fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Jan 18, 2017 19:55:47 GMT
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So rear cross members and floors in... Plug welded the floors after making a million flippin' holes all round the floor pans to weld into... Flatted the welds off on the crossmembers so the body will still go on (I hope). No that's not a cracked weld in the last pic, that's a shadow. That'll do. Just the new gearbox nose mount to do not so that it will accept a Splitty nosecone I put on my gearbox (which will raise the trans by about 2.5"). Then paint. Crapping myself about fitting the body up now... Will it fit or not? Place bets now...
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Last Edit: Jan 18, 2017 20:02:41 GMT by fad
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mattiwagon
Part of things
Just got a work truck
Posts: 445
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Jan 18, 2017 21:55:12 GMT
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It will, worst case..... Birmingham screwdriver!
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If they cant be nice f**k em!
84 low t25 panel 1.9td beige and rust combo 97 Goped Bigfoot G260RC with clutch conversion 97 Impreza turbo 2000 builders wagon 76k sold 04 Fabia vRs 50mpg pocket rocket 04 battered T5 pickup in blue! Chainsaws lotsa Chainsaws
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Jan 20, 2017 16:12:35 GMT
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Haha. Bloody dying to drive it now.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Pics to come soon. Not much progress, but welding on the chassis is now complete (added the gearbox mount for the raised transmission). So gearbox and engine will sit 2-2.5" higher that stock. That will make it look even more hunched and squatted down, real grunt stance. It will also level out my camber and get the sump well away from the road.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Jan 26, 2017 12:49:24 GMT
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Borrowed a gearbox (mine had bits hanging off it that got in the way) with a splitty nosecone mounted on it, cut off a mount from another chassis, trimmed it, bolted it to the nosecone and slapped it in there, using a MK1 calibrated housebrick that lifts the transmission just about the right amount from the cradle, I eyeballed it: That'll do. Got in there with the fizzybuzz torch to stick the mount to the chassis and threw in some gussets made from scraps of 2mm plate... That'll do.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Jan 26, 2017 12:53:32 GMT
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Just gotta make a new cradle that sits a couple of inches higher now and fab some gearbox straps just to hold it all down a bit better.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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MASSIVE UPDATE FOLKS! So this last week, I have managed to get to the workshop for a couple of days (weekend), and I have managed to achieve: Sod all. I took my doors off, that is literally it. Oh and took some measurements to fabricate a gearbox cradle. I ended up drinking coffee, eating curry and spending a couple of days "earning my keep" and was put to work on customers cars instead (anyone would think that the bloke whose workshop I use is trying to run a business or something, it's a wonder anything gets done in there!). But at least there's someone who owns a rather well kept 1302 who now has a battery that doesn't drain, a fuel gauge that doesn't lie, heating that works, a courtesy light that switches on, an engine that runs, lights that work, a speedo that illuminates, an accessory socket in the kick panel, and brakes that do more than just generate heat and noise... And someone else who owns what will be a nice blue VW T2 camper in for full top to bottom bare metal resto that, well, has much less filler, rust (and metal) in it than it had... It now has no floor and no front clip LOL! But, well, fingers crossed I can get to fitting new channel closing plates soon enough!
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Last Edit: Feb 13, 2017 9:33:15 GMT by fad
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Last Edit: Jun 28, 2017 8:23:36 GMT by fad
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The entire bottom is gone!! Has it reached much above the sill bottom plates?
