Discussion
Remember this was a 14 year old car at the time!!
Note endcaps put on ends of square rail, and hole in square rail closest to seats, and dents in rail at back (childs hammer), triangular bracing to round main top rails was also very thin!!!
whatever you think of your chassis, it will be a lot worse after its blasted!!!
Note endcaps put on ends of square rail, and hole in square rail closest to seats, and dents in rail at back (childs hammer), triangular bracing to round main top rails was also very thin!!!
whatever you think of your chassis, it will be a lot worse after its blasted!!!
Edited by DavidY on Thursday 4th February 12:30
I don't know!!! Because of the triangulation weaknesses, an the fact that the rails where the rear shock absorbers mounted were not too clever, I sourced an alternative chassis, which incidentally needed repairing, but not in the main structure, it needed some outrigger attention, in the square rails that come outwards to help support the body.
If it was me I would want to replace the whole rail, which would require some jig work.
If it was me I would want to replace the whole rail, which would require some jig work.
Cheers, yes sometimes you have to pick your battles. If I think I'm getting out of my depth with the chassis I would be looking to put it out to someone to repair. However when I built my house, the few jobs I got others in to do generally caused me nothing but grief. So hopefully it wont come to that.
calum62 said:
Just managed for the first time in my puff to get a broken bolt out with an easyout - staggering!
I'm going to get a lottery ticket on this week !
2 Piece Nut Splitter Remover 1/2" NEW Heavy Duty - 5/8" & 5/8"-7/8"I'm going to get a lottery ticket on this week !
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Piece-Nut-Splitter-Re...
Cheers - I've never used one of those, any good? Although in my case it wouldn't have helped, the diff breather pipe got snapped off when some ham fisted idiot was removing the diff (okay it was me), it broke off flush to the diff casing and it was an aluminium threaded pipe and it was in there good. Luckily what broke was the little breather elbow and they are cheap and easily had on ebay.
Chassis now fully stripped and I have been in contact with a local shot blasters who is talking circa £200 for blasting it.
Chassis now fully stripped and I have been in contact with a local shot blasters who is talking circa £200 for blasting it.
Been a while but I have been working away on the car and now have my chassis back after shot blasting. Not had a detailed look at it but seems better than I was expecting. One Outrigger at the front is rotted & needs replacing, the other side is strangely perfect. At the rear the top square section tubes are rusty at the ends ( holes) but pretty solid elsewhere. Some pitting of the round tubes at the rear at the top but doesnt look serious. The holy outrigger you can see some cowboy has bubble gummed on a lap welded patch to it in a real dodgy area, right where it joins onto the main chassis. Looks like Im not the only cowboy out there 
I had them primer the chassis with weld through primer, with the idea being to prevent flash rusting and allowing me to grind it back where it will be getting welded. Apparently this primer is the same stuff they use for offshore so hopefully good stuff!
£280 cash all in
I had them primer the chassis with weld through primer, with the idea being to prevent flash rusting and allowing me to grind it back where it will be getting welded. Apparently this primer is the same stuff they use for offshore so hopefully good stuff!
£280 cash all in
Edited by calum62 on Wednesday 3rd March 21:00
Edited by calum62 on Wednesday 3rd March 21:19
Overall it doesnt look that bad.
But, as you have it bare, dont compromise now, any tube that shows any sign of perforation should be cut out completely and replaced, you dont want to finish your rebuild and find the chassis has started to corrode already.
As i said previously, take time, cut out one tube at a time, completely. make cardboard templates of the joints to wrap or fold around the tubes (And by tubes I mean both round and square sections).
Do one side at a time using the other side as your datum.
Tack the replacements into position before cutting out the next section, even if it means breaking new tack welds.
Tack it all up with good tacks, save all your welding untill last.
This chassis was similar to yours, on the bottom right you can see the extent of some of the tubes removed.
But, as you have it bare, dont compromise now, any tube that shows any sign of perforation should be cut out completely and replaced, you dont want to finish your rebuild and find the chassis has started to corrode already.
As i said previously, take time, cut out one tube at a time, completely. make cardboard templates of the joints to wrap or fold around the tubes (And by tubes I mean both round and square sections).
Do one side at a time using the other side as your datum.
Tack the replacements into position before cutting out the next section, even if it means breaking new tack welds.
Tack it all up with good tacks, save all your welding untill last.
This chassis was similar to yours, on the bottom right you can see the extent of some of the tubes removed.
Interesting and useful feedback. The pictures are perhaps deceptive the red primer is very thin and I can see pitting etc as well as I could if the metal was bare. I suspect this chassis has had outriggers replaced before as seems infeasible for a 40 years old car (living in Scotland) to be as good as they are. Seen pictures of Chimeras where the outriggers are just about completely missing!
