Next project - ‘62 997 Austin Cooper

[mk1]

Are you using 2 pack top coat?

[Dearg1275]

Are you using 2 pack top coat?

Yes 2K. Why?

D

[Dearg1275]

The roof, warts and all. A final effort to tidy up the roof before the high build primer hopefully hides all this. Not a pretty sight currently but most of it is the original roof. So much better that before when it look as if it had been used on a military assault course.

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D

[Dearg1275]

The Scottish weather is holding up nicely. Cold mornings but warming up in the afternoon. Mornings rubbing down, afternoons spraying. As a consequence I managed to get all the interior priming done including boot and engine bay and finished off with a few coats of colour under the bonnet.

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I’m a little relieved that this colour is beginning to grow on me. Smoke Grey as a description is a bit wide of the mark but that is what BMC decided to call it, so who am I to complain?

D

[hanlminiman]

Looks good.

[swifty]

Can't see any tabs on the bottom of your floor pan to hold the brake and fuel pipes ? ... ken

[Dearg1275]

Can't see any tabs on the bottom of your floor pan to hold the brake and fuel pipes ? ... ken

That’s because there aren’t any. I’m rejuvenating it as was. It had been used in local club rallies and all the pipes and cables moved indoors. I’m trying to keep the flavour of the way it was in the 60’s and 70’s. Putting the tabs back on in order not to use them seemed a waste of time.

D

[Dearg1275]

My luck is holding, more good weather.

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[mini_surfari]

Looks Great! Looking forward to seeing it all in smoke!

[roger mcnab]

hi david
i thought that that part of scotland had iffy weather so what is going on
cheers roger
car is looking better than first pic
keep the good work
cheers roger

[Dearg1275]

hi david
i thought that that part of scotland had iffy weather so what is going on
cheers roger
car is looking better than first pic
keep the good work
cheers roger

Not to worry Roger. Normal service has resumed. It’s blowing a hooley and pissing it down!

D

[Costafortune]

The UK has two seasons.

One with snow and ice, and one without.

[Dearg1275]

Despite the weather I still got the shell painted in high build primer. It needs to sit a while to let things settle. Meanwhile I can attend to doors boot and bonnet and all the fiddly stuff.

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[kevs 1961 mk1]

taking shape now mate ,weathers changing now though not good for guide and topcoat unless youve got good heating in your workshop

[Dearg1275]

taking shape now mate ,weathers changing now though not good for guide and topcoat unless youve got good heating in your workshop.

Yes, I’ll have to be pretty careful with the weather but I do have heating in the workshop. Whether it’s enough is another matter.

D

[Dearg1275]

I was doing a final trial fit of the drivers door with a new rubber seal in place. Everything was sitting just fine but there was a small gap at the top of the window frame that would let the wind whistle in. Applying the factory recommended method for correcting door fits I apply appropriate force to the window frame. Not good.

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Which meant the whole window frame is now twisted and the door which was looking great is now back to the repair stage.

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It’s probably done me a favour showing a weakness up early. More on this sorry tale as I try to find a way out of this tunnel of doom.

D

[Nick W]

Looks like the frame may have been welded before, and the weld ground down a bit too much. Ive seen this happen before. I would put a bigger weld than usuall on the inside.I found there was still be enough room for the felt channel to fit ok. Or maybe put a small strengthener in behind and plug weld it in.

[mk1]

I can't imagine where you have seen that before Nick

[Dearg1275]

A bit of head scratching latter and I decided to chop out the thin metal (just as Nick says) and get back to good stuff. I had to hunt the scrap bins for the right gauge and eventually came up with this.

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Chopped out the grot and ground the edge of the skin back until I was clear of all the brazing.

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Shut the door up tight against its rubber seal, wedged the gaps and squeezed the top front corner in with a clamp to hold the position I needed.

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Bent up an edge for the frame and tacked the lower edge then bent it into place.

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Then welded it solid. Still a hole to fill.

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Continued

[Dearg1275]

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Decided to do the same at the rear. It needed a bit of a tweak with the Porta Power and a long length of timber but now the seal is compressed nicely. A result.

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D