1146 replies to this topic

[hughJ]

Feeling pretty down!!

But before I go into it I do appreciate the kind words - ZEBERDEE, Carlos, Andrew, Scott, Graham, minimuk, Chris, Tom, Johnny and garrett3. I am an amateur and must never get beyond thinking that. The work that follows will show that. I have been given good advice but am so amateur I can't follow it. I just could not go through undoing work done before even though I know it is wrong and is making everything else so difficult. I thought the front might be in by now but I'm still in the middle of fitting it.

I painted the insides green after finishing the Stone Chip Shield.





Again the perspective looks strange!

And took this just because it looks nice.



Then came the horrors. I got Anne to come out and help me force clamps on to get plug welds in the corners of the wings. I thought that once they were in I could just keep forcing the rest. But things moved!!



That is majorly forced



I'm really disappointed with this - it has dropped



I'm telling you I wouldn't like to be the person that grinds out these welds one day - it will fly apart such is the tension they are under!

This will need just a bit of filler!





And the other wing



It has moved at the back as well. There are pretty big gaps to fill with sealant!

I could see the whole thing far enough. I haven't showed you the enormous gaps at the bonnet.

Well that's what I've done

Amateur Hugh

Edited by hughJ, 10 March 2012 - 07:42 PM.

[jagman.2003]

Good to see the front end on Hugh. I'm sure with some grinding, sealant & filler it'll look fine. The wings do look even.

[minimuk]

Chin up pall, you are getting there, as jagman said, bit of filling and grindin all comes good, we all had our fights with 'dissappointment' of our own doing's and still have, that is part of a total restore. keep at it , If I would live arround the corner I would come and give you a hand and have a few cuppa's. I am doing that via this forum if I can, and have a cuppa here

[Albertini]

Hello Hugh

Like most, I follow your thread with sheer admiration. I look forward to your updates because the work your doing is your own, and your selfless honesty gives heart to all of us none superhumans that challenge themselves everytime we pick up a spanner. We don't always get it right and very often we need help, but we love what we do.(or at least what we end up with).

Keep it up my friend, you have lots of support.

[Deathrow]

I've not replied here for a while as I've not been on the forum as much lately but I won't see you have your spirits dampened by a front end Hugh!

Can we have some additional pictures of the wing to scuttle seam? Particularly from above so we can assess the gap?

From the dark pictures it's difficult to tell but it looks like the wing corner doesn't line up with the top of the a-panel and the swage line in the door. This could be your grief point.

At least your wings still have their curved form at the back! I had to stretch mine so much to get the fit good that they're almost flat on top at the back. Some filler art will be neccesary to rectify the appearance.

Don't let it dampen your spirits though Hugh! It's a slippery slope if you do.

[grahama]

Hugh you muppet, you may well be an amateur, but you are doing a great job, so stop beating yourself up about a couple of fit issues, do you hear me !!!

I'm sure that in the end with some well placed filler, which on a rust free environment as you now have, will be fine and cover up those gap issues and drops perfectly. There will be some sanding involved for sure but it really doesn't matter. I bet there are plenty on here who don't show the mistakes !! I do, by the way, and then learn from them.

I have not updated my build for a bit as all to uninteresting at the moment, but when my front end goes on, iminently honest, the panels will be held on, like yours, with a certain psi on some welds as I will not be cutting my panels to bits to avoid it !!

It looks great from the pics Hugh, and at the end of the day it's your mini, for your enjoyment, and when you're driving in it this Summer you will soon forget the crappy days like yesterday !!

Spare a thought for us poor misguided pillocks who re build thier gearboxes and forget to put a spring clip in and have to take it apart again, cutting fingers and kicking the cats along the way, lol !! Also had Jan on her hands and knees looking through out thick rugs for a synchro hub ball bearing, chuffed she was not. We all have trying times !!

Keep at it as it's comming along well,

Your pal Graham.

[Shifty]

Hugh, don't beat yourself up too much, front ends are tricky buggers at the best of time.

One thing I will say though is that if the fit is annoying you now then when its in paint it will be 10 times worse, nows the time to make changes.

Its difficult to really see from the picture as they usually make stuff like that look worse than it really is.

I really wish you were closer, I'd happily pop over and give you a quick hand.

[racingenglishcars]

Wow, this thread is incredible.