Been side tracked with a flooding issue last week or so but will be giving the chassis a good inspection and planning what I need to do. As was said not a time to be cutting corners. There's a local Motor engineering workshop that does race car builds, who have a coded welder fabricator and I was considering taking it past them for a bit of advice and perhaps asking to them to do some of the fab work.
She was born with this Chassis and I think having the original chassis is a desirable thing. The only way I'd put a new chassis on the car is if someone fabricated one out of chromemoly and gave it to me for free
Been side tracked with a flooding issue last week or so but will be giving the chassis a good inspection and planning what I need to do. As was said not a time to be cutting corners. There's a local Motor engineering workshop that does race car builds, who have a coded welder fabricator and I was considering taking it past them for a bit of advice and perhaps asking to them to do some of the fab work.
She was born with this Chassis and I think having the original chassis is a desirable thing. The only way I'd put a new chassis on the car is if someone fabricated one out of chromemoly and gave it to me for free
GAjon said:
Overall it doesnt look that bad.
But, as you have it bare, dont compromise now, any tube that shows any sign of perforation should be cut out completely and replaced, you dont want to finish your rebuild and find the chassis has started to corrode already.
As i said previously, take time, cut out one tube at a time, completely. make cardboard templates of the joints to wrap or fold around the tubes (And by tubes I mean both round and square sections).
Do one side at a time using the other side as your datum.
Tack the replacements into position before cutting out the next section, even if it means breaking new tack welds.
Tack it all up with good tacks, save all your welding untill last.
This chassis was similar to yours, on the bottom right you can see the extent of some of the tubes removed.
Just noticed that pile of rusty tubes, frightening! But, as you have it bare, dont compromise now, any tube that shows any sign of perforation should be cut out completely and replaced, you dont want to finish your rebuild and find the chassis has started to corrode already.
As i said previously, take time, cut out one tube at a time, completely. make cardboard templates of the joints to wrap or fold around the tubes (And by tubes I mean both round and square sections).
Do one side at a time using the other side as your datum.
Tack the replacements into position before cutting out the next section, even if it means breaking new tack welds.
Tack it all up with good tacks, save all your welding untill last.
This chassis was similar to yours, on the bottom right you can see the extent of some of the tubes removed.
Apologies I'm still alive. Just has a bit of a 6 month hiatus while I did some some other jobs!
Off work for a week so have started painting chassis components and will paint chassis this week before it gets too cold to paint.
Painting the running gear after stripping to bare metal with a grinder with wire wheel with two coats of Electrox cold galvanizing paint and the two coats of Frost Extreme black chassis paint - As I had some and it gives a nice period look. All brush painted. The cold galvanizing paint is nice and thick and easy to apply with brush strokes disappearing. The Frost Chassis paint is quite runny and after one coat looked s
te, 2nd coat has tidied things up and it looks decent.
The Chassis in primer currently is getting a coat of silver epoxy mastic paint (brushed). Then going to spray stone chip on the vulnerable areas (out riggers etc) then give it another coat of epoxy mastic.
Homebrew on the shelf in the background
Off work for a week so have started painting chassis components and will paint chassis this week before it gets too cold to paint.
Painting the running gear after stripping to bare metal with a grinder with wire wheel with two coats of Electrox cold galvanizing paint and the two coats of Frost Extreme black chassis paint - As I had some and it gives a nice period look. All brush painted. The cold galvanizing paint is nice and thick and easy to apply with brush strokes disappearing. The Frost Chassis paint is quite runny and after one coat looked s
te, 2nd coat has tidied things up and it looks decent.The Chassis in primer currently is getting a coat of silver epoxy mastic paint (brushed). Then going to spray stone chip on the vulnerable areas (out riggers etc) then give it another coat of epoxy mastic.
Homebrew on the shelf in the background
So onto the chassis. I need to press on and get it all painted as getting cold now.
Brush painted 1st coat of Jotomastic AL90 epoxy mastic. Took about 4 hours!
Supposed to be silver but looks more grey to me. Having the chassis shot blasted leaves a great finish for painting. Am now swithering on whether to paint the chassis to chassis black. Two coats of epoxy mastic then a couple coats of Frost chassis black maybe
Brush painted 1st coat of Jotomastic AL90 epoxy mastic. Took about 4 hours!
Supposed to be silver but looks more grey to me. Having the chassis shot blasted leaves a great finish for painting. Am now swithering on whether to paint the chassis to chassis black. Two coats of epoxy mastic then a couple coats of Frost chassis black maybe
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