Story and photos by Paul Wilson
I have put off writing this chapter of my BAT project because I keep thinking of that classic of all-time worst opening lines: “This is the meticulous record of a life in which absolutely nothing of interest happened.” Repairing and cleaning aren’t as exciting as designing and fabricating. But I had a few adventures and challenges, not just tedious work, and some experiences were new to me, and maybe to you who are reading this.
The body was made in bolt-on sections, which were easily removed. Next came disassembly of everything attached to the chassis. Off came the front suspension, steering, rear axle, and gas tank. Every little piece had to be removed. The chemicals used in the dip-strip process dissolve paint and rust, but also aluminum. Alfa used aluminum spacers inside some steel box sections. Unless these were found and taken off, they would disappear.