The Peerless & Warwick Discussion Forum

Erik V · Status: Offline

Restoration of Dutch Peerless Phase2

nigel c · Status: Offline

do you know what original means biggrin .... yea yea I know, good coming from me!

I think Gary had some quarter lights (as they are called over here) a bit ago?

Erik V · Status: Offline

Hmm, i do have a spare V6 lying around. wink

No, this one will have to do without a V6, fuel injection, 5 speed box, steering rack, telescopic rear shocks, etc

I'm going to give it a good clean, replace the suspension rubbers and brake hoses.

Replace the rotten fuel tanks and recondition the fuel pumps.

Sort out all electrics, get the engine up and running and check the drive line.

The grp floors and boot are missing quite some chunks.

There will be no sandblasting or painting.

It would be nice to have all of this finished this year. hmm

Basically it will be some kind of a rat rod.

Frank · Status: Offline

I've been accused of the Rat Rod thing, let's keep this civilised please.

What's the body number, and does it have a Wincanton body plate inside the left hand door?

F

Erik V · Status: Offline

Ohboy, did I say "rat rod"?

Off course I meant Patina

Gary S · Status: Offline

Not any more. Sold it a couple of years back. If we can get a good template, Pilkington can make them for us.

Erik V · Status: Offline

Last weekend i switched my cars, so the Phase 2 is now at home.
I'd like to have the car registered this year.

I'm waiting for the cylinderhead and crankshaft that are at the engine shop for new valves and seats, and grinding and balancing.

While waiting i have removed the alternative fuel tank and started to repair a rather large hole in the boot section.
Don't know what went wrong there, maybe some debris got kicked up and smashed it?

I'm going to make a mould of the floor piece that is still intact and then rotate that mold over the hole and repair it with fresh grp.

Unfortunately i am missing the "bulge" that bolts to the front of the floor section, near the diff.

If there is anyone out there who can make me a couple of pictures of what it looks like?

nigel c · Status: Offline

looks like a mini tank to me? and I love the exhaust bracket at the back biggrin

If you cant get a copy I would try fitting a spare wheel (of the size you are intending to run), check for clearances when taking out and putting in (get someone to do that whist you watch from underneath) and then

if alls good size wise put some tin foil on the tyre or packing out to get the right shape first, then tin foil and glass it up to get the shape you need. remember the De Dion tube does throw itself about in that area too!

Erik V · Status: Offline

Progress.

I couldn't proceed with the rear of the car so I started on the front.
The front cross member was gone and badly repaired so I removed it and welded a new one back in.

The nose of the car was completely loose on the chassis and had quite some accident damage that was also badly repaired.
So I hacked out all of the repairs and put the chassis on stands.
I put it level and checked the straightness/flatness of it, which was surprisingly good.

Then I started measuring and re-aligning the nose, and made some "scaffolding" to hold everything together.

I cut out the remains of the inner wing chassis supports because they where crap, and made new ones.

Saturday I repaired the centre of the front, and it is now already very strong.

nigel c · Status: Offline

excellent work there Erik, I demand a couple of hundred words and few pics for the next (immanent) Traction report.......make it so

Erik V · Status: Offline

Hopefully, next month i'll be lifting off the body to replace two chassis members .

I simply cannot replace these with the body on.

I think i know the answer but, is it possible/wise to leave the front and rear glass in while taking it off?

With four people, and then place it on the wooden support rig i'm going to make.

The body is in good, strong condition.

Greg Haskin · Status: Offline

Best of luck removing the body Erik. If you do remove the glass, could you shoot a couple photos for me of the fitting of the rear screen And the profile of the rubber seal? I've found previous posts about the front screen and side window seals, but haven't found anything on the rear. Your projects are looking fantastic.

mikerf · Status: Offline

Erik, I'd be really doubtful about taking the body off with the front and rear screens in. Admittedly, my old body had some damage that would have reduced the structural integrity but even so, when it came off the frame it flexed so easily I would have imagined the screens would have just popped out if I had left them in. Personally, I wouldn't risk it.

Greg, IIRC, the rubber for both the front and rear screen rubbers on my car were the same. Woolies part no. R398-C (or R398-358 if you prefer a chrome infill rubber).

nigel c · Status: Offline

There is a fundamental difference between your car Mike and Erik's. Yours is Ph1 and Erik's is Ph2. Phase 1 was an outer molded shell with some 58 panels "glassed in" over and around the chassis and a healthy dose of pop rivets to boot!

Phase 2 is an all in one (ish) body and should lift from the chassis and be more ridged.

IMHO people....

IF the original glass could be sacrificial I would leave it in situ. the amount of grip the rubber seal gives to the glass area would keep the shell in good shape and hopefully in a position that would help it stay intact and go back without to much trauma....saying this (and here comes the get out clause) I have never lifted a true factory Phase 2 biggrin

as per usual I can t put my hand on it but there is an image/outline drawing of the time of the Phase 1 body components doh

mikerf · Status: Offline

Ah, I forgot that Erik's car was a P2. I guess that the 1 piece shell would make a big difference. Should have put in the proviso that my opinion was based on my own P1 experience.

Apologies, Erik.

