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Picked up a '67 XKE. Luckily, it was a single owner, with only 19K on the clock.. but it's sat for 30+ years. So far, I've done the following: Cleaned... a lot. Picture is pre-cleaning.  Pulled Master and slave clutch cylinders..  I don't think the master clutch cylinder is supposed to look that way. Replacements goes in once the lines are cleared of all debris. Replaced the thermostat housing, thermostat & gasket.  That was supposed to be metal... Blew out with a pressure washer/steam cleaner the block. Water actually came out the other end once all the crap came out. Pulled the radiator, expansion tank, and heater box and those have gone off to a radiator shop. Pulled the battery too. Fuel tank is rotted, and needs replacement. Much more to come, along with busted knuckles. Way2slow fucked around with this message at 05:41 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 05:21
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 13:29 |
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Classiest thread in AI right here.
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Jul 26, 2013 05:24
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Oh..... wow. You are in for a world of utter hurt restoring an E-Type especially if it's been sitting around. How's the rust on the body? Either way, as much as this is gonna hurt you physically and monetarily, there is hardly a better sound than a E-Type with triple Webers..... or I suppose stock too. Oh and lets face it, that car is a panty-dropper. Worth the effort no matter what condition it's in.
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Jul 26, 2013 05:31
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gently caress. Yes. All-time favorite car right there. Some day I will have one in my garage. I will be following this thread very closely.
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Jul 26, 2013 05:33
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Rust on the body is minimal from everything I can tell. Bits of surface rust around the emblems on the trunk, but otherwise clean. Forgot to mention: The engine is seized! Yeay! Already got the 6 spark plugs off, and have been letting some deep creep hopefully break the rust rings. I already understand why Jaguar people are generally determined to be crazy. Way2slow fucked around with this message at 05:39 on Jul 26, 2013 |
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Jul 26, 2013 05:34
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Awesome and beautiful. I look forward to your adventures. (Put a 3 rotor in it)
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Jul 26, 2013 06:04
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Way2slow posted:Rust on the body is minimal from everything I can tell. Bits of surface rust around the emblems on the trunk, but otherwise clean. Pull the carpet up, that'll be the real indicator. Also give the sills a tap test and see if they sound good. A dull sound will mean likely tin worm. TBH tho, if it was stored indoors then it'll be pretty good. It wont be a bad idea to remove the windshields to check as well - the seals will be rotten any so may as well. A basically low rust E-Type - It doesnt matter what else, you got a great place to start quote:Forgot to mention: Mate as above - count your blessings. Even if you need to rebuild the motor, that's nothing in effort compared to fixing the body. Most restorers would kill you to have that.
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Jul 26, 2013 07:35
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oh my god this things amazing. I've dealt with a few of em. truly amazing cars. I see CA plates. any chance in hell you're in socal? I'm sure I can likely source some parts for the engine as well.
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Jul 26, 2013 07:38
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Mark Evans had an E-Type project on one of his A Car Is Born series, worth checking out. In terms of parts, SNG Barratt should have a US branch, as do Moss, and the various UK suppliers will happily export to you if you need it. Bits might not be cheap, but you should be able to get pretty much everything one way or another.
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Jul 26, 2013 12:20
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InitialDave posted:Mark Evans had an E-Type project on one of his A Car Is Born series, worth checking out. I was thinking of this just the other day, having seen it several years ago, and couldn't for the life of me remember what it was called. Cheers! /derail
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Jul 26, 2013 15:30
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I'm so excited. This is going to be an awesome project. How was the metal under the battery?
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Jul 26, 2013 16:18
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Way to dive into the deep-end! I've been keeping an eye out for one that would make sense for me, as I've kinda gotten bored with the Roadster. Do you have an idea of a budget that you would like to share?
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Jul 26, 2013 17:36
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How much did you give for it, if you don't mind me asking? These things can go for eye watering prices when fully restored, but I'm not sure what they'd go for in that condition.
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Jul 26, 2013 20:22
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I love the look of the dull paint. I know it deserves better, but I'd want to completely restore the engine, brakes and all that, and just wash the exterior. Is this the model that Clarkson said was Britain's best or was that a different model?
