Discussion
Hard to be certain from here but that looks like it could be one of the infamous grey epoxy-coated chassis. Which rot just as badly as all the others once the epoxy gets chipped
My favoured technique is to use galvanised plate with the zinc cleared along the weld lines. Whether you use galv or not, a good coat of Smoothrite followed by underseal and you should have at least 15 years corrosion-free.
My favoured technique is to use galvanised plate with the zinc cleared along the weld lines. Whether you use galv or not, a good coat of Smoothrite followed by underseal and you should have at least 15 years corrosion-free.
Used (white) Rustoleum on the last one, still have some left so I'm going to carry on with that.
POR15 will give me a headache unless I use a respirator.
The chassis has got white powder coat, the photos maybe didn't show too clearly, the rest of it is like a new(er) car, the sills had about a kilo of mud in there which rotted the outriggers, I've not seen any rot elsewhere.
If the rest of it is ok it won't need blasting which means I won't need to pull the engine, I can just sort the running gear, bushes, brake and fuel lines etc. It's so far gone in places stuff has just turned to dust, steering rack gaiter has just flaked off.
Question: I've got a piece of 4"x2"posted through the rear wheel arches to lift at the rear, the front looks tight for space, will the same be ok to lift the front? & fuel tanks stay in the tub right?
POR15 will give me a headache unless I use a respirator.
The chassis has got white powder coat, the photos maybe didn't show too clearly, the rest of it is like a new(er) car, the sills had about a kilo of mud in there which rotted the outriggers, I've not seen any rot elsewhere.
If the rest of it is ok it won't need blasting which means I won't need to pull the engine, I can just sort the running gear, bushes, brake and fuel lines etc. It's so far gone in places stuff has just turned to dust, steering rack gaiter has just flaked off.
Question: I've got a piece of 4"x2"posted through the rear wheel arches to lift at the rear, the front looks tight for space, will the same be ok to lift the front? & fuel tanks stay in the tub right?
Hi Alan....It seems that most of the Wedges that had that white/Grey powder coating have stood the test of time...My 280i (1982) had the same and it looked brand new in places...I think the riggers may of been okay as well..
I need to remove the sills on the 350i...I don't think i will be as lucky...
I need to remove the sills on the 350i...I don't think i will be as lucky...
Alan461 said:
I just can't fathom how so much mud got in there in so few miles. Last Mot ran out 24 years ago.
Drill the pop rivets Zig at least you can clean it and you'll know where it's at
I have a friend with a lift who is going to give me a hand doing the sills, We plan to fit rib-nuts so that the sills can be removed from time to time and the out riggers serviced.Drill the pop rivets Zig at least you can clean it and you'll know where it's at
At the last MOT in November my inspector said the plates are looking a little rusty so hopefully thats all it is...I do need to get in there and remove as much crud and address what i can...Talking of "Crud" i think i may well have a dollop of that from my recent off road experience in Poppy...: (
mrzigazaga said:
I have a friend with a lift who is going to give me a hand doing the sills, We plan to fit rib-nuts so that the sills can be removed from time to time and the out riggers serviced.
At the last MOT in November my inspector said the plates are looking a little rusty so hopefully thats all it is...I do need to get in there and remove as much crud and address what i can...Talking of "Crud" i think i may well have a dollop of that from my recent off road experience in Poppy...: (
Mark, just get Poppy to the Wedge fest and don't try to sort anything out before then. Got the drivers seat and dash loose on the 390SE tonight - not good news - a few more jobs on the list. I had a small hope that the black Wedge would be coming to the BBWF but now looking even more doubtful. How the heck this car got an MOT last year is beyond me.......At the last MOT in November my inspector said the plates are looking a little rusty so hopefully thats all it is...I do need to get in there and remove as much crud and address what i can...Talking of "Crud" i think i may well have a dollop of that from my recent off road experience in Poppy...: (
KKson said:
Mark, just get Poppy to the Wedge fest and don't try to sort anything out before then. Got the drivers seat and dash loose on the 390SE tonight - not good news - a few more jobs on the list. I had a small hope that the black Wedge would be coming to the BBWF but now looking even more doubtful. How the heck this car got an MOT last year is beyond me.......
Oh bugger....One thing is for sure about Wedges...There are cans of worms everywhere...I saw my rear brake pads when i was addressing the fuel pump wire the other day...They look low but the MOT passed them and he knows what to look for...With hindsight i would of bought one of the many wonderful big V8 Wedges i was offered when i had my inheritance and had a body off...Engine build...Re-trim.......Having nowhere to keep them other than on the street didn't help.
There is a guy down the road from me who manages to get an MOT every year without even moving his car...Which in fact doesn't work cos he killed it....It does get polished every day come rain or shine...In fact when it rains he is out there with a floor mop.......
They changed the rules on pads a couple of years ago - now they are Ok unless they are down to the metal. The rears take ages to wear down anyway yours are probably good for a few more years.
looking at this thread I am sure I will do my sills in stainless when the time comes.... fit and forget.
looking at this thread I am sure I will do my sills in stainless when the time comes.... fit and forget.
.....Looking good...This was how i was planning to lift FHC No.2 when me and a fellow Wedger owned it...The garage wasn't very wide but high enough and had reinforced beams that reportedly could support a 1000kg each...This way the chassis could be rolled in and out or stripped to be sent off for blasting and painting...Good luck with....Ziga
Bit of a boring photo but this is the worst of the rot I've found so far other than the now replaced outriggers.
The previous owner has painted the rear section black which I'm going to remove and repaint white.
No need for this to go to the blasters, most of the powder coat is good and has shiny metal underneath.
I've damaged one of the tanks during the lift, fuel return was connected and broke the spigot connection.
I'm wondering if the hole can be plugged and the return plumbed into one of the link pipes in that area?
The previous owner has painted the rear section black which I'm going to remove and repaint white.
No need for this to go to the blasters, most of the powder coat is good and has shiny metal underneath.
I've damaged one of the tanks during the lift, fuel return was connected and broke the spigot connection.
I'm wondering if the hole can be plugged and the return plumbed into one of the link pipes in that area?
If you read around the internet there are all sorts of suggestions for welding petrol tanks... in my case they'd been empty for two years and I purged the tank I was working on with Argon before I fired up the plasma torch.
The usual suggestion is to plug all the holes and fill with water to just below where you need to weld, that way there's insufficient volume for the fumes to be an issue - although I have never tried it!
You're right in theory; if you could reliably plug the hole and splice into one of the other lines it'd work but the idea is that warm/hot fuel returning from the fuel rail enters the tank as far away from the tank outlet as possible to allow it to cool with the main body of liquid in the tank. One might hypothesise that returning hot fuel just above the point where it's about to be drawn off could compromise performance, but it'd need cleverer heads than mine to calculate any actual effect.
The usual suggestion is to plug all the holes and fill with water to just below where you need to weld, that way there's insufficient volume for the fumes to be an issue - although I have never tried it!
You're right in theory; if you could reliably plug the hole and splice into one of the other lines it'd work but the idea is that warm/hot fuel returning from the fuel rail enters the tank as far away from the tank outlet as possible to allow it to cool with the main body of liquid in the tank. One might hypothesise that returning hot fuel just above the point where it's about to be drawn off could compromise performance, but it'd need cleverer heads than mine to calculate any actual effect.
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