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brightspark
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have u heard the phrase over sillsI've seen stuff like this so many times as already said time is money so do as little work as possible and get paid.
A lad at work asked me to weld a 'patch' on his golf, he said he would pay me (nice of him!) and just to give him an idea how much.
Went round and had a look and it was rotten as a peach, someone had been there before (with a stick welder by the look of it), I told him the panel would need to be cut out and fresh metal butt welded in it was a good days work so gave him a price accordingly.
It was done by a 'mobile' welder in the end, charged him £20 less and just bodged a panel over the top, He'll be there again next year
u weld them over the crap on to sum decent metal. if u are keeping the vehicle u clean back the crap and waxoil behind .if its just to get it tested and last a couple of years why bother
Iain Westland
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yep^^^^
have u heard the phrase over sills
Things is the car was supposed to be a keeper so should have been welded properly, it's okay bodging a panel on if you just want to scrape the car through an mot for another 12 months, personally if you are going to the bother of waving a torch at it you may as well cut the **** metal out first and weld it properly, either that or if it's nothing special save your energy and scrap it!
I fitted over sills to my mini once, didn't even get 3 years out of them and it covers up the factory drain holes so the carpets would get wet
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Most qualified/certified welders that i know, won't weld cars,they usually say they don't want the hassle.
Why should they when they are getting well paid for welding ready prepared thicker stuff ?
stuvy
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My mate is a mobile mechanic, has been for 20 years and does alot of welding sills, seat belt points etc he isnt a certified welder but ironically enough he welds better than 8 lads i used to work with and they were time served engineers!
Is this a set in stone thing? or rumour
jim painter
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I couldnt agree more, I started my own business doing automotive welding and i dont overlap stuff at all, its a false economy. Everything gets cut back to good metal, then wire brushed then sand blasted to make sure most the rust has gone and finally treated with some rust killer (just to make sure
) Once the new panels/repairs are in place they are seam sealed/undersealed or covered in waxoyl etc. Why do a job like that, for how much longer it would have taken to cut a little more metal away and make a patch to fit, just charge a little more.
jim painter
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I hope this isnt true, as i'm totally self taught. Would put an end to my new venture before it got off the ground properly.
Iain Westland
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they wont get it Jim, back street garages will always weld 
Iain Westland
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Why do a job like that, for how much longer it would have taken to cut a little more metal away and make a patch to fit, just charge a little more.
If you can get the customers to pay for it do it, but like as not its a shed and they really are just keeping it on the road for a couple more years..
stuvy
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I suppose if its an old nail of an astra then yeah people dont spend money on them unless they have to. Whereas if its a vw or landy thats worth the investment then people do pay for bits.
mike 109444
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And the car maybe in the paper the next week as " great condition NEW MOT nn months tax, lovley car £nn.nn pick up a bargin" So jo public says cor great car nice n cheep and it must be ok cos it's got a NEW MOT.... (yea I know an mot is only valid for 5 mins after it's printed but.....)
Iain Westland
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5 min? you got some quality testers in Bristol then, in Bolton its valid till it comes off the ramp..
mike 109444
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Naw we just drive a bit slower. Takes 5 mins to get it off the ramps
jim painter
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Ok I admit my main quarry is veedubs, however I had a woman from the same industrial estate as me had a quote to weld some patches over her sills (nissan almera), best she had was £100. I did it for that and cut it out and fitted a proper shaped piece to replicate the sill, and also repaired the inner sill. The inner wouldnt have got done if the outer hadnt been removed. You couldnt tell from underneath that the inner was knacked because of factory underseal etc. All in all 2 outer sills, 1 inner sill took about 5 hours. She was happy as larry that it was blended in etc and couldnt really tell it had been repaired. The car was only worth about £500. nuff said.
Iain Westland
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£20/hr. How much is your daily workshop rental, services, business rates, material costs? Just out of interest
