Hi guys!
I got a Mig welder for xmas about 18 months ago and have been waiting to use it in anger but realised that there weren't that many things I could do to my truck as it had a full body respray and the chassis was powdercoated and all sorted.
No worries right?
Wrong!
The guy that did the body work did a bodge repair on the driver side wheel well (the left side of the car as it's a US vehicle).
I think that back in the day, there was some rust behind the inner wheel arch which corroded through the first layer of the firewall and then pierced the inner skin of the truck. When he patched the hole, he liberally smeared some kind of sealant between the two layers and this appears to have caused a blockage in the drainage of the truck. I was left with a bit of a headache.
Here is the panel patched up and hidden behind the inner wheel arch.
The rust stain suggests something sinister going on behind there.
Here is the mess on the inside of the car. The black goop is GM urethane sealant that I used in the first attempt to plug the hole. The water still found a way in.
So I took a Dremel and cut out a patch of material behind where the water was visible coming through the urethane goop on the inside. It just had nowhere to go. After cutting, I could see that there were two layers and they were bascially closed. Any drain holes were blocked as well.
I covered the hole with silicone sealant and then pressed a 5" x 3" aluminium plate over the top for now.
The view through the hole I cut after I put the aluminium on it:
So... what do I do next? My plan is to get the car into the garage and take my time on it. I think I need to cut out the crap panel from the front surface and also a panel about the size of the aluminium one that is in the interior.
I plan to get some 2-3mm mild steel sheet and after getting the size right with some cardboard, I'll beat/hammer it into shape and try and replace both the inner and outer skin. I am aware of the potential heat issues so plan to have a damp towel in the area when doing the interior.
This is my first welding job - I've only played with my Clarke Turbo 135 Mig. I'm in Truro/ St Stephen if any of you guys fancy teaching me over a few beers. I could probably pay someone to do it for me but that's not the point is it?
I actually live in London (uni/medical student) but have brought the car through for some shows and the summer so if someone is in London (South West) or near there, I'd maybe be able to come and visit. All my kit is in Cornwall so I may have to wait until August to attack this properly.
This is what it looks like when out of it's preferred garage environment.
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What do you guys reckon of my task/challenge/plan?
Cheers!
Mark
I got a Mig welder for xmas about 18 months ago and have been waiting to use it in anger but realised that there weren't that many things I could do to my truck as it had a full body respray and the chassis was powdercoated and all sorted.
No worries right?
Wrong!
The guy that did the body work did a bodge repair on the driver side wheel well (the left side of the car as it's a US vehicle).
I think that back in the day, there was some rust behind the inner wheel arch which corroded through the first layer of the firewall and then pierced the inner skin of the truck. When he patched the hole, he liberally smeared some kind of sealant between the two layers and this appears to have caused a blockage in the drainage of the truck. I was left with a bit of a headache.
Here is the panel patched up and hidden behind the inner wheel arch.
The rust stain suggests something sinister going on behind there.
Here is the mess on the inside of the car. The black goop is GM urethane sealant that I used in the first attempt to plug the hole. The water still found a way in.
So I took a Dremel and cut out a patch of material behind where the water was visible coming through the urethane goop on the inside. It just had nowhere to go. After cutting, I could see that there were two layers and they were bascially closed. Any drain holes were blocked as well.
I covered the hole with silicone sealant and then pressed a 5" x 3" aluminium plate over the top for now.
The view through the hole I cut after I put the aluminium on it:
So... what do I do next? My plan is to get the car into the garage and take my time on it. I think I need to cut out the crap panel from the front surface and also a panel about the size of the aluminium one that is in the interior.
I plan to get some 2-3mm mild steel sheet and after getting the size right with some cardboard, I'll beat/hammer it into shape and try and replace both the inner and outer skin. I am aware of the potential heat issues so plan to have a damp towel in the area when doing the interior.
This is my first welding job - I've only played with my Clarke Turbo 135 Mig. I'm in Truro/ St Stephen if any of you guys fancy teaching me over a few beers. I could probably pay someone to do it for me but that's not the point is it?
I actually live in London (uni/medical student) but have brought the car through for some shows and the summer so if someone is in London (South West) or near there, I'd maybe be able to come and visit. All my kit is in Cornwall so I may have to wait until August to attack this properly.
This is what it looks like when out of it's preferred garage environment.
What do you guys reckon of my task/challenge/plan?
Cheers!
Mark
