9 replies to this topic

[venkman]

Hello got a couple of problems if people can help.

Putting in inner flitch panel, just above the cut out for the air vent the top of it is well crusty!! Does the metal weld near windscreen or does it just fold up not fastened?? Need to put a repair in and a small flange section.

Other issue is scuttle corners, can you get genuine corners or only pattern,if only pattern how good will they fit. The scuttle is in good nick accept were the wing meets,it's made the flange crusty.
Don't want to change whole scuttle as its original with the chassis number stamped in gutter.

Thanks

[sonikk4]

Cut the flitch in properly all the way up. Scuttle corners will be pattern only. A bit and miss as to how well they fit. 

[venkman]

Cut the flitch in properly all the way up. Scuttle corners will be pattern only. A bit and miss as to how well they fit.

If you look at the panel there is approx an inch of metal around the air vent hole, what is above do I just bend some sheet and weld above, does it "sandwich" between the upper dash rail and scuttle panel. You did a similar repair on paddy (page 34 ish) but I can't see any pictures after, it looks like bent sheet and a triangular piece with the fold on top all welded together, not quite up to the windscreen edge with a small gap. This is were I can't quite work out what to do.

Thanks

[venkman]

Hello sonikk4 , it's page 33 must have missed a page when looking through earlier today, is it possible to go high enough without removing scuttle, in your opinion........of course anyone else's!!!

Thanks

[sonikk4]

Go up as high as you can comfortably go. Personally i would add extra metal if required which is what i do every time.

 

Now something to think about with regards to the scuttle corners. Have you had a good look right up underneath the full width of the scuttle.??? any rust then its pointless replacing the corners. Now i get what you mean about the chassis number stamped in the old scuttle so what i would do is carefully cut that section out. Then very carefully weld it into the new panel. Job done and if you do it right you will not know.

[venkman]

Go up as high as you can comfortably go. Personally i would add extra metal if required which is what i do every time.
 
Now something to think about with regards to the scuttle corners. Have you had a good look right up underneath the full width of the scuttle.??? any rust then its pointless replacing the corners. Now i get what you mean about the chassis number stamped in the old scuttle so what i would do is carefully cut that section out. Then very carefully weld it into the new panel. Job done and if you do it right you will not know.

Thanks never thought about cutting the stamped chassis number out. Will have a good look through the scuttle over weekend and see.

[venkman]

Think I'm starting to dislike my mini, other than the flange were the wing meets scuttle, the scuttle is in really good condition!!! It seems a lot of money to replace it just for the flange.

Wonder if it's possible to cut of and weld a new section on, but still leaves the problem of being able to do repairs at the top of inner wing and above the flitch panel.

Hmmmmm........

[sonikk4]

Think I'm starting to dislike my mini, other than the flange were the wing meets scuttle, the scuttle is in really good condition!!! It seems a lot of money to replace it just for the flange.

Wonder if it's possible to cut of and weld a new section on, but still leaves the problem of being able to do repairs at the top of inner wing and above the flitch panel.

Hmmmmm........

 

Anything is possible. I always use a 1mm slitting disc which makes for joining cut panels easy to re weld. So if you needed to cut things out to gain access for example then welding back in the cutout section is easy.

[venkman]

I'm thinking maybe I could cut the corner off and drill spot welds out, enough to replace the top of the inner wing etc. I have loads of the thin discs so other than welding it back, my problem would be getting it nice and smooth so you can't see the join plus I would have a joint up the pillar slightly less of an area to hide.......all though more fiddly to shape??

Sound feasible.......

[sonikk4]

Yup all feasible. The thing is here is what suits your needs, advice is one thing but doing it is another. Smoothing should not be too much of an issue to be honest. The one thing to remember though is getting decent penetration of the weld so when you know them back to smooth it all off there is still plenty of strength / metal.