Belgian '63 MK1

[chapeau_melon]

OK, so here it goes, following my short introduction in another post … …

Pictures of the car as it was advertised … Still think I’m nuts. LOL

http://1drv.ms/1HCvYdm

I don’t have a picture at hand, but on the outer mirror it even says ‘made in Belgium’ 

At home and beginning to dismantle

http://1drv.ms/1GucdV1

Preparing for sandblasting. I got most of the paint of the large surfaces. As to heavy sandblasting could warp the metal. As well as most of the filler for same reason.

The parts painted in red will not be sandblasted as they will be replaced anyway. I kept them for stability.

http://1drv.ms/1Kg0Tu7


And as of here is the real stuff beginning…
This week I went to the company that sandblasted the car…I took pictures before it gets sprayed with primer.

http://1drv.ms/1GsSB0L

Well, some things are confirmed others are bit more of a surprise.
The overall upper part of the car is in rather good shape luckily.
As I knew, I will have to change almost the entire floor (as for the boot I’m not sure yet)…
I’m a bit disappointed for the rust at the bottom of the doors. Far more as I thought.
I discovered even a speaker whole  in one door was well masked ! (It was a door I bought seperatly !  )
Same for the bottom of the boot lid…quite some very little wholes…

I know, I know, you’re going to say all can be fixed 

Just to be clear, this will be my first restoration project. I have no experience at all ! I just bought me a descent welder and will learn to weld  !

As you can see, my first weld is the reinforcement cross.

Well, as of now, it’s up to you guys, I will need a lot of tips !

Next week, she’ll be at home again. My thoughts were to restore her beginning in the front part and ending at the end, with the ultimate step being a complete new (one piece) floor.

All parts will come from M-machine.

I’m not joggling yet as good as it should with all the names of the different parts needed (I’ll keep the M-machine catalogue at hand  )

To be honest, what puzzles me the most is the region ‘inner wing’
While dismantling here, I didn’t encountered any Inner Apex Panel or at least the Hinge Bracket ??

Next week I will take some new detailed pictures.

If possible I want to spare as much of the original parts/metal : for instance the inner front half wings. I thought I would patch them in the front ?
Left hand seems to be rather ok with some patching ?
But right hand is much more worn 

Looking forward to read your professional and constructive comments !

Where do I start …

(Oh yes btw, following the interior and other data I gathered, the car should be a DeLuxe Export model - the original color presumably Smoke Grey)

[UHR850]

You did start well to rescue this one, thanks hope to see it at the IMM 2016 in your country

[JC T ONE]

Hi & welcome

Nice project

[chapeau_melon]

Hello,

She’ll be home in the next coming days. Today I took some more detailed pictures after she’s been sprayed in primer. What a lick of primer can change and boost your moral!

http://1drv.ms/1zkUcWU

Unless you have other opinions I tought to begin with the front – move on to the doors – boot and end with the floor.

Ideally I would like to save as much original metal as possible.

I need your thoughts on the inner wings: they seem rather ok…somewhat ‘superficially’ pricked.

Ideally I would, if possible only change the ‘rounded’ part ?

Other question, while dismantling here I never came across the hinge brackets in the inside of the A panels…is this mk1 time related?

Is it ok if I continue to post pictures using my OneDrive ?

Read you soon

[minimans]

If it were me I would start in the middle and get the main shell repaired and square then do the front and back. it will all hinge on the keeping of the main shell square!! As for the missing hinges your looking in the wrong place the hinges are on the bulkhead not the inner wings, look under the front scuttle (where the wiper arms come through) you should see a pair of brackets for the hinges to fit.
The inner fenders actually look pretty good to me well worth repairing as the only avaiable inner fenders are not a good match to an early markI and will need a lot of work to look right.