Carlton Diamond

[Blobber]

Bit more done, I suppose you call this the outrigger, joins the chassis leg to the bottom of the A post, also part of the jacking point and one of the few new panels it going to get!

They always get crushed and mullered so a bit of quick and dirty internal reinforcement with some shocking welding

In and welded, looks like im going to have to get busy with the epoxy primer soon

 

[Blobber]

Ok so i might have lied about the inner wing being fully welded, still got the joint to do between the inner wing and bulkhead

Its an odd set up as the upper bulkhead is assembled complete with dash, then dropped into a channel formed by the lower bulkhead along that wing seam and its all glued in with some goop which makes hot repairs a bit tricky, any how this wobbly flangy thing makes up the channel and is sandwiched in the inner wing joint

All cleaned up and poked in, I need to get some black squirty goop to seal the inner and outer joints where the flangy thing meets the bulkhead

Run a few tacks along the underside of the flange and plug welded the bulkhead/flangy thing/inner wing in the foot well area,
need to get a bit arty with the seam sealer soon

 

[Blobber]

Not had a lot of time on this but its soon going to be time to chop the passenger side wing/leg assembly off, before I do that the replacement needs a few repairs one of which is where the battery tray welds on, usual rot place so chop chop

Make a piece of metal the correct shape and weldy weldy, still struggling to get my welding dialled in

Ground back ok though, just got to knock the back side off and tap a couple of the welds up where they are not quite flush, not that its going to be seen once the trays welded back on

 

[Paulbarrett]

Nice work!

 

[Blobber]

Nice work!

Dont you find the bits that go really well are always going to be hidden and the rubbish stuff is on view, or is it just me?

 

[Blobber]

A weeny bit more before rust protection, the inner wing is only secured to the chassis leg with a row of spotwelds, the seam is always a weak point, my thinking is that as the strut top and all the suspension up and down loadings go through this seam I would make it a bit stronger with some long tacks, may help or may not but done now!

 

[Paulbarrett]

Dont you find the bits that go really well are always going to be hidden and the rubbish stuff is on view, or is it just me?

Always

 

[Blobber]

Little bit more done, got to use the battery tray off my old wing which kinda has rot that matches the inner wing repair ive just done

Chopped a good chunk out and blobbed a new bit in

Fully blobbed

and once ground back it should be a pretty invisible repair, well it will be once the battery is sitting on top of it!

 

[Gragson]

Top blobbing Blobber

 

[Blobber]

Top blobbing Blobber

Thank you kindly! top tip for the day "only post pictures of the good stuff"

 

[Blobber]

Not had a lot of time on this what with the Haybob fix, making hay and other outdoorsie stuff but we have progress
The only thing that made the driverside wing assembly Lotus specific was the towing eye modification, the chicken farmers stuck 2 bits of 14mm bar on the existing loop and then a bit of thin wall 22mm tube for the towing eye to fix into, chopped off as its not needed and I was fed up catching my leg on it

chopped of and tidied up

Onto the passenger side, chopped the whole assembly off, just got to crawl under and get the remainder of the leg off

Removed all the usefull brackets/bits off the old assembly just in case I need them at any point

Yep its rusty! more than the drivers side but the body cuts will replace all that apart from the top wiring harness hole which will need making

 

[mechman]

Heart like a lion, good work, Love it.
Norm.

 

[Blobber]

Little bit more done, remainder of the chassis leg removed and trial fit of the repair panel, aways to go yet

 

[Blobber]

Measure twice, cut once! yep that fits the hole

The tops missing a big chunk which is where the harness comes through, so a rough pattern chopped out of some scrap and then
out with the special tool, behold the circular flange former 2024

Which when used successfully gives you this

A bit more knocking about and weve got something near right

Which then gets splattered on here, all ive got to do then is continue the shaped flange along the piece following the wiggly line , not sure how im going to tackle that yet

 

[Paulbarrett]

Nice panel work. Always satisfying when you get metal bashed to a shape that relentless what you want lol.
I did a lovely piece once on my manta A with nothing more that a hammer and chisel, fitted perfect and looked great but then blew a bloody great hole in it trying to weld it up

 

[Blobber]

You dont need a lot of fancy tools to make shapes in metal its just thinking outside the box and seeing what you have around you, thats what I do anyhow!
I think welding cars has got to be the worst, just when you get a nice weld going it goes pear shaped, I know I the medal!

 

[Blobber]

Little bit of time grabbed today, before the floor/footwell panel gets welded in the scuttle needed a little repair

Cut and shape

Weld and grind, that'll do
Must remember the hole for the side marker flasher!

 

[Windy Miller]

I’ve just read this thread all the way through - what a great job you’re doing.

I really admire people who take on a big job and actually stick with it for so long. I’m fairly sure I don’t have the staying power to finish a project like this. All the good intentions soon get forgotten!

 

[Blobber]

I’ve just read this thread all the way through - what a great job you’re doing.

I really admire people who take on a big job and actually stick with it for so long. I’m fairly sure I don’t have the staying power to finish a project like this. All the good intentions soon get forgotten!

I think the difference with big projects like this is I've got the space so it doesn't matter if it sits for a bit and also there is no deadline/rush to finish, well I did initially say my 60th birthday but as that was April just gone so I've missed that!

 

[Blobber]

A little bit more done on me leg before fitting can take place, again the end was missing where it had been chopped off the deceased Lotus

Piece chopped off my old leg

Welded, ground and a bit of primer

A liitle bit was missing off the side flange so that was dealt with

and a test fit just for the mojo boost, still a bit to do on the lower A post corner before it can be welded in place