fixing an old rangefinder - pet project

[explody pup]

Hello.

My dad just gave me a Petri Automate to see what I could do with it. He got it from a friend in the Army oh so many years ago. I'm wondering if anyone here can give me some idea of what I'm getting myself into.

Here's what's wrong:
Shutter doesn't work below 1/50
The self-timer doesn't work at all
The viewfinder is pretty crudded up. It's quite cloudy and difficult to focus
The leatherette is cracking

Other than that everything seems to be fine. It's in pretty good cosmetic condition other than a dent by the winder.

My dad found some disassembly instructions online in Japanese, translate via google (a printout, I'll have to ask him for the link). Needless to say, they're not easy to understand. But I think I have a fair idea of what it's saying and there are a few decent pictures of the innards.

So, what tools do I need for this other than a set of jeweler's screwdrivers? There seem to be a few spanners that might be tricky to get off. Any words of wisdom as far as tackling this project?

Also, how difficult is it to do a good job putting on your own leatherette?

Any advice is very welcome, even if it's to give up all hope.

Oh, and if anyone has any information on this camera, I'd love to hear it. My father apparently has the manual somewhere under a pile or in a box, but I doubt it would be too much help in my quest.

Thanks.

 

[ThomThomsk]

So, what tools do I need for this other than a set of jeweler's screwdrivers?

Nerves of steel? Rangefinders are mechanically complex, and if I were you I would spend some time on the rangefinder forum (http://www.rangefinderforum.com/) before doing anything. There are lots of very knowledgable people on there, but just browsing around the repair notes section would help to give you an idea of what you are getting in to.

Thomsk