DeTomaso Mailing List: October 99, Message #220

Hi All:
Felt a little down today. Left work a little early and started to work
on #2428. Finally got around to removing the parking brake cable. Took
me about a good 20 minutes but it was pretty easy! I should have done
this a long time ago (thanks guys). In any event, the armored cable
jacket is exposed in a few areas where the plastic coating cracked.
Cosmetically, it doesn't look great. Taking a look at the cable futhur,
I'm sure I could have one fabricated with a new jacket. Someone had
alluded that this is a very expensive part. Can't this be fabricated
from scratch for a lot less $$$ than what the vendors are asking for? In
fact, how much does it cost?

Moving right along, I studied my next moves with the restoration.
Besides the mega stainless steel tube brushes that came in and the new
compressor, the rest of the tools from Harbor Freight haven't shown up
(welding helmet and bending brake). Guess a few more weeks for these key
tools. In the meantime, I am now going to the innards of the gas tank. I
still have to continue redoing the Metal Prep of the inside of the tank.
After letting the last vestiges of water dry, a thin film of red oxide
showed up. No go. I have to do another pass with the Metal Ready and
ensure that no rust shows up before I neutralize and put the sealer
inside. My mistake (and POR doesn't mention this) is that you shouldn't
put in gobs of water (aka a hose) to rinse off the inside of the tank.
You should leave it for several hours (maybe a few days), empty the
Metal Ready solution, and then using a quart of water, rinse to
neutralize and let dry. Then and only then should you dump in the
sealing solution!

My next plan of attack is to finally get to repairing the corner where
it rust out. One of my delays was trying to figure out how to go around
"making a new shape" where the door opens up. Tentative solution: clean
out the area using the brushes and Metal Ready. Additionally, take off
the remains of the rusted corner off using a die grinder or grinding
wheel on a power drill. I don't like the idea of making a complex bend
to accomodate that empty rusted section so I think I'll spot weld in
strips of metal to form a "bridge" to lay down some Power mesh or
fiberglass material and form that "corner pocket". After that operation,
use the POR to coat the area and lay down the mesh and POR some more.
Let dry. Assuming that the mesh won't really look sanitary (but the
mission of bridging that hole has been done) put on some POR putty and
let dry. As soon as that has cured, sand down to the correct shape that
the corner should look like. POR some more, let cure, Tie Primer coat,
and use finishing putty to smooth out the lines, Of course, I'll have to
eventually lay down the sealer over the Tie Coat but the rust inhibition
on that section will have been accomplished.

I guess one of the things that prevents us novice restorers is to figure
how to flesh out the details. Hopefully, this approach will work. My
main concern here is body flex and how the area will react to the
flexing of the chassis. Anyone care to comment here? Thanks. Cal #2428r.