DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Normally there'd be no way I'd take this approach, i.e. do the bare minimum, and then come back to it again later.

Trouble is that I've only got the use of the workshop for a few weeks in the short term. I didn't want to leave the car in the barn running up storage costs, especially as it was, at that stage, an un-known quantity.

Therefore the pragmatic option seems to be to get it solid (bearing in mind, that all structural rust is coming out at this stage), MOT'ed (which would take it beyond Classic LeMans ), and (on the surface) half presentable.

When the workshop becomes available 'properly', it can be stripped right down, by which time every part will have been tested on the road, and any problems highlighted. I might just sit it on the jig at this stage, if it's set up at the time, but TBH it looks very straight, and other than the conversion, there's no sign of welding at all .

As there's a weather warning (heavy rain) out for tomorrow and sat, I'm going to scrub the TR International, and crack on with this one instead: should buy me a bit more time ....

Time for another update: work is continuing apace, with the car just about as far stripped as its going at this stage (all being well):



Note all of the filler dust everywhere: no wonder the door felt heavy. I think it's due a new doorskin plus some frame repairs. On the other hand, like all of the rest of the panels (including the bumpers, engine lid and bonnet) it looks to be original. Certainly all of these have the Leaf Green paint, which was last on the outside of the car nearly twenty years ago.

Anyway, the thing's now jacked up and well supported. The passenger door has come off, as has the outer sill, B-post and front of the rear wing. I think there might be some inner wing repairs due ....



The inner sill has now been removed. This was odd. The outer sill and B-post were only just attached, and clearly replacements. When I went to remove the inner sill, the welds had already been drilled out at the top (hidden by the 'new' outer sill). Literally, it was not attached at all . I can only think that it was about to be replaced, when a change of plan came along, and the outer sill just got thrown on regardless of what was happening on the inner sill.

I've also now come across some minor injuries to the offside front inner wing (previous accident?). I've got a wheel alignment report that shows everything is in order in that respect. However, it'd be nice to jig the car to make sure the front is correct. I've not got time at the moment to do this *, so I've done a temporary repair to that front A-arm mount: very strong, but only a (100% welded) lap joint with the rust cut out of the underlying metal, rather than a complete replacement. When the car come apart properly, I'll fit the new suspension pan and tank support with the car up on the jig: it might come in handy having the front nice and weak, just in case it needs pulling. All of the new bits are here for this area now anyway.

I'm happy to do any structural work from the front struts back though, as the car looks very straight and largely un-messed with from here back. Therefore first area is the N/S front inner wing:



The top is near perfect (unusually), but there's some nasty rust where the bonnet support goes on the inside, plus a whole raft of nastiness where the old wing closing plate was.

Panels going on at this stage:

Repair panels (homemade) for rear of front inner wing, base of A-post, front left corner of floor. Plus wing closing plate, inner sill, jacking socket, jacking reinforcement (all pattern), front of rear inner wing (H/made), kidney bowl ([pattern), front sill closer (homemade), B-post (pattern) and finally, outer sill (genuine) . The pattern ones are those that I have got on well with in the past (they are all galvanised these days): the outer sill is a definite genuine one, as the pattern ones are horrific.

More to follow ....


* The Celette jig that I've got has been winched up onto its side in the workshop. In order for the car to be jigged properly, all of the running gear would have to be removed from the shell, including front and rear suspension. Then the jig would have to be re-assembled, and the shell lifted on, the welding done, and then the whole process reversed. Of course normally the jig is permanantly erected, and cars arrive as pre-stripped shells.

As has been said, later on this car will come down to a shell, bare metalled, jigged and a 'proper' job made of it (by my standards anyway ).

Go Barry!

Done by the weekend then?

It's nice to see posts about this kind of work from someone who is clearly unphased by anything he may encounter had just gets straight into it.

thanks Gary: Yesterday I got a spectacular shot of some 'great' rust. I'll post it up later ...

