SMC Discussion Areas

Turned a corner tonight - the 44 is starting to go back together.  I replaced the insulation and got the tub and breaker strips back in tonight.

Before:
(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10186&g2_serialNumber=3)

New Insulation:
(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10195&g2_serialNumber=2)

After:
(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10192&g2_serialNumber=3)

Tub in place with breaker strips:
(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10183&g2_serialNumber=3)

Looks great so far.

Great job.

How did you refinish the tub inside, paint or powder coat.  Looks good   Thanks

Hi Victor,
Sanded, primed inside and out and then hit the inside with a fairly light coat of silver spray to give it a clean look.  Would love to have it powder coated, but that's not in the budget for this time.

Jim

Jim, looking awesome! love seeing the progress as it comes together, keep em coming

Thanks Lonny!   If one more bloody thing around this house breaks, I may have to sell it just to pay repair bills!  :veryangry:

 Today trying to get the riding mower out of hibernation and it won't start and now my son's (... really my) SUV threw a "brake failure, pull over safely" message as he pulled into the driveway.   <SIGH>  I just wanted a nice quiet weekend.   :censored:

Sorry to hear your day sucks !! If I lived closer I'd take care of the rider for ya  :tounge:

Most likely dirty gas or weak spark drain the carb add new gas & clean plug re gap use a quick shot of starting fluid

Thanks Leonard - I've been troubleshooting the darn thing most of the day.  It's an electrical/switch issue (Toro Timecutter riding mower) somewhere - still chasing the gremlin but I'll get it.

Interior is back together, so it is almost done!  Just need to finish up the main and coin doors and put 'em back together.

Before:
(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=9856&g2_serialNumber=1)

After:  (it's allowed in the house now)
(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10207&g2_serialNumber=5)

Many more pics on my website:
http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=9846

Jim

nice!, hey Jim what did you use to get the rack clean?

Thanks Lonny,
I used Simple Green (...a lot of Simple Green) with a non-scratch (blue) scrub pad for the basic 'de-gunking' and followed that with some 120 grit sandpaper to remove some of the stains and give the surface a key... then a light coat of an acid-etch primer and rustoleum hammertone spray as a topcoat.

Here it is before and after with the door attached.  The outside is still original, I hit it with some SG to clean the worst of it, Flitz to remove some of the oxidized paint and then a light coat of cleaner-wax.   The concept was to leave the outside intact as it is a nice original that shows decently but get the inside clean, arrest any rust and make it safe to use.

Before:
(http://www.littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=9850&g2_serialNumber=1)

After:
(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10238&g2_serialNumber=2)

Jim

Awesome, I'm impressed man,  gonna use your method on the inside parts to the pepsi 81 I'm doing, thanks for the tips,

I think it's great that you kept the outside original too

It's all done guys!   :drinking:

Had to finish a few touches tonight.  Somehow after all the parts and pieces I disassembled, I lost the hinge pins  :veryangry:   I lost not one other nut or bolt.   A trip to the Home Despot for a piece of 3/8" steel rod and a few minutes with my angle grinder and I've got 2 new hinge pins. 

Also had to make some minor door latch adjustments and install the plexiglass shims I made.

I loaded it up with a case of 8oz Cokes and fired it up.  Went from 78* at 8:30 pm to 32* at 11:00 pm tonight when I got back home.  Runs smooth and quiet.  I am one happy camper.  Thanks all for putting up with my endless updates on this, it was a lot of fun. 

I have all of the photos I took on my website if anyone wants to check them out.
http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=9846

Here are some final pics:

(http://www.littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10241&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10239&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://www.littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10245&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://www.littlebluespitfire.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=10243&g2_serialNumber=1)

Really great job Jim, you got a lot of stuff done on that machine and the real gem was that you documented everything for the future here on SMC.  Now it's time to enjoy it!  I had a similar condition V44 a few years back and sold it as soon as I was done with the refurb, wish I held on to that one a little longer, they are such cool machines.