1970 Austin 1800 MkII.

Seemingly my camera is in college. Doh!

Have some camera phone pics:









Not the greatest quality, but you can see the problems. Going to have a bite of lunch then start cutting.

Chris.

Made up the repair panel for the door. Very patient job. Great deal of accuracy and precision required to get it "just so". The blank require flanges around three sides. It's 34" long. My folder is 26" long. So much for this afternoon's entertainment. I could fold it up in five minutes on the big folder at college, except we're now on half term. Then I could photograph it. With my camera....... which is at college...... which is shut.......

It's a conspiracy I tell you.

Chris.

But - the admin staff are all in. Collected camera, bent up the flanges on the door skin panel.





There - that's what the bottom of the door frame really looks like.



Repair panel.



Tacked home.



Butt welded right across.



And flatted back.

This is actually the worst bit of welding I've done in ages. This sort of join you do in little short bursts and immediately blast with the high pressure air gun to prevent the heat spreading through the panel. Even allowing for this and taking well over an hour to make the joint, it's distorted all over the place. Rather disappointed. I've knocked it all down flattish and will no doubt have to apply filler to straighten it all out.

Chris.

That's avery interesting statistic nd no doubt will encourage others who wonder why bodywork takes them so long. Guess you are tired?

David

I haven't really kept a record of the hours for the project as a whole, but this interested me as it was going badly wrong!

It panned out as follows:

Strip door and cut away lower door skin - 1 hr.
Cut away rust from door frame, make repair panels and weld home - 2½ hrs
Make door skin repair panel and weld home in short bursts - 3 hrs.
Dress welds, fill and flat to a presentable condition - 20 hrs.

Total: 26½ hours.

To be fair, the filler business took far too long. I don't really like using the stuff and have poor aptitude, so it could have been done better and faster. Still, it gives you an idea of where the time goes.

Chris.

Honestly, Indy, you just don't realise where the time is going.

Anyway, door 4 is back on the car, so that's a full set. Tomorrow I'll fetch the bonnet. I do know where it's lurking.

Chris.

Bonnet is.............. scrap.





















Outer skin is wafer thin across the front edge. Looks OK from the front (apart from the holes) but the inside is rotten. I can see the inside because the inner panel crumbles to nothing when poked. I suppose it could be repaired, but seeing as I'm picking up a better bonnet tomorrow I'm going to take the easier course of action.

Chris.