Cyanide Steves FSO Truck restoration

[CYANIDE STEVE]

After a week of proud ownership, today will be a turning point in the Truck Restoration as now it is 99% stripped to as far as I want it to be stripped. From today onwards, the truck will start to be rebuilt! It's taken me a week to strip it but it'll take a few months to rebuild.. I'll start today by reinforcing the four sections of the truck where it has been cut and I've welded it back together.

[RedSparrow]

Are the gearboxes really that bad?

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Yes... When I worked for FSO we had a few come back within the first month of being sold new. A couple had a serious vibration, one was so bad that after his first long motorway trip he had to be recovered home because the bellhousing had cracked. We also had a couple with porous casings and leaked oil. My first gearbox, the second gear synco went on it and the second one the mainshaft bearings started rotating in the casing, making some god awful noises. Third gearbox was fine though!

[rml2345]

Christ! That's some progress there Steve.

Looking forward to the rebuild.

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Just an update. Been cutting the rot out of the floorpan this week and welding in new sections.

 

 

 

 

I also treated myself to these Saab leather seats at great expense of fleebay 99p well spent I think.

 

Could anyone give me some advice on removing the windscreen and rear window on the truck without breaking them? I am shitting myself about removing them as I don't like glass anyway but they need to come out. They are not the bonded type.

[Rocket88]

If the glass is toughened and not laminated, it can be a right sod. If the rubber is fairly malleable, attack from the inside [it helps if you use a hairdryer on the rubber to soften it a little]. Pull back the seal a little at a time, applying gentle pressure. If the seal is brittle and cracked, cut the inner seal out, and when it comes to replacing the screen, bond it back in with Sikkaflex [other w/screen sealants are available] and just use the outer rubber for decoration.

[CYANIDE STEVE]

I was a big brave boy yesterday and took the windscreen and rear window out. They are still is one piece.

Thanks for the advice colc.

 

[Rocket88]

Well done.............did you have to cut the "inside" rubber seal? Screen frame looks in good nick, although another year in the elements would have probably meant you'd be after a new windscreen, looking at the proximity of that 'ole!

[CYANIDE STEVE]

I didn't have to cut the rubber in the end. Luckily the seal is still quite pliable so managed to squirt loads of lube around the seal and push the screen out carefully. As you can see, I've plenty of welding to do around the A posts and roof but still welding the sills and inner wings at the moment..

 

As an aside, all going to plan, I should be the proud owner of an FSO Caro hatchback on 1st December

The condition is nowhere near as bad as the truck was, but once the truck is finished, this will be moved into my garage for a full restoration too.

[uk_senator]

Absolutely nuts, but I like it!

 

I might be stating the obvious, & I know you want a standard plodder, but knowing how brittle the boxes are, wouldnt it be worth swapping it with something a little more durable?

 

Maybe a Fiat 131/2 box would fit, or get a bellhousing plate made up to fit a Sierra box?

 

Just a thought!

[explosive-cabbage]

Good work! My restoration project pales into nothingness compared to this one...

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Absolutely nuts, but I like it!

 

I might be stating the obvious, & I know you want a standard plodder, but knowing how brittle the boxes are, wouldnt it be worth swapping it with something a little more durable?

 

Maybe a Fiat 131/2 box would fit, or get a bellhousing plate made up to fit a Sierra box?

 

Just a thought!

 

I actually fitted a 2 litre twin cam engine and box to my first 125p but you do have to modify the bell housing slightly.

I will keep it fairly standard despite its shortcomings as we are starting to collect a few spares for them now so will hopefully have the parts to repair them.

[Split_Pin]

Great work on the welding

[CYANIDE STEVE]

Bit more progress. Had a bit of a break on the truck to do a couple of weeks work on Benno's FSO Caro and get that back on the road, so that was a slight change of scenery for me

 

Anyway, I made a complete new inner and outer sill from 3mm thick steel to replace the strength in the truck where it had been cut in two. I've now primered and stonechipped the floor, sill, inner wing and front panel.

[Partridge]

What a legend. I’ll buy the man a pint any day.