By way of Introduction...

[Romek]

Hi,

I'm new to the site / club - and thought I'd introduce myself and my Traveller project. 139k miles, 2 former owners and an authentic patina. My aim it so have her restored by the spring, so looking forward to picking your brains!
[frame][/frame]

[DAVIDMCCULLOUGH]

Welcome to the messageboard!

Im always amazed at how badly maroon paint fades

Good luck with your project, hope you dont find too many surprises

D

[Romek]

Thanks, possibly a little over-enthusiastic - spring 2020 more like....

[wilfred]

Wish I could find one with patina like that!
Enjoy it

[ASL642]

Nothing a good wash, TCut, a bit of chrome cleaner and a pot of varnish wouldn't cure!

[Romek]

Tried that - didn't work. I'll give that coloured car polish a try next

[Daddybear1984]

Hello and welcome to the site, i look forward to following another resto

Kind Regards

Scott

[Romek]

It’s the wrong time of year, wet, icy cold and I don’t have a garage. Nothing else for it – time to get started! My traveller was a surprise present from my wife for my 40th last week and a fantastic surprise it was too! (Maybe she’s trying to tell me something?) The previous owner was lovely and the car was a cherished family possession - polished to within an inch of its chassis. So that could mean all sorts of things, I’ll only know when I take it apart. It has an MOT - how bad can it be right? The wood and underside look superficially ok, but water is getting in everywhere...

I don’t have a garage, but I do have a large heated workshop. I’ll borrow a garage for big jobs, (stop it) or when I need a dry space (like the timber, spraying etc).

In the meantime the car will be protected with a Halfords waterproof car cover. It says its waterproof and breathable I’ve gone for ‘small’ which is a good fit. It’s also half the price of a Stormforce cover, so I’ll feedback if it’s any good (so far very promising).

I will be selling my ‘proper car’ after xmas to fund the work – so that will determine how much I do, getting the structure sorted and stopping the water getting in will be first priorities. (OK ‘proper’ might be the wrong choice of words… I’m learning). ☺ First job, off with removable panels and time permitting the interior, followed by pictures.

Here are some as she is now, no turning back!
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[Romek]

Excuse my slow typing, the frostbite is causing me jip. Slight change of tack, the weather has been below zero all weekend, and the panels were so cold I decided to remove the interior first. It needed doing and i figured it was a good way of assessing what I've got while keeping warm(er). I've been following everyone else's projects so was prepared for the worst.

Firstly, the carpets were sodden and rotten (the drivers side had to be scooped out). But the more I removed, the bigger my smile got! The whole floor is solid! There's a peppering of surface rust in most areas, but none of it too bad (the worst of it under the rear seat). Even the sill was stunning. (The last owner really did love this car). None of the repairs are perfect, but will clean up ok. Even the undersides of the doors are good, only minor welding to a couple of cracks. From now on my missus is buying all our cars

The seats will need re-building and re-covering and the ply in the boot was so rotten it fell apart, but the boot floor? **£)*($)&*&%!!!! Amazing! I thoroughly expect to find problems as we move forward, but this is the best start I could ever have hoped for.

So, sorry! No rust carnage for you all (for the moment at least). The underside looks ok, but I'll get it on some ramps next weekend to take a couple of pics. I also worked out that my Halfords car cover will be for the bin once the body is sorted. Nothing to do with the quality, but the quilted material is picking up all the bits of rust so will destroy any decent paintwork under it...

That's really made my day. I know you lot like pictures - here you go!

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[PaulTubby]

Welcome! the traveller looks like its had some restoration in the past, ie new sills already from them photos, can just pick out the welding etc.... good to see you have a good solid basis to work with

[Romek]

Thanks! Looks like the whole underside has been sorted, so with a bit of luck will just need tidying and painting.

[irmscher]

Looks a good car

[alexandermclaren]

Welcome
great project you have there
yea take lots of pics not just for the club site but for your own use later on
you think you will remember but in a year or less hopefully, one tends to forget things
and and lots of jam jars with labels for all those nuts and screws etc
Alex

[Romek]

Ok, I've not made much progress on the car, but a lot has been going on behind the scenes....

I've completely sorted out the workshop. I found some post office sorting shelves (about 50 7" compartments in one wall unit) which make a great store, & now have a couple of workbenches, welding trolley and metalworking area. The floor has been covered and painted, so all good to go.