I've read through (mostly) the whole thread in the past couple evenings.
I would say the dedication and learning experience shown here in the tops.

Hugh, you took on a project few others would and done much of it in a fine and professional manner.
Your welding is now at least as good as mine and I have been doing it for years. I though would never have the patience for butt welding. I am usually more under a time press have to get the repair done quickly enough that the owner can use his car. Repairing rust is however not my profession, I am a mechanical (control systems) engineer.

Your repair-bit-fabrication shows patience and excellent hand-working skills. Not bad for a chemistry teacher :)

While reading the thread, I of course could come up with some suggestions of what would be best with each of the individual repairs, but the other chaps here on this are doing a very good job of that, so I will refrain.

This is such a well documented restoration that you could probably write a book on it.

You now seem to be in a predicament that is difficult to get out of. The choice is to leave it the way it is, and make the bonnet fit, or to rework some of the previously finished repairs in order to make the bonnet and wings fit better. Tough decision. I had a similar problem with my Frogeye. Though not quite so difficult to assemble, it was crooked by several millimeters and required cutting a panel loose from an edge and welding a filler. It's still crooked but not so noticeable.

Take a look at the "well known" video of panel fitting, East German style

I don't suggest this approach, but it is something to think about.

Most of all remember that we work on these cars to challenge ourselves to bigger and greater projects, and for the satisfaction of being creative and producing something from nothing. To our spouse, we just call it "fun in the garage".

Keep it up, it's inspiring.

[hughJ]

Hello gents - I really, really do appreciate your encouragement. I don't normally post unless I have something to show. I did put in the left A-panel tonight but took no photos. jagman.2003 , minimuk, Adam, Graham and Shifty - you are now old friends and a big thanks. Albertini, Matt and racingenglishcars thank you for getting in touch and for the uplifting comments.

I love the video clip and have to confess to using some of the techniques shown. I certainly used them fitting my doors.! But you would think it would be done before painting!! Well it was a good laugh too.

I hope tomorrow to get some photos up. As well as welding in the A-panel I had to fit in removing my bike chain to clean it, the sprockets and the deraileur. I cycle most days to school and winter is pretty hard on a bike up here. A good cycle gets rid of the blues!! Maybe I should try song writing!

Even that some people would offer a hand if I was nearer is really quite something.

A big appreciative thanks

Hugh

Edited by hughJ, 12 March 2012 - 09:12 PM.

[hughJ]

Tonight was one of these unfruitful nights. I had just got three plug welds done when my brother called. Then when I did get back out to the garage I didn't get anywhere.

Deathrow wanted to see closer views from above. I don't get very good photos at night.

Driver's side



Bit more of a gap than I would like - but good space to fill with sealant!

And the passenger side - I'm a bit happier with it



Still a bit of a gap



The welded in left A-panel - last night's task. But look at the nightmare gap. It's too big to pull in.



So I'm thinking of radical here and cutting the wing to let in a filling piece!



I'm out tomorrow so can't get anything done now till Thursday.

Thanks again for all the kind comment

Creeping along

Hugh

[Shifty]

Hugh, i've just looked at the pictures of the drivers wing and its definitely sitting about 10mm too low, the rear edge of the wing should line up with the top of the A-panel.

A new A-panels only £10, why not chop the drivers one off and then you can lift the wing up?

I know its disheartening undoing your work sometimes, i've done it myself before when I've stepped back and looked at something. and just thought "Nah!!"

Bite the bullet, close your eyes and fire up the grinder!!

[minimuk]

Hugh, I have got to agree with Shifty on this one, if that is all you have to alter I would get 2 new a-panels and do both sides,...by the way you do not need to plug-weld all the way down the end of A-panel to the end lip of the flitch panel(goes around door-post), top (a-panel to door post) and bottom (to sill) as you bend the lip of the A-panel around the flitch panel lip and use sealant. do you understand the last bit?

Edited by minimuk, 13 March 2012 - 10:23 PM.

[Brams96]

Hey Hugh, you've made awesome progress from when you first got her, if you're even disheartened then take a look at your first page & just remember how far you've come! With the panel gap you could always flatten the wing lip down to meet the A-panel & then deseam the front? Or if you take a look at how scsracing/sonikk4 adjusted his bonnet on Project Erm you could do something similar.

[grahama]

Hugh,

have you re plugged the wings on as they look better than the other day??