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Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 08 Jul 2019, 10:10
by Robsey
Thank-you very much for the welcome back.
I did still pop my head in on a regular basis, but with work being paused, I had little to offer in conversation.

Yes, I am very lucky to be within easy "collection" distance of both Schofields and Brickwerks.

I have ordered the door steps from Schofields, as those and the dodgy cab floor will be the first parts to receive attention from the welding gun.

Although I am going to remove all tired doors first and fit my less tired second hand replacements, before proceeding onto major metal work.

I am still on the hunt for a left cargo door, that doesn't cost a fortune. But I am happy to wait until one comes up at a good price.

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 11 Aug 2019, 21:38
by Robsey
Any idea where I can get the runner rail for the rear panel of the van?

Looking around, it would appear that the rear panels now come without a runner.

As you can see in my picture, my runner has completely rotted away.

The whole skin is tatered.
My friend who loves to weld, thinks the rest of the skin can be saved / repaired for much less than a £500+ panel without a runner.

Image

I find the sales blurb very confusing when they mention door runners.

They always seem to mean at the top or bottom of the door aperture, not the one hidden by the runner cover on the rear-side panel.

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 12 Aug 2019, 07:17
by 937carrera
Did you see this ?

https://www.alanhschofield.com/ourparts ... 9171E.html

You would need to cut the window aperture - but why not just visit / speak to Schofields ?

Have you seen their repair panels for the sliding doors too ?

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 12 Aug 2019, 14:08
by Plasticman
YGM
mm

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 12 Aug 2019, 21:03
by Cecil
click


It seems to have got damaged and is now cheaper.

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 12 Aug 2019, 22:41
by Robsey
Thanks for the replies chaps...it is very much appreciated.

I had thought about speaking to Schofields.
Although they are only 5 miles from where I live, it is not very often that I see that side of the world - so to speak.

Regarding the skins...
I think that I will be liaising with Plasticman, probably early next year, when work starts in earnest.
Mainly stripping upto New Year.

It will probably need to be a panel cut that provides a suitable runner. There is virtually nothing left of my runner to gauge the profile, but it looks like a rounded m shape or a back to front N that the "/\" shaped roller runs along.

Here is a close look...

Image

For info, it is a 1983 panel van with left / near-side sliding door, with windows retro fitted in the mid-to late 80's.
So early runner and door slider / roller mechanisms.

Although - all that said, surely it wouldn't be massively difficult to convert to a late cargo door, if push comes to shove.

(This is probably where I show my ignorance / naivity for all things T25...)

I have emailed Schofields via their app, but so far no reply after a week.
(I find a lot of these apps don't really work very well).

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 01 Aug 2020, 22:17
by Robsey
I have finally pulled my finger out, and started cutting away rusty metal.

I am starting on the front passenger corner and working my way back...
Before starting on the driver's side and working back again.

I spend about 4 hrs per week, usually on a Monday evening after a normal 8 hr shift at work.

So progress is slow,
but now I can actually say that I am making progress rather than - taking stuff out, sort it out and put it all back.. which is what I was doing when I restarted in late June (2020).

So first, the very rusty door step cut out.

Image

Then the rear of the arch to expose the rusty B post.

Image

Then the front lower corner.

Image

I have also cut out the rusty diagonal box-section that supports the passenger side footwell / cab floor.

Image

I have been using some strong acid to eat away / convert the rust.

And my friend has painted some "black paint" over the lip that the lower front corner panel will wrap around.

As with any job, it always looks very bad, before it can start to look better.

I am amazed at the amount of sealant that VW used.
It is like thick whitish plasticine coating everything.

Time for the whizzy wire brush to strip off anything loose, surface rust and anything else that gets in my way.

*** maybe I should ask a site admin to move this thread to the restorations section ***

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 04 Aug 2020, 16:49
by Dazco
Nice to see you've got it started again, I've been waiting almost 5 years :lol:

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 19:12
by Robsey
Sorry about that...
My Cavalier restoration got in the way between July 2015 until March 2020.

The lastest episode of scrap heap challenge involved me cutting out a section of footwell to drill out the spot welds left over from cutting out the front diagonal outrigger.

Then I cleaned up the main chassis rail.

Image

Image

What a tedious task it is, getting all the spot welded remnants off.

