Pushing up Daisy...

[vivalariva]

I'm refering to my little 1977 Zhiguli, Daisy (she just looked like a 'daisy'). To get her back on the road I'll need some help, especially with welding & I wondered if some of you fine peeps could help me out?

 

Right here are the bad parts...

 

Drivers side, next to seat

 

Drivers side front wing

 

Drivers side footwell

 

Drivers side rear wing

 

Drivers side jacking point

 

Passenger side front wing

 

Passenger side footwell

 

Passenger side floor

 

Not for the faint-hearted is it?

 

I grimmace just looking at the pics then I look at her looking all sad & think 'I gotta at least try'. Can any of you help? Even if it's just bits & pieces, just for the hell of it or because you love shite!

 

Otherwise she'll be pushing daisies instead

 

Regards

 

Clare

[freebird]

Looking at it, I actually think you need this fella.

He is the only one who can help CAST OUT THE RUST!!!!!!!!

He will probably perform miracles too, I fink that car needs one.

Best of luck but I reckon the car is toast.

[SambaS]

It is only metal it WILL mend. I'd suggest enrolling at a college that will let you bring your own car to work on.

[DSdriver]

Are there any NOS wings, sills, floorpans etc. out there?

[vivalariva]

All the courses at our local college are full-time & during the day when I'm at work. There's not even saturday ones! I've been looking for years to no avail... I might go see if I could talk to the head honcho of the motor dept. at the college and see what he says.

 

Neil Chowney at Lada UK can get any parts I'd need. It is do-able as a resto.

 

If you feel the need to pack up your suitcases please do!

[DSdriver]

I am not a great one for going on courses, they tend to be too generic. I think the way I would tackle the situation is to get myself a mig welding kit and a load of scrap, then look at a couple of Utube guides and have a play around. If you manage to weld stuff together without burning down the workshop it might be time to go and see an expert, show him what you have done, and ask him how you can make it better. Once you have gained the ability you can start on the car where nothing is going to be as easy as welding stuff the right way up on a workbench.

Its going to be a long and lonely slog doing the car but keep us informed and the experts here will give you all the advice they can. The rest of us will just give you encouragement.

[jakebullet]

Buy a mig and have a go. By the looks of things you can't make it any worse.

 

I'm sure if you say where you are someone local could be persuaded to come round and show you how to do it, it doesn't take long to pick up the basics of blowing holes in things.

[Albert Ross]

If I had a MIG, I would be round quick-sharp...... but I don't. I used to weld to MOT standard, but since changing jobs 11 years ago, I rarely have to do it..... Buy a MIG. Have a go.

[e287yba]

I did a Welding evening course at Bury College about 20 years ago, it cost £6 for a term as I was on the Nat King Cole. If I'd been working it would have been near a hundred .

 

I think DSdriver has the best answer, and others saying "get a MIG welder" are up there with him... It's a matter of confidence; once you realise you've got the settings right (Lada metal is thicker than yer average car's metal ), you'll finish this off no probs 'cos it's a piece of cake once the rust has been removed and you're welding two pieces of CLEAN metal with nothing flammable (carpet or insulation or wiring, for example) anywhere near .

 

From a glance at the pics, I'd suggest new front wings (which will need welding on once you've sorted any horrors underneath - but you can practice under there 'cos no-one will see it ) as well as at least one new rear arch and possibly sills (or sections at least) which you'd do once you've practiced and then got the front wings on... The welding stuff like the jacking point (and the area around it) and the floors can be rougher as it's less visible .

 

Have a look at KruJoe's thread on his Lada Samara for some initial inspiration.

 

And as SambaS says, it's only metal...

 

Where are you based? One (or a few) of us might be local .

[vivalariva]

The daft thing is I have a MIG welder

 

If I had a MIG, I would be round quick-sharp...... but I don't. I used to weld to MOT standard, but since changing jobs 11 years ago, I rarely have to do it..... Buy a MIG. Have a go.

 

When you come & pick up the trolley in my back garden, would you show me how to weld?

 

Its going to be a long and lonely slog doing the car but keep us informed and the experts here will give you all the advice they can. The rest of us will just give you encouragement.

 

I could do with some of that. I'm on my own family wise as they think I should just s.c.r.a.p her.

 

By the looks of things you can't make it any worse.

