Restoration of a 1987 Bertone

I didn't notice the mirrors when Ed and I went to look at the car but they look like generic Vitaloni flag mirrors that have been somehow attached to the quarter glass covering the pass through hole in the glass.
 
Doing some housekeeping in the engine bay before I reinstall everything. Sanding and priming the areas that need touched up and then I will shoot it with semi-gloss black to blend it in.

As for the mirrors, there is a screw that mounts them through the hole in the glass. I haven't paid too much attention to them and assumed they were original but simply missing some interior pieces. Now that you point it out and I look at photos of stock mirrors, they are completely wrong. That stinks; new mirrors were not in my budget.

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New mirrors no longer exist. It is actually hard to fine decent mirrors at all. You might do better leaving those and patiently securing their replacements. If they got by a couple Xers they can't be that bad...
Regards
 
I ordered a few things from Henk, I love his selection of products. I'm in no big hurry for the mirrors since the ones on it work and I won't really be ready for those finishing touches for a while.
 
One question. All of the areas in the trunks and engine bay appear to be a matted or semi-gloss black. I don't see any signs of respray in those areas so I assume that's the way it was made. But when I look at photos of other X's around the same year, they all appear shiny in those areas. Is it supposed to be a muted sheen? I'm respraying the engine bay in a semi-gloss to make it blend in with the areas I don't touch.
 
I believe they didn't put the clear coat in all areas of the later cars.

The single stage colors weren't clear coated and often appear shinier in those areas
 
I just looked in the same area of a 1979 time capsule and saw the same thing. I am not certain but I think that is a protective coating. It should have been removed during dealer prep. This was a fee we paid, unhappily, but there were actually things that should have been performed prior to delivery. Try some solvent on a rag and rub that gunk and see if it comes off. It should come off easily. Don't use paint stripper or anything that would attack the finish. I am going to try paint thinner (mineral spirits) and maybe lacquer thinner. Maybe bug and tar remover since the stuff is like a really thick wax. Good luck and please keep us posted!
Regards
 
Would it have been Cosmoline? When I worked at a Honda motorcycle shop every new bike out of the crate had a fine film of that protectant coating parts of it. I hated it then as I was one of the monkeys tasked with prep. It's been used forever as a corrosion inhibitor during ocean transport and (sort of) easy to clean off shortly after application. After I get the Scorpion rust/metal work accomplished I am going to treat the undercarriage to a Cosmoline party...
 
I think that is what it is. Over the years I have run into it in nooks and crannies on all sorts of cars. The '87 being dark might mask the fact that it is sprayed on top of the finish. The car I looked at was light blue and the trunk side areas were dark, almost black, but I sort of saw the waxy Amber nature of the coating. Do not know if it is harder to remove after a long period but I do not think it should ever really harden.
Regards
 
From wikipedia:
"Cosmoline that is older and has had air exposure usually solidifies after a few years, as the volatile hydrocarbon fraction evaporates and leaves behind only the waxy hydrocarbon fraction. The solid wax does not readily wipe off. It can be scraped off, although the scraping is laborious and leaves crumbs to be swept or vacuumed away. One method that may help remove cosmoline is to apply gentle heat sufficient to melt the waxy hydrocarbons, the cosomoline may then be wiped off metal or allowed to drip off of wood. Another useful method of cleaning a tool of crusted cosmoline is to allow a penetrating oil (such as CRC 5-56, CLP, or equivalent) to soak into it for several minutes or hours, which typically restores it to a viscous-fluid state, allowing it to be wiped off."
 
I'll probably try to the pull them but I can't really strip the wreck until I settle with insurance. I do have to try and figure out how I'll get my subwoofer out of the spare tire area, door shoved so hard into the seat there's no moving it to get in there, sorry for digression
 
jvandyke said:
I'll probably try to the pull them but I can't really strip the wreck until I settle with insurance. I do have to try and figure out how I'll get my subwoofer out of the spare tire area, door shoved so hard into the seat there's no moving it to get in there, sorry for digression
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Sorry, dude, I forgot you just had a wreck.
 
Had a similar experience with a BRAT once... The damage occurs in layers. Fun times! Hope everything turns out in your favor.
Regards
 
The valve adjustment tool I ordered came in so I checked those yesterday. The 3-part write-up on this site is excellent and made it easy. Once I figured out how to use the tool, it went very well. Made a spreadsheet of existing clearances, existing valve shim sizes, and calculated what I needed to order. Engine will be ready to fire soonly
 
Began tearing down the transmission. Separated the case last night and I see lots of small metal shavings. The internal magnet was caked in a grey, grease-like metallic mud. But, oddly, I see no signs of wear on any of the gears or bearings. I guess I'll keep digging until I find something wrong.
 
Huey said:
Began tearing down the transmission. Separated the case last night and I see lots of small metal shavings. The internal magnet was caked in a grey, grease-like metallic mud. But, oddly, I see no signs of wear on any of the gears or bearings. I guess I'll keep digging until I find something wrong.
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Check the reverse gear and the third/fourth slider closely. Probably the two most common areas in this trans.
 
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