[LaSalle door trims for series]

I happened upon this site: http://www.goodall.cc/Dormobile%20Restoration.htm while googling for Rocky Mountain parabolics pictures. Near the top of the page is a picy of his original door-cards, and near the bottom is a picture of the La Salle units he later installed.

Personally, I'd have avoided the blow-molded-plastic look at all costs on a IIa, but to each his own. (I expect they'd look a bit more in keeping with a 110.)

Jeff.

[Window frame: galvanized or body colour?]

Cool; thanks guys.

Jeff.

[Window frame: galvanized or body colour?]

So I had to look up dum dum; seems it's a glazing putty. Is there a window rubber too, or just putty?

Jeff.

[Stanley ruins another tool firm]

I've got some old Britool BA spanners that are quality (certainly better than the King Dick ones I bought this last year -- although the King Dick BA sockets I got at the same time are high-quality). That's what's so annoying: you never know what you're going to get.

I've got skads of Facom's red-handled screwdrivers. Most comfortable screwdriver I've used. They made a really nice hacksaw too, with a proper tensioner for the blade. I hope they don't go downhill.

Jeff.

[Rivets]

Interesting. I thought one had to "rough-form" the rivet before using the setting tool (or whatever it's called).

I'll have to get a couple sizes of those and play around a bit.

Thanks,

Jeff.

(I assume the sealed pop-rivets still produce more of a bubble than a mushroom on the back side, which I suppose would be more likely to snag clothing, etc.)

[Gear/Bearing Pullers]

Personally, I value not having the legs flop around more than having/not having hydraulics. The "normal" 3-legged ones can be made to work, but I find them overly fiddly trying to get them on and off, which tends to send my blood pressure through the roof.

I got some caged ones and I'd never look back. (The cage keeps the legs aligned as you apply or remove the puller.)

Two caveats: they're rather more expensive the the uncaged variety, and the only gearbox I've done was a Hewland racing box where everything slides out for easy gear changes.

Anyway, here's a picture of one pulling the driving flange off a water pump.

[Stanley ruins another tool firm]

Milwaukee still make some good stuff, although they're not much-seen on this side of the pond.

I've had good luck with Bosch blue stuff. I also have some of their green stuff, which I view as somewhat throw-away, but I've sometimes been surprised at its longevity.

My biggest problem is that I live in a very small market (Ireland), and it's rather difficult sometimes to see the stuff in person before buying. I recently had to get a new timing light -- the only stuff I could find in the stores was pure rubbish. But it's rather hard to separate the rubbish from the decent on the internet. Even brands like SnapOn and Starrett are a carp-shoot these days.

Jeff.

[Rivets]

At some point I'll need to restore the galvanized cappings on my IIa 109 SW (they were painted by a PO). Whether or not they need galvanising, they'll need to come off to strip down (and to re-spray the bodywork underneath).

I've done plenty of pop-riveting in my day, but I notice that the parts book specifies solid rivets where both sides of the rivet are exposed. I've probably only formed 3 or 4 solid rivets in my life, but they took about 5min each (as opposed to about 10 seconds for a pop rivet). Does one get vastly faster forming the solid ones after they've done it a few times, or do most people just go with pop rivets all around?

Thanks,

Jeff.

[workshop heating]

I run a dehumidifier for moisture, and an electric heater off my 50-amp welder circuit for heat. Probalby not ideal (cost-wise), but it's easy.

Jeff.

[How Long A Bolt ?]

The rule of thumb I seem to remember is 1.5 x diameter. So an M10 should engage 15mm (or 10 threads).

That's for bolts in tension (such as studs). It'd be much less for bolts in shear (such as a shock or shackle bolt).

Jeff.

[Window frame: galvanized or body colour?]

Thanks, Gary.

The PO painted it, so hopefully the galvanization is in reasonably good nick under the paint. I assume paint strippers (say, nitromours) are safe on galvanised?

Jeff.

[Workshop Doors]

I'd go with 18mm OSB on the outside and skip the inside layer. Do glue and screw, though. The result should be good for about 10 years.

Jeff.

[Window frame: galvanized or body colour?]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear: I was asking about the front window frame.

Then again, I'll no doubt need the other answers too.

Jeff.

[Window frame: galvanized or body colour?]

I've seen a lot of both; which was original?

Thanks,

Jeff

[Early or late 2A?]

I know what you're saying Jeremy. I actually don't mind the narrow sills or lights in the wings, but I draw the line at the plastic grill and dash.

Jeff.

[What do you guys use for paint?]

tin of NATO green and a 6" brush....

Hey Jon,

Didn't see your post earlier. Did it really completely flow out, or can you see brush-strokes in it? And were you a beginner (brush-painting-wise), or someone with a lot of experience with it?

Thanks,

Jeff.

[What do you guys use for paint?]

Yeah, I've done some cellulose work before: it's nice and easy, but it makes the whole house stink. Stuntman got a much better finish than I would have expected from a roller, but there is still a bit of orange peel, and I expect I'd have issues with brush strokes if I tried to go the brush route.

So that probably means spraying, although I might try out one of the turbine sprayers to cut down on the stink/overspray. I'll probably use a synthetic enamel (such as Paddocks or Paintmans).

Jeff.

[Early or late 2A?]

Once I take delivery I think I will put some pictures up on the Series 2 Club Forum. I'm not a huge stickler for originality, but I would be curious to know what should be "put back" when and if I feel so inclined.

Thanks everyone,

Jeff.

[Early or late 2A?]

But early 2A has double windshield wiper motors, right?

I think I must be in the year that's somewhat ill-defined: half early and half late.

Jeff.

[What do you guys use for paint?]

Last time I painted a car (well, a Formula Ford anyway), Imron was all the rage. But that was 20 years ago, and in California where they're rather fussy about volatility.

What are you guys using these days? (Only the exterior was painted, and I want to put it back to the original -- so I'll need a pretty close match to the dark green -- I think they call it Bronze Green?)

Thanks,

Jeff.

[Early or late 2A?]

1968 5-door station wagon. Headlights in centre section, but a single wiper motor. Lever-operated vents; tall sills.

Early or late, or something in between?

Thanks,

Jeff.

[S2A vs. S3 bulkhead]

Thanks, guys, especially for the pictures.

I had managed to search the forums and found some posts which suggested they were different, but I hadn't found anything that showed just how different.

Cheers,

Jeff.

[heater matrix flush]

I use just water.

[S2A vs. S3 bulkhead]

Is the padded & plastic S3 dash all added-on stuff, or is the S3 bulkhead different to suit it?

Put another way, can one put a S2A dash on a S3 bulkhead?

Thanks,

Jeff.

[Buying A Hydro Press]

I once bent a stub axle that was worth more than the press was because the damn thing was so cheap it flexed under part load.

If you're willing to jig it up straight and then weld the frame together, though, one of the cheapies could be considered a "kit" from which to build a working press. I just wouldn't consider them usable out-of-the-box.

Jeff.

(Oh, and I don't think the ratings mean much. My current 15T made-in-Taiwan press is easily twice the machine my 12T made-in-China one was. I haven't had anything auto-related the 15T wouldn't handle yet.)