390 replies to this topic

[Bdshim]

Nice work coming on very well ?

[Verderad]

Quick trial fit of the panels, nearside align holes, put the skin pins in, Perfect fit.   Offside, doesn't align to rear panel, gap between panel and boot floor, really good along B Post, 8mm gap on wheel arch closer right on the curved part at the bottom of panel.  Leave it

Been back today, thought I would need to remove plug welds and move the wheel arch!!

First try gentle persuasion with hammer, so a little bit movement of the sill lip down and the curve of the closer forward, refit panel.  All the problems fixed, panel being held to high by that little closer!!!  Very Happy, didn't fancy drilling out plug welds. 

 

Offside rear quarter panel all fitted 

need to finish off welding in the slots needed to alter the C Post to meet the new panel profile

Need to get a burr to clean right into the corners 

Need figure out how to tidy up the sill to panel join, the sill had been welded directly onto the original rear panel, its left a bit of a mess.  probably a bit of filler 

 

Just added a few plug welds in the sill and rear seam to hold it until I hire spot welder to finish it off.  

 

One panel and the rear valance left to finish off the rear of the car.  Not bad considering that I hadn't planned / didn't think I needed to make any repairs on the rear!

Edited by Verderad, 06 March 2020 - 08:35 PM.

[Verderad]

Awesome work and a heck of a lot of repairs makes it look soooo good.  Just love a GT as I have a SA GTS.

Thanks, more repairs than I had originally planned for.

 

Nice work coming on very well

 

Thanks, makes it worth its when you get encouragement. 

Fantastic progress, we may both finish at the same time, perhaps a Porthcawl meet once MOTd

I think you are a long way ahead with yours, on to the front next.  Definitely meet up on Porthcawl front, Mini's and Ice Cream

[carthorse]

Great read over the last couple of evenings
 

Really relate to some of your struggles with the welder and the eternal mystery of panels that lined up perfectly once suddenly refusing to cooperate when you start welding. 
 

Your progressing much faster than my own badly stalled pickup project,  but reading this has inspired me to try and update my own thread with some of my snail like progress. 
 

[Verderad]

Great read over the last couple of evenings
 

Really relate to some of your struggles with the welder and the eternal mystery of panels that lined up perfectly once suddenly refusing to cooperate when you start welding. 
 

Your progressing much faster than my own badly stalled pickup project,  but reading this has inspired me to try and update my own thread with some of my snail like progress. 
 

Carthorse, I bought it 2 years ago.  I didn't think that I would take so long.   My progress in last 2 months has been much better, I think its because of the following 

1. I put tools away and have a tidy up end of each session 
2. I've stopped setting unrealistic targets for each day
3. I have a short list of what I want to get done
4. I focus only on the first job
5. Welding needs patience, when I feel like I'm just making a mess, I go and have a cup of tea, watch Aussie gold hunters or similar. 

 

Its a hobby, something to get me out the house.  Fortunately its in the garage and I can lock the door and leave it.  

 

As for panels that don't line up,  Ive found if you take them off and leave it, fit it in a different way that they fit again.  

Good luck with the build

[GT Jimmy]

Good work mate, it's a great feeling getting new, rust free metal in

[Verderad]

First job of the day get the other rear panel welded in. 

Remove panel, clean off primer where paint needed, remove paint around plug holes, fit panel, remove panel etc 

 

 

 

Run a few plugs in sill and around the arch 

 

Then onto the little hole I've left in the rear panels, not sure how that happened 

 

took an hour to shape, weld, grind, weld etc 

 

Finished 

 

need to tidy up the other weld you can see, going to need a bit to dolly work and filler

got some welds into the rear panel to boot floor to hold it all in place before putting it back into the roll over and turning upside down for access

 

 

Access to finish cleaning up after welding seat to floor

 

Trial fit of the NOS (Older than the car) Valance

 

Not bad but will need some work on the corners to get the 3 panel to fit nicely 

[Verderad]

Couple of winners at Cheltenham this week. Not quite enough to cover Heritage Scuttle and 2 A Post boxing plates. I think I have all the panels for front now.
Hope the spot weld bit holds up this weekend.

