Since getting the bodytub back a few weeks ago, I've been working fairly hard to get it ready to go back over to the bodyshop for paint by the end of the month.
Paint stripping has been a bit laborious at times, making sure the old paint is out of every nook and cranny. This has mainly be done using Nitromoors to release the top layers, which can then be scraped off, just leaving the base coats, which were removed using a strip and clean disc on the angle grinder.
It was just as well that I decided to check every joint I could find on the body as it turned out that the majority of the welds along the bottom of the outer sills where not attached to anything else. This meant I could slip a scraper between the outer and inner sills, not good. I have now carefully seam welded the sills together.
Both sides of the windscreen frame needed repairs the the rear, the left hand side being easy, just needing a small patch at the bottom. However, the drivers side had rusted through the rain channel and the back of the pillar. Having removed the remains of the rain channel, I drilled and cut out part of the pillar as there was a lot of pitting by the angle.
Paint stripping has been a bit laborious at times, making sure the old paint is out of every nook and cranny. This has mainly be done using Nitromoors to release the top layers, which can then be scraped off, just leaving the base coats, which were removed using a strip and clean disc on the angle grinder.
It was just as well that I decided to check every joint I could find on the body as it turned out that the majority of the welds along the bottom of the outer sills where not attached to anything else. This meant I could slip a scraper between the outer and inner sills, not good. I have now carefully seam welded the sills together.
Both sides of the windscreen frame needed repairs the the rear, the left hand side being easy, just needing a small patch at the bottom. However, the drivers side had rusted through the rain channel and the back of the pillar. Having removed the remains of the rain channel, I drilled and cut out part of the pillar as there was a lot of pitting by the angle.
Up front, the remains of cover strip over the roof lip was carefully cut at each end and peeled off. There was not much holding it on, so it came off without any further cutting. The surface below is a bit pitted in places and had gone through it a couple of places, but that was soon remedied with a bit of weld and ground back again. I'd already bought a replacement for this lip, which was over length, not a problem, but also the wrong 'U' profile, so I had to carefully cut a couple of milimeters off the entire length to allow it to sit back over the lip correctly. I'll ask the bodyshop to seal and spot-weld this in place when it goes back for paint.
One of the last jobs I did before sending it off to the bodyshop was repairs to the heelboards, both sides needed repairs around the outer mounting points. Rather than trying to make small patches, I decided to replace larger sections, which gave me a chance to check and paint the condition of the panel beneath.
The stripped body is now is now at the bodyshop, along with the bonnet, for preparation and paint, I hope to be able to collect it in the next month or so. Once back home I can start thinking about the re-fit, though it may be delayed a bit as I want to paint the inside and the weather is not really suitable for that at the moment.
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