That inner sill looks pretty solid, just been looking closely at the Mk1 tonight for the first time in months. It's had new sills welded on but it's a rough job, looks like they've gone over rather than cut off all the old stuff, messes up the lines in the arch and side panel, you've done the right thing cutting it away. It's a real disaster zone under the Mk1 rust wise in lots of places so a lot of work to do. I think maybe I'll have to get a spit to do the welding properly, or at least get the car on it's side. You're right about the under seal hiding the rust, it's really dry and crusty.
Good to meet you all yesterday, nice to put faces to names!

Yeah, both the inner sills are rock solid. Save the three little holes in the middle one (outer in the pics obv). That will repair no probs, and at least I know she's solid there after this! The O/S is mostly the same. The outer sill is in better condition on that, and iirc there are only two holes in the bottom of the inner skin.

Sounds like you need to remove the sills from your mk1 then! Oversills are always bad news imo. It seems feasible to drill out the spots and recover the panel so it can be reused.

Good to meet you too mate. I like the sound of your plans. Get that thread updated - and Tranny washed!

I was thinking I could re use the sills as they're solid, better than what they're welded to which is mostly now rust I'm going to be using a lot of that scrap 360 for body parts, it's going to be more Mk2 360 that Mk1 343. In fact it would be easier to take off the Mk1 inner front panel and weld it to a good later car than what I'm doing......now theres and idea I'll get the thread updated soon with some scary rust photos.

Good job I left the truck muddy, I went through a speed trap on the way home. 50mph limit on a dual carriage way narrowing down to single but with roadworks, no idea what I should have been doing (is it 50 for 3.5 tonne or 40? might have been doing just over 50ish) or if there was a slower limit for roadworks, anyway number plate was slightly muddy so hoping he couldn't read it!

<OT> (Sorry Liam)

Hell Driver wrote:50mph limit on a dual carriage way narrowing down to single but with roadworks, no idea what I should have been doing (is it 50 for 3.5 tonne or 40? might have been doing just over 50ish) or if there was a slower limit for roadworks, anyway number plate was slightly muddy so hoping he couldn't read it!

No idea and have a licence. Tsk, tsk. Ever read the Highway Code? blah

A dual carriageway has a central reservation of some physical sort in the middle (grass, gravel, barrier, NOT just paint), even if it's a one lane job (or 2, 3 or 4).


So lets say it's a 2 lane each way dual carriageway and they are cutting the hedge and have lane 2 in both directions coned off. It's still a dual and it's still 70mph / 60mph for a van over 2 tonne / a 50mph for a real lorry. Stick in the 50mph temp speed limit and it's 50mph for the 3 groups of vehicles mentioned before. If it's a two lane dual carriageway that's running a contraflow on one side, it's still a dual carriageway and dual carriageway limits apply, unless a lower limit is in force.

As you knock around in a 3.5 tonner HD, it's 70mph for a motorway / 60 mph for a dual / 50 mph for a single unless a lower limit is in force.

Also, on the rare and unusual crappy single carriageway MOTORWAY, such as the A601(M) and the former A6144(M) motorway speed limits apply(-ied).
</OT>

Thread hijack continues...
It was a dual but with a standard (non roadworks) 50 limit so I was only over by 1 or 2mph as long as 50 means 50 for 3.5 tonne. Unfamiliar road, twilight, roadworks signs, some codger overtaking me and then slowing down in front of me due to suddenly seeing the police car all contributed to the confusion over the exact limit as well as then remembering which vehicle I was in and how heavy it is Good job I was just dawdling along then!
Thread hijack ends.......... (any further discussion and we'll have to resume the thread from a while ago)


Back on subject Liam, when using the spit do you find that you usually have the car just tilted to one side or the other or do you find that you work on it fully upside down/intermediate positions etc. Just asking cos I was wondering if just tipping the car could be almost as useful if a lot more time consuming and dangerous?

Hell Driver wrote: lol @ the random posts above.



