Page Fifty - Whoa and Go Update

 

Fifty pages! I Should get a medal or something, maybe some ice cream…

First the WHOA

Shopping at Tom’s Parts Pile:  Sunbeam parts are surprisingly easy to find, at least most of them.  My favorite vendors once carried new front brake discs and complete exhaust systems, but not now.  Maybe they will again, but I need stuff now!  So, I’m off to pick through Tom’s Parts Pile.

Tom is my Alpine buddy and fellow autocrosser who owns a slick 1967 Alpine, same color as mine.  Tom decided that his Alpine needed such modern claptrap as free-floating brake calipers and lightweight cross drilled discs at each corner, a dual master cylinder (not to mention all kinds of engine upgrades, interior lighting, a working clock for the dash, but I digress).  Fortunately for me, before he decided to turn his back on the old ways, he bought a bunch of standard Alpine stuff, namely new front discs and newly turned rear drums to decorate the shelves in his garage.

I found a place that will lathe my really quite rusty front discs.  They have plenty of metal left, but it will take several passes on a lathe to get to the good metal (they are heavy enough to anchor down a decent sized boat in a swift current too).  But now I don’t have to do that because Tom is the man!

The Rear Drums:  I have four rear drums; two from the Organ Donor that might be salvageable, but it’s doubtful, and two from Alphie which are definitely salvageable but why do people reach for a bigger hammer to break the grip of rusted-on brake shoes?  Only one drum doesn’t have big chunks banged out of the edges.  I mean the friction surfaces are intact, but I’m not putting natty old drums on Little Lord Alphleroy! 

Tom had two that only had some surface rust from their dormancy on the shelf AND they had been turned before their nap.  Problem solved!

Not new, but cleaned up, painted with turned friction surfaces, bling bling!

A quick bead blast, some light sanding and a bit of exhaust manifold paint and Bob’s your uncle once again!  They are pristine and perfect wrapped around Alphie’s new brake shoes.

Mounted and with an old janky spinner
(I'll either get them rechromed or find some nicer ones)

The Front Discs:  A lesson in sequencing – after a couple of hours banging out the old bearing races and pushing in the new ones, I learned that you have to grease up the inner wheel bearing and install it in the hubs BEFORE you put on the grease seals.  I also learned that you have to bolt on the discs BEFORE you mount the hubs and snug down the outer wheel bearing.  As you probably gleaned, I did a lot of undoing before I managed to get one hub and disc buttoned down.  Oddly enough, the other disc went on without a hitch, huh?

New Parts! New 10 year old (+-) discs, new bearings, new seals and new tie rod ends (I threw them in the pic because they're new too)

Sorted!

Shiny Exhaust:  Not part of the WHOA but God bless the folks who make stainless steel exhaust systems.  Sunbeam Specialties and Classic Sunbeam don’t have any in stock, so I turned my browser across the pond.  The gang at Sunbeam Spare in merry ole’ England set me up and shipped them to me faster than if I ordered them in the States, go figure, but how awesome.

I didn’t take any pics before I put it in, sorry for that, but it was way too easy.  Before I installed it, I couldn’t help myself, I’m weak, I have a problem, truly…I buffed out the Y pipe.  Look, it had browning from the welds, and I knew I could make it gleam under the car where it will face all manner of grime, and no one will see it, but it looks smashing, really!  If you are under the car, you can check your make-up.

I also bought some slick stainless T clamps too, just ‘cause I’m not well.

OOOOHH! AAAAAH!

Yeah, I buffed out the Y pipe - it's a symptom

Everything is stainless - the tubes are a ferrous stainless but no rusty rusty!

Gotta say, I love it!

Now for the GO

U Joints:  In my last order from Sunbeam Specialties, I got two spanking new u-joints, not an amazing purchase, but it allows me to get the prop shaft (that “drive shaft” for those in the colonies) spiffed up and under the car.  Well, not yet, I have to get it balanced before installing it.  I’ll let you know how that goes.

If it looks kinda short, it's because it's the prop shaft for the overdrive transmission - pretty, ain't it? (as far as drive shaft can be pretty)

Next up:  Sound deadening and re the doors go on… again.