Don and I had so much fun today. It was after six pm before we realized it.
Most of the day was spent removing the doors and front fenders. It wasn't particularly difficult, just time consuming. Some of the fender fasteners were very difficult to access. You had to be a contortionist to remove some of them. Re-installing the fenders will probably be an even greater challenge.
If you will notice, there are many struts and supports located behind the fenders. These areas are actually unprotected from the elements. Road spray and dirt can easily find its way behind the fenders and be trapped there for the duration. There are drain holes in the bottoms of the fenders, but flushing them out could be a problem if there is any build-up of dirt at all. We found between three and four gallons of sediment behind the fenders. It is imperative that we design some way of shielding this most vulnerable area. And they wonder why these cars tend to rust...duh.
You will also notice in the photo above, how the vent line to the cockpit has collapsed from the moisture. It is easy to replace this line with the fender off, but it will probably take a considerable amount of time if you try it from inside the engine compartment.
Had this car not been in dry storage and had been on wet roads for the last 41 years, it would not be in such good condition. In spite of the dirt behind the fenders, there was hardly any damage to the framework...dry dirt vs wet dirt.
Tomorrow, we will be removing the cowl and rear fenders.
Join us,
Tom
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