My 505 resto (sort of) complete

colj00

Member
Fellow Frogger
Joined
May 12, 2015
Messages
68
Location
perth
hey folks, i bought a 505 SR about a year ago in very (VERY) rough shape, and over the time i've owned it i have slowly restored it, it was a lot of work and money, more than i anticipated for sure but im happy to say its finally done, sort of. right now its running and driving great, but i have expended my limited funds so i never got the power steering, air con or heater working but for what little money i had, i think i did alright.

all the major work i did:

full respray in the original "Aigue Marine metallic" color, few dents and rust holes patched up, chrome bits replaced.
engine bay respray and rust repair around the battery area
interior tidy-up (restitching the rear seats and new seat belts)
new engine bits (water pump, timing chain, gaskets, mounts, those sorts of things)
and a whole lot of cleaning, the engine, gearbox and diff were caked in oily sludge from leaks.


heres a few before/after pics.
SAM_1347.jpgSAM_1346.jpgSAM_1344.jpgSL375865.jpgSL375864.jpgSL375861.jpg
 
Handsome car. I too have an '85 SR, and after having had and loved a few 504s (even lived in one for a few months once ! ), these 505s are an even more wonderful car to drive.

How's your engine bay after the renovation ?

BTW, I recommend taking some time and squirting some Inox (not just WD40) into every electrical connector after what looks like having been a thorough engine clean in that first photo. It'll dissolve any corrosion that has developed and which will cause odd electrical probs later.
 
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engine bay is much cleaner and less rusty... i have already had to replace some of the connectors because of how bad the corrosion was, the moisture seals on the factory connectors are atrocious. ill get a photo up of the engine bay once i find a proper air filter for it, right now im just using a rag over the intake pipe.
 
yep, i did the bonnet and front quarter panels with color matched spray cans, and then i realized it would probably be cheaper to buy a compressor, gun and a 4 liter can of paint to do the rest, so i did that.

the only thing i didn't do myself was replace the windscreen after i cracked it with a screwdriver.
 
Is it a manual or auto, dude ?

I'm thinking of starting a thread about all the little tricks to do with keeping an older 505 on the road. Things to watch out for.
 
Well done, nice looking car, should give lot's of enjoyment for you, I wondered where you sourced the new seat belts and were you able to get new chrome parts for the roof gutters and front/rear windscreens?
Regards
Neil
 
it is a 5 speed manual.

as for the chrome bits, i just used the stick on stuff you can find at supercheap auto and ebay, the double sided tape they provide is completely useless so i used sikaflex instead.

the seat belts are a generic part you can find anywhere, i got mine off ebay.
 
Nice work colj00-especially the paintwork! And good idea for a thread Beano. As these cars age we 505 owners need all the help we can get and share with each other :)
 
Well done. Good looking car.

Is it sprayed with acrylic and waiting for cutting compound to bring up the gloss? I hope you've applied clear coat as well as the metallic. Without clear you can't buff metallic and it will go off over time too. Just asking; it sounds like this was your first spray job and it looks a good one.

Have fun,

Rob.
 
yes, i did a primer, base and clear on places where the paint had to be stripped back to metal, and just a quick sand then base + clear on areas that were not too bad... i haven't polished it just yet.
 
Hi Beano .....thread a great idea and as an owner of an '84 STi with limited mechanical knowledge I would be an avid follower.
colj00 did a great job didn't he?..... Time to start "trawling" for the required bits perhaps?
 
... as for the chrome bits, i just used the stick on stuff you can find at supercheap auto and ebay, the double sided tape they provide is completely useless so i used sikaflex instead. ...
I was very lucky. I think I must have got the last pair of NOS plastic gutter trim in captivity, from a parts supplier's warehouse in the US about 7 or 8 years ago.

Any chance of some close-ups of the chrome trim around the windscreen or rear window? I'd like to see how the Supercheap stuff looks. Mine is a 1983 manual SRD Turbo sedan. I've had 2 of these plus an '85 GTI auto (3-speed) sedan.
 
You are doing fine,just a few obs. from an old time mechanic,[now retired]your rear stands look to have smallish bases -I may be wrong,had a bloke kill himself close to here with a car coming down on him jacked on besser blocks,safety is a BIG requirement working on cars.
On that subject,the fuel filter you are using can come in varying and sometimes doubtful qualities,regardless they are normally fitted to the inlet side of the fuel pump,reasons?
1. keep dirt etc out of pump for reliability and pump life.
2. Fitting a filter between pump and filter subjects the filter to about 3 to 4.5 psi which is taking a risk ,I know people get away with it,but its a risk you can do without.
The idea of an ideas pool is a good one,and will help a lot of good cars not becoming scrap,everyone has knowledge that someone doesn't know .
Quite a few people on this site have helped me when I found myself in need baz
 
thanks broomy, yeah the rear jack stands i use are a bit sketchy, they don't have big bases but they do have a v shape so i made sure they were on something that wouldn't slip.

ill get some more photos up soon.
 
Thanks in advance for the photos.

Cars supported only by jack stands make me nervous too.
 
Thanks in advance for the photos.

Cars supported only by jack stands make me nervous too.

I always use an old 504 engine block under the front crossmember cushioned with some timber between it and the crossmember.
 
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