New Member from Red Deer

[charliebates]

Welcome aboard CharlieBates! I'm in Red Deer also so if there is ever a time that I could come over and check your car out I would love to! We could take pics as this looks like a very cool resto. When do you plan to have it done? Maybe May of 2018? The fisrt Show of the year is in Ponoka and the boys there put on a spread for everyone!

Ok RockyPM. I pulled it out of the garage yesterday and gave it's first bath in years and then I drove for the first time but just from the front attached garage to the back alley to it's new home in the man cave. I have my work list to complete and then I'll have it done. There's a lot of little tedious things that I need to take care of. But thinking about it, will it ever be done? Probably not. I'll be tinkering over the winter and look forward to your visit. May 18 in Ponoka, I'll be there. Thx for the invite.

 

[charliebates]

Welcome John and hat's off to a very cool and unique restoration you have taken on. Please post some pic's of your progress throughout the restoration if you could. Would be very interesting to see details of that creation. All the best, cheers!

To clarify, the Berlina is not a kit car, it's "Coach Built" and has a USA tag stating "As altered this car conforms to all USA bumper and safety standards at the time of construction" and the reason I could import it into Canada. It's number 119 of approx.143 built. Phillips placed a full patent Patent US4369559 - Method of converting a sports car to a reproduction of a vintage motor car to prevent/stop/control copy cats and kit cars.

I didn't take a lot of pictures . The restoration has pretty much been hands on other than welding and powder coating. I will get personal here because this is a Canadian Corvette Forum and many here will know the businesses, staff and friends that I mention. Great people.

I can cut, design and tack weld but other than that I'm a "bird turd welder" : ) Rick & Sean at Wel-Can Welding have been fitting me into their sometimes busy schedule to do mostly do a bend here, a bend their and final welds (mostly Ronnie) of parts that I had rebuilt or designed and built. Most times they just comment "get outta here, we don't want your money" so I bring them donuts. They're always asking when I'm going to drive the car into their shop so they can have a good look especially Rick. They are great guys and I highly recommend them. One of these days I'll surprise them with a visit and the car.
Gary and Fred at Metal Strip Powder Coating have been sand blasting my parts and powder coating with very high quality finishes. Again I must say they are great people and looked after me with the best service and advice on my restoration ever.
But not all work has been on the fun side. Many things has to be done over to get right. I'm a retired building contractor and I must say that knowing my trades for their honesty, quality workmanship and price puts me in a position to have great results in my projects. But I'm new to the car trades and I found myself vulnerable to poor workmanship and some parts had to be done over and over and over even though I was dealing with reputable businesses. A small separation and pucker in the drivers seat upholstery was done 4 times to finally get it right. I paid extra to have it done right in the first place but was repeat ably assigned to the wrong worker. My 4 head light pots were done twice at one shop and then 3 more times at another shop to get right. And a highly recommended painter didn't use a product as agreed leaving my parts glossy when I wanted matt and finished them with surprisingly poor finish quality. I'm sure we all get surprises of what we expect and what we actually get. Even though the price is the same, a project can be a disaster if you don't take control.

Here's the frame at Wel-Can Welding getting a final check and some welding touch ups before the powder coating. The original coating now over 30 years are still in nice shape for the years but the colour of rust is just taking over through the original finishes. The 22" frame extension and engine mount cross frame for the Berlina conversion can seen here.

The frame was test heated before powder coating and was found to be full of oils inside that blead out. It had to be heated up to powder coat temperatures three extra times and blasted clean before it was ready for powder coat. Gary knows to check this where as a rookie wouldn't and your finishes could separate and fall off. But probably would fall off after your project was completed!! Wouldn't that be awful to find after a frame off restoration?

