LincolnSteve
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I seem to be duplicating photos and getting my text in the wrong place. Trying to correct now. Too many zombies.
Steve's unexpected Series 3 rebuild.
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LincolnSteve
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I swear that the following is true. Just got back from the hotel bar. 20 past midnight here. My drinking partner for the latter part of the evening has been son James. A wise old soul of 11 years. His current favourite game is to pick random cocktails from the list at the bar for me to consume to see if he can make me fall over. The last one he picked to torture me with contained vodka, peach schnapps, pineapple juice and some other unspeakable stuff. James has to have a little taste of them of course and on tasting the latest one he turned his nose up a bit. 'Don't you like it', I said wanting to show the boy what an experienced drinker looks like. 'No' he said 'I hate pineapple juice'. I laughed so hard my drink came out of my nose. Nighty night.
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Very good work Steve
LincolnSteve
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Time for the other sill bit. The rust isn't as severe as the other one was but it's in more places.
The replacement bits are ready. I didn't use all of these in the end.
It's not as neat as the other one but it'll do
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LincolnSteve
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I've reached a point with the bulkhead where I need to get it back on the chassis and start mocking up everything around it. I'm going to put everything loosely back together and make sure it all fits then I can finish the bulkhead with confidence, knowing that the doors will still close afterwards.
As usual as soon as you point a camera at my boy he will act like a complete pillock. We still managed to get the seat box to pieces.
The tool box under the passenger seat is a goner.
I've had to design a handbrake condom to prevent any scratches while i'm messing about.
James gets the honour of the first sit in for many years. Not a very comfy seat though.
This last photo makes it looks like things fit together well already. Don't be fooled, they don't. I think i've got a big job on my hands here and I bet it's going to get really annoying when i'm having to do all the jiggling and fettling that it's going to need to look good. I've ordered new door bottoms, hinges and a few other bit's and bobs. When they get here I will really start the tweaking. I think i'm even going to fit the windscreen, roof and back door as well then I'll really know what's what.
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I took my sills and brackets to be shotblasted yesterday along with the bulkhead and radiator grill.
The sills were rotton on the end like yours and I had to refab them. Also the small plates welded across were gone and had to be replaced. All good fun.
My rebuild is a takeover of my eldest sons project after he abandoned it. I am doing it with my middle son whose name is also James.
The sills were rotton on the end like yours and I had to refab them. Also the small plates welded across were gone and had to be replaced. All good fun.
My rebuild is a takeover of my eldest sons project after he abandoned it. I am doing it with my middle son whose name is also James.
Henry_b
Think outside, no box required.
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Quite a few James' here 
Great progress here love a good SIII
Great progress here love a good SIII
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Meant to say . You're doing a good job there. Steve.
LincolnSteve
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Thank you for the support.
LincolnSteve
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4 months since the last update. Sorry. Loads going on at the moment. Biggest thing is that my son has started secondary school which means I now get a lot of homework. I must say i'm enjoying it more than I did when I was at school but it's very time consuming and of course takes priority over anything I want to get done.
During the last of the good weather I started getting over confident thinking that I would soon be throwing the bodywork back together with ease and bolting shiny bits back on left, right and centre. Will I never learn?
I got two new door bottoms. They are only Britpart ones but they are really good. New hinges as well to get rid of the sag that was there before. Cleaning up the door catch was really nice.
So everything seemed to be going well until I tried to refit them and I realised that they didn't fit properly anywhere. No great surprise really. What I need now is a nice bright, warm day so I can get it out on the drive and properly set about measuring and fettling. But it's the middle of winter so that's not going to happen. Add that to the homework and it's going to have to wait until spring.
It looks even worse in reality than it does in the photos.
I lost my motivation a bit at this point and didn't go near it for a bit. I always get a bit depressed as summer ends and so I decided to have a rethink. I will now be focusing on refurbishing stuff ready for refitting. I really enjoy this. It's easier than the big stuff and you get to make stuff shiny again. I can also indulge my need to faff about and over do things in far too much detail. Perfect!
I will get some pictures on here soon showing the full extent of the faffing.
During the last of the good weather I started getting over confident thinking that I would soon be throwing the bodywork back together with ease and bolting shiny bits back on left, right and centre. Will I never learn?
I got two new door bottoms. They are only Britpart ones but they are really good. New hinges as well to get rid of the sag that was there before. Cleaning up the door catch was really nice.
It looks even worse in reality than it does in the photos.
I lost my motivation a bit at this point and didn't go near it for a bit. I always get a bit depressed as summer ends and so I decided to have a rethink. I will now be focusing on refurbishing stuff ready for refitting. I really enjoy this. It's easier than the big stuff and you get to make stuff shiny again. I can also indulge my need to faff about and over do things in far too much detail. Perfect!
