restoration Restoration of Champ 1624 in Sydney

[simondema]

Finally after waiting for nearly a year, my Austin Champ has been brought closer to home. I took delivery of her about 3 weeks ago, and she was transported about 260km from Muswellbrook, NSW to her "restoration shed" in Windsor, NSW only about 60km from where I live in Sydney.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68930[/ATTACH]

 

The shed where I have stored her is massive and Paul, from SodaTec has generously allowed me to make use of it and all the tools and various gadgets he has. Easier having her there, as I am getting the whole vehicle, including the engine soda blasted by him.

I positioned her in one corner of the shed, and took stock of all the equipment she came with

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68931[/ATTACH]

 

I really need a plan to tackle this project, as I want to do it properly and make sure I don't need to go back to do something I did not do right the first time.

Once the whole vehicle is soda blasted, I will get a better idea of what repairs need to be done, and be able to see better what I have to work with, as the Aussie mud and dust has certainly taken hold of many of the components on the underside.

 

We soda blasted very roughly one of the parts, and it came up like this:

 

Although I thought I was able to leave most of the components on the chassis, on reflection I think it might be better to strip the car down totally, make sure it's properly cleaned up, primed and painted. The problem is, how do I make sure that everything goes back in its right place??

 

Simon

[wrward]

1) Aluminum or brass tags that you can attach with wire for the big stuff. Engrave or stamp the info on them. Forget about paper labels or tags, if they get wet or oily they become unreadable fast.

 

2) Zip-lock with label space bags for the smaller things.

 

3) Lots of notes and sketches and lots of digital photos. Try to include any tags you make in some of the shots of individual parts so if a tag gets lost or damaged you still can refer to your photos. Organize your photos in folders on the computer by assembly and sub assembly as well. Every time you think you have enough photos take more.

[simondema]

Hi all

Haven't posted in a while, but I have been busy at work.

 

I have removed all the wiring from the Champ, and laid it out, only to reveal a mish mash of wires and added-on bits that seem not to have any purpose, except to confuse me further!

 

I have dis-assembled the ignition/starter box and the instrument panel, cleaned them up and re- sprayed them gloss black. Now the task will be to replace the old frayed wiring in the panels, together with the Lucon connectors.

Does anyone know whether the wire needs to be a particular diameter, or whether there is a standard thickness for wiring used for a 24volt system?

Thanks

 

Simon

[mazungumagic]

Simon,

 

I've done a lot of my cabling already, but have a bit to go yet. To complete the job, I purchased a 30m roll of 4mm wire, capable of up to 15 amps.

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/30m-roll-x-4mm-single-core-multi-strand-automotive-wire-orange-15-amps-12v-/130701799411?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1e6e6f2ff3

 

Have a look at the thickness of your old wire and I think you'll find that this 4mm stuff is OK.

 

I was able to use most of my old connectors, but had plenty spare after having stripped out three Champs worth.

 

 

Jack

[simondema]

Jack, thanks for your reply. I will check out the old wiring, and look at buying the same wiring as yours. I was particularly impressed at how your instrument and ignition panels turned out. Did you use different cabling for them? Is the wiring throughout the Champ all the same thickness?

Thanks

 

Simon

[mazungumagic]

Simon,

 

85% of the Champ wiring seems to be the 4mm type. I can't recall having seen anything smaller than that. There is some heavy duty wiring though - about 8 B&S I think from memory. When you find that heavier stuff, take it to an auto electrician and have him match it or tell you what to order. the wiring is very simple to copy - the labelling is or can be, more problematic.

 

I used new wiring on my instrument panel - as I say it is very simple to copy the lengths and follow both the wiring diagram and the original wires. Everything inside the two sections of the instrument panels, is well marked so it's difficult to go wrong there.

 

Good to see you have your Champ now - pictures ??

 

 

Jack

[Kufra Kiwi]

We soda blasted very roughly one of the parts, and it came up like this:[ATTACH=CONFIG]68933[/ATTACH]

 

Simon

 

Are you happy with that degree of rust removal? :shocked: Seems like it needs a bit more work to get all of it off.

