1958 Austin A35 - the family heirloom...
Discussion
My tame welder uncaged his inner beast last night and went "full send".
In his words "stop f
king about and just get on with it" 
Bit of heavy metal cranked up, sparks flying.
Started off by making a new damper mount plate:
Next up was removal of the heel/kick board patch that had been rather clumsily made and smashed on in a previous life...
Oh FFS
sts getting serious now. Time to cut all that out too. 
Off with the old spring mount and on with new.
Crusty remaining bit of inner sill cut out and replaced too.
Damper mount plate welded to spring mount.
And offered up:
Next up the heel/kick board will be repaired and the rear floor offered up. Then wheel inner/outer tubs.
In his words "stop f
king about and just get on with it" Bit of heavy metal cranked up, sparks flying.
Started off by making a new damper mount plate:
Next up was removal of the heel/kick board patch that had been rather clumsily made and smashed on in a previous life...
Oh FFS
s
ts getting serious now. Time to cut all that out too. Off with the old spring mount and on with new.
Crusty remaining bit of inner sill cut out and replaced too.
Damper mount plate welded to spring mount.
And offered up:
Next up the heel/kick board will be repaired and the rear floor offered up. Then wheel inner/outer tubs.
Yes the big bore exhaust. I was the 2nd person to trial this system on the austin through the club. I have a stainless one. It's sitting in my workshop as I removed it from my car when I fitted the maniflow system. I have future plans for it so will keep it for a rainy day. They are a perfect fit.
Ambleton said:
Wish said:
Is there a budget ? Is it still within budget.
Are you just head down arse up any amount of money to get it done and the wife happy.
Are you just head down arse up any amount of money to get it done and the wife happy.
When we first got the car and I had a look over it I had a figure of 12-14k in my head.
When I started poking deeper and deeper that ballooned quite dramatically when we realised that it really needed dipping, which also means sending back for second dip and E-coat after welding to protect everything properly, so that adds £4k immediately.
Then there's the welding. I had £3-4k mentally set aside for welding, but that was before we had it dipped. I've spent £2k on repair panels and it's had 3 months (so far) of welding labour.
At this stage I'd be surprised if finished car comes in at much less than £25k if I paint it myself.
Once it's done it might be worth £12k
BUT, it's a bit like a house. They're worth nothing untill you sell them, and it's never going to be sold.
Edited by Ambleton on Thursday 8th February 06:39
Make sure you insure it with a guaranteed value.
Wish said:
Thank you for being so honest….. sometimes you just can’t put a price on memories. I’m sure it’s will be the best £25k you will ever spend for a family heirloom.
Make sure you insure it with a guaranteed value.
No point beating about the bush. Make sure you insure it with a guaranteed value.
People who've restored cars know it's expensive and those that haven't should know
As I've said a few times, the car is a lifer, IE never going to be sold, the hope is to eventually pass it onto a fourth generation in time
The car has been giving my tame welder a bit of a kicking recently. At every turn she's been unveiling more delights and/or wanting to hold on to grotty metal.
This, in turn, has meant another sweep around the coffers. I've told my welder pal to crack on - just gotta keep ploughing on! I guess it's no different to rebuilding an old house. There's always going to be unforeseen issues with sewerage, foundations or beams or similar.
My guess is that all of that will fizzle into insignificance when we're trundling down to the seaside for a cream tea or picnic into mid Wales.
With all that said though, he's been making more good progress. The LHS wheel tub has been repaired and offered into the car. Still needs a bit more work there but it fits pretty well at least.
Yesterday he made up some repair patches for the LH wheel arch and got the outer sill end/lower corner in.
Before:
Welds alternate stitched to avoid excess heat/warpage.
This, in turn, has meant another sweep around the coffers. I've told my welder pal to crack on - just gotta keep ploughing on! I guess it's no different to rebuilding an old house. There's always going to be unforeseen issues with sewerage, foundations or beams or similar.
My guess is that all of that will fizzle into insignificance when we're trundling down to the seaside for a cream tea or picnic into mid Wales.
With all that said though, he's been making more good progress. The LHS wheel tub has been repaired and offered into the car. Still needs a bit more work there but it fits pretty well at least.
