project 1974 Dolomite Sprint

[SiC]

21 minutes ago, GingerNuttz said:

The synergic is crap on it anyways, I tried it once and it was totally wrong for how I weld.

I'm up in the 18-23V range on 1.2 with the wire speed about 9-10 depending on the joint I'm welding. 

Is those settings with your really long torch?

In theory the wire speed should be on a closed loop, so shouldn't matter. At least you'd hope on this caliber of machine.

[GingerNuttz]

42 minutes ago, SiC said:

Is those settings with your really long torch?

In theory the wire speed should be on a closed loop, so shouldn't matter. At least you'd hope on this caliber of machine.

I'm stuck with a 6ft torch using 0.6 or it's just tangling up, I can run the 6 metre torch on the 0.8 wire no issues but welding 0.8 steel with is is soul destroying 😂

I've always run my wire feed a bit quicker but it's all down to feel at the end of the day.

[Anglevan]

I see the route you went, but plug welds is the best way. If you practice on some scrap you will get the idea, easiest way to weld on a small lip is small hole (6mm) and wack the amps up. You do need a good mask to see what you are doing, and they need to be clean and nipped up tight or they 'blow' If i was doing that id work from the top of the hole and allow gravity to fill the hole working in a circular fashion.

What youve done is fine and yes it is showing that you had the amps about right. you could hit it by upping it slightly if you are confident but then you get to blowing holes in the panel. I do like your attitude to this stuff and while I dont post much I do enjoy your tinkering and detail to stuff.

[SiC]

BUMP! 

Three fricking years. Don't get too excited as nothing has happened. Nearly six years of ownership too.

I was up at storage briefly earlier to check on the Cayman. While there I did have a quick look around at the sad old thing and what still needs doing.

Front end needs some love. I'm less bothered about this now as it's not structural and I think a bit of filler/fibreglass/patching bodging will get this looking a bit more presentable. Or just duct tape. 🙃

I do have a complete NOS right wing that I could sort that side easily too. Tbh that is the worst side and it may need it. 

My offside repair has held up just fine. There is a bit of filler under here but it's solid after my repairs. Probably needs a further sand down. Rear door is buggered at the bottom but iirc I bought a repair panel. Or just live with it.

Nearside is where the majority of the bodywork is needed. Sill, inner membrane, rear arch and inner door arch areas need sorting. Apart from the inner door arch areas (which aren't that complicated), I have all replacement panels. 

Honestly right now, I'm seriously contemplating paying someone to do the nearside metal work to speed this up. Yes it won't be cheap but I don't think a professional would take that long to do it, especially with the repair panels I have. 

Then I can sort the front end, filler and rattle can paint. 

I think that's the quickest way to get it back on the road which I'd love to do in not another few years...

[Dan302]

I really miss mine, unless I win the lottery I doubt I'll own one again 😞 

And yes I did look like a cool dude.....

 

[SiC]

9 minutes ago, Dan302 said:

I really miss mine, unless I win the lottery I doubt I'll own one again 😞 

And yes I did look like a cool dude.....

 

Not sure it's much better knowing you have one sat in storage that is not ready to go!

At £77pcm for it sat in storage, I'd probably have been better off selling mine. Especially if I sold it during the COVID market peaks. 

I paid £2700 for mine (or was it £2600?) with an actual legit MOT in 2019. That was cheap for one back then, albeit I knew it needed some work. Unfortunately a house moving debacle meant I didn't get much done in the first year and mostly poked it. Then COVID happened with loads of time and I poked it some more. For example I should have left that front as is and just focused on the sills & rear arch. 

Ironically the quick project Midget as a short distraction from bodywork turned out to be the opposite and actually has had far more work than this needs. I should have punted that on when I realised and bought a ready to go example...

Oh well. I am where I am. Focus first and foremost is getting that Midget done. The bodywork is so nearly there. It is tempting to stash that away when the bodywork is done and pull this out. But I really fancy not more bodywork immediately after finishing the Midgets! Hence why I'm also tempted to outsource the bodywork on this Dolomite and reduce the amount of metal bashing left that I'm fed up of..

I just need to find someone to do it that I know will do a decent job.

[Andyrew]

Re reading this thread I'd honestly forgotten just how much work you have done to this car. It was pretty shagged.

A top effort, while it's not finished you should be proud of the work you have done its a mammoth task 

[camryv6]

19 hours ago, SiC said:

Not sure it's much better knowing you have one sat in storage that is not ready to go!

At £77pcm for it sat in storage, I'd probably have been better off selling mine. Especially if I sold it during the COVID market peaks. 

I paid £2700 for mine (or was it £2600?) with an actual legit MOT in 2019. That was cheap for one back then, albeit I knew it needed some work. Unfortunately a house moving debacle meant I didn't get much done in the first year and mostly poked it. Then COVID happened with loads of time and I poked it some more. For example I should have left that front as is and just focused on the sills & rear arch. 

Ironically the quick project Midget as a short distraction from bodywork turned out to be the opposite and actually has had far more work than this needs. I should have punted that on when I realised and bought a ready to go example...

Oh well. I am where I am. Focus first and foremost is getting that Midget done. The bodywork is so nearly there. It is tempting to stash that away when the bodywork is done and pull this out. But I really fancy not more bodywork immediately after finishing the Midgets! Hence why I'm also tempted to outsource the bodywork on this Dolomite and reduce the amount of metal bashing left that I'm fed up of..

I just need to find someone to do it that I know will do a decent job.

Get in the queue for @GingerNuttzmaybe ?

[timolloyd]

Or ask @Peter C if he’ll break out the pop rivet gun again? It could be on the road for the summer.

[SiC]

Want to waste 8m30s of your life that you won't get back?

Well here is a walk around video going through all the crusty bits and where I'm looking for someone else to do some bodywork for me. 

[Dan302]

51 minutes ago, SiC said:

Want to waste 8m30s of your life that you won't get back?

Well here is a walk around video going through all the crusty bits and where I'm looking for someone else to do some bodywork for me. 

It's a lot tidier than mine was and mine was a daily driver! 

[purplebargeken]

Bloody hell, tempus does really does fugit.