traveller wood

[steve4063]

Hello folks just bought me a raveller.
generally its in ok condition apart from the front flechings (i think thats what they're called) the bits tha atach the inner wing to the outer wings.

both sides are pretty bad so i'll replace them. any advise GREATLY appretiated please.

The wood has a few rot spots but i will say its nothing major. only about 2 to 3 inches just at thew top where it joins the back roof gutter a common spot i would say as theres a gap in the drip gully.

also one of the main problems is someone has hand painted it WHY O WHY do peopl do that.
Any ideas on an easy way to rub it down (rolls on floor laughing EASY)

i've started to rub all the wood down and have taken the back doors off to do them. i had thought about taking the ali panels out of the saides to rub them and the wood down eaesier but can't figure out how they come out.
i'vew removed all the srews that i can see and the panels are loose at the top but just won't budge. the wood is moving rather than the panels.

there's a couple of other rust spots at the bottom of both the A post and B posts i've ordered a couple of patch plates for them i presume they're self explanatory how to fit.

i think i've covered everything for now. i reckon i'll use loads of rust beater stuff and primer etc but will have a regular running turiol of how things are going and look out local club to wolverhampton i'm a coming to you once i figure out where you are and what times etc.

thanks all you who help me in advance.
Steve


Ps tried to put some pics of car on here but can't figure out how to any ideas please

[bigginger]

i'll use loads of rust beater stuff and primer etc

I may be wrong here, but aren't the panels at the rear of a Trav aluminium?

[steve4063]

Yes they are Alumium.Why????

[steve4063]

something i forgot to ask what is the best way to repair the wood.
its not really enough to cut a section out so i was thinking some wood filler but which one is best for these and should i treat the area around the rot first. steve

[bigginger]

Just the mention of "rust beater". Thought you mightn't have realised.

[steve4063]

no thats for the bits at the front where the inner wings are and the A and B posts need repairing.
thanks steve

[Onne]

Do remember that the wood is structural... no luxury of a chassis as per LCV

[bigginger]

And they are a luxury how, exactly? They rust just as much as the cars

[Onne]

Well, there is more to rust then... there was me trying to promote LCVs

[bigginger]

And here's me struggling to get one back on the road

[Onne]

Imagine how much harder it would be to weld all those structural bits on a saloon

Not at all saying that you are having an easy job of course

[bigginger]

Not sure I agree over that

[Onne]

[Rob_Jennings]

Hi Steve,

I did used to run a wiki for the minor (until the server expired) and collected some thoughts about wood on there, I'll post the page up here for now so you can have a read. I do have some more stuff to add to it and need some advice on repairs too,

As has been said above the wood is part of the car structure and you have to be really careful when deciding to fill or replace sections. Filler is no substitute in some places.

hope that page helps

as to removing panels, I'm told its a real pain, there are screws all the way round, and then the dumdum sealant will 'hang on' to a panel. If the frame is moving when you try and take panels out this suggests the joints are pretty poor.

[alex_holden]

as to removing panels, I'm told its a real pain, there are screws all the way round, and then the dumdum sealant will 'hang on' to a panel. If the frame is moving when you try and take panels out this suggests the joints are pretty poor.

Is it actually possible to take the side panels out without dismantling the wood frame? I had a look a while ago and I couldn't see how to do it.

[Welung666]

They do come out but they can be a real pain in the *!?$... There would be no point places like Woodies or Trav Timbers supplying assembled sides if you have to take them apart to fit the panels really is there ;)

[alex_holden]

OK, I might have a go at that so I can respray them off the vehicle and replace the sealant (it looks to have dried out and cracked in places, like it had on the back doors).

I thought it might have been impossible to get access to remove the panels without taking the side off the car.

[alex_holden]

They do come out

Are you sure? I managed to get one of the rear side panels out (once I discovered the screws hidden under the inner wheel arch flange), but the front side panel appears to be held at the bottom by a wooden strip that's screwed to the back of the foot rail, which you can't get access to without dismantling the whole back end of the vehicle.

[chickenjohn]

Yes thats right- you cannot get the ali panels out unless you remove the whole side or perhaps the ali or wood "fillet' (thats what they are called) is rotten and comes away, in which case you need to remove the whole side anyway if its rotten to the inside. The fillet is a thin strip of wood at the bottom that is screwed in and holds the panel in place at the bottom of the front ali panel. The rear ali panels have the fillet wedged in and screwed to the rear door pillar.

In fact the only way to restore a Traveller properly is to remove the wood so you can get at all the rust in the floor pan/ sills/ wheel arches and cut it out as they rust in in accessible areas adjacent to the lower wood pieces.

[alex_holden]

Yep, you can get the rear side panels out with difficulty, but I've had another look at the front side panel this morning, and as well as the fillet behind the foot rail there's at least one and possibly several other screws that aren't accessible without taking the whole side off the vehicle.

I was hoping this would be a way to replace the dried-up sealant between the panels and the wood, and respray the panels off the vehicle, but I've probably just made more work for myself...