William,
I wish you luck on your BJ8.
When i was taking appart my TR3, I kept discovering disaster after disaster.
Putting my hand through the rear valencethat I thought was sound was also no
fun. It would have gotten VERY depressing if I thought too much about it.
Two things have really helped me get through this:
1. Remembering how much fun it was to send the 3 through the corners of roads
on forrest covered hills, and the anticipation of being able to do it again
only this time with seats that bolt down (didn't have enough metal on the
floor to bolt them too), and a good front suspension (found 2 lengths of
coil spring, both with spacers, and a broken trunion). Anticipation helps a
lot.
2. instead of viewing it as one big restoration project, i have broken it down
into a lot of little projects. I have accomplished many of these projects
and have a sense of having accomplished a lot and oh by the way, the TR just
happens to be taking shape (virtually, I'm still at the rolling body tub
phase). My current project is to put colour coat in the interior (engine bay,
boot, and driver/ passanger area. My next project will be to instal the
petrol tank. The project after that will be to temporarly mount the
wings, front valence, boot lid and bonnet and finish preping them for
a colour coat. Then I will load the 3 on Daren's trailer & take it off to get
the exterior professionally sprayed in a temperature controlled dust freeish
spray booth (I'm not going to risk it on a bare dirt ground under an oak
tree open to the elements). The job after that will be to remount the wings
with proper fixings and the steel beading.
Each one of those are small jobs that are accomplishable, that i can see and
feel
the results in a reasonable amount of time. I think if I did it as one big
restoration project, i would have sold the parts a while back.
Some thoughts about your project:
I have never had a car dipped but i have talked to a few that have had bad luck
with it. i gather that after being dipped in strippers it needs to be
nutralized. If this is done improperly, the remains of the dip can be corrosive
and cause rust to start again. I have also heard that you need to get the
car primed very soon after dipping so that surface rust can not get started.
You might ask the dipper for references of people who have had their cars done
4 or so years earlier. Also, arrange to get the parts coated with Zinc
chromate paint (dipped??) as early as possible after dipping.
When working with a body person, make sure you tell them what you intend to end
up with and ask them to let you know if any of your instructions sound like
they might deliver less that your final vision. i had some body parts done
by the pros. I asked the parts to be taken down to bare metal, have all
signs of rust removed, primed and sealed. They provided me with a very
reasonabe price. When i got the parts back they had done exactly as I asked
to the outside of the part, leaving the backside rusty & crudy. Oh you
wanted both sides done? you did not specify both sides. You only paid to
have the outside done. It will cost additional $$$ to do the back side.
Once I finally convinced the body shoppe people I was not after a cheap job,
but a correct job done inexpensivly, they participated in making sure that
they understood exactly what I was after and doing it.
Keep the faith. You are getting into a very long haul, but if you do it
correctly& take care of the BJ, it will probably outlast you.
I you do decide to give up, realize that disassembled ares are worth very
little even if most of the prep work is done and you have tons of new parts.
I would be very happy to take it off your hands for next to nothing, but
I think you would be happy driving an excellent example of a big Healey.
Keep the faith!
TeriAnn
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