[simondema]

HI all

Been a while from my last posting, but work has been hectic.

 

Managed to remove the body from the chassis, and discovered there seems to be a bit more work than what I thought:

 

 

As usual, the rust appears to be around the sills, as water and moisture seem to always collect around that area. I will soda blast all the bodywork and chassis, and then have a better idea of what repairs are needed. From what I have read, the gauge of the sills and floor is quite thin, so I might increase the thickness of the new welded metal, just to be safe.

 

 

Lots of rust to cut out, although most of it appears to be surface rust.

The wheel arches seem to be in fairly good condition:

 

I then proceeded to start dismantling all the parts attached to the body, such as the horn, bonnet brackets, and any other piece that was either screwed or bolted down:

 

 

These parts are being de-greased, then I spray them with a paint stripper. Once I remove all the excess paint, I rub the rest off with coarse steel wool to remove as much paint and primer I can. Then I rinse under water, dry it, then spray a de-greaser such as acetone, let it dry then I use a primer/lacquer in black to paint them.

So far I have only sprayed in black the horn, the fording caps, the frame from the instrument panel and various parts which are meant to be black according to the paint scheme.

 

I was in two minds as to use a primer, however this automotive paint I am using is an etch primer/enamel paint all in one. I am giving the parts between 3 and 5 coats, rubbing with very fine sandpaper between sprays.

 

I also removed the instrument panel and the ignition panel:

 

 

A nightmare of cables and wires, mostly added on at a later stage.

 

The instrument panel proved a bit trickier, but thankfully I had the Champ World issue with all instructions!

 

 

At least all the wiring is labelled tabs are labelled

Will post photos of the painted items

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[simondema]

Having a few days off between trips, I tackled the onerous task, together with my son, of removing the front and rear axle, and the engine. The aim is to finish all this by tomorrow, or Wednesday at the latest.

 

I am waiting on an engine hoist from a neighbour, so in the meantime, I tackled the axles. Both front an rear had the usual amount of dirt, caked on mud and assorted foliage.

 

I started with the rear axle, removing the large rusted bolts attaching the case to the chassis.

 

 

Once the bolts were removed, the vehicle was propped up on car stands and the wheels removed.

 

 

The torsion bars are next and all the rest of items fixing the chassis to the axles.

 

Simon

[GeePig]

Looks like early days, so many heartaches and pleasures to come!

[simondema]

I know it's been a while but what with a lengthy and costly divorce, and shorter trips for work, I have been unable to do any work on the Champ.

 

Now that all that is over, I am starting again.

 

After stripping the vehicle, I removed both the front and rear axles, and the engine. I wanted to ensure that the chassis and body are prepared really well and that no rust can creep in again after a few years.

As mentioned before, I will be soda blasting the whole vehicle, together with all parts. The medium that is used for the body, chassis and parts is slightly coarser than bicarbonate of soda, yet not as gritty as sand. Having a few issues uploading photos, so will sort that out and try again.

 

I also turned my attention to the wiring and discovered the original wiring was 12amp yellow coloured flexible cable made by Unipren. It seems such cable is glass braid applied directly over the flexible tinned copper with an additional covering of a plastic sheath. Or so I have been told!

 

it appears Unipren is no longer made but its replacement is called TC12, which comes in black. Can anyone confirm this is the case?

 

Simon

[marvinthemartian]

Hi Simon, you're right that Unipren is no longer manufactured, you'll also find that there are also short lengths of Unipren 50, between the generator and generator panel, and from there to the distribution box, which is coloured blue, also possibly 1 length of Unipren 18 too, also blue which comes from the distribution box to I think the instrument panel feed. Not sure if Champs are the same, but would presume so, then Unipren 135 may be used for the battery leads.

What I have been doing is buying up NOS electrical leads for other vehicles, then simply stripping them. Lots of conduits around for Saracen, Saladin & Ferret. Whether Tim Vibert at Empire Disposals has anything suitable, it may be worth checking.

