Jump to content

Toyota RAV4 GX "Jack" - Scrapped 20th August 2021 // Final Video To End 2021


St.Jude

Recommended Posts

Well I mean, I was going great guns really.

IMG_20210531_153945351_HDR.thumb.jpg.dda10e0a199f8cf9ffd25670c0310ecb.jpg

IMG_20210531_160745112_HDR.thumb.jpg.6e1d35922e84cf2ad6577e5065d29619.jpg

Then I offered it up to the car, and it's at this point I remembered I should've just tacked the steel.

IMG_20210531_162233788_HDR.thumb.jpg.d19e09dac77b09261cc02030039a3d37.jpg

IMG_20210531_162251673_HDR.thumb.jpg.21925264809a66bdc0e87ac44b361ec5.jpg

Don't know right what's happened. I think my template, which I made from the bit I cut off, may have had a drop.

That's enough for me today. I'm sunburnt again, and disappointed with that repair panel.

Anyway, onward!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually no, the bit I cut off hasn't bent.

IMG_20210531_163311676.thumb.jpg.d146ad32ea720993c147ea08034101dc.jpg

I'm not sure how I screwed the pooch on that so badly to be honest. But I can cut a V at a specific part of that and bent it back and it should be good to go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Low Horatio gearbox said:

Measure... many times cut/weld  2 maybe 3 times. 🤷‍♂️ . A pain but easily rectified,  the thing is you are still making progress.

I (think) I have dyscalculia, the dyslexia of maths. So measuring loads of times never helps. I have to measure and go away and forget about it, then go back to it and measure it just to make sure it's fine. 

I'll cut the V tonight and try it again tonight, as we're blessed with actual sunshine!

11 hours ago, Ian_Fearn said:

Welding skillz improved beyond recognition. 11.5 out of 10.

I was quite impressed with myself when I did that - until I offered it back to the car :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, St.Jude said:

I (think) I have dyscalculia, the dyslexia of maths. So measuring loads of times never helps.

Interesting.  I believe I have this, but it has not stopped me doing engineering things all my life.  I can work in Imperial or Metric as required but find Imperial easier, I think because mistakes are easier to spot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Andyrew said:

From the pics it Looks like the welding has just distorted and pulled it out of shape to me,  bit to much heat for thin sheet in a short time. 

Great welding and the tin shaping is very good. 

Top work!

I had another look today as I left my bluetooth thing in the garage. I got the old piece, the new piece, and the paper template I made from the old piece. The paper template, when it's flat, matches the new piece I made. The paper template when flat, doesn't match the old piece. So I duffed it up on the template.

14 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

Interesting.  I believe I have this, but it has not stopped me doing engineering things all my life.  I can work in Imperial or Metric as required but find Imperial easier, I think because mistakes are easier to spot.

I was meant to get checked before Coronavirus kicked off, as I'm a software developer and I kept making really silly/simple mistakes with numbers. It would explain a lot for the last 10 years anyway!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, Ian_Fearn said:

Welding skillz improved beyond recognition. 11.5 out of 10.

Having once had a go at welding (which is enough to allow me to hold forth with authority upon the subject anywhere on the interweb), I concur.

Plus even I know that there is a big difference between welding thick pieces of clean metal together where no once will see them, and repairing thin, easily distorted car bodywork. You've already achieved miracles with this fucking thing, don't be deterred by the odd minor cock up.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, warch said:

Having once had a go at welding (which is enough to allow me to hold forth with authority upon the subject anywhere on the interweb), I concur.

Plus even I know that there is a big difference between welding thick pieces of clean metal together where no once will see them, and repairing thin, easily distorted car bodywork. You've already achieved miracles with this fucking thing, don't be deterred by the odd minor cock up.

 

Thank you!

I rectified the cock up, but it's still got a little gap at the bottom. Nothing major, I've a strip of an off cut that will fit the gap without an issue. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

More going on.

I haven't quite finished with the one sheet I bought, but decided for speed I'd cut the strip from the fresh sheet.

IMG_20210609_183233_130.thumb.jpg.b3fd51ffb242484a88078823df5fd0e6.jpg

Made a new panel, and tacked it together, then checked it again. This time, thankfully, it was a good fit. Ish. Got a little to fettle but will do that when it's complete on the car.

