49 replies to this topic

[Heath]

Looks like a good starting point to me. Better than most nowadays, possibly.

[Statler]

Looks like a nice starting point . 

Following . 

[Shiney005]

Will you sandblast the body or just start cutting into it?

[Oobli]

Ok, so the first look at what lies beneath.... starting with removing all of the paint around the hatch and the suspect parts of the C pillars

[Oobli]

Lots of nice little surprises once the paint was removed...

[Oobli]

 Overall.jpg   362.91K   6 downloads

Both C Pillars with need to be replaced...

[Oobli]

 RH C Pillar.jpg   364.61K   3 downloads

 RH C Pillar 2.jpg   372.9K   2 downloads

[Oobli]

 Top of Hatch surround.jpg   181.69K   2 downloads

[Oobli]

Oh well, it is what it is....time to buy some bits, then chop-chop, weld-weld...

[4dabush]

Oh well, it is what it is....time to buy some bits, then chop-chop, weld-weld...

Sill no where near as bad as some… even good 2 owner cars that have been stored for 30 years.  The factory built the rust in!  You’ll be fine. 

 

 IMG_1542.jpeg   40.74K   8 downloads

[Shiney005]

If you have a good dig around in here Russ, there are a couple of build threads that show how to repair the C pillars in a hatchback.

[SmacT]

All part of restoring a hatch mate - have seen much worse! Do one job at a time, it will be all sorted before you know it. Can't wait to see it progress.

[Oobli]

Thanks Adam and Sam, encouragement from guys who have been there before is a great motivator and asset, as is the huge knowledge base on this site. Starting out can be quite daunting as I have zero experience in panel work. I have a friend, Scotty (The Ford Guy), helping and he's done some work before but it's also not his profession. When I come across damage and rubbish repairs, like I've posted, it can feel a bit overwhelming to a Noob like me. Scotty just scoffs at me and says "It's all fixable!!" and that makes me feel a bit better. I'm going to buy 2 new C pillars this week and use some old panels I have lying around to brush up on my MIG skills....(which are next to naught too hehe)

Edited by Oobli, 02 February 2025 - 04:48 PM.

[Rockoz]

Thanks Adam and Sam, encouragement from guys who have been there before is a great motivator and asset, as is the huge knowledge base on this site. Starting out can be quite daunting as I have zero experience in panel work. I have a friend, Scotty (The Ford Guy), helping and he's done some work before but it's also not his profession. When I come across damage and rubbish repairs, like I've posted, it can feel a bit overwhelming to a Noob like me. Scotty just scoffs at me and says "It's all fixable!!" and that makes me feel a bit better. I'm going to buy 2 new C pillars this week and use some old panels I have lying around to brush up on my MIG skills....(which are next to naught too hehe)

 

Have seen some great work on here done by amateurs.

Just one word of advice.

Dont try doing gasless MIG.

 

Cheers

 

Rob

[Bruiser]

Gday Russ
You’ll be good enough at it after a couple of botched attempts
I am a shit welder with crummy gear
But that’s just made me better at precision grinding
Have a big crack at it
Looks like you know what you’re doing

[Oobli]

 MIG.jpg   181.31K   4 downloads

[Oobli]

Cheers Rob, I bought this one a while ago from Total Tools coz it was on sale as "Floor Stock- One Left" for $900. I figured it was a bit of a bargain but it's been collecting dust ever since...... now I guess I have a reason to learn it

Edited by Oobli, 03 February 2025 - 05:03 PM.

[Oobli]

"But that’s just made me better at precision grinding"....Spot on Bruce, you cracked me up, Cheers!

[Hatchback13]

Keep up the good work, I’m in the trade and have seen terrible things and also amazing amature work, I’m sure the end result will be great. Having the passion to do it makes a big difference. Cheers

Edited by Hatchback13, 03 February 2025 - 09:19 PM.

