Mangusta Restoration work.....engine compartment

Pic 2. Engine was rebuilt a few years ago but leaked oil from everywhere.

Pic 3. Notice the unnecessary non original bracket added to support the back of the tranny. I removed it and welded up the holes.

Pic 4.

Pic 5. De Tomaso plastered everything with thick underseal!

Pic 6.

Pic 7. This car has uprated springs & shocks. Much higher springs rates than original but still rides nicely

Pic 8. Battery tray.

Pic 9. The 302 is a great little engine. Lots of work to get it out.

Pic 10.

Pic 11. Entire rear chassis area back to bare metal.

Pic 12. This car, chassis no 1182 is all nicely gas welded. I have seen other geese that where factory MIG welded and quite scruffy. I dont know if they changed to MIG or did both simultaneously?

Pic 13

Pic 14.

Pic 15. I tried to create a slightly mottled finish to the chassis paint. I didn't want it smooth nor did I want it plastered with underseal like original. I made new heat shields and replaced the sound deadening felt. All rubber hoses replaced and most of the coolant pipes replaced with stainless.

Pic 16. I was surprised to find a thermostat behind that water pipe. The last goose I worked on had no place for one.

Pic 17.

Pic 18. This jack shaft is a time consuming part to restore. Originally the shaft is oil blackened. I chose to paint it as I feel it will stay nice for longer. The bearings were in good condition so I did not remove the shaft from the housing.

Pic 19. I would like to have taken it apart for painting but it would not be possible to reassemble without the bearing scraping the paint off the shaft as it went back together. I painted the shaft and also the ally casting. I shot the silver and then applied a clear coat with lots of matting agent in it. I found this makes it look like a new casting because there is no shine. I later had some other ally parts vapour blasted and it was hard to tell which was bare ally and which was painted.

Pic 20. I replaced the original rusty thermostat housing with a Scott Drake housing. I then found a water hose with a bend in it instead.

Pic 21. I striped the engine block back to bare metal and repainted it.

Pic 22. Many hours spent trying to make it oil tight.

Pic 23. AC pump.

Pic 24. Magnetic clutch stripped off AC pump for replating plus various other parts.

Pic 25. AC fan.

Pic 26. I like to have parts zinc plated with a yellow passivate over the top to give it that factory fresh look.

Pic 27. I made these brackets for holding the AC & induction pipes. I copied the originals from Jonathan Roots car but added the flared edge on the small ones.

Pic 28. It's important to make the AC pump look new because it's the most visual part of the entire engine compartment when it's all back together.

Pic 29. Original Bosch alternator restored.

Pic 30. AC fan. Replated motor case. I had to paint the fan to make it look new. I used my clear coat matting agent trick here to good effect. It does not look painted.

Pic 31. FIM Bologna expansion tank repainted. The bracket to the right was too big. I had to shorten the legs by approx 25mm. This is the second goose I have done this to.

Pic 32. The ZF was unusually oil tight. I spent a long time sealing every orifice with rubber and silicone before having it vapour blasted.
The devises I made to seal the box are not visible in this picture.I forgot to take that picture.

Pic 33. Vapour blasting (also known as aqua blasting) for those not familiar is a wet blasting technique that uses tiny round glass balls suspended in high pressure water. It's like a sand blasting cabinet but with a windscreen wiper on the inside. Because the abrasive in round it has a peening effect rather than an abrasive affect so it makes the ally very bright like a new casting.

Pic 34. I repainted the rear casting and replaced the fasteners and input seal.

Pic 35. Mcleod hydraulic throwout bearing. This car has run this type of set up for the last 15 years and to everyone's amazement has never failed! While I had it all apart I decided it was probably time it was replaced. The kit that came out did not have a makers name on it but I think it may have been an early Mcleod.

Pic 36. Getting the drivetrain back into the goose without damaging the new paint takes time. I installed engine, then bell housing, then transaxle.

Pic 37. I have no idea how others do this but I decided it would be nice to be able to drop the engine in with the chain block so that it sits on the chassis rails and then push the car over the pit to access the engine mounts. I made these padded chassis rail protector plates and adjustable ears that bolt to the heads. I managed to get it all together without chipping any paint so it must be a good idea!

Pic 38. Lovely hollow aluminium rear uprights. The Pantera took a step backwards after these beauties.

Pic 39.

Pic 40. Jack - difficult to restore something that can not be taken apart. It's got to come apart!

Pic 41. The screw shaft is machine pinched after assembly. I ground this down to remove the shaft.

Pic 42. I then welded up the damage with the MIG.

Pic 43. I turned down the weld on the lathe.

Pic 44. I then drilled the shaft for a roll pin and stainless washer. When the weight of the car is on the jack the pressure is in the other direction not against the roll pin. I had the shaft plated.

Pic 45. Looks better!

Pic 46. The carpet that covers the petrol tank has a vinyl piece sewn around the filler cap. I cut and bound new carpets but didn't even attempt to sew this round piece because my sewing machine does not have a giant throat depth so I would have to roll up the carpet to reach in far enough and would end up with a big mess just like original!

Pic 47. I decided it would be better to make the surroundout of steel and cover it in vinyl. I made a jig to beat the steel over so that it would be a press fit over the filler cap surround.

