Time for another update: work is continuing apace, with the car just about as far stripped as its going at this stage (all being well):
Note all of the filler dust everywhere: no wonder the door felt heavy. I think it's due a new doorskin plus some frame repairs. On the other hand, like all of the rest of the panels (including the bumpers, engine lid and bonnet) it looks to be original. Certainly all of these have the Leaf Green paint, which was last on the outside of the car nearly twenty years ago.
Anyway, the thing's now jacked up and well supported. The passenger door has come off, as has the outer sill, B-post and front of the rear wing. I think there might be some inner wing repairs due ....
The inner sill has now been removed. This was odd. The outer sill and B-post were only just attached, and clearly replacements. When I went to remove the inner sill, the welds had already been drilled out at the top (hidden by the 'new' outer sill). Literally, it was not attached at all
. I can only think that it was about to be replaced, when a change of plan came along, and the outer sill just got thrown on regardless of what was happening on the inner sill.
I've also now come across some minor injuries to the offside front inner wing (previous accident?). I've got a wheel alignment report that shows everything is in order in that respect. However, it'd be nice to jig the car to make sure the front is correct. I've not got time at the moment to do this *, so I've done a temporary repair to that front A-arm mount: very strong, but only a (100% welded) lap joint with the rust cut out of the underlying metal, rather than a complete replacement. When the car come apart properly, I'll fit the new suspension pan and tank support with the car up on the jig: it might come in handy having the front nice and weak, just in case it needs pulling. All of the new bits are here for this area now anyway.
I'm happy to do any structural work from the front struts back though, as the car looks very straight and largely un-messed with from here back. Therefore first area is the N/S front inner wing:
The top is near perfect (unusually), but there's some nasty rust where the bonnet support goes on the inside, plus a whole raft of nastiness where the old wing closing plate was.
Panels going on at this stage:
Repair panels (homemade) for rear of front inner wing, base of A-post, front left corner of floor. Plus wing closing plate, inner sill, jacking socket, jacking reinforcement (all pattern), front of rear inner wing (H/made), kidney bowl ([pattern), front sill closer (homemade), B-post (pattern) and finally, outer sill (genuine) . The pattern ones are those that I have got on well with in the past (they are all galvanised these days): the outer sill is a definite genuine one, as the pattern ones are horrific.
More to follow ....
* The Celette jig that I've got has been winched up onto its side in the workshop. In order for the car to be jigged properly, all of the running gear would have to be removed from the shell, including front and rear suspension. Then the jig would have to be re-assembled, and the shell lifted on, the welding done, and then the whole process reversed. Of course normally the jig is permanantly erected, and cars arrive as pre-stripped shells.
As has been said, later on this car will come down to a shell, bare metalled, jigged and a 'proper' job made of it (by my standards anyway
).
DDK Member1243 07741 273865. Home of the RY Austin 7 Trophy's and Austin Single Seat Racers
.