IMG_20210609_184158189_HDR.thumb.jpg.449294859183aea47f2a9ba1ab79ae61.jpg

IMG_20210609_184208401_HDR.thumb.jpg.f69d1f010035770dbb5c47dab0f22b9f.jpg

IMG_20210609_184322271_HDR.thumb.jpg.115e20770c396b449da742ce0916f7c3.jpg

IMG_20210609_184920465_HDR.thumb.jpg.8b79f7027ff509717e939178230a3baf.jpg

And the violin - that's et viola isn't it? - another section offered up and welded on (not in this photo).

Polish_20210609_205254775.thumb.jpg.675ad2f83aebf5b89262beeffe1caca7.jpg

Tacked one bit on the underside of the arch. Light was crap and I needed to do a bench.

The rust is from the flash rain we had at the weekend, when I was drunk, and didn't even think I had left that unprotected. I'll Vactan in when I grid back the welds. All of that panel, by the way, is welded. 

I'm so used to the panels flexing, now it's solid. Even the bit above, although I have warped it slightly. Nothing the filler won't sort out! 

Or a hammer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, St.Jude said:

I have learnt that I fucking hate welding upside down, and that there is a reason these boys who do this day in/out use a rotisserie! 

Yeah, you've got to love working on things like inner sills or arches whilst lying on your back under the car... No room for a mask so you end up stunt welding with your eyes shut, a process guaranteed to produce a beautiful weld 😅 It's also inevitable that some molten metal will drop down your sleeve and bore a hole in your arm at some point when you're working with your arms up in the air.

I've been admiring your commitment to repairing the rot on this Rav4, because a) I think they're brilliant trucks which are getting rarer so it's good to see one being saved and b) I've got a Subaru Legacy that needs almost identical welding doing to it which I've been putting off for ages because I know it's going to be an utter ball ache. Seeing your progress is very enouraging!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/11/2021 at 11:09 AM, Rust Collector said:

Yeah, you've got to love working on things like inner sills or arches whilst lying on your back under the car... No room for a mask so you end up stunt welding with your eyes shut, a process guaranteed to produce a beautiful weld 😅 It's also inevitable that some molten metal will drop down your sleeve and bore a hole in your arm at some point when you're working with your arms up in the air.

I've been admiring your commitment to repairing the rot on this Rav4, because a) I think they're brilliant trucks which are getting rarer so it's good to see one being saved and b) I've got a Subaru Legacy that needs almost identical welding doing to it which I've been putting off for ages because I know it's going to be an utter ball ache. Seeing your progress is very enouraging!

Years of boxing have given me a high pain threshold, so it's not even the pain of the blobs that I hate. It's the mask, making my head twice as large (and I already have a fat head), making it hard to get comfortable, then realising the weld isn't great. The frustration builds as there is no real good outcome from the badness of it all. With the panels I've made, it's orgasmic in comparison. When it's right it's great. The payoff of suffering to get it right, of having a right panel, makes it great. But I don't get that with welding upside down, and that's what's difficult.

I miss my Legacy. I shouldn't have sold it. But the bloke I sold it to scrapped it even though it wasn't in bad condition. I might get another one day, I've suffered with one rotten Jap car another one wouldn't hurt!

But I would say, if you've the money, try and get the pattern panel instead of what I did. But that's up to you, your wallet etc. I'm tight, and I've paid more in time than money because of it.

-

As for today, I was out the door at 8:30, thought the gas was low. Went to Car Spares, he gives me a bottle. I get home - he's given me Hobbyweld 15, not the 5 I gave him. Called them up, they don't have it so it's being brought across in a few hours. 

So until then, I made the mistake of telling the wife I couldn't do anything, so I'm being dragged off to look at cots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3pm came and I got the bottle of gas. It brought me to 4pm to get anything done, and I would only be half way through if I started. So I didn't do anything.

Except for buying a camping trolley, cutting it, and adding it to the welding trolley I made. Even replaced the bungee cord hold the bottle with a chain.

IMG_20210612_173059352.thumb.jpg.6d62c4d3ab3fc50affd2b48ba4f3c063.jpg

This means I don't have to carry it to the car, and back again, when I start and finish the work. I also moved the fuel tank to my storage unit, so that's another thing I don't have to move.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve been on the Fourtrak this afternoon too. So I’m currently drunk on Japanese off roader rust, but this is looking great. 