Back on subject Liam, when using the spit do you find that you usually have the car just tilted to one side or the other or do you find that you work on it fully upside down/intermediate positions etc. Just asking cos I was wondering if just tipping the car could be almost as useful if a lot more time consuming and dangerous?

I have had it on both sides at varying angles Andy, It doesn't go fully upside down - never seen the need for that. The shell can rest on the roof gutter either side, but travel no further.

As for tipping a car on its side onto tyres or something, that's a risky move imo. Very easy to damage the quarter panel.

If you get a spit you will reap the benefits immediately mate!



Whipped the O/S sill off tonight;



Nice to see the usual rust between panels :/

Cream crackered, The lower edge of this side was very thin and showing signs of the big C in many places that weren't apparent after a good go over with a knot wheel...



My twenty year old 4" Bosch angle grinder died tonight.

My dad is taking it into work to see if there's anything that can be done. Fingers crossed there is. It's been a fantastic little grinder.

Looking at it now, it's mad to think I never intended to replace the sills initially. I assumed they were OK except for a few holes, wrong! Most cars of this age should have them replaced as a matter of course imo.



BTW, check this non-Volvo project out for an example of the very best way to do this kind of thing - if you have the skills! He de-panels the dash, chassis legs, allsorts!

RIP Grinder.

Why do they always die so middle aged/old.

Top work as ever man.

Cheers dude. I will be having a weldathon soon. Just getting the de-paneling out of the way first.

Should see it coming together then.

Good work! TBH I don't think it looks that bad, it's still relatively all there and just needs some persuasion to not be so rusty

Speedy88 wrote:Good work! TBH I don't think it looks that bad, it's still relatively all there and just needs some persuasion to not be so rusty

Thanks mate. I can't seem to settle for visible patching etc, I wish I could. I want the old car, but it not to 'be' old. LOL.

As you say, it aint horrendous, but I want the car to be perfect - or as near as I am capable of making it. Always wanted a rebuilt old car. Just something I need to get out of my system I think. (Before I get a C110 or TA22 that is.)

Good work coming along there.

L14MNP wrote:My twenty year old 4" Bosch angle grinder died tonight.
My dad is taking it into work to see if there's anything that can be done. Fingers crossed there is. It's been a fantastic little grinder.

Nothing a set of brushes probably wouldn't sort out.

macplaxton wrote:Good work coming along there.

L14MNP wrote:My twenty year old 4" Bosch angle grinder died tonight.
My dad is taking it into work to see if there's anything that can be done. Fingers crossed there is. It's been a fantastic little grinder.

Nothing a set of brushes probably wouldn't sort out.

Cheers Mac. The grinder made a little pop from the front. Something's terminal I think! Was just thinking that it will need rebrushing soon.
What happens when brushes go? Never had it happen.

Bloody good work dude. Glad to see it's coming along well. My battery tray is in dire need of doing, is crusty to say the least!

Blimey, that Nova thread is epic. Just read the whole thing. What he's done is the fully 'correct' way to do it if you want it to last forever...but jeez, what commitment!

I've been cutting out as little of the sill cover as I can on the 345, which needs repaired to the castle section. I tend to come at it from the point of view of removing as little original metal as I can (whilst still getting back safely to solid steel), unless there's a natural line further up which will hide a slightly imperfect joint more easily. In other words, I'm avoiding cutting the sill covers off completely...just removing as much as is necessary to repair what's lurking underneath. Frustrating, as the covers are both A1, but there's not way to repair the castle section without cutting them off.

cheers

James

Thanks Jon. Get it done mate! Last time I looked inner wing repair panels (wheel house) weren't readily available!

Yeah James, the dedication and skill the guy is employing on his Nova build is staggering! Shame he has used fuckin Waxoil after all that!

As for the sills, I think it's easier, and should be neater to remove the lot, as it will be puddle welded back into place along the front, top and bottom. The only area where it would be obvious is where it joins the quarter, but seeing as this is a flat panel, I reckon that taking it nice and slow with the welder and then a skim of filler should have it all looking pretty decent. Well I hope!

Gotta hate that castle section for rotting out! Who's was it where all of that had disintegrated? I remember seeing disheartening pictures.