Iveco Daily mot welding - mig or arc?

[GRW]

Whilst repairable I think it's very near the end of it's life without substantial work. If you do what is needed to get MOT this year then there will only be something else that need welding next year - and so on.

My LDV Convoy (22 years old) is like that.... a cross between Trigger's Broom and The Forth Bridge Painting job.
It was ok till maybe 5-years-ago, and since it's been a weld-fest... and mine's not one of the bad ones for its age!
It's why I started learning to weld myself - it just wouldn't be viable to keep it going otherwise.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Even at mates rates I’d price that over the cost of just getting another one. Go for the rule of 3, whatever you can see, it’s going to be at least 3 times worse once you start cleaning it back to good metal to do the job right.

 

[mangocrazy]

The particular problem was the Beta, they really did rust quickly and often the engine mounts collapsed. It was MUCH worse than other cars of the era.

Russian steel again, like the Alfasud.

This 'Russian steel' myth won't go away, will it? It's been throroughly debunked but people still keep trotting it out.

Myth-busting here

 

[Nomad]

Thanks all - just realised I’ve not been getting notifications for the replies so thought it was quiet

Lancia - I had a beta coupe and Delta, both great fun but rusted while you watched

I’ve had a crawl around under the van, all the areas needing work are thin panels not the main chassis Most of the problems have been caused by being parked up for 2 years due to
The anti-roll bar fail is a bolt on U-bracket, both front wheel arches have problems along the central join also on the outer edge where it meets the fibre glass body - tricky but not impossible to do but I need it jacked up and the wheel off for access.

I’m now looking to buy or borrow a hobby mig for the job (my mig isn’t available). Very tempted to go for a cheap multi-process machine if anyone has any recommendations?

Thanks for all the comments, will keep you updated

 

[octo0072000]

rear anti roll bar from memory if it's not there it's not testable lots was an option may have now changed but that used to be the case need update from currant MOT tester

 

[Barking Mat]

Notifications ??? Me neither.

 

[KemppiFrog]

This 'Russian steel' myth won't go away, will it? It's been throroughly debunked but people still keep trotting it out.

Myth-busting here

Not heard of it being debunked, so I checked, including a source at Fiat. They said that the steel was payment for the 124 project, which became the Lada. The Italian gov forced the car cos to use it, hence the rustbucket Italian cars. Less of a problem there than in northern clims with salt on the roads.
I did open your link. Interesting, but not conclusive.

 

[mangocrazy]

Depends which story you wish to believe I guess. The link I supplied stated that payment for the 'Lada' project was in oil, not steel, and I can well imagine how unpopular the use of foreign steel would have been in such a strike-happy environment as Italy in the 1970s. Can you imagine how the unions would have reacted? For that reason alone, and the fact that Italy was already awash with steel from their own plants, I would discount the old Russian Steel myth. Once a myth becomes entrenched, people will defend it in the face of reason simply because it has become a belief.

The reason Italian cars from the 70s rusted was because of poor handling and treatment at the factory, bad design leading to multiple failure points and rust traps, little or no anti-rust treatment and a general lack of understanding of how to minimise corrosion in a monococque chassis. Having said that, British cars were just as bad. I lost count of the number of cars I had to scrap because of corrosion in the 70s and 80s, when the engine and running gear was still in perfectly good condition.

 

[dextadriver]

With that amount of serious corrosion, how did it pass previous mot test as that corrosion hasn’t just arrived in the last year
I would say you need to put in temporary stiffeners so the chassis does not collapse when you start cutting… also there’s almost certainly corrosion needing attention which isn’t part of mot test

 

[mr haynes]

Source a mig in your chosen flavour, couple sheets of steel in appropriate thickness, and batter in.
Presumably won't need to be pretty but functional.
Haven't read too much to worry about in your posts

 

[Nomad]

@dextadriver it was mot’d 2 years ago and parked up most of the time since then due to “stuff”

No problems with the chassis as that’s heavy duty steel so no need for bracing, the main problems are rust on the front wheel arches due to standing for 2 years in long grass.
A shame - if it had been used more it would not have started to rust so badly

 

[dextadriver]

@dextadriver it was mot’d 2 years ago and parked up most of the time since then due to “stuff”

No problems with the chassis as that’s heavy duty steel so no need for bracing, the main problems are rust on the front wheel arches due to standing for 2 years in long grass.
A shame - if it had been used more it would not have started to rust so badly

Ok

 

[Alan Reynolds]

The particular problem was the Beta, they really did rust quickly and often the engine mounts collapsed. It was MUCH worse than other cars of the era.

Russian steel again, like the Alfasud.

Ah, the Alfasud. Guaranteed ferrous net curtains!