Daily Spit 1500 body repairs & more..

[wimpus]

Previous weekend done some jobs on the drivers door..

 

Now Fox is back in one color(ish) 🙃

 

Found out my window regulator was a bit worn.

But had a spare one, so fitted that now.

[wimpus]

On another note, clutch was playing up.

Renewed clutch master & slave + the pedal & pin.... it was needed ! 

 

 

[wimpus]

Also been rebuilding alternators.

Before I bought them from minispares uk, but due to brexit it became to expensive.

 

And over in europe they cost 2 to 3 times the price then in the UK..

So had a look and found kits in Germany cheaply.

And bearings I found online and using SKF ones.

Visited our local supplier as I noticed that my rear shoes are getting thin and the drums worn.

So got these saturday, but will fit them after the MOT/technical inspection tomorrow(monday)!

 

Horns failed to.

Found out the horns are dead.. that was saturday evening.

So 'stole' some of a friend his TR6, so mine passes (new ones ordered).

 

Hopefully with all the welding etc it will be good for the inspection.

 

But first before the inspection front lights setting and emissions adjustment 😅

 

 

 

[wimpus]

Today went with Fox to an local Bosch service center for emissions + front lights check.

 

Emissions where to high (as i expected).

8%, so turned it down to around 3% (legal limit is 4.5%)

Light where just a bit to low, so adjusted them (amazingly after all the work it only needed that !)

MOT station, she still drive pretty good to there.

But just a bit lean.

 

Emissions test... 3.5%.

Then after it I needed to wait outside.

 

Guy drives on the lift .. shouts something at me, but didnt understand him because of the face masks.

So went inside, he said : 'how do you get in and out easy out if this'

 

I replied.. practice 😂

Then on the lift (another tester) I went to see him for an advisory from last year.

He didnt spot anything wrong and said the Fox was all ok..  no advisory's at all , even not for oil sweating/leaking (time to check the oil ! 🙃) 

 

In the past year she had done 18.192kms/11.300miles !

Less then normal actually, but been off the road a few times in the past year.

 

[wimpus]

Over the weekend done a few minor jobs.

Noticed one side the sill seam was cracking.. my weld didnt hold.

So after I got a tip from an old UK Spitfire Specialist I welded 3cm each side (that will hold ! ).

Bonnet right wing had a reaction..

So stripped it again and started to get it straight again.

That seems to go well.

Then sunday some wet sanding.

 

Still a few spots to get right (written them down).

Really need to go to a bodyshop I know this weekend.

Saturday want to reweld an inner wheel arch /tunnel over the spring edge(seam swelling u due to rust).

So fuel tank out job etc..

[alan.gilbert_6384]

Hi, the sill seam was not welded at the factory because of the amount of body flex, it was brazed.  Here is an original example, hope it helps.

[wimpus]

15 hours ago, alan.gilbert_6384 said:

Hi, the sill seam was not welded at the factory because of the amount of body flex, it was brazed.  Here is an original example, hope it helps.

I did it this way and it cracked (but welded not brazed (that is stronger).

An uk specialist said to weld an inch of the seam.

For the rest ive seam sealed it.

[alan.gilbert_6384]

Hi, welding is not stronger, it is different process by which parent metal and filler material are fused together in a very localised joint.  Brazing will create a much bigger joint at a much lower temperature as needed by the body flex.  The heat affected zone is also greatly reduced, this is where you have had your joint failure with welding.  Triumph used this technique in certain areas only requiring it (the tunnel which connects to the rear wheel arches etc) as the filler and flux are more expensive than just mild steel filler rod.

It works by creating a metallurgical bond between the filler metal and the surfaces of the two metals being joined. The principle by which the filler metal is drawn through the joint to create this bond is capillary action. In a brazing operation, you apply heat broadly to the base metals. The filler metal is then brought into contact with the heated parts. It is melted instantly by the heat in the base metals and drawn by capillary action completely through the joint. This is how a brazed joint is made.

