Hi Michael,
We'll try to answer your questions as best as we can from here.
After reading this thread, we have a better idea of the condition of the car.
They most important, and most costly repairs, are already done.
Windscreen frame:
Since most of the rust occurs beneath the windscreen seal, it would be
necessary to
remove the wind screen for repairs. This way you'll be able to assess the damage
and work on the problem. Rust removal can be done by sand blasting or, as
mentioned
earlier by other listers, with rust converter. If there is rust perforation, we
would advise, to remove the whole windscreen frame and have metal welded into
the
area.
You can do the finishing yourself.
Any rust perforation should be repaired by welding metal sections into the
panel,
or replacement of the panel, if the rust is too much advanced. Any covering
fix- up
with aluminum tape or fiber glass, is only a compromise and not recommended.
It will make repairs in the future more difficult.
Rear wings:
Replacing the wheel arches, if done properly, may be sufficient, but it's a time
consuming procedure and therefore almost as expensive as replacing the whole
wing
(quarter panel). It all depends on how much rust perforation there really is. If
most of it is surface rust, and only a few inches are perforated, a repair
panel of
a few inches would be acceptable.
Doors:
Spitfire door skins are simple panels. A panel beater should be able to
fabricate a
replacement panel for the lower section and weld the metal in for you. You can
then
do the finishing yourself.
Any more questions, just fire away. We'll try to help, if we can.
Wilf and Liv
Michael Hargreave Mawson wrote:
> In article <3C65C0A3.977A9167@sympatico.ca>, Livia I. Haasper
> <wilivhaasper@sympatico.ca> writes
> >Michael,
> >here I am again. We'll try to comment on this problem.
> >Wilf has been in body restorations for most of his life. Without seeing
> >the car,
> >what you are describing seems to be way above your capabilities to be able to
> >handle the repairs yourself. You'll probably also don't have the tools or the
> >facilities for the job.
>
> That was my feeling. I certainly haven't the facilities to replace
> panels (and have never welded in my life), but I was wondering whether I
> ought to tackle some of the smaller jobs - the windscreen frame, for
> example. Basically, those places that have rusted, but not rusted
> away. I've never had any luck repairing door skins, so I think I would
> be wasting my time trying to do them.
>
> >The way it looks, panels have to replaced, or partly replaced, which includes
> >welding. Aluminum [aloominum]and mesh repairs are for the amateur and will
>not
> >stand up. Your car deserves better.
>
> Agreed.
>
> >You should find out, what lies beneath the
> >auto body filler and paint, to assess the condition of the body, before
> >you agree
> >to repairs with the local panel beater. It could be costly.
>
> That makes a lot of sense. If I discover that one or both of the rear
> wings are in pretty good shape aside from around the wheel arches, would
> you still recommend that I go for whole new wings? I have been warned
> that simply fitting new wheel arches is no solution, as they start to
> rust at the weld as soon as they are done.
> >
> >Before you do any more work, or spray anything, we have the feeling, that you
> >have to repair the metal first. Rust will prevail, it always does. You seem
>to
> >have a lot of damage everywhere.
>
> Actually, I think I have a *little* damage *almost* everywhere. <g> I've
> certainly owned cars in the past that were far worse than this.
>
> >Replacement of the sills is of a difficult nature in a convertible.
> >Sorry, bad news.
>
> The sills have both now been replaced (the driver's side by the DPO
> shortly before I bought the car, and the passenger's side last month by
> the professionals). The problems caused by the car being a convertible
> were at least partially negated by the hard-top being fitted - the body
> didn't sag when the old sill was removed, since the hard-top was holding
> it in position.
>
> Basically, as far as rust is concerned, I'm working my way up from the
> bottom. The underside of the car has been completely stripped of rust,
> welded up where necessary, plates added where necessary, treated with
> seam-sealer and waxoil, and given a thick coat of stone-chip underseal.
> Both sills are now fine, there's just the rest of the body to do!
>
> ATB
>
> --
> Mike
> Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"
> http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html
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