Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Restoration projects and Austin related chat in here please
jannie.52
Posts: 307
Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2015 7:18 pm
Location: South Africa - KZN- Richards Bay

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by jannie.52 »

wow...looking good.
User avatar
David Swain
Posts: 3707
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:08 pm
Location: Suffolk

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by David Swain »

Very impressive Gary, and love the retro use of film. :thumbs: Surprised you could find anyone to develop it for you.
David Swain. Member No. A1743
Contact for 'The Suffolk Group'.
Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
User avatar
gazza82
Site Admin
Posts: 5585
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:39 pm
Committee Role: WebEditor
Location: Buckinghamshire
x 2
x 17
Contact:

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by gazza82 »

Snappy Snaps ... straight to CD for £7.99 a film ... but they will do prints and also I get negatives.

(Sorry about advert all .. no connection to the company!)


Oh and thanks for the positive feedback .. working on the crank woodruff key as calls and emails permit .. I've got a small credit card sized diamond lap plate and there is room on the desk to multi-task! :clapping:

Also researching how difficult it is to do the head gasket on the Alfa .... and slowly losing the will to live .. god it's complicated! Did no-one ever think about taking these things apart???
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Club WebEditor.

Cars: "Project 757" '59 A35 2-door bought in 1971 & Subaru BRZ SE LUX Auto plus "family fleet": Alfa MiTo, Peugeot 206, (Ex '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS)
User avatar
Countryboy
Posts: 4377
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:45 pm
Location: Leafy North Hampshire

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by Countryboy »

A Triumph Stag head would laugh in the face of your old Alfa Gary !

Have you got a clear method to work from ? If not I can email you one
Rest Home for rusty vehicles
User avatar
gazza82
Site Admin
Posts: 5585
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:39 pm
Committee Role: WebEditor
Location: Buckinghamshire
x 2
x 17
Contact:

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by gazza82 »

Think I'm getting towards one. Found a couple of posts on Alfa forums and am using thise to create a how-to. Then I'll update it when I try them.

The nightmare is the intake and injection on the back and a big a/c compressir at the front. Then hoping the head isn't warped ...

High-jacked my own thread!
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Club WebEditor.

Cars: "Project 757" '59 A35 2-door bought in 1971 & Subaru BRZ SE LUX Auto plus "family fleet": Alfa MiTo, Peugeot 206, (Ex '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS)
User avatar
David Swain
Posts: 3707
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:08 pm
Location: Suffolk

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by David Swain »

I had to do the MG myself, as I could not afford to have it done by a garage, It took ages and there were many points where I really thought that I had made the wrong decision, and had wasted a bunch of time and money, and it probably would have been so much better to have paid someone that knows what they are doing.
But now it is done every time that I drive it I am both proud of what I have managed and petrified that any second it will grind to a noisy fiery halt. :thumbs:
David Swain. Member No. A1743
Contact for 'The Suffolk Group'.
Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
User avatar
gazza82
Site Admin
Posts: 5585
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:39 pm
Committee Role: WebEditor
Location: Buckinghamshire
x 2
x 17
Contact:

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by gazza82 »

David: I avoided doing the cam belts until this year .. £350-400 every 3 years roughly. But the Alfa is probably worth less that one change now ... I'm going to speak to my local Alfa guys, if only to find out the real sticking points, but I think I will try and do it. Just need to be brave and start I guess ...
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Club WebEditor.

Cars: "Project 757" '59 A35 2-door bought in 1971 & Subaru BRZ SE LUX Auto plus "family fleet": Alfa MiTo, Peugeot 206, (Ex '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS)
User avatar
David Swain
Posts: 3707
Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:08 pm
Location: Suffolk

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by David Swain »

I do not know much about the Alfa, but the MG was fairly straight forward, just surprised at how many difficult to get to and awkward (hard) to undo bits there were just to get the head off, there were good videos on youtube, but they all had the engine out on a bench, in a workshop with the right tools, and no seized in, or broken nuts and bolts. :whistle: I had to buy a cam locking tool, which did not cost very much, and a new decent socket set, as my one broke trying to undo some of the bolts, also the head bolts were a special fit so I spent about one hundred pounds on a comprehensive socket set. It is possible, just take your time, if you get stuck have a break, it is surprising how different it looks with fresh eyes. :thumbs:
My only other option was to sell it for scrap, so nothing ventured, nothing gained.
David Swain. Member No. A1743
Contact for 'The Suffolk Group'.
Contact Email suffolk@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk

