Stiltzkin's Rebirth

[Fingolfin]

That's a great idea, Chris, thanks. I'd intended to place strong braces prior to removing any structure (excepting of course the structure that rust has already removed for me), and that X-brace across the cabin looks like the perfect option.

[margriff]

Hi Fin...reading your thread for the first time tonight and am in awe of your vision and fortitude. What a challenge.

A few weeks ago I was thinking of asking, (in forum) What constitutes a restoration? How bad does a moggy have to be to be called a restoration job? Well now I know!!!
I'm nervous about taking my radiator out...never mind what you're doing.
I wish you all the luck in the world and will follow your thread with great interest.

That steering wheel certainly did look a bit Rumpled...Stiltskin. (Sorry)

[Fingolfin]

Very kind words, Margriff. I appreciate them. I think Stiltzkin needs a harder word than "restoration" really. "Rebirth" or "revitalization" or "reconstruction" maybe. But the pun was great!

Having the radiator out is kind of a pain, but isn't too hard if you pace yourself -- drain the coolant (the most annoying part in my opinion, because I invariably spill it), slacken off the hose clamps and slide the hoses loose, and then undo the four radiator side bolts and "Bob's your uncle" as is said in Britain. I wish I had a radiator for Stiltzkin! I do however have a spare steering wheel that's in much better shape.

[George Smathers]

Fin,

I accidentally ordered an extra set of saloon rear leaf springs (5 leaves) plus hardware from BM. It's crazy expensive to send them back to England so you can have them for free. I think yours has 7 leaves but PM me your address if you'd like them.

George

[davidmiles]

what a Gentleman George is, It's great to hear how you Yankee Moggie fans stick together. "Moggies in the USA", never be a Beach Boys hit song, but it's alive and well all the same. Keep going with this rebuild mega Resto Fin, it's great to follow

[Fingolfin]

Yes indeed -- I can't thank George enough. That was a very kind, thoughtful, and (dare I say) self-sacrificial gesture. I appreciate your thoughts, David, as always.

[jagnut66]

I think you're very brave to take this one on but you do have lots of space to do it in. I love the fact that you are surrounded by a forest.
George is right, a Traveller is normally a 7 leaf spring, an easy upgrade for a saloon by the way, they are a straight swap, I did mine.
Very generous of George none the less though. It will be interesting to see how the Traveller copes with a 5 leaf spring.
Skipping ahead a bit, to take your mind off all the welding that must come first for a moment, have you decided what colour you are painting this one, when you get that stage?
Are you going have a matching pair in that lovely deep red you had mixed for the saloon or will you go for something completely different?
Good luck and best wishes,
Mike.

PS: Good to see you have a spare original steering wheel hanging on the wall amongst all your spares for this, they are not cheap, at least not the ones I've seen that are in decent condition.

[Fingolfin]

Those are very kind words, Mike. Thank you. I love that I'm in a forest too -- except when I have to paint in late spring, when all the pollen is in the air!

I'm going to use the original seven-leaf springs for Stiltzkin; I don't think it'd handle five-leaf springs well. However, I'll be very happy to have spare five-leaf springs, and I may be able to cannibalize some parts from them for Stiltzkin's springs. I can't thank George enough for his generosity!

Originally Stiltzkin was Clipper Blue (coincidentally, so was Mog). I like Mog's color, but I think I would prefer Stiltzkin to either be the original Clipper Blue, or a deep forest green.

[jagnut66]

Clipper Blue, definitely. If you paint her forest green, then park her up at home, you'll never find her again!

[chesney]

The extra leaves on the Trav springs are just bolt on springs - so you can use the 5 leafs and find the two extra for them!
Brave resto by the way, best of luck Fin

[margriff]

Great to see the amount of support for this job! Keep at it!

[Fingolfin]

I started this thread more than four years ago. Nothing much has happened on poor Stiltzkin in the intervening time. I graduated from university, work two jobs, support a small family (boyfriend of six years, his elderly disabled uncle, and three cats), and mostly work on Mog. Stiltzkin remains at my parents' house, under a roof (which has since become a greenhouse enclosed by plastic sheeting!). I live in an apartment with no real work space, so I can't have Stiltzkin with me.

I've considered scrapping Stiltzkin, because there's so little left and I have no time or funds for it. But if I don't, here are the options I'm thinking about:

1. Rebuilding Stiltzkin as a Traveller with a Midget 1275 drivetrain (per Mog's upgrade project)
2. Rebuilding Stiltzkin as a Traveller with an electric drivetrain
3. Cutting off Stiltzkin's back end and underbody, purchasing a Commercial-type chassis, and rebuilding Stiltzkin as a pickup (probably with the electric drivetrain)
4. Rebuilding Stiltzkin as a pickup, but with a homebrew chassis instead of a purchased one

I'd certainly appreciate your input on which options you'd like to see!

I lean toward nos. 3 or 4, mostly because I really really want a Minor pickup, more than I want a Traveller, and pickups are rare in North America, and the parts of Stiltzkin that remain mostly line up with those that would form a pickup cab. Importing a chassis would be expensive (but no more expensive than a Traveller wood kit), but fabricating a chassis would be time-consuming and could require more engineering and fabricating skill than I have.

I definitely favor an electric drivetrain. It offers instant torque, less expense, uniqueness and cool factors, a lot of possibility for upgrades and customization in future, and lines up with my environmentalist predispositions. I think an electric conversion would be homebrew, though there is apparently a company in Washington State (in the American Pacific Northwest) that does Minor electric conversions using their own custom-built setup, so I may take Stiltzkin out there and have them do that.

Considering the level of corrosion on Stiltzkin, I'm hoping to have it acid-dipped, but I'm having a hard time finding places to do that in the States - they all seem to be on the coasts (I'm in the center of the continent). I could have it sandblasted, but I feel like that would be very time-consuming, so expensive.

Probably not much progress on Stiltzkin for a while - but do keep the poor little guy in your thoughts (and prayers).

[amgrave]

If you changed the body style to a pick up would that not make a problem for battery storage for the electric power train, it seems though in your situation it might be the best answer going pick up.
All the best

[Fingolfin]

That's a concern, but Stiltzkin's lack of everything behind the doors makes fabricating a solution possible. Perhaps a wide but shallow battery compartment beneath the pickup bed, and a cubic compartment in the engine bay? I'll have to do some mocking up.

[Redmoggy]

Restore the minor floor/chassis to stock, build a simple pickup bed and fit engine and box from Hyabusa motorcycle.

Rod