[robbur]

Love the detailed pictures you are putting together, they are helping me see what I am about to face with my project.

[Verderad]

Love the detailed pictures you are putting together, they are helping me see what I am about to face with my project.

If you don't see a pic of what you need just ask, I have 100s pic's

[Verderad]

Who doesn't love a big box?  

 

Thanks to a couple of winners I splashed out on couple of panels

 

New Panels with rust or pitting lurking under the eCoat??

 

testing out smaller image sizes and the auto resize on Imgur, see if I need the really big images straight from iPhone

 

resized to 680 x480 for message boards 

and Normal extra large straight from phone

 

Thought I had bagged a bargain on the A Post closing panel, turns out they don't  have the lower dash brackets.  Shouldn't be too hard to make them.  

Edited by Verderad, 24 March 2020 - 08:34 PM.

[Verderad]

Spend a weekend going over the back end, tidying up all of the welds I had missed or couldn't get to because rear sub frame was on. 

First thing, get it back on the spit and rolled over

 

Nice easy access to everything underneath, why was I welding flat on my back. 

Filled holes in seat / heel board, needed a 2nd pat of hands to hold the copper backing

 

Then worked along the sills which I hadn't filled all of the plug welds, then tidied up. 

 

Few pin holes in the floor to fill, why did I start my welding with the longest welds?   

 

then I tidied up the boot floor to rear panel joints, bit of beating with a hammer and several plug welds 

no pictures 

 

Glad I did all the tidying up on the rear end now rather than leaving 2 days at the end.  

 

Sun was out and I wanted to turn Lady P around to work on the front, to get to the only panels that I intended to replace 2 years ago!!

 

Resisted the urge to get bucket and sponge out!

 

 

Two years after starting the restoration of just putting steel front back on I get to start on the front, feels like I can see the end (just another year of body work!!)

Find the Spot welds 

Its not looking bad, couple of bits of rust on the window frame 

 

rear 

 

Off with the Scuttle 

 

Looks like the scuttle ends have been changed, not 100% sure as it was still spot welded on, however it does have a backing plate across each end

Original rust trap still in place!!

 

Started removing the Inner wing 

 

 

Peeled a bit back, got late to be banging in the garage 

 

Looking in the end of the cross member it looks good, just a bit of surface rust. 

 

Slightly nervous about the front end, will be removing the inner wings, toe board, most of the A Post closer, and the Stiffener.   Concerned that I won't have enough left to get the alignment back in.  The new inner wings are a complete assy with A Panel and A Post Stiffener so need to remove it all. 

Will post question in the Body Work section for advise.  

[Ben_O]

Have you seen the front end I have just done on a gt?

You can go as far back as only having the top dash rail in place and still be able to easily line up a front end so assuming you are keeping the bulkhead, you will be absolutely fine.

 

You are doing grand, this front end will be a doddle for you

 

Inspiration

 

 

 

Cheers

Ben

[Verderad]

Have you seen the front end I have just done on a gt?

You can go as far back as only having the top dash rail in place and still be able to easily line up a front end so assuming you are keeping the bulkhead, you will be absolutely fine.

 

You are doing grand, this front end will be a doddle for you

 

Inspiration

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Ben

 

Ben, do you recommend putting the A Post Closers on and attaching up to the lower dash rail before removing the inner wing?  
I thought it might cause issues later attaching the closer to the Flitch.  

I was thinking about welding the doors in place, but that does restrict access to the A Post.

[Ben_O]

I made a simple weld in frame as you can see in the first picture.

it is just tacked to the screen boxing panels and to the front of the inner sill and will stop the roof/screen frame sagging.

If you put one of those in, you can remove what you like metal wise and it will all stay in place.

Personally I would remove the inner wings and a post boxing panels and everything else you want rid of if you install a frame but most importantly, do what you feel comfortable with.

There is no reason I can see what you can't change the boxing panels first so that would be an ok plan.

There is plenty of pics and info on the 1275gt front end I did if you want to take a look.

 

Just shout if you have any questions

Ben