The Vauxhall Wyvern Project

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Uh, which one did you mean?? The jacking of rears () or the chiselling of the bolts?

chiselling of the bolts i ment.It happens in lots of garages but i don't many would make an effort like we do to make specific tools ofr a specific job.We spend a lot of time and money on that as well because we try to keep the car as original as possible.

OK, thanks a lot! That was very informative. 'had told my mech. too this morning. He understood. The M.omni too happened to have such a system on the rear drums according to him.

you are most welcome.you are just ment to use one bolt and just tighten it gradually and you will find that it is opening up slowly.

Front ones have been refurbished. Working fine for now. Not sure about rear ones. Would Amby or contessa ones fit for these btw?

[/quote]

Don't think it would be worth using the old ones and the car standing and lying around for years.You just get one rear and one front shock absorber opened and take them to a shop were they available and you just have to see the height when the shocker is pushed in and the height when it is pushed out as in open.Fitting would more or less wouldm be the same.You won't have a problem getting these because they might match with some car or the other.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Ref post 44, it is necessary to use a puller to remove the brake drum from the axle shaft. Trying to pry it open by using spanners / screwdrivers etc between the brake drum and the brake backplate will damage the parts. After all the years that it's been assembled, the drum will not come out easily. Such pullers are standard parts and garages normally borrow from each other.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[tj123]

Thanks for posting this running restoration thread, it gives me great joy to see a VW reduced to junk being restored to its former glory.

Hats off to you to take this challenge. It takes lot of efforts, time & money to get this sort of job done. Having a competent mechanic is the key to a successful restoration.

I am eager to see the condition of the engine components after years of hibernation.

One advice try to shoot a small documentary on the restoration work so that others can see the pain involved in restoration and it can be a historical record for the car as well. Maybe this can be aired by some auto show in future who knows.

Keep the good work going.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Ref post 44, it is necessary to use a puller to remove the brake drum from the axle shaft. Trying to pry it open by using spanners / screwdrivers etc between the brake drum and the brake backplate will damage the parts.

Thank you for the advice, sir! 'will do accordingly. The work on the Wyvern has been temporarily put on hold this week as my mech. is busy attending to one of my own cars (SS80) in time to receive my mom at the airport on sunday night! Plus I've also found a supplier for Phosphoric acid in Secunderabad and was told to contact them on Sat. for the order.

Originally Posted by tj123

Thanks for posting this running restoration thread, it gives me great joy to see a VW reduced to junk being restored to its former glory.
Hats off to you to take this challenge. It takes lot of efforts, time & money to get this sort of job done. Having a competent mechanic is the key to a successful restoration.
I am eager to see the condition of the engine components after years of hibernation.
One advice try to shoot a small documentary on the restoration work so that others can see the pain involved in restoration and it can be a historical record for the car as well. Maybe this can be aired by some auto show in future who knows.

Thank you for your kind words! Much needed for a project like this! First time I'm undertaking one other than a Standard or a fiat.

Uh, by VW do you mean this car Vauxhall Wyvern? It can sound a tad confusing though, normally being used for Volkswagen!

Reg. condition of the engine bay, a couple of pics. have been posted in the earlier pages of this thread.

A documentary sure is a good idea- will compile one when time permits.

[IndrojitSircar]

How far is the work?Waiting for updates!

[Sankar]

OT: Genuine doubt.
Generally i've seen that cars which are in for restoration are brought to the garage and work is started on them in the same state as it was brought in. Most of the cars have lots of muck, dirt and mud accumulated on the underbody. I often asked myself why is the car not pressure washed before the work is started upon them as it would make it easier to work on them once all that thick mud is gone. Is there a reason why the car is not pressure washed before its worked upon? Does it damage the vehicles?

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by Sankar

OT: Genuine doubt.
Is there a reason why the car is not pressure washed before its worked upon? Does it damage the vehicles?

Well i guess kmost people don't have the facility and have to get it done somewhere outside.Now if the casr is not running then its a big problem transporting to a pressure washing place.So now that is an added expense.Well now as far as damage is concerned it depends on wat the state of then mechanicals,body etc are.Well you don't want water going into the gear box or the engine trying to pressure wash trhe car.Its another added job their.So instead they are willing to put up with a little bit of more difficulties to avoid all this.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

Well i guess kmost people don't have the facility and have to get it done somewhere outside.Now if the casr is not running then its a big problem transporting to a pressure washing place.So now that is an added expense.Well now as far as damage is concerned it depends on wat the state of then mechanicals,body etc are.Well you don't want water going into the gear box or the engine trying to pressure wash trhe car.Its another added job their.So instead they are willing to put up with a little bit of more difficulties to avoid all this.

You're right damage dpends on the condition of the car. After removing the interior trim and materials one can maybe consider an underbody wash to get off the thick layer of dirt/mud.

