Author Topic: 1964 230SL restoration in UK (Read 238342 times)

stickandrudderman · « **Reply #300 on:** February 11, 2016, 14:34:47 »

You are aware that the right inner sill is different for RHD cars?
It has a relief in it for the throttle (driver's foot).

Garry · « **Reply #301 on:** February 11, 2016, 21:17:43 »

Is that an oops I heard

Vegimite, nice cars.

vegimite · « **Reply #302 on:** February 11, 2016, 22:47:03 »

Yes....... Stick you are correct.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #303 on:** February 12, 2016, 08:48:22 »

No oops here.....Mines LHD

I had read somewhere that the rocker was different on RHD cars but had forgotten that so could have been an issue. The other difference between my original one and the replacement is that the flange that welds to the toe board on the original faced in so couldn't be seen from inside the car, whereas the replacement faces out so can be seen.

Yes nice cars Vegemite. I just sold a 66 coupe almost identical to yours. i did fancy keeping it but got too many projects things on the go as it is. Those mid year coupes are great cars though but my heart lies with the solid axle cars, this is my 62 327/340hp 4 speed.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #304 on:** February 23, 2016, 06:47:25 »

I've been working on the part of the floor under the rear floorboards. The repair section I got doesn't have the right shape where it meets the rear crossmember so I left as much of that floor piece in as possible and made up a new bit to go in the bottom corner.

My first attempt didn't work out too well. I made the bend on our stretcher but that put the curve at 90 degrees to the flange and it needed to be more like 130 degrees so I made a second one, had to bend it and then put a slot in the flange to fold it round and make a fillet to go in. It was a bugger to get all the folds and angles in the right place but it came out OK in the end.

Having not seen any others I don't know if the dipping down in the corner is only for early cars or what.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #305 on:** February 23, 2016, 06:53:47 »

Once that was done I had a go at the rear crossmember. I had had to cut this out to get access to the chassis section that needed repair, also it was rotten along both bottom edges. I had already made a repair piece for this but wasn't happy with it so made another template and had another go.

I think I must have been paying for a sin or two that day because nothing I did went right, the second one failed miserably and got hurled in the scrap, the third went OK but by that time I was planning the advert to sell the car as a project.....

So several hours later and much frustration I managed to get all the folds right and the panel sat where it should with only a little persuasion.....I got it welded to the crossmember and then tacked the whole assembly in place.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #306 on:** February 23, 2016, 07:01:55 »

I then set to welding it all in. Once the welds were ground down it was looking pretty good. I had to plug weld the end back onto the chassis rails as I had had to drill this piece off. I have ground the plug welds down and next time I get the spot welder out I'll put some spots were the plug welds are to make it look a bit more proper, I'll then stitch weld on the seams where the original was.

Would be nice to be able to replicate the factory welds where it is stitch welded. I guess they were stick welding at the time which I have never done. I'm putting stitch welds where they were but with a mig welder. My welding is OK but nowhere near as neat as I would like it to be.

I think the end result is starting to look nice though.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #307 on:** February 25, 2016, 06:32:30 »

Got a few more bits to add to my stock pile the other day, I have replaced the door handles and boot lock that I was having problems with. I also bit the bullet on a new indicator switch and other bits and pieces. I also got new rocker arm studs to go with the new rocker arms.....

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #308 on:** February 25, 2016, 06:44:28 »

I have been deliberating a bit on exhausts too. A while back I got a new stainless steel one from Timevalve, and I wasn't really happy with it. I didn't much care for the look of it but by the same token didn't really want a welded, untreated mild steel system either. On Corvettes we use a very nice aluminized steel exhaust and they last well. I generally prefer the mellower sound from a mild steel exhaust anyway.

So I finally gave in and ordered the correct system from MB, on the whole it looks very nice and I think will give more the look I want than the stainless one would once it is fitted and painted. Time will tell when it comes to fit it but it looks like it may well go on easier than the stainless version.

Anyway now I have two exhausts so if anyone in the UK needs a stainless system for an early 230SL let me know....

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #309 on:** February 25, 2016, 06:46:51 »

In the interests of comparison here's the two systems side by side.

Peter van Es · « **Reply #310 on:** February 25, 2016, 20:47:32 »

Did you get the indicator switch from MB, and, if you won't mind me asking, how much is it these days?

Peter

stickandrudderman · « **Reply #311 on:** February 26, 2016, 11:10:23 »

Be aware that your surplus exhaust will only fit LHD cars, just in case a RHD buyer gets excited!

Naj ✝︎ · « **Reply #312 on:** February 26, 2016, 11:18:55 »

Quote from: Peter van Es on February 25, 2016, 20:47:32

Did you get the indicator switch from MB, and, if you won't mind me asking, how much is it these days?