Simon

[simondema]

Hi Simon, you're right that Unipren is no longer manufactured, you'll also find that there are also short lengths of Unipren 50, between the generator and generator panel, and from there to the distribution box, which is coloured blue, also possibly 1 length of Unipren 18 too, also blue which comes from the distribution box to I think the instrument panel feed. Not sure if Champs are the same, but would presume so, then Unipren 135 may be used for the battery leads.

What I have been doing is buying up NOS electrical leads for other vehicles, then simply stripping them. Lots of conduits around for Saracen, Saladin & Ferret. Whether Tim Vibert at Empire Disposals has anything suitable, it may be worth checking.

Simon

 

Thanks Simon.

I have contacted a company in QLD who deals with aeronautical cabling and they are looking into a substitute for Unipren. I already have a contact in the UK who can send me out 100mts of the TC12 at around £108 delivered to Australia. I believe the cabling from the distribution box and instrument panel is still in very good condition, so at this stage I don't think it needs replacing. However I will look at it closer and make sure.

 

Simon

[simondema]

Today was another day spent cleaning and preparing various parts for the soda blasting. There is an inordinate amount of grease and dirt on items such as wheel arches, fuel tank, and various other panels.

We managed to soda blast various body parts, such as the panel that attaches to the firewall, the gearbox cover and the rear torsion bar adjuster plate.

 

I also managed to clean and soda blast the air cleaner. It was in remarkably good condition, and once dismantled it was quite easy to clean. I removed the cork gaskets, saved them and cleaned them. Hopefully I can re-use them, as they seem to be in good condition.

 

 

 

The area around the rim of the air filter on which the gaskets lay was full of a brown material, which I assume was a kind of gasket adhesive, as it proved impervious to any type of solvent. I finally resorted to a mild paint stripper, which did the work.

 

Whilst taking photos of the engine which will help me re-assemble it once stripped and cleaned, I noticed a number of tiny plaques attached to the main body of the engine case and a number stamped between the engine case and the clutch, which I had never seen before

 

 

I have no idea what this number refers to. I would assume it does not refer to the body number as it does not match the body number (1624) of my vehicle. Does it refer to the engine case? It doesn't even match my engine number (3079). And what is the FV number below it?

 

And then I found this number. I rotated the photo upside down to make it easier to read, as the number was stamped the other way round on the casing:

 

 

Anyway, here are some photos of the items we blasted and then primed. Those photos will be uploaded tomorrow:

 

 

And the front grille

 

 

As an aside, what colour was the grille? I have removed it and will replace the 2 pieces of felt on each side. I thought to paint it green, but that seems too obvious. Black?

 

More photos tomorrow, as I hope to finish soda blasting all the metal bits and prime them.

 

Simon

[marvinthemartian]

Hi Simon, if you can get the TC12 in yellow then go for it, that seems a good price. As for the grille, I would say in service everything would've been DBG, but if you want it to look slightly different then others, then go for the black.

Simon

[simondema]

The company in QLD who could supply me the cabling, could do Unipren but of a much thicker gauge. Therefore I have decided to place an order with a UK company called K C Lacey who will send out 100 mts of TC12 black cable. I preferred to keep the electrical cabling as close to original as possible, and although not yellow, it has the same specs as the Unipren 12 in yellow. They are just waiting for my Abn number to post out the cabling. At 108 pounds sterling delivered I thought that was quite a good price.

 

Yesterday I turned my attention to the engine, as I intend to get that soda blasted. It is currently attached to an engine hoist, and in a couple of weeks time I will be using a small forklift to carry the engine to the soda blasting shed, and lifting it high enough to be able to soda blast around and underneath it.

 

 

I decided to start removing parts off the engine so the job of cleaning and soda blasting will be easier. For those of you who have done this type of restoration before I may sound amateurish, but I was amazed at how important it is to recognize that dismantling this type of engine requires patience and a meticulous approach. Every assembled part has been done whereby you can't remove one part before you remove the part in front of it. I know that doesn't make much sense, but when you are confronted with a maze of pipes and hoses, you learn quickly which ones you need to remove first! Needless to say I have taken loads of photos so the re-assembly will hopefully be less painful.

