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Anon
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Chitty

Hi,

well seeing as i have now started work on Chitty i thought i should start letting you all see what a mess im making!

Chitty is a 1972 1800 slant Doormobile Freeway and bought as a non runner no tax, mot or anything. Apparently she had stood for over 3 years gradually filling up with water and corroding.

A little fettling with the engine and a replacement battery saw her splutter to life surprisingly easily but not at all well. I changed the plugs leads points condenser and rotor and coil only to find the hard way that the dissy is 180 degrees out!



So i then had to find a new exhaust silencer!!

Luckily one turned up on ebay from a local motor factors that had been sitting in his stock for years and was soon fitted.
I just wanted to get her up and running so i fitted the rotor the wrong way round turned the key and viola! she purrs like a kitten!

Steve

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Sun 07 Aug 2011 @ 14:39 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Heres a few pics of her as she was when bought, once the mould had been scraped off





Oh and washed too

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/192/htc313.jpg/][/URL]

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/824/htc314.jpg/][/URL]

The photos dont really show the condition of the bodywork or the fact she is brush painted in blue Hammerite (hammered finish) what seems to be 100 layers thick!!
Laws has ordered material to recover the cushions and we have picked up some cheap black carpet. All to be laid and sorted once the leaks have been slowed.

I had no idea how hard it would be to find parts and panels so after a brief look about we decided to use filla and rattle cans to cover up the holes for now to allow us some time to gather spares

Steve
Sun 07 Aug 2011 @ 15:12 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Surprisingly she passed the MOT
There is a lot of stuff that needs doing before the MOT next year and he was a bit lenient over the bodywork but the chassis is sound and everything works the way it should

The very next moment she was taxed (I loved not paying for it!) insured and out for the day!
first time out was a 60 mile round trip to see friends with no problems whatsoever!
We discovered that there is a "lively" steering wheel wobble over 55mph and the repaired exhaust is banging on the bodywork and started blowing.

Since then Chitty has been driven every weekend with varying success. She made it all the way to Norfolk and back carrying a heavy load of logs with no trouble but a quick trip to the shops saw the radiator blow up!
I tried to repair the rad but it just leaked further up the tube. I found another rad in a breakers but that was just as holy!
I Think i may have found another one but were waiting to get it so shes been sitting on the drive for the last 2 weeks.

This however has given me a bit of time to start on bodging up the bodywork:p

Steve
Sun 07 Aug 2011 @ 15:42 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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She did really well ..ours is bodged up all over & she's a 78 model:#
Sun 07 Aug 2011 @ 17:27 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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ok so last weekend i decided to start on the drivers door as most of the bottom section fell off when i shut it! The previous owners fibreglass patch up just gave up the ghost. So i then rebuilt the bottom door skin with mesh and fibreglass and continued on to the entire front edge of the bonnet.
Finished the lot off with Halfords satin black




Considering this is my first attempt at anything more than a tiny dent i am very happy with how it turned out.

Steve

Mon 08 Aug 2011 @ 18:29 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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So now im up to date with this weekend,

I had been a bit concerned about her saggy backside so last week I ordered some spring assisters from Grayston engineering http://www.grayston.biz and set about fitting them.
I am amazed at how quick and easy it was, took me about an hour to do the first side and half that for the second! My only complaint is the clamps are labeled "L & R" instead of O/S N/S as its not blatent which goes where.
But i am REALLY happy with the result

before



after
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/708/htc489.jpg/][/URL]

This has stopped the exhaust rattling on the body but has highlighted the fact she needs new shocks! Even so the van drives a lot better now.

That left the rest of saturday to rub down the front bumpers and grill.
The bumpers were once chrome but that had tainted many years ago and since had countless layers of paint. The O/S front was still ok but the near side has a few holes to be patched up. The headlight surrounds were well tarnished and painted too so another trip to Halfords and a tin of chrome enamel paint.

