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1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 6:46 pm
by Davidh
Good afternoon,
Im new here so, my apologies if this is a bit of a perennial question but, how bad is too bad?
Im an accidental owner of a 1964 Saloon. Ive never restored a car before but, my working like is spent doing a mix of joinery and metalwork so, I have a decent bit of space and equipment to tackle something - Id always thought it'd be a Series I Landrover but, there you go eh! It was given to me a while ago and I think I'd quite like to restore it but, it would appear to be in a bit of a state. It is intact in as far as I have everything from it in boxes and three new wings (quite why three?) so thats a good start but there are some nasty looking areas of rust wheel arches, sills, engine bay and along both gutters on the roof. I have attached a few photographs - it'd be great to see what people think!

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 6:48 pm
by Davidh
And a few more pictures... Hopefully that'll give a general impression of the worst parts!

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 6:59 pm
by les
Some would say, anything can be restored, this may well be true but in reality a completely rusted car, is the surest way to sap enthusiasm, especially for a first restoration. That roof would make me think twice. :D

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 7:06 pm
by Davidh
Les,
Thanks for the reply. Yes, its the roof that worries me most I think. I feel relatively confident in dealing with the other areas having seem the replacement panels available but, that rust in the gutters extends over approximately half the length of either side.

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 9:12 pm
by davidmiles
but this is not a completely rusted car is it, it has corners of repairable rust, and plenty of surface rust. If you want a restoration project, why not save this one. You can obtain every repair patch you need, and if you want to save money, you can learn to make your own. if you have time and store space, if you're not in a hurry to make this your main transport, get stuck in, and don't let anyone tell you you're not qualified, or that you're not experienced enough to tackle it. If you want it, go for it.

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 9:19 pm
by les
That area is a concern as its not easy to keep the original roof curve straight along the length when letting metal in. Once the panel has been cut it tends to release a few stresses, making it tricky area to avoid ripples, unfortunately in a place that catches the eye!

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2017 10:28 pm
by Davidh
David,
Thank you. I would like to save it - seems a shame to give up on it if there is a glimmer of hope! A friend had it and was going to scrap it - a bottle of whisky later and... well, here we are! Luckily I wouldn't need it as my daily runner.

Les,
I take your point - it is bang on eye line and would stand out terribly if done carelessly. Patience and proper prior planning would be the approach i suppose - neither yourself or David have suggested its not "do-able" just blinking tricky. I have just come across Fairmile Restorations on the internet - they seem to have a very extensive range of roof repair sections.

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 11:43 am
by les
No, don't want to discourage you, just mentioning some challenges! I just wondered if, as a first project, it might put you of for life! I had to face some bad times with mine and would think twice about doing it again but if you go for it, great and I'd wish you well. :D

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 12:35 pm
by 67-2door
In reality is doesn't look much worse than the one I bought, and mine came with almost a years mot!
I had to repair my guttering & roof edge & although I'm a (very) amateur welder it came out just fine.
Take your time & repair it.

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2017 10:19 pm
by Davidh
Thank you all for taking the time to reply!
It sounds as though it isn't the basket case that I feared but that I must adopt a zen like state of inner calm and patience!

67-2 Door, a quick question if I may - guttering seems easy enough to obtain but, for the roof edge, did you fabricate your own or buy panel sections in?

It rather looks as though I am to be undertaking my first car restoration! Blimey

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 6:25 am
by Redmoggy
If you can't already then start with a welding course. You need to be proficient in plug welding as well as being able to seam weld butt joints etc. Whilst MIG is essentially point and squirt it still requires some skill.

You will also need to brace up that body so it keeps it's shape. It's a good idea to ensure your doors fit and line up before bracing.

As has been said the majority of the car is pretty straight forward with just the roof being an issue to tackle. If it was me I would find a good second hand roof. You can then unstitch yours and replace it like any other panel. Not a straight forward job for a beginner but may be simpler than trying to form repairs and let them in.

Rod

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 7:51 am
by kennatt
the question is how bad is the underside,it will certainly need both full sill sections ,x member maybe, chassis leg/legs, .then you have all the mech bits , suspension, etc,you need to, give it a systematic check and list all work and parts .whilst most parts are reasonably priced. it soon mounts up,a reasonable re spray costs 2 thou these days,I did one similar a few years back,and soon passed the 1.5 thou mark, fortunately I was a coachbuilder by trade so the paint job cost was only the paint. It would give you a great deal of satisfaction to finish,so depends on your pocket. After a front to back under and over check you may think it's a go,but if not then at least you have a good supply of bits if you were to decide to get a better rebuilder. Remember there are still thousands out there,they are not exactly rare. good luck

Re: 1964 Saloon... How bad is too bad?

Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2017 9:25 pm
by kevin s
Take look at some of the restoration threads, mine was pretty similar, I managed to make or repair most of the panels as well.