 

I'm sure if you say where you are someone local could be persuaded to come round and show you how to do it, it doesn't take long to pick up the basics of blowing holes in things.

 

I live in Scunthorpe, north lincs

[jonny69]

I would probably advise looking for as many new panels as you can. You're up against a lot of fabrication and new panels will significantly reduce the workload and speed the resto up. The novelty of welding a new project grows thin quite quickly and if you've got to make a lot less stuff it'll help keep your interest in, but obviously the budget takes a hit as a result. Think of the perfect Lada at the end, not the cash

[freebird]

I didnt mean to sound flippant, i understand perfectly your desire to get you "baby" back on the road.

As has been said, you have got some fabricating to do, probably a lot. The inner wings and the like are probably frilly too.

Im a piss poor welder but its amazing how good you can make it look with a grinder grinding down all the poo.

So long as the weld is solid, right?

ive always found that the fabricating part can be more difficult than welding it all back together. It may be an idea for you to make a start by cutting all the crud out, and making templates up that can be transfered to metal so that, at the very least, you will have a far better idea of how its all going to go back.

Fellas like Bol and SOC make it look so easy but, i reckon, its taken years of practise welding chod up that has made their workmanship look top dollar.

Im in awe of that, wish i could be so good and so confident. To that end, Im probably in the same boat as you and a load of others on here.

Be bold, you have nothing to lose, the car is almost weighbridge fodder as it is, im sure you can save it.

[jakebullet]

I'm 46 miles from you. If you don't get a better offer I can show you how to do it to "functional but ugly" standards. I'm not your man if you're wanting pretty.

 

You have the mig. Do you have the other things you need to weld cars?

 

I'd say you need:

 

mig wire / gas.

Spare tips.

replacement steel, preferably new n shiny not the rusty side of a fridge.

A decent welding shield.

Welding gloves.

Angry grinder + discs + flap wheels.

Goggles / ear defenders.

Assortment of molegrips / welding clamps.

welding magnets.

tin snips.

vice.

cornflake packets.

jack / axle stands.

sockets.

fire extinguisher.

Strong tea.

[vivalariva]

Well, I've had an up & down day (but not like that!)

 

Finished work and went to local college to ask them if there's any chance of help/night courses from them just to sure, but as I said before it's basically full/part-time courses. No night courses! Then you mention what car you want to restore & they go 'ooh is it really worth it?' Anyway I did some diigging last night & came up with a training place that teaches welding, only to find that it's for larger groups and is taught in Chesterfield!

 

By this point I'm really fecked off & go home. I think 'I'll take my welder to the shop & see if it's okay' (not had it checked since I got it) 'probably best to find out it's knackered today'. Got to the shop, by this point I'm a bit emotional, and I tell my sorry tale of woe, also adding that I need someone to teach me how to weld. Guys behind the counter take pity on me & check it, for no charge, then as luck would have it there's a guy there that used to work there that used to teach welding. After they checked my welder he showed me the basics of welding!

 

So I bought myself a decent welding mask there, thanked the guys for their help & toddled off to buy a sheet of metal to practice on. Good times!

 

@jakebullet

 

From your list I have the following:

 

mig wire / gas.

A decent welding shield.

Welding gloves.

Angry grinder + discs

tin snips.

vice.

cornflake packets.

jack / axle stands.

Strong tea.

 

Closest thing I have to a fire extinguisher is a hosepipe!

[John F]

Well, I've had an up & down day (but not like that!)

 

Finished work and went to local college to ask them if there's any chance of help/night courses from them just to sure, but as I said before it's basically full/part-time courses. No night courses! Then you mention what car you want to restore & they go 'ooh is it really worth it?' Anyway I did some diigging last night & came up with a training place that teaches welding, only to find that it's for larger groups and is taught in Chesterfield!

 

By this point I'm really fecked off & go home. I think 'I'll take my welder to the shop & see if it's okay' (not had it checked since I got it) 'probably best to find out it's knackered today'. Got to the shop, by this point I'm a bit emotional, and I tell my sorry tale of woe, also adding that I need someone to teach me how to weld. Guys behind the counter take pity on me & check it, for no charge, then as luck would have it there's a guy there that used to work there that used to teach welding. After they checked my welder he showed me the basics of welding!

 

So I bought myself a decent welding mask there, thanked the guys for their help & toddled off to buy a sheet of metal to practice on. Good times!

