These pages show the progress each month
Original Body: The car as I found it, towed it and cleaned it up to prepare the restoration.
Original Motor: Pictures of what I found in the engine that was supposed to run.
Stripping and Cleaning: Pictures of what I found when I pulled out the Suzuki engine and washed everything with high pressure water.
Month 5: Here are my new parts and we start on the body work, patching and discovery of hidden work.
Month 12: Sandblasting and painting of rear sub frame and suspension, cutting of floor and welding of new floor.
Month 16: Assembling rear suspension and brakes with new bearings and knuckles.
Month 25: This month shows the arrival of the front clip with the engine, transmission and many other parts, as well as the painting of the new front subframe and polishing of the new alternator and adjusta-ride units for the front.
Month 27: Here we line up and begin to weld the new front clip and clean up the engine, discovering the problems with the cooling system, as well as measuring the bearings to order replacements. also polishing of the manifolds and various aluminum parts, plus preparation of the head, arrival of the new engine parts and chroming of the heat deflector.
Month 28: Final disassembly of the engine, discovery of bad lifters, cleaning up of pistons, honing the cylinders, and painting of the engine. Also more work fabricating panels for the door frames and fitting the doors.
Month 30: Upholstered seats and door panels, making of tail light bezels and more body work, including welding of the floor pieces and right hand side details.
Month 31: Assembly of the engine, making and polishing of the rocker panel trim, prefabrication of the tailgate, stretching the cabin and fenders to match the doors. Also testing of Targa Red (front of fender) against Flame Red (A panel) and testing the seat fitment for fabrication of mounting points.
Month 33: Actually running month 33 and 34. Trial fitting of the windshield and rear window in their new frames, mounting wheels and disk brakes, stripping engine compartment and interior. Also fabricating the wheel flares and mounting the seats with the relocation of the steering column and adaptation of the wood dashboard to the 1994 instrument cluster.
Month 36: Cleaning and modification of the gas tank. Finishing the details of the body, priming, etc. Modification of the front subframe for the engine fitting and installation of the engine.
Month 44: Back to work on finishing the body, installing seat belts in the side pillars, and painting.
Month 47: Final assembly, finishing the gas tank, making the harness for the rear lights and tank, connecting hoses and wires to the engine compartment, and installing Fatmat on the interior of the roof and floor. Final polishing with Meguiar’s Ultimate.
Month 51: The installation of the headliner, LED brake lights, with discovery and diagnosis of the transmission problem.
Month 54: Installation of the new forward clutch pack, reassembly of the power pack into the frame and truck, testing and determination of additional problems. Removal of the engine and separation from the transmission, further diagnosis, reassembly and success.
Month 57: Final touches, wheel alignment, fabrication of new license plate & bracket. Finished pictures.
Small Projects: The making of the transmission shift knob, installation of Dynamat Hoodliner on the hood (bonnet), fuel pressure regulator, oil temperature gauge, and bed cover.
Dashboard: The adaptation of the original Rover Mark V gauges and some aftermarket ones to the Walnut dashboard.
Before and After: A series of pictures of certain things comparing before and after
Original Motor: Pictures of what I found in the engine that was supposed to run.
Stripping and Cleaning: Pictures of what I found when I pulled out the Suzuki engine and washed everything with high pressure water.
Month 5: Here are my new parts and we start on the body work, patching and discovery of hidden work.
Month 12: Sandblasting and painting of rear sub frame and suspension, cutting of floor and welding of new floor.
Month 16: Assembling rear suspension and brakes with new bearings and knuckles.
Month 25: This month shows the arrival of the front clip with the engine, transmission and many other parts, as well as the painting of the new front subframe and polishing of the new alternator and adjusta-ride units for the front.
Month 27: Here we line up and begin to weld the new front clip and clean up the engine, discovering the problems with the cooling system, as well as measuring the bearings to order replacements. also polishing of the manifolds and various aluminum parts, plus preparation of the head, arrival of the new engine parts and chroming of the heat deflector.
Month 28: Final disassembly of the engine, discovery of bad lifters, cleaning up of pistons, honing the cylinders, and painting of the engine. Also more work fabricating panels for the door frames and fitting the doors.
Month 30: Upholstered seats and door panels, making of tail light bezels and more body work, including welding of the floor pieces and right hand side details.
Month 31: Assembly of the engine, making and polishing of the rocker panel trim, prefabrication of the tailgate, stretching the cabin and fenders to match the doors. Also testing of Targa Red (front of fender) against Flame Red (A panel) and testing the seat fitment for fabrication of mounting points.
Month 33: Actually running month 33 and 34. Trial fitting of the windshield and rear window in their new frames, mounting wheels and disk brakes, stripping engine compartment and interior. Also fabricating the wheel flares and mounting the seats with the relocation of the steering column and adaptation of the wood dashboard to the 1994 instrument cluster.
Month 36: Cleaning and modification of the gas tank. Finishing the details of the body, priming, etc. Modification of the front subframe for the engine fitting and installation of the engine.
Month 44: Back to work on finishing the body, installing seat belts in the side pillars, and painting.
Month 47: Final assembly, finishing the gas tank, making the harness for the rear lights and tank, connecting hoses and wires to the engine compartment, and installing Fatmat on the interior of the roof and floor. Final polishing with Meguiar’s Ultimate.
Month 51: The installation of the headliner, LED brake lights, with discovery and diagnosis of the transmission problem.
Month 54: Installation of the new forward clutch pack, reassembly of the power pack into the frame and truck, testing and determination of additional problems. Removal of the engine and separation from the transmission, further diagnosis, reassembly and success.
Month 57: Final touches, wheel alignment, fabrication of new license plate & bracket. Finished pictures.
Small Projects: The making of the transmission shift knob, installation of Dynamat Hoodliner on the hood (bonnet), fuel pressure regulator, oil temperature gauge, and bed cover.
Dashboard: The adaptation of the original Rover Mark V gauges and some aftermarket ones to the Walnut dashboard.
Before and After: A series of pictures of certain things comparing before and after