1980 spider Restoration phase 2

This is the place to discuss restoration problems, post questions or projects-complete or partial.
DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Tue Oct 04, 2016 11:17 pm

Rocker panel rehab. This is where I started
Image
Image
Image

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Semi final coat of primer
Image

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Thu Oct 06, 2016 10:49 pm

Final dent leveling and semi primer on trunk and rear panels
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
This area is where a lot of water leaks into the inner wheel well and rots it from the inside, the seam on the top of the fender only had 1 spot weld holding it together it does not get welded to the rest of the body until it gets to the area by the rear seat, it flexes a lot and the sealer that was put in eventually cracks and breaks down letting water in. KEEP IT SEALED. i welded it all along the seam to stop it from flexing too much.
Image

spider2081
Patron 2024
Patron 2024
Posts: 2967
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:45 pm
Your car is a: 1981 Spider 2000
Location: Wallingford,CT
Contact:

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby spider2081 » Fri Oct 07, 2016 8:23 am

WOW you are really going all out here. Great work.
There have been some posts where people have a hard time accessing the fuel filler hose upper clamp after the left side rear lower fender is permanently installed.

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Fri Oct 07, 2016 11:32 pm

Hi Spider 2081

If I remember correctly, I took the two tubes off in one piece. It was easier. If I didn't remember correctly i will find out :D
Thanks for that piece of advice

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Mon Oct 10, 2016 11:14 pm

Body work is going slowly so I will post some of the other rehabs i have done.
here is the axle rehab.
Started with this mess, nice electrical tape wrap for the rear brake!
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Vinegar Bath
Image
Image
Image
to get to this stage took two weeks
Image
Image
Two weeks to this stage
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
All new Gaskets and seals. Will post Brake calipers next, wait till you see what they looked like!

Frankd1
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2015 4:13 pm
Your car is a: 1978 Spider
Location: Southwestern Ontario, Canada

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby Frankd1 » Tue Oct 11, 2016 3:40 pm

Great job!

Was it soaking in vinegar for two weeks?

On the shock mount on the driver side of the rear end, it looked like there was a perforation....if it was how did you fix it? Weld it up?

What did you paint the rear end with?

Looks great!

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Wed Oct 12, 2016 12:08 am

The shock seats look worse than what they were, there were small perforations that i fill welded. they are quite thick, just tricky to clean up the underside. Of course the spring seat is actually a ring bowl where water just collects when wet so I drilled two drain holes.
Five days for the vinegar bath (just the brake discs, backing plates and all the bolts) the rest was scraping the rust out of all the crevices on the axle and diff. I was determined to get it as new as possible and keep it that way.
Base paint POR-15 with black lacquer top coat. for the diff cover POR-15 and chrome paint

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Sun Oct 16, 2016 11:18 pm

Front quarter window rehab
Image
One broken pivot bolt
Image
Image
one broken quarter frame ( how does this happen?)
Image
Repair of broken pivot bolt
Image
Image
Image
Image
Bolt made from an exhaust hanger
Image
Image
Image
Image
Putting on more thread
Image
Rivet components
Image
Image
Finished bolt
Image
Image
Image
Image
Repair of Frame
Image
Image
Image
Some welding
Image
Some grinding and polishing
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Finished product
Image
Image

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Sun Oct 16, 2016 11:31 pm

Finally got to do some body work paint this weekend. First all body 2k primer complete. Next up sanding it all !!
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

User avatar
spiderdan
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 831
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:30 am
Your car is a: 1968 124 Sport Spider
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby spiderdan » Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:25 am

Hi DRUMMOND.
I was just enjoying your thread with my morning coffee.
Amazing work...you must be proud of what you have accomplished.

I went to your 1st thread, and if I may quote you...
"This one only needs new floor pans, repairing the rusted seats??, new top, New windscreen gasket, new console, new dash? So Far! First time I have come across a Fiat that is rusting from the inside out?"
Project creep?

Tx for posting.
Dan
1968 124 Sport Spider
"Angelina"
2015 Toyota Camry XSE (hers)
2016 Jeep Wrangler Sahara Unlimited (cottage toy)
http://s1342.photobucket.com/user/68spi ... t%20Spider
http://www.youtube.com/user/Coontache/videos

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:54 pm

Hi DRUMMOND.
I was just enjoying your thread with my morning coffee.
Amazing work...you must be proud of what you have accomplished.