 

 

The engine was running perfectly when I bought it, although I think I will probably have issues with the water pump and water temp sensor. When I dismantled the thermostat housing this is what I encountered:

 

 

Totally corroded, but luckily I have sourced another thermostat housing (thanks Jack) so will be replacing that one! Also inside I was confronted with this:

 

 

I assume that is antifreeze which has solidified over the years, either through the thermostat not working or the water pump not working. No idea. I guess I can check whether the thermostat works by placing in boiling water and see whether it moves or not.

 

After that minor setback I proceeded to remove some more parts from the engine, yet noting down where everything went for afterwards!

 

I removed the fan, which turned out to be quite an easy task, and soda blasted it

 

 

I then proceeded to get most of the large parts blasted, including the fuel tank

 

 

And after

 

 

And all the other parts, blasted and primed in good old grey etch primer

 

 

 

I am very happy with the results of the soda blasting. It really cleans the metal and brings it back to how it was. The only issue is underneath the wheel arches there seems to be a very thick coating of black material, which I assume is some sort of "stone guard" paint. This is quite hard to remove with the blaster, so we had to increase the size of the grit we are using and it appears to do the job. I will probably be repainting the same material under the chassis and the wheel arches to give them added protection.

 

Something interesting I noticed as well. On the front wheel arches, after we finished blasting, we noticed a patch of "bog filler" on the anterior side of each fender. It was very difficult to remove with the blaster, so I had to remove it with a screwdriver. I noticed under the bog there were 3 screw holes, placed in a circular pattern. From the photos I have seen of other Champs, I would guess that at one stage this Champ had 2 aerials mounted on the front fenders. From what I have discovered my Champ was just a normal Cargo Champ and not a radio Champ. Did Cargo Champs also had aerials mounted like this?

Here is a photo of the fender showing the white patch:

 

 

More photos soon

 

Simon

[mazungumagic]

Simon,

 

At first glance the engine looked to be painted black, as some of the earlier 2A ones were, but I gather from some of the scrapings on the tappet covers, that the black is just oil residue.

 

The fuel tank looks good on the top side - but time and water normally affects them underneath particularly where the straps are located. How was yours ?

 

 

Jack

[simondema]

Yes, at first I also thought it was a black engine but then the distinctive Sky Blue colour appears through all the dirt and grime.

 

The fuel tank seems to be remarkably well preserved, even its underside. Apart from a little surface rust on the bottom left, which we managed to remove with blasting, it didn't appear to have anything else wrong with it. The fuel tank guard, after soda blasting, was given a thorough anti-rust treatment then primed, just to be sure.

 

I guess time will make liars of all of us!

 

Simon

[simondema]

I haven't posted for a while as I haven't had a chance to work on the Champ. However over the last couple of weeks, there have been a couple of developments.

I managed to acquire a NOS chassis from Melbourne, and I posted the photo of it in another thread on this forum.

 

I have been researching the different types of paints I could use on the Champ. After much reading, I decided on using an Australian product called Norglass. Based in Sydney, they are renowned for making boat paints of a very high quality. I wanted the parts to be totally protected against the Aussie elements. I spoke to them and they suggested I use a 2 pack red oxide paint called Norshield Anti Corrosive Primer. It's a red paint to which a hardener is added to the rate of 3 parts paint to 1 part hardener.

 

The metal parts were cleaned in caustic soda, although I made the fatal mistake of immersing a couple of items made of aluminium in the caustic soda. Ouch! I buggered up the trailer socket and the brake reservoir, both expensive items when bought from the UK....well actually from anywhere!

 

So having learnt my lesson, I invested in some pretty amazing paint stripper from KBS The stripper is sprayed onto the part and then washed off with methylated spirits.

Below are some stripped parts

[simondema]

These parts will then be dried, wiped off with methylated spirits, allowed to dry and then brush painted with the 2 pack red oxide. I have read on the Champ magazine that the brass connections were left unpainted, though on many photos I have seen they have been painted Sky Blue. Anyone have any thought on that?

