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Re: Welding Healey Sills? & Stitch Welder Has anyone used one?

To: kuspiel@idg02.bms.com (Ed Kuspiel), british-cars@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Welding Healey Sills? & Stitch Welder Has anyone used one?
From: robbp@healey_haven.esd.sgi.com (Robb Pryor)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 13:13:00 -0800
On Jan 22,  2:30pm, Ed Kuspiel wrote:
> Subject: Welding Healey Sills? & Stitch Welder Has anyone used one?
> 
> 
> Does anyone have experience welding in big healey sills?
> A guy by the name of Rich Chrysler wrote an artical in "Chatter"
> AHCA club rag) suggesting that you leave the cockpit facing pieces of the
> old sill in place and cut out the rest.  You then use the  remaining peice
> of the sill to register the new 'replacement' sill.  Crysler seems to be the
> 100/4 guru for the club and I would normally respect his opinion, however, it
> seems to me that lapping that much sheet metal in a rust prone area is asking
> for trouble.  Opinions?

Replacing Healey sills correctly is probably one of the most difficult body
welding jobs you can do.  Any mistake in alignment will be immediately
noticeable when the fenders and door are put on the car.  In really bad cases,
either fenders or the door may not go back on without modifications for
clearance.  Some way to duplicate the original position of old sill for the new
sill is highly desireable.

Having said that, I'd also have so say that leaving that piece of the old sill
and welding over it with the new sill is not the best idea either, the reason
you mention.  I don't know who Mr. Chrysler is, but I'd consult with a pro who
does restorations on Healeys.  The Austin-Healey Club, Pacific Center has a
Tech Hotline which is manned by people with experience working on Healeys.
There are also several full restoration/repair shops that advertise in the
"Austin-Healey Magazine".  Ken Walsh of Walsh Motor Works, Pioneer Calif., can
help you and I think that Norman Nock of British Car Specialists, Sacramento
Calif., might have suggestions as well.  There are other places back east as
well.  You can find them in Hemmings or let me know and I'll dig up the phone
numbers for you.

-- 
_____________________________________________________________________
Robb Pryor                      E-mail:robbp@healey_haven.sgi.com
VLSI Group, DSS                 Voice: (415)390-1230
Silicon Graphics, Inc.          US Mail: 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd.,
M/S: 1L-245                     Mountain View, CA 94039



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