BikerGran
Hero Member
Karma: 94
Posts: 10604
Gran Turismo
|
 |
« Reply #90 on: July 28, 2013, 04:39:25 PM » |
|
Looks a bit like it might have been easier to start from scratch and build new!  (I know that's not the point) |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
You don't stop havin fun because you get old - you get old if you stop havin fun!
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #91 on: July 28, 2013, 06:06:15 PM » |
|
No, you're probably quite right!!
Edit.
Bit more info as to why we've got to carry on. After extensive searches (at Gaydon, with other Met owners , etc. etc.)We believe that this car could be the earliest example of a RHD UK home market car left. It was built in the first full week of production and was the 12th or 13th off the line.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: July 28, 2013, 08:44:05 PM by phunkie hiboy »
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #92 on: August 24, 2013, 07:24:33 PM » |
|
Well it’s been a while since I’ve been able to do some more work on this project, ‘coz of all the other stuff that’s been going on, so todays bit was a good move forward. I’ve been try to get round to fitting the car on the rotisserie, that was fabricated for it (as I couldn’t find one to buy) for quite a while. So at last today it’s now fitted, which will now make it a lot easier to do the repairs on the underside and inside the side chassis members.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis As I say, it’ll be easier to get to these sort of bits now.  "Met"amorphosis |
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 24, 2013, 07:27:43 PM by phunkie hiboy »
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
Olds
|
|
« Reply #93 on: August 25, 2013, 06:52:47 AM » |
|
Is it possibly the earliest Met of any kind?
Nice rotisserie.
That will save a lot of time and effort. How do you lock rotation?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Getting older but no wiser! Just using bigger hammers.
The answer to most problems, fire and lots of it.
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #94 on: August 25, 2013, 09:50:49 AM » |
|
No, this is not the earliest Met of any kind. The first Mets, LHD, came off the assembly line at Longbridge in 1954, destined for the US. They were a very popular small second car, but sales in the US started to diminish in'56. So Austin asked Nash/AMC weather they could make, and sell, a right hand drive version. So early in 1957 (March) production of right hand drive versions started. These were not only for our own home market, but for the colonies as well (like Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Aden, etc.). This car was built on the 8th March 1957, which was the Friday in the first full week of production of RHD models, and far as we can see (with lots of research in the production archives) this was the 12th or 13th UK home market car off the assembly line. There were about 9000-9500 home market cars produced, when production ceased in 1962, and is believed that only about 300 of those are in existence today. I have all the preceding chassis numbers to ours and have asked in various places if any of these still exist and have, as yet, not received any correspondence to say that any exist. So our assumption is, we believe that this car is the earliest RHD UK Home market in existence.
As for the rotisserie, the locking mechanism is just out of shot, just a bar that links the lower bar of the triangle and the front mount bracket on the shell. This bar has a sequence of holes at one end so the shell can be set at differing angles using just a couple of 10mm bolts and nuts.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: August 25, 2013, 09:53:44 AM by phunkie hiboy »
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
kapri
|
|
« Reply #95 on: August 25, 2013, 11:03:17 AM » |
|
I really wish I'd built a rollover a long time ago, the amount of time I've spent on my back welding up chassis rails etc. It's always been " Well ,it won't take long so no need to go to that trouble "  Excellent work as always Chris . |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #96 on: August 30, 2013, 06:44:10 PM » |
|
How do you lock rotation?
As for the rotisserie, the locking mechanism is just out of shot, just a bar that links the lower bar of the triangle and the front mount bracket on the shell. This bar has a sequence of holes at one end so the shell can be set at differing angles using just a couple of 10mm bolts and nuts.
Found a bit of time today to take a photo.  "Met"amorphosis |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #97 on: September 16, 2013, 09:24:35 PM » |
|
So this is the really boring bit, Loads of work and things move forward very slowly. Now we’re able to turn the car upside down it is a lot easier to do the under car repairs.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis Took a while but they now look like this ………………….  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis Finished all the major work on one side inner and outer sill  "Met"amorphosis Joined the two together with four tack welds.  "Met"amorphosis Then a trial fit, all is good.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis So I now have to put the large holes in the inner sill and spot weld the inner and outer together, but more of that later. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
lunatic
|
|
« Reply #98 on: September 20, 2013, 10:34:31 AM » |
|
Spot on as always mate! Andy and I will have to pop in sometime and have a nose if that's ok?
