Body shell salvage

[Bigrob]

Evening all.


Upon further inspection, I have decided one of my minors to be too far gone to be worth restoring.

The body has collapsed in the centre, causing the door frames to be wrong, as has the front chassis leg, which repairing could cause the suspension and steering geometry to be way off, as any kind of reference point is also corroded to non-existance.



I do however intend to keep the glass, interior, wings and engine for my police minor.

What I'm asking, is if there is anything else worth removing from the shell before she's essentially recycled?

[les]

Simple, remove any undamaged parts that you need for the police Minor, and any other bits that are serviceable for spares.

[Bigrob]

Thanks Les, I intend to remove the uprights and suspension units, maybe keep the prop and axle.

I wasn't sure whether there was much demand for roof corners or something like that.

[les]

Well, roof corners, I doubt it, you could hang on to those sort of things for ages, and never get a call for them. Someone may want the bulkhead etc but rarely, and again you could be stuck with it.

[ianmack]

It would be worth salvaging the rear window surround if it is in reasonable condition. I’m assuming it’s a saloon.

[les]

Actually someone is asking for a bulkhead on this forum.

[Bigrob]

Thanks all.


I'll have a look at the bulkhead, I'm sure it's gone in the top corners.

I did think about the rear window surround, I'll have a look once I've taken the glass out.


I'm assuming it's worth keeping all the fittings? ie, handles, hinges, switches

[taupe]

Hi

Is it a 2 door and what year?

Thanks

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

Anything you can take off, do it. Strip the lot and the parts will live on in other cars. I find, when restoring cars, that it's the little things that are hard to find. Parts that most people don't give a second thought to. For instance the little rubbers and screws securing the window frame to the driver's door, at the B post end. All the little fixtures and fittings, stuff like that. Even wheel nuts.

[Bigrob]

Anything you can take off, do it. Strip the lot and the parts will live on in other cars. I find, when restoring cars, that it's the little things that are hard to find. Parts that most people don't give a second thought to. For instance the little rubbers and screws securing the window frame to the driver's door, at the B post end. All the little fixtures and fittings, stuff like that. Even wheel nuts.

I've found this too many times before!

It's a '68 2 door saloon

20210208_220433.jpg (662.53 KiB) Viewed 1930 times

[irmscher]

Take everything off it leaving a bare shell.

[Bigrob]

Take everything off it leaving a bare shell.

That's the intention. I worked for a vw specialist once and we used to butcher beetles for all sorts of shell parts

[MCYorks]

That looks quite tidy compared to some of the cars I've seen 'for sale' as 'restoration' projects in the past
I once saw a 2-door being dragged out of a garden. Both doors had fallen off and there was nothing joining the front to the rear other than the roof, but the roof held it together without buckling I was amazed how strong the body shell can be. Even in that state there were still plenty of usable parts on it. Now I'm sure there was someone on this forum a while ago, who replaced the whole roof on their saloon. A roof does take up a lot of space, but I would say salvage all the usable parts you can. The only limiting factor is storage space

[Bigrob]

The only limiting factor is storage space

I'd keep the whole thing if this wasn't a problem! I have to make space for a clubman estate project.


I did consider selling it whole.


It is save-able, but not by me.

And the trouble with selling is my location.

No-one wants to come to the most southerly point to buy a car!

[Matt]

Thanks all.


I'll have a look at the bulkhead, I'm sure it's gone in the top corners.

I did think about the rear window surround, I'll have a look once I've taken the glass out.


I'm assuming it's worth keeping all the fittings? ie, handles, hinges, switches

Yes its me looking for the bulkhead... the top of my one is okayish but the rest of it has been massively hacked about...

[Matt]

And the trouble with selling is my location.

No-one wants to come to the most southerly point to buy a car!

Its not so bad when you have your own trailer... im guessing cornwall?

[KayBur]

I got the idea to make a new part of the case, which will completely repeat in shape the one that has been destroyed by corrosion. Of course, it will no longer be a 100% original car, but it will still be a transportable vehicle. At least, on such a car it will be possible to drive down the street and not be afraid that the car will collapse on the move. Patching a rotten body, as for me, is not productive if the percentage of destruction is large.

[Bigrob]

Yes its me looking for the bulkhead... the top of my one is okayish but the rest of it has been massively hacked about...

I'll have a proper good look when I drag it out Matt.

Its not so bad when you have your own trailer... im guessing cornwall?

That's it! If you're coming from upcountry with your own trailer there is a world of cheap cars down here