1990 country squire resto/lowrider in UK

[andyfanshawe]

Heres the 3 mm thick steel plate cut out



to fit here



No plasma cutters or any other fancy profile machine! Just an angle grinder, air saw and die grinder! Took about 2 hours!

Heres a shot of the floor finally welded back to the floorpan.





Wishing all of you who are following this a very happy and prosperous new year..........hoping in 12 months time this project will be somewhere near finished!!

Andy.

PS I'll be back on it on new years day!!

[sly]

I hope you get it done faster than that. Very much looking forward to seeing this car done.

[grandwagon]

Can't wait to see this long roof laying rockers!!!

[andyfanshawe]

While I am welding on the passenger side I spotted the fuel filter bracket bolted to the frame. It was the only bit I didn't have blasted and powdercoated. So off it comes and here it is





Just a little bit rusty then! So it goes into my acid tank for a few days and I will then weld it up

New rocker extension welded in where the rear door is



Now I will have to fill in this gap





Heres the next gap to fill in



Andy.

[andyfanshawe]

Decided to fillet weld the floor back to the rockers this time.







Right at the front is a bit awkward.



So I made this panel



to go here.



then welded up and panel adhesive where I cant get to weld



Onto rear wheel arches next! Oh and my engine is ready to pick up! Fully rebuilt.

Andy.

[sly]

very nice.

[andyfanshawe]

My garage is quite small and I have absolutely no space left to put my new engine on a stand let alone paint it! This is the space at the back



and the front rails of the car is up against the roller door at the front!

So where the heck do I put the engine so I can paint it?

Then I had an idea! Put the engines stand in the engine bay. Will it fit? Have a look





I know it will be a PITA to get round it but it is possible. After painting it I will hoist it off the stand and bolt it back into place and assemble the engine in situ (the block already has the bottom end in, its just minus the heads and everything else!)

This may work!

Andy.

[johnunit]

Now that's some excellent, if I may borrow the british vernacular, bodging. Very funny.

[sly]

I'd have put the engine stand the other way around so as to not have to mess with dislodging the stand later, but I had the same idea when looking at the lack of space in the first pic.

[miamibob]

I'd LOVE to be there to see all this going on! Bobby

[andyfanshawe]

I'd have put the engine stand the other way around so as to not have to mess with dislodging the stand later, but I had the same idea when looking at the lack of space in the first pic.

Hi slymer.
I had thought about putting it the other way round but getting to the front of the engine to paint would then be very difficult. Serves me right for living on a small island and not having much land!!

Andy.

[johnunit]

Hi slymer.
I had thought about putting it the other way round but getting to the front of the engine to paint would then be very difficult. Serves me right for living on a small island and not having much land!!

Andy.

Don't beat yourself up too badly. I'm in a country with less than 1/100 the population density and I still can't get an actual garage for my Vic.

[marquisman]

Don't beat yourself up too badly. I'm in a country with less than 1/100 the population density and I still can't get an actual garage for my Vic.

Ill drink to that. I know all about it.

[sly]

Hi slymer.
I had thought about putting it the other way round but getting to the front of the engine to paint would then be very difficult. Serves me right for living on a small island and not having much land!!

Andy.

but then you could roll it out with the door open to make room. I get what you're saying though. And yeah... my garage BARELY fits these cars nose to tail and since I have a 2-car garage, the lincoln takes up half with my wife's vic taking up the other. my 88 MGM driver gets the short stick outside. and I have no room left pretty much. and this is only because we passed on a number of houses with shorter garages (couldn't pull the car in without the ass hanging out).

[andyfanshawe]

but then you could roll it out with the door open to make room. I get what you're saying though. And yeah... my garage BARELY fits these cars nose to tail and since I have a 2-car garage, the lincoln takes up half with my wife's vic taking up the other. my 88 MGM driver gets the short stick outside. and I have no room left pretty much. and this is only because we passed on a number of houses with shorter garages (couldn't pull the car in without the ass hanging out).

Agree with all this. My garage is actually far bigger than all the more modern ones.

Engine pickup day! And cylinder head drop off at the same time.

Here's the plastic wrapped thing in the back of our Chrysler Grand Voyager



and the crane ready to pick it out



Here's sneaky peek at the top of one of the pistons





and onto the engine stand!



I've had a standard rebuild but with the exception of higher compression pistons to make it slightly more "peppy!" but without causing any pinging with our fuel.

Painting it next and then assemble time, once the heads have had their 3 angle valve job etc. Nothing fancy but more modern!! My performance engines disappeared with my youth! Now its slow and low.

Andy.