1969 Viva HB Patina wagon. Now with matching retro caravan..

This is an area for discussion about Restoration issues.

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby yoeddynz » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:10 am

Well as I thought- today dawned nice and sunny after a bit of rain overnight. But rain was due. But so sunny it was I just had to go for a bike ride rather than work on the car. Halfway up Takaka hill it turned really bloody foul and I got soaked. Should have just worked on the car...

So I got an afternoons worth of work in. I welded up the top of the sill then ground it down flat. This is the most tedious bit to do. Grinding. It took almost two thirds of an entire pitch black album to get everything down neat enough to leave.

Next up was rebuilding the bottom of the A pillar but before finally welding it in place I fixed this little hole so any flakes/splatter etc would drop down the A pillar and I could clean it out.

Image

I used the Dremel. I got into using these on the rx3 and they are invaluable for small repairs. I use little reinforced 40mm cutoff wheels that actually last quite well given what they do. Cheaper to buy them on line from ebay rather than at M10 etc.

Image

Image

I use a piece of cardboard, rub it over the edges of the hole, cut out impression, trace onto steel and quick easy fill in patch for odd shaped holes.

Image

Image

Image

I also drilled a drain/access hole before final welding allowing clean up of burrs and swarf.

Image

Image

Image

Once the sill end/A pillar bottom was welded up I painted it with epoxy mastic. This area will get all sorts of *Bleep* thrown at it so will get penetrating wax sprayed in there too.

Image

I made a new wing bottom to replace the dodgy original. I wont weld it in till tomorrow once epoxy is dry.

Image

Image

Finally tonight I cut open the very rear section of sill where there was rust holes through the outer and it was pretty good in there. Evidence of wax or something sprayed in from above near where the rear seat sides would be. But for some small holes on the inner sill end its all solid good thick steel. Much relief. I treated it and will paint it tomorrow before making a new lid.

Image

I'll repair those holes from the other side later on when the car is up on the hoist.

Image

By then It was only about 4 degrees in the shed, the wood burner was going in the housetruck so the decision was easy. Back at this tomorrow. I will not be enticed out on the bike again..for a while..
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby yoeddynz » Sun Aug 09, 2015 11:08 am

Well Ive not spent as much time working on this as I was planning this weekend just gone. In fact I did nothing to it on Saturday. This morning I woke up to snow on the mountains around us. It never really warmed up and felt like what a proper cold winter day should be like.

Image

However I managed to get enough done today worthy of an update.

First off I finished the passenger side repairs. I had to put the car up on hoist so I could shift a Volvo under it. Was quite nice standing up to do these last outer skins. Since it was up in the air I repaired that hole on the inner sill which meant I was able to paint epoxy on the entire inside before welding a new skin in place.

I wont grind the last welds down because well, I just cant be bothered right now as its boring grinding. I might just paint them over in primer to go along with the rest of the fancy paint job the car currently wears.

Image

I know not what could possibly be under this lumpy looking skin but it feels crunchy. I think I will leave that till later...

Image

I put the car back on its feet and shuffled it over to attack the other side.

Image

Its not as bad on the inside floorpan. Just a couple of areas that need cutting out.

Image

However the outer sill...mmmmm. Yeah pretty shot although with the squeeze test it feels like the bottom might be ok. Will find out soon.

Image

Good news. I found some more money. This can help offset the purchase price of the car..

Image

So into it then. First off I cut out the rotten area around the drain. It would be easy to just weld in a square of steel and be done but I want the floors to drain as they should so I had to make a go at replicating what I cut out.

Hole sawed a hole into a piece of 1mm thick steel quite a bit bigger than needed and then using a bit of pipe and a piece of round solid about the right size I formed the step in the vice.

Image

Image

Turned out good and I was a happy chappy. I had to form one corner to suit the two channels and then cut the square to size.

Image

Welded it in and ground down the welds where the channels enter.

Image

I'll finish the floor and then cut open the sill. Oooooh I cant wait! ...its going to be like a really s--t Kinder surprise isn't it.
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby Kraken » Sun Aug 09, 2015 4:31 pm

yoeddynz wrote:Oooooh I cant wait! ...its going to be like a really s--t Kinder surprise isn't it.

:lol: :lol: :lol:


Looking good by the way!
What are the other cars in the workshop?
User avatar
Kraken
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 791
Joined: Thu Jul 10, 2014 11:01 pm
Location: Aberdeenshire

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby yoeddynz » Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:01 am

The Triumph 2000 Mk1 wagon is Hannahs car. Its her project and is pretty rusty but well worth saving. The red celica supra is a friends that was in for rust repairs. Hopefully it will get picked up soon and Hannah can move her triumph out to work on.

I made more progress on this today. No interruptions. Just me, music, coffee, welder, grinder.

First off. I spotted this little fella making a go at life in the side window seal. I like it there and will try to nurture it along.

Image

Back to rust. This looks a slight iffy..

Image

Yep.

Image

Im loving this perfectly shaped wing. I shall keep that as is. Someone has put a lot of effort into creating that.

Image

So I cut out the sill and this was inside...

Image

I have kept it all and can sell it on to someone who needs an original sill for a future build..

Image

Luckily the front end of the outer sill was solid so that stayed in place so keeping a nice datum point to weld to. Inside the sill it was all really pretty good. Just needed a wirebrush and some paint.

Again, much like the other side, it was foolish to attempt to use the very bottom of the inner sill so I chopped it off and welded in fresh steel. I also had to re-make two sections along the top of the sill structure that were just a bit too iffy to use.

