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Rose Taupe Traveller Restoration
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:09 pm
by taupe
Hi
Have just begun the traveller body restoration and have started by fitting a donor kidney (panel).
Ive found other peoples posts so helpfull that I felt dutybound to share some details of my restoration as it proceeds.
Its a '63 delux traveller in Rose Taupe.
The car was a fleabay cheapie (under £100 including delivery) but after fitting a battery and cleaning the points it runs sweetly and drives! (off Road)
What attracted me was that it is good and unmolested/unbashed and mechanically quite sound - but it is also very rusty.
I figured that any cheap traveller would need new floors, chassis rail & sill repairs and new timber. So I might as well get a real cheapie and get stuck in.
The only real problem with the car alignment wise was that the passenger door had seized hinges and the door pillar had seperated from the fitch/kidney panel. So thats where I have started.
The kidney panel was complete lace on this side but fine and solid on the other side so I decided to fit a donor kidney panel from a scrap car (with an amazingly good kidney panel) hoping to help getting the alignment right. I have now repaired the hinge pillar with a new bottom section and have trial fitted a replacement fitch panel. - it all lines up!
The donor kidney fitted prefectly after a bit of jiggling around and trial fitting and included part of the inner wheel arch again helping with alignment. I had to jack up the sill rail to meet as it had dropped about 1/2" but the door opening now matches the other side.
Ive trial fitted the hinge pillar, fitch and door and the next job is to line it all up before welding in place. Im going to repair the inner wheel arch flange and weld to the fitch afterwards as I figured that I would otherwise never get the door fit/alignment right.
Will post more pics as repairs proceed.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:07 pm
by Dean
Nice work..! I get the impression that's not an easy task that area. Well done! Don't forget to get some decent de-ruster and rust paint into that hidden sill section, it'll last for years then. It's also nice to see people weld the same as me, I find it far easier and cleaner.
Please mods can we have a project section, please pretty please.
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 11:35 pm
by bmcecosse
Quite a project you have there! Good luck with it.
BTW Flitch panel, not fitch.
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:27 pm
by MGFmad
Remember and keep posting updates, looking good so far:)
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 10:02 am
by Dryad
There's something extremely satisfying about seeing the resurrection of a Minor - especially one that has been written off as scrap. You've made an excellent start on it - keep the updates coming!
Kidney donor update
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 12:13 am
by taupe
Hi
Update on my traveller body repairs.
I have managed to get a good door fit after a lot of fiddling and adjustment. Its all held in place with some selftappers and grips.
The hinge pillar is now plug welded to the back edge of the flitch panel all I need to do now before the flitch can be welded on is to repair the rear of the inner wheel arch. I can then weld it all up and plug weld the front edge of the door pillar.
You can see that the door shut on the drivers side looks reasonably ok. Its dropped a bit but always seems to on the drivers side - will have to see what is lurking once the wing is off this side!
I think these may be the original wings as they have the smaller round hole for the sidelight which also flashed white for indicators.
I planning to try and reuse these wings as there a good fit and not bashed . Ill cut the rear rusty bit off and use the cheap new wings (seconds) I bought as a donor for the rear edge and the rusty headlamp opening. its got to be worth a try.
Here are some more pics.
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Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:12 am
by alanworland
You've been busy, coming on well and nice door alignment! Dont set fire to the grass!
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:34 am
by ASL642
Wow - what a difference! Keep the pictures coming
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:27 pm
by purplebargeken
What an excellent project. You are very brave. Not sure I would have the cahoonas to tackle that amount of work. Great pictures and good luck with the rest of the work.
ken
Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:44 pm
by Dean
great stuff... thank you for sharing.
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:12 pm
by taupe
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 5:57 pm
by Dryad
Charles Ware sells Sri Lankan made panels. Their website states that 95% of their panels are made there.
http://www.morrisminor.org.uk/catalogue/bppix.htm
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 7:06 pm
by taupe
Sorry Dryad thanks for the info but I meant does any one know where I can get UK made panels of the correct thickness.
Im also wondering if the half floor has the correct thickness??
I have made the toe board repair section out of the floor repair panel!.... see pics
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Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 7:09 pm
by d_harris
I cannot stress this enough. DO NOT use the sri-lankan made panels. They are pure pony and trap.
The hadrian ones fit. the Sri lankan ones are so woefully badly fitting you would do better to make your own!
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 7:17 pm
by taupe
Point taken and I agree that the Sri Lankan panels I have seen being a bit agricultural - but the floor panels are I think the correct thickness? The fit is less important for me for this bit of floor as Im only really worried about the fit to the centre of the car. The outer edge will be cut to suit the inner sill panel.
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 7:27 pm
by d_harris
Well, they were thick enough when I used them, but I remain VERY dubious of the quality of the steel.
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 9:30 pm
by Dryad
Sorry about that, I should have read your question with my eyes open
I'm impressed with your panel making skills - I wish mine looked that tidy.
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 10:04 pm
by DAVIDMCCULLOUGH
I used the full length hadrian floor panels purchased from ESM and found them to be heavy enough. Also a good fit<br>
<br>
Posted: Tue May 05, 2009 10:51 pm
by taupe
Thanks for that
Ill get on to Hadrian tomorrow and see if they can confirm. I dont need the step sill that you get with the half floor - but if it means I get a front floor the right thickness then I dont mind paying top dollar (they are nearly £100 each). I can always sell the two rear quarter panels. and someone might want the step sills if I cut them off carefully!
I have checked the original floor thickness and the Hadrian rear floor section is the same as original
but the front floor panel is definately a gauge thinner
so I wont be using it.
Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 8:12 pm
by taupe
Hi
I have just done the front half of the nearside step sill replacement. Just need to fully seam weld the top edge to finish this bit.
I started by bracing the sill rails across the car with an angle iron. I then cut roughly halfway down the step sill and ground away the remains of the vertical part of the step sill - leaving the top of the step sill and the top half of the sill strengthener in place. There were quite a few spotwelds holding the strengthener and I have reproduced the top ones of these in the new step sill section by plug welding. The bottom ones will be spot welded as both bits will be a new metal.
I decided to keep the top half of the strengthener as its in solid condition and I will fabricate a new lower half and seam weld it to join the old half from the outside.
With the two sections welded together its quite strong ie 1.6mm step sill plus 1.2mm reinforcer equals nearly 3mm thick!
Here are some pics
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