Part way through the evening, I had a VERY lucky escape.
I was using a wire brush tool in my angle grinder.
The bristles must have got snagged, ripping the angle grinder out of my hands.

Within milli-seconds it shot off,
Under the front of the van,
down the leg of my trousers
and across the floor towards a mass of electrical cables.

I managed to grab the grinder before it hit the cables, but it had ripped a large 'V' out of the leg of my trousers.

Amazingly no contact at all with the skin on my leg.

I think I will put the wire brush away out of harms way.

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 21:06
by Plasticman
I do hope you were wearing a full face shie :ok ld.....

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 05 Aug 2020, 23:48
by Robsey
I was wearing protective goggle-like glasses and gloves to protect me from the fast moving particles.

And a thick jacket to avoid sparks etc going down my neck or up my sleeves.

And steel toe cap shoes...

After 34 years in various engineering environments, I should be hung drawn and quartered if I did not wear the correct PPE.

My trousers were proper thick fabric work jeans.
Like heavy cargo pants.
Anything less, and I would have been in A&E.

As a side thought - I was looking for some of your old threads for guidance on how and where to cut out and weld in new panels.

A few years ago when I first got roped into this project, I recall getting a lot of inspiration and became fully absorbed in your write ups.
Sadly fotobucket has ruined several brilliant reads that had been presented so well.

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 06 Aug 2020, 06:58
by Plasticman
Ta for that , now that we can upload easier ? I have 6  major rebuilds to post up i used to quite enjoy doing them even though they are very time consuming, there are still a number of threads semi intact on here.
Its good to think folk are being helped by seeing what I believe is the correct way to repair stuff, yes bodging has its place as a get you home temp repair , weve all done it but never to promote as a correct fix, :wink:

Goggles yes , but........... not teaching egg sucking, I dont use or trust goggles, I do have a face which I'm fond of... no seriously bits of shattered disc ,metal fragments, and wires at 100 mph + are not pleasant hence why i wear a full face visor, cheap and no restriction on viewing or steaming up when wearing a mask, 


oh and your doing a great job
mm

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 08 Aug 2020, 12:26
by Robsey
Thanks for your kind words.

I am a total novice when it comes to vehicle bodywork.
So always happy for feedback,
...even if it is to say that I am going astray.

As for egg sucking -
If you have a better way of sucking an egg, then I am more than happy for you to teach me.

Only an idiot does not listen to well grounded advice.

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 18 Aug 2020, 00:37
by Robsey
Okay... another Monday night passes, and so does another evening on the van.

First job, spot drill and un-pick the outer arch skin from the van.

Image

Next job was to cut away the lower section of the B pillar that sits behind the arch, as that was all crusty flakey pastry.

BEFORE...

Image

AFTER...

Image

And brush on phosphoric acid...

Image

I cleaned off all the remnants of unwanted skin, and then used an emery disk to clean up the surfaces ready for the acid treatment.

Last job of the night, was to strip out the spring and seat from the front leg assembly.

Image

Unfortunately, I will need a super strong breaker bar to undo the bolts from the wishbone.

As you can see, I sheared the head off one bolt last week, but the stud still refused to budge.
I will need to unbolt the wishbone from the outrigger, and then dismantle the leg in a bench vice.
Probably drilling out the bolt remnants.

I have a replacement arch, plus inner and outer step panels to go in...
All parts from schofields. :ok

I will need to remake the diagonal out-rigger, before I can then fit the floor. These parts are now obsolete.

First job will be to make up panels to close off the B post lower section.
All jobs for next Monday.

Re: Robsey's Rusty Wreck.

Posted: 18 Aug 2020, 06:16
by sarran1955
Hello,
Plasticman wrote: 06 Aug 2020, 06:58
Goggles yes , but........... not teaching egg sucking, I dont use or trust goggles, I do have a face which I'm fond of... no seriously bits of shattered disc ,metal fragments, and wires at 100 mph + are not pleasant hence why i wear a full face visor, cheap and no restriction on viewing or steaming up when wearing a mask, 

Absolutely,

My solution is to use an old welding helmet, with the polycarbonate protection plate off an electronic helmet as the screen.
A band of tape top and bottom stops dust and you can wear a 'chimp' face mask when sanding/grinding.

45 years welding in heavy industry taught me to be very careful of carbide cutting disks, 36 staples in the right shoulder to prove, when
a disk exploded...

Work safe, have fun..

Cordialement,

:ok