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1922 Fiat 501 Targa Florio


oldcar

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You may need a special stop watch to time flies...I could meanwhile time the progress on the Fiat with a sun-dial.

It has taken a whole day to organise the door for one of the two little tool lockers, one in each side of the tail. By the time I went out and bought two pair of small hinges, cut up the steel for the frame and sorted out mounting the hinges, I still have to find the two little catches that I carefully put away for these two "doors".  Meanwhile the two sheets of 1.2 Aluminium have arrived but I will not be starting on them for a few days yet. I still have to make the other tool locker door and a million other things first.

 

Bj.

Edited by oldcar (see edit history)
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Having started to make the door I have realised that IF I am going to fit mudguards that this may make access difficult. It may be easier/better to access this space from behind the seats. (I have now discovered a "U" shaped aluminium moulding that will making the mudguards so much easier I have decided that I should put them on the "to do" list. Meanwhile I have made a little progress with the "skin" for the Fiat.

While I know all the "armchair experts" would have done all this so much better and in half the time. I have just two words for you/ them but I will have to rely on your imagination! To make it easier for you, the first word is "get......"

Just last weekend I had a visit from one of my Vintage Friends. Looking at the body frame He ran a critical finger over some of my welds. "I see that your welding has NOT improved!"  was his only comment. Coming from someone who to my linited knowledge has never held an oxy welding torch in his life, all I did was smile.

 

My next step will be to lift the frame off the chassis so that I can finish the bottom edge of the side panels. So far it looks as though my "guesstimation" was just about right. I should get the entire body out of the two 1200 x 2400 sheets. I will have to order some more thicker gauge aluminium for the mudguards. The one good thing is that I can have the  aluminium supplier cut the one sheet into four mudguard sized pieces. With the sheet cut up I should have no trouble collecting it in the faithful Peugeot and save myself the $50 delivery charge.

 

Bj.

 

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Edited by oldcar (see edit history)
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Hello Bernie. That is looking fabulous glad to see another one coming back to life,and I personally speak for myself.i don’t want to hear this being the last one,I believe it’s people like yourself with that take no prisoner attitude that keeps this hobby alive and brings the dead back to life,good luck hope to be watching in the future,     Dave

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Thank you Mike

The next trick will be to get the same slope on the front mudguards (fenders0 but you will have to waitfro those I have not bought the sheet of aluminium to make them yet. There are a number of other things in that same pipeline.  With just the one person doing all these tasks means that only one task can be done at a time. 

e.g. I still have to cut out the dash board and the floor before a number of allied jobs can be completed. 

 

Bernie j.

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I have now purchased the ply for the floor and while I was in the process bought the timber for the running boards (both sides) so work can progress a little further. I have also bought the length of  Aluminium "crescent mould" so I can finish the bodywork. This will take the total cost of materials to just over (Aust)$1,000.

Re the missing passenger side door, as with the "Junek car" I will be making a similar "light weight" door using some off-white leather, with a similar "press stud" cover for the cut out over the hand brake.

 

Bj.

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I know that it is dificult to retain your attention so here are some new photographs for you to look at/critisise:- The last of todays photographs  in case you are wondering are the full set of trim panels ready to be "covered". The round hole in the center of the floor is there for a purpose. It is simply there to make lifting the floor panel a whole lot easier. The other hole with the cover (screwed down) gives access to the hand brake adjustment. The "floor"is yet to be "screwed down"..........

 

Bj.

 

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Edited by oldcar (see edit history)
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That is a good question Frank.

Thank you for bringing it to our/my attention. Once the car is finished it should be no longer of any use. Meanwhile it is in almost daily use. i.e. Today I will need to lift the floor out in order to paint the underside. I intend to make another aluminium cover plate similar but smaller to the one over the hand brake adjustment, to be screwed down over it. Once the carpet is made and installed and the seats in place it's usefulness will come to an end. Meanwhile for the next couple of weeks I can see the floor being removed and replaced on an almost daily basis. Certainly lifting the floor (by myself)  without it would be much more awkward. I know that I keep harping on this but nearly everything done on the car, is done without outside/any assistance and in a rather confined space. i.e. In a one (small) car garage already full of "other stuff".

