71 Rover 3500 (P6B) Now with added Jag XJ6!

[Low Horatio gearbox]

So I set to with soem sheet steel and  fashioned a few  sections and  no time a reasonable job was done. Th bonus of the Rover shining thru.. this area is covers by a bolt on  scuttle panel so my repair only had to be strong and structural to work as it's covered from view when the csr is all back together.

 

Welding commenced  and as I wasn't upside down in 12 inces of cramped space progress  was made and the welds were.. passable. A coupl3 of hours with the tin snips and  then a grinder to smooth  it all down - a big fat rubber screen seal sits in the channel  and I wanted to make sure it woukd actually fit.  And tah dah.. some zinc primer and  when that's dry I'll give it a dose of satin black - again  all covered by body panels,  the window rubber or stainless trim so no need to colour match or be totally precocious  as none of the  structure is visible when assembled.  But that later or more likely tommorrow.

 

 

[Low Horatio gearbox]

So this  today was reassembly day.. or was it.

 

I had a pile of parts waiting about  - new screen rubbers and seals and a new to me used but good continental front vent rubber. The old one was cracking and brittle. However  I didn't fancy cleaning up and putting  it all back together yet and while it was alla bit messy and dusty I should  ma6be prod the rear passenger corner of the boot.  It was frilly long before I got it  so maybe I should address  it finally.  

While the rust are was all inside the boot it was jo bother to slacken 2 bold on the leading edge if the wing -hidden  by the rear door, and remove 3 bolts at the rear - I spent more time looking for the spanners than removing it.

 

with acces improved  I proved and  what looked to be a n inch by 3 inches of frilly rust was... more.  Admittedly not much more but all along the seam where the floor behind rhe wheel  well meed the wing.

 

 

Pants.   In an ideal world  I'd replace the floor panel now  it's available at not a horrendous cost (£35 ish). The issue being this corner has had some solid but less pretty  repairs before - its all solid just not pretty,  but to do the corner floor panel I'd need to unpick 3 other panels with repair sections.   The floor to weeh well/tub join spalsh panel and wheel well extension  as they all meet.  And if your doing  that muymay as well put them right.  All the panels I need are available  boot floor corner, inner wheel arch, wheel arch extension and  splash panel  and while not mega expensive I  not inthe  fincial position to do that right now .   A d really I'd rather spend the money recoring the radiator, getting the alternator rebearing and  sourcing a set of PAS hoses as mine are looking a but crap.

 

So  some basic repairs and advanced swearing it was. Mainly as the FILs welder dedided that today it didn't want to play games and between birds nests, pidgeon poo welds nd blowing holes i spent more time fettlin it than the Rover. I'm loath to blame  the tools but the settings hadnt l been touched since yesterday and it continued to throw wobbles and drift as I was using it.  Tho I will take blame for creating more work  by slicing a few  unintended slots in the floor while I was cutting away the grot 🤦‍♂️

 

 Meh.. in the  end its a  area behind the spare wheel where I  store the toolkit,  jack warning  triangle etc so it's rarely if ever seen  - I should finish getting th3 boot carpet set (and uhh put carpet in the csr itself!)

 

 the wonders of a dustig of balck paint and  tommorrow i can clean it up all the dust and start puti it all back together.

[Low Horatio gearbox]

More activity.

Well  a 2nd lick of paint underneath and putting  the wing back on. Simple  bar the small bolt that holds the rear valance panel to the corner of the wing below the bumper which took 10 minutes instead of 2 because I refused to lie down on the floor for one bolt - it was cold and dirty!  I've still got the rear lights to pug back in but I want to clean the connectors up first as well as improve a shonky ground for them, and I didn't  fancy any electrical  guff today.

 

But I did  fix down the demist vent rubber and put the dash top back in and make sure it was  straight and flush. Or as good as I could get anyway, given  there was a huge gap between the top of the dials and bottom of the dash top. It seems better but I called it quits before I put the binnacle plastic back on tomorrow when I can fettle it all when I'm less knackered.

 

Comparison of good used rubber vs shonky knackered  crumbly one.

Yeah a bit fucked.

 

Yes I will  give it a good wipe down and clean before the screen goes in, which I hope to do tommorrow.. maybe.

 

Next up is the more mechanical stuff.

The rad needs recoring

Alternator needs a new bearings

Replumb the fuel lines. As its jot using its mechanical pump I've lost the use of the fuel reserve. Basically means there is 2 gallons of fuel unobtainable.  Thst s amateur if swapping the line the electrical fuel pump under the tanks lugs into. But I want to run a new line from the tank to the carb and remove the  file line switch valve in the engine bay. It weeps a bit and  if you do pull the reserve  tap  you shut the fuel supply and as the valve is shonky it does treally like resetting  without popping the bonnet and doing it manually. 

A good de grease and de oil of the underside of the engine bay and gearbox is on the cards 

As well as  a dillmoil change 

And also resetting send improving thr handbrake wich will realistically only hold the car on level ground

 

 Most of those jobs can be done while the rad and alternator are being refurbished,  funds pending.

 

I would like to get the PAS lines replaced but they are a mighty expensive item in the region of 250 quid for the hoses and fittings.

Mainly as the pas pump sits at the front passenger corner of the engine bay, the hoses then go across the front of the engine and then back to the steering box just in front of the driver, more hoses then go from the steering box across the back of the engine bay to the PAS reservoir which is in from of the passenger. Quite convoluted  due to the  suspension and steering box layout .   When I do get round to the hoses Ican finally use the PAS pump rebuild kit ive had for 4 years. 🤦‍♂️

I will  ask my mechanic friend  if they knkw anywhere  who can make a set up for less and also maybe neater as its a hodge podge of fitting and hoses that looks a bit cobbled together frankly.

 

[2flags]

Have you tried your local hydraulic hose people. They make hoses for everything and normally are able to sort something out. Might be cheaper than what you have been quoted?