[Oobli]

Thanks Brad, I really want to make this project my own and, as best as I can, do most of it myself. I want to build and repair as much of it as I possibly can, so I can learn skills along the way. I plan to do all of the body work (With the help and guidance of Scotty (Ford) Guy) and painting ourselves. I also intend to build my own motor. I don't have piles of cash and I don't have piles of car specific know-how, but I'm gonna give it a shot. In saying that, also, it'll be a bit of a slow burn coz as I said at the start, I have Mrs Oobli and 2 little Ooblies they come first.

[Oobli]

As I've said Guys, I have not had a lot of experience with any of this stuff. I have a pretty solid mechanical background as an aircraft engineer for the last 36 years, but I don't have the knowledge you guys have with repairing cars. I'll be relying pretty heavily on the great experience and knowledge base of the forum and it's amazing contributor's to get to the point where I can proudly drop a burnout in my street to remind my neighbours that I don't like them very much.

[4dabush]

As I've said Guys, I have not had a lot of experience with any of this stuff. I have a pretty solid mechanical background as an aircraft engineer for the last 36 years, but I don't have the knowledge you guys have with repairing cars. I'll be relying pretty heavily on the great experience and knowledge base of the forum and it's amazing contributor's to get to the point where I can proudly drop a burnout in my street to remind my neighbours that I don't like them very much.

Go to your steel suppliers and get a quarter or half sheet (they may have off cuts) of some 0.8m flat sheet. ( dont  quote me but I think it is zinc anneal- so like a flat grey surface, not shiny galvanised). Go home cut it up small strips…say 10cm x 20 and start practicing welding.  I think you’ll need a good set of tin snips (aviation ones) a bunch of different hammers and dollys. Some pieces of heavy metal rod (another dolly) a good grinder with grinding discs and flappy wheels. A Die Grinder and dies, and a power file will make life easier for grinding / cleaning up in crappy places. A metal panel file/speed file will be helpful too. And some welding magnets and a magnetic earth for your welder (and some anti splatter spray), if you don’t have one, an automatic welding helmet with as bigger lense as you can afford too. Make sure you are using the right gas (argoshield probably) and your welder has thin wire. 0.6mm pref. 0.8 ok. Any bigger is too big. As for dollys, look around in the shed to see what is useful. I have used tyre levers, metal rods, and engineers screwdriver with the head cut off, timber, heavy flat plate -10mm thick, all sorts.  If you can get yourself an anvil or a piece of railway line/ I beam…anything heavy you can use to hammer and dolly metal on to bend it to shape, that will be a big help too. Watch a few YouTube video’s  -  someone mentioned Adamson Auto body Torana restoration…that will show you masters at work. But will teach you a lot too.  Then,  have fun!  And enjoy the learning process.   Good thing about doing it ourselves is if we stuff something up, it’s been a lesson, and all we have to do, it re do it. No harm, no foul. 

[Oobli]

Thanks for the advice Adam, I'll start getting organised this week and try to source all the gear you've suggested. I have 4 days off coming up so that should give me plenty of time to try and stick some bits of metal together (as long as this heatwave eases a bit). If it stays too hot to be in the shed, I'll get on YouTube and try to learn some stuff there. Thanks again!

[Oobli]

OK, Today I bought a spool of 0.6mm wire and tip for the MIG. I bought a hammer and dolly set from Total Turds, I bought a sheet of 1mm mild steel sheet, also the new drive rollers for .6mm for my MIG. I also bought a nice new Shinano 'Dotco' or 'Roloc' 90' grinder/polisher. It looks like I'm getting serious!!. Don't tell Mrs Oobli how much I've spent. I'm starting to enjoy this....

[claysummers]

I use a couple of cheap 125mm grinders with different blades on to save changing. Variable speed polisher is good for removing paint with the plastic strip discs. Run them slow so they don’t melt.

Some of the structural sections will need 1.6mm, but for most of the panels 0.9 or 1.0 will be good.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk