1090 replies to this topic

[sonikk4]

This is amazing! Are you still putting R1 power in it?

I was going to to originally but now going down 7 Port route with fuel injection from Specialized Components. We are hoping to go R1 on my lads car.

[venkman]

Today was remove the inner A post stiffener just to see what the damage was.
So out the old bits

 
and this was the state of the inside of the A post


 
Rusty as hell so without resorting to spending another £70+ it was time to brush up on my fabrication skills
So new stiffener slaved in place

 
And the first repair piece in place

 
Followed by the rest of the sections

 
Overall very happy with it, just a few final tweaks and cleaning up and it will be finished.

Right I'm a bit stuck!!

I'm putting in the door step up to bottom of windscreen repair panel and a new A post stiffener. Know if I clamp in the frame and offer door up it all looks good. My problem is were to weld the stiffener,looking at yours it looks like it's right up to the frame were as mine is close at bottom but 1/4" away at top.

Do you just weld the A post to the frame and then bend it out to fit door?? Hope this makes sense.

Oh there are no holes from the inner wing for me to use to line up with. You make it look easy!!!

[sonikk4]

The inner A post stiffener spot welds to the A post and also the flitch panel as well.

[venkman]

The inner A post stiffener spot welds to the A post and also the flitch panel as well.

Thanks got that bit worked out, do you just weld it in were it fits (as its shaped at the bottom) or need to do it with door and Mark up then weld.

Sorry about hijacking your thread

[sonikk4]

No probs, i left enough of the outer A post to act as a guide as the inner is shaped to follow the outer. There should be no need to bend anything.

 

You could trial the door if it helps but i did not and had no issues with alignment.  

[venkman]

So if I line up the door catch/stop in centre of hole then plug weld should be good! Thanks Ian

[sonikk4]

So if I line up the door catch/stop in centre of hole then plug weld should be good! Thanks Ian

 

Tack weld it all together if unsure, trial fit it then if its good weld it in place.

[pete l]

Neil, what do you do to protect the steel inner box sections ? the rear of all these panels that you make out of steel, once welded in, how do you get to the rear of them to apply paint ? 

[sonikk4]

Pete, before I weld anything in place I apply epoxy primer and paint it weld through Zinc rich primer. Wherever possible afterwards I then force in more topcoat.

[sonikk4]

Upwards and onwards front wings prepped for fitting

And clamped in place ready for burning metal

And the first welds

A panel to wing done and dusted

Just the internal welds left to do and around the headlamp surround.

[Marco1972]

Looking good Neil

How much left to do ?
Will it see the paint shop this side of Christmas

Mark

[sonikk4]

Looking good Neil

How much left to do ?
Will it see the paint shop this side of Christmas

Mark

The drivers wing to finish, passenger one to fit, bonnet to sort out, boot lid to reskin, seat pan stiffener to fit, an absolute stack of seam sealing, floor priming, Gravitex spraying so in a word.............No.

 

Sometime in the new year i feel Mark.

[Marco1972]

Lol

You've just made me realise how much I've still got to do

I'd planned to have mine painted by now but my ( ready by date ) just keeps on slipping

Looking great tho Neil

Keep it up mate

[sonikk4]

R/h wing is finally welded up and dressed including the stiffener between the wing and A panel. Once the car is back on the spit then some final dressing and tweaking will be done.

[skoughi]

Do you always just use the MIG? I wished I'd had access to a spot welder when I was doing the bodywork on the Mini, would've saved a lot of hours work. Also I see that you welded the small strengthening panel under the scuttle to the wing, when I did this area I feared welding here as I felt it would've burnt off any paint I'd applied on the inside and possibly had a rust issue, so I bonded this area together. I now wished I'd welded it and filled the corner of the scuttle with cavity wax. On the passenger side the paint on the seam with the wing and scuttle has a small crack from movement. The other side is fine however. I'll sort it when I respray her in a few years!