Project Eclipse: Dec 2 Update

It's back to the grind, shall we say, as car club students return for another session of removal, reconditioning and reinstallation of parts on Project Eclipse...

With the front subframe removed from the vehicle last week, we placed the weary frame on a workbench and began to disassemble its parts for a thorough cleaning and sandblasting where possible.

After disassembly, some parts were ground with power tools, while others were sand blasted. Still others were cleaned up with emery cloth, then prepped and painted red and black as per BR colours.

And as car club and senior SHSM students continued to recondition other front end parts, we assessed the two structural holes in the Eclipse, and began repairs. While one student begins to hammer out a repair plate for the left front upper control arm mount, we welded in a plate to the right front upper strut tower and applied body filler so it can be contoured and painted next week:

As the last bits were coming off the front subframe, Mr. Da Silva taught students how heat can carefully be used to help loosen very rusted fasteners. Less broken parts means more money saved!

While some students are tearing down, others are building up. Keeping warm after school, a group of grade ten students removed some old door hinges and installed the driver's side vertical door hinge set and made final adjustments to complete the set of scissor doors on our car!

The Eclipse looks like a mixture of cool and clutter, without its hood and fenders. We can't wait until the skin is on and the paint job is finished later this year!

Car Club students are "motoring along" quite passionately, eager to play a role in the building our BR Spirit Car. External components are being sanded lightly, prepping them for a future coat of paint. The end workbench is slowly filling with reconditioned parts, ready to be assembled back together. 

Though a lot of work has been completed, there is still much more to do, and the following day, Car Club students took some time to help lower the entire powertrain out of the old Eclipse:

Mr. Da Silva is quite pleased when he sees students working as a team and driven to accomplish their goals. 

Hmmm....maybe we should make a new graphic for the Eclipse: 

RESPECT, EFFORT, SUCCESS!