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Jul 26, 2013 21:05
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cursedshitbox posted:oh my god this things amazing. I've dealt with a few of em. truly amazing cars. I'm going to guess NorCal. You see cars like that down here sometimes but usually in shittier condition while up around San Jose every other driveway or garage is sporting an early 911, 60's Mustang or some other classic sitting on four flats. It was unnerving the first time I went cruising around. If you are down in San Diego I'd love to check it out. I used to work on my ex bosses E type and even have the scars to prove it.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:55
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cursedshitbox posted:oh my god this things amazing. I've dealt with a few of em. truly amazing cars. Mid Cal would be the best way to put it, but more south than north.] It was acquired via trade of services, cost of said services was $2500. Note, that's not what would normally be charged, that's just out of pocket cost. Metal under the battery was suprisingly in shape. A tad bit of rust, but no more so than the '05 GTO I had for awhile. I've been using XKs unlimited for my parts thus far. The catalog is HUGE, and I bet you could almost build an entire car from it, if you had the time. Yes, it was stored in-doors. Budget-wise, I just sold my second house. I'd imagine 30K should do it, but I have at least 50 slotted for it just in case. Of course, I won't complain if I come in under budget.
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Jul 26, 2013 22:25
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Way2slow posted:Budget-wise, I just sold my second house. I'd imagine 30K should do it, but I have at least 50 slotted for it just in case. Of course, I won't complain if I come in under budget.  You sir are awesome and I can't wait to see what you do with this.
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Jul 26, 2013 23:05
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Way2slow posted:Budget-wise, I just sold my second house. I'd imagine 30K should do it, but I have at least 50 slotted for it just in case. Of course, I won't complain if I come in under budget. That's daring the Gods, right there. Brave man.
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Jul 26, 2013 23:09
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Holy poo poo, $2500 for THAT??? Triple that and you would have still got a bargain. Given the bodywork is in good shape, the budget is on the money (its bodywork that'll blow the budget) - I'd guess you can get it on the road for less than 30K. 50K should give you something close to concourse.
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Jul 26, 2013 23:54
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If I'm understanding him right, he did a lot more than $2500 worth of work. He just spent $2500 out of pocket on getting it done.
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Jul 27, 2013 00:31
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Cat Terrist posted:Holy poo poo, $2500 for THAT??? Triple that and you would have still got a bargain. I agree...I've seen half a car in pieces go for triple $2500.
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Jul 27, 2013 00:34
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Opensourcepirate posted:If I'm understanding him right, he did a lot more than $2500 worth of work. He just spent $2500 out of pocket on getting it done. Everybody knows your own labor is free 
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Jul 27, 2013 01:26
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Finally got the line blockage just prior to the clutch slave cylinder cleared out, the new slave in place. That took far longer than it should have, close to 4 hours. Had to remove the line entirely, clear it out, then put the line back in place. Old bolts that are covered in grime just take a little longer to remove than one would expect. Hoping by the end of the day to have the new master in place, and bleed the system, but spending so much time on my back causes me to feel nauseous.
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Jul 28, 2013 01:07
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What a fantastic project! Honestly between this and the other projects here in AI, it's as good or better than it's ever been. If I was you, I would try to preserve the car as much as possible, especially paint and body work, rather than restore it. With the right equipment and compounds, I'll bet you could make that car look pretty damned good...plus, original paint is like crack for car collectors. Of course, getting it running is the most important thing right now.
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Jul 28, 2013 01:14
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InitialDave posted:Mark Evans had an E-Type project on one of his A Car Is Born series, worth checking out. It was "A Car is Reborn". I recall he went way over budget. The whole series is here on Youtube.
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Jul 28, 2013 03:41
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If you don't finish it I am putting dibs on this. Arguably one of the best looking cars ever made next to the Aston Martin DB5.
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Jul 28, 2013 03:45
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Hey man, long time since I saw you last... you picked up one hell of a good project. Still got that Syclone? You should jump on the SoCal AI group on Facebook, it'd be fun to get together again.
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Jul 28, 2013 07:36
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Mister Kingdom posted:It was "A Car is Reborn". I recall he went way over budget.
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Jul 28, 2013 08:06
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Das Volk posted:Hey man, long time since I saw you last... you picked up one hell of a good project. Still got that Syclone? You should jump on the SoCal AI group on Facebook, it'd be fun to get together again. Still have the Typhoon. Still runs too. Needs a tuneup though, but other than that it's great. Still have the solstice too. Sadly, the paint will need to be redone. There's no way around it. From a distance, you can't tell, but up close, there are lines running through it. It's cracking. However, I am trying to preserve as much OE as possible- for example, the stock radiator was re-cored, along with expansion tank and heater box, as opposed to buying new aluminum parts. Even though it would be better for the car to buy a new aluminum one, trying to keep it as original as possible.
