Arthur's New 2 door 71 Saloon - my first ever project

[Arthurdaily]

Well, here he is:[frame][/frame]

[MarkyB]

Get polishing!

[Arthurdaily]

He was dropped off last night by a local recovery chap, and today, with member's help on here, I managed to get him running after four years of sitting in a garden... in fact he drove me round the block! Everything appears to work, quite amazing.

The bodywork is another story, I thought it was quite bad - but a chap from round the corner who knows about minors came round this afternoon and had a massive screw driver and hammer session... after an hour he simply said:

'you got a good 'un there'...

Praise indeed!

Rusty wings, yes, and surface rust on almost all panels - but it really does seem like surface rust, so my first job will be to remove the cills and wings, on one side at least.

Remeber, almost eveything I do wil be for the first time!!!

[Arthurdaily]

Including spelling it seems...

Haha - I won't need polish for a while I think... I have, however, ordered flap wheels for my new angle grinder toy to start removing the old paint, many layers!!! It seems to have been this blue, red before that, and a lighter blue.. and white!

[jvickholm]

Good luck in your project! Angle grinder is indeed a good tool for removing that old paint. May I ask what will be the new colour?

Those seats look great!

[Arthurdaily]

Well you know, I think he'll remain this colour - possibly - it would reduce the work time before he gets back on the road, and will be more 'original', otherwise I quite like dove gray.

[stag36587]

All the best with this Arthur. Dove Grey is a good colour. Mine should be Almond Green though I'm tempted by Sage/Almond combination! For what it's worth, I have found that in all restorations you need a good balance of enthusiasm and commitment tempered by an ability to put the kettle on before making a mistake!

[minor 62]

hi nice project good luck & more fotos please, thanks michael

[Arthurdaily]

Well, yesterday we began to strip Sam to see what horrors await us - and there actually WAS a horror... and I dont mean the lip of the inner wing:[frame][/frame]

Thought this is a bit horrible! However, the metal of the panel there to the left looks like it'll clean up and the rest of the inner wing is A1 - there is a repair panel for this isn't there?

[Arthurdaily]

The horror wasn't here either, indeed the back floor etc seems really really good - just surface rust and not much of that, can't find any holes or anything![frame][/frame]

[Arthurdaily]

But... behind the offside rear interior panel we found:[frame][/frame]

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

NASTY

Stevey found one in the eves of my last garage, it didnt look to big from the front but it actually went right back into the corner of the beams. Stevey got stung and then I got stung a couple of times and am now allergic to them

[Arthurdaily]

Ours , fortunately, was no more... a nest, but lacking in wasps - but dead ones are everywhere, a good vac I think! Now, question is, just a repair strip or but out the bottom of the back panel as well? Hmnnnn....

[dunketh]

I dont know whats scarier - the nest or where you've put your scissor jack.
Car looks good. I'm jealous. You win some, you loose some I guess. If thats the only 'hole' in her you've done very well indeed!

[Arthurdaily]

haha... if you look close you'll see the jack is just sitting on the floor, it isn't jacked up!!!

[Dean]

Click here:

http://www.morris-minor.co.uk/p88.htm

This is the Abridged Catalogue, it lists every part and part number, I find it a great help for finding the bits I want. If you are still struggling, I've taken a picture of the area before now and said to the supplier, "I need to repair this?" They've replied..... "you need this, this this and this.... to do the job you should do, this this this and this." "Don't forget to do this this and this", I've gone, "as easy as that?" They've then gone, "No it's as easy as this this and this".

[Arthurdaily]

Thnak you, that is very helpful!

[Arthurdaily]

So, how is the car going, well I stripped everything out first, to see what needed doing (though I have realised every step you find more to fix / clean / replace!).

Inside out![frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

[Arthurdaily]

However, I discovered that under the kick plates there was good news - it might look a little rusty, but the square repair panel does not hide rust! Behind that there is still the original panel with nu rust - somebody must have welded this on for extra protection? The rust inside the panel is mainly surface plus 'bits' that have floated forward from the rear quarter panel which has gone at the base...[frame][/frame]

The front needs a little work though - the ends of both tie panels were gone, as were the bolt holes that hold the front paenl on on the near side...[frame][/frame]

[Arthurdaily]

Finally some pics of actual repairs... my first every welding!!! Not pretty - but 'hammer sound'![frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

Plus ends of cross member:[frame][/frame]