DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Love this build.... you're making some really great progress - keep up the updates pls!

murph2309 wrote:Love this build.... you're making some really great progress - keep up the updates pls!

Thank you

John, its an old Stykes & Pickavent tool which is a testament to the adage of 'they don't make them like they used to', I also have a flimsy modern one that would probably struggle to flare a marshmallow.

Theres one on eBay at the moment.







One of my targets last night was to make the door shut. My catches aren't in the best of health which is surprising considering how mint the rest of the car was ( ) but anyhoo, the drivers door refused to shut so I split them apart and it was obvious why - the face of the stud that the door catch slams against was pitted beyond recognition so I can only assume the previous owner was either a delivery driver or had a weak bladder. As a short term fix I popped it out and span it 180º so the good face was shown to the catch, and that worked a treat. A door that now shuts and stays shut, although I will be ordering a rebuild kit for the slam plates.

Front coilovers spindles relocated north by 18mm, turbo track rods and rear adjustable spring plates ordered from Elephant Racing. Lets get her on wheels by christmas. Maybe.

Actually saw one of those flaring tools for sale last Sunday.
£110 and some mandrels were missing from the box, bound to be the ones you need.

Oh for sure that’s a given.

After what felt like years of my life passed, my machinist eventually deciphered my CAD and made my brackets. Or threw my CAD over his left shoulder and did his own. Who knows.

I am very pleased with the outcome though whichever route he took and they fit first time, even better - the pads fit in too.

So now can commence the rest of the plumbing on the rear.

My spangly new black cap head bolts arrived for the callipers so they are now rid of that nasty rusty one used for the test fit.

I had also ordered some M3x10 cap heads in an effort to solve my steering column shroud screw based conundrum. This whole situation with the steering column has been with me from the word go if any of you remember the daft questions - but slowly I've managed to piece it all together and gather what I needed, and tonight - it all came together.

The cap heads were a gnats pube too big, so I gave the holes a slight tickle and viola, they fit.

Tonight, I am happy.







In the meantime, my business partner/best mate came over. He's the more artistic one in our duo when it comes to the finer details like paint so we paid a visit to a local auto paint wholesaler and had a variety of colours made up (browns, greys etc) in aerosols plus 250ml of polo red and 250ml of a blue grey for the air fed spray gun to mix together and try recreate the colour on the lower half of the car on the brand new sills and lower B pillar.

Then it was a case of layering up the colours and just playing with it, lots of trial and error involved but this is new territory for us and we are by no means pros by any stretch but his first attempt was decent. He's not happy with the shade of red though so that attempt has been binned and recovered. I've also bought around 18 tiny pots of modelling paint in all browns and greys etc allowing us to play further and get it as close and natural as possible. The first picture shows what we are starting with, are lovely fresh metal (sorry Mr Smith)

More fettling, getting closer.

Second attempt and that end of the sill is starting to blend in well.



Suspension being shipped on Monday

Another seemingly small shuffle forward in progress today leaves me feeling like a proper milestone is looming. The majority of the front loom is put away now and I couldn’t resist.

Not a great deal to report this weekend, but with the impending arrival of my front struts from elephant I need to be prepared to work out my wheel specs so stripped the two 10's.

I've found a supplier of barrels and lips for these wheels so as soon as I've waved a measuring stick at it i'll get them ordered.




I also got sent a link to one of these so had to have one..

After being away with work for a week I returned home tonight to some goodies, the first of which was a not so interesting brake light switch to put on to the T piece.



What I was really excited about was my delivery from Elephant Racing



The modified ball joints have been dispatched this afternoon as the eagle eyed amongst anyone out there might spot that these struts aren't 66 style units. I was still able to hang one off of the upper perch though so I could work out what wheel parts I need.

\


I also removed the old track rod end from the steering rack - a job I wish I'd done while it was off the car as the dog learnt some new swear words tonight. On went the turbo track rod with new bellows.




So now I have to mount a disc properly on a strut and send it to my machinist to mount the calliper - in the meantime I'll get the plumbing finished and order the barrels and lips from the USA for my SSR's.

This will be a cracker when done!
Nice suspension indeed.

Cheers Graham, I over egged it with the suspension really for what she will be doing in this incarnation but in the back of my head long term unless any drastic life changes occur she'll see a straightened nose and a paint job. I always wanted a track car, maybe this in the future will be it.

Received confirmation that my machined ball joints and rear spring plates will arrive Monday, so she could be a roller next weekend albeit on some temporary front wheels.

Got to sit looking at these till Sunday now.

Spring plates look good. Where are they from?