22 replies to this topic

[alchall]

It seems to be double thickness where the bolts are, I'll give it a clean up at the weekend, it doesn't appear that the holes have rusted out but will need to clean it up and have a closer inspection to be 100% sure.

[Dr s]

Don't like the look of that much at all myself...

[ibrooks]

OK - step one is to get it clean enough to see what you really have. The underside looks as oily as hell so grab a gallon can of white-spirit from somewhere like B&Q and slosh it all over with a stiff plastic brush (a big brush with bristles about the stiffness of a toothbrush is about the ideal). That will take the oil and/or underseal off but leave a thinner oily feeling film - warm water and washing up liquid will remove that. Do this outside as it's messy - much more fun in the summer. Once it's something like clean take a wire brush in an angle grinder or drill to it to remove the surface rust and any crusty bits.

 

It looks to me like someone has tried to make the subframe "stronger" for reasons unknown and just bodged some metal plates on. So long as that top side cleans up OK and there's nothing wrong with the original metal and the additions don't actually interfere then live with it. It's going to be many hours messing with various grinding tools to try and un-pick the plates from the original.

 

Iain

[alchall]

OK - step one is to get it clean enough to see what you really have. The underside looks as oily as hell so grab a gallon can of white-spirit from somewhere like B&Q and slosh it all over with a stiff plastic brush (a big brush with bristles about the stiffness of a toothbrush is about the ideal). That will take the oil and/or underseal off but leave a thinner oily feeling film - warm water and washing up liquid will remove that. Do this outside as it's messy - much more fun in the summer. Once it's something like clean take a wire brush in an angle grinder or drill to it to remove the surface rust and any crusty bits.

 

It looks to me like someone has tried to make the subframe "stronger" for reasons unknown and just bodged some metal plates on. So long as that top side cleans up OK and there's nothing wrong with the original metal and the additions don't actually interfere then live with it. It's going to be many hours messing with various grinding tools to try and un-pick the plates from the original.

 

Iain

Right, I finally got round to this, I cleaned up just one side and stripped it back to metal to have a better look, here's what I found, there's some pitting from rust on the original metal around the plates and they look to be a bit bashed about, still can't decide what to do, plenty of time to make that decision though.

 

Hopefully these pics help to show what it's like....

 

 Mini-63.JPG   52.23K   40 downloads  Mini-64.JPG   46.1K   36 downloads

[nicklouse]

Someone's idea of strengthening.

I would leave as is.

Edited by nicklouse, 24 January 2015 - 07:16 PM.

[rally515]

Those welds on the circular holes look really quite neat so I would assume that care has been taken with cleaning the mating surfaces up at the least.

I'd say leave them be :)

[sonikk4]

Yep leave well alone, looks ok now its cleaned up.

[alchall]

Thanks guys, I am feeling a bit more positive now so may save my self some money and keep it and restore it.