Don't you just hate it....

[paultv]

When you find a small crack appear at the base of your B pillar, so you bite the bullet and start to investigate.

Carefully hidden under very professionally finished filler...! I want to throttle the git who did this.

I'm aware my cabby was re sprayed in its life but this does not bode well at all.

Paul

[onthames]

When you find a small crack appear at the base of your B pillar, so you bite the bullet and start to investigate.


20210420_143330.jpg


Carefully hidden under very professionally finished filler...! I want to throttle the git who did this.

I'm aware my cabby was re sprayed in its life but this does not bode well at all.

Paul

you're giving me nightmares

[Tzantushka]

Stress cracks from too many Autobahn runs...

In all seriousness that’s pretty crap.
Best to do it right, but begs the question - what else is lurking?

[paultv]

So I chased the crack along the sill top to reveal a hideous old awful repair...basically some turd had fitted an arch repair panel over the top of the rotten original, which was left in place. This of course had rotted the new unprotected panel from the inside, all covered with 10 mm of filler...all the rear quarter is rotted out where it meets the sill top.

Bollocks.

[Cloggy Saint]

Nightmare mate, I feel for you.

[ocde30]

Sorry to see that Paul.

[flybynite]

Oh boy that's cruel

Poor repairs that have gone bad are the worst thing because you only tend to find out when it's catastrophic.

It is not the end of the world but it is going to take someone half decent to do a tidy job that will last.

Unless I really know the history of a car I tend to go over it with a magnet in a soft cloth. Get used to the force it takes to pick it off a good panel you can tell there is something wrong if it comes off easier. Some of these small neodymium magnets are good for that.

Hopefully when it is done this time it will be done for good

[Blanca]

I feel for you, chasing rot is a heart wrenching job that just seems to go on and on.


I feel so lucky as we do not have rust here.

[paultv]

Thanks for the thoughts and good wishes...I got brutal and decided to rip out everything I could find on this side of the car....

Inner wheel housing....as well

Paul

[DanThe]

Is it a UK car? Pretty much standard repair process at a lot of places here!

[paultv]

I'm in Germany mate...so no problem here either but I'll do this myself...

Paul

[DanThe]

I know your in Germany, just wondered if you took the car from UK due to the familiar bodge

[paultv]

Ah I see !! Nope living here.....I've got an angle grinder so all good...

Gonna do the front wing bottoms, been sitting on a pair of short panels for ages.

The rot at the back extends beyond a simple arch repair panel, so I'll have to form some extra sections to drop in.

Oh well I guess it'll get worse before it gets better..need the car in a week...better get a move on!

Paul

[flybynite]

but I'll do this myself...

Doesn't look so bad now it's off. Only thing I would say is get some good zinc weld through primer. You migging or tigging?

If you want some inspiration Have you seen the work of Dan Cîrstea? (just google Dandu Auto Stil E30)

Or if you are on FaceAche

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?van ... 2676143829

Don't think I have ever seen the guy use filler

[martauto]

Oh well I guess it'll get worse before it gets better..need the car in a week...better get a move on!

Paul

Poor news mate !!
Really makes you wonder , yeah ?
I know you will take the "positive" out of this so here is your chance to pop loads of pics for this epic repair. ( I hope.lol)
Best of luck and great attitude as normal Paul. !!!!!!

Mart.

[paultv]

Cheers Mart !!

I'm pretty sure a bit of filler will come into play for final profiling...I'm not that great a welder...shame I don't have a tig but it's fine, I've got stock of 1mm zinc steel, weld through primer, zinc primer, a 1000mm bench folder and so on, gonna crack on with doing the inner pieces first, some mad shapes to make so out with the hammer and dolly set !!

Paul

[paultv]

So you can see how far the rot goes!!

Get the marker pen out...draw a few more lines and get cutting !!


Paul

[Cypriotgeeza]

Good luck mate

[paultv]

Progress...built the tricky bottom B pillar section and tacked it in...

And started the long bottom strip of the quarter panel insert...pinned for fettling.

Paul

[Cloggy Saint]

Blimey, you don't waste any time!

[paultv]

Well I need the car and have nothing else to do this week!!

Paint arrives today...

Paul

[paultv]

Got the inner tacked up and the panel made up of a bought repair panel chopped up with extensions cut to extend beyond the scope of the repair section.

Looks messy but will drop in just fine..

Paul

[paultv]

Moving on ....

[twright]

Looking good!

[flybynite]

Tidy repair there Are you going to get some wax on the back of those welds?

[paultv]

Yes its all weld through primed then rust cured and zinc primed..all cavities are rust treated with Dynax S50...I carefully replicated the access holes and replaced the bungs for the inner sill protection, also I made a small channel to guide water away from the B panel, as well as clearing what looked like a drain hole at the base of the B panel...at least it won't fill with water...when I bought the car all drains were blocked with about 5 litres of water in the rear window well, so all the crappy effort to disguise all this terrible bodgery was a waste of time anyway by the previous owner ....

Paul

[martauto]

Looking good!

Looking GREAT Paul, wish I was that good !!!!!

Mart.

[paultv]

Pretty happy with the B pillar fix - I watched a lot of tutorials on the Tube from Fitzee's Fabrications - very helpfull for making stange shapes!

like this one:



Paul

[paultv]

Getting some base coat on to look for any errors...probably a few...never mind this is not an exercise in concours finishing...this is about practical solid repair for a road car..it'll get chipped to hell over the next 10,000 km trips, although the 2K clear coat should help!

Paul

[DanThe]

Black aerosol is great for cheapskate guide coat

[martauto]

Soooooooooooooo impressed Paul, must be the artistic streak mate

Mart.

[paultv]

Got some decent paint on it and used a hot day to lay down the 2k clear....I'm pretty happy with the finish..ended up doing the whole panel as the blend to the older paint wasn't good.

I need the car for a week...then I'll crack on with the front wing bottoms. Drivers side is really crap, I reckon the wing my have to come off...would be easier.

Door work to do too...I might end up doing most of the paint in the end !!

Paul

[Tzantushka]

Bloody good job there!

[orangecurry]

Deep skills - impressive result.

I need the car for a week...then I'll crack on with the front wing bottoms. Drivers side is really crap, I reckon the wing my have to come off...would be easier.

Paul

I need to do the same - I've already bought some small repair panels.

Please post-up on here what you find and any hints/tips - though I won't be doing the work on mine!