Wondering what order to do things

[MrWampus]

I'm considering starting a "gradual" restoration of my 81 spider. It has 68,500 miles and is in generally good condition. There isn't really any rust to speak of, just one small spot at the bottom of the driver door and some pitting on the bumpers. But being that the car is 30 years old and is mostly original, it is going to need a lot of reconditioning from brakes to suspension to engine, transmission, rear diff, some minor interior stuff, some minor electrical, repaint, etc, etc, etc, (I could add a lot of etc's here, but you get the idea.)

My question is what order do I go? Do I start with the rolling components and move to the engine and drive train? Do I begin with the cosmetics and work inward? (probably not, that doesn't feel right) I don't want to do the whole thing as a teardown and reassemble, though that would be the most thorough. I want a driving project because it's just so dang much fun to drive. and besides, it really doesn't need a complete tear-down and rebuild, I'm not interested in showing it. Here's a list of things I think it needs ultimately, but not necessarily imminently:

Replace all of the rubber bushings in the suspension plus ball joints, etc (thinking of just buying new A-arm kits and swapping) And how hard is a rack and pinion conversion and is it worth it?
Brakes - Caliper kits all around, probably do new disks and brake lines too.
15" wheels. I have the 14" cromodora which are in good shape, but I like the bigger Panasport/Rota look
Engine runs smooth but gaskets are leaking so probably do a minor rebuild
Tranny is in good shape but syncro 1>2 is just starting to feel a little touchy/crunchy.
Rear diff needs a gasket and I'm hearing a fairly constant whine, not too loud, but louder when I go left. I'm not sure if I have a bearing issue or what, but I don't want to let that go too long. That's what killed my first one 25 years ago.
Still have that loud fuel pump, though I have a replacement new one in the trunk, just haven't taken time to try to tackle it yet.
I want to replace the alternator with a 95 amp model. Tired of slow wipers and dim headlights. I intend to do the headlight relay and replace with upgraded HB2 (maybe the H4 even though they are technically not approved, but does anyone ever really check them?)
I want to cover the upper dash in brown leather to cover the crack and give it a more refined look. Maybe upgrade the seats. probably replace the carpets, they look original.
Repaint the exterior. It has been repainted once, and by the looks of it, by Earl Shibe's drunk cousin. But at least it is the original color.

I think that covers what I've been thinking. As I said, I don't just want to do it all at once, I want to keep driving it. Also I will have to pay for a lot of that work because though I am a process engineer by profession and I am fairly mechanically competent, I don't currently have a garage nor all the necessary tools it will take.

So, where do you recommend I start? (sorry for writing a novel, I like to be clear about what I'm thinking.)

[WYSpider]

Safety first - start with brake components, fuel hoses, suspension.

[narfire]

Safety first - start with brake components, fuel hoses, suspension.

I'd second that. Not too expensive and you can do the re-build on the brakes your self.
Fuel hoses...good idea especially the injector hoses. They degrade with time and can start to leak. Not good.
Bushings on the front,good idea. Tie-rod ends & center link replace? Thinking of upgrading the springs,or a bigger front bar, or shocks, good time to do it all but $$is kinda getting up there.
Once the wallet gets some air perhaps freshen the engine, I put an 1800 head on and it gave the FI a bit more zip.
Clutch good? shave the flywheel a bit?
Anyway Try to focus one section at a time or parts could be strewn everywhere.
Chris

[wikkid]

Concur with safety first.

Keep your projects finite, and you will not need a garage for a lot of the work, nor will you need to keep your car frustratingly off the road for a long period. Most of the required tools are basic, and useful to have anyway. Fuel lines, brake system, fluids changed, timing belt changed every 30,000.

Suspension bits: by the same logic, buying the complete assemblies to swap out will be less time spent off the road.

Cosmetic, interior projects can be a break in the rhythm from grubby mechanical work under the car.

Doing a thorough tune of your FI system is cheap and easy; $100 worth of silicone vacuum lines assures no leaks/breaks.

Go through and clean up and tighten all your electricals, especially the grounds, and the fuse box. Free/super cheap, easy, and prevents a lot of problems where you will be scratching your head.

