BT5 resto

[Jonesy_356]

I'm not unhappy with this. I will detail a bit more after I get the whole thing blasted and primed, but it will do for now. Now on to the next...!

[DG58INNM]

That looks nice, and you successfully kept the funny little lip that T5's have at the bottom of the front wall.

DG

[JTR70]

replicates the NOS box in the photo Jonesy; nice work!

[Jonesy_356]

Yep, it's pretty close. Many thanks again for your photos and advice.

[Jonesy_356]

now working on the left side forward vertical panel below the TT.

Going from this...









to this...

[Phil Parry]

Impressed by your DIY skills Andy. Great stuff. Where are you based? I'm in Essex.

[Jonesy_356]

Canberra, Australia. Might pop over this weekend for a cuppa?

[Phil Parry]

Ah, sorry Andy. Not around on Saturday...

[JTR70]

What a difference that fresh piece makes huh? Keep up the great work Jonesy!

[Jonesy_356]

Typical work on the lower inner long walls and flange. Only include it as this is my first fully successful 'long' TIG weld. The more I practice, the better I get (who would have thought...)

Will also replace the lower inner front closing panel, it was a bit scrappy. Thought about replacing the whole thing as it is a simple panel, but this is the side that I am replacing the entire outer closing panel, so I think it's best to have the reference panel. I will have to remove the LH wing/fender on tho side, as the flange that mates up to the top of the inside panel of the trunk is shitty in places, so I will have to mend that.

[Jonesy_356]

Been a while since I posted - two weeks in the 'States didn't help progress. But I did get to pick up my Steve Heinricks book, it's a great read!

Finally summoned the courage to look under the patch in the LH rocker...yuck!





At least it gives me a clue to how I will get the new outer long in there if I go that way...the job is already half done!


Made up a patch for the lower kick panel end and tacked it in. I will wait until I roll the car over before I finish. It still needs a bit of smoothing but it's not too bad I think.




Making the patch for the inner front closing panel. This is the side that I have the whole outer closing panel for from RD. It Looks pretty close. I am still pondering how to do that job. Might leave it till last.




Cracked the nut on the little reinforcing panel inside the long. I had not paid enough attention to the options given in Ron's book -after I had done it it was so obvious. Live and learn. Got some 2 and a half inch muffler pipe to repair the rusted heater pipe. I am getting closer to being able to close this longitudinal up again - that will be a good milestone.





Thanks for looking! KTF.

[JTR70]

You're gonna feel fantastic after the first longitudinal gets buttoned up.
Great to see you back on it again Jonesy!

[Jonesy_356]

So i've been engaged in a bit of self-defeat, pondering whether I am going to take off my LH rocker and sill assembly in order to put my nice shiny new outer long on. So I put the door on, took all the paint off the area and had a bit of a think about how it all lined up. The rocker is near perfect at the rear, where it joins with the vertical panel between the door and the wheel arch. Obviously the front is very nasty, and the old lap joint above and behind where I have ripped the patch off is pretty horrible as well. The rest of the rocker/sill joins are quite nice and still factory (i.e. under where the lower surface of the door sits).




Fortunately the door skin is nice, although I don't think it is the original door - it lacks the correct stamp. And it doesn't line up very well. The previous 'repairer' seemed to be ambivalent to the door gaps:











As you can see I have sprayed the rocker black to see if it was possible to get rid of the large pock marks. I have worked out that these were used to help the bog/bondo stay on. What a waste of time.

[Jonesy_356]

So this is where I am at now.







I think it could be worse. I think I am going to accept what's left of the outer long from where I cut it off, and cut the new outer long to fit. This is what the two main reference books talk about doing anyway, as their 'preferred' technique. I kind of like the idea of cutting the new outer long into two vertically, and placing the subsequent join under the new jack spurs so they are invisible.

This is not really the path I had envisaged - I kind of wanted to maximise the use of the new (purchased) outer long, but I think it is the optimal path, and has the advantage of keeping as many of the good remaining factory joins intact (which is a philosophy I'm trying to maintain, on advice of the wise heads here).

I am ploughing ahead with the repair of the inside of the longitudinal cavity with heater pipes and reinforcing bulkheads.





This bit below concerns me.





The top of the guard/fender, as it rolls over to become horizontal, is just nasty. It has been pretty harshly treated, and I have to figure out how I am going to attack getting the new wheel well rear closing panel in. The top of the rear closing panel under this section has been very poorly 'repaired', and needs replacing. I went back over how foam car was done and can't figure out if Phil cut the rear panel from his guard/fender in order to enable toe replacement of his closing panel, including mating the rear of the guard to it by forming it around, or if the panel/section was removed because it was damaged (like mine) and this presented an opportunity to put the new closing panel in. Either way, it looks infinitely easier to have that panel cut out before trying to put the new closing panel in.

More pondering required....

thanks for looking, J

[JTR70]

Hi Jonesy,

If this was my car that rocker and sill would be coming off without question to make way for a clean full longitudinal repair. If this area was absolutely factory virgin then of course I might consider going the route you are suggesting but this is rusty, hit and worked so off it would come! BTW: I'd replace that outer rocker run too.

I did mine twice. The first time around was a partial long repair then I went back 12 years later and redid the whole thing. I removed the rocker but stopped at the ends to preserve the wire rolled lips.
Best of luck with whatever route you decide.
Justin