Again, I should not have to remind you, I was born in 1936.......... Perhaps just ten or 12 years after the Fiat.

 

Bernie j.

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Hello Dave, 

I use two dollar (throw away) paint brushes and the same Kilrust paint that I use on almost everything else. The underside of the floor will be the "Dark Indian Red". The upper side of the floor will get a coat of "clear" as it is to be eventually covered with the Dark Red carpet.

Not owning a Camel, I have no use for a Camel hairbrush.

 

Bj

Edited by oldcar (see edit history)
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Hi Frank et al

Thanks for the compliment, at times I have trouble believing just how old I am but other times I know all too well. I believe that my project cars keep me going.

I feel sorry for all those senior citizens who have nothing to do, sometimes they sit and read, other times they just sit!

I know when I wake up each morning that I have my day already planed. I am finding that the Fiat not only is a challenge but also very rewarding.

Every day that I have to use my brain and my hands is a bonus. 

A couple of times I have had a For Sale advert all ready to to send the PrewarCar web-site but cannot press the send button. 

The good thing is that once I have finished my chores in the morning, I know exactly where I am going and what I am going to do. 

Keeping this Forum Thread is all part of "The Plan". All your interest acts in a very positive way for me,

Please do keep looking and commenting. I do not know if we will ever get to visit the USA again but if we do I know we will have our time already cut out.

 

Bernie j.

Edited by oldcar (see edit history)
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This thread is intellectually stimulating. Recently it thrust me into deep thought wondering if a "camelhair brush" and a "camel hairbrush" were the same thing. You know what I concluded? They are not.

 

I agree with Dave: you should paint it yourself. A mirror-like concourse painting wouldn't be appropriate. Paint by brush if the brush strokes don't show would be good.

 

I use these DuraBlock sanding blocks with adhesive roll paper and they work very well. The DuraBlock is a type of foam block that has a "memory foam" quality to it so you can bend it to conform to a curved surface and it will tend to stay that way. Or then flatten it back out to sand a flat surface. Only about $13 for a block and $20+ dollars for a very long roll of adhesive paper.

 

Dura-Block (AF4402) Black 2/3-Sanding BlockNorton 400 Grit 2.75" x 25yds PSA Sandpaper Dura Block Gold Sticky Back Roll

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dura-Block-AF4402-Black-2-3-Sanding-Block/351394746575?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Norton-400-Grit-2-75-x-25yds-PSA-Sandpaper-Dura-Block-Gold-Sticky-Back-Roll/152041983580?

 

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Oops! I have done it again. Feeling a little tired and flat, I decided to try placing a "For Sale" for the Fiat on the PREWARCAR website. I had barely pressed "Send" when I recieved the first reply, two or three quickly followed. The outcome is that the Fiat has been sold and will shortly be taking a sea voyage to England. The new owner tells me that he hopes to continue with this thread. The sea Voyage takes six weeks and it will probably take me about two weeks to pack everything up and arrange the shipping. I willcontinue to keep you informed.

 

Bernie j.

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It's because you added a great deal of value to that previously rusty pile of parts, especially with the body you created. Potential buyers could see themselves taking it out on the road; enjoying it. I'm just sorry you didn't hold until you took it out for the first drive yourself.

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Bernie, I thought the first part of your last post was remarkably, and very brutaly honest. When I read it a couple of days ago, I assumed you'd be swamped with support; hang in there, you're doing well, etc, etc, etc. But not so. No one's said a thing. I have been very critical of your recent projects, buying them and turning them over, however, from what you've said, I've got a better understanding of the situatation now and take back whatever I've said.

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