Workshop/Project car thread. Have a seat and waste some time.

[JMotor]

Time to put some work into this strut tower area.

Chopped more out. As can be seen that old patch was getting quite the coating of rust.

Removed the upper seat catch bracket and cut back to gain a better idea of what needed fixed.

Not pretty is it? 

Ach well. Let's make a start. Cleaned up a small area and started to weld fresh steel in. What I needed was a point to build from.

I've been researching by looking at photos of other cars to see what this area originally looked like. I think BL also mirrored the pressings for both sides. So maybe the drivers side might give me the references I need?

My attempt at remaking this section won't be fully accurate. If it's close enough, that will do. 

[grogee]

18 hours ago, JMotor said:

Time to put some work into this strut tower area.

Chopped more out. As can be seen that old patch was getting quite the coating of rust.

Removed the upper seat catch bracket and cut back to gain a better idea of what needed fixed.

Not pretty is it? 

Ach well. Let's make a start. Cleaned up a small area and started to weld fresh steel in. What I needed was a point to build from.

I've been researching by looking at photos of other cars to see what this area originally looked like. I think, BL also mirrored the pressings for both sides. So maybe the drivers side might give me the references I need?

My attempt at remaking this section won't be fully accurate. If it's close enough, that will do. 

Probably no help but I can take pics of mine when I get it back from storage on the Spring 

[JMotor]

Cheers for the offer. 

Think I'll have the bulk of it done soon. Well I hope so! 

[JMotor]

Apologies this is a "stuff happened, but doesn't look like much has" post with the Maestro. With a small rant towards the end. 

Dived in with making the first new piece for the strut tower. 

Chopped even more out. The rust had crept in further. Resisting the temptation to chop it all out. Can't rebuild it from fresh air.

So this is what I went with. The easier to form strip at the top. Shall build from and too this, might be a patchwork to redo the shapes. 

Want the inside of car stuff done first. Then rebuild the inner arch strut tower reinforcement thingy. As I'll have something to build on. 

Will it be neat. Nah! No chance. 

Scored a bargain radiator too!

Another Monstro anomaly. These go for silly money! One sat on eBay for £145, plus postage! For a bastard 1300!! 

This one was £45 delivered. 

Why mention this. Well the cooling system when I first got the car was a fucking mess! 

Wrong radiator, bypassed matrix with the pipes to it rusted out and then crafted from epoxy (by me).

This was the last major part which returns this system back to how it should be. I still have to dick about with a bypassed cooling fan switch, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

It'll get there. 

Hopefully 😆.

[JMotor]

I wasn't kidding with the patchwork 😆.

It was the only way to replicate the shapes. I don't have the means to make larger shapes in one go. 

All the fresh metal is from leftovers from previous repair panels of other cars I've owned. Stuff I would had normally thrown out. 

I shall continue this method with the rest. Welds will be smoothed down when it's all welded in.

[rm36house]

Great job Sir! You are showing great methodes, something what I will need to use myself. Thank you.

[JMotor]

11 hours ago, rm36house said:

Great job Sir! You are showing great methodes, something what I will need to use myself. Thank you.

Cheers.

Learnt a fair bit from other resto threads on here and other forums. So happy to share my work if it helps someone else as well.

EDIT - That's not my neatest welding on show. Burn through and gap filling was the reason. A flat bit of copper was a VERY useful thing to have. Saved me time instead of making stupid little filler pieces of steel for some gaps.

[JMotor]

Shit picture. 

I'm such a thickwit at the best of times!! 

Anyway. That section is done.

Made templates using the masking tape. Then laid the pattern on to the leftover replacement arch section I used on this car. Might as well use up the unused steel. Keeps the cost down in my mind.

Once welded on. I went over the area with a dust over of primer just to keep the damp off it. 

Tomorrow will be rebuilding the outer side of the arch tub. With the aid of a VERY* technical drawing. 

[JMotor]

Sooo today's work. 

This is the upper portion of the strut tower reinforcement rebuilt. 

I made strips of metal off to make the return flanges and to link to the old piece that was salvageable. Tek screwed those on to the car.  Then filled in the space in-between. Doing this way I could see where I needed to make pieces to fill in the empty space.

As this is thicker steel in this section. Slots had to be cut to help bend and adjust the metal to where it needed to go. Squirted metal to fill them back in. Then a pass with a grinding stone will hide the sins. EDIT- I will have to dress the welds down, as they look horrible! Looks like a welding practice piece!

Amazingly. I had more scraps of the same thickness metal in my little scrap box. The bulk of the material was an old leftover Corsa B chassis rail repair section 😆. 