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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The entire bottom is gone!! Has it reached much above the sill bottom plates? No. Luckily its not that bad. But even if it had I would just make new sills.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Mar 23, 2017 10:05:04 GMT
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So more careful cutting out and I made a few repair panels. Didn't take pics (flat battery) but I will take some soon. It's actually quite a fiddly job, this bit. Lots of contours to match and I've lost a lot of datum lines (the damage done from pulling off the pan was too great, so was not worth saving the cut outs). Anyway, have made all the repair panels barring one for the front section to get the channels restored, a little more choppy choppy to get the last grotty bits out and then it's time for fuzzybuzzyweldyness. Then I can make the outer skin for the wheel arch, and weld on the sill bottom plate! But... I need to cut out some of the bulkhead to repair the forward mounts (they have disintegrated completely) and a few odds n sods to sort out there. I am hoping by close of play Sunday I will have the starboard side all buttoned up and finished so I can roll her over and do the port side.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Mar 26, 2017 21:51:08 GMT
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Last Edit: Mar 27, 2017 6:28:36 GMT by fad
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Mar 26, 2017 22:09:15 GMT
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Then I had a look at what I was going to weld it to... Decided nope, so chopped more of the sill out and threw that in the naughty bin too... Nice looooong straight L shape repair to make, that'll be an easy one! So figured while I was filling up the naughty bin I would take off what was left of the engine bay too... out with the hammer... Bashbashbash... Ta-daaa! So... Once I've made the sill bottoms for the door gaps, and then a bit of sill bottom for the rear inner stretch aft of the door... And then I can weld in the new rear body mount. Looooong road still ahead, I think! Urgh... I did spend part of the weekend also making a repair to my Octavia exhaust, the damned flexi had gone on the downpipe. Which has an integral cat on it. So a replacement pipe was £200+... Sod that, £12 for a flexi, downpipe off, chop the old flexi off, weld the new one in, downpipe back on, job jobbed. Except I snapped a stud in the turbo housing while I was at it FFS. So had to get the remains of the stud out (that was a kerfuffle!) but got there in the end and now my cabin doesn't smell like a German manufactured WW2-era communal Shower when I am stood in traffic any more, so happy days! I also gave it a wash while I was at it. My MPG has jumped up by 4 or 5 now, but I don't know if this is because I repaired the exhaust and now the O2 sensors are reading right, or cos the car is a load lighter now that it's not all covered in crud... Also been working on customers cars this week, but they aren't my car so not gonna put pics on here. Taking a VW T2 Bay apart stitch by stitch, that one is hard going... Not looking forward to welding it back together!
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Last Edit: Mar 27, 2017 6:23:31 GMT by fad
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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ANyone wanna come finish it off for me? :lol: I HATE welding thin stuff. Always looks gash as hell!!
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Last Edit: Mar 27, 2017 12:20:41 GMT by fad
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Mar 27, 2017 14:03:54 GMT
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Not to be a downer but is that shell worth repairing? Seems to be gone everywhere and a beetle is not hard found.
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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Mar 27, 2017 14:09:09 GMT
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Not to be a downer but is that shell worth repairing? Seems to be gone everywhere and a beetle is not hard found. If you can find me a 7" roof chop with extended doors, rear quarters, quarterlights retained, roof profile not flattened, swage lines left perfectly intact, trim holes deleted,return lips welded in, with an oval rear screen grafted in and a ragtop fitted with solid channels that wasn't hard to find... I would marry you. LOL
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Last Edit: Mar 27, 2017 14:11:36 GMT by fad
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Mar 27, 2017 15:52:36 GMT
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My wife would be most displeased I think LOL
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fad
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,781
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So. Sill repairs starboard side just about completed... Plated up all the old heater outlets because this car will never, ever, ever have heating (the turbo header has no heat exchangers, the heater controls have been removed, and who the hell needs heating in a hotrod anyway? Nazi sympathisers, probably...) Not overly happy with the welds... But, they are solid and they will not be seen, so... Meh. I HATE welding thin stuff. Bulkhead underside repair looks a bit tidier though, nice and nearly invisible... Then on with plug welding the bottom plate... Had to stop as the missus needed a jump start (No, an actual jump start, she took my car to work and left the headlights on...). So... Once the closing plate is on there I can then move on to making the front wheel arch repair and the front of the bulkhead, then one more repair to make in the luggage area at the back where I am still puzzling over how to beat the shape of the panel into the repair bit, and then the rear wheel arch body repair to make which I have cheated and got a panel for... And then weld in a new channel closing plate... And THEN the starboard side is finished (yey...) Love it!
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Davey
Posted a lot
Resident Tyre Nerd.
Posts: 2,195
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Lovely, dedication at its finest.
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K11 Micra x3 - Mk3 astra - Seat Marbella - Mk6 Escort estate - B5 Passat - Alfa 156 estate - E36 compact Mk2 MR2 T-bar - E46 328i - Skoda Superb - Fiat seicento - 6n2 Polo - 6n polo 1.6 - Mk1 GS300 EU8 civic type S - MG ZT cdti - R56 MINI Cooper S - Audi A3 8p - Jaguar XF (X250) - FN2 Civic Type R - Mk2 2.0i Ford Focus
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Wowzers! A lot came out of that! Keep at it. Super nice chop on that roof, so many go badly wrong.
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