Restoration of an 1972 Opel Ascona 1.9 S Luxus Automatic

[2 Fast 4 U]

I'll be starting on my Ascona in a few weeks , and I'd like to post some pictures, and a few words to go with them, but there isn't actually a place to post , is there? Or is it possible to create a new topic for future restorations [just thinking out loud here]

[namba209]

Erick, you could do the same as I did on my Willit? Update thread. That is, start a new thread with an appropriate subject line, in the correct forum for the car and just go for it. You could do an appropriate post with attached pics easily and to add to the thread as you progress, just go to the forum, find the thread and just "keep on chooglin'", HTH.

[2 Fast 4 U]

Thank you, I'll start as soon as I have some pictures

[2 Fast 4 U]

In a few weeks I'll start working on my Ascona. I'll be taking some pictures and post them here with some comments
Because it's an Ascona I thought it would be the right place to start the thread [if not let me know and move it ]
The first picture, my Ascona as it was when I started driving with it after a minor restoration in April 2000
http://www.opelgt.com/forums/vbpgima...2&d=1130068790

[hallgeir]

Are you planning to do a complete restoration? We`ll be watching with great interest. My first car was a 1972 Ascona. Lots of good memories from that car. Good luck.

[tekenaar]

This type of post is model specific so I moved it to Ascona (1900) forum . . . that's best place to post your resto info.

[2 Fast 4 U]

Originally Posted by tekenaar This type of post is model specific so I moved it to Ascona (1900) forum . . . that's best place to post your resto info.

Thank you Otto.

Here are some pictures how the car looked 7 years back and how it looks now:

[2 Fast 4 U]

This is the car I'm going to restore to look like my car looked when it came out of the showroom [I hope ].
Forgot to take pictures when I took out the front axle and engine as one piece and replaced with another front axle [sorry, next time better]

[2 Fast 4 U]

This is the axle and engine I took out of the restoration car [as one piece], it's a 2.0 N and I'm going to put it in my driving car, because the engine in that one leaks a little oil [2 liters / 1000 km ] but I'll take pictures of that to compensate for the ones I didn't

[2 Fast 4 U]

This is the 2.2 E that is going in the car, I'm not going to use the EFI but 1 carb or maybe 2 [if al goes well with one] I've got the choice of a single or double barrel carbs so who knows.
As you can see I changed the inlet manifold [drilled two new holes in the manifold] so that it would fit over the pins that stick out, I described that in an other thread some time back http://www.opelgt.com/forums/6c-fuel...fold-head.html

[2 Fast 4 U]

And going a bit into the future now, these are the rims that will be fitted, immitation Alpine.
For summer use 7Jx15 rims [R] with 195/50x15 tires, and for winter driving 6Jx13 rims [L] with 165x13 tires.
Not very noticeable is the difference in spooks the 15" rim has 20 and the 13" rim has only 18.
When the rims are ready they'll be in the same color silver and the inner part where the nuts are will be black, and these are the caps that will go on the center hole to fill it up, summer use left [because of plastic insert] rightside winter use.

[2 Fast 4 U]

Originally Posted by hallgeir Are you planning to do a complete restoration? We`ll be watching with great interest. My first car was a 1972 Ascona. Lots of good memories from that car. Good luck.

Yes I am, I want to restore it so that I don't have to do any major body, or chassis work for about 10 years [if the car doesn't give up on me by then ].
This is what will try to do:
1. strip the body and remove the axles.
2. clean all of the bottom [Underbody protection]
3. weld in pieces of sheet metal in bad places [and in places I don't trust]
4. when the bottom is rust free, coat it with rust protection [don't know what to use yet], primer, and a coat of Monza Blue [Strato Blue] and a coat of clear, and hope that that will do the job.
And the top side of the body, making it rust and dent free, change the vin, and then spray paint, and rebuild it.
That is what I intend to do , it will be a lot of work, and I'll be taking enough time to do it right , all by my self [with a lot of help from my brother ]

[hallgeir]

Originally Posted by 2 Fast 4 U Yes I am, I want to restore it so that I don't have to do any major body, or chassis work for about 10 years [if the car doesn't give up on me by then ]. This is what will try to do: 1. strip the body and remove the axles. 2. clean all of the bottom [Underbody protection] 3. weld in pieces of sheet metal in bad places [and in places I don't trust] 4. when the bottom is rust free, coat it with rust protection [don't know what to use yet], primer, and a coat of Monza Blue [Strato Blue] and a coat of clear, and hope that that will do the job. And the top side of the body, making it rust and dent free, change the vin, and then spray paint, and rebuild it. That is what I intend to do , it will be a lot of work, and I'll be taking enough time to do it right , all by my self [with a lot of help from my brother ]

I have a friend who bought a -66 Mustang convertible imported from Arizona, rust free, no rust protection on the bottom. He took it to a anti-rust workshop and they sprayed it with transparent rust protection. That way it`s easier to see if there comes any rust in the future. Maybe something to consider?

