Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

What is probably the biggest challenge so far has been unexpectedly thrown up. I have spent many hours trying to remove rust and dents from the rear wings but on offering up to the wheel arch they do not fit. Not even close. I guess this is what happens sometimes when you try to match an old wing to a new body.


This is what it should look like (Not my car!)

I need to get the wing to fit the outside edge of the wheel arch but it looks to me like the opening is either too large or the wrong shape...or both!

I have tried re forming the inner edge of the wing which needs to bend down to clear the inside of the wheel arch but the curve means there is a limit to what can be done without cutting.

I will continue working the panel but I do hope the other side is not as bad this.!

[ukdave2002]

Hi Ray

Clearly you need to make the wing fit the aperture, have you simply offered it up , or bolted it to the car, sometimes fixing with all the fixtures can enable you to pull things into shape.

Other wise its a case of finding where it fits best and planish the rest of the wing to stretch the metal to fit, use a dolly that is a close match to the curvature and a polished hammer so that you minimise any marking of the metal.

Dave

[Ray White]

Hi Dave. Thanks for your advice. I have only clamped it in place for now but I think I will need to get the wing pretty much reshaped before fixing. Once I have a decent enough fit I can drill holes through the wheel arch and attach to the Ash frame with wood screws.

I think the opening is bigger than on the original body as the swage (a ridge in the middle of the wing ) should go UP TO the vertical section at the back of the body... but if I align the front edge of the wing with where the running board should go, the ridge disappears into the wheel arch.!

(Is that explaining it well enough?)

I have a selection of hammers and dollys but the metal can only stretch so far before the correct profile is distorted. As it happens , the profile of the rear wings evolved over time which just adds to the complication.

New wings are available but are very expensive and if the problem is with the body then I would have the same issue. I have offered up a spare set of (rusty) wings but the problem is the same so I might as well persevere with what I have. At least they are not rotted through!

If I can't take up the difference (about 1" ) I am stuffed.

[ukdave2002]

Ray

One of the things we were taught when panel forming was to mark with a sharpie a 1" grid on the panel, it makes it easier to workout what to shape where. You are probably going to have to stretch the entire length of the wing to keep the shape.

I was also thinking that you may be able to adapt a wheel arch stretcher.



Its really intended for the lip on the arch either to repair or stretch to fit larger tyres, but possibly could be used to sort your problem out. I have one that you are welcome to borrow.

Dave

[Ray White]

Good morning Dave. That is definitely something I would never have thought of!!

I wonder how it could be made to work with a Rudge Whitworth hub?

I do appreciate your taking the trouble to help me.

I had a similar idea. With the wing temporarily fixed where I want it to be I wedged a length of timber with a curved end against the wing and the other end on the floor and by whacking the edge of it with a mallet I am gradually re forming the profile to match the wheel arch. It only needs to go to a gap that can be disguised by the wing piping.

I think it will take a while but I am slowly getting there.

[Ray White]

It has been too cold with the garage door open to spend much time outside and I prefer daylight to work on the bodywork. I did, however, have a bit of luck. More out of desperation than anything, I was able to get my fingers under the back edge of the wing in the aperture and pull the metal down enough to allow the front edge to go up a bit. The back edge is a bit wavy but I have now ended up with a much closer fit to the wheel arch edge ... close enough to allow piping to hide any localised gaps.
I offered up the piping (nice deep red colour) and it hides a multitude of sins. This is good news. I can now see a way forward and will be tackling the other side when it's not quite so cold.

In another development I have made a list of the extra wiring colours that I need to order to get the dashboard switches etc. connected to the multi block that I have now received. I think I will leave the ammeter directly connected as it's a heavier wire.

[Miken]

Ray,
On our electric fan kits, You said in another post that you fitted the sender to the top hose, as per instructions.
The instructions show the shiny sender wire just pinched up between the rubber hose and metal stub of the radiator with a jubilee clip.
Is that sufficient?
It seems like a built in leak to me.
Or have you come up with a better method?
Also,
Did you fit a fuse in the wiring? And what size fuse?
Thanks
Mike

[Ray White]

[Miken]

Oh, I thought the supply would be permanently connected to the battery so that if the engine is hot and you turn it off , the fan keeps running.
Is that wrong?
My neighbour used to come home every day in her modern mini with the fan running, switch off, get out, go indoors and it was still going for a while.

[MVPeters]

Miken
I'd use an ignition-switched source. The MINI system is a bit flaky & unreliable - if the relay sticks. the high-speed fan runs for ever. It's only normally used with the A/C, so I suspect her low-speed resistor is broken, a very common MINI problem.
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Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

[Ray White]

If you switch off the ignition and the fan keeps running it will not cool the engine - only the water in the radiator - because the water pump is not circulating it. All you are doing is draining the battery.

[Miken]

[Penman]

Hi

[alastairq]

I have two of those sitting on a bookcase, for a just-in-case.....One a VAG, t'other a Mercedes unit..very small, and a heck of a lot cheaper than the Amazon one linked to, off ebay...
I think I mentioned their use somewhere further up, to keep the coolant circulating once the engine was turned off?

In the old days, after a high revs run [motorway....At 70 mph my Dellow is screaming along at close to 5000 rpms...cannot tell exactly as at that point I usually have blurred vision!].....A tinkin' driver [tinking driver is one who demonstrates mechanical sympathy...an untinking driver is one of the other 95% one passes on the roads]....When intending to stop the frantic mechanical behavior, sits there holding in the need for a wee for a few minutes, allowing the engine to idle [run-down] so that the cooling system remains circulating, and the fan starts to genuinely cool the radiator....before turning the engine off to allow the uncrossing of legs. Also allows the oil to circulate, especially though a turbocharger, rather than depriving it of its lubrication whist still spinning down, and at its hottest?
Seems the manufacturers were compelled to do all that for us?
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Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

[Ray White]