2000 Corsa B Env(o)y*

[Split_Pin]

Sorry for the funny angles, I took screenshots of a video someone sent me of their Corsa in the same area which is now repaired which makes me feel a bit better about mine!

[Split_Pin]

Booked this back into the same place for more welding as it seems like the only option if I want to have a Corsa B on fleet..

My search for a good standard Corsa elicited one for sale that hadn't been MOTd for 4 years, had various electrical issues, missing trim and the seller 'hadnt looked' at the condition of the underside despite carrying out cosmetic stuff topside. He wanted £850.

The second one had sills which had been repeatedly patched up over the years but the rest of the underside was 'champion' (this one was in Sunderland). £750.

Others were just optimistically priced.

My wife has encouraged me to ask for welding equipment from Santa though as I think that is really the only viable long term option.

I'm still going to keep an eye out for a reasonably priced standard example though, these are generally found outside of enthusiasts circles who seem still to be 80% bellends.

[Cheezey]

It is surprising how rare Corsa Bs have become. I saw a silver post ‘97 lowered on softstars in Bainsford the other day. It was so unusual to see one I looked up the reg to see if it was a sport. It was a 1.4 Breeze. 

[Split_Pin]

Yes I have seen that one on the Scottish Corsa Facebook group before.

Prices 3 years ago were nothing like this.

[blackboilersuit]

Liked for having a tame welder not for needing the work done. 

While being able to weld is a handy skill to have if it's just for an occasional small patch then having a tame mechanic who'll do zip a plate on for £not much is a great option to be honest. Lying on your back on the drive welding a patch 6" from your face with the car up on ramps is not much fun. 

Once you've had these bits done then if you get under the car once a year and remove any loose underseal then go at everything with the vatcan and chassis black I think it could be a long time before you need any more welding. Looks to be a fundamentally solid car with a lot of life left in it.

[Split_Pin]

Yes it's the lying on my back bit that's offputting!

[Split_Pin]

Got this back today. 

The garage had it on the ramp for me to let me see the extent of the job that required doing.

Once the arm was off it was evident that not a lot had been holding it on.

Fabrication was required at the rear of the lower arm mount. This is double skinned, the one on the other side of here has a flange which folds out into the inner wheelarch facing the wheel. This was all rotten and required complete fabrication. There was a so a repair made the the flat bottom of the chassis rail itself. The diagonal brace was rebuilt as well.

At the front, the bolt mounting needed to be remade completely. The rot extended right up the inner wing behind the drive shaft. This is double skinned so both inner and outer have been replaced.

I also provided brand new lower arms and ball joints. At less than £20 a side it was a no brainer.

Not a Saturday afternoon job by any means whatsoever.

Astonishingly, the other side was mint, no rust whatsoever, which I saw for myself.

The rear spring seats were solid, the seam had swollen up and looked ugly but is cosmetic so will be left alone for now. I'll seal it up with Vactan and paint.

A wheel realignment was also carried out.

So including the earlier plate to the strut top, parts and today's work it all came to around £400.

I feel this is worth it as all other Bs I saw for sale cheap had corrosion issues. So I'd have had the hassle of buying another one, changing over all the bits and still have corrosion to deal with, together with unknown mechanicals. Mine has also had a replacement rear axle from a C and most Bs on their original axles will need these replaced by now.

It hasn't been hoovered for a few years so as a welcome back I so treated it:

Mucky foot marks aplenty

All clean.

And so to driving it!

 

[320touring]

Yaaaasssss! Tremendous.

 

That's a fair bit of work they have put in there. Looks well

[Split_Pin]

So apparently according to the experts* on the Scottish Corsa page, only one of whom offered to help me but that was just because they wanted to buy the car, this welding is like pigeon shit.

I'm no expert but am I right to think that it doesn't have to look pretty to be strong? 

Wish I hadn't posted it up now.

[motorpunk]

7 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

So apparently according to the experts* on the Scottish Corsa page, only one of whom offered to help me but that was just because they wanted to buy the car, this welding is like pigeon shit.

I'm no expert but am I right to think that it doesn't have to look pretty to be strong? 

Wish I hadn't posted it up now.

Fuck them and fuck it. There’s always some smart-arsed twat online who will pick holes in your work. It’s a Corsa, not a Bugatti, so if you’re happy with it then forget it and enjoy the car.

[Split_Pin]

Sounds like a plan!

[Tickman]

45 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I'm no expert but am I right to think that it doesn't have to look pretty to be strong? 

No it doesn't have to be pretty to be strong.

Dressing stuff back is sometimes the worst thing to do.

[blackboilersuit]

Great to see the wee car back in one piece again. That's an excellent repair for the money to be honest. It may be a bit agricultural  in that it's strong, functional but not the prettiest but it's certainly not pigeon shit. There's been a lot of work gone into that and it's nice to see that everything has been seam welded and nothing ground back. That way you know nothing's being hidden. 

