engine and drivetrain Progress on the F Bomb (photo heavy, baby)

[wegweiser]

For those of you not on the Facebook thing, here are a few snapshots of some progress I've been making.

 

And before y'all ask…Nope. I am not restoring the entire car. I'm leaving the exterior "as is".

 

Some before and during and after photos… photo heavy.

 

What you're looking at, is about 120 hours of my labor, followed by about 90 minutes of painting. Since it's a metallic paint, I asked my co-worker painter to perform the honors. 

 

Old rust included giant 7" holes above the pedal box, rot along the upper firewall bulkhead, 2" hole inside the fusebox cavity and along it's inner structure, and pinholes around the heater box. Most of it caused by rodents and accumulated seeds, nests, inhibiting water drainage through the rubber drain socks. 

 

Now I can focus on building the engine and making sure all the stuff I put back in, is pretty. 

 

Don't worry ….I'm still a total dirtbag / shitbird / grease ball / bottom feeder. but now my hands will stay clean when I work on it. 

 

And of course, I'll apply some "faux" overspray on the strut bearings and hood release rod, so I can get top dollar for it on BaT or ebay. (No… it's not for sale at any price…that's just a joke, see?) I may also create a removable prosthetic snorkel, to really fuck the party up, at Concours events. 

 

Thanks for everyone's enthusiasm and support, during this prolonged period of insanity. It's been loads of fun, and y'all help keep me fueled!

 

For real. 

Edited February 21, 2016 by wegweiser

[ray_]

Looks a bit better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[M3M3]

well done!

 

glad you are keeping the exterior "patina".

[Conserv]

Looks fabulous thus far, Paul! But you know it's all about the details.

I'm assuming you've removed the hood hold-down bar, attachment screws, windshield wiper motor, and heater so you can carefully apply some Fjord "overspray"? Can I send you some of my '76-only underhood stickers to dress up that ol' thing of yours and make it look more...modern?

More photos as you proceed!

Best regards,

Steve

Edited February 22, 2016 by Conserv

[skipsfcr]

Outstanding! Honestly, in many ways it's probably more challenging to keep the patina than not. I applaud that.

[Marsattacks]

Looks great. I noticed that the masking tape your painter is using apparently is two-ply warp-dominant tape from Rothenberg, whereas the Bavarian factory used three-ply weft-dominant tape from Augsberg. Minor detail.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[dlhoovler]

Lookin' good, Paul!

 

-David

[otisdog]

Wow, never would have guessed that puppy was originally Fjord! Spent the afternoon messing with my "was Fjord / repainted Black under warrantee  '74, and got pretty motivated.

What type paint are you using?

[wegweiser]

For the curious, here's a basic rundown of the materials used:

 

media blasted to bare metal

green Glasurit-RM epoxy/etch primer

major body work / welding performed

gray Glasurit-RM sealer applied

icing (filler) work on pitted areas, small scratches, then hand sanded to 320# and then 500#

 

Color is PPG (3-4 coats)

Clear is Glasurit (2 coats)

 

We use exclusively Glasurit products on customer cars, but my painter finds the PPG stuff to be a little easier, so we went with it. Saved me about $100 in materials, too. 

 

it will be weeks until my fingerprints grow back. 

[markmac]

Nice work Paul.  10-4 on the fingertips.  In anticipation of send my car off to paint soon, I have been buttoning up some odds and ends (sanding).  HATE IT.  SICK OF IT.  Seems like I have been doing it for 10 years (which I nearly have).  Looking forward to seeing the finished f-bomb product.  My favorite car.  very cool.

 

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[thehackmechanic]

Wegweiser you magnificent bastard...

[wegweiser]

Had a slow day at the shop, so I was able to make continued progress on the beast. Re-wrapped the entire engine bay area harness and installed a few shiny things. 

[Harv]

Kick ass!

John

[Gordon]

The patina went out the window when Paul "upgraded" from steelies to 13" factory alloy wheels. From the above pics, we see that mission creep has set in.

[Mike Self]

So, you gonna make Mid America this year?  How about Vintage?  We're lookin' for ya.

 

mike