Tonight Matthew I'm going to be a Chocolate Flake...

[gmw9666]

Well it was a cheap wedge so what do I expect.....it's in getting a service this weekend so will stay a tad longer to have sorted

Apparently the off side was recently repaired.....well yes by using a kids climbing frame

Glad I wasn't in a crash as that plate is not held on

1. cowboy

Everything is stripped now to help the garage keep cost down

[Wedg1e]

That looks like a scaffold tube? I think the rectangular bracket is for a handrail.
Sad to say but this is typical of the bodgery you find on these cars. My first Tasmin had one sill tube 'repaired' with an old box-spanner tack-welded in a couple of places and the other side 'rejuvenated' with the chrome leg from someone's dining room table.
Thing is, it takes 90% of the effort to do it properly, to bodge it.

[gmw9666]

Way too thin for scaffold tube

Mr R Sole was clearly the chap that did it lol

[Wedg1e]

I repaired the chassis on a white Wedge a few years back (I think it ended up in Germany)... see here:

http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/280i_fhc_chassis_rep...

[gmw9666]

Wedg1e said:

I repaired the chassis on a white Wedge a few years back (I think it ended up in Germany)... see here:

http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/280i_fhc_chassis_rep...

Shouldn't be too much faff for my garage to sort whilst in for a service then.....given I've never welded anything in my life I'd better not start now.....I've already killed one wedge, don't plan to do that again lol

[mrzigazaga]

Well i guess at least the level of intelligence matches the skill...Are you putting the sills back with self tappers or riv-nuts..This is a job i need to do..Mainly to be able to service the outriggers from time to time...I just hope mine are okay as its always a worry that you are going to find tin foil like tubing..Or a cheese grater...

@Ian..A dinning table leg......Seriously...That takes some beating....

[gmw9666]

mrzigazaga said:

Well i guess at least the level of intelligence matches the skill...Are you putting the sills back with self tappers or riv-nuts..This is a job i need to do..Mainly to be able to service the outriggers from time to time...I just hope mine are okay as its always a worry that you are going to find tin foil like tubing..Or a cheese grater...

@Ian..A dinning table leg......Seriously...That takes some beating....

The near side I had to drill out the pop rivets, so original.....if yours are original I'd want a peak.....I did and look what I found

Likely to rivnut or similar when they go back on

[stevoj]

"Thing is, it takes 90% of the effort to do it properly, to bodge it"


Exactly, cannot understand why someone would go to the trouble of stripping the sills off, cut the crap out and then replace with something like that instead of the correct tube, he must have saved about £20

[Wedg1e]

gmw9666 said:

The near side I had to drill out the pop rivets, so original

Do you have a captive stud at each end of the sill as well? The early cars just had self-tappers down into the sill from inside the car; later they introduced captive studs but they corroded like hell. I replaced mine with stainless ones and even after 10 years the nuts spun straight off.

[gmw9666]

Wedg1e said:

Do you have a captive stud at each end of the sill as well? The early cars just had self-tappers down into the sill from inside the car; later they introduced captive studs but they corroded like hell. I replaced mine with stainless ones and even after 10 years the nuts spun straight off.

No it was just pop rivets on the under side and under the rubber seal

Also anyone notice on the drive side out rigger........there is no front plate lol

[adam quantrill]

To be honest the outriggers aren't that critical - I drove my first wedge for many years and when it was scrapped the sill covers came off and there was coca powder in there, not even a flake. Mo MOT inspectors had noticed, either.

[Wedg1e]

adam quantrill said:

To be honest the outriggers aren't that critical - I drove my first wedge for many years and when it was scrapped the sill covers came off and there was coca powder in there, not even a flake. Mo MOT inspectors had noticed, either.

Depends on how close a fit the sills are, I guess... on my Tas they were pop-rivetted along the floor as Glen says, so you could hardly see the tubes. On the 390 there's a gap and there are folded alloy brackets to stabilise the lower edges of the sills.

As the seatbelt mounts, door hinges and strikers (and the roof hoop!) are all braced to the sill tubes I wouldn't say they were 'not critical'

[ElvisWedgely]

adam quantrill said:

To be honest the outriggers aren't that critical - I drove my first wedge for many years and when it was scrapped the sill covers came off and there was coca powder in there, not even a flake. Mo MOT inspectors had noticed, either.

So, your seat belts then must have been anchored to the air riggers. Should the worst have happened, you could of ended up as a chocolate plomonge on the bonnet.

Tony. TCB.

[mrzigazaga]

ElvisWedgely said:

chocolate plomonge on the bonnet.

Arrrhhhgggg did you have to mate....
..........

[adam quantrill]

Yeah the seat belts were still attached and quite firmly. I wrote the thing off spinning off the road at about 60mph so there must have been some "usage" of the drivers side belt too.

What I really meant was the front-back tubes, rather than the side-side ones and associated mounting brackets.

And yes, to paraphrase Top Gear "a little bit of plomonge came out..."

[gmw9666]

Well the boys from David Gerald TVR are doing a great job of keeping me updated with the outrigger progress

Really impressed with Mike and the team.........Top Work

The old girl should be back home soon after a few other jobs being done........well, whilst she's there it saves me the job :-)

Just means its another wedge that's solid, improved and ready for another few decades of action

[KKson]

gmw9666 said:

Well the boys from David Gerald TVR are doing a great job of keeping me updated with the outrigger progress

Really impressed with Mike and the team.........Top Work

The old girl should be back home soon after a few other jobs being done........well, whilst she's there it saves me the job :-)

Just means its another wedge that's solid, improved and ready for another few decades of action

Looking forward to seeing it, although slightly jealous at the price. You stopping for a beer on the Saturday? So the score so far - Wedges with a future 2. Wedges knackered and sold off for spares 1.

[gmw9666]

KKson said:

Looking forward to seeing it, although slightly jealous at the price. You stopping for a beer on the Saturday? So the score so far - Wedges with a future 2. Wedges knackered and sold off for spares 1.

I'll be around for a bev or 2 :-)

[gmw9666]

Got the wedge back Friday afternoon and have been tinkering all day yesterday......had forgot to post up some snaps

Top job with the outriggers from Dabid Gerald TVR, should last the old girl another couple of decades lol

[Wedg1e]

gmw9666 said:

Is it an optical illusion or is that seatbelt anchor bolt a bit short? Looks odd because the one on the other side looks rather long...