 

@jakebullet

 

From your list I have the following:

 

mig wire / gas.

A decent welding shield.

Welding gloves.

Angry grinder + discs

tin snips.

vice.

cornflake packets.

jack / axle stands.

Strong tea.

 

 

Closest thing I have to a fire extinguisher is a hosepipe!

 

I'd definitely recommend an auto-dimming mask. You can get reasonable ones online for about £30, they take the guesswork out of where your bead of weld is going!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I tried an automatic mask for the first time last night, they are awesome and I am gettign one STAT, however i've beeen welding with al oldskool mask since I started, so if you're on a tight budget I would say theyre not essential. if you've got a welder, grinder (with grinding and slicing discs), vice, snips and some hammers you've got all the basics.

[vivalariva]

I found it very strange using an old-school mask, trying to keep the wire a decent distance away from the metal while looking into the pitch black & pressing the trigger was difficult (it was bound to be for a start) so I treated myself to an auto-dimming mask I usually do things the hard way so hopefully it'll make it easier for me.

[SambaS]

I must admit, I've only ever used a normal mask and it seems to make a fairly tricky job quite tedious, I'm looking forward to getting an auto dim mask!

[Albert Ross]

Bloody hell. I go to work for the day, read a post at lunch, decide what to do about it, and there you go , and get bloody sorted...... So... do you still want a few pointers? I have to build a new engine for my Land Rover ASAP, as I have a show to go to, and it's developed a death-rattle.. (well more of a low down knock) and the last thing I need is for it to die. So.... I may be a few weeks before I can get over. Is this ok?

[M'coli]

I bought myself an automatic mask a week or 2 ago, and it's very good. However, the little hand-held mask that most welders come with are excellent when space is limited: I tend to use it when I'm welding in confined spaces, inside wheelarches and the like because the distance between mask and face is much less.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I notice http://www.oldpanels.com are listing sills for a Fiat 124, and wings for a '124 special' so you might be able to buy a bit of metalwork still.

 

I remember wading through a massive pile of fiat 124 wings at Gosforth metals a few years back thinking 'WhoTF is ever gonna use all these'? Bet they got baled.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LADA-FIAT-124 ... 0842056934

[jakebullet]

Forgot to say, on the gas / wire front, if you're on the throwaway little bottles of gas it will cost you a bajillion quid in gas. So you need a pub type one, eg http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140756619289 (I have no connection with the man).

 

If your mig will take 5 kilo rolls of wire go for those instead of the tiny rolls. 0.6mm wire is better for thin stuff.

 

Now you're not scared to try, have a go on clean steel, n post some pics up here so people can assess how much penetration you're getting

[M'coli]

If your mig will take 5 kilo rolls of wire go for those instead of the tiny rolls.

WHS, the small rolls I find make the wire jam in the liner easier - I don't have that problem with the big roll.

[Louise2cv]

For a number of reasons, this is fast turning into a rather cool thread

[Guest]

I'm correct in thinking those wont fit my 125p? I think Mr. Bickle told me the front wings are different.

[Guest]

I see old panels have got one polski fiat 125p front wing, thanks for that link mr. b didnt know they existed, sorry for thread hijack viva.

[nigel bickle]

Lada & 124 early wings are virtually the same. 125 & 125p have different indicator apertures- although they can be grafted. However, original 125 wings are rare, 125p relatively plentiful

[Guest]

Thanks Nigel I thought that was the case

[Polystratus]

I bought myself an automatic mask a week or 2 ago, and it's very good. However, the little hand-held mask that most welders come with are excellent when space is limited: I tend to use it when I'm welding in confined spaces, inside wheelarches and the like because the distance between mask and face is much less.

 

 

A leather welding mask might be worth thinking at too, that'll free up the other hand.

[vulgalour]

people can assess how much penetration you're getting

 

From the tiny bit of welding I've done in the past, one rule that sticks in my mind is "Penetration is key". Doesn't really matter how good or bad the weld looks, if you've not melted anything together you might as well have used Pritt Stick.

 

I'm going to offer my helper services here too, since you and Daisy are on my doorstep being in Chesterfield and all. My strengths are more on the cosmetic side of things, and being an extra pair of hands rather than mechanical and welding but it seems rude not to offer the help if it's of use to you.