Peter

Peter,

The column switch in Scott's picture 001 545 5524 is for a 230/early 250. Current Euro price 455.00

The Switch for the Late 250/280 is 002 545 2924. Current Price Euro 445.00 + Local VAT

UK price is similar but in £Stg !

naj

Peter van Es · « **Reply #313 on:** February 26, 2016, 21:44:10 »

Wow... A €10 saving, Naj... I'll try some Sugru because only a small part of the black plastic of the handle has broken off... Over £445.... Whoa...

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #314 on:** February 27, 2016, 06:53:07 »

The switch was £412 list less 10% discount so £370 plus vat. I'm immune to it now....

Made some progress with the front part of the rear crossmember. I had been deliberating over seat belt mounts for a while and have wound up putting a couple in the crossmember, not sure if these will work out OK but I'll try a seat in before it all gets signed off. I have trial fitted a test seatbelt and it all goes in OK, I am just worried about the belt rubbing on the seat and causing problems. I may wind up putting mounts in the rockers as well so I have both options available.

I also need to put a mount somewhere under the rear seat floor for a seat belt for Charlie, the family Spaniel....

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #315 on:** February 27, 2016, 07:10:12 »

I got the various batches of zinc back from the plater after 3 months, who has lived up to his expected standards now and got a load of it wrong. I had batches of yellow, silver, and black zinc done, everything that should be silver is yellow, and half of what should be yellow is either silver or black....Of course none of this is their fault even though it was all separated out and labelled.

They've lost some of it too...Obviously.

The black zinc is very nice. Everything that was either raw steel or black phosphate I have had done in black zinc. It has more sheen than black phosphate but will afford greater protection to the component without looking too far from original. One thing I really don't like which I am seeing more and more in restored cars is to wire brush the hell out of something then clearcoat it to make it look like raw steel, I just think it looks crap. I reckon this black zinc is a good compromise.

My original intention was to try and get as close to factory spec as possible but I think that ship has sailed what with the 5 speed conversion, headlight swap, alternator and starter upgrades, colour change and going from MBTex to leather.....I'll still try and get the rest of it pretty close though.

The yellow zinc is a bit wishy washy, the yellow is not as strong on the larger pieces as I would like but CAD plate is next to impossible to get done over here. I'm told this is the best it can be although I may seek a second opinion on this. The bits that are right all look very nice though.

Anyway I now have a battle on my hands with this stuff, I don't feel I should have to pay for it but may have to as they also have a load more of my parts which I would like to get back so all in all not very happy making. I have sent a Corvette front bumper to Stick's plater and am hoping that these guys will come up trumps for us.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #316 on:** February 27, 2016, 07:16:20 »

I had the 5 speed mount plate and studs done as well which I am pleased with, hopefully this will all look like it is meant to be there.

This is the black zinc. I really like this.

Interestingly enough though I bought a new expansion tank cap from MB which is yellow zinc, and the colour looks just as weak as on some of my stuff so it may be that that is just the way it its now. Some of the smaller parts have a very strong colour, it is the larger bits that aren't as good. Another problem I have now is that nothing fits either. For example none of the arms for the accelerator linkage will fit on the main shaft so I guess I'll need to ream them out a little.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #317 on:** February 27, 2016, 07:24:54 »

I got the handbrake lever back from them which I have had rechromed, we painted the bottom half satin black with the end loosely masked so there was a real soft line between the black and the chrome. I also had the ratchet pawl black zinc coated at the same time. I can't reassemble it though as the main pivot bolt which should be silver zinc has come back yellow.

I think it's all going to look awesome when it is done though.

vegimite · « **Reply #318 on:** February 27, 2016, 09:24:00 »

Hi Scottcorvette,
I had a lot of my engine parts ceramic coated...........they will stay like that as they are baked in an oven ....unlike the polished alloy which will return to a dirty alloy look as the clear coating deteriorates.
The fuel lines I had yellow zinc plated as cad plating is not so environmentally friendly and so a lot of electro platers have ceased using this method. All the engine bolts are black. I had similar problems with my electro plater......seems to be a trait of the trade.
The interior I used German square weave and I two packed the console tray white.......which hi lights the upholstery.
keep up the hard work.
Vegimite

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #319 on:** March 27, 2016, 08:00:31 »

Been a while since I have had a chance to do anything with the SL. Have been too busy at work and I am training for a couple of cycling events coming up so the Mercedes has had to take a back seat.

I did get a chance to play with it yesterday and finished a couple of small bits around previous repairs. I started on the repair of the floor where the rear axle mounts. It isn't going easy though, the repair piece is needing quite a bit of fiddling to get in, nearly there now though. It is all pre-fitted. I'll take it out Monday and get some paint on the back and in the crossmember and then it can be welded in.

I don't know when that will be though as I have a busy few weeks ahead of me.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #320 on:** June 10, 2016, 07:02:23 »

Been a busy month or two for me but we seem to be getting back on an even keel again so I have managed to find a bit of time for the SL project.

