Stripping down continues

I haven't spent much time on the car of late (Julie may disagree). I'd like to be getting more time but work's been busier than I'd like and taken up some of my play time in the last couple of weeks.

Interior trim, trunk trim, trunk lid, convertible top and carpets are all off the car now. There's nothing really left inside the car now. It looks pretty gutted. As I don't have the keys I had to get into the trunk from the interior of the car so I was glad to finally remove all the trim etc to be able to reach through and open the trunk. The trunk looks like it never had anything in it it is so clean.

I've only listed a few more parts on eBay with 4 auctions finishing this coming week. I've had some part listed on the free local internet classified with some success. I sold the centre console trim to a local. I've had an offer on the seats that I've accepted and I'm waiting for a local to come and pick up and I've sold the side mirrors, rear view mirror, passenger door, windshield trim and door handles to a guy in North Dakota. He found my side view mirrors on-line and we've worked out a deal for the other parts he needs.

It will certainly be good to get some of the bigger items like a door and seats sold so I don't have to store them. I've got to get around to listing the convertible top. I hope it goes to someone local as I have no idea how to package something like that up for shipping. I'm building up a plywood box for shipping the door to Nth Dakota so the door is still nice and straight when it arrives.

I managed to pull the radiator and AC condensor out over the weekend. They were pretty mashed as you can see from the earlier photos. It wasn't easy to get them out. The frame of the car was bent over on them and that couldn't be pulled back by hand. I managed to get the bolts off (some were folded over with sheet metal) and with bending some of the thinner sheet metal by hand I was able to get them out. I'm going to keep the fans for now... one of them at least even the shroud for it was OK. I may be able to re-use on the project.

The next step is to remove the AC and heater unit from the car. I'm thinking of putting a heater in the new car to try to extend the driving season but with no top it is probably a losing battle. So we'll see what the s2000 heater unit looks like when I get it out and decide whether to sell the lot of keep it for the project.

Once the AC unit is out I don't really have an option other than diving into the real guts of the car. I have to decide whether I take the engine out first leaving a rolling chasis or pull it out last. I need to get under the car soon enough to see how I can get the engine out. I'm wondering if I can drop the motor down onto a dolly I'll make for it or if I have to get an engine crane in to pull it out. I don't mind taking the sawzall or cutting wheel to parts of the car to make room to get the engine out (in fact I think I'd rather enjoy it). I don't think the frame is destined for anything other than the crusher anyway.

So the next few weeks should be interesting as I start to really get into the guts of the car. I'd like to think that by June the frame is gone and I'm left with just parts I need. Then I'll be able to start the frame construction for the new car.

A few people have asked me what the finished product will look like. This link http://www.constructorscarclub.org.nz/sevens.html shows examples of what the car should like when its done.

I'll have to get some more pics of the car stripped down soon to post to show the progress.

In the garage

The car is in the garage now. With the help of Julie and a friend we got the car in the garage.

I got the seats out during the week. I also got the steering column minus the steering column lock back into the car so we could steer it back into the garage. Now the car is in the garage I've got the doors off. One of them is stripped right down with glass, power window motor etc out. The other will hopefully be stripped down tonight after the kids get to bed.

In the plans next is removal of the remaining interior trim and getting the convertible roof back and hopefully off. I got the doors off by myself (it was a little awkward in the tight garage) but I'm sure I'll need help with the roof.

It was a beautiful day today so we were all out on the street with kids riding bikes etc around. The fact I'd had a wrecked car in the driveway for a few weeks certainly made from some conversation with the neighbours.

The Murphy Bed is all but complete so I've started to turn some attention to the car a couple of evenings this week.

I removed the steering wheel, clockspring etc and got the steering column out. I've removed the steering column lock, I unfortunately damaged it in the removal (I drilled a little too deep on the sheer bolts and wrecked some of the thread) so its gone in the bin rather than going onto eBay.

I'm going to put the steering column and wheel back in so I can steer the car while pushing it back into the garage (rather than buying wheel dollies). Saturday I plan to have the car in the garage and really start the disassembly proper.

I took a door panel off as well in the last couple of days as well. Finding a place to store all the parts before I sell them may become an issue. Julie didn't like a door panel laying around the house for some reason.