Small Update
Small update... I've been spending most of my time sandblasting, wire-wheeling, plating and painting parts... I have a nice, big pile of new shiny stuff, but very little of it actually bolted together...
Also, I thought I had taken more pictures than this before (and these are the good ones... ugh) but i had a thoroughly terrible day in the shop over the weekend, and didnt feel much like taking any more pictures.
Some highlights: I sprayed some primer in the trunk but forgot to move my sockets and wrenches, so they have a nice grey-green coating of etching primer on them... I dropped a metal broom handle into the side of the car which left a scratch I can only hope to buff out (I left the shop after that gem)... I got black overspray on the nose of the car when touching up a piece on the nose... and I spilled a cup of water INTO the cardboard box that has my carpet kit in it...
Anyhow, here's the pictures I did manage to take:
I stripped the Valve cover for a coat of Crinkle-finish paint. The paint that was on there came off easily enough, but I had to strip it a second time after I thoroughly botched the first coat ("Thick Paint," as the can instructs, does NOT mean running down the side of your valve cover) The second coat went much better, and i'll be posting shots of it on the engine as soon as its done.
With the help of a fellow '02-er, I finally got the steering box apart. I wire-wheeled the outside down, then let the whole thing sit in some mineral spirits to clean out the sludge inside. After that, it got a coat of dull aluminum, and new seals. I'm still waiting for the input shaft seal and the output shaft locking washer, so it won't be going back together until I get those parts in.
My rank pedalbox is rank no more! All parts have been replated, and the difference in the new bushings is amazing... I can't wait to see how it feels once I get it in the car...
Front subframe was stripped and dipped, and new bushings / replated parts started going in also. I still have a few pieces of hardware to replate/replace so this project is ALSO in limbo, awaiting some more pieces before being finally put together.
Random plated and painted bits going back on the engine. I do NOT recommend opening up the Carb side of the intake manifold with a Dremel tool... It works, but you'll be there doing it for about a week.
Finally, the rust holes on the passenger side floorboard have been welded in. These got a coat of primer and paint that I forgot to take a picture of before I left for the day. The entire rest of the interior is Dyna-matted, so once I get this section done I can run wires and put the carpet in!
I actually have gotten a good bit more finished than this, but don't have any pictures of it... So hopefully i'll remember to do that the next time i'm out there.
I had meant to jack the rear end up to remove the rear subframe, but with the front on jackstands, everything just felt waaaaay too unstable. Right now, I think I'm going to rebuild the front subframe, and rebuild a spare rear that I've scavenged off of another car. Once the new front goes on, I'll jack out the rear and swap the old with the rebuilt. For clarification, I can remove the CV's, diff, and swaybar without having to emove the rear subframe, correct? I'm thinking the more I take off of it, the easier it will be to remove when I need to get to it.
Also, I thought I had taken more pictures than this before (and these are the good ones... ugh) but i had a thoroughly terrible day in the shop over the weekend, and didnt feel much like taking any more pictures.
Some highlights: I sprayed some primer in the trunk but forgot to move my sockets and wrenches, so they have a nice grey-green coating of etching primer on them... I dropped a metal broom handle into the side of the car which left a scratch I can only hope to buff out (I left the shop after that gem)... I got black overspray on the nose of the car when touching up a piece on the nose... and I spilled a cup of water INTO the cardboard box that has my carpet kit in it...
Anyhow, here's the pictures I did manage to take:
I stripped the Valve cover for a coat of Crinkle-finish paint. The paint that was on there came off easily enough, but I had to strip it a second time after I thoroughly botched the first coat ("Thick Paint," as the can instructs, does NOT mean running down the side of your valve cover) The second coat went much better, and i'll be posting shots of it on the engine as soon as its done.
With the help of a fellow '02-er, I finally got the steering box apart. I wire-wheeled the outside down, then let the whole thing sit in some mineral spirits to clean out the sludge inside. After that, it got a coat of dull aluminum, and new seals. I'm still waiting for the input shaft seal and the output shaft locking washer, so it won't be going back together until I get those parts in.
My rank pedalbox is rank no more! All parts have been replated, and the difference in the new bushings is amazing... I can't wait to see how it feels once I get it in the car...
Front subframe was stripped and dipped, and new bushings / replated parts started going in also. I still have a few pieces of hardware to replate/replace so this project is ALSO in limbo, awaiting some more pieces before being finally put together.
Random plated and painted bits going back on the engine. I do NOT recommend opening up the Carb side of the intake manifold with a Dremel tool... It works, but you'll be there doing it for about a week.
Finally, the rust holes on the passenger side floorboard have been welded in. These got a coat of primer and paint that I forgot to take a picture of before I left for the day. The entire rest of the interior is Dyna-matted, so once I get this section done I can run wires and put the carpet in!
I actually have gotten a good bit more finished than this, but don't have any pictures of it... So hopefully i'll remember to do that the next time i'm out there.
I had meant to jack the rear end up to remove the rear subframe, but with the front on jackstands, everything just felt waaaaay too unstable. Right now, I think I'm going to rebuild the front subframe, and rebuild a spare rear that I've scavenged off of another car. Once the new front goes on, I'll jack out the rear and swap the old with the rebuilt. For clarification, I can remove the CV's, diff, and swaybar without having to emove the rear subframe, correct? I'm thinking the more I take off of it, the easier it will be to remove when I need to get to it.