I will get some pictures on here soon showing the full extent of the faffing.
LincolnSteve
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Thermostat housing next.
I honestly thought that this was too far gone to save but after looking around it seems they are not readily available and the ones that are are bloody expensive. So I thought i'd better have a go at sorting it out.
This was the worst bit.
Nothing to lose so I set about it with the wire brush on the bench grinder.
I honestly thought that this was too far gone to save but after looking around it seems they are not readily available and the ones that are are bloody expensive. So I thought i'd better have a go at sorting it out.
This was the worst bit.
Nothing to lose so I set about it with the wire brush on the bench grinder.
LincolnSteve
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After a lot of scrubbing and several very long baths in deox c it was looking better than I could have imagined.
Definitely getting there but look at that pitting around where the radiator top hose has got to seal. I didn't think I could get it watertight as it was so I went over the pits with some J B weld. I forgot to photograph it until after I had put a coat of paint on. It needed a couple of coats in the end but its come out alright.
Pretty smooth now. Should get the jubilee clip good and tight round that. The other bits were easier. All the mating surfaces had pitting on them somewhere so they all got the J B weld treatment as well. All sanded down with a sheet of fine wet and dry on a flat steel plate to make sure it was as smooth as possible.
All the parts needed a couple of coats of enamel before they looked ok. I gave it ages to really dry properly before I tried to refit it all. When I did the worst bit was the bypass hose from the water pump. It was a swine but I got there in the end.
Definitely getting there but look at that pitting around where the radiator top hose has got to seal. I didn't think I could get it watertight as it was so I went over the pits with some J B weld. I forgot to photograph it until after I had put a coat of paint on. It needed a couple of coats in the end but its come out alright.
Pretty smooth now. Should get the jubilee clip good and tight round that. The other bits were easier. All the mating surfaces had pitting on them somewhere so they all got the J B weld treatment as well. All sanded down with a sheet of fine wet and dry on a flat steel plate to make sure it was as smooth as possible.
All the parts needed a couple of coats of enamel before they looked ok. I gave it ages to really dry properly before I tried to refit it all. When I did the worst bit was the bypass hose from the water pump. It was a swine but I got there in the end.
Glad to see you back fettling. I’m the same, I’ll be sat down then think, what can I fix on disco inside whilst it’s raining and end up painting and sanding and making a total mess of my kitchen ha.
Keep at it Steve, doors are a pain but minor compared to what you’ve put in.
Keep at it Steve, doors are a pain but minor compared to what you’ve put in.
LincolnSteve
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It's good to be back.
This time of year is a killer isn't it? No light, raining and flippin freezing! Can you imagine the mischief we could get up to if we had a big old barn to work in. Mucky parts in one area, refurbished parts in another staying clean while waiting to be refitted. When I win that lottery I'm going to have such a good time.
I'm having to be a bit careful about what work I do indoors at the moment. I used the oven to dry out the heater box recently to make sure it was really dry after I had done it in deox c and rinsed it . It stank the house out! My wife got a terrible headache and gave me a proper telling off.
It's good to see you keep making progress. Yours has been a epic. I'm glad to see you are winning. Keep going, we'll get there.
LincolnSteve
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Someone was selling a little oven on facebook at the weekend. They only wanted £25 and I was really tempted but I haven't got the space for it.
I only oven prided last month too!! Haha. I remember I got bollocked when I was younger for putting pistons in the dishwasher and oven. Works so well though! gudgeon puns in freezer and pistons on low
Disco fan Steve (!)
Nice bit of progress on the engine. (Be interested to hear how the epoxy holds)
The doors are worth taking your time over. I expect a whole heap of trouble when I get to that stage myself. I plan to be very slow and careful especially with the alignment of the bulkhead and the rear tub. Those pesky door pillars have to be at the right position. Gut feeling is that if you get the tub and bulkhead / door pillars millimeter perfect you'll have the best chance to get the doors as good as is possible.
Break out the tape measure - measure across - diagonals within the door but also across and in between the gap between the tub and the bulkhead on the chassis. A flat garage floor will help with relative heights. Get your son involved - it is a real geometry project - pay back for all that homework!
Nice bit of progress on the engine. (Be interested to hear how the epoxy holds)
The doors are worth taking your time over. I expect a whole heap of trouble when I get to that stage myself. I plan to be very slow and careful especially with the alignment of the bulkhead and the rear tub. Those pesky door pillars have to be at the right position. Gut feeling is that if you get the tub and bulkhead / door pillars millimeter perfect you'll have the best chance to get the doors as good as is possible.
Break out the tape measure - measure across - diagonals within the door but also across and in between the gap between the tub and the bulkhead on the chassis. A flat garage floor will help with relative heights. Get your son involved - it is a real geometry project - pay back for all that homework!
