Project Korean Cortina - going back in time!

[mat_the_cat]

The welder arrived yesterday, so today I had a play with it. I don't know what it is but I really struggled with it No matter how shiny the surface, it seemed very reluctant to actually start an arc - instead the wire would glow red and just coil up on the surface. Practising on a piece of similar thickness scrap steel I could replicate the problem by speeding the wire up too much, yet even if I slowed the wire so much it was burning back, I still had the problem on the car. But then sometimes it would lay down a perfect bead!

 

Anyway, after 10 hours (ten hours for a tiny little patch!!!) I'd pretty much got it in place.

 

 

 

 

Not massively happy with it, as the stop start nature of the welding means that there's more chance of pinholes present. Mojo not running too high at the moment...

[mat_the_cat]

I phoned up Cheltenham Welding Supplies today (where I got the new welder from) and they were most helpful. His initial thought was that using 0.8 mm wire on sub-1 mm bodywork was asking for trouble, so offered to send me a 0.6 mm reel FOC I did have a play with some thicker scrap metal later, and to be fair, it was flawless. I think that the current required to avoid blowing through was simply not enough to reliably start an arc every time.

 

I then got a text this evening to say that he'd had a go with the same machine, and also really struggled with 0.8 mm wire. But he gave me the best settings he'd found using 0.6 mm, so that should be a good start. This is my first welder with an infinitely variable current control, rather than a selection of switches so will probably take a bit of getting used to. Onwards and upwards!

[Pillock]

He sounds like a decent bloke for taking the time to do that too! 

[mat_the_cat]

Yeah, sending me a text at 6 pm on a Friday evening on (presumably) his own phone is that little bit extra. I used to use them 10 years ago when I lived down there, and saw their stand at the NEC Classic show in 2013 where they had an interesting sounding new model on the way. Unfortunately it had not yet been released when my old one was pinched, so I got the Sealey instead last Christmas. Let's hope I can get this one working to my satisfaction!

 

Wondering about leaving the respray until next winter - got one quote so far of £2.5k which is a bit more than I was expecting. Is that really going to be more than twice as good as a £1k job (if I can find one!)? If I leave it till next November (say) that gives a bit longer to sort the wheel arches, and also longer to save up and find somewhere I'm happy with.

[fordperv]

That's great customer service from the welding supplies geezer, I'm using 0.8 on my Clarke without too much bother, but 0.6 would be perfect, i refuse to take out half a large reel, I'm going use it up first before swapping

 

I could put you onto a lad in Stoke for paint, if it's not too far away for you?

[mat_the_cat]

Nothing worse than a half finished reel unwinding everywhere! 0.8 mm was fine for the underneath stuff, but this is my first bodywork for a while. And I used a joggler last time so wasn't having to butt weld anyway. We shall see whether this is the solution...

[mat_the_cat]

After the cock up with the dissolving headlight clips I've decided to use Deox C rather than acid to remove the rust from the rest of the bits I'm going to plate. These are the clips from the original lights, so if I ruin these I'm in trouble!

 

 

I've also put in the bonnet catch, to see if I can tidy that up a bit. To speed up the removal I've popped the tub on the hotplate in the kitchen - better check on it again now...

 

[mat_the_cat]

After a couple of hours most of the bits are de-rusted, but I've put some back in for another session.

 

 

Hopefully will be able to plate everything within the next couple of days - they'll need a quick acid dip immediately before going in the plating tank so I'm not worried about any flash rusting in the meantime.

 

My sister-in-law has recently found some old photos (from 1998), so thought I'd share them here...

 

 

[mat_the_cat]

Ready for plating this evening, but a bit of a dilemma. I have the choice of either clear or yellow passivate. I'm really struggling to recall whether the clips looked silver or gold when the car was newer, and for some reason I didn't take any close-up photos! Haven't seen any on the 'net yet to compare. So I'm probably just going to say balls to originality, and go with the yellow/gold passivate as that has much better resistance to corrosion. Certainly the uncorroded zinc plated parts all seem to be coated in this way.

