Project The Austin 2dr 1100 story - Part IV - Now in sharleys hands

[SiC]

Subframe mount looks in half decent condition, so I'll reuse for now. Probably could do with a sand down and a lick of paint.

 

Subframe mount bolted in. It'll have to come back off again soon as the new metal is bare and could do with some paint to protect it.

 

Floor getting there.

 

I'm still worrying the penetration isn't enough. Should I be expecting a blob all the way along that's coming out the other side? Or is that when its too much?

 

Quite a big milestone that the new floor is (nearly) in.

[Tickman]

Can hear a slight hissing from this bottle, so I think it's not quite sealing properly onto my regulator. Going to undo it later and refresh the PTFE (Plumbers Tape Fixes Everything) tape.

 

Mine doesn't have any ptfe on it, the seat on the bottle that the regulator screws into should do all the sealing, just make sure it is clean.

 

You are making great progress and I don't think you have anything to worry about with the welds you are doing.

[SiC]

Old bottle didn't do it, so not sure what's up. Maybe some crud in there. I did give it a quick blast before connecting up to try and dislodge and dirt.

[cort16]

Looking good. It’s hissing when the big valve on bottle is closed ? The little plastic pipes that go to the welder split quite easily if they get pulled down .

[Andyrew]

your regulator should be the domed bull nose type, so it's a brass to brass fitting. Male reg and female bottle.

 

Have a look on the inside of the tap on the top the bottle. I bet the sealling face has a scratched mark around the 5 o'clock position.

 

Had this 3 times with hobbyweld bottles.

 

I stopped checking them but the last on I got had the exact same scratch and causes a leak. My local supplier is great but it's still an unwanted 25mile round trip.

[vulgalour]

Congratulations!  That looks a really nice job on that floor.  once it's got seam sealer and paint on you won't know you've done anything.  It's fantastic to see that big chunk of metal going in, I bet it makes the interior feel much nicer too.

[SiC]

your regulator should be the domed bull nose type, so it's a brass to brass fitting. Male reg and female bottle.

 

Have a look on the inside of the tap on the top the bottle. I bet the sealling face has a scratched mark around the 5 o'clock position.

 

Had this 3 times with hobbyweld bottles.

 

I stopped checking them but the last on I got had the exact same scratch and causes a leak. My local supplier is great but it's still an unwanted 25mile round trip.

Correct! It's at the twelve o'clock and one o'clock position on this one though. I'm hoping it hasn't buggered my regulator up though. Definitely marks on the mating section.

 

 

 

Congratulations! That looks a really nice job on that floor. once it's got seam sealer and paint on you won't know you've done anything. It's fantastic to see that big chunk of metal going in, I bet it makes the interior feel much nicer too.

It's more handy that I no longer have to keep putting cardboard over the hole to stop my cat going in to investigate. Also gives back a purpose in life to the keys. I still locked it when there was a great big hole though...

 

 

The floor is not quite finished yet. Still have to fix the front bit on and the missing section to the right, but that should be relatively straightforward. I'm also going to run a bead across the left hand section that I ground away at the top, as I'm not totally happy it's fully penetrated right through to the back. You can see the butt gap between the two metal sheets in a fair bit of it.

 

Not sure what to do with the half drain hole. The 1100 doesn't usually have drain holes, but this is the mini floorpan you supplied and I guess they do. I won't weld up that other one, just fit a bung incase there ever is a leak! Could be especially handy if there is a brake fluid leak too.

[junkyarddog]

That looks good,

the welding is probably the most difficult bit of rebuilding old shite.

The way you are tackling it is impressive.

Keep it up

[SiC]

Not entirely sure what to do next after the floor.

 

A quick rough list for this offside that needs doing:

• Sill membrane. Not sure if the outer sill actually needs replacing. Will need to be cut off anyway to access the sill membrane.
• Sill closing panel. Will be done once the membrane is done and the outer sill is back on. Good chance to do some plug welding. Unfortunately it's all upside down, so I imagine this job isn't going to be pleasant.
• Wheel arch. I'm not going to reshape it just yet. Plan is to try and reaffix the wheel arch liner back to the outer body first. Hopefully not by blowing holes through all the old metal though! After the rest is done I'll revisit to try and reprofile them. If I can be bothered at that point...
• Inner sill. Still not sure what to do on this one. I think it probably needs that thinner section cutting out and replacing really. There is a hole that needs patching in, so I might start with that. If the metal keeps blowing through then I know it's going to need a bigger chunk taken out.
• Small section of back floor is welded to the outer body rather than to the inner sill. This is a very old repair but still needs sorting. Right near and part of it is on the rear subframe mounts.
• Rear subframe mount. Both sides need doing. I think I'm going to have to do both the mounts as a thing in its own right. 99% sure I'm going to have to drop the subframe and support the body in the air. Also will probably be some underbody welding. Definitely not a pleasant job.