As you can see the cabin of the car is supported by a 2x4 frame because I couldn't find any place to lift it. So I supported it and the dropped the frame to remove. I am very surprised how unbelievably light that frame is and dragged it out from under the car body and loaded it on to my pickup with out help. I went with the high gloss powder coat as recommended by Fred and later rubbed it down with "fluid Film" to a matt. A fast and easy change. Cleaned off all the tar coatings and prepped the under side of the cabin and painted it with matching new finish. This was a major setback. The paint supplier and very well known to supply product all over central Alberta, sold me the wrong primer and all the coating just peeled right off just like it had a parting agent instead of primer. This caused me so much extra work it was unbelievable to have to strip it all down again and prep again. My hands were wore raw, cracked and bleeding when finally ready the second time. I installed all new brake lines and efinished the original gas lines, gas tank etc before sliding the frame under the cabin and bolting together.
I'll post more pictures after I figure out how to download them on to my Google pictures.

 

[charliebates]

Spindles disassembled, engine removal A frames paint prep wheel alignment

 

[charliebates]

Ok RockyPM. I pulled it out of the garage yesterday and gave it's first bath in years and then I drove for the first time but just from the front attached garage to the back alley to it's new home in the man cave. I have my work list to complete and then I'll have it done. There's a lot of little tedious things that I need to take care of. But thinking about it, will it ever be done? Probably not. I'll be tinkering over the winter and look forward to your visit. May 18 in Ponoka, I'll be there. Thx for the invite.

May 18th in Ponoka? I better put a rush on!!!!!

 

[Rruuff Day]

May 18th in Ponoka? I better put a rush on!!!!!

If the Ponoka Meet and Greet is what you are referring to, Its May 12, not the 18th...

Event - 6th Annual Ponoka Meet and Greet - May 12th

 

[charliebates]

If the Ponoka Meet and Greet is what you are referring to, Its May 12, not the 18th...

Darn it!!!

 

[charliebates]

DARN IT!!! I missed the CCF season opener event in Ponoka!!
Fortunately I'm almost completed with the restoration and down to the short list.
I still have to get the cruise control working.
The air conditioning is completely upgraded but I'll wait to install the accumulator and do it when I have the air conditioning charged.
Other than that I need to aim headlights and make changes to the mufflers because they touch the frame,... plus some odds and ends.
Hopefully the brakes are good but I won't know for sure until I do a road test.
The idle is high and then settles down and has erratic and cyclic rpm changes. I expect to find a vacuum leak.

I'd sure appreciate your help guys?
I'm looking to find the best tune up guy in the Red Deer area who knows the in and outs of the 1982 Cross Fire Injection. Anyone?
Thank You, John

 

[Rruuff Day]

DARN IT!!! I missed the CCF season opener event in Ponoka!!
Fortunately I'm almost completed with the restoration and down to the short list.
I still have to get the cruise control working.
The air conditioning is completely upgraded but I'll wait to install the accumulator and do it when I have the air conditioning charged.
Other than that I need to aim headlights and make changes to the mufflers because they touch the frame,... plus some odds and ends.
Hopefully the brakes are good but I won't know for sure until I do a road test.
The idle is high and then settles down and has erratic and cyclic rpm changes. I expect to find a vacuum leak.

I'd sure appreciate your help guys?
I'm looking to find the best tune up guy in the Red Deer area who knows the in and outs of the 1982 Cross Fire Injection. Anyone?
Thank You, John

Great to hear you're getting close John. Sorry I can't help with a tuner in Red Deer. I'd be tempted to touch base with a couple of the speed shops. If they are honest, they will tell you if they have crossfire experience. Other than that, Steve at Davenport in Calgary might do it or at least give you a lead ....

 

[charliebates]

Great to hear you're getting close John. Sorry I can't help with a tuner in Red Deer. I'd be tempted to touch base with a couple of the speed shops. If they are honest, they will tell you if they have crossfire experience. Other than that, Steve at Davenport in Calgary might do it or at least give you a lead ....

Thanks for the help and tip. I will take it to Calgary if that's what I have to do.
Johnny

 

[charliebates]

Thanks for the help and tip. I will take it to Calgary if that's what I have to do.
Johnny

Engine Bay , left and right side views without the Ram Air Installed , Badlands picture and semi coilover front suspension with 300# coil spring that is still too stiff. I have a 250# sting ready to install.