1800: Reviving a Saint. Where to start

[chirlas]

Now spring has arrived it is time to get hands dirty. I bought a ’66 1800S as a stalled project in January 2021 and brought it home last September 2022… I hate rushing. I accepted the challenge because all the bodywork, including a nice Light Green paint was already done. So, I just need to put all the bits together again… I love fairy tales.

Being a serial reader of this great forum for a long time, but not a frequent publisher, I would like to share this adventure with the community. The idea is to divide the project into different chapters/threads. This would allow future readers to find what they really are interested on easily, hence the title of this first thread.

My workshop is basic, but I think I will only need a handful of additional tools. I have great expectations on my most expensive acquisition, an AUTOLIFT 3000, a clever, sturdy Czech alternative to a pro lift. It has proved very useful with both my Amazon and Alfa Spider in not very difficult tasks like changing oil or spraying antigravel. A 3HP Michelin compressor is the other star of the garage.

Well, let´s get to the point of this chapter: should I begin with a bolt or a nut? I think on a bottom-up approach, more or less like this:

1. UNDERCARRIAGE
a. Cleaning and undercoating
b. Brake lines
c. Fuel line
d. Rear axle shocks, brakes
e. Front axle, shocks, brakes
f. Prop shaft
g. Exhaust
h. Wheels&tires
2. I NTERIOR
a. Cleaning and sound deadening
b. Dashboard
c. New wiring
d. Heating system
e. Carpets, upholstery, seats
f. Fuel
3. ENGINE/BOX
a. New valve gear to head
b. Engine to bay with or without g’box and clutch?
c. Engine ancilliaries
d. Rebuilding and installing old servo unit
e. New radiator and hoses
4. EXTERIOR
a. Glass
b. Door mechanisms
c. Trim
d. Lights
e. Bumpers

What worries me more now is to make mistakes in the order of tasks that lead me to repeat them, so your inputs will be very much appreciated.

That’s all for today. Find attached three pictures of the car.

[Wagon Sailor]

That seems like a good shell as a base.

Good luck with the rebuild. I look forward to reading how you get on.

[mike gilbert]

Sounds like you have a logical plan. If you have the ability to raise the car high enough you can put the engine/box onto the rebuilt front cradle and suspension and then lower the car down onto it, thus avoiding the risk of damage to the engine bay. Either way I would attach the gearbox to the engine before installation. You can put the box in from underneath after the engine is in but its difficult, plus the engine without the box attached will fall back to the bulkhead and scratch/dent it (been there). Put all the engine bay hardware in before installing the engine block, you can sit in bay giving you a good working area rather than leaning on the wings to reach in and fit everything. As you can see I'm at this stage now with my project. Don't put all the interior in before fitting the external chrome trim and the glass. You need good access to the rear of the car for the rear screen and the insides of the doors and up inside the rear wings for the trim - much easier with a bare shell. Fit the front screen before the dashboard again for easy access. I'd also put the wiring in early on, its a pain getting it down inside the sill and through the bulkhead. Good luck
bay outside 1.jpg
bay outside 2.jpg

[chirlas]

Really useful tips. Thanks, Mike