[2 Fast 4 U]

Originally Posted by hallgeir I have a friend who bought a -66 Mustang convertible imported from Arizona, rust free, no rust protection on the bottom. He took it to a anti-rust workshop and they sprayed it with transparent rust protection. That way it`s easier to see if there comes any rust in the future. Maybe something to consider?

It's a possibility Hallgeir, but I was thinking about something that will [I don't know how to put this] bond/react with the bare metal somewhat and then seal it with a coat of paint, mayby colorless?? but that's something for later on to worry about.

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by 2 Fast 4 U Title: Restauration of an 1972 Opel Ascona 1.9 S Luxus Automatic In a few weeks I'll start working on my Ascona. I'll be taking some pictures and post them here with some comments Because it's an Ascona I thought it would be the right place to start the thread [if not let me know and move it ] The first picture, my Ascona as it was when I started driving with it after a minor restauration in april 2000 http://www.opelgt.com/forums/vbpgima...2&d=1130068790

Meals on wheels? . . .

[2 Fast 4 U]

Originally Posted by tekenaar Meals on wheels? . . .

Well Otto, you got me on that one, those are the few times I forget to use the spell check.
I'm making a Word.doc of this thread and I noticed a lot of red lines, so I thought of correcting them here. But thanks anyway, shows I lost the touch after all those years.

[2 Fast 4 U]

It's been 4 weeks ago since my last posting, time for a new one.
I've been working on my rims, sanding and painting see the photo's how they look now. [only thing missing is the last layer of clear paint]

1st photo rim almost ready [only thing missing is the last layer of clear paint]
2nd photo 4 rims to be fitted with snow tires [only thing missing is the last layer of clear paint]
3rd photo because I was spray painting, I thought why not paint the wind shield wiper arms as well

[baz]

looking good erick looking good

[2 Fast 4 U]

Now the big stuff is coming, a BBQ spit for the car, here some photo's.
Now I need to make a bar that will mount to the car and fasten the roll axles to the construction, and we're in business

[2 Fast 4 U]

Last saturday I had new snow tires mounted on the car, almost € 200.00, it's getting hard to find tires [165/80 x 13" or 185/70 x 13"], for a reasonable price.
Today [thursday 14 december] I started preparations to change the front axle and engine, let the coolant out, disconnected the electrical wires, unbolted the inlet/exhaust manifold, removed the battery and other stuff that can be taken off in the engine bay. I'll take photo's of this all as I go along. [It has to be ready by monday evening, luckily we have a second car]

[2 Fast 4 U]

The last posting was a while back, time for an update. Been busy with the preparations for the car turning mount [ isn't there an other word for this?? Feling a sand storm in my brian, I KNOW!! I'll just call it "the contraption"!!!].
As you could see a few postings back I had the mount ready and was working on the turning part of the contraption, well that is coming to an end now. I'll take some photo's and post them.

@ Gary what is the total MB photo amount for a restoration project thread???

[BQS4]

Originally Posted by 2 Fast 4 U The last posting was a while back, time for an update. Been busy with the preparations for the car turning mount [ isn't there an other word for this?? Feling a sand storm in my brian, I KNOW!! I'll just call it "the contraption"!!!]. As you could see a few postings back I had the mount ready and was working on the turning part of the contraption, well that is coming to an end now. I'll take some photo's and post them. @ Gary what is the total MB photo amount for a restoration project thread???

Erick the word you're looking for is a rotisserie

[kwilford]

Originally Posted by BQS4 Erick the word you're looking for is a rotisserie

Stay tuned to this site, as I am about one-half done building a home made rotisserie (also called a body rotator in the Web pages I searched) for my GT. I am actually hoping to adapt it later to fit my SportWagon (MUCH later!). Photos will be included....

[2 Fast 4 U]

@ Kwilford, thank you that was the word I was looking for, but as I said I'm calling it "the contraption"

I have two more photo's from the contraption:

photo #1 shows the ballbearing holders with one of the axles, I drilled 12 holes in the flange so I can set the car at an angle and keep it there.
In photo #2 you can see the lockingpin construction that I have to addapt so it can be used.
more photo's to come!!

[2 Fast 4 U]

The contraption is al most finished, the turning axles are mounted snugly to the construction, as is the locking pin assembly. The last thing to do is make 4 brackets so I can fasten the car to the contraption. Here are some photo's of my self made with help from everybody rotisserie contraption.

#1-2 shows the locking pin assembly on top of the ball bearing housing
#3-5 shows the rest of the rotisserie