Ugly Dino Restoration

This last week I've been working on the fit of the tail panel around the trunk lid frame. At one time the rear clip had been stored sitting on it's end and had accumulated water in the corners of the fender tops that then rusted. After sandblasting, the rust spots were large enough that I needed to trim metal to repair these areas. I started on the right corner since it was the worst. I replaced the inner flange and top and bottom portions of the corner. After looking at both corners for a couple of days during the repair I noticed that the left corner contour just didn't match the right...MORE HAND BUILT PROBLEMS! I looking at several photos of Dino rear ends on the internet and realized this was not just on my car but several other cars had cheeks that didn't match. I made a tinplate of the right side corner that looked most correct and used it to trim out the required metal on the left side to get the same shape. After welding in some metal to replace the area of rust on the left corner and welding it all up I only needed a little hammering and now the left and right corners are now identical! DANG! I thought I would be done with the rear clip installation a week or two ago but am still working on it. I'm now working on the installation of the trunk floor inner frame and the rear inner trunk sheet metal. Will post more photos as I progress.
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Hi All, I have some more work completed on the Dino. I spent some time machining some parts I needed for the next step in getting the trunk inner structure installed. The first was to manufacture a new trunk latch. The original was severally damaged, bent beyond repair. I looked all over for a replacement but to no avail! I started by doing a CAD drawing of all the parts of the latch. With CAD I can actually rotate all the moving parts to check for clearance and fit. I then machined the individual parts mostly on the lathe, with all other parts made out of sheet steel. The only difference between my latch and the original is my latch is screwed together (the original has tabs that fold and lock the two main parts together). While on the lathe I also made one front hood hinge pin that I was missing. The next part to be worked on was the back up light housing. Of course mine was bent! So with a bit of hammering and welding in new tabs for the light itself it was ready to install. I also made some spacers for the light mounting nuts. The original had a couple of lock washers jammed in to level the angle for the mounting studs on the light. I also ordered tubing for the pull cables.
The next step was to weld in the the trunk floor support. I tacked it in and used a heavy piece of angle iron to align and clamp the outer skin to the trunk frame flange for spot welding. The next parts installed were the two side uprights, then the latch support using the new latch and trunk lid frame to check fit and closure of the trunk lid. Last but not least was the installation of the pull cable tubes.
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With the trunk frame work installed I then welded in the sheet metal for the backup light. I also installed two 1/8 inch steel strips on the inner panel that are tapped so the backup light and housing can be screwed into place instead of pop riveted as original. I then started the rear inner fender shield sheet metal. I made a particle board floor template to help get the proper alignment of the inner shields. I had received new shields from Swift53...Thanks Alberto! I did need to modify them slightly to get a better angle on the trunk floor flange but after some welding and a little trimming the shields were primed in DP 40 and welded into place. The fender lips and lower body sheet metal were then hammered over to lock the panels in. Last thing to do was weld in the fender supports and complete all the welding.
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Just getting around to posting progress on the Dino. With good weather it's been challenging to do work on the Dino with vacations and other flying projects going on!

I know I'm a couple of months late in answering Jon's question about the placement of the drain holes in the lower quarter panels but that question stumped me also and I had to do some research. I checked out two examples and the holes were around 3/4-1 inch from the edges of the fender and just under a 1/4" Dia. though the outer skin. I did mine 1" from each edge and used a 1/4" drill.

I've been concentrating on making the trunk skins and the rocker panels. I was able to salvage the trunk skin raised center section. I welded in new side skins and back license plate panel. The skins were first clamped down to a steel plate with a copper panel placed against the skins to prevent any heat distortion. I then spot welded the skins together with a MIG welder. Cooling each couple of welds with a wet rag. The spot welds were ground flush and then using a TIG welder I proceeded to complete the welding across the panel in 2-3 inch segments. This weld is done without using any welding rod and just working a hot puddle of steel down the length of the seam cooling each section with a wet rag to prevent any warping. After light grinding of the welds I then planished them smooth. I had to make a new recessed light panel as the old one didn't fit the light assembly I had. The License plate light panel was next welded in place. I made a steel bar that screwed to the light frame to prevent heat distortion during welding.
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With the trunk skin finished I started on the rocker panels. I made cross section templates of the front and rear portions of the rocker panels. The original panels had parallel bends down the length of the panel but there is actually a slight taper towards the front. The original panels were pulled down along the lower frame tube in the front and riveted in place. This made the lower body line rounded and uneven down the length of the belly pan. I made my panels with this taper bent into the body lines and makes them fit nice and snug against the lower frame rail. I next rolled in the body curve to the top portion of the panels and then added the rear fender lips. For a simple panel I struggled over them for 3 weeks! After I made the first set I realized that I had made the panels with a slight curve to the lower body line were the jack holes resides. Looked good on the car but were just not correct...Dang!!! The second set went much quicker (muscle memory) and I also made a slight changes in the lines down the rockers. This set fit even better than the first so I cooled down just a bit! I still had to cut the panels in two to install the factory body line that is just in front of the jack point. It just seemed WRONG cutting a perfectly straight panel to put in a factory seam in it! I had to jig the two panel up with angle iron to keep the two panels straight and perfectly aligned. A backing strip was installed and the two panels were spot welded back together. I leaded the seam so moisture would not weep from the them or crack under the paint work. I did final fitting and trimming and cut the drain tube in that I had installed in the door sill. Rockers and trunk skin are know primed with DP-40. Next stop installing them and the trunk lid skin.
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With all this sheet metal going on I found a correct steering wheel for my car. It was just to tired looking to go into the car as is. Sooo I went a little nuts! I deconstructed the wheel! I cut the cover off and was hoping the frame was all aluminum so all I would have to do was anodize it and have it reassembled. BUT NO! it had a steel frame and you can't anodize the spokes with the steel frame. I had to cut the frame apart and after sanding the spokes it was sent out to be anodized. When I got the spokes back I made pins and splices to install the frame. After welding and painting I sent the wheel out to have a new leather rim installed. The rim is a little thicker than original but I like the feel. Well at least I now have a correct wheel!
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No...but I make a killer Margarita!

 

04630 was delivered in Italy in 1973 and was imported to the US in the late 70,s or early 1980. All I can tell from the damage is it was in a high speed crash, It looks like it spin out, knocked off the rear end sheet metal from mid rear wheel well back, damaged both doors then hit a curb on the right side. This collapsed the lower A arm and the rotor was driven into the foot well frame tube which looked like a V when I got the car. The frame was diamond badly and the right corner was up about an 1" Kinda Ugly!!

Steve

 

If you are in need of any rubber parts for your jack I have reproduced all of them. The top cap is hard plastic not like the repos I've seen (usually rubber) the knob comes drilled and is in hard plastic with all other parts in high impact rubber. I had located a couple of jacks a long time ago but some were missing parts. I did the molds just recently but haven't had the chance to post photos. Not sure I should post price on this forum so PM me if interested.

Steve
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