The little red roadster build, Renovation/revamp, 09

[Mazda Mender]

***Still waiting on the body shop ***
M-m

[Mazda Mender]

We are just moving everything around for some building work thats going to be happening and i noticed that i had not changed the pedal ruubers...

[Mazda Mender]

Quick update... drivers rear outer panel going on, nearly finished and the gas ran out .
To late on Saturday to get another, and Sunday was a wash out any way...
M-m

[Mazda Mender]

Update, the panel is on and started to cut open the other side, which as turned out to be a shock, the outer skin was showing signs and in the arch back panel , so on opening it up to revel a sill section that was ok, but the inner section behind that toast, the rear back section is ok, so i need to cut the sill section off and make the space for the outer skin bigger to be able to work on cutting out and replacing, now at this stage i am unsure how much further i will need to remove to make all good again and hop its not a chase for good, i have dropped some etch primer on just for the time being while its still open while i plan my next attack and good weather...
As a foot note the reason the rears are like this is because of a badly fitted roof/rain rail and drainage tubes not being done, make sure you check them, any way pics and i will update as and when if the weather decides to give us all a break...

[Mazda Mender]

So after cutting open to find the inner sill section in not to bad nick but the inner tub panel bottom dust looking through the sill holes the repair as become a lot more deeper and a bigger section is needed to be removed to be able to gain access, so lucky for me i have 4 x rear 1/4 sat here to take apart for a section needed, the sill section can be re used again with only minor repair needed, so on removing the section needed ,it did need a repair piece so i just use the outer skin that i removed , so once i had that sorted to be able to offer up the template for cutting and marking up it was onto the repair of the sill section to be ready, so i am ready to make up another template for the closing bottom section to be able to make that up and then i am ready to start gluing her back together.
On the second outer skin i cut off you can see the massive effort that was taken the protect her with a cavity wax ....

[Mazda Mender]

The sill section i removed to go back in is repaired and ready, just need to get my template for the end panel and make something up, to be able to cut out the other dust and get fresh in...

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M-m

[Mazda Mender]

Update...
all the cutting welding and grinding are done on all the repair pieces ready to glue this side all back together again, i was all geared up ready and the gas ran out so new tank being delivered for weekend, to hopefully crack on...so pics..

[Mazda Mender]

and two new toys to make the job easier...

[Mazda Mender]

I managed to get 3 sections in place while back and forth helping Daryl with the O2 sensor on his Mk 1 1.6 that gave a fight right to the last turn, but thats another story for his thread.
Little bit of tweaking for the repair bits to fit nice, the inner panel blow an hole , so i had to back fill/plug with a piece of alloy on the back to get back right, but was no biggie ,ran out of time so the spot welds still need dressing on the sill end panel on the arch side, will more than likely do that tonight, but she is going back together, so time to arrange booking in for here soul red coat ...

[Mazda Mender]

Update on where i am up to on her...the two sill sections are on, outer skin is on, rattle canned for the minute simply for protection while she awaits the visit to the body shop and fresh paint,Soul red, so its screen out and taken apart for a full hit, then i can inject the sills with cavity wax and finish the undersealing on the rear arches, and tidy her up to go to another owner to be enjoyed for some time to come, the spot welds are left slightly proud for the bodyshop to dress up, but all in all she is going back on the floor.

[drumtochty]

It is against the human rights act to have to do this outside. Does it not blow away the shielding gas?

I bought two of those power finger sanders. One half inch and one about a quarter inch finger width.

I messed about for two weeks, battery or compressed air. Changed my mind every day or two and in the end I said "you have a big powerful compressor that only gets used to blow up tyres so just go with compressed air finger sanders. A few days later got an Aldi battery angle grinder and three batteries. So a change of mind again.

Do you get the body shop to just paint or do they do the filling to make the job look factory fresh.

Great work.

[Mazda Mender]

The body shop i know , and they/he asked me to leave the welds just ever so slightly proud not to completely dead flat them as they will do all the prep needed to finish off in their area, as he is a body fabricator and thankfully taught me how to perfect the art better using my own skill set already also, But i must say that that welder i got is so good and takes a lot of the hassle away , so glad i bought it ,as far as i am aware because the panels are aftermarket items and allowing for some welding distortion etc every body shop will apply a minimal skim to get the correct contour, but a skim not filled with filler, plus most of the areas are to be stone chipped as per spec, he will also replicate the spot welds on the arch lip, the pics will all be posted up from when they take over and when done and back to me for finishing .
In between all this i have been sorting and welding up a car dolly i bought, which is also finished now ready to be used.

As i am sure you can guess she as been done on dry none windy days, otherwise it is a no go and the garage will be done fingers crossed middle of next year now funds allowing, so i use what i have, when i can, sky daddy allowing, i don't mind working outside, but for this part of it i really need to be in to help speed up the process, it will happen, it is what it is for the time being.
The little 3" cutter was a massive help in the process of fabricating as was the spot weld file which helped in some really hard to get to places, my biggest shock was the price of good grinder belts, but if you don't get the right ones, they simply don't last and work for purpose.
When i am in the garage with the air compressor i will invest in a air file for that as i do have a very good wide selection of air tools any way for all this, i am just limited to watching the weather at the minute to play, other wise i am licking windows frustrated.
The drivers rear was the hardest as no new panels were used, it was panels from a donor or the originals were repaired and refitted, because it did not need new apart from the outer skin and the inner panel which was totally rotten which you cannot buy, where as the other side required all new sections simply cut and glue back in, this side was a bit more challenging ,which i enjoyed, wait until you see the S spec and what gets cut and replaced and the J ltd.
M-m