1954 Jowett Jupiter - Complete Restoration - Dipped & Primed

Good idea re the sachets. Think I need to do a similar exercise for the engine I have wrapped up.

So although I'm now on with repanelling the other Jupiter in the workshop I have a booking for this Jupiter to be processed by a specialist paint & rust removal company - but it needs some preparation before it heads there



Collected from the barn



First job was to strip the bonnet



The wings are bolted to the frame of the bonnet to form a clamshell type enclosure - the outer skins are alloy



Meanwhile Mrs GN stripped the upholstery facings from the bench seat for the car



Two reasons for undertaking this at this stage - one is acquire & retain the pattern for the leather facings which she can make a start on drafting the scale patterns up for and producing the new facings



Secondly the seat frame is steel - fabricated in two sections - we have several members that have acquired Jupiter's over the years but with the original bench seats missing completely - in some cases replaced with two non original single seats and other cases the car is purchased for restoration and the seat is one of the component parts that is missing



Has a club with its own parts department we have committed getting reproduction steel panels for the seat back & base made to supply from stock but we need a original pattern to copy from - hence this one got stripped for that reason - it will travel North with me shortly and be delivered on loan to the clubs spares team



I removed all parts from the panels



Then the rear outer shroud panel from the rear superstructure



The sills & floor braces which join the bulkhead to the rear superstructure were carefully dissected and the body mountings cut off



Then the bulkhead could be lifted clear of the chassis



The original body mountings were dead



A previous body mounting bodge



The B posts were braced has these were very flimsy prior to the removal of the rear superstructure



I then spent an afternoon cutting all sorts of bodged brackets that had been attached to the car that would not be required in the rebuild



Largest challenge was the removal of both front torsion bars which were well & truly seized in both the front & rear mountings



Only with the use of heat to point of getting the mounting cherry red did I gain any movement



Eventually



I still have the front arms to remove from the chassis which are proving equally difficult



But once these are off everything can be loaded to the trailer & Range Rover



For its long trip North

I stripped the runners off the seat frame and welded a few small splits up on the corners prior to it going for patterning



And its now loaded to the trailer



Ready for delivery to Lancashire on Thursday



Along with all the loose panels - plus other Jowett items / parts that are getting dropped off on my way back down country

Don't think I've ever see your workshop in such a state. Looks like you had quite the fight.

Might be a stupid question, but when using heat is it simply the expansion/contraction of the parts in relation to one another that breaks the rust seal? Is it best to let it cool before then dismantling or is taking it apart whilst still hot beneficial?

After a long trip North yesterday



The Jupiter is now with a specialist processor for paint removal & derusting

And believe me , ive asked plenty!!🤣🤣🤣

Several reasons but the primary one is that Envirostrip cant really process the alloy panels especially the large bonnet / rear shroud panels - I need a one stop shop in order to maintain production levels through the workshop (I make it sound like a production line and its far from it) but I have 4 of these Jupiter's to restore alongside other clients vehicles - hence I need to maximise production and outsourcing jobs like this which I simply don't have the room / space / equipment to undertake is one of a range of measures that keeps me treading water rather than sinking - even though its a 500 mile round trip x 2 to deliver then collect it

So a little over 2 weeks later and I'm back up to 'Ribble Technology' to collect the chassis & bodyshell that they have processed for me



And the results are impressive



All the rust is burnt out of the chassis and the panels are clean & devoid of all surface coatings - they have also applied a good quality primer to all the steel panels & the chassis - the staff could not have been more helpful with the loading to the trailer when I turned up to collect it too



All the alloy is whistle clean - just requiring a buzz over with the DA when I get on to repairing them



The car has had a life and certainly all of the lower bulkhead & floor panels shall require replacement



NS A post is pretty typical of a Jupiter requiring restoration



However on the OS I don't think I have come across a Jupiter A post in this poor a condition - not only has it had multiple patches / poor repairs but its also been impacted and is set back some 40mm out of alignment



Typically every panel / part requires attention but they are all repairable in the grand scheme of things



All the repair sections / new panels were supplied the Jowett Car Club's own spares department 'Jowett Car Spares'



Once back at the workshop I had to get the car up off the pallet that it was loaded on to the trailer with and on to my dollies



This makes it easy for me to move about has it now goes back into to short term storage prior to the repairs commencing



I also collected a rebuilt axle from the club spares for this car (very rare)



Now back at the barn and wrapped up



Things are happing the background for this restoration and once I have some fabrication space available I shall make a start on the bulkhead rebuild