Scorpion #621 resurrection

I'm pleased to report that the PO, having done so much half-assing things on the car, did NOT mangle the turn signal harness in order to fit the Honda turn signals on the car. The original plugs are intact, so the turn signals should be fairly simple to install. That, however, will happen a little later. Today, I installed the optional hood blanket. I honestly don't know where or when I picked this up. I was on a parts-buying binge shortly after purchasing the car in 2016, and I honestly don't remember getting this. But here it is, so...

Since my car didn't have the optional hood blanket in the first place, I had to mock up the blanket and then mark the holes. Blue tape helps keep that drill bit from walking.

frunk-hood-blanket2.jpg


I then drilled holes, knocked down the burrs, and then painted them so they won't rust later. I went to Autozone and picked up a bunch of clips...the ones this came with (I only had 5 out of the 14 or so needed) were smaller than standard hood blanket clips, so that's what I got. Took trips to 2 Autozones to get enough to do the whole hood. Here it is installed:

frunk-hood-blanket.jpg


Overall, I'm very pleased with how it tidied up the frunk. I am not happy about the PO cutting the carpet by the battery box. Still wondering WTF the guy was thinking???:rolleyes: MotoTrooper said he may be able to help me out there, so crossing my fingers. :D

tJ
 
looks great, wish i had the pad for #80 but the one I am currently doing wont be able to use the pad....
 
Question for you all...I'm trying to figure out what kind of nut was supposed to be used for putting the disks back on the shock towers over the frunk carpet. The studs coming from the struts are too short to grab onto with a standard flanged nut. Any ideas how these were supposed to be battened down?

tJ

shocktower1.jpg
shocktower2.jpg
 
It’s a shouldered nut. I think it takes a14mm wrench. This is the best photo I could find:

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Question for you all...I'm trying to figure out what kind of nut was supposed to be used for putting the disks back on the shock towers over the frunk carpet. The studs coming from the struts are too short to grab onto with a standard flanged nut. Any ideas how these were supposed to be battened down?

tJ

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Agreed, good idea on the thumb-screw type. I have only one of those old special nuts myself and wonder occasionally about which way to go with them.
 
Can anyone tell me off hand what the size and thread pitch of the shock tower bolt is? Looks like McMaster-Carr has the the thumb screws in M3-M8 sizes.

No progress this weekend as I left Friday for Sevenstock with my other (98% finished) project. Drove it 700 miles round trip with no drama. It did beat the hell out of me though. But it was worth it.

tJ
 
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Last night, I figured out the sizes of the shock tower bolts...they're 1/4"-20 (course thread)...imperial measurements...go figure! I found these anodized allen head connecting nuts at Home Depot last night:

shocktower5.jpg


The shank is too long, but I happened to have a set of anodized drill stops:

shocktower6.jpg


So I tried them on for size:

shocktower4.jpg


shocktower3.jpg


To be honest, I think these look better than the rusty collared nuts that originally came with the car. I have a couple of extra allen connecting nuts, so I'm going to have a go at cutting down the shanks with a dremel and see if I can eliminate the drill stops. If I can, it'll be perfect. If not, it still looks pretty damn good.

tJ
 
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A few little things that happened:

  • motoTrooper came over today and hooked me up with an undamaged frunk center carpet. After cleaning, I'll put that in. He also took a couple of parts that he will try to refurbish for me.
  • while he was here, I enlisted him to squeeze off the pop rivets holding the rubber shielding strip on the engine deck lid. I had removed it to remove the overspray from it and clean it up. I tried putting it on with the biggest pop rivets I could find, only to find I couldn't get the leverage with my puny forearms to break the rivets off. But he was able to do it. :)
  • rivet.jpg
  • Last night, I chucked up the connecting nuts in my drill press and used it as a poor man's lathe, cutting off the shanks using a hacksaw blade while they spun in the drill chuck. I had to leave them a little long because after cutting one too short, I found I didn't have any usable thread to spin it onto the shock bolt. The shortened connecting nuts allowed me to use a neoprene washer as a shim. Looks really nice, and now I can use my drill stops as...well, drill stops. :)
shocktower7.jpg


tJ
 
Hey tJ, saw a thread about the shifter bushing replacement on the "other" Lancia site. There's probably a trove of threads here too...

P.S.
Good news: I figured out the puzzle of the lock cylinders and they are now restored to functionality.
Bad news: I didn't make a video of it. I think I'll make a video of doing mine as it'll be much easier second time around...
 
