Opel Monza GSE Automatic. Rust

[HillmanImp]

I hope it gets sorted. I am only down the road so if you need a hand I can lend you this one if you want?

 

[SambaS]

Thanks for offering to help! I do need advice about my tape player. This tape player MUST remain! Just it needs a code. I've trawled the web in the past and drawn a blank:

[SambaS]

And the digi dash went from working. To only working in KM/H to only working when dash tapped to only working in 'dim' mode to not working at all. It's not even back lit like it was:

[SambaS]

MOT Fail sheet: 1 Both stop lamps not working. 2 Nearside anti roll bar corrosion. 3 Inner wing corrosion offside. 4 Inner wing corrosion near side. 5 Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide excessive. 6 Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive. 7 Both front brakes binding. 8 Both rear brakes binding.

[SambaS]

5 and 6 should be cured, last year I changed the oil and filter, it was really low on oil for MOT and had the old stuff in. 7 and 8 my new MOT station of choice should put down to lack of use and let slide as per FSO. 1 Needs an Auto Electrician out maybe, the wrong lamps come on I seem to remember.

[SambaS]

And the rest will be a party with the MIG welder!!

[SambaS]

Can someone help? I need a picture of what the panel(s) behind both headlamps 'should' look like. I've not much to work with after removing crust held together by underseal and paint :/ The flat horizontal panel was rounded into a vertical inner wing panel with filler? Hard to explain without uploading a picture maybe but I don't have the option at the moment

[SambaS]

[Angrydicky]

The flat horizontal panel was rounded into a vertical inner wing panel with filler?

 

It's probably factory seam sealer? Unfortunately I can't help you with what it should look like, but the good news is it doesn't appear to have been got at before from your photo. I'd start by getting rid of all that underseal (hot air gun and scraper is good for this) and see what you're dealing with. Assuming access isn't too difficult, I can't see anything there that should be that difficult to fabricate.

[SambaS]

Took the driver-side wing off today and was admiring my nice 'solid' a pillars when a tiny flake of underseal caught my eye, anyway the admiration was short lived. It pains me to see this car in bits, it's my favourite car of the 1980s Anyway I guess this is... progress? Here's a better shot of the headlamp (was) panel area. I've still some stuff to remove from the engine bay. I've not even taken a grinder to it yet and I'm starting to worry!

[SambaS]

Got the near side front wing off today, had to use my Netto rotary tool to cut off a bolt, got through no less than eight cutting disks. Shite! Anyway there's more metal to work with than the other side. But gonna have to get some nice patches fabricated for both flat headlamp panels. I expect a horror story once I get the grinder to them. The near side chassis leg aint great but there's plenty to work with!

[SambaS]

[willswitchengage]

Pretty pointless post, but remarkably there are four on ebay right now:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Cars-Motorcyc ... 6.c0.m1538

[SambaS]

Bah, that red one for £350, if it wasn't 300miles away would make a good spares car EXCEPT I'd find it extremely hard to break such a lovely car

[SambaS]

So today I removed the air box to expose some more rot. It seems every hole I find has been patched previously. The repairs have been welded on and fillered over, then painted. Each repair has rotted right through. What have they done wrong? Both sides were heavily coated with various different things... I don't want to make the same mistakes.

[cort16]

If you don't chop all the grot out before welding on new metal it'll just rot through. Also if it's not sealed properly then moisture will get into and rot it out. Take your pick really,

[Danblez]

Crikey that doesn't look so good. Not wanting to piss on your chips but I would have a good look elsewhere and see what else needs doing before you go any further. How handy are you with bending metal and sticking them together?

[SambaS]

I'm learning as I go. I bought a mig welder last year and have since done one patch on the Samba and one on the XR3. I don't own any metal work tools yet, just a grinder. And elsewhere is okay for the now.

[cort16]

I'd get smashed into that with the wire wheel, get all that underseal off and see how bad it really is as you can bet there more lurking under the sealer. You might be as well trying to get a front panel for it even if it's just to chop up and use for bits to weld in.

[SambaS]

I'm told new panels for this are hard to come by... This is just up from the driver/ off side headlamp panel, where the air box was. The wing and oil cooler bracket should attach here underneath:

[SambaS]

I can't wait to take a wire wheel to it! What is stopping me is my extension reel was stolen and it's £50 that I don't have to replace it. I prefer to do all the work either in my garage or just outside of it. I could drive the Opel to almost my flat window but at the risk of annoying all 12 neighbours at once; I think I'm going to have to wait.

[SambaS]

Okay today I took a trip to B&Q and bought a nice 45m extension cable for £39.99 happy. And took my grinder with a nice Clarke wire cup attachment (which has been excellent compared to ones I've used in the past). 

[SambaS]

Is my picture working?

[Skizzer]

Is my picture working?

 

'Fraid not. That may be just as well, as I had to look at your last pics of the inner front panel from behind the sofa .

 

Looks like you've got a job on with this one. Good luck with it as these are very handsome things.

[SambaS]

Thanks! And I've got Benno on the case with thd pics. I've tried ten pic hosting sites. None work. It's so frustrating using a mobile phone in place of a laptop! Had a really good day on the car too and 'techology' gone and made me angry. I've been looking forward to sharing my progress! Why tinypic have banned my ip address I'll never know. All I've uploaded has been cars. *breathe out* :@

[Guest]

Untitled by benno79, on Flickr

 

Untitled by benno79, on Flickr

 

pics as promised

[SambaS]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! As you can see I'm using pizza box instead of the conventional welding method

[Morgan84]

Weld in good over sized patches over the holes you find - not postage stamp patches which barely cover the hole.Put good metal in,and once its welded up,protect it as best you can with paint,and sealer ( as appropriate ) and inside any internal structures,spray waxoil,or even better plain engine oil inside to give it a good coating,which will seal it,and keep new rust from forming.I find oil is better than waxoil,as it doesn't dry out,and will seep into seams better.Get as much oil inside chassis legs,and other internal structures as you can,as a few minutes messy work saves hours of welding. I always get inside the rear wings,and get oil over the inner wheel arches - never had a car rust out with good old fashioned pickling.

[SambaS]

Excellent, thanks for the advice. I'm wanting the best possible sealing. I'm going to seal f*ck out of it. Plenty of work to do in the mean time. The ns chassis is goosed! Ooh going to buy Hydrate80 to go on bare metal before painting etc

[SambaS]

Did as much as I could today without being able to pull the car outside. Thanks rain. I've been working on the near side headlamp panel area. I'm worried the battery tray is going to have to come off to access the rot yot can see to the left that I couldn't get at with the grinder. Infact, there's lots I cant get the grinder at. Where can I get quality wire brushes for my rotary tool (cheapo Dremmel)? It came with one and I anhialated it in seconds. Here's the pic of progress: