Yorkshire Van restoration

Restoration projects and Austin related chat in here please
User avatar
A35revisited
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
Location: Huddersfield

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A35revisited »

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.
Bumper bracket front - Copy.JPG
Bumper bracket front - Copy.JPG (29.88 KiB) Viewed 440 times
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.
Wing joint repair 1 - Copy.JPG
Wing joint repair 1 - Copy.JPG (31.75 KiB) Viewed 440 times
I cut out the offending bit, re-profiled the wing, dug out the welder again and welded new steel back in.
Wing joint repair 2 - Copy.JPG
Wing joint repair 2 - Copy.JPG (30.26 KiB) Viewed 440 times
Wing joint repair 3 - Copy.JPG
Wing joint repair 3 - Copy.JPG (34.63 KiB) Viewed 440 times
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!
User avatar
A35revisited
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
Location: Huddersfield

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A35revisited »

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.
Drivers door 01 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 01 - Copy.JPG (34.02 KiB) Viewed 411 times
On removing the door card, the window runner was found to have rotted out.
Drivers door 02 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 02 - Copy.JPG (41.75 KiB) Viewed 411 times
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.
Drivers door 03 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 03 - Copy.JPG (43.12 KiB) Viewed 411 times
Drivers door 04 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 04 - Copy.JPG (34.82 KiB) Viewed 411 times
Drivers door 05 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 05 - Copy.JPG (42.81 KiB) Viewed 411 times
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.
Drivers door 06 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 06 - Copy.JPG (40.03 KiB) Viewed 411 times
Having cut close to the swaged panel, the protrusion of the strip had to be minimal.
Drivers door 07 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 07 - Copy.JPG (42.63 KiB) Viewed 411 times
Drivers door 08 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 08 - Copy.JPG (38.53 KiB) Viewed 411 times
Drivers door 09 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 09 - Copy.JPG (40.25 KiB) Viewed 411 times
Drivers door 10 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 10 - Copy.JPG (31.8 KiB) Viewed 411 times
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.
Drivers door 11 - Copy.JPG
Drivers door 11 - Copy.JPG (39.22 KiB) Viewed 411 times
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.
Broken quarter light catch - Copy.JPG
Broken quarter light catch - Copy.JPG (27.09 KiB) Viewed 411 times
User avatar
A35revisited
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
Location: Huddersfield

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A35revisited »

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.
Handbrake shield 1 - Copy.JPG
Handbrake shield 1 - Copy.JPG (28.48 KiB) Viewed 376 times
Handbrake shield 2 - Copy.JPG
Handbrake shield 2 - Copy.JPG (28.24 KiB) Viewed 376 times
Handbrake shield 3 - Copy.JPG
Handbrake shield 3 - Copy.JPG (27.9 KiB) Viewed 376 times
Handbrake shield 4 - Copy.JPG
Handbrake shield 4 - Copy.JPG (28.86 KiB) Viewed 376 times
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.
User avatar
A40FARINAGURU
Posts: 16413
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:14 am
Committee Role: A35 Registrar
Location: Birmingham (Home of the Austin)
x 21

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A40FARINAGURU »

don't forget to copyright the design Alan :thumbs:
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)
pick up phil
Posts: 1035
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:59 pm
Location: Rotherham, South Yorks
x 3

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by pick up phil »

VERY IMPRESSED!! :bow:
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!!
User avatar
A35revisited
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
Location: Huddersfield

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A35revisited »

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.
P1040119.JPG
P1040119.JPG (28.52 KiB) Viewed 375 times
User avatar
A35revisited
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
Location: Huddersfield

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A35revisited »

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.
The dent shown being pulled out earlier is filled and rubbed down.
The dent shown being pulled out earlier is filled and rubbed down.
Door rh dent repair - Copy.JPG (38.25 KiB) Viewed 338 times
Using a funnel and the holes drilled earlier, Hydrate 80 is introduced into the door cavity.<br />The doors were then turned repeatedly through 90 degrees to get it into all the seems.
Using a funnel and the holes drilled earlier, Hydrate 80 is introduced into the door cavity.
The doors were then turned repeatedly through 90 degrees to get it into all the seems.
Door Rust proofing.JPG (38.28 KiB) Viewed 338 times
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 desired profile was marked on and the corner cut away.
The desired profile was marked on and the corner cut away.
Door Corner 1 - Copy.JPG (32.49 KiB) Viewed 338 times
A new section was grafted in.
A new section was grafted in.
Door corner 2 - Copy.JPG (37.35 KiB) Viewed 338 times
The door has been offered up to the opening and it now fits.
babyofo
Posts: 179
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:47 am
Location: Loughborough, Leicestershire

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by babyofo »

Good work there, nice to see the progress you have made.
OVY871
Posts: 1467
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: Near Scarborough
Contact:

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by OVY871 »

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
Image
Car still going strong with thousands of miles being added to the clock.
Click the pic or here to read Ovy's story.
Dave Clark
Posts: 5896
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:00 pm
Location: High Wycombe, Bucks

Re: Percy 512 FJO

Post by Dave Clark »

Fit a central handbrake Neil and get rid of the problem.
User avatar
Neil Evans
Posts: 12179
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:06 am
Committee Role: Technical Officer
Location: Boston, Lincolnshire
x 11
x 25

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by Neil Evans »

OVY871 wrote: getting a bit fed up of the rear swimming pool in mine!
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... :whistle:
Club Technical Information Officer
A30/A35 Club Member A191 (since 1972)

Father of the club's only love child
User avatar
A35revisited
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
Location: Huddersfield

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A35revisited »

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!
Feel free, you're welcome.
OVY871
Posts: 1467
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: Near Scarborough
Contact:

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by OVY871 »

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.
Neal Welch
Image
Car still going strong with thousands of miles being added to the clock.
Click the pic or here to read Ovy's story.
User avatar
A35revisited
Posts: 532
Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2014 9:52 pm
Location: Huddersfield

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A35revisited »

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.
P1040130.JPG
P1040130.JPG (38.21 KiB) Viewed 263 times
The second picture shows how far from flat the panel was even though it felt pretty good to the touch.
P1040131.JPG
P1040131.JPG (29.46 KiB) Viewed 263 times
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?
User avatar
A40FARINAGURU
Posts: 16413
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 8:14 am
Committee Role: A35 Registrar
Location: Birmingham (Home of the Austin)
x 21

Re: Yorkshire Van restoration

Post by A40FARINAGURU »

A35revisited 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.
:iagree: got the t shirt etc
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)
Post Reply