Reston twin losing its yellow paint

[BrisBellett]

I have posted some photos on Face Book on the Isuzu site in case anyone is interested. Almost all the yellow paint is gone with the guards and bonnet painted today in blue. Cab is next. Chassis is done and painted in two pack black and 2.54 ratio (Ford Cortina) dif will be ready to put in soon. Big job as there is some rust requiring panel replacements in the cab that slows everything down. Should cruise very nicely down the highway.
Keeping the Florian 161 engine and the 5 speed Rodeo transmission. Newly re-chromed grille, headlight bezels and bonnet badge due to arrive soon and the new windscreen as well. Brand new Koito H-4 headlights have arrived and because I could not find any decent original front indicator lights it will get the later Bellett type lights with new lenses.
Any one with knowledge of the split rear bumpers - or suitable substitute - please let me know - until I sort that out it will not have a rear bumper.
Rebuilt a heater from a later model Bellett - got lucky with a VG matrix - all painted and ready to install once the cab is done.
Managed to get the dash pad off in one piece so a new one will be made.
Adding Oil P, Water Temp and Fuel gauges - replacing the combination gauge cluster with a Tacho.
Anyone one with a decent set of wing repeater lights let me know - white or yellow lenses - need to be pretty good condition.
Shooting for January completion date.

[Farmer]

Hello Clyde, looking good mate.
That's a really tall diff, it will be interesting to see how that goes.
I don't think Wasps ever had back bumpers, but I could be wrong.
The side repeaters come up sometimes on Yahoo auctions, never cheap, but they are small, so the shipping shouldn't be too bad. I have a couple of average ones here.
January! Great work, that is really quick.
Thanks for the update.
Cheers, Matt.

[BrisBellett]

Thanks Matt. I have found a set of wing repeater lights and you are probably correct about the rear bumper although there is a pic of the other twin with a split bumper - that may well be an add-on.
The dif ratio will be less tall as I plan to put lower profile tyres - which look better (in my opinion). I'll post moe pics on the Isuzu FB site when available.
Cheers, Clyde

[Glenn]

I have posted some photos on Face Book on the Isuzu site in case anyone is interested. Almost all the yellow paint is gone with the guards and bonnet painted today in blue. Cab is next. Chassis is done and painted in two pack black and 2.54 ratio (Ford Cortina) dif will be ready to put in soon. Big job as there is some rust requiring panel replacements in the cab that slows everything down. Should cruise very nicely down the highway.
Keeping the Florian 161 engine and the 5 speed Rodeo transmission. Newly re-chromed grille, headlight bezels and bonnet badge due to arrive soon and the new windscreen as well. Brand new Koito H-4 headlights have arrived and because I could not find any decent original front indicator lights it will get the later Bellett type lights with new lenses.
Any one with knowledge of the split rear bumpers - or suitable substitute - please let me know - until I sort that out it will not have a rear bumper.
Rebuilt a heater from a later model Bellett - got lucky with a VG matrix - all painted and ready to install once the cab is done.
Managed to get the dash pad off in one piece so a new one will be made.
Adding Oil P, Water Temp and Fuel gauges - replacing the combination gauge cluster with a Tacho.
Anyone one with a decent set of wing repeater lights let me know - white or yellow lenses - need to be pretty good condition.
Shooting for January completion date.

Could you place a few pics here also for those not of Facebook disposition.
glenn

[A.J.]

Hello Clyde,
I see you have found some side repeater lights but given you are not strictly going ‘standard” you could have used some side repeaters from a Jeep XJ that are a similar size and shape to the Bellett lights.
A.J.

[BrisBellett]

Thanks AJ. Those look pretty close to the original lights so I ordered a pair. I was going to get a pair from Japan and wait months unless I paid express postage. Cheers, Clyde

[BrisBellett]

I will be happy to post some pics if I could find the instruction for this site. I have done a search but come up empty. Thanks.

[Glenn]

I will be happy to post some pics if I could find the instruction for this site. I have done a search but come up empty. Thanks.

When you reply or make a post, look a little down the screen to see a box with "Browse" in it. Click the button and browse to where your pictures are located, select one and then click 'add the file'. Repeat for each photo/picture.
It's a good idea not to upload large pictures, eg Megabyte ones. Reduce to maybe 200k size if you can. A way to do this is with Paint which is installed on a PC. Other programs will do it also.

Glenn

[BrisBellett]

Thanks Glenn.

[BrisBellett]

Last evidence of the Reston yellow wasp. Tub finished. Reassembly will begin soon.

[BrisBellett]

Last of the yellow

[BrisBellett]

Chassis - 3.9 dif exhaust, rear brakes & lines, handbrake cable done.

[BrisBellett]

Undercoating.

[BrisBellett]

Cab - ready for some reassembly.

[Glenn]

Nice work.

I love that colour, one of my st Belletts was same.

glenn

[Farmer]

Looking good Clyde! Thanks for the update. I'm looking forward to seeing this one.
Cheers, Matt.

[BrisBellett]

Been cleaning the engine and transmission - painted the block in original black and cleaned up allt the alloy bits. Brakes all sorted - front drums required new cylinders and drum turned - one side almost down to metal to metal. Need to patch where "someone" cut out a section of the bell housing to accommodate a Rodeo started. Good that I had a near new original starter to go back in. Between me and my engineer we determine that there would have been 4 or 5 different people "modifying" different parts of this Wasp that required serious repairs to make it close ot original. This has not been an inexpensive restoration project and is not a surprise to keep this Wasp from the scrap yard. No regrets but maybe the next owner will appreciate the painstaking time we spent getting this done properly. And no it will not be for sale - I intend to drive it.

[Glenn]

Been cleaning the engine and transmission - painted the block in original black and cleaned up allt the alloy bits. Brakes all sorted - front drums required new cylinders and drum turned - one side almost down to metal to metal. Need to patch where "someone" cut out a section of the bell housing to accommodate a Rodeo started. Good that I had a near new original starter to go back in. Between me and my engineer we determine that there would have been 4 or 5 different people "modifying" different parts of this Wasp that required serious repairs to make it close ot original. This has not been an inexpensive restoration project and is not a surprise to keep this Wasp from the scrap yard. No regrets but maybe the next owner will appreciate the painstaking time we spent getting this done properly. And no it will not be for sale - I intend to drive it.

Nice work. Well done.

I recall seeing a Bellett with the bell housing cut like that many years back, to fit a Gemini box I think.

Curious why you need an engineer?

Glenn

[CQGT]

Cutting the 5 speed transmission housing away is what I had done to fit the standard starter to my sedan. The housing shown
is probably out of a KB Rodeo or a UBS Jackaroo Diesel (left hand starter) with a what we called in the auto parts industry
a "dropped down starter drive". I manufactured a cover from 1mm sheet alloy and sealed it with urethane and used heavy pop rivets.
I then painted it silver and the area around it. You wouldn't notice it until it was pointed out .
Clyde.
I'll see if I can upload some pics. Every job I did on my sedan I took multiple photos. I can't seem to go into and download them.

Dave.

[CQGT]

Hi Clyde.
Attached pics.

Enjoy.

Dave.