The grill was a real mare to rub down and repair and took most of sunday too but again its worth it!

before
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/chitty.jpg/][/URL]

during
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/32/chitty1.jpg/][/URL]

after
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/204/chitty2.jpg/][/URL]

Were still unsure how to detail the grill as there seems to be too much black so any suggestions welcome

Then at about 7:30 sunday my prayers were answered as a local CF owner i have managed to bump into came round with a Radiator for me!!
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/64/chitty3.jpg/][/URL]

needless to say it was fitted in a flash and then taken for a blast up the M25 just to make sure ........ Chitty is back on the road!

Steve
Mon 08 Aug 2011 @ 19:43 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Well done
Mon 08 Aug 2011 @ 20:42 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Thanks Derek

8D
Fri 12 Aug 2011 @ 23:52 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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After speaking with the guys on here it became aparant that the exhaust i fitted was for a 1600 and consequently the van was down on power.
seeing as i had already paid out for the zorst i was looking for a very cheap fix.
As it happens a chat with Lauras brother sorted me out with a bean can from a 1000cc bike for a tenner and a rummage thru the skip at our fitters yard at work supplied a large silencer. No one knows what the silencer came from but it's a Gm one and it has the correct size inlet and the outlet was similar to the bean can.

So i thought why not and set about fitting it:-



oops that pic shows the hole in the sill!

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/imag0450h.jpg/][/URL]

Well i am very happy with how it looks and sounds but the proof has to be in the drive so i took her for a quick blast.
Its a bit noisy in the drivers seat but funny enough throughout the rest of the van Laura assures me shes a lot quieter! must be something about resanance? but i think with a bit of tweaking it will be fine.
The big bonus is she has her power back all apart from the still yet to be cured misfire.

Saturday and i started on the n/s wing and door. Again just temp repairs for now with filla but again i had to rebuild the door bottom and discovered the van has had a small shunt on the wing

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/imag0453z.jpg/][/URL]

thats how far i got on saturday and on sunday Laura wanted to clear out some stuff at a boot fair so chitty was enrolled in that

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/21/imag0455y.jpg/][/URL]

Sunday afternoon and im back on the van8}
here she is part way thru

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/847/imag0456h.jpg/][/URL]

And the end result

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/191/imag0457.jpg/][/URL]

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/imag0458d.jpg/][/URL]

Oh and one that shows the large silencer (if you peer past the cat)

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/69/imag0461x.jpg/][/URL]

Steve
Mon 15 Aug 2011 @ 22:43 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Both rear doors are in a pretty bad way but especially the nearside.

the previous owner patched them up with fibreglass over fibreglass over fibreglass, this pic kind of shows how bad it is


and during the week (probably at the bootfair) the bottom hinge broke away from the door so i thought i would attack that today.

First off i had to get all Jeremy Clarkson to get the old gunk off with a hammer and chisel and was amazed to find that there was ally mesh behind the hinge and the whole lot had only been plodded over
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/834/downloadrw.jpg/][/URL]

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/716/download1ow.jpg/][/URL]

The door is kaput with no metal around the hinge or along the bottom edge but i needed to bodge her together for now
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/16/download2i.jpg/][/URL]

Oh and i have found that nitromors and a stanley scraper is brilliant at removing many layers of paint!

Ive got no idea how long this will last but i packed the hole and ally mesh with fibreglass and then used filler to bond the hinge to the door, making sure the filler got right in to all the small gaps in whats left.
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/808/download6w.jpg/][/URL]

and then ran out of daylight so gave the bare metal a quick coat of primer
[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/download4ct.jpg/][/URL]

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/846/download5.jpg/][/URL]

This is far from perfect but after freeing both hinges the door now opens and closes much better and no longer feels like its falling off. All in all a good afternoon.

Steve
Sun 21 Aug 2011 @ 23:13 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Good work, thats a funky van!

