Found Object

[ardiesse]

Clay,

I'm planning on butting the join.  The repair piece I've got goes up just past the lowest bolt-hole in the rear of the mudguard.  My guard is rusted out to the point where the wheel arch lip becomes the sill's reveal line, and I think I'm going to need most of the repair panel.  I'll find out tomorrow.  It'll be one of these things where the closer the repair piece approaches the car, the more work it'll need to fit.

Rob

[ardiesse]

Vern,

Yep.  I replaced the tip and the welder is behaving waay better than it had.  On the FB-EK forum, one of the guys was talking about "stacking the dimes" when TIG welding, and another suggested a similar approach with a MIG when the metal's very thin.  So I found if I put in a tack weld, then let the pool solidify (maybe a second), move on about 1/8" and put in another tack weld, and so on, while the metal's still hot, it's a good technique.  Four or five "dimes" in a row, and cool with a damp rag, I get good weld penetration, and don't blow holes.

Rob

[Errol62]

The third element being no distortion of course. That is the bit I'm still coming to grips with when it comes to butt welds on 20# sheet. Cooling and patience I know.

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[Errol62]

That and hammer and dolly.

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[ardiesse]

I've started massaging the lower front guard repair section to suit.



I'll now concede that the FB/EK front guard lower repair sections are intended for . . . wait for it . . . FB/EK.  It's got to do with the profile of the wheel arch lip.  The piece of A4 paper (folded back) is a template for the FC wheel arch lip.  It only deviates from the FB/EK repair section's profile for the front three inches or so.  Some hammer-and-dolly work and (perhaps) a nip and weld should get it right.

And a fair amount of reworking is needed to get the reveal line's profile to resemble the original.  More work with hammer, dolly and sandbag.

Rob

[ardiesse]

This is looking a lot better.



I didn't have to do a nip-and-weld like I thought.  And the inner edge of the return lined up pretty well, as an added bonus.

Rob

[my8thholden]

Well Rob ,looks like you are on a roll ,keep at it ,there is no social distancing from the welder or grinder ..Vern

[my8thholden]

Rob..I just read your comments on weld ,and I am NO grand welder ,by any means ,we have used .92mm cold rolled steel sheet , splash a bit of water on it in morning ,by afternoon you can see the rust ,so we have been careful with rust proof on the reverse side on everything ,and yes ,we have found tac your work in place , then come back and fill in the gaps ,even then bit by bit ,letting cool as you go ...cheers Vern

[ardiesse]

The repair piece is tacked in place.



It looks like I moved the peak of the wheel arch lip a little too far.  I suppose this is the difference between overlapping the repair section and "patient", and butting them.  I'll have to bring the peak back gently.

The holes that Rare Spares provide for the two lower mounting bolts are never in the right place, it seems.  So I blanked them off.  The best thing to do will be to wait until I've replaced the sill, and then drill the inner sill flange and mudguard in one go.

Rob

[zulu]

Rob, almost call that done, it's already black!
Seriously though, good progress

[ardiesse]

Gary,

That's the good thing about the Rare Spares repair sections - they come handily pre-painted.  I'm still wondering about leaving the ID stickers on the panel, but they'll most likely burn near the weld seam.

Rob

[Errol62]

You'll strip that black off I daresay Rob. Well d one, the FB EK patch was a good starting point, the price is re a s unable when you c insider the labour saved. Sorry about the bad syntax but you get the drift.

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[my8thholden]

Hey Rob .They were talking the other day on this forum about rubber gaskets at lower guard and grille ,I found bits of rubber in the grille box but don't know where a new one would fit or what it looks like ,I see you have your grille out could you indicate size and where , I don't recall any rubber in front guard and I am approaching that job this week ,right where you have shown the lower repair piece you are welding in ,the outer door seal runs down leading edge of door and then down and back along under the scuff plate ,does it go from that turn point in outer seal down to sill ,that area is really in the line of stuff coming off a rotating front wheel ..looks a tricky little place to make a gasket for ..any images of any one doing this ,guard and grille ...stay well Vern

[ardiesse]

Vern,

For the seal that runs down the rear of the front guard, I'd suggest bicycle inner tube cemented into place.  It would run along the "step" in the cowl at the top, and then all the way down the leading edge of the front door, to finish just above the front subframe bolt head.  As far as I know, the front guard does not have the "return" below the subframe bolt.  You can probably confirm this from your front guards.

Rob

[ardiesse]

Vern,

I've looked at the grille-to-subframe rubber and the front guard-to-grille rubber.

The grille-to-subframe rubber is 12-1/2" long, 1" wide (approx.), and will need to be relieved at one place to clear the "ear" at the front guard flange.

The front guard-to-grille rubber is also 12-1/2" long and about 1" wide.  It'll need to be trimmed to suit the front guard's flange where it butts up against the grille, and will need to have two holes for the mounting screws.

Car or truck inner tube would be my suggestion.

Rob

[mcl1959]

You will be lucky to get a grille to subframe rubber in place, it’s generally a tight fit and the thickness of the rubber plus the added friction doesn’t help. Guard to grille rubber no problem.

[ardiesse]

The front guard is essentially repaired.



I put in the little return section that had rusted away, knocked out a reasonable-size dent between the headlight and indicator, and "coloured-in" a couple of fingernail-size rust holes.  A welder and quenching block is quicker than bog, and more permanent.

LHF guard next.  But dark clouds on the horizon, with cold and rainy weather coming.

Rob

[Errol62]

Good weather for doing rust repairs as long as you’ve got sheddage Rob


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[ardiesse]

. . . but no door on the downstairs workshop, and the wind blows the rain inside.

[DJ]

..any images of any one doing this ,guard and grille ...

Did you get any pictures Vern?