Pigeon_Droppings2
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jpmillermatic
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you just had to pick at the scab, right? 
I repeat my astonishment of "rustability" on this car....its almost by design!
great work as always improving on the engineers faux pas!
JP
I repeat my astonishment of "rustability" on this car....its almost by design!
great work as always improving on the engineers faux pas!
JP
Pigeon_Droppings2
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The plan was literally to just clean off the rust with the power file and then weld in a small (1 inch square) patch repair. When I put the power file on there it was literally just paint and a pile of rust underneath.
These cars rot pretty bad...agree some of the design leaves a lot to be desired but I think some of this is due to the weather protection. These cars were never intended to live in the UK climate originally I think.
These cars rot pretty bad...agree some of the design leaves a lot to be desired but I think some of this is due to the weather protection. These cars were never intended to live in the UK climate originally I think.
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Finally back on track...doors and front panels loosely fitted (few bolts finger tight). So far looking very good. I need to fiddle with the driver's door but otherwise think we'll be finally ready for welding in the sills.
I can't believe the welding is almost finished...in the end I just ran out of rusty holes despite my best efforts to generate new ones by poking around.
I can't believe the welding is almost finished...in the end I just ran out of rusty holes despite my best efforts to generate new ones by poking around.
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Don't give up so easily I'm sure there will be more.
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Yea this car just does keeps on giving...me a good kicking!
OK so I faffed about with the sills for a few hours...but there are just too many moving parts.
I don't mean metaphorically...I mean literally! The steel is so thin when I try to fit the sills the upper part moves and the door gaps change as a result.
In the end I decided to do things properly....fitted a couple of braces to the tops of the sills....just spot welded in but enough to give it some support...I flipped the edges to give them rigidity. I know the door gaps are currently where I want them along the door bottoms so I really don't want things to move around and get messed up.
Yes I know...my stand chains are still loose...just spotted it in the picture...sorry
. But I do have 3 separate means of support for a car which weighs about 800kg!
OK so I faffed about with the sills for a few hours...but there are just too many moving parts.
I don't mean metaphorically...I mean literally! The steel is so thin when I try to fit the sills the upper part moves and the door gaps change as a result.
In the end I decided to do things properly....fitted a couple of braces to the tops of the sills....just spot welded in but enough to give it some support...I flipped the edges to give them rigidity. I know the door gaps are currently where I want them along the door bottoms so I really don't want things to move around and get messed up.
Yes I know...my stand chains are still loose...just spotted it in the picture...sorry
. But I do have 3 separate means of support for a car which weighs about 800kg!
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jpmillermatic
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dent in the chrome?....what dent?
JP
JP
jpmillermatic
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man, what a mind screwing with those sills!....are you going to assmble them in pieces?....wondering how bad it would be to leave the supports in place?...more rust down the road, probably....
JP
JP
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Hi JP...yea they've been a faff.
I'm intending on leaving in the supports....they are zinctec steel (zinc coated) plus I'll paint them and then wax the sills....Nissan have a similar support around the jacking area at the rear so I just copied it
. I think this is the easiest approach...just don't want dodgy door gaps after all this work. The issue is the top of the sill protrudes outwards by about 8-10 inches from the doors plus they are 1mm steel....crazy!
I'm intending on leaving in the supports....they are zinctec steel (zinc coated) plus I'll paint them and then wax the sills....Nissan have a similar support around the jacking area at the rear so I just copied it
. I think this is the easiest approach...just don't want dodgy door gaps after all this work. The issue is the top of the sill protrudes outwards by about 8-10 inches from the doors plus they are 1mm steel....crazy!
HopefullySoon
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The joys of car restoration lol , it’s only when you start ripping into / building back up you can justify the adverts for cars for sale saying ‘bare metal nut/bolt restoration (with photos) ‘ then you appreciate why it’s 5 /6 grand + dearer than the cheapest ‘never welded’ example .
Never welded over 25 + years equals bodge /filler to me ... every car I see for sale like that can’t be in a heated garage that never fluctuates in temperature.
Zintec steel - I’m using that to make repair panels ... might as well make it last as long as possible .
Malc
Never welded over 25 + years equals bodge /filler to me ... every car I see for sale like that can’t be in a heated garage that never fluctuates in temperature.
Zintec steel - I’m using that to make repair panels ... might as well make it last as long as possible .
Malc
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Completely agree...The problem is the average person doesn't really care what the repair actually is provided it passes the MOT because thats all thats important to them and at the cheapest price possible. The result I think is patches covered in filler...but most people would prefer not to even know...I had someone suggest to me that "the arches are something you redo every 2 years on a Figaro"....most owners seem to think this is perfectly acceptable too...I've decided it isn't my job to re-educate them all.
Having said that...at this price point (sub £10k) I doubt there is any money in a proper bare metal restoration.....but as the cars get rarer and more expensive I imagine proper restorers will start taking an interest in them and standards will then improve I guess.