Awesome about the locks! Maybe meet up again this weekend? I'll check other forum for bushing replacement help. Please make a vid when you do yours...there are people out there with junk locks that would love to see this. Including me.

tJ
 
Yesterday, motoTrooper came over and delivered my fixed lock cylinders and a shock tower carpet. I am beyond grateful for his willingness to figure out how to fix those seized cylinders and refit them with new springs. I'll be putting those back in the door handles shortly.

Not a lot got done otherwise as I'm still awaiting my carpet from MH. I did manage to strip all of the paint from the grill chrome trim surround and clean up the grill and reinstall the lot.

grill.jpg


I started to install the Montecarlo turn signals, but found that I can't get the nuts on the bolts on turn signal housing from behind the bumper...no clearance. I will probably have to remove the bumper to install them, which I find annoying, but ... I'll live. Nothing can be simple with this car.

tJ
 
It's been too long since my last update. Not because I haven't done anything, but because it's holiday season and just too much to do.
Here's what I have done:
  • installed the turn signals.
  • installed the lower bumper grill
  • de-jankified some wiring the PO had done
  • pulled strut off to measure stock struts
  • addressed the front passenger wheel w/red overspray all over it
Details:

When we last left off, I had come to the realization that I was going to have to pull bumper off the car in order to put the turn signals on. So I went to work on it, finding the 5 or so bolts holding it on. The paint guys figured out how to put the bumper on, so I had to figure out how to get it off. It was a bit fiddly, but I managed to do so without damaging anything.

turnsignal1.jpg


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I had to cut out the turn signal opening on the left side a bit in order to get the signal in properly. Then it was a simple matter of bolting on the signals. I like how the bumper looks like a shark. :D

turnsignal4.jpg


While I had the bumper off, I figured it was a good time to mount the lower air intake grill. A couple of holes drilled, some appropriate bolts found, and voila! A grinning shark.

turnsignal5.jpg


I bolted the bumper back on and here's how she looks.

turnsignals6.jpg


Those center sections on the bumper are begging for something. Not sure what...fog lights maybe? Not sure what fits though. Ideas anyone?

While wiring in the turn signals I noted with dismay that the previous owner had done some "electrical work".

jankywiring1.jpg


Chasing things down, I found that this wiring went to the radiator fans. I have no idea why he felt the need to do this wiring, unless it was part of getting the Honda turn signals from the old bumper working? I removed the weird, janky wiring and plugged the plugs back in and things seem to make sense now. The running lights on the turn signals work, so that's a plus. The actual signals don't work yet as I haven't installed the console, which houses the hazard switch. This will happen after I get the carpet from MH.

While the car was on jack stands, I decided to pull one of the front struts off to measure the springs. They appear to be stock springs, 12.5" in length, 5" in diameter. I want to lower the front a little bit, so that it matches the rear. The rear has a set of FD RX-7 springs on it and it sits low, with the wheels tucked nicely under the fender.

Rear:

struts3.jpg


Front:

struts2.jpg


So yeah, the front needs to come down a little bit. Maybe 1-1/2". With measurements in hand, I went online and ordered a set of Eibach 150lb 5" x 11" springs. They are due to arrive tomorrow.

The last thing I did was pull the passenger side front wheel (covered with red overspray) off and took it and the spare wheel to a tire shop and had the good tire moved to the good wheel. The tire on the spare was the original Pirelli P6 and was dry rotted to hell, so wasn't usable. So I need to get a tire for the spare sometime in the future. But now I have 4 wheels that are the same color. Yay!

fixedwheel.jpg



Here's what still needs to be done:
  • install the locks
  • install the replacement frunk carpet pieces
  • install new front springs
  • install the carpet (as it hasn't even been finished by MH yet)
  • figure out how the get the top latches installed

tJ
 

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Well, I had a little delay in my progress due to the fact the the Eibach springs I'd purchased were exactly the same length as the springs I currently have on the car. I thought I had stock 12.5" free length Scorpion springs, but I suspect someone switched them out for some shorter (11") springs. Annoyed, I returned the unused springs and purchased some 9.5" springs and waited. They arrived and I got around to putting them on the day before yesterday. They dropped the car about an inch. I took some measurements from the rear of the car and the front of the car to compare the ride heights:

rearmeasure.jpg


front-measure.jpg


I'm about 3/4" of an inch higher in the front than the rear. Here's how the Sofia sits now:

stance2.jpg


stance1.jpg


I think I can live with this.

tJ
 
It's looking very good! I look forward to being where you're at on your car. Bodywork & paint are the ugliest phase, and I'll be motivated to persevere when it's warmer in the garage.


Keep the updates coming, and much respect to you for what you're doing there!
 
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