Here it is: as usual the back of the front inner wing has failed at the base. I've already replaced quite a bit of the metal that the front wing closer attaches to, and these repairs will continue down into the area shown in the below picture.

So the next stages will be to remove the base of the A-post (which was strangely filled with a sandy earth like stuff: can't really see how it got in, but had certainly held the moisture helping the A-post base to rot), plus the part of the front inner wing that joins to the inner sill (which is where the base of the A-post mounts as well). Then the corner of the floor can be made and let in, the new inner front wing part, new base to the A-post, then new inner sill. After that, attention will swap to the rear of this sill area for similar treatment. Next week now, as I'm about to get everything in the car for Silverstone ....

Keep posting, my car is feeling less rotten by the day

blimey.....takes me back......

can we see the shiny bits please too

All right then ...

First shiny bit; effectively the replacement for the area in the last photograph. All just fabricated from 18g mild sheet, and form the new base of the A-post, front corner of the floor, and rear corner of the front inner wing:





Next stage is to unscrew these three parts, and start to weld them into the car. After that is a similar process for the front of the rear inner wing (where the B-post and kidney bowl mounts). Once these front and rear parts are in, the front wing closer can go in, then I need to make a sill closer for the front, and finally the sill assembly with jacking bits can all go in.

Nice work

I'd be tempted to make the drain hole in the bottom of the A pillar bigger though. Mine made themselves bigger by rotting out, but when this was replaced I put a proper drain in to try and stop it happening again. Just a thought

Looks great - didn't you used to be on Blue Peter "here's one I made earlier" keep posting on this Barry. excellent work as always

Barry wrote:All right then ...

First shiny bit; effectively the replacement for the area in the last photograph. All just fabricated from 18g mild sheet, and form the new base of the A-post, front corner of the floor, and rear corner of the front inner wing:





Next stage is to unscrew these three parts, and start to weld them into the car. After that is a similar process for the front of the rear inner wing (where the B-post and kidney bowl mounts). Once these front and rear parts are in, the front wing closer can go in, then I need to make a sill closer for the front, and finally the sill assembly with jacking bits can all go in.

wow

loverly work Barry & great detail.

Thanks folks: into top gear now, most of the above is in, just the A-post repair to weld up.

Spent the later part of the evening (until 10.00) flatting off number two Fuchs for a cheapy makeover: they've been done before with the masking a bit high, which I'm committed to unless I do some major stripping. Nevertheless, they'll look a bit better.

More on the morrow ...

BTW Gary: yes this A-pillar was full of muck as well (just can't see where it could have come from really). I think the drain will be big enough, and I'm going to try to make sure that I can get a rod upto it from below the outer sill to ensure it keeps clear. Actually it's a little bigger than appears in the pics, and will take the waxing lance once there's some paint on.

Pic of that section in and done ....



And a general one of the front inner wing / A-post area: all of the little patches that were bridging holes part-covered by the wing closer have been cut out and new bits butt welded in (as are all the joins, with the exception of the plug welds).



Tea and toast, and back out to start the front of the rear inner wing area ...

BTW, I finished wheel number two this morning, so two to go (fingers are beginning to wear out now though ).

Managed to progress things a little more today.

When the B-post came off, it revealed the usual problems in this area. The kidney bowl had just about gone (which was actually a home-made replacement anyway), and much of the area where the kidney bowl and B-post mount had corroded.

You can see the large hole at the top of the kidney bowl area here (just about: surprisingly difficult to get the camera to pick it up):



This whole area was removed, so all of the rust was out and gone:



And this is the bit to go in:



In fact this is now welded in, and the area just needs the very bottom portion for completion. BTW, the pattern inner sill doesn't have the correct swage which should allow the rear inner wing to overlap the inner sill and still be flush (gives the jacking area strength). Therefore I swaged the repair piece instead. I think actually I would have done better modifying the sill, as my repair will ahve to go behind the sill, instead of in-front. No problem as far as the finished job is concerned: it will still end up flush and as strong, but means I need to work harder to pull the two parts together for plug welding: pics tomorrow should explain it. All for now ....