Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[XL391]

So much for a week to the next update!

Sadly the boss has had me working on our new abode leaving very little time to sort this little beauty out. I have done a bit when I could snatch time from the jaws of household DIY.

We are now onto the top area of the LH inner wing and scuttle area. First piece to come off was the wing strengthening section. Sadly it’s rotten. Although you can’t see it here it will be a swine to make, a very complex pressing.



With wisps of smoke exiting my ears due to an overheated brain I decided to leave the fabrication of the strengthener for a bit and move on. The poor design of the inner wing and scuttle drain had built in a remarkably good water trap that had rotted out not only the scuttle but the strengthener and the inner wing itself.



After marking up where the rot ended and the decent metal started, a repair section was fabricated and the rot was evicted from the wing.





After that it was stiched in, cleaned up and etch primed.



I was still on a break from the strengthener (still am) so therefore it was onto the scuttle area. As you can see, it looks like Ze Germans have had a bloody good go at it. Not much left of it for reference sadly. So, the angle grinder was deployed and I opened up the right hand wing to see if that side was any better.





Thankfully it was, although not much. All this will eventually come out as a bit of pokey pokey finger fun revealed just what state it was in,but for now I could copy the shapes and flip them for the left hand side.



After this it was time to dig out all the rot from the scuttle. I was digging for a while...



The top of the A post was rotten and also there was rot in the A pillar which had to go.



So, after bracing the little blighter and taking some brave pills I made a repair section and began chopping.





Once out I slotted the repair section in and adjusted the fit, all good!



The new scuttle piece is now a flat piece of metal curved down towards the extremities. Water will hopefully collect at the edges where I will be drilling drain holes so the water will drain out into the Wheelarch as opposed to into the strengthener box section. In theory of course. It’ll all probably end up in the glovebox or on my shoes. I believe Triumph modified the design a few months after my car was built.

The new sections have been dry fitted ready for welding together. I’m pleased I’m at this point now. I’d been avoiding tackling the A post/pillar rot like you avoid picking the rubbish kid for your footy team.







Hopefully another update soon. Until then, it’s back to painting bloody fences...


_________________
Regards,

Will

1972 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 Series 1
1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mk1
1968 Triumph 1300