Skalliwag Reborn
Here is Chris' (oldpoll's) account of his LE' s winter rebuild. Over to you Chris 😉
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Just heard from Steve Sandford, he is off to hospital (in to Harley Street) to have his slipped disc fixed next week (hope that goes well Steve) so guess who is off in a panic to Dover to collect his newly resprayed LEroadster on Monday after almost 3 months!
Looks great on the phone photos but I will have some putting back together to do before Stoneleigh.... B)
Should be fun if I am allowed to spend time on it as the kitchen is about to have a wall removed and guess who has to build the new kitchen 😉
Chris
Managed to safely recover the car today on a trailer, no problems, even though the windscreen was not bolted back on, just with the pillar hooks popped in to their holes and the hood clipped on tight! No side windows or quarter lights in place but Steve had done some 'mopping' to the paint this morning before I arrived and he also had refitted the headlights and tail lights. Lots for me to dooooo:D
I will put up some pics Bob. Hopefully Steve will copy me some more of his photos SOON and I can then build up a good sequence showing most of the welding he had to do to the bottoms of the front wings, the RH door bottom spot of rust and the rear RH 'T' rail which he refabricated. That looks good. Meanwhile I will put up some of my own (on Flickr). I took lots when my brother in law Bob & I visited Skaliwag in Dover in early October.
Chris
Pics of skaliwag are on flickr here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/106336973@N05/
More pics to follow hopefully.
Skaliwag had not been restored before during its 33 years but had been fitted with a new rear quarter wing some years ago, according to the history file that Barry Sidery Smith has now passed to me. It has worn its age well as the opening photo at Nuffield Place shows (don't look too closely) and all seemed well but there were some dents (especially the left door and front wing) and plenty of rust bumps developing lower down.
So after Steve's hard work between extremely painfuly bouts caused by a slipped disc he has now left it ready for me to put back together and to waxoyl to try to kill off any would be tin worms that are still lurking.:@
Will try and finish the job and fit the new door cards, carpet set and chrome/stainless wire wheels in time for Stoneleigh 😉
All I need now at this time of year is a heated garage!
Chris
Here are some before, during and after shots courtessy of Steve Sandford who we wish a speedy recovery from his back operation 🙂
and here's Steve Sandford who has done a great job at saving yet another one of our special cars. Steve is currently undergoing major back surgery 🙁 and I'm sure that along with me you wish him a both speedy and full recovery 🙂
The soft top could do with a clean, lets the rest of the car down.;)
Yes! Skaliwag got its final coat of paint on Saturday 5am (that is when Steve starts work apparently) and I collected it on Monday morning after Steve gave it a gentle polish.
It was either collect it then or wait 2 months for Steve to be back in working order to open his workshop again!
And it was only because I rang him on Saturday to see how things were going that I learned of my need to panic and try and find a trailer to hire!
The windscreen & pillars were just resting in their slots with the hood attached. The paint polish of Monday morning left polish debris all over the upholstery, there are still no side windows or quarter lights in place and I drove home with the hood sides flapping because the clips that the hood sides fix in to still have to be pop riveted back on.
But yes, I do hope to get around to cleaning the hood too before Stoneleigh.
Getting there....
Chris:)
Well!!
FINALLY got the front screen the 1/4 lights and both the wind up windows fitted and now I am preparing to waxoyl before MOT (door cards off front wheel arch splash plates off (fun removing the bottom posidrive screws just had to grind the heads off in the end) :@ and after waxoyling I need to fit the 7 cards, the cockpit top rear trim, the new sun visors & mud flaps (Christmas presents!) and change the tyres over to the chrome/stainless wire wheels. 😉
Then noticed that the mirrors that I bought as good second hand really need replacing with new too:(
Then the MOT and it will nearly be ready for new side stripes and Stoneleigh:DB)
Chris
😀