After running into depressing rust issues on Rocket, I decided I’d spend my one car day this week accomplishing something on the Sprite. With the front suspension off, I turned to removing the rear suspension.

I’d like to say that there was something systematic about my method, but in reality I ended up turning and, in some cases, cutting things until the entire assembly was free.

For my records, I wrote the following cryptic notes:

11/16ths at front
1/2 spring strap
3/4 spring support
11/16th spring pin with spacer.

I also cut the worn brake line and the safety straps that were the last things holding the assembly to the car, so they will have to be replaced if I use this suspension set up again.

The entire mess was pulled from under the car on one of my wheel dollies. I’m one step closer to getting the Sprite onto the rotisserie.

—

Tools I need to buy:

• An SAE impact socket set that includes 9/16 and 7/16ths.
• An impact hammer “bit” with a flat face for wacking bolts out from the threaded end.

Fortunately I was able to borrow them from my neighbour today.

Also, I am really tempted to buy the lift table Costco currently has on sale. In might make a good platform to put the Sprite body onto. (I’m currently using a dolly, laid down on its side.)

posted by Nanook @ 8:21 am

Huzzah! Victory at last!

I’ve been wanting to put our Sprite onto a small homemade rotisserie of sorts. However, In order to make that practical, I needed to take all of the suspension pieces off the car. The last time I wrote I was fighting with one of the trunion bolts(?) holding the left-side, lower arm onto the car and I couldn’t get the stubborn thing off. The Sprite’s been sitting neglected ever since.

On Saturday (about six months after my last struggle with the bolt) I picked up a cheap dent pulling hammer at KMS Tools. It had a little hook attachment that I could get behind an extension coming off the bolt. I took a heat gun to the rubber (I actually got it smoking) and slammed the bolt with the hammer. In under 20 minutes… wap… I got the bolt to pop out. Finally!

Now to start working on the rear suspension. Where’s my WD40?

posted by Nanook @ 7:45 am

I recently purchased a House Of Kolor Chip Chart / Tech Guide Package off eBay.

I love the House of Kolor line of paint and wanted the kids to decide on the actual colours they want for the cars.

Tiffany wanted the Sprite to be pink and Tristan wants Oldsmotron to be two-tone orange and white, but there are a lot of different pinks and oranges out there. In the end, Tiff decided on HoK PBC39 Hot Pink (three coats over BC-26 White Base, then clear) and Tristan picked HoK PBC32 Tangelo. While I am a teal guy myself, I think both of their choices have the potential to be very striking.

(There is a color chart here, but it doesn’t really do the colors justice.)

Ouch of the day: I turned the air on to my pressure sandblaster and the spray house “stiffened”, uncoiling and flew. The metal nozzle valve smacked the bone on the inside of my knee. Doh!

Tip of the day: Don’t sandblast inside your garage unless you want to spend a million years cleaning grit out of everything. I should have known better…

posted by Nanook @ 12:13 am

So I am thinking about machining a front-tilt bonnet hinge kit for my modified Sprite. It’s become apparent that fabricating several kits at the same time (with an eye to selling/trading the extras) wouldn’t be that much more expensive.

If I go that route, I’d need to find one or two folks out there to “beta test” the kit for me on his or her car. In exchange for the free kit, I’d like the person to provide miniDV footage and digital stills of the install process so I could add a how-to DVD to the kit at a later date.

If you are interested, have a camera and could complete the install before June 1st, please leave a comment or drop me an e-mail message ASAP. I need to decide how to proceed.

Also, if anyone has an existing commercial kit, can you check and see if there is a patent number mentioned? I should probably check if someone would be owed royalties.

posted by Nanook @ 12:18 am

I broke down and ordered the Haynes book for the Sprite today. I probably should have purchased this a while ago.

I also should get a shop manual one of these days. Anyone care to donate.

posted by Nanook @ 7:18 pm