Yorkshire Van restoration
- A35revisited
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- Location: Huddersfield
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
Last welding job on the body, front bumper brackets. I didn't feel comfortable welding them to the flange, where I have seen done before, due to the condition of the parent metal so I made larger,
less attractive brackets which are securely welded to the inner wings and chassis extensions. Unfortunately, then I remembered that the flange connecting the bonet panel to the inner wing (flitch ?) had a crack. It coincided with a flattening of the curve of the wing profile, suggesting that it had suffered a blow from above. I cut out the offending bit, re-profiled the wing, dug out the welder again and welded new steel back in. Hopefully, I can now retire the welder and spend my time putting things back on.....Oh, except there's that last door bottom still to do dammit!
less attractive brackets which are securely welded to the inner wings and chassis extensions. Unfortunately, then I remembered that the flange connecting the bonet panel to the inner wing (flitch ?) had a crack. It coincided with a flattening of the curve of the wing profile, suggesting that it had suffered a blow from above. I cut out the offending bit, re-profiled the wing, dug out the welder again and welded new steel back in. Hopefully, I can now retire the welder and spend my time putting things back on.....Oh, except there's that last door bottom still to do dammit!
- A35revisited
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Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
The final welding job to be done was the driver's door. Maybe not as rotten as the other two,
it still wasn't straight forward. On removing the door card, the window runner was found to have rotted out. Removing the bottom screw on the other runner was proving impossible until I drilled a hole through the panel below it allowing me to get some serious heat and penetrating oil directly onto the captive nut from below. The door was holed in the usual places including all along the bottom. Remembering the difficulty I had making a decent butt weld on the other doors, I had hoped to find a joddler to allow me to do a lapped joint. Not finding one, I fabricated a "joddled edge" By tacking a strip under the panel. Having cut close to the swaged panel, the protrusion of the strip had to be minimal. There was a serious groove in the door panel which had been hidden by filler. I saw Ed China pull a dent out with a fancy device costing £££'s. I tried to replicate the procedure using half a dozen flat-head nails and a claw hammer.
Not perfect but it will need a lot less filler. A sad end to the job - the quarter-light catch was seized and after the best part of an hour gently heating it and spraying it with penetration oil, I was getting progressively more movement when it snapped.
Oh bother, I said.... or words to that effect.
it still wasn't straight forward. On removing the door card, the window runner was found to have rotted out. Removing the bottom screw on the other runner was proving impossible until I drilled a hole through the panel below it allowing me to get some serious heat and penetrating oil directly onto the captive nut from below. The door was holed in the usual places including all along the bottom. Remembering the difficulty I had making a decent butt weld on the other doors, I had hoped to find a joddler to allow me to do a lapped joint. Not finding one, I fabricated a "joddled edge" By tacking a strip under the panel. Having cut close to the swaged panel, the protrusion of the strip had to be minimal. There was a serious groove in the door panel which had been hidden by filler. I saw Ed China pull a dent out with a fancy device costing £££'s. I tried to replicate the procedure using half a dozen flat-head nails and a claw hammer.
Not perfect but it will need a lot less filler. A sad end to the job - the quarter-light catch was seized and after the best part of an hour gently heating it and spraying it with penetration oil, I was getting progressively more movement when it snapped.
Oh bother, I said.... or words to that effect.
- A35revisited
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- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
- Location: Huddersfield
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
The handbrake shield had totally rotted out. Looking at pictures of the proper replacement, it looked as if it screwed to the floor and, as I had little confidence that I had got the floor in at exactly the right height, I decided to fabricate one to suit.
Having spent half my career at the cutting edge of computer-aided engineering, yet never getting my hands dirty, I was inordinately pleased to have made this with my own hands. Please forgive the plug welds, I never got the hang of it, but the sills are secure, they will be out of sight and will be hidden with seam sealer.- A40FARINAGURU
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Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
don't forget to copyright the design Alan
Nick Bayliss
Club's A35 (Saloon) Registrar, South Midlands Area Contact
Email, a35@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk
Connected with A30/A35's for 63 years
A30/A35 Member A1372 (since 1981)
Club's A35 (Saloon) Registrar, South Midlands Area Contact
Email, a35@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk
Connected with A30/A35's for 63 years
A30/A35 Member A1372 (since 1981)
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Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
VERY IMPRESSED!!
Phil Harrison
El Presidente' 2013 - 2016 (Now Retired)
Membership Secretary - Retired
Archivist in the dim and distant past - Retired
Chair or 2009 / 2015 Nat Rally Comm
Sunny Rotherham!!
El Presidente' 2013 - 2016 (Now Retired)
Membership Secretary - Retired
Archivist in the dim and distant past - Retired
Chair or 2009 / 2015 Nat Rally Comm
Sunny Rotherham!!
- A35revisited
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- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
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Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
Today, I finished removing the paint from both side doors and priming them in preparation for filling and painting.
Next job was to attend to the damage to the panel next to the LH wing joint. When I got the van, the panel seemed OK but, after removing a load of filler, I found it had been beaten down so that the panel had a concave profile instead of the shallow "S" section. I had to hammer up the part right next to the joint to an approximation of the shape, then hammer down the area next to the bonnet opening to complete the profile. I wouldn't make a panel beater, but I should now only need a skim to hide my hammer marks.
