UPDATE! (Well, sort of...)

Just wanted to put a quick note up here to let you all know that I have not given up!  I DID get the gas tank cleaned and sealed.  I'll post some pics soon.  With school back in full swing, I haven't done much lately.  But soon!  (I hope!)

Dropping of the fuel tank

I was able to spend some time yesterday working on the car. I am still unable to get the brake drum loose, so I put some PB Blaster on it, and tapped the screws with a hammer and screwdriver to try to work the lubricant into the threads.

So since I was stymied there, I went back to work on the gas tank.











This is what I found under that circular plate in the trunk. I'm assuming it's the fuel sender.


So once that was disconnected, I proceeded to drop the tank. I set a 5 gallon bucket under the tank as I released the straps so it wouldn't fall all the way to the floor.
Once it was loose, I pulled it out from under the car. Unfortunately, it is full of 25 year old fuel! I am currently trying to figure out the best way to get rid of it. What kind of container should I empty it into? I checked with my local recycling center, and they would not take it. I'd prefer not to just open the tank and let it evaporate. Any ideas?











The tank is out! Now, how to clean it....

I worked on the Alfa today!
Well, sort of....

I'm wanting to drop the gas tank soon. So I started working on the trunk. It was quite a mess, but I finally got it cleaned out. Lot's of rust damage!


Before



After








This is a picture of the bottom of the fuel tank.
Does anyone know what the plug is in this picture?
And what might be under the cover with the three bolts??
I also got the rear passenger's tire off. I soaked the two flathead screws with PB Blaster, and will try to remove the brakes later.

Let there be light! (and concrete!)

Well, true believers, it's time for an update, don't you think?
As can be seen from the above picture, I finally have a concrete pad in the garage!!!! My friend, Cary Brown, poured it while we were gone on vacation.
You can also see that there is a light over the car! I was able to tie into an exterior 30amp outlet on the house, and buried a cable over to the garage. I have the light and one outlet so far. So now, my excuses for not working on the Alfa are dwindling.

Next up: Dropping the gas tank!

Not much of an update....

Well, I don't have much to update you with. School started in August, and my wife began her first teaching job, so with both of us teaching all day and then dealing with normal family stuff in the evenings, I haven't done much. My neighbor is supposed to be coming over to pour a new concrete floor for me in the garage, but he is currently covered up in construction work right now (a good problem for him to have, in this economy!) and isn't sure when he'll be able to do it.

I finished up the airbox, and have it stored in a plastic bin. I've now decided to start with some small things, until the garage at least has a floor in it, and I have more time! On the AlfaBB site, a gentleman started his rstoration by removing the tail lights and working on them. I think that's a great idea! I will be able to spend a little time on something like that over Thanksgiving and Christmas, and not take up too much room with storing it. Then, I'll have a couple of nice items that I can look at to keep my enthusiasm for this project going! Small steps, right?
What do y'all think of this idea?
Happy Thanksgiving!

Cleaning the Airbox

Well I am disheartened today by the progress on the garage. I need to put in concrete, but I just don't know if I can. Stay tuned.

So, on a better note, I decided to attack part of the car. A book I have been reading, "How To Restore Your Collector Car," says that one of the best ways to attack a car that's in the shape mine is, is one assembly at a time. It says that when you remove a part or assembly, work on that assembly until it is ready to go back on the car. So I decided that with the lack of garage, I could at least start attacking some smaller items. So with my helper Riley, I removed the rusty airbox and began working on it. (See what it looked like before here: Engine Compartment)

I used a wire wheel on a drill, and took most of the paint and rust off. I then switched to some sanding discs, and got it nice and shiny. Then I applied some primer to the pieces, let them dry, and then sprayed them with some gloss black automotive paint. It looks nice!

Riley also recommended taking the wire wheel to the air plenum to see what would happen. It looks shiny and new now, and so I attacked the crankcase cover. So I've at least gotten started with something on here!

Wiring harness

I have found a wiring harness for the car. Classic wiring has one for me, but it won't be available until the end of July. So now I have to decide if I want that to be the big expenditure for the year. That means I'll have to find some cheap stuff to work on until it comes....