ha Roma restoration

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ha Roma restoration

Postby midlands_nick » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:13 pm

I know a few of you are RR people so have no doubt seen the long drawn out thread on this (sorry) but figured I should put a few pics on here and a description of whats occuring....

got this off a member of the popular classics forum as he was clearing some land and it had been his dads till it was taken off the road in early 2000 (for bad rot.. I should have run then)
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didnt look too bad in the photos but he did tell me the underside had been bodged a few times to get it through MOT's as his dad had been quite fond of it. Anyways it arrived and i gave it a good clean to make it less of an eyesore for the neighbours

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now to say this van has rust is the understatement of the year and by all intents and purposes it should have been cubed a long long time ago but it hadnt and now it wont ;)

the rust...... (sit down if you got weak heart)
OS Floor
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NS Floor (yes there should be a rail there)
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NS scuttle area
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OS repaired with a screwed on copper plate
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OS chassis rail
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remains of NS showing rail within a rail within a rail (bodge over bodge over original)
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OS before I started poking about with the paintbrush duster
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front NSchassis rail. welded to crossmember to stop it sinking further I suspect
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OS one note how it ends just before bulkhead (appears again just before rear spring hanger)
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Panels salvaged with help of PB
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today I did the final stripping out of the van , took out all the side windows and front and rear screens and door glasses ready for the weldathon/grindathonn to commence (grinders+glass =NO)

devoid of glass
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screen appeture not too bad
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bit worse this side though
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bit nagged where the heater was (fell to bits and disintegrated on removal as did wiper mechanisms)
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ah well there you go.. as you can see I got my work cut out, especially as I want to go to billing in it...

all the best

Nick (and Bert the ROma) :D
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby pbottomley » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:30 pm

I have started to help nick as well, and it appears he has his work cut out indeed!!

My help so far has been information and the inevitable engine build is upcomming

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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby midlands_nick » Sat May 07, 2011 7:24 pm

today saw me start removing the front wings in an attempt to get a decent repair to the bulkhead area so I had something to fix my chassis rails to.. took a while to find all the comedy sized spotwelds someone had done to pin the wing on but eventually it came to its senses and ran from the van as fast as it could..

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the primer (black) says to me tis aftermarket, as does the fact the top corner appears in fantastic condition,

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im not proud and have to admit i have ordered a set of fibreglass ones from honeybourne mouldings so if this will help someone repair their one then feel free to drop me a PM, the arch section isnt brilliant and the lower corner has gone, although I can sort a small piece of original profile sill to be added to this if need be.

after axing (using a snap-on cutting strikethrough chisel) the patches off the inner wing area I was greeted with long buried original steel which to be honest had faired far better than i was expecting..

it had a couple of patches in this area

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the inner wing inside engine bay also has some n=mega patches going on..

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highlighted in red as the welds dont really show..

will get other one off tomorrow then get the knot wheel in the grinder and make a proper mess....

thanks for checking in.. :respekt:
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby viva2300 » Sat May 07, 2011 9:26 pm

Hi Nick...i am glued to this thread....lots of updates please....its going to be an amazing job!!
What with Ade and the Viva E Coupe he is doing...you two deserve a medal!!

Let me know how the F-Glass Wings from Honeybourne go on, whether they are a pain in the butt to get on or slide on nicely...as steel wings are now becoming non existant, it may be all we have left now.
Paul
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby midlands_nick » Sat May 07, 2011 10:22 pm

of course I will..

I am planning on trimming the top of my inners with soem 3mm /25mm angle once the wings are here so its a cheat for me as my inners will be made to the wings anyway...
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby pbottomley » Sun May 08, 2011 6:22 pm

As always Nick good to see progress, I have no doubt Bert is in good hands and will soon be zooming up and down that hill like your monkey bike.... :goodluck:
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby lambaj » Sun May 08, 2011 8:47 pm

Looks all horribly familiar - I applaude your determination, and I wish you all the best.
I'm working on UAS847 at the mo, and the wing you have could be very useful to me to repair the original wing. If your coming to Billing this year, could I ask you to bring it along ? I can then make a good wing from the two. My wing has no front end, but the arch and rear are solid.

I hope you manage to locate the panels you need to do this Roma, mechanics should not be a problem with Paul on your side.

Cheers
Tony (HA21)
"Ere look - thats one of them Mk2 Vauxhall Cortinas....!!"
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby midlands_nick » Sun May 08, 2011 10:38 pm

its yours mate ;) if for some reason I cant make Billing I will get it to Paul in the hope that one of the convoyers can get it in a vehicle
it is a touch frilly around the front panel area but nithing that cant be fixed.. and the top rail has some holes where they had put 10mm spot welds on it.. but its pretty good otherwise.. panel wise its going to be made up as i go along sadly.. it will never be a concourse car, but usable with an MOT will do me just fine
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby midlands_nick » Tue May 10, 2011 8:38 pm

took the Os wing off today and now the entire front of the van can be moved in any direction by the merest touch :? scary stuff.. but you know what they say.. in at the deep end lol.. in my case it does indeed look like it could be moved in a swimming motion.. only thing holding front end on it seems is about 8 inches of inner wing on either side which is attatched to very intermittent bulkhead/scuttle.. so tomorrow night the angle iron is going in across the door shuts and out to the front crossmember and I will try and rebuild the scuttle corners to get the tub a bit stronger... why me.... poor old Bert.. he looks worse an worse every time I touch him at the moment
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Re: ha Roma restoration

Postby midlands_nick » Tue May 10, 2011 9:57 pm

ok got over my shock... and went back and grabbed a few pics.. sorry for quality but it was dark and I couldnt get very far away as Bessie Brown had cuddled up to Bert to give him some shelter from the elements (shes a lovely old transit at heart lol)

the Os lower corner

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no floor behind that..

OS a post

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dont know if you can see it but around top hinge is mass of corrosion as is bottom

scuttle corner

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as bad as the NS one.. the whole frontof the van is flexing on these now :( so these are at top of list for rebuild before any other parts get touched... or else I fear I will come otu and find the van looking like that white one that was found under the trees by Ben ...
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