Next job was to attend to the damage to the panel next to the LH wing joint. When I got the van, the panel seemed OK but, after removing a load of filler, I found it had been beaten down so that the panel had a concave profile instead of the shallow "S" section. I had to hammer up the part right next to the joint to an approximation of the shape, then hammer down the area next to the bonnet opening to complete the profile. I wouldn't make a panel beater, but I should now only need a skim to hide my hammer marks.
- A35revisited
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- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
- Location: Huddersfield
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
It was time to prepare to fit the doors and wings. The repairs were filled, sanded and primered. Using the holes I had drilled erlier, Hydrate 80 was run into the door cavity and the doors rotated to ensure even coverage of the flange seams.
I was not about to try removing my new panels so the only solution was to re-profile the bottom of the door. The door has been offered up to the opening and it now fits.
Then disaster! I would appear to have got the filler panel between the A post and the sill badly wrong. The LH door just would not fit. Eventually I realised that the curve of the door bottom was fouling on the filler panel. I tried th beat the curves so they no longer interfered, but to no avail.I was not about to try removing my new panels so the only solution was to re-profile the bottom of the door. The door has been offered up to the opening and it now fits.
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
Good work there, nice to see the progress you have made.
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
Looking really good, might have to nick your idea (sorry) for the handbrake cover, getting a bit fed up of the rear swimming pool in mine!
Neal Welch
Car still going strong with thousands of miles being added to the clock.
Click the pic or here to read Ovy's story.
Car still going strong with thousands of miles being added to the clock.
Click the pic or here to read Ovy's story.
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Re: Percy 512 FJO
Fit a central handbrake Neil and get rid of the problem.
- Neil Evans
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Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
Have ou checked it's not coming in through the door? The doors are supposed to have a sheet of waxed card inside... Water that runs down the glass is supposed to be deflected into the door bottom... Mostly they are missing...OVY871 wrote: getting a bit fed up of the rear swimming pool in mine!
Club Technical Information Officer
A30/A35 Club Member A191 (since 1972)
Father of the club's only love child
A30/A35 Club Member A191 (since 1972)
Father of the club's only love child
- A35revisited
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- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
- Location: Huddersfield
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
Feel free, you're welcome.OVY871 wrote:Looking really good, might have to nick your idea (sorry) for the handbrake cover, getting a bit fed up of the rear swimming pool in mine!
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
I quite like the handbrake next to the door if I'm honest Dave, makes it less confusing when I jump in the Jag too as unusually that has it there as well!
When I drove up the flooded motorway in France last month I found it was definitely coming in through the handbrake! Hopefully I won't come across weather like that again for a while, was rather scary for a few reasons.
When I drove up the flooded motorway in France last month I found it was definitely coming in through the handbrake! Hopefully I won't come across weather like that again for a while, was rather scary for a few reasons.
Neal Welch
Car still going strong with thousands of miles being added to the clock.
Click the pic or here to read Ovy's story.
Car still going strong with thousands of miles being added to the clock.
Click the pic or here to read Ovy's story.
- A35revisited
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- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
- Location: Huddersfield
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
I have now reached the "filling and rubbing down" phase. I soon became concerned that I could not achieve anything like a flat panel just using the orbital sander, so, using scraps found in the garage, I made a flexible sanding board. The flexible 5mm ply base has 100mm wide velcro attached using spray adhesive.
The second picture shows how far from flat the panel was even though it felt pretty good to the touch.
The sanding strip used was the Mirka Abranet 420mm long 120 grit. I fell on this by chance, assuming that I was buying sandpaper. It was a revelation. It is an open weave material which does not clog like sandpaper and seems to last much longer than sandpaper.
After a day using my new toy all day yesterday, I woke up this morning with my shoulder and neck on fire. Now where are the Paracetamols?
The second picture shows how far from flat the panel was even though it felt pretty good to the touch.
The sanding strip used was the Mirka Abranet 420mm long 120 grit. I fell on this by chance, assuming that I was buying sandpaper. It was a revelation. It is an open weave material which does not clog like sandpaper and seems to last much longer than sandpaper.
After a day using my new toy all day yesterday, I woke up this morning with my shoulder and neck on fire. Now where are the Paracetamols?
- A40FARINAGURU
- Posts: 16413
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:14 am
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- Location: Birmingham (Home of the Austin)
- x 21
Re: Yorkshire Van restoration
got the t shirt etcA35revisited wrote:The sanding strip used was the Mirka Abranet 420mm long 120 grit. I fell on this by chance, assuming that I was buying sandpaper. It was a revelation. It is an open weave material which does not clog like sandpaper and seems to last much longer than sandpaper.
Nick Bayliss
Club's A35 (Saloon) Registrar, South Midlands Area Contact
Email, a35@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk
Connected with A30/A35's for 63 years
A30/A35 Member A1372 (since 1981)
Club's A35 (Saloon) Registrar, South Midlands Area Contact
Email, a35@austina30a35ownersclub.co.uk
Connected with A30/A35's for 63 years
A30/A35 Member A1372 (since 1981)