Urba Centurion Update - (Kubota diesel, 100+ MPG in mixed driving - Fall 2012 on)

[Stubby79]

[changzuki]

Centurion's gettin' some new shoes - part 1
Taking a quick break from the restoration of the original Centurion and looking in on the gray/black/orange Centurion..
-
There's an orange Spitfire in the yard and I've been eyeballin' the stock wheels for some time now. They are rusty but I like the style.
-

-
-
The wheels were removed and the paint was chemically stripped. Next was manually removing the remaining paint/primer with a sanding wheel.-

-

-

-

-
-
The rust ran deep into the steel so a 2-month soak in vinegar took care of that. After the vinegar, two applications of phosphoric acid was applied and then self-etching primer was sprayed onto the wheels.
-

-

-

-
-
The topcoat was a color very close to Kubota orange and it came right from Rust-OLeum rattle cans.
-

-

-

-
-
These will need to dry a couple weeks before the new tires are mounted...
-
~CrazyJerry~

[Xist]

Do you regularly soak metal for months in vinegar? I watched a video where someone threw rusty tools in a bucket of vinegar, but he did not get back to it for fourteen months.

Perhaps that was a year too long.

[Frank Lee]

Very nice job on the wheel resto- they look great!

[changzuki]

Originally Posted by Xist

Do you regularly soak metal for months in vinegar? I watched a video where someone threw rusty tools in a bucket of vinegar, but he did not get back to it for fourteen months.

Perhaps that was a year too long.

Xist, This is the first time I've ever used vinegar for rust removal. The contact area where the centers are welded to the outer rim was the original concern - how to get at the rust in that crevice. Because this was an indoor winter project, muriatic acid was not an option even though it would've been light years faster. Each wheel soaked in five gallons of off-the-shelf vinegar (5% acidity) for three weeks with a wire brushing by hand three times each week. Removal from the vinegar resulted in the bare metal "flash rusting" in about 2 minutes, so on the last pull each wheel got a healthy spray of a water and baking soda solution to neutralize the acid in the vinegar.
-
The phosphoric acid should have addressed any remaining rust that was hiding. These wheels will never see any road salt so I'm hoping for a long lasting restore.
-
~CrazyJerry~

[changzuki]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Very nice job on the wheel resto- they look great!

Thanks Frank Lee!
-
~CrazyJerry~

[changzuki]

Centurion's gettin' some new shoes - part 2
-
New tires mounted using a couple of flat bars, then the sidewalls were smoothed out so the new "Kubota Racing" letters could be applied.
-

-
-
After balancing, a four wheel alignment was completed, then a 50 mile drive on our horrible roads, then one more alignment.
-

-

-
-
Centurion's new shoes are a knockout!
-

-

-
-
~CrazyJerry~

[samwichse]

Hey, this also seems right up your alley...

Ever heard of a Vacaro?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Replic...pbGU9t&vxp=mtr

Just found it after a bit of searching, it's a Vokaro that's supposed to be on a VW chassis, but somehow ended up on a Fiat with a Kohler 14HP 1-cylinder up front.

[changzuki]

Originally Posted by samwichse

Hey, this also seems right up your alley...

Ever heard of a Vacaro?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Replic...pbGU9t&vxp=mtr

Just found it after a bit of searching, it's a Vokaro that's supposed to be on a VW chassis, but somehow ended up on a Fiat with a Kohler 14HP 1-cylinder up front.

Yes, have heard of a Vacaro. It's an interesting car for sure and it would be a fun little runabout. If I had resources I'd save a lot of these forgotten vehicles. Good find!
-
~CrazyJerry~

[changzuki]

The original Centurion has been yard driving off and on. Am kind of waiting for a catastrophe out of left field to happen. In the meantime, I need to investigate the clutch slave cylinder. The clutch master seems to be down on fluid and the slave cylinder was not replaced last summer... It's in a tricky spot but do-able if need be..
-
~CrazyJerry~
-