My rusty TF project

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Bugle
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Post by Bugle »

Also been working on the drivers side A pillar, end of the sill at the bottom is actually OK despite the guard and pillar rusting to s*#t around it.

Bit of rust there, and yet another f*#cked up spot weld courtesy of the retards at Holden's Brisbane plant..
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Corner didn't look too bad until I removed it to reveal all this rust, few pin holes on the bit where the pillar and sill are sandwiched together. Inner pillar is pretty stuffed too.
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Cut the bottom of the inner pillar off so I could get access to the top of the sill end. There was originally a cover welded over those 2 rectangular holes. It had completely rusted away and all the rust was sitting in the sill. Lucky inside the sill is zinc plated it actually survived!
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Chopped all that rusty s*#t off the sill
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Got out the bender, hammer and anvil and came up with this
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Rather than cutting those 2 big holes in it like original and then welding a cover over the top of the holes I just left those holes out and made a single fishoiling hole, and drilled out the holes for plug welds where the original spot welds were.
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Now I have to clean up the surface rust around there, and weld the bit on.

I also welded that new box thingo onto the side of the engine bay. Had to replace a small section of it at the top corner.
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Bugle
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Post by Bugle »

ok I feel like making an update

New pillar inner bit.. Only had galvanised 1.2mm steel for that. So yeah that should last a while before rusting again.
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Here's the outer bit replacement I made.. I was requested to write some step by step description of how I made bits I took lots of pics of how I made this so i'll have to get around to writing a workshop article about this stuff.
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There it is in place (almost) ready to weld, had to hold it in place with clamps for welding.
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Welded it on then ground welds back, looks a bit s%*tty
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I put a small amount of bog over it to smooth it out a bit and painted it not quite smooth still will have to use some spray putty, not that anyone would notice anyway..
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Bugle
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Post by Bugle »

Then onto the rear windscreen

Yeah I was s!*tting when I took the windscreen out
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I had this to replace it with
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So I cut out the piece of the parcel shelf that was rusted away but unfortunately the c-pillar also had rust holes in it so I had to replace a section of that with a scratch made bit. That turned out ok.
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I tried getting the whole bit including the fuel filler hump bit from the other car to fit but no two geminis are the same the bits didn't line up together so I just separated them and made a new bit here. Easy bit to make anyway.
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Sandblasted that new bit
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Bugle
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Post by Bugle »

Another update
I welded up the other side fully forgot to take a pic of that then I went to do the other side which wasn't quite as bad needed alot of the window holding lip thing to be replaced though.

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Cut out all the really rusty bits around the holes, rest of it was surface rust. Then I made some patches to fill the holes.

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Then I welded the patches in and bent up a new window retaining lip.

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Rust converted the leftover surface rust, painted some primer on and then plug welded the new window lip on.

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Bugle
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by Bugle »

Thought I should try finishing this project, have been fixing the driver door recently. I think it had rust everywhere that it is possible to get rust, 2nd hand doors always have rust (no that rust the size of a 50c coin that every 2nd hand door comes with actually means that there's rust the size of a large pizza on the inside) so I thought i'd fix this one.

Replaced the bottom corners ages ago and can't find any pics of it so that step is missing.

First task was to replace the bailey channel holder bit, it wasn't completely rusted but I figured I'd get the best rust proof result if I replaced the entire thing with new zinc plated steel. Also it's impossible to properly weld in a replacement section.

Here it is, was pretty tricky getting the bends in the right spot. I got the rubber channel perfect but the bend on the outside was too low by a tiny amount which can be seen after welding, the welds are ground back to the right level. That's fine to fill with bog though.

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Replaced the inner bottom

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Had a hole just below the bottom hinge

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Another hole below the regulator, see what it looked like before I poked at it in the previous pic. This is how much I had to cut out to get all the super thin rusty steel out.
The crease is where it drains water, will do my best to seal off the replacement bit so the water goes down the drain instead.

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Another below the latch

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Inside primered

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Skin, yet to be welded, have checked it with the door mounted on the car and it looks ok, took ages to get that right.

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Right rear door

Sorta fixed the original one, but wasn't happy with the result, and the skin warped a bit too much when I welded it too fast. So I was at the wreckers and spotted this one, I knew it'd have a little bit of rust but the bailey channel bit is perfectly fine.
Cut out all the rust on the inner, the skin is fine. Has a small bit of rust on the rear corner of the quarter window which i've also welded up but haven't got any pics.
Haven't welded this section in yet, not sure if I should replicate that bit in the middle of the door, i'm not sure what it does apart from help rust so I'll probably just leave it out.
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gemi79te
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by gemi79te »

hey mate good work, what do u use to cut your sheet?
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Bugle
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by Bugle »

Usually just a angle grinder with 1mm cutting disc, tin snips for smaller bits.
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moley
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by moley »

Bloody hell that work is a credit to you, you must be a patient man! Top notch panel work!
Coupe rebuild number 6..
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gemi79te
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by gemi79te »

how do you not put holes in s*#t
gemi79te
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by gemi79te »

welding i mean
hoss
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by hoss »

glad to see some more happing to the tf! would love to know what you use to shape your replacement bits as i have a lot of the same to do on mine. great work mate :D
hoss
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Re: My rusty TF project

Post by hoss »

Hey how is this thing going? It's been a while!
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