Cleaned the arch tub and slapped the red oxide on. 

Same with the area it's covering. Smoothed off the welds where the section fits onto. Then the rest just were lightly rubbed over. They won't be seen and help keep some strength. 

Next week, I'll weld this section back on. Then maybe I can get back to the original job of undersealing the inner tub.

[JMotor]

Didn't have much time today. Still managed a wee bit of progress. 

Tidied up the new section for the turret. 

This was then attached to the car with the Tek screws and the lower part of the piece was welded on. 

Even in this unfinished state it looks so much better. Definitely nowhere near factory in terms of shape. Still beats looking at rusty bodged mess. Not that it'll be noticeable after the seam sealing, stone chip and paint is on.

Just the outer perimeter to plug weld on. Can be tomorrows job. 

[JMotor]

That wasn't fun to weld in! 

Access wasn't great and was slow going. Weld a bit, smash the edge in, weld again and repeat. 

Sorry I know I'm complaining. When you're huddled in a wheel arch and shit landing on you isn't ideal.

Knocked the welds down afterwards. Happy with the result.

[grogee]

What's a Tek screw? I'm sure it's second nature to a metalsmith like yourself, but I've never come across them. 

Great work reviving the 'Stro. The Austin that Can and wasn't turned into Bean Cans. 

[JMotor]

Ah! 

Yes, a Tek screw is a self drilling and tapping screw. Sometimes (or all of the time) used for screwing roofing tin on to sheds. 

Ideal things for positioning things like what I have. 

Also, thank you. Although it's been a chew on. The experience I've gained has made it worth the job.

Plus. It'd be nice to see it live. It's an honest little car that should be saved. 

[jim89]

1 hour ago, JMotor said:

Ah! 

Yes, a Tek screw is a self drilling and tapping screw. Sometimes (or all of the time) used for screwing roofing tin on to sheds. 

Ideal things for positioning things like what I have. 

Also, thank you. Although it's been a chew on. The experience I've gained has made it worth the job.

Plus. It'd be nice to see it live. It's an honest little car that should be saved. 

"Stitchers" are the shortest & possibly the ones most applicable to assisting in these sorts of fine repairs 👍🏻

[JMotor]

26 minutes ago, jim89 said:

"Stitchers" are the shortest & possibly the ones most applicable to assisting in these sorts of fine repairs 👍🏻

That's a point! I should buy some shorter ones. 

The ones I used were too long and a pain in the ass to drill through with. On the other hand, they were free as one of the fellas I share the shed with said I could have some. 

Was glad of had them anyway. As trying to clamp that panel would had been an utter pain.

[JMotor]

Maestro progress. 

This was dull work. Cleaning welds, tidying up bits and general arsing about for the last two weeks.

Until! The car was ready for seam sealing. Upol grey stripe was the choice.

Because I had NO choice. All my PU sealer had gone hard. 

Note to self. Buy what you actually need. Not what you think you need. Shelf life of only 12 months with that stuff. 

Next. On to the stone chip process. White Gravitex to try and copy the OE choice. One whole tin used up on both sides. Left to flash off in-between the two coats. No photo of this, sorry.

Once that was done and again left the stone chip to flash off again. Broke out the tin of Rover Flame red to spray over. Again like OE. Used the whole tin for both sides. 

The end result looks bloody lovely!

The passenger side came out really well. To the point it looks like nothing was done. As I wanted it to look. 

I'm over the moon with this. Now to leave it for a while to let everything cure. Then I can put the shockers back on and move on to tidying up a few areas before putting the fuel tank back in. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

That does look really good.

[Matty]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

That does look really good.

Like a new un

[Kringle]

Inspirational!

[rm36house]

Awesome! You're job is amazing Sir. What kind of air compressor do you use for this lovely stonechip paint etc application?

[JMotor]

2 hours ago, rm36house said:

Awesome! You're job is amazing Sir. What kind of air compressor do you use for this lovely stonechip paint etc application?

Thanks 🙂. 

Just used an eBay special 100ltr compressor. Nothing special. Schutz gun for the stone chip and 2k spray can paint.

To be on the safe side. I added a water trap/reg to the gun to try keep the moisture away that comes with compressed air.

[rm36house]

59 minutes ago, JMotor said:

Thanks 🙂. 

Just used an eBay special 100ltr compressor. Nothing special. Schutz gun for the stone chip and 2k spray can paint.

To be on the safe side. I added a water trap/reg to the gun to try keep the moisture away that comes with compressed air.

Very good job! Great result! :))

[JMotor]

Oh hello!

