Thoughts on bodywork

[mogdobz]

Hello all. I'm snooping for advice on a car for sale - GDU470D.

The upper body and interior are excellent, but dealer has some pictures with a lot of underseal and some suspiciously abundant welding. Welding seems blobby to me.

No history, no MOT since 2022.

Anyone here have any advice? I am considering if it's a safe buy, or is likely to have bodywork issues.

[geoberni]

Well my thoughts are ....'What do you really want?'
What are you going to be doing with it, Daily Driver or Weekend Fun car?
Does it need to be 'pretty' underneath or 'sound of structure' ?
What do you call 'bodywork issues' on a car that's 70 years old?
it's almost guaranteed it'll have had a few rotted bits replaced at some pint.
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1816881
The Spring Hangers haven't collapsed by being used as lifting points.
It looks to me that it's had all new floor pans; but the doors seem to be a good alignment (as least compared to my car's )
You might ask the Dealer for photos of the Door Sills with the kick plates removed. See what's going on behind there.
Has that structure been replaced?

So it's got a lot of underseal, would you rather it didn't and was rotting away instead?

Go and see it, never buy unseen, unless someone looks at it for you.

[les]

From my point of view, the under seal is over the top, just look at the thickness, suspicious. Depends how you feel about that, not for me though.

[Myrtles Man]

mogdobz you have a PM.

[geoberni]

From my point of view, the under seal is over the top, just look at the thickness, suspicious. Depends how you feel about that, not for me though.

It's hard to tell from these photos, that's why I found the Dealer's advert and looked at them there.
You can see the weld lines for the floor pans replacement, so it's not 'that' thick, but I'd want to have a good look and an inspection underneath.
But I'd rather have a car that's been protected, than one where the entire underside is rust brown...

[les]

I don’t want to appear to contradict your comments, because I don’t. Underseal gives protection but can also hide issues. I suppose that’s what I was trying to say, regarding ‘thickness’

[mogdobz]

Thanks for your thoughts all, much appreciated. Pretty much echoed my own meditations.

[Chief]

My car has blobby welding from Charles Wares' apprentices, and neat welding from the non-apprentices/professionals over the years.

Ask them to take the sill finishers off and have photos taken inside the sills.

I did notice in your first photo the oil sump/bottom of the engine has a large brown tinge to it as though rust is showing through the paint yet it doesn't look bubbly so maybe it's some strange reflection or stain.

[svenedin]

My car has blobby welding from Charles Wares' apprentices, and neat welding from the non-apprentices/professionals over the years.

Ask them to take the sill finishers off and have photos taken inside the sills.

I did notice in your first photo the oil sump/bottom of the engine has a large brown tinge to it as though rust is showing through the paint yet it doesn't look bubbly so maybe it's some strange reflection or stain.

I saw that too. I think the engine has been painted in red oxide primer and then a rather thin coat of green engine enamel on top so the undercoat is showing through.

Stephen

[Chief]

Ah, that makes sense - I'd forgotten how rusty red oxide primer can look