Many, and I mean many, hours of work and Giulia Sprint Speciale 381173 is, I am happy to say is… on its way to redemption. All the rust has been replaced, all the floors are done, and we are finishing our way around the outside metal.
The driver side outer skin is almost done but I wanted to share a few photos of our headway. The photos with the various shape template gauges are used as a guide in order to evaluate how much curve and how much hand planishing work is required. It is also a guide to ensure correct symmetry on both sides of the car.
We are about to move to the other side of the car starting Tuesday. By the end of month 3 we will have completed a total of 580 hours of work including cleaning, sand blasting, metal fabrication, welding, and hand planishing.
After that, we have the front lower valance to replace and a few miscellaneous parts. That said, we are on tract to complete all the work at about the 700 hours as originally estimated.
Although we have a shop full of tools the preponderance of the work has been completed with these few tools and the Oxy-acetylene torch.
Unlike other Alfa models, the SS still remains a magnet for rust. Why? If you look here on this particular area of the vehicle, you will notice this complex and encapsulated area will trap debris that eventually absorbs moisture leading to a deterioration of the metal.
All the work was checked with a preformed gauge in order to see how much additional work will be required. Hand planishing is a long and laborious process, but the end results are astonishing and will significantly reduce the amount final body work required.
Here is another view of the virtual finished hand planishing work.
Many people assume that metal fabrication requires special purpose tools, but that assumption is wrong. What is required is a person that has an understanding of the behavior of metal. One of the very first things I did was to get a hold of David Gardiners videos. http://www.metalshapingzone.com/ I can’t tell you how many times I have watched his videos where I pick up something new every time.