August 1997:  Stripping and Body Work

Thinking back to 1997, I would have done many things differently (if you read to the end of this you’ll see that I am now given that opportunity).  I would have removed every single item from the car that I  didn’t want the paint shop to paint.  I would have fixed every electrical issue prior to getting the car painted.  I would have removed the engine, transmission, and driveshaft, and serviced all three was  the car was away. 

I did many things correctly as well - my perception of correct, at least - and continue to develop those experiences today.  For example, he Ziploc bag company benefited from the stripping of the car.  I  used at least 500 Ziplocs - holding everything from a screw and washer to a water pump - with the name of the enclosed parts clearly scrawled in black ink.  If it did not fit in a Ziploc, I used cardboard boxes  of various sizes.  I do the same thing when working with cars today because no one can remember where a screw removed three months prior belongs.  And you can write notes to yourself and place them in the  bags as well.  Things like “point the rotor at #4 next time!” or “this goes under the driveshaft.”

The paint and body shop is another issue.  I wish I would have shopped for a long, long time before selecting a body shop.  You have to face reality when working with Italian cars made between 1900 and 1989  - they are made of cheap, cheap metal.  And cheap metal is hard to prepare for painting and rusts quickly.  My body shop failed to recognize that, resulting in a paint job that was perfect for the two  years it lasted (see “January 2000:  Here I Go Again” for details).

Regardless, during July and August of 1997 I stripped the car down to just the body shell, driver’s seat, and engine.  It was delivered to a local paint and body shop and left there for three months for the body  restoration work.

What had to be done was not difficult - the passenger side fender had to be removed fix a weld in the shock tower and the paint had to be stripped from most of the body because of the horrible $99 paint job that was  on the car.