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Jul 28, 2013 08:34
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To free the engine I've tried: 1) Let Seafoam deep creep sit in the cylinders for a couple days, then breaker bar. That failed. 2) Let Free-all sit in the cylinders for a couple days, then breaker bar. Another failure.. 3) Let diesel fuel sit in the cylinders for a couple days, then breaker bar. Was hoping the third time would be the charm, but that failed as well. Any other suggestions? At this point though, I think that if the pistons are this stuck, even if I do break it free, it'll probably need a rebuild anyway.
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Jul 30, 2013 03:42
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Try atf and acetone 50/50? Can't hurt at this point.
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Jul 30, 2013 03:45
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I always used ATF to free a stuck engine, last one I had I let it sit for about a week with the cylinders full of it. It did work out and I got it running. Just be sure if you do get it to turn you turn it with the plugs out to clear out all the fluid before trying to start it. It may be a lost cause, I mean your going to have to rebuild it anyway so perhaps the best next step is to pull the engine and tranny together? I wouldn't be surprised if you have a hard time separating the two though. That is a beautiful car btw and a great investment imoho. I know there is a kit car manufactor now making XKE clones. If were to ever save up enough cash for a kit it would be a toss up between the XKE and a Factory Five '65 Coupe. Citycop fucked around with this message at 04:07 on Jul 30, 2013 |
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Jul 30, 2013 04:05
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Citycop posted:I always used ATF to free a stuck engine, last one I had I let it sit for about a week with the cylinders full of it. It did work out and I got it running. Just be sure if you do get it to turn you turn it with the plugs out to clear out all the fluid before trying to start it. It may be a lost cause, I mean your going to have to rebuild it anyway so perhaps the best next step is to pull the engine and tranny together? I wouldn't be surprised if you have a hard time separating the two though. I'm not even at the point of trying to start it yet, because I know if I can't break it free, then I have to pull the engine. Why work on an engine in a tight space now, if I have to pull it later anyway, and can work with all the space in the world? That's my thought process. I'm gonna give the diesel one more chance (I've talked to people who do this professionally, they all seem to agree that diesel seems to do the best job of freeing a seized engine).
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Jul 30, 2013 04:10
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Way2slow posted:To free the engine I've tried: Diesel is the best recommended way - put more in, let it soak a bit longer. If that doesn't work it's pull the engine time, which TBH even if the engine turned over you would have to do as all the gaskets would be junk by now.
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Jul 30, 2013 04:32
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Really though if it's stuck that bad I can't imagine the cylinder walls are in good shape or possibly the bearings, etc. There's really no reason to try to start it at this point, you just run the risk of wasting the engine in my opinion. Get it torn down and gone through.
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Jul 30, 2013 05:07
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Long time no see man! What a sweet project car! I'll have to come down there sometime and check it out. How's the Cadillac?
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Jul 30, 2013 05:24
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Way2slow posted:I'm not even at the point of trying to start it yet, because I know if I can't break it free, then I have to pull the engine. Why work on an engine in a tight space now, if I have to pull it later anyway, and can work with all the space in the world? That's my thought process. Yah if its seized that bad then certainly the rings have rusted to their bores. So even if you do get it loose it needs to have a hone at the very least, though probably a bore. You can try taking the head off and hitting the bores with a torch then hitting them with something solid to try and get it moving. That will at least let you see if the rings have rusted to their bores.
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Jul 30, 2013 06:34
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DJ Commie posted:Long time no see man! What a sweet project car! I'll have to come down there sometime and check it out. How's the Cadillac? Cadillac is waiting to get the exhaust hooked up. So far, the shops we've dealt with all want it running before they'll work on it, but it's a flathead, so it really needs an exhaust on it before we run it. Catch 22 of sorts.
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Jul 30, 2013 11:03
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The engine spun to (half)life with a satisfying twang. Changed the oil to rid all the diesel out of the sump, put a bit of oil inside the cylinders to aid in further spinning. Spun it around again and again with a breaker bar, getting noticeably easier to turn, while watching those pistons move up and down in their bores.
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Aug 1, 2013 00:40
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 13:29 |
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Awesome! If you get the motor cranking, catching and eventually starting will you take a victory lap around the neighborhood or will you park and pull it?
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Aug 1, 2013 03:14
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