N/A california restoration

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Mon Jun 22, 2015 12:54 pm

rain stopped play early today, but the rear quarter is almost finished, i sense victory!!!
hopefully this week i can finish it and get the rear fender repair section on, then move to the front.
after my summer hols, i plan to drop the whole rear subframe including suspension and brakes and repaint, renew suspension and brakes, i have the parts except new bushes which i will get if needed.
anyway todays weldy pics.

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Wed Jun 24, 2015 6:05 pm

hello fellow menders, got the rear quarter finished today but the wing is not fully welded on yet as the rain came.
i found this side more difficult than the other to fit,
noting the before and after pics, it looks a bit frankenstien but its all solid steel and no rot.
hopefully i can finish weld the rear wing tomorrow and get onto the front end of the sill.
feel i have done the most difficult bits as the rear sections are quite involved .
sorry i didnt take a picture of the rot after i removed the old rear wing, but the one here gives an idea of the state of it.
all the repairs will be seem sealed and body shutz when finished. i even managed to mark where the captive nut went for the plastic liner, and weld that on the back of the repair section i made.

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 4:02 pm

hi, got all the rear quarter welded in today, i am pleased with it, needs a bit pulling out on the rear and a skim of filler when i get the welds fully ground down. the car now though is absolutely solid.
on to the front end tomorrow, and if rain stays off the next 2 days, i think i might get the welding finished altogether.
its took me at a good guess about 130 hours of cutting out and making and fitting the repair sections and rear wings. long time but its saved the car.
some pics of the fully welded rear wing, and the rear quarter finished underneath.

Yolo · Postby **Yolo** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 6:54 pm

Outstanding commitment here. Full marks to you :clap:

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Thu Jun 25, 2015 10:02 pm

Yolo wrote:Outstanding commitment here. Full marks to you

commitment or madness yolo, maybe a fine line :text-thankyouyellow:

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Sat Jun 27, 2015 7:04 pm

after being rained of yesterday, a mammoth 8 hour weld session finished the car. apart from the jacking points and a drain hole. all the rot has been cut out and new steel welded in. its took ages but i feel another car saved.
i started the day cutting out all the rot, then making and welding in all the repair panels. picture no6 the corner welds have been re welded as i felt they were not good enough.
the panel where the front wing bolts on underneath was made and tack welded in place, then the fender put on and the hole positions marked through. then i removed the panel and drilled and welded the captive nuts on. then re fitted the panel and fully welded it in.
that will be all till after my summer hols, the next job planned is to remove the rear subframe and suspension, renew the springs, discs and any bushes needed. fully paint the subframe and wishbones, and while its out paint all the underside of the body.

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Tue Jul 14, 2015 12:22 pm

going on holiday soon, but picked up a decent rear subframe, and all wishbones, i intend to clean this up and paint it. i am going to fit standard bushes in the wishbones,on reading up on the subject i think standards or il motorsport will be best, there expensive but once done its done. then it should just be a swap over onto the california, also with this lot out i can attend to the underbody and give it a good clean up and paint.
the exhaust on the car is ok, but i have now sourced a second hand stainless one which sounds rather good, so i will buy and fit that.
looking forward to our family hols but also looking forward to starting again on the project.

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 7:59 am

sorry no work done since the hols, and since i got back other work things have taken over . but it hasnt been forgotten about, i`ll get on it as and when.

YouTube · Postby **Mazda Mender** » Fri Sep 04, 2015 10:22 am

We are working on a full guide with pics.
M-m

fujikun · Postby **fujikun** » Thu Apr 11, 2019 12:18 pm

well finally got round to dragging the California to my new home, its been stuck in a dry rented garage for two years, I guess outa site outa mind, but got it back yesterday,
I went down and restled with the garage padlocks and got the door opened, id driven it in two years before, so thought it would start ok, I put some fresh petrol in the tank and coupled up a fully charged battery, on turn of the key he burst into life, three flat tyres, but I had come prepared with three space savers, lucky, I changed them over, on doing that I found the front brakes seized on, I sprayed with wd40 as the discs and pads are goosed anyway few taps with a lump hammer saw them free off. drove it onto the truck and off it went.
I am pleased to get it back and will try to start up the resto again.