 

[wimpus]

A few more jobs done.. 

[wimpus]

Last weekend had a look at 2 patches from the previous owner(s).

They patched over the rust and I had seal the spot welded edge swelling up badly.

So fuel tank etc out and...

Time to investigate !

 

Whole part has been de-rusted (as is the seam on the inside of the tunnel) + waxed & seam sealed etc

[wimpus]

59 minutes ago, Mathew said:

Nice neat job 👍

Still a few jobs to do on Fox.

But.. im going to see to get it painted before december.

Going to 2 bodyshops for a quotation.

[wimpus]

Had a try to get the lower front end fitting right.

 

I did got an 18year old to help/supervise ... well more laying on the job that is ! 🙃

[Peter Truman]

might be 18 but them claws are at the ready

[wimpus]

My A-post around the door check strap area cracks.

Welded it and comes back.

But noticed a lot more flexing then the passenger side.

 

Had a look.. 

Anyone got idea's how to fix it ? 

 

 

[Clive]

I have the same (or worse) on my passenger side. Odd really, as it must get much less grief.

My plan is to cut the whole area out and remake in fresh steel. All the flexing will have affected/work hardened the steel, and welding makes it brittle too. Although somebody mentioned TIG welding does not affect the steel as much, maybe as it heats a wider area??

[Ian Faulds]

As said above, chop it out and weld in new steel. With regard to tig welding on the thickness of car bodies I dont think tig,mig makes any difference.

[alan.gilbert_6384]

14 hours ago, wimpus said:

My A-post around the door check strap area cracks.

Welded it and comes back.

But noticed a lot more flexing then the passenger side.

 

Had a look.. 

Anyone got idea's how to fix it ? 

 

 

Hi, the cracking looks like was propagated by the failed spot welds on the support gusset.  Personally I would drill a small hole at each ends of the cracking, re-weld fully the gusset using Mig (Tig won't make that much difference on low grade carbon steel, its very hard to work harden 0.25% carbon steel) then weld up the cracks.  The original design was good but it can be overstressed or over used.

[wimpus]

Some more work was done.

Trying to get Fox straight..

For the door post/check strap I need to order some parts (but my german supplier is on vacation).

Bootlid and rear deck where a pain.. 

Right rear wing bottom repair .. seens my welding was a bit shit and hard to get it 'straight'.

Rear valance was easy (NOS panel that was in storage from 1980, with a few dents in those years).

 

 

Slowly getting there...

[wimpus]

Then a light 'bang' when I lowered the seat back.. 

But it wouldn't come back up as usually.. 

Seems Spitfire's have torsion bars... well in the mkiv/1500 seats that is.

Mine just fell out 😅

5mins and fixed.

[wimpus]

Little bit more stuff done.

But I was raining pretty bad the last few days, so was stuck in the garage without electrics (only battery powered LED strips).

Put the front valance corners (plastic) in primer etc.

 

[wimpus]

The door check strap area is next I think 

Normally getting all the parts I need for that this week, incl the bit inside the post where the strap slides over it.

As we are there.. why not change it to.

[wimpus]

The lights in the garage (running from a car battery).

 

4 LED strips in total and with switches, so not everything needs to be ON at once.

All the boxes etc are Spitfire parts 🙃

 

 

[wimpus]

Also been thinking again.. (need to stop this ) 

front crossmember has some rust again..

It was fully replaced in 2012.

now.. I had the idea of making a plastic cover, so water could not get in the area.

Anyone done this ?

 

Long time ago bought covers in rubber for the front body mounts from a CT member from Scotland (last pic).

 

[Mark B]

Good work as usual. Like the battery powered LED garage lights. They give out a lot of light. My lock-up has no power, navigated by touch and a torch.

[wimpus]

Some parts arrived..

Installed a new door check strap and now the door stays open & a klunck when closing.

So the inner bit must not be to bad.

Do have it in my stock now...   maybe will change it anyway.

Last pic: old vs new.