[mat_the_cat]

A few bits now plated...this is everything de-rusted:

 

 

I initially decided to yellow passivate them, but I was struggling to get it to work well when I tried earlier this week - the yellow just rubbed off on finger contact, plus it looked a bit garish. So back they went in the acid and I've had another go this evening but this time I tried the clear passivate.

 

Trusty old power supply to give a regulated current:

 

 

Zinc starting to be deposited:

 

 

Finally, something I'm happy with!

 

 

And I managed to find a photo of an 'as-new' engine bay this evening - it looks as though silver is the correct colour after all on the headlight clips you can see:

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

you sad fecker!

 

 

 

we want moar

[mat_the_cat]

I think I've found somewhere local who can do the respray for a fair (although not cheap) price, on the basis that I leave it in there for a few months for them to work on during quiet periods. Spent a good hour or so with the owner talking about RV8s, values of old Fords and cars in general. Which was nice.

 

Not 100% made up my mind yet, but unless someone else comes back to me who is equally convincing, I think I'll be taking it there in the next few weeks.

[Lankytim]

Guy I know does resprays but he's snowed under with work so may not want to do it. He uses a big oven and everything. 

[mat_the_cat]

I think anyone who is good and reasonably priced, will be equally busy!

 

Today's update is that all the plating is finished:

 

 

Not sure I'll put it back on yet until after the paintwork, but that will depend on whether I drive or trailer it to the sprayers.

 

I've also started to tackle the passenger side roof gutter. Not before photo, but this is part-way through after wire brushing the paint off and starting to scrape away the seam sealant:

 

 

Most of the rust now removed, but I'll put some gel on to sort out any pitting:

 

 

Unfortunately at the front, rust had crept between the two pieces of metal...

 

 

...and looking underneath revealed a hole after starting wire brushing:

 

 

So I've cut all that out now, and I'll probably weld in a new piece later tonight or tomorrow evening.

 

 

I've also removed the petrol flap, as that had rusted previously and was coming back through the silver Hammerite I'd slapped over it years ago. I wire brushed away the paint...

 

 

...and immersed it in Deox C:

 

 

'After' photo to come once all the rust has gone!

[mat_the_cat]

This is after 12 hours dipping - it might look like there is still some rust present but that's just down to the pitting looking darker.

 

 

 

Shame I haven't got a bucket big enough to dip the shell into! But semi seriously, £10 makes up 20 litres so I reckon with a low wall surrounding a car, with a tarpaulin over it to make a pool and you have a cheap rust removal system...

[mat_the_cat]

Minor update is that I've (almost!) got the passenger side gutter sorted:

 

 

The patch was cut from an old 205 bonnet several years ago...I've never seen a 205 with a rotten bonnet so that bodes well for rust resistance!

 

 

Now mostly welded in place, except I ran out of gas and there are a couple of pinholes that grinding uncovered, so I'll have to blob over those tomorrow after I've popped to Halfords. Really must sort out a proper sized cylinder again!

[mat_the_cat]

A couple more photos from tonight:

 

 

 

I've just put a quick coat of Zinga on for now, just to protect the welded surfaces from flash rusting until the rest of the gutter is ready for paint.

[mat_the_cat]

I think I've found somewhere local who can do the respray for a fair (although not cheap) price, on the basis that I leave it in there for a few months for them to work on during quiet periods. Spent a good hour or so with the owner talking about RV8s, values of old Fords and cars in general. Which was nice.

 

Not 100% made up my mind yet, but unless someone else comes back to me who is equally convincing, I think I'll be taking it there in the next few weeks.

 

There may be a plan B, as I went round a few more bodyshops today. One was definitely not very confidence inspiring, and their quote suspiciously cheap. But then I found a small place run by a nice old boy, again very interested in the project and able to do the job for an affordable price. They're a much smaller outfit than the first place I mentioned, so they don't want to take on more than one full respray at a time, but they're coming up to the end of a full restoration of a Karmann Ghia (which from what I could see of the welding looked a good job) so have a slot free at the end of February.

