Minor Progress

Among many other non Palatov tasks this weekend the following was completed on the car.
1. Finished removing my wiring harness. After installing Palatov's harness this was superfluous. It is much neater now.
2. Installed the new shoulder harness mounting bracket on the driver's side.
3. Reconnected my MOTEC data logger.
4. Began adapting the new Palatov dash and data logger mounting bracket to the MOTEC.

I'll post a pic of the new dash when I have the logger mounted.

Still anxiously waiting for the body work and paint job to be finished.

Body to the painter

The body is now off the chassis and has been delivered to the painter.  We have been promised a two week turnaround.

The next tasks for me are to dress and finish the new wiring harness, trim and permanently mount the seats, install new shoulder harness mounting brackets and reinstall the MOTEC data logger.

Plenty of things to do. :)

Running with a body and lights!

The body is mounted and the lights are installed:

 

At last. Hurray!

 

I have also been to 3 body shops for estimates on the paint job and expect the 3rd. bid response tomorrow. When the body shop is selected, I will remove the body, deliver it to the shop and begin concentrating on a final assembly and finishing the wiring, MOTEC data logger/dashboard install and begin working on the interior.

 

I expect the body shop to take about two weeks to prepare the body for paint and actually apply multiple coats of paint.  When I get the body back we can install it and complete the process.

Body installed

Over the weekend I found the time to install the body. :)

I had planned to take and post a video of the car driving around the neighborhood.

This would show off the lights and the car finally running with the (unpainted) body installed. All would have worked out fine except it began raining hard just before I was ready to drive it and take the video. :(

Hopefully tomorrow for the video. Also I will try to drive to a couple of body shops to talk about painting the body with a nice bright color. :)

Progress

I survived the flu or whatever it was. :)

In addition to buying a new house, designing and contracting for a new garage/workshop, closing on the house, having a grandchild graduate from college, having two grandkids get married and attending the appropriate family gatherings I have actually had a little time to work on the D2.

DP sent the long awaited lights recently and I installed them this weekend.

That was a bigger project than originally thought. This is because DP provided a very nicely designed setup of front lights with brackets, rear lights, license plate bracket with back up lights, rear LED tail lights, a new dash with leatherette covering, wiring harnesses with weather sealed connectors and numerous other items. Instead of doing the quicker install of connecting the new parts to the wiring harness I had already installed in the car for my temporary lights I decided to rip out my entire wiring loom and install the new setup. In the long run this will be a much better setup.

The plan is to get the car running with the new setup and install the body.

At that point I can drive it to the body shop of my choice, have the owner see what he has to do, get an estimate, remove the body, have him paint it, then reinstall the body and finally have the graphics installed. 

At that point I'll have an almost completed car and can begin the final tuning and tweaking that I enjoy so much.  It has been a very long, frustrating and torturous process but the resulting car will be super. I am very much looking forward to the next month or two.

I will keep this blog updated as progress occurs and time allows.

Another PFP Arrived!

As promised a new Package from Portland arrived yesterday. It contains fenders and headlights with brackets, taillights, a new dashboard with switches, upholstery, wiring harness and several other items.

HOORAY!

I think I now have the parts to do a final trial assembly, have the body painted and complete the car.

That is all good news. The bad news is that I have some type of flu or cold bug with its accompanying fever. Consequently no energy to work on the car. Hopefully I will feel better by the weekend and will make some serious progress.

When further progress occurs, I'll post another update.

Good News, I think.

I have good reason to believe that proper headlights with brackets, tail lights, turn signals, plus the front and rear fenders with appropriate brackets will be shipped. This should all arrive in my shop by the end of April. This is very good news and will allow me to get the body painted, graphics added and the car substantially completed. Hopefully by the end of May.

Much later than I had hoped for. But better late than never. Also, I think the final product will be super.

Look for another update in 3 or 4 weeks. :)