Keep at it, it’ll soon be done. That’s what I tell myself often. Or rather what the voices say. It’s not like normal weekend activities like chilling out seem much fun. I’d much rather burn my armpits with weld blobs, whilst covering myself in rust, dust and powdered cow pooh.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, rickvw72 said:

I’ve been on the Fourtrak this afternoon too. So I’m currently drunk on Japanese off roader rust, but this is looking great. 

Keep at it, it’ll soon be done. That’s what I tell myself often. Or rather what the voices say. It’s not like normal weekend activities like chilling out seem much fun. I’d much rather burn my armpits with weld blobs, whilst covering myself in rust, dust and powdered cow pooh.

There's absolutely nothing to do really is there? No pubs, no football, no barbecues, no films to watch, so I might as well do the welding!

I am one piece away from a "completed" welded arch though. Which would then mean I can attack it with the flap disc, then the primer, filler, primer, paint. Which is a great position to be in.

Until I remember I've got to do this all again on the other side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • St.Jude changed the title to Toyota RAV4 GX "Jack" - Hobbyweld 15 isn't the same as Hobbyweld 5, and it costs you a good 6 hours of a Saturday to make the mistake right.

So for the first time since March, I've got an arch and wheel well made of 1mm steel. I dare say it's been years since it's had steel this thick right here too.

IMG_20210616_195527_782.thumb.jpg.949e21306beea10c189806f3cce94b61.jpg

I've warped the panel at the top, I've got to add some spots to some places I've missed, and remind myself what I did with the sill. Then I can prime this all up and move on to the driver's side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So the sill isn't that bad.

IMG_20210619_122831467.thumb.jpg.3572d00df171d1495338e60653bdb498.jpg

IMG_20210619_122834703.thumb.jpg.2bc840715cbdf34fa10f4a0be735fb1f.jpg

IMG_20210619_122849506.thumb.jpg.e4107a3b5554e0b5242df333c6e171fc.jpg

I mean it's still rusted to buggery, but the previous repair is far more robust than the passenger side. So I am leaving that in, and just cutting the rot either side of it.

Obviously got to cut in to the repair, but it's not too bad.

I notice though that, again, the middle bit of steel that was missing from the passenger side is missing here. I'm leaving it this time, as the repair here uses much thicker steel than the other side did. So that should be enough to balance that out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First piece off the car on the driver's side...

IMG_20210619_135003854_HDR.thumb.jpg.be22159708f31e066eb59742ae0e94db.jpg

IMG_20210619_135007169_HDR.thumb.jpg.1490457a382dd9cc714138fdcbab9b9d.jpg

IMG_20210619_135011078_HDR.thumb.jpg.3af79dcf2af43f1845fe60663b6ffb63.jpg

Managed to split as I was either cutting it or removing it. So now I have every confidence of surviving a crash in this moving forward!

Managed to wire brush the rest of the sill, it was all surface rust other than this so I will Vactan and treat appropriately after welding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm quite impressed with myself, given the bit if sill I fixed today took half as long as the other side. Obviously I've not done the sheet of steel in the middle, as it isn't needed, but I managed to get a repair panel done and on the car in a day.

I decided, given how much I hate welding upside down, I thought I would try and make the panel on the bench, and then weld it on the car.

It worked more or less.

IMG_20210619_153340864_HDR.thumb.jpg.9cd5f74b73769878af6d5d103eac253c.jpg

IMG_20210619_153354574_HDR.thumb.jpg.0307db53ae02c7de6f99c2d29b5e556a.jpg

IMG_20210619_164002622_HDR.thumb.jpg.d394db416e05576fd81bc862f45da416.jpg

IMG_20210619_163959605_HDR.thumb.jpg.1ab809f06f64cf73cc36aaa6adce7833.jpg

Quite proud of the last image, my welding has come on leaps and bounds.

Then I do this.

IMG_20210619_191419176.thumb.jpg.22ad6f38c036903be431f617a6bb4d73.jpg

The left has a big glob, as it kept burning through and I was fixing the hole. Other side is better though, but it's all there.

All of that sill though, if it wasn't cut and welded, has been Vactan'd on the inside. So I've a bit to do on the outside, obviously, but I can do that in the morning if it's dry or Monday lunchtime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • St.Jude changed the title to Toyota RAV4 GX "Jack" - TR7 moment, when you realise one side is just as bad as the other.

