Rusted Out 1970 850 Spider Fix-Up

Glued the rest of the vinyl down, and done! A few more wrinkles around the corners than I would like, but it looks spiffy. Time to glue down the rest of the flooring and install some seats!
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what is the plan for the dash?
That is a very good question. I don't really have one yet. I was going to get it drivable and have some fun with it before I delve into that. I don't think there are any uncracked ones out there, and even I with my "cobble together" skills have come up with a plan to make it decent. The inset panels are of course no big deal, but I am also concerned about dinking with the wiring. It has not been disturbed for many years!
Short term I will at least clean it up!
 
A recent Wheeler Dealers episode showed how they fixed a dash with cracks similar to yours. They used some sort of filler in the cracks, cut a new skin from material and glued it on. Looked as good as new.
 
Epic progress, you know it's threads like these that make a guy want an 850 spider. "It looks so easy!" Yeah right...;)
Well, compared to the incredible task you have set upon yourself, this IS easy! Remember, even though this was a completed rusted out piece of crap, it was a low mile POS, and basically has (I believe) good mechanicals. Just completely, utterely and totally roached and rotted out.
 
Did y'all miss me? Sorry for the break...sometimes reality steps into the "fun zone". Got back into it tonight by getting one of the door panels installed. I had the arm rest on, and was snugging it up when one of the screws pulled through. Yup, the inside is rusted out. Surprise! So, now that repair is under way.

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Alrighty, the door handle repairs are complete, and it is on. The door panel is obviously much plainer than the original, but I am kinda digging it. Sure beats how it looked before! Now to get the other one done.

Question for all you 850 spider owners out there. Have you had your top replaced? If so, how did the metal brackets that hold the top in place at the bottom of the side windows get attached to your new top?

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Cold weather sucks! It saps my desire to work on the car. I did however get the passenger side door panel covered. Tried a different adhesive...we will see. I did drop myself into the drivers seat for my first "let's see if I fit with the top frame erected and the door panel in" moment, and I am pleased to announce that I should not be touching the top with my head after it is installed.

After the door panel, believe it or not, but I am almost finished. Install top, do what I can for the paint, weatherstripping, and drive. I am not going to do anything to the dash for the moment except clean it. Shake down is needed before I dink with the wiring. But, I need somewhat warmer weather for the top install. This is texas...should be here in a few days.

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Wondering how a simple black strip and possibly dying the arm rest black would set off the door panels...
Well, the arm rests were black, and I painted them. I did hold them up to the door panel, but it was kind of jarring. A black stripe on the panel might have alleviated that, but I am too dumb to figure out how to do that.
 
On this eve of important eves, I have installed the passenger door panel. A lot of the dents you see were caused by the clothespins used during glue drying. They will eventually pop out.
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Factory correct? Nope! Do I like it? Yup! It has changed from rot-hulk to an actually kinda inviting place!
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Merry Christmas y'all!
 
Merry Christmas and it has been an amazing less than a year watching you take this from a hulk to becoming a car once again.

A huge congrats on amazing work.

Looking forward to seeing what you do in the new year!
 
Ok, one more pre-Christmas update. I keep finding odds and ends I had not put on. Today it was the luggage are latch and windshield squirter. Of course the latch release mechanism was rusted up and did not work, so that took a while. I also notice that the lever for the heater thing is stuck. Oh well..not like I am going to be using it.

Also, if you get bored tomorrow, I will leave you with my other long ago project I did. Behold the Frankenschmitt!
http://aquateenshungerforce.com/frankenschmitt/
 
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