The best progress was building a big sandblasting cabinet from scrap. Its 4 foot by 2 feet wide and big enough to take a frameless door.

[frame][/frame] started as a rusty building site parts box, donated for nothing.[frame][/frame] Measured, cut and folded[frame][/frame]Essential welding practice![frame][/frame]Other side..[frame][/frame]The sides of an old server cabinet to fill in the holes[frame][/frame] Seams sealed[frame][/frame]Removeable media tray (notice the rest of the server cabinet used for a stand)[frame][/frame]Magnetic LED lights from B&Q, a plastic air vent and filter, gloves & blast gun from ebay, and a some scrap perspex / mdf.

The top loading is a pain but it means larger items can poke out the top (once masked out properly). I've tested it on a cover sill and was pleasantly suprised at the speed (the big 3HP compressor helps) I'll have the car stripped and primed in no time. The last job is to seal all the openings to contain the dust and were good to go. (May think about extraction if it gets too dusty)...

It looks a state but I'll paint it after I finish the car. (Maroon B with Old English White MDF trim)

[Romek]

Underway with the bodywork on the front end of the car. I managed to get the front of the old girl undressed and only a couple of repairs needed. All of the bolts needed drilling out - who said taking it apart was the easy bit? The bonnet and front cover panel were shot, although everything else can be repaired.

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The worst repairs needed are in the top of the door apertures, where some foam draught excluder tape held the moisture against the metal, not pretty.
[frame][/frame]

Drilled out the spot welds. I hate this bit:[frame][/frame]

The old bonnet gave itself to a good cause, but then I have a better spare. The radius isn't far off and the lip is perfect, just needed to shape it a little. [frame][/frame]

A fair amount of fettling later[frame][/frame]

[frame][/frame]

Just need to tack it / trial fit the door and then weld it up / do the other side and get back to bare metalling the cab. Anyone tell me how to get the wiper arms off! I think you prise up the chrome covers undo the nut and pull them - but nothing's moving and I dont want to break anything!

[ian.mcdougall]

no nut holding them on there should be a small clip under where the arm sits on the top piece . this should allow the arm to come off but sometimes it stops it coming off so you may have to pull it to one side to release , also tap the top of the arm where it sits on the spindle as it may be corroded on and the tap will break the corrosion
Hope you can understand this explanation

[Romek]

Thanks! That worked, easy when you're told how.

[Romek]

Hi again. This seems to be taking for ever, but I should really be pleased with progress as I'm doing this in my driveway by borrowing an hour here and there. Small repairs are all complete on the front half - floors, door frames and all the cab and panels, have been sandblasted and primed (well most of of it). Just the engine bay, inner wings to do.

Got the engine out (by using a short ladder across the engine bay, with straps underneath and friendly neighbour). They used particularly oily oil in them days! I'm still trying to get it off - and I was wearing gloves!

New morris powered wheelbarrow:
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A big hole where the engine used to be:[frame][/frame]

Front half getting there:[frame][/frame]

So engine bay and front wings next, then gearbox out and paint. (I'm doing the front half first - no logic just seemed like a good idea at the time.

[Romek]

Hi all.

Plans changed yet again and I removed the frame. It looked great from the outside, but it was dry and powdery everywhere else! Both (original) wheel arches needed repair on both sides.

First, repairs to the lip (note the handy 'intergrips' from Frost, if you haven't come across them already). The old bonnet gave of itself one more time for a repair section![frame][/frame]
Now I need to pick your brains! The old wings were original as I had to unpick the welds, so I know the geometry is good (assuming it was put together right).

I fitted the new panels (aligning the wide sides with the base of the rear floor cross rail and the front so the lip stops in the right place on the inner arch.

The problem is the amount of manipulation needed to get them to line up properly. Is this normal? The new boxes have holes in the wrong place, so I need to re-drill to get them to line up with the edge of the rail. One side is off (see pic) the other is fine. The rear bumper irons bolt to this box, and there is a little lip I should tack to the wheel arch, but both are a good 10mm too far away. [frame][/frame]

Here it is - still need to align the right hand side a bit more though:


The big question I need your help on - Is it ok to weld and paint these? The frame is still being made, so I can't trial fit.
What I want to do is paint the tub ready for the frame while the weather is good, but I'm nervous in case it doesn't fit. Is there a bit of tolerance here?

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[jagnut66]

Hi,
You definitely struck lucky with that one, should be a very nice car when done.
Best wishes,
Mike.