Then once that's done there is the nearside to do... Luckily that appears mostly to be outer sill, membrane and wheel arch.

[vulgalour]

Stick a rubber bung in the hole.  Easier, and futureproofing should you end up with water getting in from somewhere.  Being a Mini floorpan, bungs in whatever size that hole is should be easy to get and affordable too.  If you do want to weld it up you just cut a circle of steel to the relevant size, and weld it in, but it seems a lot of faff when a simple rubber bung will do the job just as well.

[vulgalour]

I'd be going after any more of the main floor pan and inner sills you can do without removing the subframe next and then get the inside with some paint slapped about to call it done.  Then the sill membrane and outer sill to get the strength back in and then assess whether to do the awkward subframe-off jobs at the back or the awkward closing panel.  Do the stuff you can see so you have the boost of seeing lots of finished bits before moving on to the horrible underneath jobs that aren't so easy to see.

[SiC]

 

 

Stick a rubber bung in the hole. Easier, and futureproofing should you end up with water getting in from somewhere. Being a Mini floorpan, bungs in whatever size that hole is should be easy to get and affordable too. If you do want to weld it up you just cut a circle of steel to the relevant size, and weld it in, but it seems a lot of faff when a simple rubber bung will do the job just as well.

Yeah definitely going to stick a bung in the middle hole. The other hole isn't going to be round enough to fit a bung in. I could cut a bung down to fit I guess though. Just feels ugly/bodgy that it needs that.

 

 

I'd be going after any more of the main floor pan and inner sills you can do without removing the subframe next and then get the inside with some paint slapped about to call it done. Then the sill membrane and outer sill to get the strength back in and then assess whether to do the awkward subframe-off jobs at the back or the awkward closing panel. Do the stuff you can see so you have the boost of seeing lots of finished bits before moving on to the horrible underneath jobs that aren't so easy to see.

Back subframe definitely will be the last job to do.

 

While I remember, I need to cut out and replace the centre section where it meets the driver's floor. You did it on one bit but the other bits ended up breaking their welds when I was bashing the new floor into shape. Just some right angled pieces, so no biggy. But need to do it before much more as its probably a key part of the shells strength.

 

I'll get that inner sill patched up and then I think I'll start on that sill membrane and outer sill. The outer sill looks like it's been replaced in the past when looking on the inside of it.

 

There used to be a guide here:

http://ado16.co.uk/replace_those_sills.shtml

But looks like it's been taken down irritatingly.

 

I remember what it said though and I'll follow it. I think I saved the page somewhere too. Basically I'm going to cut in around the join area but leave the top section there. I may also do it in two halves too - door way first, then reweld it back on and then cut and do the back section next.

[Andyrew]

I've wondered wether the damage to the mating face is damaged by the equipment used to refill the bottle.

 

Contact the supplier and they should exchange it. I've not had any issues getting them replaced.

[sharley17194]

looking good! that mini floor pan works quite well in my opinion. Your welds are fine don't fret  

[Scruffy Bodger]

I bought my receipt when I got my gas today but the guy at Welly Weld said he didn't need to see it. Apparently they only need to see it when you want a refund on the deposit.

I always spend too much. Bought a new torch today too. Wanted a 4m one so I can get the machine in a better place.

58 quid for a genuine Binzel isn't too bad I reckon.

Can hear a slight hissing from this bottle, so I think it's not quite sealing properly onto my regulator. Going to undo it later and refresh the PTFE (Plumbers Tape Fixes Everything) tape.

It looks like that welder you bought has been a worthy investment by the progress you are making. I'm assuming there is some quite clever stuff going on in the background. That Binzel torch should stand you good stead too, they are a quality bit of kit. I've seen jobs people have been charged for worse than the bits you've done already.

As for bottles and gases you can go the other way, I think the bottle was 27 quid some years back, no rental and a re-fill is still only about a tenner. It's filled to 200 bar iirc? The regs were cheapo Parweld ones 19.50, price matched by my local supplier to the cheapest eBay deal I found.

[SiC]

It looks like that welder you bought has been a worthy investment by the progress you are making. I'm assuming there is some quite clever stuff going on in the background. That Binzel torch should stand you good stead too, they are a quality bit of kit. I've seen jobs people have been charged for worse than the bits you've done already.

As for bottles and gases you can go the other way, I think the bottle was 27 quid some years back, no rental and a re-fill is still only about a tenner. It's filled to 200 bar iirc? The regs were cheapo Parweld ones 19.50, price matched by my local supplier to the cheapest eBay deal I found.

I'm not sure what it's setting it too, but the final voltage reading varies after every weld. So it seems to be dynamically changing things as you weld. Sometimes it struggles to get an arc (especially dirty/sooty metal) but it seems to keep trying and once it catches, it holds onto it pretty well.

 

I'm glad I bought a decent welding set. It's one less thing to be fighting against when learning how to weld and trying to do a job.

