[DML] NLT-DMC = No Longer Totally Disassembled Motor Car

["Dave Stragand" <dave.stragand@xxxx>]

Well,

Things are progressing slowly on #5927... As some of you may recall,
this is the totally disassembled D that I bought last month. I figured
out that for anything to be worthwhile, there has to be some sort of
12-step plan to do it, am I right? =)

Here's my plan:

step one: suspension & steering linkage
step two: running all the lines/wires along the frame
step three: reattaching the pontoon
step four: radiator
step five: fuel tank
step six: interior air box assemblies & dash reassembly
step seven: transmission and linkage
step eight: engine block
step nine: engine bolt-ons & turbos
step ten: body
step eleven: interior, windshield, rear glass
step twelve: tuning, safety checks, final touches

I'm halfway done with steps one and two. I made myself a progress chart
to make myself feel better as I go. Something like those thermometers
you see where they color in the red until someone reaches a goal. Mine
is the outline of the letters D-E-L-O-R-E-A-N-D-O-N-E. I've got half of
the first "D" and "E" filled in.

Anyway, this whole experience is going to make me a shoe-in for the
"name that part" competition at the nats, as every single piece on the
car is getting, cleaned, polished, tapped, died, rustproofed, painted
and/or otherwise treated for both appearance and functionality as I go.

So, for the great many of you who have expressed support and help &
asked to be kept in touch of the progress, here's a few things I've done
these last few weeks:

- grind, wire-brush, wire-wheel, & scrape all cracked/broken epoxy from
the frame, degrease, rustproof (Extend rust spray) and repaint the
damaged areas with Rustoleum Dark Machine Gray (35 hours)
- heat, hack, PB, liquid wrench, impact wrench and sledgehammer all of
the suspension bolts apart from the control arms (16 hrs)
- prepare all new/used suspension bolts for use (buffing, etc.) (2 hrs)
- clean & repaint control arms (1 hr)
- Dremel the heck out of the rear hub carriers until they shined like a
new nickel (4 hrs)
- paint the hub carriers with a coat of clear satin lacquer to stop
oxidation (5 minutes)
- remove and repress two new wheel bearings into the hub carriers (2 hrs
- the old ones were seized)
- wire-wheel and repaint the front spindles with Rebuilder's Touch Cast
Iron Spray (1 hr)
- sandblast upper and lower front control arms, repaint with Rustoleum
Painter's Touch Semi-Gloss Black (3 hrs)
- install 4 new ball joints (and PJ Grady stiffener on lowers) (3 hrs)
- grind, wire-brush, wire-wheel, & scrape all cracked/broken epoxy from
the trailing arms, rustproof (Extend rust spray) and repaint the damaged
areas with Rustoleum Dark Machine Gray (6 hrs)
- clean, repaint, install new bushings in steering rack assembly mounts
(2 hrs)
- install steering rack (1 hr)
- run the interior wiring harness in the body... It was so tangled it
took 6 patient hours to get it all straightened out (8hrs total)
- hack out a broken body mounting bolt (3 hrs)
- straighten, clean, paint rear brake lines & T fitting (3 hrs)
- disassemble master cylinder. It had stuff inside that looked like
gray cottage cheese. The rest was rust. It's totally toast. (2 hrs)
- clean, repaint rear spring seats (1 hr)
- clean, wire-brush, paint rear axle assemblies with clear satin (2
hours)
- clean, wire-brush, paint rear hubs with Rebuilder's Touch Cast Iron
Spray (2 hrs)
- install adjustable clutch link (5 minutes. I don't even have a clutch
yet, but someday...)
- install windshield wiper assembly (1 hr)
- complain, swear, and generally get angry because I forgot the Silastic
sealer (dumb!) (5 min)
- install windshield wiper assembly w/silastic (1 hr)
- install pedal box assembly (30 min)
- clean package shelf carpet (1 hr)
- clean, wire-brush, and repaint power brake booster (1.5 hrs)
- heli-arc weld new large fitting on evaporator core (1 hr)
- remove, identify, inspect, evaluate, sort, tag, bag and shelve all
parts from 11 boxes (25 hours)
- 3 trips to All-Foreign Auto Parts (1 hour)
- 4 trips to NAPA (4 hours)
- 7 trips to AutoZone (5 hours)
- 14 trips to Pep-Boys (12 hours)

Well, that accounts for about 125 hours right there... out of the around
300 that I've put in up to this point. I think a lot of the rest of the
time was spent by eating, drinking Dr. Pepper,
vaccuming/cleaning/organizing the garage each night, trying to find
parts I've misplaced, and other various and sundry tasks. I've
installed a 5 CD changer, and TV with cable to help break up the
monotonous sound of the air compressor.

I hope to be posting some new pics soon of the progress on the web
site... http://www.forwardlook.net/DMC

Thanks again everyone for all of your help and support!!!

-Dave Stragand
dave.stragand@xxxx
VIN #5927