Club 80-90 Forums

I know, doubtless the passenger side one is fubar as well, as that’s the side that gets all the crud at the side of the road.

Need to get that mini fixed and sold to contribute to the funds. Was going to start on it last week but reckoned if I did it would fill up with snow before I finished! Needs a floor pan on the drivers side...

Back to it! Got the mini out of the garage, and more importantly got the mother-in-law out of the house and into residential care. Woohoo!

Started cleaning up the closure plate above the front of the sill so I can see the spot welds to drill out. (Drill tip is just pointing at a weld there). The base of the seat pillar (or whatever it’s called) looks rusty too, and the bleb that holds the fuel vapour tank is holed. (But my photo doesn’t show either...)





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This shows a bit more, and also how the closure is welded to the base of the b-pillar.



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I used an air chisel on a lot of my spot welds. Works really well but can 'rip' some of the steel that the rusty panel is attached to. Easily repaired though. I really hate drilling holes through steel. Had to do loads for the floor piece that you are currently working on

That’s a wee spot weld drill, I use it in a battery drill so it spins relatively slowly - my hope being that it doesn’t heat up too much. Not sure how durable it will be, but it does take a bit of time... don’t have any air tools (or a compressor more to the point!)

If you are doing a lot of bodywork as you no doubt are. Buy at least a 50l compressor and a die grinder with tungsten carbide bits. One of my best tool purchases and I do love to collect tools. Air chisel is also brilliant. Once you have the compressor, air tools are much cheaper than electric ones.

I saw a compressor in Lidl not that long ago, umm’d and ahhh’d about it... buying tools can be an expensive habit. SGS do pretty reasonable compressors too. Was also wondering about a blasting attachment too, and that I’d get good use from a joddler as time goes on. Wish you hadn’t said anything!

E D I T browsed the SGS site, but I think I’ll have to stick with my Lidl’s angle grinder and power file ( which is great for smoothing awkward welds with blue zirconium belts!), long breaker bars, and Woolies dremel knock-off. If it needs sand blasted I’ll either cut and replace or vactan.

Bit more...
Cleaned the long sill closure with the wire brush on a drill. Centre punches show the welds for drilling.

Rechargeable drill/driver for the spot weld drill.

Once drilled I’m sliding a wallpaper scraper (thin and flexible) or a sharpened bolster in to free the weld if there’s a bit stuck.

Removed. Set aside the closure so I can use it to make a new one. Next to clean up the floor and expose the spot welds securing the inner sill - going to do this from above as far as possible as I’ve only been able to lift the van a few inches in the confines of my garage.




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Good to see your progress, seems like you've got a fair challenge on there. Almost making me feel fortunate, in parts, so far anyway.

I think you're much better than me at identifying the spot welds

I'll keep an eye on your work, see what I can pick up.

Aye, 7 yrs younger, and looks much worse. No dilemmas about how far I go though! Is that something to be grateful for?

Cut the spot welds out along the inner sill, and removed the triangular closure at the front.
No pics, Tapatalk playing up...

https://flic.kr/p/23PopGd
This is the flange holding it to the remains of the B-pillar.
https://flic.kr/p/26vwMKb
And removed...
https://flic.kr/p/JryJso


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Try again

Woohoo





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Oosh! That's bad. Worse than mine was. You will need to rebuild the inside of the B pillar before putting in your new inner sill. I cut part of the front outright away to give better access. Weld it up again after doing inner sill.

Oooh, that's quite depressing, and it isn't even my van.

I think you need the sill off to see properly properly what it's like. I had figured also out that I will need to remove part of the outrigger to fit the inner sill. Question is, is there enough good metal there to be bothered welding the same piece back on, so an argument for fitting a new one ?. It all depends on your skills & budget I suppose.

Warm thoughts wafting northwards for you