A Racing Certainty...

Restoration projects and Austin related chat in here please
Mark

Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Mark »

Top work as usual Neil. Your photos always seem to make it look as if you work in the dark.
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Neil Evans
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Neil Evans »

Thanks. I often take the photos last thing at night when the majority of the workshop lights have been turned off... :thumbs:
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Mark

Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Mark »

Ahh that explains it. Thought your diet had a high carrot content......
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by gazza82 »

Mark wrote:Ahh that explains it. Thought your diet had a high carrot content......
High CAKE content .. some may be carrot :rol:
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Stuart Marsh »

Hi Neil, hope you don't mind me asking but I saw the photographs of your new door skin repair and wondered if you could tell me the best way to go about doing the same ? Is the skin spot welded, do you cut through the welds and what gauge steel would I ask for ? Sorry they are probably silly questions but want to get it right when I get around to doing my rear doors.
All the best.
Stuart.
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Neil Evans »

The door skins on these later doors are held on with the returned flange, though there's the odd spot weld as well. Earlier doors have a pan edge and are spot welded around the edge. I bond them on at the top with a joddled joint and panel adhesive...

The lower skin has some crown in it that I put in with a couple of passes through the wheeling machine... :thumbs:

The steel I use is nominally 1mm, though thinner once it's been through the wheeling machine and after fettling...
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Neil Evans »

New skin in place...

Image

A post and hinge supports go together...

Image

Image

Door rehung...

Image
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Tight Yorkshireman »

Looks smashing that Neil :thumbs:

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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by sacco »

I agree with you there John ,that is brilliant work Neil,
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Neil Evans »

The sill structure didn't look too bad and some might have been tempted to keep it as it's still the factory original. However, this car needs to be sound, so it was cut away...

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Once I was inside it became clear that the right decision had been made...

Image

These are the bought in repair panels for the sill extension to the wheel arch. They have the plates and the holes for the 'J' hooks that carted the completed bodyshells around the Longbridge but the slots are too small. I always say that if you're going to fake something, then do it convincingly.

Image

It might only be destined to be a racer and it it might get rolled on the first outing but it'll be right when it leaves here... :thumbs:

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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Neil Evans »

Progress :thumbs:
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by A35revisited »

How did you get away without bracing when you removed the sill?
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Neil Evans »

I've been practising with these Austins since 1970 and have repaired dozens of these cars now and know exactly how they react to being cut about. The saloons are much more forgiving than the van/countryman/pick up as they have the bulkhead that forms the rear seat back. That said I'd not recommend anyone copy my method of working unless they are confident that they know what they're getting into... :thumbs:
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Neil Evans »

The door was at least as bad as the drivers side and needed extensive repair to the frame and the lower part of the skin replacing. The sill/floor/heelboard and rear quarter all got the treatment as well. The rear arches were flared by 40mm to take the wide wheels and tyres used on Academy cars... :thumbs:
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Re: A Racing Certainty...

Post by Tight Yorkshireman »

Hi Neil

Im glad you post your body repair work its really impressive as always and I find it educational. There is some very special skill involved without any doubt :thumbs:

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