Image

I then folded up two more sill sections to suit.

Image

Painted the inside and then welded them in place. I then chopped out the rear end rot areas.

Image

Much better condition at the very end on this side. Good :-) Just two patches but I ended up doing the larger one right back to the bottom edge because it took no longer and means the whole sill bottom along there is new. Pinted and welded up. Its now looking like a proper patch work quilt :-)

Image

I finished tonights effort by welding up the last section in the floor.

Image

There was an area that was a touch too thin.. I think there will be little hedgehogs sticking out out through the underside..

Image

Then I swept up and moved the car onto the hoist. Next area is the bottom of the a post/sill end which luckily is not too bad.

Image

Once that is done I can attack the rotten chassi rail/rails. So far it seems to be that only the drivers side is rotten but I will find out soon. I need to buy more sheet steel though and will get some good thick stuff for the rails while I am at it.

Image
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby rizzo » Tue Aug 11, 2015 5:48 pm

Nice work, watching you is keeping me motivated on mine at the moment, check your chassis around the lift pad (in pic) area as mine has gone on both sides, not that obvious until you start tapping. :) ive just about taken off all my underseal, haha i wish id left it,
HB 1159 1968 10K White
HB 4000 1968 Green
User avatar
rizzo
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 909
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:43 pm
Location: North Yorks

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby yoeddynz » Thu Aug 13, 2015 10:52 am

Cheers. Yeah mine has rotten around on the offside jack area and has some swelling on the nearside area too. Both bolts on offside gearbox mount broke off :( but its so gone there that the whole lot will get replaced. I do a photo update but had a visitor just as I was about to cut it away. Anyway- i need to get some thicker steel for these repairs so I'll head into the big smoke tomorrow and source some.

Yep- that underseal. Yay. Ive removed it all from both rails and that was tiring enough, It does scrape off nicely with a wood chisel but with car up on the hoist its tiring on the neck. Mustn't grumble... i could be laying on my back getting covered if I had no hoist..
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby rizzo » Thu Aug 13, 2015 5:56 pm

I did the gearbox mounts on mine, both sides, that was supposed to have been it but just kept going :D another area on mine which has taken a bit of corrosion is the rear chassis legs, looks reasonable untill cleaned up and wirebrushed.
Arr yes the good old wood chisel i have three in my collection, with the addition of the heat gun on the floors, yeh thats me lying on the floor covered in crud . :(

Bill
HB 1159 1968 10K White
HB 4000 1968 Green
User avatar
rizzo
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 909
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:43 pm
Location: North Yorks

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby yoeddynz » Fri Aug 14, 2015 9:01 am

I'm guessing both rails are rusty all the way along but to what level I don't know. From about the lowest point head in back it seems like only surface rust inside. I'll certainly be putting a huge quantity of cavity wax in there once done.!
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby yoeddynz » Fri Sep 18, 2015 9:19 am

Im back! Well I was always around but on one night a couple of weeks ago A cold sneaked up behind me, threw a sack over my head and dragged me off to a place where I did not want to do anything but sniff and feel yucky. This was just after having been busy fixing other peoples cars for that money thing. Basically put.. my roll had stopped rolling and this wagon stayed up on blocks.

But yesterday I got my rust mojo back and got stuck back in. The wagon has been sharing the workshop for the last few weeks with a cool old Volvo 145, a very bright Saab 95, Bimmer 320 plus Hannahs Trump Mk1 wag. I do like lifting the door to see intersting cars in there :-)

Image

Not too much to show because it was all slow repairs around the chassis rails and jacking points which I want to really make sure is nice and solid. I have now just earlier finished the worst of this area with not much to go. I used a combination of 1.6mm steel and a very handy piece of box section that happens to be the correct width and thickness. This has been saving my folder from trying to fold 1.6 too often- it being really only designed to fold up to 1.2mm. Luckily the rust has been along the bottom of the rails where the damp has sat thus leaving the uppers attached to the floor nice and strong.

I remade the gearbox mounting brackets and made them semi fixed with an extra bolt rather then the little tabs that Vauxhall had fitted, now rusted away.

Image

As I have been working my way along the rails I have sprayed the insides of the new steel with zinc rich paint. Later on it will get a heavy dosing of wax. So the last very interesting photo for this mega update is of the underside sort of almost rot free.

Image

I promise I will try to do better next time although I most likely will just take more photos of rust. I am very much looking forward to the mechanical/bodging/fiddling/tweeking updates when I get the car moving and stopping. I have been having many day dreams whilst chilling in the sun under the influence of man flu about what I could do with the engine/what I could swap it with. I still love the absurdity of a grand plan I dream about where I squeeze a BMW V12 with a manual box in place :-)
However I usually come back down from cloud nine and mull over more realistic propositions such as a sneaky carb fed turbo, perhaps a Datsun engine or maybe fit fuel injection from another 1200cc car (that last one more for the technical fun in doing so rather than any real benefits it most likely wouldn't really bring)

For now though it has to be rust removal.
yoeddynz
Brabham Viva
Brabham Viva
 
Posts: 707
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 2:47 pm
Location: South Island, New Zealand

Re: HB wagon with added rust. Woo hoo.

Postby pbottomley » Fri Sep 18, 2015 4:22 pm

perhaps a Datsun engine

Naa you don't want to do that, else you going to be wanting the FIA works engine not more than 20 yards from my house, alas its not for sale before you ask....
User avatar
pbottomley
 

PreviousNext

Return to Restoration

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests