So... rather than spend the next six months welding and paying out for panels, mig gas and wire, I did something crazy...I bought another shell, after seeing it in the dark with a torch and not able to check underneath. I was daft enough to buy a rusty car in the first place, so double or quits on this shell....
Yellow doors, yellow bonnet and yellow boot lid will go on the orange shell. The car is missing a front end so the yellow car will also donate a yellow steel front end. The shell has rough paint and needs a respray in the years to come.. Here's my friend Matt again
a_shell.JPG 127.93K
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The shell used to have a fibreglass front on it, apparently had a red top engine (2 litre 16 valve Vauxhall) and was used for racing ..
b_minus front.JPG 139.2K
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Lots of holes for, I guess, two different roll cages
c_Holes for rollcage.JPG 128.98K
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First job after sanding was covering the car in Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80, that goes on milky blue then dries black
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So here are the problems, apart from the missing front end. Rotten boot floor.
1_boot floor.JPG 142.05K
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Heel board is going off, but caught in time.
2_heel board.JPG 121.02K
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Small hole in rear wheel arch and more holes from roll cage.
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And the same on the other side
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Some other random hole. By the way the sills aren't over-sills, they don't look old and there is no sign of welding. I can't believe they are original, so they must have been replaced and spot welded. There are patches on the door step, so there has been rust in the past. The jacking points inside are not as new, so that probably means the sills were replaced.
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These holes are small. The roll cage holes are much bigger.. I might just clean up, rust-proof, add thick epoxy primer then the hole won't get a bigger. Add a patch of fibreglass. Do the same with the roll cage holes.. Under the car, the floor pan is covered in old crusty waxoyl. There are no surprises there. The floor near the drivers and passenger side foot-well is looking thin, so I'll cut out patches from the yellow car to use later and save on buying panels.
Yippee -- the gamble on the shell has paid off, but still a lot of work to do.