The work involved in getting a "Free Mog" on the r
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 9:47 pm
A brief history...
A couple of years ago a member of this forum who has stopped using the forum bought himself a "nice" maroon traveller on ebay, it had been restored and was sporting 1275 marina running gear. All was well until he started to waxoyl the car and the driver sill (made out of carboard, perspex and filler) fell out in his hands. She was then parked up in a garage until late Dec last year when I was given her.
The woodwork was good except where the waist rail meets the rear pillar on one side, the engine was missing its thermostat cover and the radiator wasnt fitted.
Over the course of 3 days at uni with a MIG welder (which I could only use after the fire warden had gone home aka in the dark) lacking in gas, a couple of old computer cases, a new thermostat cover and (shh) some filler , I got her going and passed the MoT second time out.
It was only a bodge job to get her through so I could bring her home, which I duly did. She wasn't running right, and as she wasnt cpnverted to unleaded or running on additive I decided to change the head (this was a mistake). Shortly after she started leaking more oil out of the rear crank seal than she was using petrol, so she got laid up for a few months until the summer.
I have now rebuilt the engine and slightly uprated it at the same time. Its now a 1330 with a kent 276 and a ported head. I also found an LCB on ebay which I won for £15, and I had a 2nd hand mini performance exhaust lying around, with a few bits of pipe from a trader who frequents this board I had a reasonable exhaust system too!
After putting the engine back in (without leaks this time!) I couldnt persuade the sidelights to work (and still havent). The wiring loom is a complete mess so I will be replacing that soon.
Last weekend I decided to start tackling the rust. Fortunately I have the loan of a car roller (THANKS RAY!) which has made life easier. On the drivers side the first 6" of the floorpan was removed along with the boxing panel because they were totally shot.
I started welding in new metal yesterday evening, and continued this evening (dont you just hate it when work gets in the way?) I have welded in both out floor repair sections, a B post repair, the undersill and the boxing plate, I have made one of the plates that screws in to the woodwork and welded it in. All the filler that I put in the back of the drivers side wheel arch to get the MOT is gone, and new metal has been put in. I have done another small patch in the floor just inboard of the spring hanger too.
I still need to replace most of one of the rear wheel arches, a couple of patches on the other sill, the crossmember end on that side and reattach the front spring hanger which has been slowly forcing its way through the floor! I also need to sort out a bit of tinworm at the back (the strip that goes over the rear wood) and repair a hole in the bulkhead and the gutter area!
time to start getting the camera out again!
A couple of years ago a member of this forum who has stopped using the forum bought himself a "nice" maroon traveller on ebay, it had been restored and was sporting 1275 marina running gear. All was well until he started to waxoyl the car and the driver sill (made out of carboard, perspex and filler) fell out in his hands. She was then parked up in a garage until late Dec last year when I was given her.
The woodwork was good except where the waist rail meets the rear pillar on one side, the engine was missing its thermostat cover and the radiator wasnt fitted.
Over the course of 3 days at uni with a MIG welder (which I could only use after the fire warden had gone home aka in the dark) lacking in gas, a couple of old computer cases, a new thermostat cover and (shh) some filler , I got her going and passed the MoT second time out.
It was only a bodge job to get her through so I could bring her home, which I duly did. She wasn't running right, and as she wasnt cpnverted to unleaded or running on additive I decided to change the head (this was a mistake). Shortly after she started leaking more oil out of the rear crank seal than she was using petrol, so she got laid up for a few months until the summer.
I have now rebuilt the engine and slightly uprated it at the same time. Its now a 1330 with a kent 276 and a ported head. I also found an LCB on ebay which I won for £15, and I had a 2nd hand mini performance exhaust lying around, with a few bits of pipe from a trader who frequents this board I had a reasonable exhaust system too!
After putting the engine back in (without leaks this time!) I couldnt persuade the sidelights to work (and still havent). The wiring loom is a complete mess so I will be replacing that soon.
Last weekend I decided to start tackling the rust. Fortunately I have the loan of a car roller (THANKS RAY!) which has made life easier. On the drivers side the first 6" of the floorpan was removed along with the boxing panel because they were totally shot.
I started welding in new metal yesterday evening, and continued this evening (dont you just hate it when work gets in the way?) I have welded in both out floor repair sections, a B post repair, the undersill and the boxing plate, I have made one of the plates that screws in to the woodwork and welded it in. All the filler that I put in the back of the drivers side wheel arch to get the MOT is gone, and new metal has been put in. I have done another small patch in the floor just inboard of the spring hanger too.
I still need to replace most of one of the rear wheel arches, a couple of patches on the other sill, the crossmember end on that side and reattach the front spring hanger which has been slowly forcing its way through the floor! I also need to sort out a bit of tinworm at the back (the strip that goes over the rear wood) and repair a hole in the bulkhead and the gutter area!
time to start getting the camera out again!
