My '72 911T

[911hillclimber]

This sounds a bit of a cop-out, but could you tolerate fitting a length of aluminium or stainless heater ducting between the steel tube stubs for the heater? I mean the corrugated type (flexible pipe) that you can compress and then expand to stretch to cover each end of the steel tube so completing the heater tract?
We used this material in stainless steel for heater flues in caravans!

It is sold by a German company called Truma who have a UK outlet near Burton on Trent.

Graham.

[Gary71]

That sound like my kind of cop out! I was really struggling to see how this tube was going to go back in. I will look into the stainless tube

[911hillclimber]

R-TO-RSR sell a repair panel for the area around the torsion tube and it coveres a large area to rid you if everything rusty.
Go to parts section of their site and bodywork. Scroll down about 1/2 way.

Graham

[Barry]

I think Bray's do one as well.

They used to be a lot of money, but I beleive they've come down a bit now.

I don't know what the quality is like, and I'd want to be sure that the thickness is enough: you'd want a full 18SWG there, even if the original was a little less when pressedd.

TBH, the outer area is an absolute doddle to make, it's that second to inner-most layer that's the real sod.

[Gary71]

The repair panels look nice, but Barry is right the outside is the 'easy' bit

I have some 16swg gauge lined up for the job, I want to build in a tolerance for future rust!

[Barry]

Just had a quick look: it's not too much money, and if anyone struggles with tin-work, well worth a look.

The one thing that would very hard to judge without seeing it, is what steel's been used for it. A lot of repro pressed parts (and in fairness, some orginals as well), are pressed from an incredibily soft steel. When you cut it, it's almost like cutting aluminium.

Certainly better than a poor repair though, even if this was the case. A useful to panel to know about.

[911hillclimber]

I think about £140 each side for a tricky curved panel. Some years ago i saw this panel AND the similarly large inner panel sold together, but not the middle re-enforcing panel.
They stressed this was a repair that MUST be jigged (ie Cellett)because of holding the tube, but if you do one side at a time with the engine/box out all should be ok?

Without a doubt the inner panel I found the worst simply due to access. Those now using rotiseries (sp) will find it better. i never thought at the time to cut the pump mount off!
I think Gas welding gives you a lot of access verses a MIG.

At the NEC show the array of fancy rotiseries was amazing and Chinese cheap too!

Anyway, bet you've finished one side by now Gary..

[Gary71]

Anyway, bet you've finished one side by now Gary..

If only! Lots of thought and not much action... Friends over this weekend so nothing got done. Maybe I'll stare at it some more tonight Internal garage and two young kids rather restricts angle grinder time!

[barryb]

Hi

Sierra Madre Collection do a 3 piece repair kit left and right for the torsion bar panel at $280, if like most people you don't like them then Restoration Design do a 4 piece kit for the same price.


Barry

[Gary71]

Thanks for the thoughts about repair panels, but this is going to be 100% homebrew, for better or worse!

I've cut even more out today... Nearly there. It's migrated into the floor, maybe not unexpected



I've also been working on a bit of 2" exhaust tubing to patch the heater tube, looks like it may work.

[Barry]

Ooh yuk (again): lots of fun with the welder.

Do your doors still fit? I'd keep checking, just in case .

Good luck with the repairs Gary.

For what it's worth, (if you don't mind), it might be worth templating off of the other side to get the flange's shape. If you do one in steel, flip it, and tack it onto the side to be repaired, you'll have something to aim for, after all, each of the repairs ends up on the flange.

Just a thought anyway, although I expect you've got things well covered .

[Gary71]

Cheers Barry, even I'm getting a bit bored with how far I'm having to cut back on this one! Again not really a surprise, but just once it would be nice for a job to be easier than you dared hope, not always as bad as it can be

I kept the flange I cut out as a pattern to offer back in, so the shape should be about right. As you say it all ends up back at there.

Quick question, Does the reinforcing panel with the weld nuts stop at the lower flange as well? It will end up four layers thick if that's the case! I can't quite make it out from your pictures, and there is nothing left of my car to look at!

[911hillclimber]

Getting deep now Gary. I didn't expect it to spread so far, I now feel lucky 22 years ago.
Good on ya for going DIY on the patches.
Keep the pics coming.
Graham.

[Gary71]

Finally got back out tonight and set to with a Shreddies packet and masking tape to do some planning and think about how to put it back together.



Heelboard and engine bay inner wall/floor



Floor closing panel - This is bit of a guess as to the shape!



Inner reinforcing.

I'll probable leave the other patterns until these parts are in steel and tapped/tacked in place.

One step at a time...

You can see why this area rots, it's a water trap nightmare! One of my thoughts will be how to ensure this area drains properly this time around.

[911hillclimber]

Excellent Gary, nice planning and a good approach imho.

There is a lot of welding there to do. Will you MIG weld it?
Access looks tricky to me for the inner parts. if you weld from the inside even, there will be some bits to get at from under the car on the inside?