One petrol tank fitted and hooked up. Fresh fuel and charged battery. Took a minute to get fuel back up to the carb. Ran like I had shut it off an hour ago. Hadn't been running since last year. 

Wee video for "lulz".

Still plenty to do. For now though, I've put the car to the side. 

I would like to have a clean up in my bay and do a bit on another car. Got a cool wee project cooking up. 

[JMotor]

So after a period off. 

This was pulled out and dumped on the lift. 

To get on with a little project. Fitting these.

A pair of Escort Recaros. Thought they'd look quite nifty in the car. 

So. After some cutting, pondering and some challenges. This was the end result.

I stuck the Corsa Sport seat back in. 

Had neither the notion or time to make the Recaros fit. Once I got stuck in, I realised this wasn't going to be straightforward job at all.

Scunnered would be the word of choice again.

There is other more important jobs on the Corsa to do and loads more project shit to be getting on with. 

At the same time. It wasn't a waste of my time. As I was able to move on and plan my next jobs. 

Like hoover out the V70. 

[JMotor]

Easter weekend coming, let's get some other jobs done. 

Found a broken wheel stud on the Toyota. 

Oh. Ok, I'll order some new studs and new wheel nuts. Got 20 off a known supplier who advertised them for fitting the Altezza/IS200.

Some reason I chose to do the front. Glad I did looking back. 

Long day breaking tools, running about to buy new tools and continuing to press one new stud in. Turns out they don't fit at all. The splined shank is too big of a diameter. 

I've done the automotive equivalent of smashing a square peg into a round hole! While wasting time convincing myself that "it'll fucking fit" when it actually was "it willnae no fuckin fit".

Did the right thing. Put the thing back together and ordered genuine Toyota studs.

Upside is I've learnt how to install wheel studs with ease now. 

I know this isn't a new trick. But it does save a lot of faff and knowing my luck I'd shear a stud by pulling them in the normal way. 

This weekend and following week I have booked off. I'm going to try and nip up a lot of little jobs. Then focus back on the Maestro. Keen to have the metalwork finished off very shortly. 

[warninglight]

That's a new one on me for fitting studs. Cheers!

[JMotor]

No probs.

TBH, I found about using the splitter when looking up on how others have fitted their new wheel studs on IS300's. 

Really hope the rear studs aren't too difficult to do. Probably will be 😆. 

[warninglight]

The only ones I've had to renew were on the back of my Amazon. They were pressed into drums so wouldn't have worked with a splitter anyway.

[JMotor]

On 04/04/2026 at 13:39, warninglight said:

The only ones I've had to renew were on the back of my Amazon. They were pressed into drums so wouldn't have worked with a splitter anyway.

Ahh of course!

Works for me as it has the studs into the hub flange. 

Which leads me on to the past week. Nipping up those little niggly jobs. 

Corsa has had the brakes checked over, some anti rattle shims were causing a sticky front right side caliper. Wheels rebalanced. Rocker cover gasket replaced. 

Then it threw a wee wobbler after putting it back together. Wouldn't idle smoothly at all. Quickly fixed when I discovered the servo to manifold vac line had come apart. Getting too much air in after the MAF sensor. 

Altezza has the new wheel stud fitted. Replaced the wheel nuts as well. Wheels are in dire need of refurbishment soon. 

Think I'll tax it soon and get some miles put on it. As I like to get the sump cleaned out on the Volvo and get the oil changed. 

Managed a few minutes on the V70. Fitted another set of coils and spark plugs I got from a pal. I'll see if it runs any better, as it would get a kind of miss while accelerating. Sounded smoother when idling after the swap, so we'll see.

[Matty]

On 29/03/2026 at 19:17, JMotor said:

So after a period off. 

This was pulled out and dumped on the lift. 

To get on with a little project. Fitting these.

A pair of Escort Recaros. Thought they'd look quite nifty in the car. 

So. After some cutting, pondering and some challenges. This was the end result.

I stuck the Corsa Sport seat back in. 

Had neither the notion or time to make the Recaros fit. Once I got stuck in, I realised this wasn't going to be straightforward job at all.

Scunnered would be the word of choice again.

There is other more important jobs on the Corsa to do and loads more project shit to be getting on with. 

At the same time. It wasn't a waste of my time. As I was able to move on and plan my next jobs. 

Like hoover out the V70. 

Yeah id a few goes at replacing the seats in mine. In out in out. Wierdly its a job that miles harder to get right than i thought itd be. Tried making bolt together subframes out of ally cos i thought itd be easier. Took ages. Result seats too low and didnt like them anyway.

Second attempt involved seats i liked more and fabricating subframes out if steel. Much more succesful but still took fecking ages. Dont want to do it again!