 

After cleaning all the other parts, I de-greased the parts and then painted them. I gave them 2 coats of paint, with a light sanding in between. I have chosen to paint the parts with a brush, using a very high quality brush, trying hard to emulate the coach painting methods. I know, I am dreaming, however I find using a brush much more satisfying.

[simondema]

I have started the process of painting the parts. Sky Blue for the engine parts

Today I will start painting the other parts in DBG and work out what the best blasting medium will be for the chassis and the body. Someone on the Forum suggested using aluminium oxide and I will look at that option, although I am not sure about the costs and availability here in Australia.

i have found that using a very good quality paintbrush, very fine sanding in between coats and just taking my time, has given me some very good results with painting the parts. Hopefully this will continue to the other parts I have to do.

i have invested in a small sand blasting cabinet for the smaller parts, as I think I will use it when I start restoring the axles, as most of the parts are coated in mud and flaky paint.

More pictures to come

 

Simon

[simondema]

Finally finished painting most of the engine parts after having given them 2 coats of red oxide and 2 coats of Sky Blue

I then turned my attention to those pesky cables which over the years had disintegrated and which I deemed worthwhile replacing once I had them removed from the various bits. I must admit that no matter how many photos, drawings or manuals I have I am very reluctant to change/repair items which don't need to as I am afraid I make a mistake and either break something or assemble something wrong. It seems to take me ages to do something, however I go slowly as I don't have the luxury of being able to order something and receive it the next day. So my motto is "If it ain't broken......

Back to the cables

I carefully removed the wire inside the flexible metal conduit and took photos of the setup, including washers and waterproof rubber stoppers

I didn't realize what I had started until I realized I had to work out a way of removing the....metal connector (I am sure it has a proper name, sorry). An absolute bugger to dismantle, especially when you don't know what you are doing and don't have any means of finding out. So trial and error finally resulted in a positive result

So the cables were set aside and the next day I travelled 56km to Windsor where my Champ is currently resting, awaiting a week of soda blasting, commencing next week.

first cab off the rank will be the engine, after all holes will be plugged up so I won't get any soda into any of the internals

I have read that it is best not to prime the engine. The soda blasting will remove all traces of grease and clean up the engine without pitting any parts of the engine, unlike sand blasting. As it has received a B/O at Weston Super Mare in 1962, it will be painted accordingly i.e Sky Blue, or BS381 101.

 

I then turned my attention to the front axle. Dear God..what have I started?? The axles were taken out of the vehicle a while back and have been sitting on stands for at least 5 months

As I mentioned somewhere else, the axles seem to have various layers of paints resembling a psychedelic 60's vehicle. I am still not sure whether they are priming coats or if it's the actual colour of the Champ. Hopefully I will find out soon. Anyway, after inspecting carefully the axles, I decided that I should strip the axles not only to prime and paint the axles but also to change the rubber boots, which I was lucky enough last year to have bought a set of 8.

So...where do I start?

Notice the lower connecting bracket bolt. I spent 2 hours trying to work out how to remove the bolt as it was stuck inside the lower connecting bracket. I mean REALLY stuck..not budging or moving a mm. I then foolishly thought that if I sprayed enough CRC into it, it would eventually move with the help of a big hammer. All that did was to essentially flatten the head of the bolt (:red:) and not much else.

Then finally the guy who is doing the soda blasting came to my rescue with the blow torch! He heated up the surrounding metal to nearly red hot, and eventually the bolt started moving. What a revelation! Amazing what heat can do. Never knew.

So the top arm is removed, then the bottom one, then I turned my attention to the other side. I wanted to show you the tool I had made from a mechanic friend which is indispensable for removing the pivot pin bush

Finally the whole assembly is getting smaller and more manageable and the next step is to remove it from the cradle. I finally found out the easiest way was to remove the axle mounting caps and the 8 mounting bolts. Another learning curve.

So the Meccano set looks even more so, and I was busy keeping tabs on the various nuts, washers and shims which were coming off all sorts of bolts. Naturally, as with all Champ things, nothing is simple and the bags I was using never seemed big enough to hold all the parts. Hence the large amount of photos.

