James Carpenter wrote:
> Here's a question for all of you who have done a complete overhaull.
>
I have almost finished doing just this...18 months from start to almost finish
(at approx 6 hrs a week)
> How much work is there in stripping most of the tub to bear metal.
depending on how much new (hence only in primer) metal you weld in...I replaced
both inner and outer rear wheel arches which saved a bit, but it still took a
couple of months...
That was with a wirebrush on an angle grinder...
I think if I was doing it again I would arrange to get it bead blasted, much
quicker and less painful
>
>
> Replaceing the sills if nessecery at least taking them apart and re-welding.
>
12 hours if is just the sills, maybe a lot more if you add in patching the bits
behind the sills
> Reparing the firewall and arround where the MC's are.
>
Depends upon how much repairing is needed...I replaced the front of the drivers
footwell, which too some time as I had to fabricate the repair sections myself
as I couldn't buy them.
> Patching parts of the boot floor,
One bit that I didn't need to do...
> along with seatbelt mounts.
>
1 hour Approx..
> Checking the rear wheel arches.
>
1/2 hour to check 24 hours to replace each if you want a good fit....
> Replaceing the floor pans.
>
12 hours per half floor (cutting and welding)
> Repairing a flex in the 'A' posts.
>
Thats probably a result of rot in a line around the A -post about 2 inches up
from where the post meets the sill... Its a case of cut out old and welding a
new plate...4 hours a side. Also a sign of rotted sills...
> Taking the bonnet apart and patching rusted bits and reparing the wheel
> arches. But having to split all the pannels to get all the rust.
>
not done this...
> Taking the underseal off and cleaning the underneath off.
>
If you have replace all the above... there won't be much left...
> Reparing the boot lid!
>
Tricky fix...more home made repair sections...
6 hours + filling time
> Generaly loosing 5 gallons of filler from the bodywork!
>
Buy a good respirator...
> Is it worth splitting the body and frame at the same time given the slight
> surface rust on the upper shock mount beam.
>
I replaced the sills floors and wings while still on the chassis then removed
the tub to allow good access to the gremlins hiding in the frame and under the
tub...Luckily I found very few...
But it does give a great opportunity to rebuild the rear suspension and put
loads of smoothrite and underseal on...
> Reenforceing the trailing arm mount points.
>
You'll probably end up doing these when you do the floor, mine were so
knackered that I got a new for of rear wheel steering when I went over bumps..
> Generaly I have to take a lot of joints apart clean up the rust starting in
> the joint and reweld.
>
This may not be that easy, drilling out the spot welds (even with a cutter) can
make a nasty mess of a flange... And heh, if the jounts are rusty you can
probably bet that the panel is shot too... Mind you if the rust is very
superficial try dribbling one of the phosphoric acid based anti-rust
treatments into the joint... might work..
> Should I tackel this myself or entrust the able hand of my local garage.
>
Have you done welding etc before...I hadn't before I started, but it wasn't too
much trouble to learn...
I think the main problem about using a garage is the cost which would probably
well out strip the finished value of the car...
ie if you tot up the hours and multiply them by the 20pounds/hour going rate it
is a lot of dosh...
If you do do this, give them the whole car...
as the chassis is the bet jig to keep the body straight
> i.e. I strip the car trailer the tub up to the garage and get them to give
> it a going over and respray.
>
> Or should I buy a MIG and have a go! It'll be £200 for a desant second hand
> MIG then I have to learn!
>
Thats what I did... took a little while but it should be worth it. but it is a
major hobby for 18 months
> Then there is the cost of the professional respray.
I think my skills are going to stop here and I am going to let a local firm
take reponsbility, I have however done all the filling and resprayed the
interior in smoothrite (to kill any chance of it rerusting
> Basicly if I put all
> that workin I wan't my car to look first class!
>
Another option may be to get a californian tub from TRGB (I went to have a look
at then when I was getting some parts)... They're a good alternative which I
may have used if I knew how much work the tub I had, needed. However I now know
the car better, and can garuntee that there is no rust!!
> How much of an overdraft am I staring at, should I get one of thoes Platinum
> credit cars I get offers for!
>
do-it-yourself... <1200 pounds including buying the Mig and tools, but not the
respray
> OH the chassis is strong! Just needs a few areas stripping and repainting!
> Or should I buy a Spitfire with a good tub
V. rare in England these days
> which dosent need all this work
Good luck and
Cheers
Tim
--
Tim Dafforn
Structural Medicine
Department of Haematology
CIMR
University of Cambridge
Wellcome-MRC Building (Level6)
Hills Road
Cambridge
CB2 2XY
Tel. (01223) 336829
Fax. (01223) 336827
http://cerberus.haem.cam.ac.uk/
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