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What should I look for; Buying an alpine from a co-worker?

the ghoul

Donation Time
yeah thats borderline re-body...
that and Im not all sure how i would go about that.
the rear end is easy enough, its the rear fenders, and lower fender to rocker area... but the front end, the series 3 hood is rounded at the cowel where the 5 is square... I would have to cut and graft in almost that whole cowel!!
hardest part about swapping in the floor boards seems to be keeping the frame from moving.. that and if I do a slopy job of the repair on the floors hardly any one will see it (unless it bends in half!)....

ah well, Im sure I will figgure it out when Im not sleep deprived !!!
Instead of using using the Series V parts to repair the Series 3, I'd put the parts that are unique to the Series 3 onto the Series V. Might be considered cheating, but would be a lot less work and you would end up with a more solid car.

Bill
 

mikephillips

Donation Time
Once you strip the paint you'll find that the series 3 hood opening is also square at the windshield end and that lead was used to round the opening. Easy enough to duplicate if you wanted to.
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
Once you strip the paint you'll find that the series 3 hood opening is also square at the windshield end and that lead was used to round the opening. Easy enough to duplicate if you wanted to.

wow!
good info!!
is it the same way with the lower rear door jamb? I notice the backing metal seems to be the same...
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
one more shot of the dash
9-07-08018.jpg
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
Yall thought I fell off...
been in isolation working my butt off on this car.
Ive been sandblasting and working on patch metal here and there.
I still have to replace most of the engine compartment and the top cowl with the series III metal but its close to being a solid unibody roller ready for some exterrior metal.
9-28-08006.jpg

10-4-08001.jpg

11-9-08002.jpg

11-9-08003.jpg
 

mikephillips

Donation Time
Those of us who've been through major sheet metal repairs know it can take quite awhile to complete. Keep working at it and on day you'll look up and find it's done.
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
I hope that day comes soon!
the origional goal was to have the body done by the onset of winter so the putty I use can set long enough before painting..... now i just hope I can have it done by the end of winter!
im trying my best not to rush her... just take my time and let it happen...
Those of us who've been through major sheet metal repairs know it can take quite awhile to complete. Keep working at it and on day you'll look up and find it's done.
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
FUN WITH TITLES!!!
OK I don’t know if many of you are in this same boat or will be one day but this is what is going down.
The lady I got this car from has not yet come up with a title for it.
I did however get her to sign a bill of sale.
She seems to remember a title but cant recall if she ever put it in her name or not.
This car has been sitting for 20ish years without ever being titled…
Now that puts me in a dumb place as I wish to save the series III vin number (rare color option, rare series, and the engine block has matching numbers).
I have gotten with the DMV and first they said I needed to get her to get a replacement title and turned me away.
Then I contacted there central office and talked to a nice lady that told me if there is no record of title, they will run the vin number thru there NCIC system (what ever that is) and as long as it doesn’t come back stolen, or with a lean on it then they can issue a title in my name.
I will submit the NCIC paperwork this afternoon and with any luck be given a title this evening.
Now the part I don’t like out of the deal.
I trust my co-worker, he doesn’t seem to trust his girlfriend (who gave me the car). He said that she went thru a messy divorce a while back. She said that she bought the car when she was 21 and never got it ready for the road…..
I hope that her ex husband didn’t go after the car as part of his assets (paper wise). That is the only thing I can think of that will put a wrench in the works…
 

todd reid

Gold Level Sponsor
What should I look for;...

I wouldn't worry. I think it is highly unlikely that anyone would take the time to go after a non-running 40+ year old car that's been sitting for 20 years without a title.
I hope it all works out for you!
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
well what worried me is it had only been sitting for 5 years at that time.
He knew she loved the car so it sounds like a big f-you move..... but lucky for me that didnt happen!!
The NCIC report came back clean, I declaired the value to be $200 (scrap metal price), sale price to be $0 and its in the 2700 weight catagory... so even with late fee it only came out to $27.
the car is now officially Mine baby mine!!!
info sent to the registry
B92014xx LRX code 61 SB
sal 026002
engine vin matches...
that and I just put in an offer on my first house with a detached 2car home for the alpine today....
so its a rather special day for me...
nothing left to do but to see how the car shapes up, and hope that all works out with the house....
I wouldn't worry. I think it is highly unlikely that anyone would take the time to go after a non-running 40+ year old car that's been sitting for 20 years without a title.
I hope it all works out for you!
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
Nasty day out today so I decided to turn my attention to the gauges.
I fully disassembled all of them, used my dremmel tool, with a couple of buffing wheels, and some polishing clay and went for it.
I was amazed at how well the rings and glass cleaned up!
I only f-ed up one place, I concentrated on one spot a little too long on the glass and heat fractured it... Just a small crack in the corner. I think the trim ring will cover it for now but I have no doubt it will eventually spread... I think at that time Ill fix it...
I used a bit of tamiya model paint to touch up the needles. I used gloss orange and flat red to come up with a semi gloss that looks almost identical to the stock color and finish.
I know most are going to hate this next move but I say its valid. While I had the speedo out I clocked it back to 0 miles. I view it like this, this car is going to be totally rebuilt by the time im done. The clock might as well go back to new as well…. That and the original miles have already been recorded on the title, and as long as I disclose this when I do sell the car there should be no conflict.
So here are the pics, the gauge housings will be powder coated silver before re-assembly.
11-15-08001.jpg

11-15-08004.jpg
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
amazing diffrence
guages are done, I just have to get a correct amp guage.
Not bad for a weekends work tho.
I think the sliver poweder coat on the guage buckets will help make the guages a bit brighter.

11-16-08.jpg


how they looked before

8-20-08015.jpg


now I can turn some attention to stripping and re-painting the logo.
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
oops forgot to post an update...
dash is about done..
Im not all that happy with how the jeweld patturn turned out.. nice from a-far but far from nice! Im going to cut another face and play around with alturnitive ways of making the pattern (end mill running counter clockwise, wood dowel with valve lapping compound, metal dowel with valve lapping compound)

The re-paint on the rootes group medallion didnt go well so Ill be looking for a nother one of those, and the hunt is still on for the amp meter.... Ive got some time before those are needed!!!

11-20-08010.jpg
 

husky drvr

Platinum Level Sponsor
oops forgot to post an update...
dash is about done..
Im not all that happy with how the jeweld patturn turned out.. nice from a-far but far from nice! Im going to cut another face and play around with alturnitive ways of making the pattern (end mill running counter clockwise, wood dowel with valve lapping compound, metal dowel with valve lapping compound)

The re-paint on the rootes group medallion didnt go well so Ill be looking for a nother one of those, and the hunt is still on for the amp meter.... Ive got some time before those are needed!!!

11-20-08010.jpg

Possibly a round stiff bristle brush with compound?
 

the ghoul

Donation Time
lazy cold, snowing day in michigan....
Kicked my own butt and polished the bores of the break servo, brake master, clutch master, and clutch slaves today. Decided I didn’t like the way the powder coat turned out on the clutch slave and the brake masters.
I finished the rebuild on the brake servo
11-30-08004.jpg

and swapped the face plates on my dash
11-30-08001.jpg

I decided that I was fighting a losing battle trying to get that pattern on aluminum without galling it, so I cut another face out of stainless steel (a bit thinner 0.070") and used the same wire brush with a bit of tapping fluid and it turned out great. I switched it up a little. I just did very light brushing to give them a 'bubble' look as apposed to the brushed look (looks brushed but with the centers untouched because the brush is slightly cupped)
I think its a good medium between the look and will cut down on the blinding aspect.

here they are side by side
11-30-08003.jpg
 
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