DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Home for Christmas?

911hillclimber wrote:Home for Christmas?

Barry wants the workshop empty for Xmas so he is motivated to get it done! My garage is some way off being ready for it...

We've used the big machined tube from Restoration design in conjunction with some localised repairs to the tube itself where it joins the inner rail:


It 'slides' (it's that easy ) into the end of the main tube and then welded in place


And then with the usual magic flourish it's all tucked up and done:



Now it's back up the right way on the jig for the main alignment work and fitting of the rear crossmember before back end panel fit can begin.

I've rotated my head 360 degrees trying to work out what that corroded area is in the top picture Gary. Presumably, its the same area that is hidden behind the new shiny sleeve in the small picture below it - could you move your hand a bit please Gary so we can see?

Are we looking under the heel board at the bottom of the side members, and is this what is potentially lurking 'inside'?

deano wrote:I've rotated my head 360 degrees trying to work out what that corroded area is in the top picture Gary. Presumably, its the same area that is hidden behind the new shiny sleeve in the small picture below it - could you move your hand a bit please Gary so we can see?

Are we looking under the heel board at the bottom of the side members, and is this what is potentially lurking 'inside'?

Just rotate your head 90 degrees Car is on it's side with the floor facing the camera in that picture.

Yes, there are all sorts of horrors lurking inside. All fixed now. This is Barry's 'before' picture with my labels added:

The '911 hell hole x 2'
That brings back some memories. It was quite a shock how bad mine were in '88, just 15 years of po abuse and salt water.
Mine are solid, but very diy compared to Barry's artwork.

Out of interest, does Barry add any protective coating to areas that eventually get boxed in?

911hillclimber wrote:
Out of interest, does Barry add any protective coating to areas that eventually get boxed in?

Yes he paints everything close to a weld in weld through primer, and then anything else in 2k epoxy. I plan to fill everything with a rust treatment based wax as well as inevitability there will be some unprotected steel in there.

Thanks Gary, you're obviously a dab-hand at photo editing etc. That makes complete sense now... but OMG!

What drove you or Barry to open up that area - was there obvious corrosion at the low end of the side member, immediately below the rear suspension tube as per my pic, or was this found with a bore camera down the heater tube?

I removed my heater flap boxes a couple of weeks ago - looks like I need to poke the bore scope down there to see whats what with the heater tubes, AND HOPE FOR THE BEST

I’d done both sides years ago due to obvious corrosion (it was soft on the outside!)

So I knew it was there and I wasn’t prepared to ignore it again. I pealed back my old ‘repair’ took one look at it and after seeing the rust progression down the torsion tube (inner flange bush backstop was completely gone) decided to give it to Barry!

The other side was broadly ok so did it myself again but using a proper outer closing panel.

I’d suggest if it’s not visible on the outside then don’t look. It will be rusty if the car has ever been used.

Thanks Gary, but imagine the sleepless nights if I dont look, now that you have scared the "$"£$% out of us. Then imagine the sleepless nights if I do look and find something I know I cant leave!

I repaired a hole there on one side, the size of a pea, a few months ago and it was solid otherwise. Lots of coaxing with a 'strong' magnet didnt grab any significant Kellogg's Rustflakes. Actually, I left an 8mm hole in there to provide future access for inspection and cavity wax (probably Dynax S50). Will plug that hole with same type of plug that are used under the centre tunnel etc...

Really appreciate all these pics and info!

Gary71 wrote:I’d suggest if it’s not visible on the outside then don’t look.

Until you are neck deep in a restoration anyway, at which point that's exactly the time to look!

Quite apart from the painted cavities and the extra cavity wax, one thing that's really noticeable with my (Barry + Steve at DC) orange shell is that the paint and underseal are much more diligently applied than appears to have been the case originally with factory cars. All the little sharp edges etc, where paint can be thin, are all carefully covered.
Mine also has way more seam seal than factory (done in an imitation haphazard factory style where the factory used it, nearly invisibly where they didn't). I guess you might hope so, since this is a paint job that probably took 10x as long as the factory would have allowed...

Since most of these cars never see salt these days, and often live in dehumidified garages, I reckon the resto shells should remain in good shape for quite a few years. Hope so...

It was just bare steel in there for most of it originally. My shell has been dipped in production as you can see the paint tide line inside the rear longitudinals, but there is no way that all the air would escape from that hell hole leaving it bare.

Also once the rear screen corners rot then the water gets to the parcel shelf, then rots that which then gets to the floor and rots that ending up at the torsion tube

Plus you’ve also got big rubber bushes that move around taking off any paint that may have been there, plus no where for condensation to escape. And there are multiple mid traps on the outside

Doomed all round really

Garage rebuild is going well anyway.
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As long as you don’t look behind you
Literally ankle deep in sawdust and mini roll wrappers

15 days to get prepared......
Pay him more money to speed him up!

I drilled an 8mm hole at the lowest point of the panels and wax oiled (the real stuff then) and popped in a loose fitting grommet.

Since doing my shell to an exacting diy standard that would make Barry weep in 88/89 it has never ever been on a wet salty road.
Wet runs have been rare too, so after 30 years all looks (from the outside) good.

Nearly went in there to redo them and the rear floor 2 years back but couldn't bear the thought.
Drowned all the sills etc 2 years ago, so that fixed them.

Anyway, who has a de-humidified garage on DDK?

I think its a good point about most people (if not all never driving in the salt season), and avoiding wet weather as far as possible. Not sure about most people having a the dehum'd garage though.

The only problem that I see with Gary's garage remodelling, is the lack of a top bunk above those new cupboards. I would have thought that that would be a good vantage point for staring at the car once its back in there