And So It Begins....

[SanRemo78]

And it's all coming back next Wednesday and should be a nice satin black on every surface. Delivery is to the paint shop I've chosen, no date given yet for the painted shell to come back to me but there will be some work to be done so not expecting it within a month.... Still got lots to do.

[SanRemo78]

When the car is painted it'll come home as a rolling shell which leaves me with a few tasks to complete in the coming month or so. Better not hang around. I've been thinking about the front subframe for a while. Initially I was going to have it blasted and powder coated but decided that was the wrong way to go, it it gets damaged rust will set in quickly and possibly unnoticed. I also considered blasting and galvanising but the risks of distorting it are too much so in the end there was little choice but to attack it with the wire brushes to remove all the remaining (original) paint and crud from the outside, remove the surface rust that was inevitably there, bash out a couple of dents and treat it with rust converter then a four coats of POR15. Now that that is done I think I can wait a few days until it's fully cured and assembly can begin with the wishbones and anti roll bar plus engine mounts maybe.

[SanRemo78]

I also want to fill the subframes box sections with black Waxoyl whilst it's still accessible and 100% dry inside. That ought to protect it for another 40 odd years!

And then there's a slight step backwards. Having seen how nicely POR15 goes on I decided that the components I'd previously treated by wire brushing, red oxide spraying and top coating weren't as protected as I'd like. So the wire brush came out again to strip the rear transverse tubular arms back to shiny steel and they've had a few coats too. Next I'm looking at the front hub carrier/steering arms and rear stub axles and hubs. Trouble is I've pressed the bearings in so I'm going to have to find a way to protect them from the flying crap the wire wheeling will produce.

And, if there's any POR15 left I'll have a go at the old (temporary) springs so I can assemble the suspension struts. Which will leave me with a parts hunt to find everything I need to assemble the body and put the subframes and suspension and steering on it. I don't want to forget anything as the car will be an hour away from home...

Wheel refurb also started this week - It'll be riding on Delta integrale 15 inch pepper pots so the set of four I got have been stripped back to raw and primered ready for a test top coat before they're painted dark Anthracite, diamond cut and lacquered. Next hit for the credit card is a set of tyres. Hey ho.

I can see a Winter being spent in the garage. Probably a Spring and Summer too.

Guy

[SanRemo78]

After a little research I've ordered a set of four Continental Ultra Contact 195/55 R15 85V TL tyres, Good efficiency and wet rating plus I've had Continentals on the 159 for almost 10 years and like them. £370 delivered from Camskill tyres is a pleasant surprise... If only you knew how much a new set for the Stratos rep are !

In terms of being comparable to the original 185/65/14 tyres - it's immaterial on the rolling radius so the speedo will remain accurate. The only issue is going to be the marginally wider tyre caused heavier steering at parking speeds. But the Stratos has 205 section tyres on the front and a smaller steering wheel I'm not going to worry about that!

Guy

[lancialulu]

After a little research I've ordered a set of four Continental Ultra Contact 195/55 R15 85V TL tyres, Good efficiency and wet rating plus I've had Continentals on the 159 for almost 10 years and like them. £370 delivered from Camskill tyres is a pleasant surprise... If only you knew how much a new set for the Stratos rep are !

In terms of being comparable to the original 185/65/14 tyres - it's immaterial on the rolling radius so the speedo will remain accurate. The only issue is going to be the marginally wider tyre caused heavier steering at parking speeds. But the Stratos has 205 section tyres on the front and a smaller steering wheel I'm not going to worry about that!

Guy

I always found the unassisted Stratos steering very manageable due to no weight over the front axle.....

[SanRemo78]

It's back. Returned after treatment at Envirostrip to the paintshop I've chosen to finish the bodywork and reattach the panels before the newly rebuilt subframes, suspension and steering are fitted to bring the car home on it's wheels to start the reassembly and retrimming. Now that the flash rust has been removed and the E-Coating applied it's protected inside and out, every surface on every box section is done. Once the paintwork has been done and it's home I will be filling all the open box sections with rust proofing fluids and letting that dry before a second application to be really sure. Still lots to be done and a few bits that need to be taken to the paint shop but there's no rush, it'll be the new year before it's ready to come home.

[SanRemo78]

Now that the shell is in black primer we can see all the surface imperfections (aka dents) in better relief. And there are more of them than I remember!

[SanRemo78]

The bodyshop has said that most of the imperfections are going to be lead loaded with only a light skim of filler where needed.

[SanRemo78]

So that means it'll be heavier than standard as there'll be a bit required on the front scuttle and the roof....

[SanRemo78]

And for the ultra observant the bonnet looks odd because behind the right side vent aperture rests the second bootlid that will have the HiFi spoiler attached for any days I feel like a change! Probably not many...

Not pictured are the front valance, second door and battery tray that were all treated plus the two A Post infill panels and the fuel filler flap that weren't treated as they were new old stock item. The other new panel that was treated is the rear panel between the lights, I carefully removed the primer on the outside but didn't bother with the inside however it's come back black so the E-Coating worked on that too.

Lots more shopping to do now. Sound deadening, headlining material, wiring loom and an exhaust spring to mind...

Guy

[WestonE]

Impressive progress and very satisfying. I also got a shock when my car came back from Envirostrip because previously hidden dents were no longer hidden. We also found the 1 bit of rust previously missed that was then cut out and replaced with new steel.

Eric

[SanRemo78]

Going to see the car tomorrow to check on progress with paint and drop off a box full of brackets and fixings so the wings, doors, bonnet,  bootlid and valance can be nailed back on. It's been a few weeks since I've seen it so hoping for some good progress. In the meantime the wheels of choice - Delta integrale pepper pots - have been stripped, checked for damage (one small repair needed), painted, diamond cut and lacquered, cured and tyres fitted. Job was done by Tomar Alloys in Widnes and I am really really happy with the result. The only slight issue - I need to source another one for a spare, maybe two, and get them treated too.

[WestonE]

There is an alloy center Integrale space saver if you can find one. You then get a more recent steel space saver for the tire outer diameter merge them together for a spare that fits neatly in the boot. As a bonus if you upgrade brakes it will fit over them. I have this for both the Monte and Beta Spyder.

Eric

[SanRemo78]

That's a good call Eric! I'll keep an eye open but I still think I'll try to find another couple of rims whilst the paint code is still fresh in the mind of the team that restored the first 4!

Guy

[squiglyzigly]

Delta wheels look good on a Beta imo. Have you gone for 6 or 7 inch width? 7’s are a squeeze on the rear.
6’s go on easy but fit/look best with a little spacing.

Cheers
Ian

[SanRemo78]

The set I found are 7 inch Ian - thanks for the warning - I may need to adjust the track by deleting the spacer plates but that's for days to come! I will be carful when it arrives!

Guy

[SanRemo78]

Well the trip to the paintshop was worth doing! Lots of taps run down threads and all clear of the heavy black paint used by the dippers! The shell is no longer black but is in first primer coat. They've gone over every square inch and there's a few areas with stopper/filler in now ready to be flatted by hand before more primer. The wings and bonnet are done. The valance will be done this week and the doors and boot lids probably next week. It's looking really good. I'll be back at the weekend when they will have primered the interior/boot areas! More pics to follow soon.

Guy

[SanRemo78]

T'other side.

[SanRemo78]

The front bit..

[SanRemo78]

Wings