Care to help me along? Please protest if the sequence is wrong or if there are matters I overlooked. Suggestions and improvements are valued highly.
I have
1) 2 x semi-rotten outer sills that need replacing (mostly to give the quarterpanel something to lean on). One section of inner sill/floor that needs replacing. Outer sills ordered. Floor bit = homemade
2) LHS rear wing mount arch totally rotten - ONE wing nut survived the disassembly. LHS arch kit (in 2 sections) ordered - we´ll see if the LHS closing panel is included.
3) RHS wing mount arch has 3 or 4 minor (sic) holes that can be cut clean and and small bits let in, all nuts still there and OK. RHS + LHS closing plate incl nut can be homebrew too.
4) both rear spring hangers (the rearmost ones) are shot, including their box sections - panels, hardware and bushes ordered
5) both rear inner wings have the usual patches. Rear repair panels ordered on both sides. Frontend holes in rear inner wing can be done manually.
5) the boot rear floor is totally rotten. Panel ordered.
I have been thinking about the sequence of things. I need reference points and whatever strength I still have in the body. Furthermore, at one point I will need to jack up the body itself, and I need to let the rear axle down in order to fix the rearmost box sections/panels.
Suggestion:
a) Cut out outer sill bits, including the small floor bit and the bit inside the quarterpanel bottom(s), one at a time. Replace outer sills and floor bit, re-check door fit. This will give me symmetric reference points and add floor and A+ B post stability.
b) with sills and floor in place: separate (chisel) rear inner wing from boot floor and boot floor from spring hanger box section. Cut out and replace rear boot floor, without - of course - doing anything to the inner wing ends of the boot floor repair panel (yet). Just to make boot floor stronger for now. This gives solid and accurate reference/end tie points for the rear inner wing repair section and the box sections
c) Cut clean and replace quarter panel closing plates, with new nuts in correct positions. Cut clean and replace forward-facing rot in inner wheel arch. This should mean a main body strong enough to almost support itself.
d) time to find a suitable alternative support area - the area closest to the front spring hangers is still good. Just forward of it, I can support the rear end of the car by putting a piece of 3x3" timber across/underneath the car, letting the timber rest on jacks just outside (or even inside) the inner wing. That should distribute the load enough for me to let down the rear end of the rear axle package.
e) let down rear end of rear axle/spring assembly. Leave front end in. Check body for stability. Support under new boot floor stabilizing plate if necessary.
f) Measure/triangulate the position of rear suspension shackle fixings. Cut out and clean up everything related to these box sections and the rear inner wing repair sections. Tack & weld in box sections, then inner wing sections, don´t forget the ending plates (joins) to the boot floor repair.
g) Hang up rear end of springs again. Reposition car on axle stands for safety and accessibility. Cut and replace any remaining small damage forward of the rear spring hangers(bump stop and forward, not covered by repair plate)
h) Patch up the RHS wing nut arch in 3-4 places. Use LHS arch kit as template! This is for practice. Check wing fit.
i) LHS wing arch: measure up and cut out just as much of the wing nut arch that is necessary to get a good weld. Maneuvering space for grinder necessary, I´d love to avoid damage to the outer surface - requiring exterior paint work (which is NOT in my plans for this year). If all else fails - go for broke, and cut out to solid metal, even if it means an "outside" weld and exterior filler/paint work. Check wing fit.
j) Go over entire floor area again, from under the car. Use the pointed hammer. Find any reamining rust holes and fix them NOW. There is no "later".
k) LHS door: carefully measure, think over twice, cut out and let in LHS bit of door skin with hole for a LHS lock. By now, I should be good enough at welding to master a butt weld on a door skin.
l) Go on with rustproofing etc. Find those last-minute small fixes - the bonnet stabilizer ends need spot welding....
m) Think again. Have a look around. Then return rented gas bottle. Whatever small fixes might turn up, they CAN (and will have to be) done without gas.
So..guys - thanks for reading. Is this halfway correct? Let me know.
Cheers /Richard
I am SO out of cash just now, will have to make do with angle grinder, air chisel and drill. Thanks for looking over my plan!
I even used an emoticon to try and make that plain to people who might miss that...