What does annoy me is when I hear of someone who has actually paid for the job to be done properly and it's been botched with a tack welded plate and half an inch of filler!
Having said that...at this price point (sub £10k) I doubt there is any money in a proper bare metal restoration.....but as the cars get rarer and more expensive I imagine proper restorers will start taking an interest in them and standards will then improve I guess.
What does annoy me is when I hear of someone who has actually paid for the job to be done properly and it's been botched with a tack welded plate and half an inch of filler!
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Pigeon_Droppings2
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Bit more of the sill done...geez that's alot of welding! Looks great in the pics...however the weld did pull the face of sill in by 3mm or so along the weld line about the half way point. I will do my very best to ignore it as the door gap looks very nice....I'm thinking a bit of filler...but I know what I'm like. To be honest it really doesn't matter as there is a chrome cover going over the top anyway...but I'll know!
Next job is to fit the sill end cover and do the plug welds along the lower flange.
This was done with successively closer tacks until the tacks were about 20mm apart...then successive 20mm welds. It took a long time as had to keep letting it cool down!
Next job is to fit the sill end cover and do the plug welds along the lower flange.
This was done with successively closer tacks until the tacks were about 20mm apart...then successive 20mm welds. It took a long time as had to keep letting it cool down!
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Pigeon_Droppings2
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I will need to shape things a little but I'm pretty pleased especially considering where we started out!!
I decided to cut the wheel arch weld open before welding along the sill line towards the arch...the plan was to relieve any stress build up due to the heat of the weld and therefore to prevent buckling. I think it worked...well there was no buckling...but of course I'll never know whether this was the reason.
It still needs going over with the hammer/dolly but I don't think it needs alot to be honest....remember this was the side that had 1/2 inch of filler and was all over the place on the door gaps...
I decided to cut the wheel arch weld open before welding along the sill line towards the arch...the plan was to relieve any stress build up due to the heat of the weld and therefore to prevent buckling. I think it worked...well there was no buckling...but of course I'll never know whether this was the reason.
It still needs going over with the hammer/dolly but I don't think it needs alot to be honest....remember this was the side that had 1/2 inch of filler and was all over the place on the door gaps...
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HopefullySoon
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Thats within ferrari spec as fast and loud showed lol , dab of filler lol .... or ... drill 3/5 holes and GENTLY persuade it out with a slide hammer and weld back up . but whaeres the chrome dent gone ....
Malc
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Yea I'm definitely being too picky...I'll try to just leave it because if I mess with it the door gaps could get messed up which would be really really annoying.
Will crack on with that sill closing piece next.....I made it a while ago so just need to finish it off and stick it in. That'll be one side done...finally
Will crack on with that sill closing piece next.....I made it a while ago so just need to finish it off and stick it in. That'll be one side done...finally
jpmillermatic
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That is more than acceptable, but I was the same way with slight variations (that no one will see) when I did the sill on my truck....I fussed over it. I even added some profile with weld beads here and there just to flesh them out a bit......
great progress!
Im definitely in agreement for leaving those supports in place. very wise. I cannot believe Nissan!
JP
great progress!
Im definitely in agreement for leaving those supports in place. very wise. I cannot believe Nissan!
JP
Pigeon_Droppings2
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Cheers JP...yea I'm my worst critic I think, I need to take a step back and actually appreciate the progress. Think I'm too stuck in the weeds at the moment...I have a deadline looming so trying to get the welding done and out the way (it's the London to Brighton run and I'm hoping to participate in the Figaro)
In the end I'm sorry to say I did fiddle with it...although I tried not to!
Here is the sill end cap in place...not the neatest welds but I found this seriously difficult. I've also plug welded the lower sill flange...
There is still a wing (fender) support bracket to go back on but I will do that later when I'm putting the wing back on so it goes in the right place.
In the end I'm sorry to say I did fiddle with it...although I tried not to!
Here is the sill end cap in place...not the neatest welds but I found this seriously difficult. I've also plug welded the lower sill flange...
There is still a wing (fender) support bracket to go back on but I will do that later when I'm putting the wing back on so it goes in the right place.
Pigeon_Droppings2
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HopefullySoon
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Bloody Southerns getting the fun on there doorstep ....... whens the rally roughly , ill add it into a diary for when the MG's done and make a weekend of it (by that time at your work rate figgy 2 will be done ) lol ..... would be kinda fun to run em in convoy , never thought a fiqgy would qualify (dont ask me why .. always thought of old british classics and the chitty chitty bang bang classics ) whats the eligibility criteria for the rally would be nice to know ?
looking well .... you putting any epoxy primer over the inners before you fit the outers to give another layer of protection , or leaving it etched primed ?
Malc
is there not a nice smooth over sill for it ..... if thats how it left the factory , its how it left the factory ... a 0.7-1mm oversill bent up to the door seal /lower seam would blend it in nicely with hidden rust protection if expoxy'd
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