Time to get jiggy with the grinder…on the nearside chassis leg…to dissect someone's previous work botch… The patch had been slapped on with no attempt to cleanup the welds - and there was a significant amount of wire left in the welds too! Not only did they not clean the welds (and I should have known), they didn't bother to cut out the rot they were trying to fix! The saga continues. Time for a cutting disc methinks!
Finished sorting the patching above, removed the bumper and tow bar then started poking around the offside rear corner... Before... After poking... ...and the big bit that fell out... More poking revealed holes in the valance - and I suspect that when the wire brush gets near it there won't be much left!
Removed more iron oxide from the back end...but due to a technical c**k-up I won't have all the replacement bits until Tuesday. Bad planning on my part A little patching on the inner valance and the off-side d-post before I can start glueing new metal on...
After seeing your outer valance, corners and d posts... Your inner valance is remarkably rust free! My corners weren't bad, nor the d posts, but the inner valance was shot to bits!
There are a couple of patches needed in the inner valance, but it's not in bad shape! I was expecting more rot on the nearside d post, but it's pristine!
I *finally* got some time outside today and actually got lots done... Rear wheel arch rear repair, off-side battery tray (after some significant alterations to make it fit properly!) Didn't take too many pics..but this is how it looked before the rain came in... Still some modifications to do before I can permanently attach it, but it's all progress!
I finally had some time to get outside for the short period between work finishing and noise having to stop... managed to get the rear quarter repair re-shaped to fit correctly alongside the new valance panel,,,and it's all dry-fit ready (hopefully) to start welding at the weekend
And today brought fettling, welding, grinding and a lick of primer...back tomorrow for some filler and more fettling...
Installed new input shaft seal and clutch release bearing and got the engine back in...reconnected (new) fuel line and hey presto...all working. The bonus was that the handbrake hadn't locked on either!
Had a hack at the front of the offside rear arch...which revealed yet more bodged repairs and rot to the inner sill. The good news is that on closer inspection the rest of the inner between B & C posts seems to be good... Time for some fabrication! Down the gap between the sills:
Prodded the slight hole in the underside of the deformation panel and rather wish I hadn't...but I guess it's good that I did. and after removing approx half and inch(!) of filler... Time to buy more metal, methinks
Lopped off the deformation panel, given the pics above, and a worse situation the other end! Found this inside: