Started from January 2020
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about this project and I will do my best to reply promptly
Jan - March 2020
Nothing to report the weathers been atrocious. Gail force winds and torrential rain have wiped out any chance of working on the car these months
April 2020
The doors were removed after drilling out some of the retaining bolts and I have started dismantling all the innards. All the glass guides are rusted away and there is wood and filler in all the door bottoms. The good news is the winding and opening mechanisms are still working but the handles are very pitted. After removing plates and filler it is apparent that the lower 150 mm on the inner panels of all the doors inside and the lower 400 mm of the outer panels will need fabricating again. The door rubber retaining strip which goes around all doors will have to be removed and replaced. One of the rear doors window frames at the rear where it joins the main unit will also require replacement due to rust, these will be tricky parts to repair for me. Fabricated the parts in card and then transferred to steal. I found for me the best approach was create and tack in the centre lower part of the inner panel so it gives you a reference, then work on both ends by making various parts welded together. If I had the correct tools fabricating the replacement parts in one would be the way to go. I think I will replace the outer panels up to the chrome waistline strips as they have many rust holes and to hid under the embellishment strips any slight miss alignment of the steel when welded. Once all rust has been replaced with good steel I will treat, red oxide and grey prime. Then all the glass retaining strips (3 widths of u channel), end stops and support brackets will be remade and stripped inserts replaced. Also working on the window winding and pull catch parts to remove rust, repair and re-grease. Many of the fitting bolts and screws will have to be replaced as most snapped or stripped when removed.
May 2020
This month will see the inside panels of the doors finished and the window guides made. Without doubt one of the hardest jobs taken on so far and I have not started on the outer panels yet. Both the front door quarter lights were found to be completely rusted out and their seals beyond repair so it might mean making them non-opening as sealing rubbers and chrome parts are unavailable but I might be able to get rubber to fabricate my own unit seals.
June 2020
Treated the inside panels and painted with heavy grey oxide paint. Will work on the doors outer skin Dutch fold edges by refitting on the car and doing extensive measuring before the final cutting/folding/welding.
July 2020
Having slid all 4 outer fabricated panels on the doors I just need to weld up, dress back and spray some primer on. I have made all new runners for the glass window sliders and new rubber/felt channel inserts have been cut to size. Fitting the fabricated galvanized steel door sealing rubber retaining strips with aluminium rivets will be required after some careful bending. The doors will be left off the car until the respraying. Most of the corners around all 4 doors on the main chassis need attention as rust has had a field day, these are multiple shaped parts so will have to make up wooden templates deep joy.
Aug 2020
Started fabricating the chassis door corners using wooden jigs.
Sept 2020
Fabricating steel parts for corners and started on welding outer door panels
Oct 2020
Continuing to work on doors
Nov 2020
Working on doors and retaining framework
Dec 2020
What a year this has been. I have not done half the work planed so 2021 will be to getting down to some major work on the back end and may be get it ready for a complete re-spray. There is a large number of rust issues with the rear wheel arches, that boot lid and rear window pillars.