1976 daf 46.. "Gina"

[rottie007]

this is a blatant copy-paste from its thread on retrorides but figured you guys might like to see what got in the way of the Romas restoration thread.. introducing "Gina" a 1976 daf 46 estate (one of 2 left in the uk)

IT was bought in jan of this year as a "weekend resto" intended as a stop gap until the Roma is done (yes still got it). Turned into a massive restoration as it had rotted everywhere.. looking good now though I think see what you reckon

As found, fresh off the back of Minidans delivery wagon

after rebuilding the brakes (crusty cylinders all round) and changing the transmission as it had siezed it got to a state where it moved under its own steam


(clicky)


welding then commenced

both front wings were damaged around the headlight holes

cills were very crusty

new metal in

bottoms of rear wings (favourite rot spot on B-type dafs)

being an estate car it had rot around all the rear window holes which someone had made an attempt to do before

rear corner missing

3 patches just to make the oiutside profile

three on the insde ! (and its not even seen)

bottom of window dividers back in steel rather than the lightweight "fresh air"

drivers side no better

yummy

jack handle for the win on the radius

drivers cill non-existent inside

inner repaired

and outer folded up

 

[rottie007]

outer fitted

(see the row of holes for joining it to the inner, on a daf the inner sits right out there inside the outer sill, weird idea)
and done...

after a few evenings of mechanical stuff like fitting cv boots and re-adjusting the brakes it was time for my mate Paul to start on the bodywork while I finished the last bits of welding.. by this point the car had had about 120 hours of work on it

we found other bits of rust too that I hadnt thought about.. the car had no doors fitted and when we started to clean them up.. we found rust again..

2 hours just to repair a door bottom
In the meantime magic had been occuring

 

[rottie007]

with all the welding done it was time for the final bit...
ORANGINESS ;D

now reassembly could begin and the cleaning up of the bits

all things had to be approved by "The Boss"

the rush was on now to get her done for the Essex daf weekender and the first of many "stop till midnight" evenings at work began, first night saw all the glass back in her

second night saw the rear end come to shape

and so on...

Essex daf came to the rescue with some headlights as couldnt find mine but they had missing bits, no adjuster screws

and headlight clips missing, stainless tig wire fitted the bill nicely though
original (top) mine (bottom)

then came a little bit of "custom" some Marathon side stripes were added

and I got the lights in

centgre console from a volvo 66 filled the space under the dash nicely and gave me a fag lighter socket for my satnav

Mot wasnt far off now

 

[rottie007]

I missed the big Daf weekender in her sadly but MOT did follow a week later with an advisory for a low tyre, was very pleased.. so how does it look now???

it looks like this....

thanks for looking in !!

 

[graffian]

Looks good.
That's something I have never seen before.
I have bought several Daffodils, 33s and my ma had a 55.

 

[ian f]

fantastic work, love seeing cars of relatively little value saved as it shows you're a true enthusiast

 

[Angusdog]

^^^ Ditto. Nice work on a car that will be increasingly rare.

 

[cumbriasteve]

Great post, some really nice work done and excellent rescue from the scrappy... but sort that bent number plate or is it just a trick of the camera?

 

[FranV8]

Super work! Looked like quick progress.

Is someone of the material you used galvanised?

 

[rottie007]

door bottom repair was done using galv as it was all I had to hand... rest was all 1mm plate
yes the number plate is bent, have got two new shiny ones ready to go on,
thanks for the kind comments though guys, shes a rare old bird now, we've done 2000 miles now since the rebuild and so far nothing has fell off ! ! !

ive just got myself a 55 coupe to do after the Roma is finished

 

[stuvy]

very unusual! super quick resto too

 

[rottie007]

still came in at about 200 hours not including the painting of it.. so if that was paid work to someone doing it at say £10 an hour.. it wouldnt have been worth doing.. even on a car that is this rare, but I love driving it and use it every day (plenty of waxoil in it now)
its not too bad on fuel either considering its 844cc and 2 cylinders ! getting about 44mpg on a run and 35 round town

 

[Epicyclic]

Well done for saving her, it's not always about the money!

As a kid I remember friends having a saloon, it was great fun and fairly unusual then!

 

[penfold]

Brilliant job! Those must have been rare even when new. I take it replacement panels are completely unobtanium?

 

[rottie007]

front wings can be got in plastic from honeybourne mouldings, and dafhobby in teh netherlands can supply a few bits, but its like most of the 70's classics now that arent mainstream, cover sills and crappy corner bits.. when new the 46 was pretty scarce as they were a single drive belt system rather than a double so not quite as good, theres one other estate left, also orange that my mate lewis owns, weird thing is they are great fun to drive, just stick it in gear start it up and go.. floor it for faster brake for slower.. simple as, did essex and back in it a couple fo weekends ago covering 500 miles and it did it with ease, all motorway on way back too at 70mph+

 

[octo0072000]

coupe

was this the last of the varimatics dafs or was that the daf/volvo 66

just found a bit on wicki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAF_66



this is not your coupe is it

http://retrorides.proboards.com/ind...ard=readersrides&thread=134639&page=1#1637815

 

[donnyc]

Used to work for a dealership selling DAFS and VOLVOS in Bedford ..Used to love the DAFS

 

[pidgeon chit welder]

Cor that brings back memories of being skint .. got a very old 2 door saloon one with some ancient black & white number plate back in 1980 for £ 85 as a runner .
I think it was one of the very early dark maroon Daffs made just as Volvo got involved .

The window lifts collapsed and both windows slid down into the doors in the first week , to stay there till I slid some black jungle tape down on a steel ruler and eased then up enought grab hold of them to close them by hand and slip two rubber wedge shaped door stops against each window.& the door . I ended up making new slide / guides and lifts out of some galv sheet

The control box on the dynamo charging system failed when I was 120 miles from home on an electronic servicing course . I ended up spending several interesting hours during the course rewinding the bucking coil .

No one ever tried to nick it even though I never locked it ... suppose it was because of it lacking street cred & the colour .

I did several thousand miles in it till one day some F**** er in a top of the range latest edition Volvo estate put the back end in to where the rear seats should be whilst I was stopped at traffic light with the hand brake on.

The insurers only coughed a fiver saying it was " Parkers fair value " scrap. BTDS!

 

[rottie007]

daf 66 was the last daf and was the one with the square front end on it, I must love em ive just bought another "project" but it wont get touched till the bedfords done

 

[rottie007]

was this the last of the varimatics dafs or was that the daf/volvo 66

just found a bit on wicki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAF_66



this is not your coupe is it

http://retrorides.proboards.com/ind...ard=readersrides&thread=134639&page=1#1637815

hi no, mines the earlier one with the air-cooled style front end, never saw that one on retrorides ! ! ! wonder where thats gone to?