T-16 S/N 5399 T.D. 97377 Restoration

[horsa]

Just got finished reducing the size of all the photographs in this message thread by 20 percent. They are all hosted out on a public photobucket site so hopefully they will load faster now.

[RichardT10829]

I shall use this resto as inspiration for mine ! i just hope i can follw your lead what an absolutely fantastic job you have done !

[horsa]

Hey Richard,

Looks like you have a real challange there as well. At least most of what you need is flat metal and there are others who have fabricated what you are missing. Just a matter of tracking them down over time for patterns to copy so you aren't having to ship things internationally.

One thing on big restorations is to not get hung up on a single thing. If you can break tasks into groups, you'll be able to do little things on several different parts/sections during the same time period. Allows a change of pace and an easy way to transition from one thing to the next if you get stuck needing information or small parts. Makes for a lot of juggling but suddenly the vehicle will begin taking shape.

Two really critical things are to take as many digital photos as you can prior to taking things apart since they are good for reference when you put things back together. And anything that comes off should be labeled. Use a marker and make notes on the big parts and put little parts and examples of removed nuts in bolts into labeled bags to keep things sorted out. You don't want to forget how the puzzle goes back together when the time comes.

[RichardT10829]

Thanks David, through work I deal with alot of exhibits, i will be using the same method of labelling and boxing for the project.

[horsa]

Didn't get much done over the holidays but managed to finish the exhaust system. Attached a few shots below for reference.













Sure runs smoother and a lot more quiet now. Plus its nice to be able to direct the exhaust out of the garage while its parked and running. Need to install the rear armour that protects the differential and then its on to the wood pieces that go along the edges of the armoured walls.

[Ledsel]

Is that green grass? Must be nice!

[horsa]

Nope, what you see in the background is vines that are used for groundcover in a rough area under some trees. Temps here have been down to freezing a few times this winter but then it bounces back into the mid-70s to 80s a day or two later. I need to take advantage of it being reasonably cooler and get some heavier outdoor projects done before summer comes rolling back in.