Hi there

[droopsnoot]

I've been lurking for a while, just decided to register.

I'm restoring an old Vauxhall and imagine my surprise when I found it was rusty. I've been using a very old (I've had it more than 20 years) Clarke Mini-Mig Mk2 welder, but running into trouble now so yesterday I bought a "second user" Clarke 90EN, so we'll see if it's any better or more flattering to my ability.

I find that welding in theory and on scrap pieces of metal is all well and good, and the instant I actually get anywhere near the car it all goes pear-shaped, either because of the bit I'm welding to, or the position I have to weld in.

Anyway, nice to be here.

Cheers
Mike.

 

[Add]

Welcome mate

Is it a Firenza?

 

[droopsnoot]

No, the project is a Sportshatch that I used to own back in the 1980s and got back late last year. I have a Firenza, but that was restored relatively recently.

This is the floor of the project car, or where the floor should be anyway.

 

[simon718]

welcome oh dear looks like you have plenty to keep you busy!

 

[badersbus]

This takes me back droopsnoot. About 15 years ago i was trying to get one off of a neighbour of mine. Same colour as yours , he was using it as a shed to store his garden tools and paint pots in
I offered to buy him a brand new shed and have it installed but he would not sell it. I was at him for about 2 years , but no good. I went to work one day and came back and found that it had gone. I went round and and his wife opened the door , i asked her where the car had gone. She said the husband had took his hook for another woman and she had got the scrap men to take the car away , as she had got sick of looking at it.
I was gutted , and even worse they only gave her 30 quid for it .
Good luck mate
Keep the pictures coming
Kirk

 

[Add]

Cool
Sport hatches are sweet
I love the 2300 firenza front one
(sorry for the questions, im goin through a retro vauxhall/opel phase since my mate brought a chevette )

Gutted about the floor , can you still get that panel?
if you have this on the projects bit shall be watching the progress with intrest as i may learn a lot, as my corollas in a sorry state and i can't weld...yet.

Gutted mate same happened to a 1300 sport mk 2 escort near me and his missus sold the car...was proper minter in orange

Cheers

 

[droopsnoot]

Add, as far as I know the floor pan has never been available as a part (I phoned a dealer about a different project in the mid-80s and they did their best not to laugh at me), so it's home-made. It's roughly the right shape, I figure no-one will know the difference. Same for inner sills, bulkhead, and a load of other internal panels. I'm fortunate in that I've had these for a while, and had 20-odd years (is it really that long?) to build up a stock of some panels like inner wings and so on.

The welding isn't lovely, but it's not going anywhere. I figured I'd get the chassis solid, then the front floor sections and bottom of A-pillars, then it should be strong enough to strip the rest down without it falling to pieces.

Badersbus, pity to hear about that one - all proper Sportshatches are the dark red colour (Extra Dark Wine, it's called, but most people see it as black) and it's certainly not the only one that's gone that way. In fact, mine probably would have if anyone with some sense had bought it rather than me. ;-)