I went to your 1st thread, and if I may quote you...
"This one only needs new floor pans, repairing the rusted seats??, new top, New windscreen gasket, new console, new dash? So Far! First time I have come across a Fiat that is rusting from the inside out?"
Project creep?

Tx for posting.

Hi Spiderdan Thanks for reminding me of being VERY optimistic :D I had forgotten how rust loves Italian cars. Especially Fiats !!

I used to own four 131's and 1 124 coupe! how could I forget? One day I came out to see that one of the 131's had collapsed at the left front suspension??? rusted through :x
What got me worried though with this spider, was the electrical tape on the front and back brake hoses? The groaning of the steering, the drivers door would not close unless you lifted it up first, It felt like a jellyfish on the road, i had to wear wellingtons to get into the car, plus I would like to see if I can actually rust proof a Fiat! :roll:
OK, so I decided to go the whole new car feel and have some fun.

Project Creep indeed!!

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Sun Oct 30, 2016 11:34 pm

Did some Bodywork this weekend. applied a light red primer coat and then proceeded to sand and level base primer. Red coat I used to expose dents and flaws in the base primer/body. Luckily for me my patience in leveling body filler paid off, did not have many flaws. Although I did get some surprises from the new wheel fenders?
Image
First sanding looking nice and level
Image
This one shows some highs
Image
Light sanding show some lows
Image
Image
Side of fender done, showing the unexpected dent in the new fender arch
Image
spraying flaw
Image
Putty applied
Image
Image
Left fender had a few more flaws and dents than the other side? but not too bad for a 36 year old
Image
The back of the car is the easy part. Front I have a feeling is going to be a pain. lots of dents and such on both fender sides rebuilt front
Image
Image
Image
Image

klweimer
Posts: 550
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:45 am
Your car is a: 1982 Spider 2000
Location: Arvada, Colorado

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby klweimer » Mon Oct 31, 2016 8:20 am

DRUMMOND,
As always, great work. Questions - When you are cutting out rusted sheet metal, what do you use to make all the cuts so clean and straight? Followed by - What gauge steel are you using to fab all the patches? I assume bare steel? Some looks galvanized in the pictures.
Thanks,
Kirk

ScotcH
Posts: 100
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2009 12:43 pm
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat Spider
Location: Ottawa, ON

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby ScotcH » Mon Oct 31, 2016 11:07 am

klweimer wrote:DRUMMOND,
As always, great work. Questions - When you are cutting out rusted sheet metal, what do you use to make all the cuts so clean and straight? Followed by - What gauge steel are you using to fab all the patches? I assume bare steel? Some looks galvanized in the pictures.
Thanks,
Kirk


yeah, it does look galvanized ... I thought welding galvanized was a no-no?

Just read up on it ... seems it's not pleasant (the fumes), but actually not dangerous long term.
8legs Racing - BMW Parts and Performance
- 1978 Fiat Spider (plus 73 and 74 parts cars)
- 2008 BMW M3
- 2003 BMW X5 4.4
- 2000 BMW 330i race car

DRUMMOND
Patron 2018
Patron 2018
Posts: 443
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:11 pm
Your car is a: Fiat Spyder 2000 1980 Pininfarina

Re: 1980 spider Restoration phase 2

Postby DRUMMOND » Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:30 pm

I use a metal cutting wheel on a sacrificial wooden base table with clamps, steel rule and marker to get straight cuts in the metal. I find the wheel is the best way with no distortion.

I use a variety of gauge thickness from 18 thru to 24 depending on the area and how hard it is to weld in place.
I also use non-coated steel and electroplated zinc steel (not the hot dipped galvanized which most have lead added) depending on whether I have access to protect the metal on both sides, or where extra protection in my mind is required.
The zinc electroplating is thin but gives 100% or so more corrosion protection than none, it also semi protects non-plated metal in the vicinity as an added bonus
Plenty of ventilation is required for all welding. I queried this topic to a professional welder who just looked at me funny, if you cant paint it why would you not use it? just take the zinc off the side you can paint (paint does not stick very well to zinc) and make sure you have plenty of ventilation.


Return to “Restoration Projects”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 52 guests