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by Sankar

You're right damage dpends on the condition of the car. After removing the interior trim and materials one can maybe consider an underbody wash to get off the thick layer of dirt/mud.

Well it could be considered but things like the engine should be running and the facility should be available also.Its not very common to see them around in a a few cities.And as i said it increases your work if anything else gets damaged by the end of it.

[vintagepoint5]

Pressure washing under car can be remove mud, but it is better to avoid under engine side. Once my Chevrolet Caprice after servicing & washing, dynomo motor was burnout, because of water gets in electronic parts.
Or after washing do not start immediately wait for water to dry.

I would like to request experts like Mr. Indrojitsircar and others, please share in new thread guidelines when restoration old cars or tune engine. What is best methods to get tuning engines of cars like Morris, Austins, Fords. Sometime genuine parts were not available, how to fabricate or get from closest available cars. I have Morris 8 E waiting for restoration in next few months, some time if we get reliable mechanics they take care of
these things, but sometime we need to guide them.

Please share your knowlege and it will help us to learn as and when required. Thanks

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by vintagepoint5

Pressure washing under car can be remove mud, but it is better to avoid under engine side. Once my Chevrolet Caprice after servicing & washing, dynomo motor was burnout, because of water gets in electronic parts.
Or after washing do not start immediately wait for water to dry.

Yes that is quite common.One of the reasons it should be avoided.

I would like to request experts like Mr. Indrojitsircar and others, please share in new thread guidelines when restoration old cars or tune engine. What is best methods to get tuning engines of cars like Morris, Austins, Fords. Sometime genuine parts were not available, how to fabricate or get from closest available cars. I have Morris 8 E waiting for restoration in next few months, some time if we get reliable mechanics they take care of
these things, but sometime we need to guide them.

Please share your knowlege and it will help us to learn as and when required. Thanks

Well i would surely do that to help you as much as possible.

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

How far is the work?Waiting for updates!

Sorry again for the pause!

Mechanic's presently busy again with another car I'm helping restore!

Plus I spoke to a guy supplying the much evasive phosphoric acid in Secunderabad and asked for a sample first, which he said will be ready by Friday.
So work stands still until then. The rear axle/differential is yet to removed. Am also contemplating giving the rear suspension/mechanical parts for sandblasting at a facility whose address was given to me by DKG, my thanks to him for the same. 'guess at the present rate I will be free to do it only on sunday.

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

Well i guess most people don't have the facility and have to get it done somewhere outside.Now if the casr is not running then its a big problem transporting to a pressure washing place.So now that is an added expense.
So instead they are willing to put up with a little bit of more difficulties to avoid all this.

Quite right! And this car has been moved (towed) around atleast thrice! With great difficulty too. At one point, while it was being towed by a jeep to it's present place, the steering rod (which was said to have already broken once and then welded up) snapped on the way, causing the car to be dragged along a short distance and thus causing unequal weight on the jeep, which resulted in one of the latter's rear leaf springs cracking under the strain!
I did want to have it pressure-washed as soon as it was bought, but the only service station in that area didn't have power then so couldn't be done!

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Sorry again for the pause!

Mechanic's presently busy again with another car I'm helping restore!

Plus I spoke to a guy supplying the much evasive phosphoric acid in Secunderabad and asked for a sample first, which he said will be ready by Friday.
So work stands still until then. The rear axle/differential is yet to removed. Am also contemplating giving the rear suspension/mechanical parts for sandblasting at a facility whose address was given to me by DKG, my thanks to him for the same. 'guess at the present rate I will be free to do it only on sunday.

Ok hope to see the proigress soon.Sorry to be off topic what is the car you are hlping him to restore?Or the rod connecting the steering wheel to the box?

Quite right! And this car has been moved (towed) around atleast thrice! With great difficulty too. At one point, while it was being towed by a jeep to it's present place, the steering rod (which was said to have already broken once and then welded up) snapped on the way, causing the car to be dragged along a short distance and thus causing unequal weight on the jeep, which resulted in one of the latter's rear leaf springs cracking under the strain!
I did want to have it pressure-washed as soon as it was bought, but the only service station in that area didn't have power then so couldn't be done

Shyam, i'm sorry but what do you meaqn by the steering rod?Do you mean to part comming out after the box?

[Stanher]

Originally Posted by IndrojitSircar

Ok hope to see the proigress soon.Sorry to be off topic what is the car you are hlping him to restore?

Well, it's a stanher!

Shyam, i'm sorry but what do you meaqn by the steering rod? the rod connecting the steering wheel to the box?

Yes, that's the one.

[IndrojitSircar]

Originally Posted by Stanher

Well, it's a stanher!

Ok i'm sorry.Stanher What is the car you are helping him restore?

Yes, that's the one.

Ok the sterring wheel along with the rod is know as the steering column.By the way didn't figure out how it broke by towing.Was the towing chain tied to that?