1966 2 door saloon Milly restoration project

[mikec4193]

Love seeing this stuff...doing the jig with a rusty crusty old Morris Minor...

Makes me smile every time...

Thanks for sharing the journey with us...

MikeC

[David JM]

Cheers Mike, glad you're enjoying the updates as much as I need the rest when posting them.

the new metal, nice thick gauge, welded in. nice and solid, I recon I've already introduced some strength and integrity into this side, small hole to it's front, and larger hole to it's rear, though that seems to have diminished in the size of the task to repair it.

[David JM]

Cardboard template made before any steel is cut, one possible way to go.


offered up for trimming and fit.

[David JM]

Only just this morning I foolishly left off the ear defenders, a hot something went in my ear like an angry Bee and I ended squirting my water bottle down my right lug hole, all was well , but gave me a start. I've bent the steel so I can weld it at 45', seemed to go all right, but as the area around the outboard edge of the spring hanger is critical, some heavy duty MIG welding had to take place on max wattage, I laid down a fierce weld on top of a cooler weld bead I'd laid down earlier. So the hot one didn't burn through leaving me with more holes to weld up. Just that small hole to deal with now. Should be easy in comparison.



just for comparison here we were two weeks ago on the first wheels off inspection.

[mikec4193]

Love seeing those rust holes disappear and new metal all welded in tight...very nice work you are doing...

I recall making patterns for the bottom end of the Moggy I had...there is a lot more bends and angles than you would think...I worked for weeks piecing pieces together to get the rust holes to go away...

You will be up and running again in no time...

Looks awesome from here...

MikeC

[David JM]

Thanks Mike C, nice to hear you're enjoying the posts.

the hole welded up, now to chase down all the other pesky holes that still need welding up, like A in this image.


then the rear wheel arch that is pretending to be made from steel.

[David JM]

may have to modify the dip switch housing to allow the electrical block in.


the block, measure twice cut once.

[David JM]

boy am I tempted by that, an Ex Army one....discipline my Lad, Discipline...
https://ebay.us/m/6BE44U

[David JM]

I marked it out carefully and cut a hole to let the plug block in, nice and neat if I say so myself.

[David JM]

Today I'm doing the clutch linkage kit as my new steel has yet to arrive, so out with the old and in with the shiny new parts, what a pleasure to work with them.


had to weld up this slot worn in the fork by the old spring, 60 plus years of Motoring.

[David JM]

all fitted up and adjusted with a one and a half inch pedal free play, that should feel like new clutch when I next test drive it.

[David JM]

easier but just as satisfying today, out with the Radiator.


rotation brought black, brown then tan water cascading out into my flower bed.


the broken off return spring


replacement in and it all closes and releases perfectly

[David JM]

coat of VHT matt black on the top of the radiator, I may give it another flush out tomorrow, see If I can get any more sediment out. I'm having way too much fun for a man of my age.

[David JM]

Big busy day today, but only one picture, that is of the rear wheel arch after I wheeled it off with a wire brush in an angle grinder, that's for later.
The steel sheets arrived, I'll show you them later. Today I refilled the radiator after refitting it,oil change in the engine and gearbox, 20x50 is 30 quid a can of 5 litrs! bit worried how little oil came out of the gearbox. Gulp.

[David JM]

the new steel has arrived for the rear wheelarch repair.


the engine bay tidier than before, all fluid levels topped up.


laying down on the workshop floor to look up at the wheel arch, a certain little Gentleman took advantage of a comfortable human cushion in a convenient place. Sadly no Mice ran out of the hole in the wheelarch, just rust dust, and he doesn't like that.


the cardboard template held over the rusted out area to include hard metal, may bring it in 50mm from the left..


the cardboard dropped down showing the proposed pencil cut line

[David JM]

marked out on the new steel

[svenedin]

all fitted up and adjusted with a one and a half inch pedal free play, that should feel like new clutch when I next test drive it.

Great but don’t forget the grease!

[David JM]

I'd never forget the Grease "I got chills their multiplying and I'm loosing control of the power you're supplying, it's Electrifying....."

so cutting out the rotten wheelarch mess.


trial dry fit of the panel of new steel

[mikec4193]

"Grease is the word"...

[David JM]

The rear wheel arch done. What a job, took me all week end to finish that, now I can move on to the next task.