Jan. 19, 2009 - Happy MLK Day! Any day that I can get off to work on the Ghia Project is greatly appreciated.
Over the past weekend I worked on 2 items...cleaning a bunch of bolts for reassembling the rear of the car and cleaning the front-to-rear fuel line. The bolts get a several step treatment: degrease, soak in metal cleaner, soak in rust remover, soak in rust neutralizing solution, clean with solvent, prime, and finally paint. No wonder it takes me forever to get anything done!
The fuel line had apparently been painted last year in a fit of "git 'er done", but I found rust where some paint had flaked off, so it going to be "sand until bare, prep and paint". Yes I know that new fuel lines are available, but I have more than a little "cheap Scott" in me, so it will be do it the hard/cheap way. ;-) I'm 2/3rds of the way done with the sanding...
Feb. 15, 2009 - A couple of small things done recently...I've run more nuts and bolts through solvent and acid baths to clean them. Paint on these nuts and bolts is next. The fuel line is done. I've ordered more supplies from Eastwood.
While under the car cleaning the wheel wells, I found another small patch of surface rust in the trans tunnel...an easy fix. I also found that the entire bottom is gone from the vacuum resevoir in the passenger side fender. Back in the mid '80's I replaced one in my '76 hatch with a new one from Ford...I don't expect to be so lucky this time.
The next big project will be to clean the rear wheel wells and treat the few rust spots and paint temporarily. A permant treatment will wait until the patch is competed in the driver's side rear wheel well. Pics to come. A parallel project will be to clean the front under-carriage and paint anything that needs it.
THEN I CAN START REASSEMBLY!