In this day and age I'm honestly surprised that you can find a garage to do that much work for such a fair price. 

[Andyrew]

I'd guess most of the comments are from people who haven't welded before and seem to expect the world for fuck all. 

If it had been in for a mega expensive restoration I'd understand a comment but, If it's been to a garage to make the car solid and usable for a reasonable sum id say it's fairly standard MOT style welding.

 

[Andyrew]

Although here doesn't appear to be welded underneath the fuel lines.  I understand why, But a fussy tester may pull this up one day. 

[Matty]

On 7/13/2020 at 6:02 PM, blackboilersuit said:

Liked for having a tame welder not for needing the work done. 

While being able to weld is a handy skill to have if it's just for an occasional small patch then having a tame mechanic who'll do zip a plate on for £not much is a great option to be honest. Lying on your back on the drive welding a patch 6" from your face with the car up on ramps is not much fun. 

Once you've had these bits done then if you get under the car once a year and remove any loose underseal then go at everything with the vatcan and chassis black I think it could be a long time before you need any more welding. Looks to be a fundamentally solid car with a lot of life left in it.

was just about to put exactly the same. I have to weld and fab on industrial machinery as part of my work and have no intention of ever going near any of my cars. Fuck that for a game of soldiers. Keep being nice to the tame welder ?

[Matty]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

So apparently according to the experts* on the Scottish Corsa page, only one of whom offered to help me but that was just because they wanted to buy the car, this welding is like pigeon shit.

I'm no expert but am I right to think that it doesn't have to look pretty to be strong? 

Wish I hadn't posted it up now.

and fuck the Scottish corsa page. If they were that fucking clever thered be more of them left ?. Lovely little car, keep it up pal. Anyhow, if its garaged and you don't use it as much now, then its not going to rot as much anymore!

[Split_Pin]

Cheers chaps.

It is indeed correct to say that the objective was simply to get rid of the rot, make the area strong and keep the car useable.

I didn't notice that bit under the fuel lines there. Hopefully it shouldn't be an issue as the garage that did the work have also MOTd it for the past 10 years. 

I'm unclear as to how the rust was missed at testing time as the car hasn't been driven in the winter since 2015 and barely in the wet either so it's clearly been like that for a long time.  But as long as I keep things under and around the car in check and as long as they keep fixing the things I find then I'm fairly happy with that arrangement.

[Split_Pin]

6 minutes ago, Matty said:

and fuck the Scottish corsa page. If they were that fucking clever thered be more of them left ?. Lovely little car, keep it up pal. Anyhow, if its garaged and you don't use it as much now, then its not going to rot as much anymore!

Yes I said as much, in my usual gentlemanly* way and left the page!

[Split_Pin]

An honest morning's tinkering today.

Changed the oil.

Wire brushed a few blebs around the engine bay. The cross member was fitted in 2012 and apart from this one very minor bit of flaky paint, it's still in grand nick.

I also sealed up the ugly seam near the rear spring seat.

Finally I gave the wheels a polish as they tend to go yellow if you don't.

[paulplom]

I bet that welding is stronger than factory.

 

[Split_Pin]

Gave it a wax this morning and while I was there I removed this ancient giffer trinket

As you can see it has excellent moisture retaining properties and has contributed to the rust around the wiper hole. My winter project is to remove the wiper, which seized years ago and fill the hole with some Isopon and respray the lower half. I want to save the bootlid as the spoiler was professionally painted (ie not in my back garden) and it's bonded on at one side as the bolts broke off.

[Split_Pin]

Despite the milometer on this car moving very little in 2020 due to lockdown, progress on repairs and improvements has indeed shifted along.

Getting that chassis leg welded really spurred me on with it so over the last few months I have worked on the bootlid.

The wiper has seized years ago so my plan was simply to remove it.

As expected, the hole for the spindle was very rusty.

Thankfully the rot was localised so cutting out was minimal.

I can't weld yet and to make this my first job when I do learn would have been daft as I reckon thin metal in a prominent place is never going to be easy to weld neatly without blowing holes and warping.

I went for the fibreglass route, starting with a patch from the rear.

Filled and sanded.

Primer

Top coat.

It looks a bit like dog shit tbh, a bit orange peely and has a few runs but it's better than it was!

I spent an hour today cutting it back and it looks a bit better now.

Fuck it, it's a Corsa not a Bentley Flying Spur.

 

 

 

[Cavcraft]

That looks great!

 

Obvs. not as many as there were, but there are still loads of these ace little cars on the road.

[Tickman]

That looks ace that.

[AndyW201]

Great work Iain, always loved this little car and the mods on it.

The parents had both Corsa B and C SRis so it was inevitable that I'd end up with Corsas of my own, hence my old Irmscher kitted C SXi and the current VX line. (So far behaving itself...)

[320touring]

Good to see this getting some love - paintwork looks ace!

[dome]

That looks good! 

[stuboy]

wish i could get my paint to shine like urs