Pic 48. Steel bezel beaten to the correct shape.

Pic 49. Vinyl glued to steel.

Pic 50. Vinyl glued to carpet.

Pic 51. Finished carpet. Will be held in place with velcro.

Pic 52. The original FIM Bologna expansion tank cap was long gone. I found this rust one on ebay and had it re-plated.

Pic 53. I took the guts out of a modern generic radiator cap and transferred them into the old FIM cap.

Pic 54. I had to make a tool to re-clinch the brass bit.

Pic 55. Punch used to re-clinch.

Pic 56. I turned a new rivet on the lathe out of copper.

Pic 57. Expensive radiator cap!

Pic 58. I found it very hard to find an exact copy of the original induction pipes. I bought this type and removed the white binding from the outside. It looked much better and didn't fall apart.

Pic 59. I do this to all the cars. De Tomaso sun visors always flop down. The chrome pin spins in the plastic housing so tightening the screw makes no difference. I drill through the shaft (1.6mm) and tap a nail in with lock-tight.

Pic 60. I made these knobs on the lathe out of ally and painted them to replace missing ones. One for the seat and the other for the heater flap.

Pic 61. I added an extra bulb to the indicator lamp. This will be used as a "side light" for UK regulations.I also added a little chrome tape to brighten it up a bit.

Pic 62. Engine covers. I removed the ribs and repainted them. I also welded up some rub damage on the aluminium.

Pic 63. This car had slop in the steering. Most of it was in the Rose/Heim joints that screw into the end of the steering rack. Unfortunately this size does not exist any more - M12x1.0 M12x1.25 no problem, but not M12x1.0 I looked and looked but found nothing. I also looked into the old Renault racks that donated it but they never had the Rose/Heim joint as far as I can tell.

I had no choice but to press the bearing out and find another. This was not straight forward because the Rose/Heim joint body formed the outer casing of the bearing so it self-destructed when I pressed it out and left two ribs that prevented me from pressing a new bearing in.

Pic 64. New bearing bought form Mcgill Motorsports.

Pic 65. I managed to mount the housing in the chuck and turn off the ribs and machine it to the right size for the new bearing.

Pic 66. New bearing pressed in. The internal size and width of the bearing was identical to the original so the miss alignment spacers fitted perfectly.

Pic 67. How the hell does everyone else install Rose/Heim joint boots? I made a tool with hooks!

fantastic work Johnny. you are one creative bastard.
need the rest of the pics when u get a chance.
cheers cj

Pic 68. Bonnet latch wear.

Pic 69. Welded up.

Pic 70. I referred to Jonathan Roots car to find out what the original stickers look like. This is Jons AC dryer with barely legible paper sticker.

Pic 71. I had it recreated by my friend with a sign shop. It says "Diavia" "Auto air conditioners. Diavia SPA, Molinella, Bo, Italy. I Googled this but they are long gone. It was hard to tell the exact colour of the original sticker so I guessed. The gold could in fact be white? I intend to have some more of these stickers printed and sell them on ebay.

This should sit lower with the bracket half covering the sticker.

Pic 72. Vitaloni Californian mirrors are still my favourite but look very cheap these days. I am sure they must be having them made in China? The plastic used to have a nice mottled satin finish now they look shiny and cheap so I had to paint them.

Pic 73. Painted mirrors.

Pic 74. I made a wedge for the passenger side as this is a LHD car. Without this you cant get enough adjustment.

Pic 75. Wedge & bracket mounted on door.

Pic 76. Cutting and binding carpets takes time.

Pic 77. I had the air cleaner housing powder coated in a finish very close to crackle black.

Pic 78. I made some stainless straps to clamp the induction pipes to the housing. Originally they had none but it looks unfinished without.

Pic 79. These gullwing safety latches are not original but the owner wanted to keep them so I had them replated.

Pic 80. All carpets are removable. I had to make the thin ally trim at the top of the inner piece as it was missing.

Pic 81. Slightly over restored just the way I like it!

Pic 82.

Pic 83.

Pic 84. I love the zinc/passivate plating.

Pic 85

Pic 86

Pic 86.5. I had the Bosch sticker reproduced for the alternator. Unfortunately it's printed in the wrong colours!

Pic 87. The Lucas screen jet bottles have now been reproduced. Fan doesn't look painted!

stunning effort Johnny

Pic 88

Pic 89

Pic 90. I covered the rear light reflectors with some aluminium foil tape, makes them look bright. Reverse engraved number plates added. 10" rear wheels! the end.

Johnny Woods

Thanks Chris! Glad you like it.

Johnny

As per your ususal work Johnny. Fantastic and superb. You are setting the benchmark.
Congrats
Denis

Stunning work - simply stunning. I can only dream.

It's F'in beautiful Johnny!

I can't wait to take it for a nice ride in the countryside. Up the dirt roads, across the livestock crossings and down near the river!

Wait now! Then it would need another restoration?

Bummer. It's TOO nice to drive now! SHAME ON YOU!

WOW! that looks awesome!!!

After you water blasted the ZF, do you have to seal it with anything? did you do it yourself?

Looks great!

What carb does it have? You decided not to go with Motorcraft 4300 mounted backwards?

I am interested in a Diavia sticker

Did you fabricate the belt to hold the jack in its compartment?