195 replies to this topic

[Archived4]

The vents never line up. Sounds like good progress though

[LosLandenos]

Looks exactly like the shape my 94 spi was in when i bought it.. Nice job and keep it up.

[BusheyTrader]

The B post profile on the passenger side doorstep panel (pattern) was as good as the driver's side - not very.  I cut V's in the profile and spread the steps to follow the contour properly.

 

 

I then welded up the V's front and back and then ground back the weld to match the contour.  This photo doesn't look great but the contour from repair panel to B post is much sharper.  I guess I've used weld as filler.

 

[BusheyTrader]

Door step panel underside stripped back to bare metal, keyed and coated in Bilthamber Etchweld primer.  Except where it'll be welded I'll paint with topcoat.

 

[BusheyTrader]

Driver's side outer sill, inner sill, jacking point and that b****rd doorstep repair panel are now plug-welded on.

 

No pictures to upload yet but they're little different to the passenger side.  My welding's a lot neater these days which means less grinding......but its still a bore.

 

Adam

Edited by BusheyTrader, 02 March 2014 - 09:55 PM.

[Chunk]

Any updates Adam? Been following this thread with interest. 

[BusheyTrader]

Hi Chunk,

I've removed the brace across the A and B posts on the passenger side. With that gone I was able to cut out the bottom 4 inches of the A post's boxing plate and replace with fresh metal using plug welds and butt welding. Photos to follow as my camera gave up a few weeks ago.

Now, to protect the back of the plate I degreased and keyed the metal, then coated it with Bilthamber etch weld zinc primer. That's fine where the metal was plug welded to the doorstep panel but what about behind the butt welded seam? Its inside the box section and won't be protected so I guess I'll have to somehow inject some Electrox zinc primer and cavity wax on to it.

Adam

Edited by BusheyTrader, 13 July 2014 - 08:43 AM.

[BusheyTrader]

Photos as previous. I use whatever paint is in the garage to protect the bare metal once welded in. It's another shade of pink.

New inner sill, outer sill and doorstep panel and jjacking point, all treated inside with zinc etch primer and several top coats, pink before plug welding. The contour of the doorstep was pretty dreadful.



View from the inside. Some of the welding needs grinding down to tidy it up. The holes on the inner sill were where I drilled the top of the inner sill for plug welding. However I had weld a strip of metal across the top of the inner sill to bring it up to the height of the doorstep panel so some of the holes were too low and will need to be tackled. The black powder is grinding dust which has since been scraped off.





New repair panel and extra sheet metal let in to the inner wing / flitch panel.



The hole behind the shock absorber mounting point. There's several layers of sheet metal here rusting in a layered sandwich from inside the box section, outside it and within the sandwiched layers. This follows the the boot's hinge panel and where the rear subframe bolts against the boot floor. If you need strength then spot weld extra layers of sheet metal together at the factory with little or no protection for a rust fest. I'll need to cut more metal away to lose the rust




Adam

Edited by BusheyTrader, 20 July 2014 - 07:29 PM.

[BusheyTrader]

My black and decker power file has finally given up. Smoke was coming out of the insides and I think that all the moving parts have finally worn out after all the punishment I've given it.

[Daz944]

Looks good following with interest

[BusheyTrader]

Cleaned up and some weld through etch primer for immediate protection.

[BusheyTrader]

Spike has to be moved for building work, off to another garage. So it's off with the front subframe so the body can be dollied on to a trailer and stored away. Hopefully I'll refurbish the sub frames and their running gear whilst the body's away.

I was ready for a fight with seized threads all round especially the tower bolts so dug out the breaker bar. No need, everything came apart easily, a bit too easily considering how old Spike is, the amount of time he spent out in all weathers before I got him, the lack of copper grease, oil spray or other stuff on the threads. The engine was rebuilt a couple of years before Spike was taken off the road, the PO admitted that he'd been allowed to run dry - no oil pressure !! Maybe the subframe came out the same time?.....

Adam

[Ben_O]

Nice project.

 

Looks like you are doing a good job, i have just read through all of your progress on and off tonight.

 

Keep at it!

 

Ben

[BusheyTrader]

Cheers Ben,

I bought Minispares cone compressor tool earlier today and thought I'd give it a go as I had a few minutes. At first I couldn't get the shaft to engage the thread in the cone despite liberal amounts of copper grease and WD40. I leant heavily on the shaft and it just about engaged. Slow quarter turns followed by backing off and repeating eventually saw the shaft fully engaged without stripping the threads. Hopefully the cone is sufficiently compressed to dismantle the suspension this weekend............

Edited by BusheyTrader, 14 February 2015 - 10:24 AM.

[BusheyTrader]

I needn't have worried about the cone being compressed or not, the tool worked fine.

The near side upper and offside lower swivel pins are seized solid in their respective tapers. No budging even with the scissor ball joint splitter torqued up till it bowed. A cutting disc in the angle grinder will take care of the pins. The lower arms will be replaced with negative camber items so no issues there. However the near side upper arm is also seized solid on its pivot pin and roller bearings. I'll cut the ends off the pins to remove the hub from the subframe then see if the upper arm can be saved at all.

The rear subframe mountings looked in shape whilst removing them but revealed yet another tear. (Both inner wings were torn from top to bottom). The subframe appears to be in good shape. The front teardrop mounts had no spacers between them and the front panel. The offside tie rod had a distinctive bend to it but this could have happened when Spike was manhandled on the trailer when I bought him. All 4 brakes were seized solid, he was in a corner of the driveway and the towing service had to drag him out with straps.

Edited by BusheyTrader, 15 February 2015 - 08:37 AM.