Longhaul

[Oldfart]

Helping a friend with his FC, only just started. A rust repair, panel and paint is a big job, bigger if you have limited time to work on it. I hope to have the rust work done in a couple of weeks, there is a fair bit of repairing the repairs that have been done before. 
Panels are pretty straight. I like the two tone blue, classic late fifties style.

Engine is a reco, colour looks original in engine bay except the plate on the firewall has been painted.

Crossmember has a bit of rust, couldn't find a replacement so I had to fabricate bits.

Nearly closed up, I used to do a bit of panel beating in the olden days and only ever used oxy. We have a loan of a Mig and it's the best thing ever for panel work, takes a quarter of the time and no where near the distortion.

[DJ]

I like the blue two tone too.
Looks like a good project. Hows the interior?
Looking fwd to updates.

[Oldfart]

Interior is a bit ratty, will need a tidy up. Unless you go full tilt at a big job like this it usually takes twice as long as you think it would.

[Stewy]

Looking good so far. I.D plate on firewall was usually painted and this one looks original.
Keep up the good work and keep the pictures coming.

Cheers Stewy   8)

[Oldfart]

Thanks Stewy, I had thought the plate would have been natural aluminium. I have about 2 days left on the rust work on the body then it's the front subframe and then the front guards. At least with parts off the main frame you can work in a reasonable position, laying down welding being showered with sparks and getting arc burn on the top of my bald head has knobs on it.  ;D

[Oldfart]

Got  bit more done on the FC during the week.
Finished up the crossmember, are most rusted there? I took it you can't get repo's for that one so I built a new side.

The subframe end was a bit rotten. Before.


During

And after repair

Next is a fit up of the subframe and body to see how the new ends mate with the sills.

[fink]

Nice work, zinc anneal rusts up fairly quick,i'd get crc or fishoil on the inside,luv the 2 blues,Gaz! 8)

[fe350chev]

Looks good.

[Oldfart]

Any shed has a few Huntsman in the dark corners, they tend to grow out to full size down here. They scare the crap out of me even though I know they can only nip you.

[DJ]

Eating size. Something that big could step on you!

[fe350chev]

I'm in western Vic. We have a huntsman plague here atm. Where are you?

[DJ]

Canberra

[DJ]

Nothing like that here.

[mcl1959]

Re ID plates

Adelaide and Melbourne bodies had painted ID plates, Sydney bodies had plain aluminium plates. Not sure why the difference, getting the plate on the car before painting would seem to be the best idea in order to prevent stuff ups, but the general shift after FC was that all plants went to unpainted aluminium plates.
Plates are easier to read without being painted, so maybe this is it.

Ken

[Oldfart]

Thanks for that. Plate is still on the firewall so I'll just paint it with the rest. Doing a few dints now and about to undercoat the body.

[hsv-001]

You can buy the original rivets and punch . If you find a flat tray and fill with thinners and soak for a few days it wipes clean . Haydn

[Oldfart]

Thanks Hayden, I'll just leave it on the firewall and paint it with the rest, that's the way it came out.
I have rebuilt the sill ends to take the subframe ends, thanks to the photo's of "FCwrangler" Jim. They helped out immensely.

[KFH]

Re ID plates

My Sept, Sydney build FC sedan was original when I started.  It had a painted ID plate.

Keith