Yesterday he made up some repair patches for the LH wheel arch and got the outer sill end/lower corner in.
Before:
Welds alternate stitched to avoid excess heat/warpage.
Nice restorative work once again OP, surprising how many 'repairs' she'd had previously!
austina35 said:
Yes the big bore exhaust. I was the 2nd person to trial this system on the austin through the club. I have a stainless one. It's sitting in my workshop as I removed it from my car when I fitted the maniflow system. I have future plans for it so will keep it for a rainy day. They are a perfect fit.
Did you go for the over-the-axle exhaust setup from Maniflow? Have this on my car currently but also have a side-exit pipe to play about with.Been a few days since an update.
We left off with the LHS body/arch repaired. Time to flip back over to the RHS and do the portion forward of the body split line.
Panel made with lip and returns, marked and trimmed
Tacked in
Gaps filled
The other side (outer arch skin) is pretty much "done" too
Work has progressed at a rate underneath and parts are getting there, almost all ready for the final fit. Just a few more repairs and flanges to get on, then all the welds can have the tops knocked off. As per original, there's an absolute butt tonne of plug welds going on! Originally there was a bit of a crappy sill/arch lomer end plate with a rubber appendage around the perimeter in a half hearted attempt to prevent ste going down there. We're doing something better and my pal has made up a curved (in two directions) capping panel that seals off the sill to the inner and outer arch. (Still needs tidying but it looks way better IRL than in photos)
Not long before the back panel can go on for good!
We left off with the LHS body/arch repaired. Time to flip back over to the RHS and do the portion forward of the body split line.
Panel made with lip and returns, marked and trimmed
Tacked in
Gaps filled
The other side (outer arch skin) is pretty much "done" too
Work has progressed at a rate underneath and parts are getting there, almost all ready for the final fit. Just a few more repairs and flanges to get on, then all the welds can have the tops knocked off. As per original, there's an absolute butt tonne of plug welds going on! Originally there was a bit of a crappy sill/arch lomer end plate with a rubber appendage around the perimeter in a half hearted attempt to prevent s
te going down there. We're doing something better and my pal has made up a curved (in two directions) capping panel that seals off the sill to the inner and outer arch. (Still needs tidying but it looks way better IRL than in photos)Not long before the back panel can go on for good!
JOldcastle said:
This is fantastic. The quality of the work going on is exceptional, can't wait to see it done!
You're right, the quality of the fabrication is absolutely fantastic. It's taken a lot of effort, blood, sweat, tears and time but she is starting to take real good shape and all that credit goes to my welder pal. He's put some mega hours into the car so far.
I can't wait to see her finished either!
Neither can my pal - it's A LOT of work and I think there's a little bit of project fatigue, or there was a week or two back when she just kept delivering more and more thin, s
tty, rusty metal. There's nothing worse than thinking you're nearing the end and revealing a shop of horrors.She's starting to look a bit like a proper car again now though so I think theres some light at the end of the tunnel. All the big scary structural stuff is all done now and focus has now gone back onto the boot fit/repair. Next will be the drivers door repair I think.
I can scarcely believe I'm saying this, but the back end of the car (B-Pillars back) is tantalisingly close to being done.
All the rear suspension mounts are in.
The heelboard fully repaired.
The boot floor fully repaired.
Damper mount plates all newly made and in
new wheel tubs fully repaired and in
sill end plates made up and in
Sill outer ends in
Rear arch repairs made up and in
rear panel repaired and in
New rear valance repaired and on
Rear bumper offered up
Boot lid made to fit nicely + gapped (cut+shut)
Rear quarter/arch closers made up and in
New fuel tank offered up (supplied by the A30/A35 club.
There are (of course) a few jobs remaining. The outer arch liners still need to be final fit. There's two more closing strips/flanges that need making up and fitting/welding in (instead of the rubbish rubber strips), there's a few repairs that need to occur to the boot lid and the seat pan needs a final fit.
BUT.... On the whole all that is relatively small fry.
Hopefully by the weekend the car can have the back axle on and we'll be golden.
What an emotional rollercoaster....
Then there can be a final sweep from back to front doing the final fit of the floors, filling any small holes, and make some closer panels.
Won't be long now! The light at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching!