So as it pissed it down on the longest day of the year, I decided to try and do as much as I can today. I didn't do much, just tried to see how much of the arch is alright and how much is rotten, and working out as straight a line as I can to cut tomorrow.

IMG_20210622_191705902.thumb.jpg.98b1e51c4f011f10a14e189250606469.jpg

IMG_20210622_191714861.thumb.jpg.03001a76fdad4b05431ea914810d5c72.jpg

IMG_20210622_191720084.thumb.jpg.9e8ed6cd26e41485795b98a508803049.jpg

IMG_20210622_191725377.thumb.jpg.f9512f01e999c11942a1a71369646db4.jpg

IMG_20210622_191730049.thumb.jpg.dcd7fd4fe79f2be7a9909088ad2ab806.jpg

So it's basically just as bad as the other side.

But as it's just a straight forward arch, as in there's no fancy curves for the fuel filler, I reckon I could just make  one or two large panels and throw it on. 

Maybe! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know I'm not an expert but fuck me I am vexxed at the state of this right now.

Started as I planned to go on, cutting the rust out of the arch, leading down to the sill.

IMG_20210623_175422908_HDR.thumb.jpg.6b97442c906fac0d3036bac208c0593d.jpg

When I spotted this treasure trove of orange steel.

IMG_20210623_182827758.thumb.jpg.f896ababa25b73a3b7285475f043ebf6.jpg

It goes all the way up the side of the inner sill, which just so happens to join this triangular bit which JUST SO HAPPENS to be the place the trailing arm connects to.

IMG_20210623_182833279.thumb.jpg.68f2d32b3b9a33c8796d86d8dd2bb80b.jpg

IMG_20210623_182844749.thumb.jpg.1aa688cb1d9cc591a8b63d0166c4f651.jpg

IMG_20210623_183443057.thumb.jpg.118508ed91713bd4eb40214fe2449170.jpg

I did not want to fuck about with the suspension on this. It doesn't knock, it's cruddy but it's functional. Now I've got to fuck about with PlusGas and various fluids to get these things off.

I now also have to deal with a thicker piece of steel, upside down, outside. I also now have to work out where to jack the car as so it doesn't kill me, and that I don't shit myself while under it.

For a few minutes I genuinely gave thought to just putting something over this, covering with Vactan, weld around it and forget about it. But this is on my side of the car now, right by my arse, and so I'd like it fixed properly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can someone tell me if what I'm about to propose is adequate. That's the minimum for this, and you'll see why.

To avoid opening yet more cans full of worms, I'm thinking I cut most of the current repair out. Not all the way to the door shut, but enough for me to have good access to inside the sill.

At which point I can then cut out the inboard part of the sill which is next to the trailing arm bracket. The trailing arm is attached to that triangular gusset, not the sill. The gusset is connected to the sill.

This would then leave me with no inboard sill, but access to the back of the gusset.

At which point I would weld a butt joint to the inside of the sill, holes to allow spot welds to connect this sill back to the gusset. On the outside of this I would weld the gusset around nearly all of the new panel. I'm not sure how close I could get to the gusset when it gets to where the trailing arm is connected.

At which point I do what I did previously, replace the reinforcement steel inside which is missing, and weld the outer part of the sill back.

I think that would work? I think in my head I'm worried that the welds are on the inside of the sill, but then all of the welds are on the outside anyway? 

I'd like guidance as otherwise I'm off to bang my head against my wall. Of which, I have many.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a photo of the space involved and available.

IMG_20210623_190557210.thumb.jpg.4d7c6a63affa9cebe9f225d1ce4b4f6c.jpg

I think it could work. It would mean having to get my die grinder out as the previous fucking wanker of a cockwomble already did some welding here.

I should also point out I've been vigorously smashing my screwdriver at all of this, the gusset and the trailing arm connection, and I can't make a hole in any of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’d cut a good chunk of the outer sill off, and if needed weld it back on again after repairing it. Try and do as much as you can without being on your back welding, coz that’s just not fun.

Try to lop it off where you can easily weld it on, and grind back the welds after. Looks like the inner sill is spanked. 
 

De ja vu C2253CDD-3011-4460-8C88-177CFB313B6E.thumb.jpeg.cc4ad13049300281284c3959bab5ebb5.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...