"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
03/02/2018 at 11:44 • Filed to: trans amess, Houselopnik, moving day, trans am, firebird, pontiac, project car, wrencheveryday, rust sucks
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"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit)
03/02/2018 at 11:44 • Filed to: trans amess, Houselopnik, moving day, trans am, firebird, pontiac, project car, wrencheveryday, rust sucks | 7
| 11 |
Had an hour to kill between picking up daughters from dance, so I got some work done.
Built out subframes are heavy, please team lift/move
I started with using the bolts I borrowed from work and installed the seats securely.
With the flash on, my potato-phone really brings out the need to re-dye those seat bolsters someday.
I installed the shittier of the two stock steering wheels I have. I wanted to put the horn button on, but have no idea what box its in.
Then I took a seat. Its been a while since I’ve been behind the wheel of my own Firebird...
Then I decided to take off the drums and see... eww. Lets just make sure they’re free’d up and put them back on. Eww. I also checked the rear end and eww. Its got fluid. Stinky, but full.
I then crawled under to make sure all the hangers and shackles were bolted tight, and made sure I had hardware to put on shocks and.... I found a nasty surprise.
While I knew there was rot on the trunk floor, I did NOT know it extended into the left rear frame rail. Shit. Now I gotta cut the floor out and patch this, its where the rear shackle mount is. Quite important.
Strangely, though there are bigger rust holes in the trunk on the passenger side, THAT frame rail is clean. I think. Guess I’ll find out.
After that depressing news, I brought the front subframe down and placed it in front of the car as that’s the next project, getting that bolted back up. At least from there on there should be no more surprises.....
Well, except for EVERY castle nut on the rebuilt front suspension missing its cotter pin. Oh well, its ONLY going 12 miles to the new house...
Noah - Now with more boost.
> Takuro Spirit
03/02/2018 at 12:04 |
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So when things are this rusty is pretty much everything a cut it off/drill and tap procedure?
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Takuro Spirit
> Noah - Now with more boost.
03/02/2018 at 12:12 |
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I’ll need to weld in some plates, or a new frame rail piece. The plate/bracket the shackle itself is mounted to looks okay. But the metal behind it is toast.
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Noah - Now with more boost.
> Takuro Spirit
03/02/2018 at 12:14 |
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Welding is such a clutch skill to have, I wish I could. Good luck!
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Takuro Spirit
> Noah - Now with more boost.
03/02/2018 at 12:23 |
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Me too! This is how I learn.
crowmolly
> Takuro Spirit
03/02/2018 at 12:24 |
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Get em from a donor car if you can. Or I think that spot is repro’d anyway.
How’s the area under the rear seats? Rails OK?
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Takuro Spirit
> crowmolly
03/02/2018 at 12:35 |
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Yeah I will, if I can’t just weld some reinforcements in there. under the seats is MINT. The floor pans have been replaced but everywhere else still is covered in the factory reddish-brown primer. Its odd. Must have had a water leak in the trunk.
4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
> Takuro Spirit
03/02/2018 at 13:18 |
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Whenever I have a spare hour to work on the cars I normally write a list, get the parts lined up, decide which tools I’m going to scrape my knuckles with today, proceed to scrape knuckles, carry on for 10 minutes, go and wash my hands, tidy everything back up one-handed.
You do a lot more than me.
lone_liberal
> Takuro Spirit
03/02/2018 at 13:22 |
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Have you taken the rear window out? Because they sometimes get rusty around there and allow water in. Hopefully it was just a matter of the trunk weatherstripping getting old and letting it leak.
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Takuro Spirit
> 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30
03/02/2018 at 13:27 |
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That’s what I’ve been doing for the past 4 years.... now that I have 2 months to move, it HAS to get done.
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Takuro Spirit
> lone_liberal
03/02/2018 at 13:29 |
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It came with the rear window out. No rust or rot back there.
BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
> Takuro Spirit
03/02/2018 at 15:30 |
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“I’d fit X but I have no idea what box it’s in”
This has been my life on the Spitfire for the past few months. Ever since the welding was finished it’s been non-stop rooting around in boxes for something I bought 3 years ago...
Still! Great to see this coming together :) nothing like a deadline to provide motivation ;)