It's about time - My '68 Roadster project

[SPLutah]

Creating a thread to document my project. I need to upload some initial pictures of the day I bought it and my recent work. So excited to have this car and get to work on it. She's a little rough right now and has a long road ahead but for years I have talked about building a project car and finally I pulled the trigger and have started down the road.

I am sure I will have many stupid questions for everyone over the coming months and years. Thanks for your help and building this awesome community.

[notoptoy]

Welcome, looking forward to your (probably not so stupid) questions! Lots of knowledge and encouragement can be found here.

[SPLutah]

Finally got a lift and a stand to my house and got the engine and trans separated last night. The engine and trans got a pressure wash. Still a bit of muck and dirt left but infinitely better than before. Transferred the engine to the stand and now need to pull the pan - check oil pump, screen, bottom end, etc. Do not know the history on the motor as it is not the original and the PO did not know as he had it for a project and never got around to it. The crank turns with a socket on it and the lifters are all moving. Good signs. Plugs look clean respectively. Checked if the starter is still working and it is turning (free of the engine - I still haven't turned it over.) If the bottom end looks good I will likely put things back together (replace cap, rotor, plugs, points and coil) and try and fire the engine momentarily to see if it has potential. Carb linkage was frozen when I got the car. I tore down the linkage and freed it up and it is moving smooth now.

Pulled pan - nice layer of sludge in the bottom. Need to find a parts washer to clean this thing up. Wow.

[Gregs672000]

Welcome, where here to help!

[theunz]

Good call on the bottom end inspection. I cringe when I hear people say they found a car that had been sitting for years and all they did was put some gas in and fired it up. You never know what evil lurks in an abandoned engine.
This is what I found when I removed the fan and alternator from a air cooled Porsche engine that sat in a barn for 25 years.

49B51F12-FB9E-420F-9A87-1D0714F87F24.jpeg

The fins on almost every cylinder was cram packed with nuts, straw, string, metal shavings, and whatever else the rats could find to make a nest. This engine would of undoubtedly overheated within minutes of running it. It would have been a very expensive mistake!

[SPLutah]

Mike - for sure I wanted to take a look. I am battling the desire to run fast and get it running right away! Trying to do things right but still get the car running reasonably soon.

To that end - what is everyone's thoughts on forgoing a rebuild and running it? I have to replace the water pump for sure - is the oil pump a common failure item while I have it accessible to replace? What gaskets and seals are critical to replace now? Likely I will have the engine out again down the road when it comes time to do a more full restoration. For now to have it running and get it out what are the non negotiables?

[SPLutah]

I pulled the oil pump and checked for wear on the gears and cleaned the sludge out of the screen and pickup tube. Things look good so the gears went back in with plenty of assembly lube. I will need to get a gasket for reinstall - more on that in a moment.

I ended up cleaning out the 3/4" layer of pudding consistency sludge out of the oil pan and then blasted the outside of the pan and repainted it gloss black. It's got a couple of dings but should be fine.

Once I got to this point in the engine I ended up changing course from my initial plan and deciding to pull the head and check what the top end looks like for cylinder wear. This also allows me to clean out the gritty coating that is on the rockers and upper valve train without worries of crap floating around in the head post put together. There doesn't appear to be much cylinder wear - no noticable ridge at the top of the ring travel so I am thinking I may be able to leave pistons in place and not have to worry about a rehone and ring job. Still need to check the bearings to see how they look.

On the gasket front for the rebuild I contacted a local Nissan Forklift parts shop. They can get me the H20 complete gasket kit for $82. As I understand it this kit will give me everything I need to out this back together and seal things back up correctly (minus the head bolts). Is that correct or am I off?

In the meanwhile I also sourced an airbox for the R16 as my car did not include one. It's a little rough but some blast and paint and it will look new.

Coming along for now.

[SPLutah]

Valves aren't sealing and it looks like I am getting a fair amount of light peeking around them when checking them in the dark with a light down the ports. Probably gonna need a valve job too it appears.

[SPLutah]

Cleaned out the interior and removed the seats on Saturday. Looks like much of the floorboards are sound, they just need to be cleaned up of the surface rust and then recoated. The back parcel shelf has a few good holes on the edges that will need patching but otherwise things look good. I am pondering the necessity of pulling the body to check condition of the frame where the pads sit - is that a wise move or am I opening pandora's box if I do that? I mentioned in another thread that I have the ability to get some frame pads made through work in good rubber - I can probably water jet them to size along with any needed holes.
Overall I want to get the car running, even if it is in rougher condition for a time. This car is for me to enjoy and I want the kids to see it get moving while they are still in the house!
On the engine front I am thinking of going the stroker route. I was able to locate a used H20 in a forklift that the owner is going to let me tear down and take. I figure if the crank is salvageable then I will get it and roads and pistons into my R16. Still on the fence about converting to Weber 40's or sticking with the stock SUs. Would love to hear opinions on the webers for a stroker application.

Progress at least.

[Gregs672000]

I'm sure that others will recommend their favorite rust products, but I know Sem Rust Seal would work great on those floor boards. Good progress!

[C.Costine]

You are at a tough cross-roads. I started on mine in early 2015. My objective was a quick prep and paint job and on the road in June. I had owned it for 15 years and had driven it a little for two years but then put it aside. The storage time despite being inside in a heated building was harder on it than I had anticipated. The mission kept creeping. Finally in Nov of 2017 I could say that I was starting to get nearer completion every month than further away. I finally got it on the road in late August of 2019. I wish that I had removed the body from the frame because I could probably have saved a year. You have to evaluate your ability to avoid mission creep, along with your ability to keep allocating the time to it. So far your self control is not looking real good, LOL. It also appears that your mission has changed dramatically from your statement last July. It looks to me like from where you are now that you would speed it up a lot by removing the body.

[SPLutah]

Thanks guys! Yes, project creep can be real and I am trying to be careful but at the same time do things right. So do I say screw it and just get it running for a few years and then tear it down? At this point I HAVE to do an engine build so I am going the stroker route but I could technically hold off the body work for a season. Decisions decisions...

[70MTRoadster]

I've been driving my 70 (found stored in a building for 12 years in east Missoula, Montana) for 21 years and still have not repainted it....oh well, It is a smile a mile even if she ain't too pretty!

[SPLutah]

Spent some time on the passenger side floor this weekend and cleaned up much of the surface rust. Also got the console and radio removed. The screws that were holding in the console had rusted to oblivion and the bottom of the console box was so rusted that the screws pulled right through the bottom.
I also got the gas tank dropped. It still had about 2 gallons of old rust colored fuel in it. Will need to clean lt off now and sent to be boiled out and then I am planning to KBS coat it and repaint the exterior.
Tore out the old rusted out exhaust as well. Will need to get something dabbed when the time comes.
Still battling with what direction I am going to take this car. Need to get the engine to the machine shop but first need to go break down the H20 I found and pull the crank and rods. Anyone need anything else off of an old H20 or is anyone interested in the block? I'll post pics when I get to that point.
70MT - you are hitting the nail on the head for me in a way. Part of me wants to just get out and DRIVE!

[C.Costine]

It is looking to me like your desire to drive is being overcome by your desire to rebuild.