924Board.org

[Rich H]

Huston, we have a big problem....

I know I wanted to learn to weld adn do bodywork, but I was hoping to do it gradually.....

My rust bubble behind the OS wheel turned out to be a totally bodged repair! Nothing but rusty lacey plate held together with tons of body solder and filler! The filler was over 3/4" thick! The plate was totally gone and it basically all fell apart when I put the wire brush to it.

Nothing for it - out with Hamish*....




the black is paint to stop it rusting before I get to have a go at fixing it.

The plan is to learn to weld (Tomorrow, on hols for 2 weeks after!) and stitch it all back together. I have a welding mask on order, but I dunno if it'll turn up in time...Or not.

The biggest problem (Aside from my complete lack of experience welding!) will be the inner wing as its curved and alkward to get to. I'm planning on cutting a plate to fit behind the outer skin and then plug welding through as it's supposed to be easier than any other sort of welding....

I'll then stitch the outer plates to that and a strip around the outside edge. Maybe. Inner wing, I haven't quite worked it out yet....

Plan B will be to find a '24 in a scrap yard and cut a chunk out of it, inner and outer wings as one.

If it all goes wrong I'll throw it to a bodyshop to fix...

Any top tips?

You know those jobs you wished you hadn't started...


(*All angle grinders are called Hamish)
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1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

[Smoothie]

Don't think I need to ask what it means in the olde country, but I used a "nibbler" on mine -
10 pics of the festivities starting here <click>

Then 21 more continue from here -

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"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."


'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

[Smoothie]

-and/or have a look here - http://www.924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=19177
That was my whole bodywork-repaint project that ran from spring-fall of 2006. The rear arch repair begins on page 2.
_________________
"..it's made in Germany. You know the Germans always make good stuff."


'82 924T, US version, dark green metallic, 5 speed Audi 016G gearbox

[Rich H]

Nice one, lots of reading to be done!

Looks like your panel had gone in the same places as mine.

Cheers!

Rich
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

[Rich H]

My welding is getting better!

First time I have welded on my own, I once did half a day where i was shown gas, mig, arc and tig but that was 10 years ago!

I started on CO2 then switched to Argoshield (and fixed the damn wire feed!), wow what a difference!

Also most of the argon welds were done with the plate vertically, just trying to make it more difficult, if I can learn the hard way then bodywork should be easy... BTW its 0.8mm plate too, like the bodywork, I'm feeling pretty proud of it all TBH!

Argoshield ----------------------------------------- CO2


Close up argon welds:


Penetration:


I didn't get to practice butt welds, the gas was up way too high and it ran out PDQ. Getting some more tonight I need to practice butt welds now
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

[PORSCHEV]

Here's my # tip in welding body metal. Have an air blower at hand. Weld no MORE then 1 cm / 1/4" at one time. Stop and cool with air. This will keep the warping at a minimum. Also move around your patch only welding small areas at once. If you try to make it "pretty" with one continuous weld you will warp the panel to crap.

To butt weld body metal I have found you have to start stop ...start stop... Continuously otherwise you'll burn threw.
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1976 924
5 lug conversion, 17'C2 wheels,custom body work,327 vette engine.

1978-#53 "D" track racer.

[Rich H]

Good idea on the air gun. I'm still practicing butt welds and I have seen how important good prep is, I've blown loads of holes in badly gapped plate! Not going near the car for a while....
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

[RC]

Excellent advice there from Porschev. Great idea with the air gun, will remember that.

Just tack weld things first and even if you are proficient a series of tacks (little blobs) next to each other is a safer way. If you have access behind use a piece of copper or brass against the panel, held with (welders) magnets. This makes it much harder to blow holes and absorbs a lot of the heat.

As was said, it doesnt have to look pretty. It will be ground down and filled over anyway. Even just tacked around will be much stronger than mesh or fibreglass. If you can get a dolly behind hammer the area flat both sides of the weld so you dont grind the sheet metal thinner, just the excess weld.

Youre getting better with practice Rich. Good job ahead.

Roger

[Rich H]

Bit of an update, no pics yet as my steam powered camera has run out of smoke

Big thanks to you all for the help!

The rear arch is repaired, all filled (After 4 attempts to get it properly flat) just needs another skim where its slightly out of line but nearly there. The welding wasn't pretty and it took 8 plates of various shapes to fill the holes, mostly due to my lack of skill and ability to cut plate about 1mm undersized all the time...

The welding was "effective" is probably the best description. The old car plate was a bit thin in places and blew through a couple of times, but has been dressed and fixed. All seam welded, not pretty but strong! Dressed it back and its now invisible.

Sadly, I decided to sort some of the other panels out so tis turned into a rattle can respary by degrees... both wings, both rear arches, both doors and the badge panel.... All because the side decals had to come off (PO had cut them with a knife through the paint..) to fix the rust so it all had to go. Side trim has come off too, I quite like it without them. Removing the trim was a PITA and also brought some paint with it... more work.. Nevermind

The paint finish is what you would expect for a rattle can job but it will be better than the rusty bubbles and primer!

Pics to follow.

A mock up of the planned finish (Thanks Tux!):


Jury is still out though.

Rich
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

[Rich H]

Started work on the first pass....






The repaired and filled arch before and after



The stripe will be red mostly because halfords had some coach stripe in red and it was cheap! Not sure if it will work but it'll peel off it I don't like it!

The black is satin but I'm going to lacquer over the lot so it'll polish up nice
I might go for a white number circle on the door to break up the black, but I'm not sure yet.

Comments?

Rich
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec

[tux]

It must have a number circle, its the law!


But pleeeease don't start searching eBay for side exit exhausts, ikt'll spoil it!
_________________
Pete
Merlin Guards Red 1985 N/A

[Rich H]

Side exits you say....

I weas thinking straight through actually or a turbo in place of the muffler... :shock:
_________________
1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Work in progress...
1980 Porsche 924 S2 DITC Turbo - Original spec
1978 Homo-Sapiens - Tired spec
1953 Landrover S1 - Pensioner Spec