Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rivet_101]

Sorry, have to blow my own trumpet! I have just finished a very tricky repair that I am proud of. You know how it is, nobody is interested (nobody in our ordinary lives), and once told and they see the outcome they don't grasp how far you have come to get here.

Well, I hope you will forgive me showing you enthusiasts. In short, the inside of my cab was not much better than the outside and all the nuts bolts had rusted up solid. I needed to fit new captive nuts inside a fully concealed channel along the bottom of the split-screen on my Austin 101.

I also needed to reinforce the external skin which had rusted away from the structural members all along the guttering around the radiator panel.

So, this is what I did

http://tinworm.blogspot.com/

[PAUL BEAUMONT]

No one seems to have replied on this! I fully appreciate the work that you have undertaken, having, over the years, done a lot of similar jobs, but often on modern tinware like metros and out of necessity.
That said it never ceases to amaze me what can be achieved with a little imagination and a good Cornflakes packet template and minimal tools.
Nice job well done!

[Uncle Joe]

I've only just seen this post, so apologies for that.

Rivet, you've done a nice job there. Especially true because I believe that this is you first major restoration, is it not?

Others should take heed of what is possible if the will is there!

UJ

[Rivet_101]

not just my first MAJOR restoration, Uncle Joe, but my first EVER restoration and indeed my first ever metalwork. So I really appreciate the encouragement, Unc and Paul. Cheers.

[Rivet_101]

http://tinworm.blogspot.com/2007/07/captive-nuts-under-windscreen-complete.html

for anyone who hasn't seen it the address changes with each addition to the blog. This is the specific bit

[Rick]

sorry I missed this when you first posted - amazing stuff!! what are the key lessons you've learnt with regard to replicating panels in metal?

Rick
_________________
Rick - Admin
Home:https://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk
Videos:https://www.youtube.com/user/oldclassiccarRJ/videos
OCC & classic car merchandise (Austin, Ford ++):
https://www.redbubble.com/people/OldClassicCar/shop

[Rivet_101]

wow, dunno, need to think about that one, Rick!

[Uncle Joe]

Rivet, theres a saying over here, that roughly translated goes ''if you dare to start, you are halfway there.''

I think that this is what you have been finding out with your resto! For me, it makes a refreshing change to see somebody say ''I can'' rather than ''I cant.''

The only thing is, if you do another job like this, what you are going to say to yourself is ''why did I do the 101 that way and not this!''

Hope I can see the finished job sometime!

UJ

[Rivet_101]

oh,oh.....that sounds ominous, Joe.....is there an easier way I could have done this?

Saying that, I don't think I'll take on another job this big in future. I had no idea how big it was. Not only was the van in a terrible state, but I hadn't realised how little I knew about anything.

Every job takes for ever...because it is all new.

Today I sourced some wheel bearings. You have to do a search for every little thing! sigh.

Incidentally, Joe, over here where?

[Uncle Joe]

Not ominous at all. Its just that next time, you will have more experience and will naturally find other ways to do things.

Over here is Sweden.....

UJ

[Rivet_101]

I had no idea you were in Sweden, Uncle Joe. Are you Swedish?

[Rivet_101]

by the way, does everyone else keep getting error messages when they post?

[Uncle Joe]

Theres a topic about the debug in the off topic section.

No Rivet, I'm a Lancastrian....

UJ

[Rivet_101]

yeah, sorry Uncle, I went and re-read your biog in the "introduce yourself" thread.

[buzzy bee]

Hi

You say you find everything takes ages, but as you are doing it all this time, your next project, will be a lot easier, as you will have some experience! You have got to have another project!

Cheers

Dave