Robert's Rochdale Olympic Repairs

It's not uncommon for people to spend years restoring a wreck of a car into something immaculate. Robert is unconventional in this respect - he started with an immaculate Rochdale Olympic and crunched it.

This is the story of the second rebuild.

Robert is a good friend who shares my barn. I like to think I'm being helpful by documenting his rebuild on the internet.

2002: The bump

To be fair Robert had just spent 4 years restoring this Olympic from a wreck. It must have been pretty devastating to break it again. Also he banged his head - a significant factor perhaps in his decision to rebuild the car once more.

2002 in detail: Background and the bump

2003: A rear diffuser

The floor was practically the only part of the car that wasn't damaged.

So it made sense to start off the repairs by completely replacing the floor with a new one which incorporates a rear diffuser.

2003 in detail: A new floor with rear diffuser

2004: A fiberglass front subframe

Rochdale Olympics originally had a steel tubular front subframe. It was a horrific design and only loosely bonded into the car.

Robert decided there would be none of this nasty steel in this latest incarnation of his car, so spent 2004 making a glassfibre subframe.

2004 in detail: Building the subframe and some panels arrive

2005: The roof and front end

Supply of new panels had been a bit of an issue, but they arrived at the end of last year.

I think we might see a reasonably complete Rochdale Olympic appear by the end of this year.

2005 in detail: Fitting the roof and front end

2006: Completing the bodyshell?

It seemed about there already. If if were me or you we'd throw some paint on, fit an engine and drive around a bit. But it turns out things are much more complicated.

We probably wouldn't consider the need for a bonded in windscreen, and some slackers might not have bothered putting in half a year of work to save a couple of kilograms from the doors.

2006 in detail: Finishing the body

2007: Rochdale on Wheels

In a surprise start to 2007 Robert learned to weld, and quickly went on to fabricate some new upper wishbones and put some wheels on.

Perhaps we'll see a bit of paint in the summer of 2007. Who knows. Check the detail page to see what happens.

See Rochdale on wheels

2008: Preparation for Paint

So far in 2008 we've had a new bonnet, seats and door latches. Exciting stuff already, but we might even see some paint going on this year.

See 2008 - Prep for paint

2009: Final Assembly

Paint mostly went on in freezing conditions at the end of 2008. Now a push to finish the car before a new job takes Robert to Barcelona.

See 2009: Final assembly