Trailstar Series 3 SWB rebuild

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Trailstar

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Here's the latest project... 1974 Series 3 SWB. Some morron has riveted sheet aluminum over the soft top hoops and made his own hardtop, so will be converting it back to soft top....started with a new fuel filter and battery, but needs a frost plug done before any more driving...
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Here's a screenshot from a video of it driving out of the farm where we collected it from..... good feeling being back in a series after selling the flat deck series 3 earlier in the year!!

This will be stripped back to chassis and repaired, firewall isnt great.....but I'm leaving body panels as they are....just let the moss grow...;)

Engine wise it runs really well from the short time I've had it running, I dont want to touch the engine much just yet, but later on will see what I can do about importing some ACR parts....have a play around with their cams and heads...:D
 
dieseldog69 said:
Nice project there matey.
Click to expand...

Thanks, actualy really looking forward to the repairs side of this one funnily enough, lots of welding involved and I just started a fabrication job at the beginning of the year, so i am getting trained to weld, which helps!
 
So we have removed the sheet alloy from the soft top frame, I think this one has had holes drilled in it for weight saving purposes:confused::rolleyes:
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Then checked around for what rust there was on the firewall....
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And here is three generations of spiders by the looks....
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What's this for does anyone know??

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Overdrive still there:cool::D

Looks a whole lot better after a sweep and vacuum too....:D
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The plan is to get it running, check condition of drivetrain, replace all the fluids, then continue to strip it back to chassis.....this landy is random in that the chassis is very nice and the firewall is terrible!?...
 
After putting about 3 solid days in these holidays I have a little more progress to show....

How much can you strip off before its undriveable??!:eek::D
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Engine out,
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And heres a much lighter chassis with the gearbox out too...:)
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And here is the match made in heaven...;)
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After a quick waterblast
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Definitely hasnt been hit hard...:confused:
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Off to the sand blasters soon, before it gets powder coated...:D zincsheild first, then black top coat...

I have also managed to strip back a much much better condition firewall which I will be getting sand blasted too and then repaired....
So as of right now I'm making a huge parts list so I can start putting it all back together!

The axles will be getting new hub and brake assemblys, along with a coat of ZG90, and I hope to get some second hand swivels as well as mine are pretty pitted....

Anyway, more to come!
 

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Either it's the forum or the phone stuffing up, but I cant upload pics right now...

Plenty of progress happening though...

Chassis is sandblasted and i have repaired the front spring hangers, am waiting on a replacement gearbox crossmember before it gets coated.

I have gone for a full zinc shield powdercoat, plus a black top powdercoat.
From there I will coat the inside with rust convertor, and then a lanolin or similar coating.

Currently I am working my way through wire wheels, cleaning up parts ready for zinc plating .....

The engine and gearbox haven't received much work but am looking at some parts from synchro gearboxes ....

I will be selling the current diffs and wheels and springs, as I have just bought a set of stage 1 front and rear axles, off a military Ex NZ Army stage 1. I also have a new set of parabolic springs ready to be fitted, and I am getting some new shackles made up too....

Anyway, hopefully the pictures start to work sometime, could be a bit boring otherwise!!
 
resto_d1 said:
Nice project! Are you replacing bulkhead?!

also agree - let the moss grow!!
Click to expand...

Yep, I have a much nicer bulkhead which I am in the process of stripping back...
Was tempted to try and repair existing for a but of a challenge but on closer inspection....nah...
 
Great project - nice to see it getting some serious TLC :)

Why powder coat ? that wouldn't work over 'ere - first stone chip and the chassis would be toast :eek:
 
Disco1BFG said:
Great project - nice to see it getting some serious TLC :)

Why powder coat ? that wouldn't work over 'ere - first stone chip and the chassis would be toast :eek:
Click to expand...

Powder coat because I have a friend who owns a powder coating and electroplating business. I took the landy down to see him as he lives down the road, and he was keen to do it. He reckons with a full zinc shield coating on a freshly sandblasted surface, it will stick like **** to a blanket...and then a thick black topcoat will also be hard wearing....

I'm keen to give it a go, but as you say it would be more of a risk in the uk but I'm pretty confident that here in nz with our unsalted roads, it will be fine...!
 
Trailstar said:
Powder coat because I have a friend who owns a powder coating and electroplating business. I took the landy down to see him as he lives down the road, and he was keen to do it. He reckons with a full zinc shield coating on a freshly sandblasted surface, it will stick like **** to a blanket...and then a thick black topcoat will also be hard wearing....

I'm keen to give it a go, but as you say it would be more of a risk in the uk but I'm pretty confident that here in nz with our unsalted roads, it will be fine...!
Click to expand...

Cool. Look forward to seeing the results. :)
 
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Heres the chassis repair pics. ..
All the repair pieces were done out of 4mm and welded as hot as the original metal could take....

You will notice the gearbox and bellhousing cross members missing, I have the gearbox crossmember on order, and the bell house one i am just filling in with a piece of RHS 100x50x4mm...should be strong enough...

Someone had replaced a couple of outriggers at one stage and the welds were horrific! Like a 15mm fillet into the 2-3mm steel.....?? And full of holes too
 
Definitely not worn!
Good thing is I have access to a CNC plasma cutter....and I will get the holes machined out to suit the Imperial size bolt...
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And the start of a large list of parts to get zinc plated!
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And heres about 25% of the parts I need to get zinc'd....!
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And more...
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Everything has been wire wheeled back by a angle grinder with a wire wheel on it, stuck upside down in the vice.....unsafe? Definitely.....but it's getting the job done..;)

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And I bought these the other night...:D:D:D pretty pleased with myself....:cool:
Apparently they are in nice condition, I will take a look when I get them, but it means I get a Salisbury rear and a stronger front..:D


Now I will run range rover classic rear shocks (eye to pin), and put the series rear shocks up the front (eye to eye) with a revised spring plate that doesnt have the shock mount on it for the rear, I was making new ones from 10mm steel anyway....
The new shocks should cope with the flex a bit more but I will definitely not be purchasing shocks until I see how the axles with with the springs in the chassis

Brake lines I am getting custom made anyway, and prop shafts I will worry about once I have them under the chassis. Brand new Parabolic springs are sitting in the shed ready for the chassis too...


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And an order of all the bushes and engine/gearbox mounts turned up too....

So it's all chugging along, just need to get the chassis finished and I can start assembling some of it and build it back up!
 
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