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #99 on: September 22, 2013, 09:46:01 AM » |
|
Thanks Marcus, yeh, no problem pop over and have a look see. Call me before you leave, 'cos some days I work over in Godalming (Andy's got my number). Sorry to hear that you've been poorly. It’s kind of cool to actually start fitting bits back on after so long removing parts. So now with the passenger side inner and outer sills fabricated, holes cut and flared in the inner sills, rust treated and red oxide primed inside ……..  "Met"amorphosis They are fitted together and spot welded …….  "Met"amorphosis Then assembled to the car and welded …….  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis Once the sills were attached the lower portion of the “A” post renewed, replacing the old rusted out portion ………  "Met"amorphosis The rear most part of the sill and the lower portion of the “B” post repair will be addressed when the rear end body work is fitted on. With one side sill now done we need to start stripping the drivers side out.  "Met"amorphosis There was only one jacking point on this car (passenger side). Looks pretty scabby, so we’ll remove it …..  "Met"amorphosis And replace with new later model jacking points …..  "Met"amorphosis Getting further into removing the sill, it’s become evident that it’s been done a couple of times before!!  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis Hopefully get some more done this week. |
|
|
|
« Last Edit: September 22, 2013, 09:59:41 AM by phunkie hiboy »
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #100 on: October 07, 2013, 07:20:12 PM » |
|
The chassis parts on the drivers side seems worse than the passenger side, for some reason.  "Met"amorphosis So this will need to be replaced together with the front floor box section, which has an access hole to install the hand brake cable and clevis. All I had to go on, as far as the hole was concerned was these two broken bits of metal (on the right) and the bit left from the passengers side.  "Met"amorphosis So putting the whole lot together I managed to get the right size and shape hole with a return on the inside edge.  "Met"amorphosis Assembled with the new “chassis” piece and the gearbox cross member it looks like this.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis With all that fully welded, the other sill was required. So as not to bore you all, the sill was fabricated and constructed in the same way as the passenger side and welded on. Reconstruction of the lower portion of the drivers side “A” post was needed, and followed the same route as the other side.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis Now with a coat of rust inhibitor, it’s ready for some epoxy primer. I’ll get round to that in the next few days.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis I have now cut away most of the “B” posts, except for the main door jamb plate (the later ones, as on the new rear end, are a different shape, as are the rear of the doors), we’ll use those to fit to the new rear end bodywork.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis The roof returns at the rear need restoring ……  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis So all cleaned up and fabricated pieces welded in ….  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis That’s it for the moment, the next job will be to attach the rear end bodywork, but this needs some remedial work before the two can be joined together. That’ll be for the next update. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
morrag
Hero Member
Karma: 49
Posts: 2875
Carpe diem!
|
|
« Reply #101 on: October 07, 2013, 07:32:19 PM » |
|
That really is excellent work, and a pleasure to see this "rebirth" progressing the way it is, well trousered Sir!!!!!!!!!!! I look forward to the next episode! Morrag
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Beware the Ides of March, But!
|
|
|
|
kapri
|
|
« Reply #102 on: October 07, 2013, 08:29:55 PM » |
|
I wonder if it was a seaside car at any time in its life Chris ? My uncles Escort was the same far worse on one side as always parked the same way on th seafront. Great work:)
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #103 on: October 07, 2013, 08:52:59 PM » |
|
The only two areas we can place it in for sure is, Horsington in Lincolnshire and St Austell (don't think it was there for long)
Edit
It was Hayle in 2008 (just checked the V5), so four years in Cornwall. I think there was a lot of work carried out a while back (i.e. 10 years)so it was rusting even back then.
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: October 07, 2013, 08:58:49 PM by phunkie hiboy »
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
phunkie hiboy
|
|
« Reply #104 on: October 12, 2013, 07:44:32 PM » |
|
Right, onto the rear end bodywork. Even though this came from California, it doesn’t mean that’s it is totally rust free!! Sometime in it’s previous life, the car it belonged to got rearended. It had not been repaired very well, where another rear panel had been fitted the inner wheel arches had been lapped over each other and welded on the inside only, meaning water got under the joint and rusted them out. The bad parts were cut out and new sections added.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis New corner fillets were fabricated and welded in, enabling the lower outer wing pieces to be secured properly. I had to replace an area around the left hand rear spring hanger at the same time.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis The areas behind the inner wings were then sealed, usually this gap is filled using old fashioned dum dum, but I’ve used Sikoflex.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis Now the rear part of the assembly is ready to go, the front part needs attention. The “B” post front skin is different from the early to the late model cars. So I need to use the two that are on the car and join the rest of the rear assy to them. I cut off the front panel, had to do this in pieces to save the structure behind.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis Then remove the old inner sill, this was pretty mangled so I will have to make up some small repair pieces when it comes to fit this to the car.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis That’ll do on this side for the time being, now onto the other side which is in a worse state.  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis  "Met"amorphosis That’s as far as I got today, some more next week maybe. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Built without compromise, by the more luck than judgment method.
|
|
|
|