 

The old torch that came with it was a Binzel too, just I'd an older style. Only 3 metres, so not as convenient. The new 4m torch needs much less roller tension, so I guess the old one had a tired lining. I bought a new lining for the 3m one anyway, which I'll change. I'll just keep the torch as a backup incase I drop and break my new one.

 

Who supplies the 27quid bottle? Sounds rather cheap!

[sharley17194]

my attempt at floor replacement....

[SiC]

I probably should have bought myself a proper ado16 repair panel. Would have paid itself back in shielding gas used!

 

Your seat mounts are different to mine. The cross beam section on mine is flat, yours has a lump of metal on it.

[sharley17194]

Well done you are learning the subtle ado16 differences, mines a Vanden plas the seats mount slightly differently.

 

Id agree with you there, the mini floor would have been around £25 the correct panel is £45....good value for money id say and look amazing....you live an learn....its done.....now have some wine and move on....

 

I probably should have bought myself a proper ado16 repair panel. Would have paid itself back in shielding gas used!

Your seat mounts are different to mine. The cross beam section on mine is flat, yours has a lump of metal on it.

[Scruffy Bodger]

I get mine from https://www.brylandfire.com/ They don't seem to advertise it. I heard about them word of mouth even though they are twenty miles from me. Maybe others provide the same service? They won't re-fill bottles that have brewery names on them.

[SiC]

 

 

Well done you are learning the subtle ado16 differences, mines a Vanden plas the seats mount slightly differently.

 

Id agree with you there, the mini floor would have been around £25 the correct panel is £45....good value for money id say and look amazing....you live an learn....its done.....now have some wine and move on....

Yeah I did get a price from classic sheet metal. However after spending a bit too much recently I decided to make do with what I had.

 

 

I get mine from https://www.brylandfire.com/ They don't seem to advertise it. I heard about them word of mouth even though they are twenty miles from me. Maybe others provide the same service? They won't re-fill bottles that have brewery names on them.

Is that an Argon mix they do, or just CO2?

[Scruffy Bodger]

Just CO2. I've used both but when it comes to welding shitty old cars I don't really see anything to warrant the extra price of using mixed gases tbh.

I'm going to have to resist the urge to try one of these new synergic welders. Mines in fantastic condition for a 20 year old machine, it's barely been used before I had it but yours has definite advantages. Portability being the main thing I should think, inverter tech but also the results!

[vulgalour]

Depends on the welder and the machine when it comes to gasses it seems.  I prefer Argon mix over plain CO2, I just get a better, more consistent weld with it so I value the lack of swearing and am prepared to pay a little extra.  My brother, not so much, he usually prefers CO2.  Try out the different gasses and see what works for your set up and you as a welder and stick with it.

[Remspoor]

synergic welders

 

I am out of touch as I had to look this up.

[SiC]

Machine in automatic mode doesn't appear to mind if you're doing Argon+CO2 or straight CO2. You can select either and I guess it'll adapt to it.

 

I'll probably stay with an Argon+CO2 mix for now as I've got a supply of it and it's not too expensive. Except when it leaking out of the couplings...

[SiC]

I am out of touch as I had to look this up.

To be honest if you know what you're doing, you most likely not need it. I guess it could be handy if your a professional dumped on a site and got told to start welding straight away while being on a fixed priced job.

 

Apart from synergic, I also wanted an inverter based welder as they're significantly light for the same power output. Mine is a 200amp (@ 20% duty) unit that only weights 12kg. Also inverter units can be run off an extension cord without any loss in performance and more efficient, so can do that 200A off a 13A wall socket.

[SiC]

I did just read that with 0.6mm wire you're only supposed to use a torch with a maximum length of 3 metres. But it appears to be working fine...

 

I guess that I'll just need to make sure the liner is kept clean and not use too tight radiuses. Which I can do better on a 4m as the machine can be in a better place.

[SiC]

Bought an MG Midget Speedo. Perfect size to fit as a replacement for the stock 1300 that is the wrong Turns Per Mile. Unfortunately the brass bearing that the needle sits on was buggered. It worked - unless it had shock to the side (think speed hump) then it's stick. Wasn't the most expensive unit at 30quid but still annoying.

 

So that left me with 3 Speedos of varying working states and configurations.

 

The mechanism of this MG Midget one is slightly different to the other ones I have. Far more metal parts than plastic too. Almost as if its an older unit and later ones had been cheapened up.

 

Pulled them all apart to see what bits I could take from one to make another good one.

 

This had a cog that was in the correct direction but the mechanism was pretty different. However with a bit of bodging I made the ratchet type mechanism work properly.

 

Not pretty but it works well now! You won't see it once all screwed together anyway.

[Squire_Dawson]

Always keep a bung hole. One day you will be glad of it. If it isn't truly round, a few minutes with a rat tail file soon sorts that.

[PhilA]

Shame you lost the trip meter there.

 

Nice work though. Fiddly!

 

 

Phil