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

[SiC]

Looks like I'll be lumped with this for a while longer then.

 

In the mean time tonight...

 

Wheel back on.

 

Jack up the back.

 

Fence post

 

Under car

 

On stands

 

Supported on post. Yellow jacks are there temporarily as fall arrestors. Extra safe guard while I'm having a look underneath.

 

It looks like my rear displacers have prolapsed while the rear end is jacked up. I assume this is normal.

 

The fittings on top will need to come undone. I expect this will involve a fight and bruised knuckles.

 

Brake pipes on the subframe appear to be made of copper. That's good, one less thing to need to sort. Main brake pipe the length of the car I think is steel so that will need changing really. Naturally the flexis have had it.

 

This is the nearside subframe mounting area. Not sure if I will redo this or not. I'll see once off. Was done by catsinthewelder but probably nearly ten years ago now. We'll see how time has been to it, especially being exposed to the elements.

 

I forgot to take a picture of the otherside. Pictures and videos are around of it earlier in this thread though. Basically it's a massive hole.

 

Probably the biggest and most awkward job will be sorting these rear mounts. Offside is very crusty.

 

God knows what is going on with the nearside mount. Completely different design that someone has tried making, with all different dimensions. Also not sure the welds are holding it on very strongly. I suspect it'll pull off once the subframe is off.

 

Does anyone know of where I can get replacement mounts? Looks like they could be a bit of a pain to fabricate and recreate.

 

Tomorrow I will attempt to drop the rear subframe off. Providing the weather isn't too wet and nasty.

[BeEP]

Just caught up with this and glad to see you're persevering with it.  You're tackling jobs I've managed to avoid on any of mine, despite having owned them for 25 years (not the same cars all that time though!).

[richardthestag]

get on with it man, great experience PLUS, if anything like me, huge satisfaction when big jobs (fnarr) that you are worried about get done

 

this is me in about 1986!

 

 

 

enjoying this thread

[SiC]

Just waiting for the rain to ease off at the moment before I can crack on with it. Hopefully will lighten off in the next hour or so.

 

In the meantime I may consult the HBOL on how I'm supposed to remove a rear subframe. I suspect in practice on a rusty car will be different.

[cort16]

I’ve been here before and bailed but you’ve got so far and done a cracking job so I’d stick with it.

You should get a finger sander / power file for the hard to reach bits . I got an Aldi one for £25 and it’s one of my most used tools

[SiC]

I’ve been here before and bailed but you’ve got so far and done a cracking job so I’d stick with it.

You should get a finger sander / power file for the hard to reach bits . I got an Aldi one for £25 and it’s one of my most used tools

I got one from Xmas - it was like £20 or something from Amazon. Does the job well but I do find the belts (Toolstation) don't last that long. Possibly I go too hard on them though.

 

Not as quick as a flap disc but as you said, very useful for hard to get to bits.

[SiC]

Wot Mr H. (RIP) sed.

 

I'm stuck on step one. Anyone got the address of a local BLMC garage in Bristol?

 

Step two looks tricky too as there is no gearstick or even a gearbox...

[SiC]

get on with it man, great experience PLUS, if anything like me, huge satisfaction when big jobs (fnarr) that you are worried about get done

 

this is me in about 1986!

 

32- (2).jpg

 

32- (3).jpg

 

enjoying this thread

Those pictures (despite being the same age me) are incredibly clear and actually helpful for me to see the mounting points I need to undo. Thanks for them!

 

Also interesting to see at front of the rear arch where rust is coming through from a previous repair.

[richardthestag]

that car was only 14 years old then but terminally rusty, imaging lots of aluminium tape, filler and heavy dobs of brush on underseal. 

 

glad to have helped out

[SiC]

Does anyone know how heavy the rear subframe is off hand? I'm wondering if it's possible for me to manhandle it when it's nearly off, or if it's a heafty lump of old steel I need to watch out my limbs for??

 

Presently the rear of the car is too heavy for me to lift up myself. I have been suspecting that the shell itself is light and all the weight is in that subframe?

[MrBiscuits]

I’ve done this a couple of times with Minis. The frame itself is not heavy, but with the radius arms and everything else on you wouldn’t want it to fall on you. I always used a chunky piece of wood (like your fence post) across the frame, resting on the flat bits, then a trolley jack in the centre. Raise the jack until it’s just taking the weight of the frame. Then undo the mounts and pry it a bit at each to make sure it’s free and lower the jack - you might also need to steady the ‘frame a bit as it comes down. Once on the ground it shouldn’t be too hard to drag around & dismantle

[SiC]

Handbrake cables

 

Undone

 

Brake union (you can see the big hole in the floorpan/mounts to the right of it here)

 

Undone. Handbrake cables out of the way too.

 

Wheels

 

Off

 

Hydragas depressurising

 

Oh FFS

 

Never mind, I'll fix later. I'll just use the schrader connector to let the other side down.

