'72 Squareback Resto

 This  was bought stripped as an unfinished project. It's an auto - it may be converted to manual, may not. The 1600 engine was also in bits and will need a full rebuild. Body condition is pretty good (only 100k miles from new) but there's still a few bits here and there that need attention.
 

Doors and Wings
Originally the car came with fibreglass front wings which didn't give a good panel gaps. A pair of metal ones were sourced.
These needed extensive repair & bumper mount holes were cut out. The large late indicator holes have been removed. A couple of areas needed the hammer & dolly treatment to get things to lign up nicely
Rear wings also needed extensive repair but weren't as bad as the front ones.
Doors weren't bad at all only needing a couple of seal holding strips replacing.

Front End
Explore the bodywork with the grinder ;o)
Starting with the inner front wings
- a couple of small holes emerge and one awkward one near the bonnet hinge.
- bumper mounts needed some attention



Front valance
Bottom of the front valance and wheel well was rotten and had been overplated from the outside.
This was chopped out and a Reg fabricated & fitted a new panel.


Front no. plate bulge
This was cut out and replaced with sheet for a smooth look



Airbox
A couple of suspect looking rust bubbles resulted in an attack with the grinder to find carefully crafted filler and the usual rot for a type 3 which was repaired



To speed things up, while one sides being done the other are being sanded with a DA.


The rear valance was a bit knackered - crispy with a few holes and a bit battered so it was cut out and replaced with a smooth one following the line from the bottom of the wings. There's a lip inside on the bottom for strength

 


Scuttle Airvents 
These were sealed up for the smooth look and to also prevent the airbox rotting again as it'll live outside when it's finished. An alternative fresh air source is being worked on & there's always the quarterlights.

Prep and Paint

Bare metal areas were given a coat of etch prime and then a couple of layers of high build primer. This highlighted some flaws which were dealt with. After a final layer of primer, the topcoat was added. It's a greeny-blue, similar to sea blue.

 

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Build Up

Build is currently going somewhat slowly as I'm getting all the bits together. The 1600 engine was reconditioned by Lee. I have 99% new brakes to go on - including some NOS calipers picked up at Dubfreeze for a bargain price. Currently lacking wing beading, bonnet, rear hatch and door seals but at £90 for a new door seal think I'll be waiting for a 2/h one to come up!

Auto - manual conversion

Probably the major stumbling block is the auto - manual conversion. As I'll be using it round town I want to junk the auto box for better fuel economy and driveability. The autobox is currently unknown, but has only done 100k so might be ok. I'm currently working on a hydraulic clutch conversion using a single circuit master cylinder up front and a T25 slave cylinder at the back

 

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