I'll get some more snaps of under the back end this week but it all just looks absolutely spot on. I'm really really pleased and can't wait to get her in one colour and thinking about building her up.
All the rear suspension mounts are in.
The heelboard fully repaired.
The boot floor fully repaired.
Damper mount plates all newly made and in
new wheel tubs fully repaired and in
sill end plates made up and in
Sill outer ends in
Rear arch repairs made up and in
rear panel repaired and in
New rear valance repaired and on
Rear bumper offered up
Boot lid made to fit nicely + gapped (cut+shut)
Rear quarter/arch closers made up and in
New fuel tank offered up (supplied by the A30/A35 club.
There are (of course) a few jobs remaining. The outer arch liners still need to be final fit. There's two more closing strips/flanges that need making up and fitting/welding in (instead of the rubbish rubber strips), there's a few repairs that need to occur to the boot lid and the seat pan needs a final fit.
BUT.... On the whole all that is relatively small fry.
Hopefully by the weekend the car can have the back axle on and we'll be golden.
What an emotional rollercoaster....
Then there can be a final sweep from back to front doing the final fit of the floors, filling any small holes, and make some closer panels.
Won't be long now! The light at the end of the tunnel is fast approaching!
I'll get some more snaps of under the back end this week but it all just looks absolutely spot on. I'm really really pleased and can't wait to get her in one colour and thinking about building her up.
Edited by Ambleton on Monday 19th February 21:48
I made a list of fabrication/welding/body works the other day. It makes interesting reading!
new front valance
new front lower repair panels both sides
headlight surrounds repaired both sides
new inner rad panel
full new inner wing LHS
inner wing repaired RHS
new hinge mounts both sides
new A-panel closers both sides
new front floors both sides
new inner sills both sides
new outer sills both sides
new drivers front wing
new arch closer repairs both sides
front chassis leg repairs
bulkhead repairs
passenger wing repaired
new passenger door + gappee
drivers door repaired + gapped
windscreen surround repaired
new rear half floors
heel kick board repaired
new rear seat pan
new inner wheel tub cuts repaired and fitted both sides
new outer wheel tub cuts repaired and fitted both sides
new rear damper mount plates made and fitted both sides
damper mount doublers repaired both sides
new front spring mounts both sides
new rear spring hangers both sides
40% of the boot floor new/repaired
new rear arch/quarter closers
new arch to wing closers
boot lid repaired and gapped
rear panel cut repaired and fitted
rear valance cut repaired and fitted
fuel tank mount channels repaired and refitted
rear outer arch/body panels made and installed both sides
Bonnet repaired and gapped
We're over 420 hours I think so far with a bit more to do!
new front valance
new front lower repair panels both sides
headlight surrounds repaired both sides
new inner rad panel
full new inner wing LHS
inner wing repaired RHS
new hinge mounts both sides
new A-panel closers both sides
new front floors both sides
new inner sills both sides
new outer sills both sides
new drivers front wing
new arch closer repairs both sides
front chassis leg repairs
bulkhead repairs
passenger wing repaired
new passenger door + gappee
drivers door repaired + gapped
windscreen surround repaired
new rear half floors
heel kick board repaired
new rear seat pan
new inner wheel tub cuts repaired and fitted both sides
new outer wheel tub cuts repaired and fitted both sides
new rear damper mount plates made and fitted both sides
damper mount doublers repaired both sides
new front spring mounts both sides
new rear spring hangers both sides
40% of the boot floor new/repaired
new rear arch/quarter closers
new arch to wing closers
boot lid repaired and gapped
rear panel cut repaired and fitted
rear valance cut repaired and fitted
fuel tank mount channels repaired and refitted
rear outer arch/body panels made and installed both sides
Bonnet repaired and gapped
We're over 420 hours I think so far with a bit more to do!
I think we're on the final push now to get Bessie over the line (at least from a welding standpoint).
My welder pal is now sweeping through the car and doing all the tidying up (read - non structural) jobs.
This includes closing gaps and reflanging bits, final fit of the floors etc.
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My welder pal is now sweeping through the car and doing all the tidying up (read - non structural) jobs.
This includes closing gaps and reflanging bits, final fit of the floors etc.
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