Opel Blitz Restoration
Page 2
May 22/23 1999
Once again it was all hands to the front as a good number of
SBG attended the Blitz day on Saturday. Even I was amazed at how
much work was done in such short a time !. Fortunately the
weather was good, in fact blisteringly hot but coveralls had to
be worn to stop getting covered in grease, paint and dust. To
start with the vehicle was moved out of the garage where whatever
was still bolted to the Blitz including mud flaps, brackets and
other sundry items were removed (with the exception of the engine
and front wheels). It was then given a good steam clean followed
by a severe wire brushing by hand and electric drill until the
metal work was shiny all over, not one millimeter was left
untouched. Whilst this was going on the vehicle was jacked up and
put on axle stands and the half shafts were removed from the rear
axle, inspected, greased up and refitted. The brakes and drums
were once again removed, inspected and put in good working order.
Uscha. Mockel fitted new bakes pipes which he had made himself
and various other work was carried out.
Once the chassis was gleaming it was
then given a good thick coat of red oxide primer, once again
every square millimeter was covered. The hot weather made the
paint dry very quickly and before long the red oxide was followed
by a few top coats of Panzer Grau. Since the last work day
quotations for making up the wooden frame for the cab had varied
between £500 and £2500 !. Of course these were unrealistic
figures and Rttf. Gurowski decided to take the job on himself
making the wooden frame out of the correct hard wood.
Whilst the other members worked away on the chassis Gurowski measured up the wooden cab parts he had manufactured so far and these were tested for alignment before the final stage of actually fitting them. By the end of the day the transformation was unbelievable and well done to all those that turned up and got stuck in and also to those members who's precious donations have made this all possible in the first place.
Rttf.
Gurowski (in black T shirt) and Hscha. Siegel measure up the cab
woodwork.