 

I did get a slightly better 'feel' for the guy than before (not that I had any real doubts), but for a reason I can't put my finger on I feel more excited about it than I did last week! He's offered to pop over to have a look at the car (no charge) to give a firm price - as he said, he didn't want to be the kind of person to give an estimate and then need another £500 once he got into the job.

 

Will be good to hopefully bring it to Shitefest '15 looking a bit tidier!

[mat_the_cat]

Tonight I removed the boot lid and set about cleaning up the lip where the seal sits. I knew a spot of welding was likely, and sure enough there are several bits like this:

 

 

That's all fairly simple stuff, so I'm not too worried. What concerns me more though, is this:

 

 

Right below the rear window, so looks like that needs to come out Which leaves me with the choice a) I remove it myself, risking cracking something which is likely irreplaceable, b ) get a windscreen fitter to remove it so I can do the welding, or c) just let the bodyshop do the whole lot.

[Rocket88]

I'd take the advise of the painter when he comes round to give you a price..............he'd probably know a good autoglass man who can do it at a reasobanle price.........

[mat_the_cat]

Good plan. And looking on the bright side, at least I won't have the worry about what might be lurking under the glass!

[Geep]

It's not a bonded screen is it?

 

With rubber secured screens, I used to get a flat blade screwdriver and go round the inside push the rubber lip up and over the steel lip. Start on the side somewhere and once you get a a couple of inches or so of the rubber sitting the other side of the lip, you get in to a sort of rhythm and takes little time to work your way round. You don't have to all the way round as it become free at one end, it can be eased out.

 

I was taught this way many moons ago when bonded screens weren't common and it served me/us well for decades. I've seen people try and push it out with feet before and just break them because the rubber seal wouldn't pop over the lip. The answer is to pop the seal over first.

[mat_the_cat]

Both front and rear screens are actually bonded, which seems quite unusual for the age. Not sure when this became commonplace? I have some bond cutting wire, but just nervous about giving it a go!

[Geep]

Both front and rear screens are actually bonded, which seems quite unusual for the age. Not sure when this became commonplace? I have some bond cutting wire, but just nervous about giving it a go!

 

You might want to consider this mat;

 

 

Used like so:

 

 

I can understand the reluctance though being fairly rare. Any mobile fitter should be able to remove for not very much. The bodyshop will just add it on the bill in any case so might be worth doing it yourself then you can address the rust?

[mat_the_cat]

Anyone who's seen the car under the bonnet may have noticed the rather wobbly slam panel.

 

 

As I mentioned before, this was due to a lack of an engine tilt bar with the crane I was using, and youthful impatiance Anyway, I bashed it out as best I could, and lay down a few beads of weld in the worst depressions. This was both to minimise the amout of filler used, and help it to grip better.

 

No during photos I'm afraid, but after a couple of skims of filler it's looking a bit better:

 

 

 

Followed by a coat of primer and I'm quite pleased with it! I asked a local windscreen firm on Monday about removing it, with the hope that they can get it out intact - that way I can sort out the rust and keep the respray cost down. No price as yet (Welsh mañana strikes again) so will mention it to the bodyshop too, but would imagine that for them to sort the rust will be pricy.

[mat_the_cat]

Had the day off work today, and spent it welding in patches to the boot seal lip. 9 in so far, just one corner left to do.

 

 

 

[mat_the_cat]

Well, I've bitten the bullet and booked it in for paint at the beginning of March! Just two things I need to decide - whether to go for the exact same shade of silver as original, and what colour to paint the section behind the rear number plate.

 

 

or

 

 

???

 

But first, I have to finish the boot seal lip, and get *someone* to get the glass out!

[Felly Magic]

I'd go for satin black between the tail lights

[oldcars]

Original all the way for me. Like this one a lot, great work going into it. Wish i had the skills to do this kind of stuff.

[Semi-C]

J'aime this a lot, top work   

 

If I were lucky enough to be in your position, I would paint the rear panel body colour. If you find you don't like it, you can always rattle some black over the top of it, with the added bonus of extra corrosion prevention too.