I have decided that I will strip and paint the front axle before I do the rear axle. I know they are different in certain parts, however it is a good way of checking whether the re-assembly has been done correctly by comparing the other axle.

I realized the boots were beyond any help and I was surprised the axles had any oil left in them when I drained them, as the boots were completely split open

On Friday I will be going back to paint the parts

 

Simon

[101 Ron]

If you ever get down to Nowra way come and see me.

We may be able to exchange notes.

I have for the last 2 years been going though a learning curve with a Stalwart.

I have been using garnet for blasting and then normal red oxide on to the rough surface as the grip for the red oxide is good.

I have been using protec enamel for the final coat with a hardner added.

Check my restoration site

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/101-forward-controls-variations/118657-ultimate-fc.html

 

Ron

[simondema]

Hi all

Well, a lot has happened over the last few months since my last post.

The place I had been storing my Champ at, and been painting it, I have had to move out of, as the guy is selling the property. Therefore it has been a mad scramble to try and get the various parts blasted, primed and then moved closer to Sydney where I live.

 

The first priority was to get the chassis and body blasted and painted. Next was going to be the engine and the front axle. All the other smaller parts I have been taking to a sand blaster to do. He then primes them, so they are ready to be painted.

 

So the NOS chassis I bought in Melbourne was the first to get the royal flush.

 

Once primed, I made the decision, after much thought, to spray not only the underside of the chassis with a Sika Underbody Sealer, but the whole chassis.

I read a lot about the product, and although it talks about the fact it remains flexible, after giving it about 4 coats of paint, it would harden considerably. I remember that while blasting the chassis, a lot of the underbody sealer on that one was impossible to remove, even with the sand blaster. I know the Army used a bitumen-like substance, however the modern product would come close to the original product.

 

I did make the mistake, though of spraying the firewall and the gearbox case, which were attached to the chassis. They ended up, after lots of sanding, with a slight hammered look. I didn't particularly mid it, however I will replace the gearbox case with another one I have painted normally.

The Sika sealer, before applying it, I placed in a container of boiling water for a few minutes and then shook the hell out of it. This allows the mixture at the bottom of the container to be mixed thoroughly and prevent any spattering from occurring.

 

After applying the sealer all over, I allowed it to dry and then sanded any rough spots. After having finished painting the chassis, the material is rock hard. I made this decision as I wanted to prevent any rust forming on the chassis, as I certainly didn't want to go through this process again and again.

 

So after the sealer, I sprayed 2 coats of grey primer, and then 4 coats of DBG high gloss 2 pak paint. I was going to use the red oxide paint, however I thought it was overkill, as the sealer would have stuck to the metal like the proverbial!

 

I then turned my attention to the body tub. from the outside, the body looked in quite good condition, except for the usual bumps and dings. The lower sills, where they attach to the chassis, are badly rusted and I will need to have them cut out and replaced.

 

The outer body appeared to be in good condition, until I started peeling back the various layers of "bog" which had been applied to the body. Amazing what a wire brush on a grinder reveals!

Obviously the lower sills had rotted and had been replaced with a very nice fillet weld all across the lower side. And the driver side as well. The filler bog had done a very good job of masking the weld, however I have removed it and replaced it with newer filler. I wonder whether the Army would have done that, or maybe the previous owners?

Anyway, I primed the body tub

In the next few days I will fill in all the little dings and bumps. Yesterday was a 16 hour marathon working on the vehicle. Tomorrow I am going to pick up the engine

and the front axle and take them to my mechanic for a once over.

Stay tuned.....

[simondema]

Not too much to report today, except my girlfriend and I went up today to Windsor to pick up the engine and axle. I had hired a trailer from one of our local hardware stores, and then drove about 50 minutes to the storage area.

The body I had worked on yesterday was in the way, so we ended up having to hoist the body up to the roof to make way for the engine hoist to be moved around.

We both managed to get the engine inside the trailer, secured it with plenty of straps, then did the same with the axle.

Back on the weekend to finish the body, finish the painting and transport both chassis and body closer to home.