 

Or not. FFS. (End has snapped off the valve on the car side and it's stuck in the Schrader connector)

 

Schrader connector is fucked.

 

Just took the valve out and let it depressurise itself

 

Some right shit came out of the system

 

 

Had to jack up and move the support as it wasn't quite as stable as it was

 

Stopping for lunch now.

 

I think this car heard me saying I was thinking of scrapping it. Need new Schrader valve (£45 ), new hose fitting and probably a new pipe. Also now need the front displacer rehosing. I'm hoping that can possibly be done in-situ.

[somewhatfoolish]

I got one from Xmas - it was like £20 or something from Amazon. Does the job well but I do find the belts (Toolstation) don't last that long. Possibly I go too hard on them though.

 

Not as quick as a flap disc but as you said, very useful for hard to get to bits.

Try brand name belts; Norton etc. I don't have one of those sanders(yet!) but with abrasives quality generally follows cost linearly.

[richardthestag]

Try brand name belts; Norton etc. I don't have one of those sanders(yet!) but with abrasives quality generally follows cost linearly.

 

when the belt does go it can fly, had a couple smack me in the face, visor worn these days

[SiC]

when the belt does go it can fly, had a couple smack me in the face, visor worn these days

I had one half snap the other day and the abrasive side was spinning around slapping hand. I wasn't wearing my welding gauntlets but luckily I had latex gloves on. Didn't half hurt though.

[SiC]

Next up today is the displacer couplings. After being unable to get the front ones undone, I've been dreading this. I really don't want to damage the underfloor pipe as I'd need to remove the front subframe and a lot of hassle to get it changed over.

 

Access to them as per manual is through these rubber bungs.

 

All well and good when a few years old. 47 years on they're a bit tougher to undo (well it's probably been off before in its life already TBF). After applying heat with a heat gun repeatedly, I got out my breaker bar and a crows foot. Probably the second time I've used these crow's feet, but here they have been invaluable.

 

And it's undone!

 

Cut a piece of stud work to span the length of the subframe.

 

Rear subframe bolts undone.

 

Inside the cabin there are the front mount bolts.

 

Undone. (Arrrrrrrrr)

 

Then drop!

 

Oh it's snagging at the back.

Ah there is another bolt. Behind the trailing arm. You can just about make it out in the middle of this picture - to the left of the dead wasp.

 

Back side of the mount it pokes out. It'll take some looking probably for you to spot it. Follow to the left of those two bolts poking down.

 

Undo both sides. Offside goes loose. Hmm maybe the bolt has snapped. Let's drop the jack.

 

Balls. Looks like the bolt is still attached and the captive nut section has broken off.

 

After a lot of swearing, use of mole grips, power tools and finally a breaker bar...

 

Well that will do for now.

 

Drop jack.

 

Yay!

 

Up close on the notorious rear subframe mounts that succumb many 1100 to the scrapyard.

 

It's not actually that bad on this! The messy left mount repair actually looks to be holding up pretty well. While I'm this far I'll probably cut it out though and clean it up.

 

I'm just now hoping there is enough good metal there to be able to weld to and do a decent job.

 

Probably been about 4 hours today of hard, exhausting work to get this far.

[vulgalour]

You absolute hero!  You deserve at least one cake and a large beverage of choice for getting stuck in on this.

[LightBulbFun]

iv been listening to this recently which I feel is fitting right about now 

 

 

 

Awesome stuff/work!

 

from the very start its been very inspiring!

 

and im happy to see your continuing with this rather then giving up on it

[SiC]

After a mini break I got on with some more stuff. First off I tried removing the displacer canisters. Looking at the hoses, they're split at the base. So will need rehosing. Expensive job usually, but I hope I can figure out something a bit cheaper instead.

 

However I could not just get them out. No matter how much pushing, prying and whacking, I can't figure how to remove them at the moment.

 

I even tried putting a vacuum on the line to pull in the plunger bit. It did however give a good chance to suck out some of the manky fluid in it.

 

A few more close up photos of the mounts before I clean the metal.

 

The whacking great big hole

 

This is the remains of the captive nut that was grabbing on when I first tried dropping the frame.

 

The previously repaired section.

 

Finally a quick wizz over the mounting areas with the wire wheel and then flap disc.

 

Driver side

 

Passenger side

 

Bonus pic of me finally pulling out the bodge rebar that someone put in to form a new arch round. Created a perfect rust trap!

 

Then one of my grinders broke. I took the end off and hopefully it's just this wiring that has broken internally. I've cut it off (now for the second time) and hopefully it'll get it working again to get a bit more life out of it.

[SiC]

My plan for the rear subframe mounts is to weld new sections underneath. Even though I have a complete new section I could weld in, I think that will be a lot more work to do. Not just cutting out all the old stuff but also trying to get it lined up in the correct place while on my back is likely going to be a massive PIA.

 

The mounts themselves aren't in that bad a state. Mostly the bottom bits of them that need the TLC. At the top they are in pretty decent shape.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Kudos to you for sticking with it.