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Mon 22 Aug 2011 @ 05:49 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Not been on here in a while as a 3 week honeymoon to Kenya got in the way lol
but before we went i had to strip the other rear door



cos it was pretty bad. So i got out the Nitromors and stanley scraper

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/52/imag0481l.jpg/][/URL]

Then played with the filla

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/338/imag0482up.jpg/][/URL]

And got busy with the trusty rattle cans

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/818/imag0483u.jpg/][/URL]

when i stripped the doors i found a tiny piece of metal at the bottom of the right one that had a recessed shape to it (The whole thing was covered in fibreglass before and had a rounded shape) so i have tried to match this across them both.

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/imag0484q.jpg/][/URL]

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/imag0486i.jpg/][/URL]

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/411/imag0487y.jpg/][/URL]


I hope this is right? I know its not perfect but its a LOT better than it was!
Just to prove how bad the bottoms of the doors were this is what came off the right door with the hammer and chisel. Yup thats my foot in the pic too

[URL=http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/21/imag0488v.jpg/][/URL]


Steve
Sun 09 Oct 2011 @ 20:43 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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the poor old girl has sat untouched on the drive for far too long now,
so i have finally got going again. after many emails to Adrian Baily i have just managed to order the parts to sort out the breaks (hopefully).
once the breaks are sorted i will be able to mover her up and down the drive to carry on getting her back on the road.

i did buy her a new battery and turn her over, took a few turns for the fuel to reach the carb but after one little cough she fired into life no worries.
that put a smile on my face

Steve
Mon 12 Aug 2013 @ 12:09 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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shes coming along nicely though mate keep up the good work

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Mon 12 Aug 2013 @ 19:44 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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So, as she stands now the brakes are working (at last!), the nearside sill is repaired, a large rust hole in the roof is patched up and I have sorted one of the rear corners.
I have to Rebuild the other rear corner, patch up the off side sill (and a few more rust patches in that area), and sort a big problem above the near side rear windows. There's not a lot of metal left from window rubber to gutter!
Not gonna give up tho. I WILL get her on the road for the spring!

Steve
Sun 06 Oct 2013 @ 13:15 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Right, i have been flat out busy on the van the last couple of weeks. not having the luxury of a workshop and having to do everything on the drive i started getting complaints from the neighbours about the dust. i built a scaffold and polythene tent arround the van to contain the dust but the eyebrows were still raised!
anyways, i managed to find a fabricated rear corner panel, cut the old one off and welded it on. it was a struggle to find weldable metal but it went on.
i patched up the rest of the holes and after some advice from lots of other websites primered her in red oxide with a roller.
i can honestly say dont use a roller unless you have to, although the finish wasnt bad it certainly wasnt good and i went through 2.5l really quickly. (picture 1)

After an overnight cure i gave it a light rub and decided to spray another coat of oxide on. this went on much better and easier. thinned it down 10% and it went on well. (picture 2)

I left her a week to cure (one of the longest weeks of my life) before rubbing the primer flat. i didnt have the best of luck with this, the paper gummed up all the time and it simply took ages. there were still many lumps left from rollering the original coat on that i just couldnt get out. i should have given her another coat or two of primer and rubbed back to get smooth but time and money dictated i carried on.
i bought the colour in synthetic from a local paint shop. they said synthetic was the only way as i was painting without a booth outside. i read lots of write ups saying not to use synthetic but i took a chance anyway.
to be honest it took a lot of faffing with the spray gun and thinning at different ammounts to get it to spray any where reasonable but in the end it didnt go on too bad. i tried to spray it like the primer at first which is far too thick and got a couple of runs but soon adjusted to get it more even.
the end result is not too bad at all, it definately needs another coat but i was advised by the paint shop i will need to leave it to cure for at least two weeks before i will be able to rub back the runs.
Sun 20 Apr 2014 @ 22:11 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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Loving that colour, looks like it has come out well.

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Mon 21 Apr 2014 @ 18:34 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
Anon
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wow wont miss you old son looks great

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Wed 23 Apr 2014 @ 20:38 Edit this messageQuote this messagePMQuote this message
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