• Dust cap gaskets?
• Limit straps (rear)
• Donut
• Brake hoses (set)
• Driveshaft  bearing
• Brake Cylinder rebuild package (four girling fronts, two rear, and MC) inspect the line..
• Exhaust (just front section and fab the rear or both front and rear, FAB all?)
• Taillight lenses?
• Raydot mirror?
• Headlight glass
• Pertronix ignition and coil
• Brake shoe linings (all) Porterfeild brakes pads (racing compound)
• Battery.

TO make:

• Floorpans with seat bolts (make bolt pattern similar to sliders, mount silders to MG seats and try to fit the fiberglass seat in the same mounts as the sliders)
• Rear ribbed pans
• Trunk metal
• Trunk rim section
• Trunk and hood latches.
• Leather Grab handles in the door.
• Lexan- windshield and windshield mounts (router a rounded edge across the top line)
• Foglight mount/switch&relay
• Little Reverse fog light? Switch in parallel with reverse switch

To scavange:

• Rims.. Jaan has one, Aaron has two.  Can I revive one? Rims to the sandblasters, then a rustoleum spray jobbie with the cheapo spraygun.
• Brass Lugnuts 3xLHT 2XRHT
• Headlight trim
• Hood and trunk latches?
• Hoses  for air ducts (direct to front brakes) or airbox?

One Response