Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - Welding a Vauxhall - 23/02/25

[Spottedlaurel]

6 hours ago, aldo135 said:

I’ll be down in the next couple of weeks to visit my mum, maybe I could meet you and get these up the road? Will check with you when I have a plan in place! 

Sounds good to me. Somewhere in Norfolk or Suffolk?

[aldo135]

1 hour ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Sounds good to me. Somewhere in Norfolk or Suffolk?

She’s in Lincolnshire, not far from Kings Lynn which is Norfolk I think? So many counties meet here I get confused. Last time I was down I got magazines from Beep near Wisbech, not far away but that was Cambridgeshire! I’ll come and meet you, hoping to camp in Norfolk if the weather suits  

[Spottedlaurel]

11 hours ago, aldo135 said:

She’s in Lincolnshire, not far from Kings Lynn which is Norfolk I think? So many counties meet here I get confused. Last time I was down I got magazines from Beep near Wisbech, not far away but that was Cambridgeshire! I’ll come and meet you, hoping to camp in Norfolk if the weather suits  

Not mega local, but I'm sure we can work something out - send me a PM nearer the time.

[somewhatfoolish]

21 hours ago, captain_70s said:

To celebrate the fucking thing decided it'd rather its driver's door won't stay closed unless you wedge it closed with your leg and lock it with the key, which is nice. *adds to the to-do list.

 

Bastard is fighting you all the way; it's like a dug that knows it's being taken to the vet.

[captain_70s]

Door fixed itself overnight. Woo!

Today was move day. Mr @davidfowler2000 arrived at my flat at the exact same time I arrived home from work at around 14:40ish, his steed of choice was his Volvo V70 T6 AWD and a massive trailer was attached to the rear end - An ideal towing rig.

Within 30mins the space on my street previously occupied by a Dolomite didn't.

Now, loading a non-running car with an engine in the boot onto a tilt bed trailer on a fairly narrow one-way street could have been an utter fuck about. Inexplicably it was easy...

By parking the trailer facing downhill at the bottom of the road it was at a much gentler angle once lowered and with a couple of feet to get rolling before hitting the skids the Dolly simply rolled on via gravity. 

The resulting combination was both aesthetically pleasing and very long...

The drive to the workshop was uneventful, the Volvo would still out-drag the Acclaim despite towing a car containing two cast iron engines...

Once at the workshop minor poking was done and the quality* of prior repairs was admired.

 

@GingerNuttz's assessment of the bodywork was something along the lines of "pretty good overall" The real work begins on Saturday....

[vulgalour]

Classic lump of carcheology there, containing every material of choice of every home enthusiast.  The Jeyes cloth is a particularly colourful addition to an otherwise drab selection of materials.

[GingerNuttz]

Found a rusty 3/8 drive extension that looked structural to the repair too 

[captain_70s]

Don't forget the plastic bag!

[GingerNuttz]

Oh aye that's still up in the hole just in case the car folds in half when it's removed 

[big_al_granvia]

nice one mate getting it moved, the volvo looks sweet with that trailer, it isnt that big, our v70 has has a 25' twin axle caravan on the back, its what volvos are made for. the van makes the v70 look smoll

 

[dollywobbler]

Great stuff. Can imagine this one might get a bit scary yet...

[dave j]

Excellent stuff! Can't wait to see the updates, but going by those pics above from a quick poke around its going to get a lot worse before it gets better! 

[big_al_granvia]

ere cpt, if you want a hand give me a shout, happy to grind, fill, paint or spanner. my welding is shite though, the car is in glasgow area aye??

[captain_70s]

It'll get worse but hopefully not by miles. The only bit that's both fucked and a complicated shape is the front wing. Everything else is either a simple curve or under the skin.

It's the usual case of prior bodgery causing worse rot in the long term. If less of Isopon's finest had been used in the past there would be more salvageable metal left to work with.

It's reckoned both front wings and the valance are savable though so fingers crossed we'll have no major panel purchases.

Toying with the idea of spraying the car another shade of green as Brooklands fades like fuck and looks a bit de-saturated and dull in overcast conditions. Any recommendations for similar hues?

[vulgalour]

Connaught Green is probably closest if you're keeping it in the family, looks like this, quite popular on MGs in America.

[Amishtat]

My old Toledo was Mallard, that suited the shape nicely and wasn't far off Brooklands in colour without fading particularly. 

[danthecapriman]

4 hours ago, captain_70s said:

It'll get worse but hopefully not by miles. The only bit that's both fucked and a complicated shape is the front wing. Everything else is either a simple curve or under the skin.

It's the usual case of prior bodgery causing worse rot in the long term. If less of Isopon's finest had been used in the past there would be more salvageable metal left to work with.

Very true, but, if you want to put a positive spin on that... if the bodges and isopon didn’t get used in the past it’s most likely the car wouldn’t still be here now.

hmm, how very unlike me to be positive!

Anyway, can’t wait to see this becoming unfucked.

[GingerNuttz]

Triumph conifer green is a nice shade too 

 

[plasticvandan]

Applejack, surely? 

[SiC]

What about paint over the green with some Blue tractor enamel?

Like someone did here...

[NigeT]

11 hours ago, captain_70s said:

It'll get worse but hopefully not by miles. The only bit that's both fucked and a complicated shape is the front wing. Everything else is either a simple curve or under the skin.

It's the usual case of prior bodgery causing worse rot in the long term. If less of Isopon's finest had been used in the past there would be more salvageable metal left to work with.

It's reckoned both front wings and the valance are savable though so fingers crossed we'll have no major panel purchases.

Toying with the idea of spraying the car another shade of green as Brooklands fades like fuck and looks a bit de-saturated and dull in overcast conditions. Any recommendations for similar hues?

I can recommend HAA Shitish Racing Green - I resprayed my formerly silver XJ-S in it 3 years ago and if anything it seems to have got a bit glossier over time. 

[eddyramrod]

That should be the strongest Dolly on the planet when you've finished!  The J-cloth was a particularly nice touch.  At least I haven't found any of those in Huggy!  Good luck :)

[Split_Pin]

Good to see plans are afoot to make sure the Dolly lives on, looking forward to more updates chap.

The semi-structural J-cloth is interesting, I don't think that's in the AA Book of the Car chapter about body repairs.

[junkyarddog]

https://www.smithandallan.com/products/tractol-paint/3410-tractol-329-single-pack-machinery-enamel-bs-221-john-deere-green/

Cheap and plentiful. 

[Saabnut]

There can only be one green for a 1970s car (and a black roof would et it off nicely)

[sdkrc]

41 minutes ago, Saabnut said:

There can only be one green for a 1970s car (and a black roof would et it off nicely)

 

[captain_70s]

 

[GingerNuttz]

Weight reduction 

[captain_70s]

With the lightweight big end bearings and the 25lb of metal shavings removed from the sump she'll fly now.

[GingerNuttz]

Lightweight big ends and hardened rods ?