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stg Member 
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Got pictures of 18141 (the "spare" car) today... This is her good side :) What is the "right" thing to do? Should you always try to restore no matter what (my first instinct) or do you just have to sigh and use what you can to keep the driver you have going? It seems to have a lot of good parts and obviously the hard top is a find..but what is the proper JH thing to do? Interior is almost non existant and rust...well, you know the story When is it best to "let it go" to parts car status or just never say die and restore? After having 17091 home for a whopping 30 hours, I can't imagine not trying to revive one if possible. But I also know the current drivers, on the road, need parts to come from somewhere, right? I just don't know if I could talk myself into doing that, though. I know...what a girl! :) Oh my gosh...it's like asking if you should pull the plug, isn't it? (oh...she was free...just have to go pick her up) Thanks as always, oh wise ones! Suzanne Attachment: JH18141.jpg (Downloaded 123 times) Last edited on 09-19-2006 04:50 am by stg |
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stg Member
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And the engine: Attachment: 18141 engine.jpg (Downloaded 122 times) |
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stg Member
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And Interior: (Sorry...Obviously I haven't firgured out how to post all pictures at one time yet. I'll do better next time!) Attachment: Interior18141.jpg (Downloaded 121 times) |
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Jensen Healey Super Moderator 
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If the rust extends to the rocker panels it's a parts car for 95% of us. Remove the stainless cover on the rocker and poke around with a screwdriver. Also poke the interior side behind the carpet. It takes a good welder many hours and $1000 of parts to repair the rockers and floor boards. If the rockers are clean the floors can be made functional with a couple of layers of fiberglass or Kevlar. The repairs on the rest of the car will cost plenty but are do-able. Kurt |
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stg Member
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Kurt: I would be shocked if the rocker panels are anywhere near clean :) So, what truly is the number of 100 % rust free rocker panels in the population of JH drivers on the road? From reading though everything I can find, it sounds like a large portion have some or had some rust before repair or replacement in the rocker area? I had fully expected to use this as a parts car...until I saw it. ( and it's worse than I thought it would be...how's that for hopeless?) Suzanne |
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edward_davis Member 
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If you want to restore the car, take your time and do it right. Keep her inside, of course! Tear her completely down and have her media blasted. Repair all of the rust, etc. Take ten years and enjoy the whole process. I don't think parts for JH's are so rare that she's worth more to the community as parts than as a project, if only you're willing to do the restoration. Or, use her as parts for one restoration and then rebuild her as a completely custom car... The best thing for you to do for her right now would be to tear her down as much as possible, identify all of the rust areas, and try to neutralize them. That way she won't get worse over time while you're deciding what to do with her. Can't beat a free car, and if you need to learn to weld, there's a no-down-side opportunity. Most importantly, follow your heart: it's a hobby, not a job! My two cents, Edward |
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stg Member
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Thanks Edward! And believe it or not, I could weld at one point in my life...I guess now would be a good time to revitalize that skill :) I think we'll probably spent the winter dismantling and cataloging and hoping that in as short as a decade we'll hear 18414 roar to life again. My son is an Aerospace Engineering major and I know he'd love to have a hand in it. (except he will try to put titanium everywhere he can :) )While we're at it, maybe we should just use the wind tunnel to get the leaves and clingy bits off and to test how straight she...isn't :) We are not in a hurry as we have a fun JH to drive and if not anything else, we can really see how these great cars were built! I know it will get to the point where I will walk in to my friend's garage, point at the trailer with a body, that I took to get prepped and painted professionally, and boxes of parts and beg to have his his chief mechanic ( who used to own a British auto repair shop) put her back together. But that is okay. It's the journey, right? Thanks again, Suzanne Last edited on 09-19-2006 10:01 pm by stg |
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jcdean Member
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I would like to volunteer my JH as the "Advanced Composite and Proof of Concept" test mule. Just mail me the titanium and carbon fiber goodies as they are made and I'll install them on my '74 for durability and fitment testing. So that you have a target, I am shooting for a total weight of about 1600 lbs. when your done. Good luck with the cars, Joey (In retrospect, I could prob do better with the weight issue by putting myself on a weight reduction regime. When did I stop growing up and start growing out?) |
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stg Member
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Joey: I'll let Andrew know that he should start working on a Design, Build, and Drive project asap...though as a warning, your '74 may end up with wings! :) Suzanne Last edited on 09-19-2006 10:00 pm by stg |
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