The 1100 reminds me of an elderly, almost blind cat abandoned at a rescue centre after it's owner passes on.

Most customers would walk straight past, heading for the cute kittens, or healthy adult cats. Only a certain person would feel responsibly in taking on the old cat no-one else could bring themselves to nurture.

It's reassuring that this car occasionally rewards your efforts, much like today. The sub frame looks half-decent and it's pleasantly surprising that the underside still appears to have structural integrity.

Keep going, chap.

[SiC]

I am a bit of a sucker for the underdog.

 

Even my cat I picked primarily because she had been in the rescue centre for 11 months and overlooked by most! Being a very shy thing that hid away and being a black cat, she had slim chance of being rehomed.

 

Now she's settled and become a bit more normal domesticated cat, she is very loyal. Even if a bit demanding and clingy at times.

 

Like now.

[vulgalour]

Look at all that metal!  That's not at all normal.  Where's the gaping expanses of nothingness?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

^ I'm with you on the whole underdog thing. That's also my default.

Your cat reminds me of our old black Tom, Dave. He was a homeless, ravenous skank who kept on trying to visit our garden. I literally threw things at him to get rid of him, but he kept coming back. Eventually my fiancée offered him a little cat food (much to the disgust of our female tabby), and he wolfed it down. We felt immensely guilty and did a load of asking in case he belonged to a local. Nothing came back, so we took him on, and he developed from almost feral, to loved, trusted pet. We had around three years with him before he died suddenly. Still miss the lad.

 

Anyway, back on topic, keep the momentum going!

[Remspoor]

I too have a black cat. Well had two brothers but one passed away at an early age.

I don't have a ADO16.

I am very impressed at the work going on and the detail of reporting.

[SiC]

If anyone says you can have a beautiful 1100 for free but it just needs a bit* of work on the rear subframe mounts ... JUST SAY NO.

 

I can't express how much of a grim job this is.

 

My current working area:

 

While wearing this:

 

And having hot fiery sparks spray around you.

 

At least I'm getting good penetration

[dozeydustman]

Echoing others I laud your sticking with this car. IMHO I think you've done so well to jack it in at this point would do yourself a disservice. I don't think the added stress of your house move falling through has helped wane your enthusiasm.

 

I think once you've got the welding completed would be a better time to reconsider your future with the project, as a solid rolling shell would be easier to move and someone new continue the project should you so desire.

[purplebargeken]

I just burst out laughing at the sight. Sadly I am at work amongst a lot of people.

 

They are used to me so no reaction whatsoever, phew!

[SiC]

I ache. I ache an awful lot. Laying on your side while supporting & using power tools and welding - then and having to drag yourself out takes a lot out of you. Especially my shoulders hurt.

 

This is one bastard of a job.

 

Not helped by the heavy subframe being in the way. Too heavy for me to properly lift without risking doing my back in. But dragging it means scraping the underside on tarmac.

 

So instead it's just a trip hazard.

 

Metal shaping today has been courtesy of my poor old, much abused knock-off workmate equivalent and a big hammer.

 

This piece at the bottom is all I've managed to get done today. At least the big hole is less of a big hole now. Feels demoralising when so much effort is rewarded by so little.

 

I've got this heelboard panel that I could replace the old piece with. However that means cutting the old section out completely then welding this in. Which also entails ensuring everything still lines up nice and square. Not an easy job when underneath! Ideally the car would be on a rotisserie and this would be a lot easier.

 

Also as it's supported on its bottom, I'm a bit nervous taking too much strength out of key areas like this. Especially as I'm under it and it's still quite a heavy shell!

 

It does seems a big waste to cut the bottom bit off to replace only a small section. So instead I'm going to use some 1.3mm steel and repair the existing section. That way, this panel can be used on another 1100 that needs rescuing. Especially as these panels aren't easy to get hold of anymore.

 

You can see here how little needs to be replaced. The new floor is where the heelboard needs to attach to. However it is useful having the replacement panel to hand, as I can use it as a template to figure out how to make smaller repair sections.

 

This repair job under here isn't going to be a professional grade restoration that looks 100% factory stock. It's just too cramped and uncomfortable for me to want to get it too perfect. It'll be strong and well done, just not the prettiest work I'll do.

 

Hopefully I can get this drivers side done tomorrow and get on with the passenger side. The passenger side looks pretty robust but I'm a little worried that an MOT tester may not. Especially with the subframe on. I know when Rich/Catsinthewelder did it, he did it from the inside. Hence why you don't see any weld seams. As I'm here, I may either redo it or just run a couple of beads across to shore it up.

[plasticvandan]

Just throwing this out there....why not finish and keep this and sell the Oxford fastback? You've only done about 3 miles in it,and the level of work you have put into this so far would suggest to me a lot of emotional attachment,even if not immediately apparent.Also,once done,your not going to have all the worries and fears of the mgb because you will know it inside out and that its all A1. Just a thought...