The fall out with my chrome plater left a pretty sour taste in my mouth and really turned me off doing any work to the car also. Had I not been able to get the parts back it would have left me missing so much, in the end I paid up and swallowed the parts he had lost/damaged/messed up. Has left me with a bit of a mess to sort out but at least I have the majority of it back.

Still, onward and upward. I have started having Wednesdays on the project as well as Saturday, and that has been helping to make some big progress. Last time I posted I had just started getting the trailing arm mount in. Next stage was to replace the rearmost part of the seat crossmember which was pretty straightforward. Then the rear floorpan could go in. This took a little bit of persuasion to go in, the fit was not as good as the front pan but it fiddled into place and I spot welded it all in.

As I was using a single sided spot weld I decided to double up the welds on the flange that welds to the rocker, not quite correct I know but it made me feel a bit more confident in the job, and there's only you and me that knows.....

I also welded the accelerator mount bracket in place, I wasn't sure the spot welds would do the trick on this, also the bracket didn't fit the floor ever so well so I drilled the bracket and plug welded it, then ground those flat and made a couple of dummy spot welds. I did the same with the seat mount bracket.

Next was the piece I cut out of the B post to get access to the rockers, that went back in ok, I struggle a bit to make neat looking fillet welds where it joins the rocker but after a couple of goes they are acceptable..

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #321 on:** June 10, 2016, 07:13:46 »

Next was the panel that connects the two floor pans, thought this was going to be easy....

May sound dumb but this was a fairly big thing for me. I had been looking forward to putting this on, it was the very first thing I cut off the car and refitting it meant I was pretty much at the end of the floor repairs, at least on this side anyway.

But it was a pig of course. I thought spot welds would be sufficient but karma had other ideas and they kept pinging. I think I was going to fast and getting too much heat in, also it really took a bit of force to get the panel to meet with the rear floor pan too as it got near the rocker. In the end I drilled out every fourth spot weld and plug welded for a bit of added security, ground those flat and spot welded again. I had visions of panels popping off the car on a hard corner...

I used the same method to attach the front floorpan stringer, I drilled and plug welded every other weld and then spot welded every inch or so. As I am having to use single sided spots on everything I am going at it from both sides, one for looks and one for my own piece of mind.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #322 on:** June 10, 2016, 07:22:10 »

And here we are, the drivers floor is done, I have a small repair and a stitch weld to do on the seat crossmember and that's it I think. I need to seam seal all the panels, I'll squeegee some tigerseal into the gaps/joins and then prime it all.

Just got the other side to do now. On the whole I'm quite pleased with it. The only thing that really bugs me is my weld on the bottom of the b post, and the nut that is on the floorpan that the trailing arm mount bolts too. On the original floor it was a weldnut that was spot welded to the pan. I couldn't do that so mig welded on three of the flats. It looks pretty neat but is very obvious it has been redone.

There's no getting away from the fact that this is a car that is having extensive rust repair and it will never be anything else so it is what it is.

I'm enjoying being back on the old thing though, I find it weirdly therapeutic and it certainly beats working....

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #323 on:** June 13, 2016, 07:09:06 »

Didn't get much done on Saturday as I had a few bits to do to the Mustang, I made a new piece for the inner fender to close off the front of the rocker, just need to spot weld round the outer portion next time i get 'The Chief' out...I also drilled two holes on the inner side of the rocker so that after the car is painted I can inject the rocker with some wax to help protect against future corrosion.

I am going to use bilt hamber S50 which comes in a spray can with a very thin lance so there are two 5/8" holes with rubber grommets to block them off. Before I blocked the end off I blew out and vacuumed the rocker clean inside, everything is pretty well painted in there but I think some wax can't hurt, and the bilt hamber stuff dries only slightly waxy so shouldn't get too much muck sticking to it.

So I think that is this side floor officially finished with, got to do the other side now.I won't block the rear of the rocker until I decide what to do with the rear fenders/wheel house area.

Scottcorvette · « **Reply #324 on:** June 26, 2016, 06:45:30 »

And so it begins again...

I made a start last weekend on cutting out some of the rotten metal off the RH side. I can't go too far with this at this stage as I want to be able to get the old rocker out and the new one in fairly promptly,and at the moment I don't have the time to do that so I am just getting it as close as I can.

I think this side will be a bit more straight forward now I have the other one under my belt, I am worrying less about how far I need to go to gain access to the rocker panel, and there is less figuring out/head scratching time also.I also have learn't from my mistakes on the other side, for example, I welded a brace to the door brace to support the seat crossmember, but didn't think about drilling out the spot welds that were now under the brace....this time I cut out that small section and welded the brace in.....I ain't no dummy.......

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Author Topic: 1964 230SL restoration in UK (Read 238342 times)

vegimite

vegimite