[Peter Bremner]

MIG was certainly around but the bean counters most likely vetoed the cost of grinding down welds. Brazing does leave a good flat finish with no extra cost. Unless I’m brazing with SIF Bronze wires, very lumpy.

[Peter Bremner]

Slippers and nuts (your latest band?).
I was mindful that yours is painted, hence re-drilling the hole nearer to the correct hole.
It would only need the removable part to be repainted.

[Peter Bremner]

My idea, for what it’s worth.
Weld up the hole in the removable piece of metal.
Drill new hole a bit closer to the correct one.
Bolt it on.
Drill through new hole into fixed part.
Dismantle.
Drill correct size hole for m5 rivnut.

If a piece of copper bar is clamped on the visible side, when the hole is welded up, it will be flat on the visible side. It will only need a tickle with the grinder to clean up the underside. And maybe a smear of filler on the visible side.

The joys of repro parts.

[Peter Bremner]

How about a rivnut?

[Peter Bremner]

How did you resolve the problem?

[Peter Bremner]

Are you intending to refresh the wheels or a full restoration?
I had mine blasted, hot zinc sprayed and then powder coated in RAL 7044.
If a refresh, many automotive paint suppliers can make an aerosol of 7044.
One way to mask the tyre is to use playing cards. Poke the cards between the tyre and rim, overlapping the cards.

[Peter Bremner]

I don’t think I’d live long enough to restore that one.

[Peter Bremner]

From Citroen Classics, they use and recommend RAL 7044.
All a bit academic if you have full size wheel trims as only about 10mm is visible.
Don’t do what I did. I took the wheel into Been and Queued, had paint made. They looked ok until I drove the car. Each wheel had a starburst of paint across the tyre.

[Peter Bremner]

Why do they bother making repair panels that almost, but not quite, fit?
It took three sessions to fit the inner door skin, or about 7 hours.
I used a large copper bar behind the welds to try to stop distortion.
On the left front door I had to use the corner repair sections. They definitely don’t fit without a fair bit of hammer work.
Both corners are on.
Before the skin goes on, I’ll clean and epoxy prime the insides of the door. The inner skin will get a couple of coats where the stainless steel rubber mounting strip is riveted on.
Before the skin edge is folded over, I give the edges a coat of epoxy and fold whilst wet.
I hope this will seal the edge and add rigidity.
By the time I’ve done the fourth door, I will be quite proficient and hope to never do another one.

[Peter Bremner]

The left front door had various creases and dents. I used the spot welded dent pulling tabs, except I don’t have the proper spot welder.
Using the MIG was ugly but effective. I used a slide hammer to pulled on the tabs. You have to give them quite a hefty thump. Tickling them is pointless.

[Peter Bremner]

In the door, beyond resuscitation

[Peter Bremner]

The right hand driver’s door developed ‘oil canning’ after welding. At the rear end of the door, the outer panel would pop in and pop out. This is caused by the metal stretching.
I watched plenty of YouTube videos on the subject and an interminable load of adverts.
Essentially you push up on the area from inside with a dolly and using glancing blows with a hammer, massage the area outside of the tin can towards the centre. This hopefully pushes the metal towards the tin can.
This is done ‘off dolly’. If you hit the dolly through the metal, it stretches it.
With my 20 minutes of experience, once it stopped tin canning, I called it a day and broke out the filler.

Next time I’ll use my folding panel stand rather than the Workmate. I’ll also let each plug weld cool before doing the next.

[Peter Bremner]

How are you getting on with the roof?

[Peter Bremner]

I’ve spent too many hours using polystrip discs in the angle grinder removing paint from two doors.
Two doors and four wings are going for pyrolytic paint stripping. In an oven and burn the paint and filler off.
Next week’s job is to strip the doors and wings of anything combustible. Then off to Welwyn Garden City.
Or I could just build a bonfire.

Tempting.

[Peter Bremner]

For information. I’ve shown a Cleco pin ready to insert into the hole through two panels. The two prongs are fully extended. Once in the hole, the spring pressure pulls the two prongs back. The stationary central part opens up the prongs and the two pips grip the inner panel, pulling it tight against the outer panel.
Hole size on the inner panel is critical. My pins are 1/8″. I used a 3mm drill as the hole will always be bigger.
The hole on the outer panel can be bigger, this allows for adjustment.
The 8mm holes are for plug welding, I got a bit carried away.

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