Rustoration

[RogerT]

Thanks chaps. From what I recall the B comes down to fit in the join between inner and outer sill, with a strengthening brace nestled above the JP. Lots of trial fitting coming up.

Wait til I show you the dogs breakfast at the rear sus mount/JP. That’s what led to me starting this process, when it all got too flimsy.

[RogerT]

Pulling off the sill and working my way through the rear JP.
Cross-section through the sill - non standard construction...

This shows the rotten end of the B-post too...

and the rotten end of the C-post...

Swing arm mount/JP removed. Showing the patches round the rear cross member that held on the JP. Notice the flimsy nature of what’s left of the cross member...


In the void above the rear JP before I removed it...


Despite the state of it all, I’m not losing heart, after all it’s just flat pieces of metal, bent to shape and welded together in a particular order. And I have a garage.



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[937carrera]

Despite the state of it all, I’m not losing heart, after all it’s just flat pieces of metal, bent to shape and welded together in a particular order. And I have a garage.

Like the attitude

I have a B post that looks just like that. The air chisel has arrived and I've found a 9" grinder, so will maybe have a method for removing the old bits tomorrow.

I've been reading the restoration threads again. Do you know what is meant by the reinforcing piece for the B post ??

[RogerT]

Yes, I can picture it in my minds eye, it that’s not much good for you! I’ll have a look around. Can’t really show you mine

[RogerT]

http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.p ... t#p8185005" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[937carrera]

Thanks, I will take another look. Been spending most of the day reading T25 resto threads. The more I do the more they make sense

[RogerT]

Edited my post above with a link to another pic

[mshaw1980]

Good man. Once the new steel starts going in it gets less daunting. Just like a big jigsaw puzzle. Like you say just shaped metal. Now you can weld its less 'oh no this is knackered get rid' and more 'oh no, more work to be done then'. With you in spirit

[RogerT]

Oh, but when will that new metal go in?? Still nibbling round the rear. Cut off my horrendous (but MOT saving) patches holding on the rear JP


And I think at the top of the crossmember on that second photo you might just make out that it’s good unrusted metal until it reaches the sill, so that’ll be a good reference point!

I am still undecided about how best to remove the rear-most closure plate. It’s quite heavy gauge, still in fair nick, and fixes on top of the floor. The outside edge folds down and it’s welded to what becomes the vertical reinforcement inside the sill. (The waxoyled bit on the upper left of the photo above) and you can see the foremost part of it below.

I want to remove it as the floor underneath is rusty in parts, and also the edge of the sloping engine bulkhead next to the rear arch has a hole, and this closure has an upturned lip that fixes there.
Maybe I’ll find the welds on the outside of the vertical reinforcement...

...and drill them out, preserving the closure whole.
Here’s the folded down lip inside...

Onwards and upwards (but don’t think about that roof

And thanks for the support mshaw



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[RogerT]

Tonight I have been mostly listening to “The Organist Entertains!”, in between the grinding, drilling and hammering...



Also cleaned up round the rear of the crossmember (photos next time). Next is to finish removing the sill at the rear, and move on to the front of the sill.




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[RogerT]

Randy Crawford joined me in the garage tonight.
Got the sill completely off at the rear. This is what the end of the crossmember looks like...


Here’s where I drilled the welds to get the rearmost closure off...


Moving to the front, thought I should investigate the B-post...



That’s it for tonight.


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[937carrera]

Some helpful pictures there. Was the rear JP just so badly corroded you simply lopped it off ? How about the rear arch panel, again was that simply chopped off, or have you removed it carefully with the intention to reuse it ?

[RogerT]

Rear JP was completely knacked, bolt hole on one side had corroded all the way to the edge of the mount, so no longer a “O” shape, but an open “C” shape!! Rear arch is going to come off, panel above was removed (maybe not as carefully as it might have been) to below the waistline simply to give access (to the arch), and the lower end of the panel needed to come off anyway to give access to above the JP. The flanges on it are pretty rusty, so I needed access to them. I’ll hopefully weld the panel back on when all’s done, at least that’s my plan. I’m sure there is a better way to do it though...

[937carrera]

When I was on the Schofields stand on Sunday I noticed they had complete rear jacking points available and just a small lower panel that goes back to the wheelarch and up to the first waistline. Could be handy for you, depending on what the rest of the panel is like.

[RogerT]

Thanks, I’ll look into this. Finished my mini’s floor patch last week, took it for an MOT for selling - failed! Exhaust, nearside rear brake, lights... hopefully not too much to do, then sell for my T25 fund.