Erik V · Status: Offline

No problem Mike.

It's simply like this, i don't yet know what i fear more.

Breaking a window taking off the body or breaking a window taking them out of the body and putting them back in.

Putting them back in with fresh rubber, is that ok to do?

Frank · Status: Offline

Putting screens in (even putting back the old one) is a 2 man job. A suction cup glass holder and chrome strip insertion tools are essential.

Don't use adhesive and lubricate the rubber with washing up liquid.

When you first put it in, there are gaps at the lower front corners. Ignore these, and push the screen around until the glass sits central in the rubber.

The gaps in the corners will disappear when you insert the chrome strip.

Easy peasy by Peerless standards.

F

mikerf · Status: Offline

Erik, easiest thing to do is just take a box cutter to the old rubbers and remove the screens that way. Replace with new rubber as described by Frank.

Mike

P.S. As Frank says, lubricate with washing up liquid but first, give the new rubber a good soak in hot soapy water to get it a bit easier to work.

-- Edited by mikerf on Tuesday 19th of May 2020 10:33:02 AM

Erik V · Status: Offline

So, time for an update.

When i bought the car the bonnet came as a loose part.

Appearantly the hinges where in a bad condition.

The metal bonnet plate was badly rusted and broke out of the GRP.

The metal body strip also was badly rusted.

So i took it all out and replaced these parts with modified stainless ones.

I modified the bonnet bracket to give more radiator clearance, and the body bracket

is now much more rigid compared to the original strip.

Also i made some bearing bushes for the hinges.

The bonnet is back on the car now and is nicely adjustable to line up with the body.

As well as is possibble on a Peerless off course biggrin

Erik V · Status: Offline

Erik V · Status: Offline

mikerf · Status: Offline

Lucky you didn't have to shell out for a pair of Austin Healey hinges like I just did. What a price!! Having said that, I'm sure I've seen at least 1 P2 car fitted with AH hinges.

But a very nice job. Well done.

-- Edited by mikerf on Monday 27th of July 2020 02:06:20 PM

Erik V · Status: Offline

Well personally i prefer the inside hinges.

I wonder if customers could choose between inside or outside hinges because it seems completely random on both Phase1 and 2?

mikerf · Status: Offline

At the cost of the AH ones, I'd have preferred the hidden ones too.

I actually have a P2 hood on a P1 car and given the relatively early chassis number, I would assume that it's not original. It also came with rather strange exterior chrome hinges that folded over themselves so that when the hood was opened it went up and slightly forward. They weren't particularly attractive as they had a blunt front to them.

nigel c · Status: Offline

I've only come across two slightly different external hinges on phase 1 cars. there's the AH hinges and then ones slightly longer, what they are off I have no idea.

I'm pretty sure internal was on the cross over to phase 2 and dont forget some cars went back to the factory to be repaired/converted to phase 2 fronts and lost bonnets would be happily be replaced with what ever you could get.

I had a phase 1 with an all ali skinned,two larger power bulges with rear vents on a steel frame and hinged(internally) from the bulkhead!

Frank · Status: Offline

Eric:

Have you discovered the secret of how to apply GRP uphill, or did you turn the body over?

F

nigel c · Status: Offline

anti gravity brush mate, eBay £2.99

Erik V · Status: Offline

The secret of applying GRP uphill or even up side down is using the right stuff!

Normal resin is indeed very thin and runny, but by adding Aerosil powder (that's what they call it here) you can make the resin as thick and sticky as you like.

For laying up the resin shouldn't be too thick off course, otherwise the impregnation of the matting becomes troublesome.

If the resin is made thicker you can also add glass bubbles or chopped strands or both to make a paste that is wonderfull to make rounds or fillets with.

I used this for reinforcing the fragile wheel arch edges. Inside off course.

This paste can also be used to fill holes or irregularities before laying up glass matting.

And for the strongest laying up result i always use my special rollers to push out the air bubbles.

This also gives a very nice flatter final finish.

-- Edited by Erik V on Tuesday 28th of July 2020 07:34:01 PM

nigel c · Status: Offline

proper job Erik, I have said to people in the past you have to invest in these products and tools just like you do when buying a welder and steel tube/sheet.

And always try to work a cleanly as possible, it shouldn't be a sticky affair wink plenty of Acetone/goggles/gloves etc.....but dont worry about the fumes...man... blankstare

Years ago I sub contracted a very large GRP project out to a company in Lincolnshire, great guys with a vast knowledge but I was alarmed to see 6 guys laying up a large mould with mat and resin.... using their bare hands!

The foreman said they just wash their hands in Acetone like soap and water bleh

Erik V · Status: Offline

Working with GRP, NEVER without my gloves and P3 mask especially when grinding or sanding the stuff.

Also the Aerosil is not good for your health it seems, but hey which dust is healthy for you?

Before using gloves i used to wash my hands with thinner, oooops.

I'm working with GRP for some 30 years now but untill i discovered the Aerosil it was a drippy mess most of the time.

Now i never use resin without it, it makes the work so much cleaner.

And the rollers, i simply couldn't do without them anymore.

-- Edited by Erik V on Wednesday 29th of July 2020 05:43:12 PM