Next project - ‘62 997 Austin Cooper

[Dearg1275]

Apart from the vertical sections of the inner sills,the floor is good but for the stress area where the front seats rest. On the drivers side they had cracked. I had some unused floor section, and although it is not a perfect match for the early pressings, it should look fine under the carpet.

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A bit of heat shrinking on the middle section tightened up the floor quite a bit. All the same I shall most likely fix an extra plate where the seat lands.

D

[Dearg1275]

It must have been a bit of a shunt. The top mounts for the seats had ripped on both sided. The drivers side was worst.

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The captive nut was recovered and migged into a repair section.

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The crack lines were opened out to good metal

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I ended up with a bit of heat distortion on the top of the cross member but managed to get most of it out, again using heat to shrink it back. A whiff of filler will smooth things out as there is no access to dolly it smooth. A splash of epoxy primer to fend of the rust.

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I just need to do the same three more times.

D

[mk1]

The damage around the seatbelt mounting looks more like fatigue cracking to me.

[Dearg1275]

The damage around the seatbelt mounting looks more like fatigue cracking to me.

You may well be right Mark and certainly will have contributed to the failure.

D

[Dearg1275]

To releave a sore back from being bent double mending the crossmember I focused on the rear of the roof.

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It’s pretty moth eaten across the full width.

Thanks to Gordon on this forum I have a donor roof.


A Mk2 or early mk3 but you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. It will need some careful thought about where to make the final cuts. A job for another day.

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D

[Dearg1275]

More roof repair. The donor roof was a bit narrower than the original. Probably just the way it was assembled. The gutter on the right isn’t aligned just as it should so that will take a bit of sorting.

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Welding and linnishing tomorrow.

D

[Dearg1275]

A day spent trying to avoid heat distortion. If I say the roof was going to need filler anyway you will get the picture.

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D

[gogsymac]

That is looking good David. I have been watching this part of your thread avidly as I will shortly have to do the same sort of repair on my car at the front (with the other half of the roof).
I have to say that I thought all roofs were the same size no matter whether they were Mk 1, 2 or 3 but it appears not.

[iain1967s]

Fantastic, very well done.

[ You certainly did a much better job than me... I tried to weld up a similar mess, and managed to set fire to the foam that was stuffed inside the cant rail void on a Mk3. The burning liquified foam then acted like napalm and set fire to the rear door cards, which then gutted the rest of the interior that I hadn’t fully removed. Dumb things we do when we’re young... ]

[Andrew1967]

Nice work with the roof, David

You'll know I had to similar repairs to HOY along the sides, although luckily the rear was pretty good.

A little filler here and there and all is looking good. Will do on yours too

[Dearg1275]

That is looking good David. I have been watching this part of your thread avidly as I will shortly have to do the same sort of repair on my car at the front (with the other half of the roof).
I have to say that I thought all roofs were the same size no matter whether they were Mk 1, 2 or 3 but it appears not.

I think all the panels are the same it’s just a matter of how they went together in The factory, if you are doing a multi-panel graft like this. Also as the tools wore out and need refurbishment or replacement they inevitably varied slightly. There was also a distinct difference in gauge of steel between the original ‘62 metal and the later donor section.

Lead load or modern filler? What’s the verdict?

D

[gogsymac]

That is looking good David. I have been watching this part of your thread avidly as I will shortly have to do the same sort of repair on my car at the front (with the other half of the roof).
I have to say that I thought all roofs were the same size no matter whether they were Mk 1, 2 or 3 but it appears not.

I think all the panels are the same it’s just a matter of how they went together in The factory, if you are doing a multi-panel graft like this. Also as the tools wore out and need refurbishment or replacement they inevitably varied slightly. There was also a distinct difference in gauge of steel between the original ‘62 metal and the later donor section.

Lead load or modern filler? What’s the verdict?

D

Lead. So I can see how you do it.

[Dearg1275]

I need to get some more lead then.

D

[Peter Laidler]

I used lead loading as being from an earlier generation of old early 60's ex apprentices. Never used it for real of course after that but saw an older friend of mine, Dave Toomey in Newbury, using that method on an old Humber staff-car he was part restoring. He was a real ace at getting the lead to a putty stage and rolling it and working it with different shaped wood blocks. He could get it to almost the exact shape he wanted before it cooled - and so on along the joints. He told me how flexible it was.

I decided to do it on my Mk2 shell but something kept going wrong as I started to roll the putty-like hot lead with the wooden blocks I'd made. It just became contaminated until a GPO engineer told me that I should use old HICKORY blocks of wood as the greases/oils etc in this wood didn't contaminate the lead. He even gave me some of the lead sticks that they use for sealing underground cables. After that it went like clockwork with just a light spread of filler to cover my amateurish but getting better lead loading. I suppose other types of wood are as good

[Costafortune]

[quote="Peter Laidler" an older friend of mine, Dave Toomey in Newbury[/quote]

Now that's a name from the past. I lived in Thatcham 1983-88 and the name definitely rings a bell.

[Dearg1275]

OK Guys, what’s your opinion on the best way to linnish mig welds? I’m alway concerned that I’m removing too much native and repair metal at the same time.

D

[Tupers]

A 115mm backing pad with a 60g disc on a grinder has become my preferred method linnishing welds on a flat surface. https://www.screwfix.com/p/nylon-backin ... 22mm/41534
If you have a compressor that can keep up with a 90* die grinder then 3M style roloc discs are also very handy for tight spaces.

Flap discs are very effective but can leave waves in the metal if you press too hard due to the steps in the disc.


As far as removing too much material goes it’s mostly just practice, feel and patience. Wearing a decent face mask or goggles that give you a clear view of what you’re doing is also essential.

[mk1]

This is looking excellent!

I am very impressed by your work rate as well as the quality of what you are doing.

[Dearg1275]

It’s all on hold at the moment as I’m batting round Ireland in the 850. It’s flying!

D

[Polarsilver]

Lead was the back in the day works filler .. Lead Loading was still in use at Press Steel Cowley in the early 70,s even up to the time of the Maxi/Marina & Roller Body manufacturing ..it was Lead in seams & any dents in panels were knocked out during body in white when i was working as a Millwright @ Cowley.