Manta! Progress pics.

[RobT_75]

Makes your heart sink doesn't it when the screwdriver just makes a crunching noise and goes straight through Best you found it sooner rather than later I suppose.

[volvosneverdie]

Holy hithertoo unseen pockets of decaying metal batman!!

[kds19]

thats an awesome manta man, proper old skool love it!

[2 Fast 4 U]

Looks like I underestimated the amount of rot by some margin. I got the screwdriver and went digging for peace of mind, but all I found was orangey-brown misery!

The well known spots for the Manta and Ascona

Chop it out!

The only way to go

[filthyjohn]

Hello again folks,
Luckily those pictures are from a week or two ago and the situation is better now

About 6 weeks ago I ordered a very nice welder, this Portamig 185:


But, it hasn't arrived yet and it'll be a while longer, they're custom built to order and they're behind schedule.

Luckily I've been cracking on with the little Clarkeweld 100E pigeon-shit-tronic mig,


and managed this little lot.

Above OSR spring:


Wheel arch and sill end:


Inside was worse than imagined


And the back part of the inner sill:


All in all I'm pretty pleased, I've been working on it nearly every day, a patch at a time, and my welding's getting better all the time. A year ago I'd have been to scared to do it myself, but far better to take the plunge.

Now I have to deal with the front end.

Bulkhead:


And above that:


Unfortunately the brake servo has to come out so I can do a proper job. Which is a real PITA, but hey ho, might as well crack on with it instead of sulking.

[volvosneverdie]

Jeesus dude, you HAVE been workin hard.
Looks like you've got a sh1tload of holes filled up with tidy metal.

You want to be carefull though, if you get a name as a welder, people might start bringing you things with many holes in.

[2 Fast 4 U]

Seeing what you have done the car is not so bad. Two years back I had to replace about one third of the passengers side bottom [LHD], here some pics:

This is what came out


New bottom welded in




Completed and primed


I don't know how it's called but on the outside under the door I had to renew that piece too


and a piece in front of the rear wheel


and this was the result


I thought it wasn't bad for an amateur, last march I had to do the other side as well or I couldn't get it to past APK [MOT] inspection

[volvosneverdie]

Am I seeing that right?
youve basicly renewed a whole sill (section beneath door) and half of the floor too?

Thats awesome.

A lot of work to save a 300, and theres not many people that would go to those lengths.

Well done indeed.

[Speedy88]

good stuff. I've got the same welder that you're using john, and yes it produces some messy welds. However, it does go down to 25 amps which makes the £100 almost worth it

[volvodspec]

well that's not a 300 on those pics ben

[volvosneverdie]

well that's not a 300 on those pics ben

well spotted dude.

Im tired ok.

[2 Fast 4 U]

Am I seeing that right?
youve basicly renewed a whole sill (section beneath door) and half of the floor too?
Thats awesome.
A lot of work to save a 300, and theres not many people that would go to those lengths.
Well done indeed.

It was a lot of work but it was the only way to get it to pas the APK [MOT] inspection, it's my daily drive
and if it was my 300 I'd do the same.

A lot of work to save a 300

well that's not a 300 on those pics ben

well spotted dude.
Im tired ok.

Good catch Anjo. No it's not, it's a Opel Ascona A but it has the same bottom as the Manta A

[foggyjames]

I have yet to point my metal glue machine at an actual car, but I'm very much looking forward to it. Great progress has been made even since I last saw it Just think about the awesomeness when it's done

cheers

James

[filthyjohn]

It arrived!

[volvosneverdie]

And the winner of the award for cleanest piece of equipment in the Unit iiiiiiiisssssssssssssss.................................
(drumroll)


Big Red Welder!