A30 van 55 'R.G. Swain', A35 4 Door 59 'Little Gem', A35 2 Door 59 'The Rev' '+1'
Andrew1961
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:24 pm
Location: Telford

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by Andrew1961 »

You will need cam locking tool for Alfa
User avatar
gazza82
Site Admin
Posts: 5585
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:39 pm
Committee Role: WebEditor
Location: Buckinghamshire
x 2
x 17
Contact:

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by gazza82 »

Got them and one of the tensioner adjusters and a home-made DTI tool which needs slightly adjusting as the centre bar is too long (but it was free). I priced up buying all the tools and parts for the cam belt about three years ago and it was actually cheaper for someone to do it for me! Since then I've been picking up the tools as I saw them going cheap. Also have longer 7mm bolts for locking tools as the original bolts are just to short and can strip the thread in the head (guess what! yes, someone has in the past! and you can't get 7mm helicoils! :-( )


Also need a 13mm Ribe socket, and arms that have multiple elbows/CV joints to get under and behind the inlet manifold system! Parts for head gasket change are about £120-130.
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Club WebEditor.

Cars: "Project 757" '59 A35 2-door bought in 1971 & Subaru BRZ SE LUX Auto plus "family fleet": Alfa MiTo, Peugeot 206, (Ex '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS)
Andrew1961
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:24 pm
Location: Telford

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by Andrew1961 »

Hope you never have to change the starter motor.....The best bet for the manifold is to modify some cheap spanners, or use ratchet spanners
User avatar
gazza82
Site Admin
Posts: 5585
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:39 pm
Committee Role: WebEditor
Location: Buckinghamshire
x 2
x 17
Contact:

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by gazza82 »

Ratchets on xmas list .. I have few cheap ones .. looking at a few flexible head ones .. might only need a couple ie 13mm and 15mm
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Club WebEditor.

Cars: "Project 757" '59 A35 2-door bought in 1971 & Subaru BRZ SE LUX Auto plus "family fleet": Alfa MiTo, Peugeot 206, (Ex '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS)
User avatar
Countryboy
Posts: 4377
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:45 pm
Location: Leafy North Hampshire

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by Countryboy »

Come on Gary
Man up and get on with it :thumbs:
Rest Home for rusty vehicles
User avatar
gazza82
Site Admin
Posts: 5585
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:39 pm
Committee Role: WebEditor
Location: Buckinghamshire
x 2
x 17
Contact:

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by gazza82 »

I need to get you a picture of what it looks like under that bonnet .. :roll: ... especially the bits crammed in behind the engine ... doesn't look like an A35 engine bay ...

But I'd love to have the engine under my Alfa's bonnet in an A35! :twisted:
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Club WebEditor.

Cars: "Project 757" '59 A35 2-door bought in 1971 & Subaru BRZ SE LUX Auto plus "family fleet": Alfa MiTo, Peugeot 206, (Ex '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS)
User avatar
gazza82
Site Admin
Posts: 5585
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2013 3:39 pm
Committee Role: WebEditor
Location: Buckinghamshire
x 2
x 17
Contact:

Re: Gazza's Project 757 Restore/Rebuild Thread

Post by gazza82 »

Alfa strip down started ... Used a spare 30 mins this mprning to get the penetrating fluid on the nuts and studs I could see.

Had a visitor .. a Robin flew into the garage and removed a couple of arachnids ... and hopped around on the Alfa's roof and bonnet. Was about to try and get a pic but it flew off before I got a chance.
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Club WebEditor.

Cars: "Project 757" '59 A35 2-door bought in 1971 & Subaru BRZ SE LUX Auto plus "family fleet": Alfa MiTo, Peugeot 206, (Ex '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TS)
Post Reply