I am "restoring" my 74 Midget. My aim is modest - a good looking driver which
will last. I do not care about perfect originality and will make "upgrades"
were beneficial but I do not want to change the character of the car. This is
not really a restoration but more a renovation.
I have started on the body work (because I had to replace a leaking fuel tank -
and want to finish all welding before fitting new tank). There was quite a lot
of rust in the back end of the trunk (boot) floor itself and the small side
sections and the rear valence. Mainly cosmetic rust other areas. I have
elected to treat all these areas by cutting out rust to clean metal,
fabricating a patch and MIG welding it in. Then using a little body filler to
cover the welds. I am also learning as I go and have removed and completeley
revised some of my first efforts.
Here's where I need some advice. I am very slow and anticipate several weeks to
months of this body work. I have temporarily painted over my patched areas
(bare metal) with Corroless (using a brush) to prevent rust while I do all the
other areas. Next I will apply the filler as needed and spray each area. Then I
will do the mechanicals, drive the car for a year or two for fun and decide how
far I want to go in terms of restoration / full respray / engine rebuild etc.
Do I need to remove the Corroless / all other paint to bare metal before
applying body filler (it will be just a little filler)? I want it to last 3 to
4 years until I strip it all for a full respray.
Is there a good product to paint onto my weld seams to seal them? I found it
very difficult to get a perfect air - tight weld along the rear edge of trunk
floor to rear valence area due to difficult access.
Is my approach reasonable? I know I am not doing a full restoration, but this
is my first project and I don't want to do a frame up just now - maybe later
when I have more confidence. Right now I am having fun and learning about my
car.
Any advice on above or more general advice regarding the approach to restoring a
car will be much appreciated. I will also gladly share my experiences in
learning to weld etc with any interested. Sorry for the long post.
Tom Wannenburg
74 MG Midget
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