Good work Andrew. Have you got anybody lined up to add the topcoat or are you doing that yourself?
CheeRS,
Joe.
A big "dunno" on that one, Joe. On the one hand, it would be the ONLY work I have contracted out, so it would be nice to do myself. On the other hand, that's a lot of paintspray in a 1-car lock-up! I reckon I'll end up prepping and filling it and then trailer it to a local shop.
Slight spot of rust on the front chassis leg. Shouldn't really bodge it this way as I guess it counts as a structural part! Oh well, what the M.O.T. man doesn't know won't hurt him, and a magnet will stay put on the patch too!
Quite proud of this next little repair. Have been using an oversize bolt for years now to hold the crossmember in place after stripping the original threads. Was going to helicoil it, but the hole was too big to tap. So did a bit of catflap surgery and made up a new captive nut:
Next repair was a mirror image of the RH side really. Managed to knock it up in very shoort time - practice makes perfect!
And finally, just a useful hint ........
Don't rest your arm on the freshly welded front wing securing flange EVEN if it has been a few minutes since you welded the last bit of it!
i'm 3 weeks into a welding course at my local college, enjoying every moment of it, only doing 6mm plate currently, but will be going down is size after i have sussed the difference between dip transfer and spray transfer.
half tempted to get a wreck to practise on....LOL
concerning members, how clean is your old girl's box?
not posted much recently, but Jaffa is progressing nicely. The crossmember bottom surface was mangled from being used as a jacking point, so I drilled out the welds, beat it flat, derusted and primed the box section, re-welded and finished it off. It's now nice and shiney!
(Original Ford double-width beam can be seen in the background)
Purists look away now before you see the tacked in top plate repairs. Honestly, if I knew this was going to be the restoration of the century, I'd have gone for new inner wings, but the top plates have managed the last 20 years, and I'm sure they'll manage the next 20. Anyways, I'm not after any prizes.
I treated the old girl to a new front panel - the old one wasn't too bad, but a new pattern one was cheap as chips and made life easier.
Slam Panel is original Ford which I bought in 1982 and didn't use.
Also did some seam sealing in those places which Ford didn't do and which promptly rusted away!
Paint finish isn't too bad - there are some overspray areas which couldn't be avoided and they need to be wet sanded and buffed. Bloody compressor packed up during final flash coat, so I had to buy a replacement, wait 24 hours, sand back last coat and do final coat again. PITA, but the result was the better for it. Honestly, you spend £40 on a compressor in 1982 and after only 24 years they pack up.
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