Wow, it's nice to be in a position of having a nice, working car, and thinking proactively of preventative maintenance (instead of wondering how long it will be before this car is brought back from the brink to - finally - be streetable).

Oh, and we need pix, please!

[grittracing]

when you get o paint consider all things before you go. I wish I had painted my engine bay. and if you want to paint the motor with out taking to much apart use rust-o-leum brush on paint. give a day for drying . make sure the eninge is off when you degrease the motor. you can use a 1 inch scraper and a steel brush to get into most palces. I painted mine during a head gasket change.



the cam boxes,plenum,cam box covers,intake manifold are powder coated. the yellow is rust-o-leum sun yellow spay paint

[124JOE]

sweet, i give it a 4 stars!!out five "need more pics"

[grittracing]

thanks ! I changed all of my hose after painting but you can use vasolen or tape.

[vandor]

>And how hard is a rack and pinion conversion and is it worth it?

It's involved, but most importantly it's expensive. Figure $3000+ for the parts. At that price few people do it.
The steering effort is definitely lighter, there is less on-center play, but it has more turns lock-to-lock. Oh, and unless your wheels are very wide, you can turn around in a smaller radius.

>Tranny is in good shape but syncro 1>2 is just starting to feel a little touchy/crunchy.

Unfortunately it is almost as much work to totally rebuild a tranny as it is to change just one synchro, as it has to come totally apart to check all the parts for wear. As a minimum I usually replace all 4 synchro rings and springs, and anything else that is worn.

>Rear diff needs a gasket and I'm hearing a fairly constant whine, not too loud, but louder when I go left.

Maybe a right rear wheel bearing. A lot easier to replace than diff bearings.

>Still have that loud fuel pump,

Some of them had a barely visible inlet screen. If your does check it for debris.

>I want to replace the alternator with a 95 amp model.

Very popular upgrade. I love mine.

> I intend to do the headlight relay and replace with upgraded HB2 (maybe the H4 even though they are technically not >approved, but does anyone ever really check them?)

I've run H4s on a dozen cars and nobody ever checked.

[MrWampus]

Thank you all SO MUCH for the feedback. What you say makes a lot of sense. Start with the safety bits first which to me means the parts that make it stay on the road and stop. Then do the rest as circumstances demand or as I feel like it. I will take and post some pics now that I know how. The weather over the weekend should be nice enough to take some good pics.

I welcome any more suggestions for restoration/modernization. I'm not a stickler to keep this car totally original, I'm much more interested in improving the driving/ownership experience. Though I don't want to do anything crazy to it either. Ideally, the car will always look pretty much stock with modernization where it makes the car perform better or more reliable.

[majicwrench]

If it runs/drives/stops/starts dependably now, I would be tempted to start with the rust while it is still minor. Make it pretty.
And I know a lot of folks here seems to be fond of the "change everything" approach, but really, most of the front suspension will be fine. Brake hoses, sure, change em if you wish. I finally changed both my front hoses a month ago--on my 72-- because one looked like crap. Wasn't leaking though.
Timing belt?? While you are there do the front seals. These things leak oil, minor leaks are part of the game, I sure wouldn't do a minor overhaul unless it is smoking or knocking.
Rack and pinion, sounds like too much work to me, esp if you want to keep it on the road instead of the garage.
Keith

[vandor]

>I welcome any more suggestions for restoration/modernization.

More sound deadening
Actually what makes longer trips a lot more pleasurable is a wind break behind the seats. You can buy one made for the Spider, or you can make one yourself out of plexiglass.

Have you looked under the carpets? The floors are covered with a black tar-like substance, and rust will form between it and the floor. If there is rust underneath it you can chip it up rather easily.

[MrWampus]

>I welcome any more suggestions for restoration/modernization.

More sound deadening

What did you say? Did you say "hound breading?" Yes I agree with that. Funny, I don't remember my old one being so loud, but I guess I was a lot younger then. I have reached the age where I need to turn down the radio when I come to a new intersection and am trying to figure out which way I need to go. I used to rag my parents about that.