Hi everyone! Firstly just wanna say haven't been welding for long at all but this forum has been great for tips and tricks and getting information about equipment etc. Spent many an evening going through lots of peoples' project threads! So I've started a project of my own! It's a mk2 Mazda MX-5 that I bought nearly a year ago now knowing that it would need some bodywork repairs (the usual rear sill/arches and front chassis rails!). I'm pretty confident doing mechanical bits on cars but I've never attempted to do any rust repairs before. So its now off the road in my garage and I've started attacking the O/S rear sill/quarter and it's far worse than I thought it would be: Removing the outer arch revealed a knackered inner arch and the inner lip of the arch was made up of filler and fiberglass so I've cut all of that out. I've ordered a new inner arch repair panel to go in along with a new outer arch and full sill from MX5 Heaven. I've also got a sheet of 1.5mm steel to make up any extra bits. I removed the outer sill which revealed a rusty under-sill section with a few holes, so I cut out any rust I could see and cleaned the rest back with a wire wheel to clean metal. My plan was to weld patches in where I've had to cut out areas due to rust so that I'd have a clean seam along the bottom that I could spot weld a new sill to. Problem is, I've now found this hole: Any ideas how I could go about fixing that? The hole is probably about as big as a £1 coin so I could cut it out and weld a patch in there but it's in an awkward place to access. Would I cut a small section out of the inner sill to get to it, do the repair and then weld that section back in or would I be better off cutting out that section of the floor that I've ground back and trying to do the repair from the back, if that makes sense? It's a second car for me and it sits in my garage so it's not an urgent job but I thought it'd be good to check with people more experienced/knowledgeable than me before I go and start cutting further into the car!
Welcome to the Forum, lucferrari_90 - Another from Somerset, then. You've jumped nicely in at the deep end, or at least it looks like it! I expect the original steel used on the car would be less than 1.5mm, maybe 1mm or slightly less, which might make it slighly more tricky to form bodywork curves, etc. Having said that, it's partly "swings & roundabouts", as thicker steel is easier to weld than thin! And looking at the preparation you've already done, I'm guessing you've probably welded before. Keep the project photos coming, though, and If you get stuck, or need a hand with anything, I'm just a couple of miles up the A37. All the Best, CJ
Cheers Joe! Yeah, that's what I was thinking Yeah the outer arch panel looks to be around 1mm and sill panels between 1mm and 1.5mm. I might get myself some 1mm sheet steel too just in case I need to make up some thinner bits. And thanks! I've had a bit of practice but this would actually be my first time welding on a car. Trying to take my time to drill out each spot weld and pry panels apart to hopefully make life easier when putting it all back together! It's a slow project as I'm very busy with work these days unfortunately so keeping it to weekends (or every other weekend as it seems to be at the moment!) but it'll get there eventually I hope. It wouldn't have passed an MOT in it's current state anyway so it's not like I would have been driving it. And thanks for the offer mate, I may just take you up on that!
Looks similar to the one I did I would cut the outer bit to give better access & weld back in afterwards
If I was thnking of doing a long-term restoration on all those low-down areas, I'd be thinking of somehow getting hold of or even making a rotisserie - but then I'm getting on a bit. Not just from an access point of view either, it also means you'd be welding from above, which makes life easier. Quite so!... All the Best, CJ
@Country Joe You say that, But I got the one I did jacked up great on one side & the work was at a great height to sit on a stool & weld away
Well, I'm less than ten minutes from there - but not exactly famous, so not sure I can claim that title. Im definitely not imaginary, though - or, at least I'm fairly sure I exist! All the Best, CJ
I was surprised at how far the rust had spread down the sill to be honest! Ok yeah that's what I was thinking to do, doesn't look like it'd be too bad if I can get good access to it. Yeah I was thinking that today actually, not looking forward to trying to weld that under sill strip from below! Might have to just raise the O/S as high as I can for now and see how I get on!
As it's an NB have you checked the front 'chassis legs'? They added reinforcement to the NB and they rot badly between the multiple layers. Repair panels are now available. When No 1 son did his he found it was ultimately quicker to drop the front subframe, engine, gearbox, rear subframe and backbone to the floor and 4 of us lifted the body off it. Didn't have a rotisserie but rolled the bodyshell on the sill so about 60 deg and supported it with supports lashed up from various SHS stock and ratchet straps. He uploaded zillions of photographs to one of the MX-5 forums. I'll check if he recalls which one if you like.
Oh yeah they’re both shot on mine, that’ll be the next job on the list! Yeah that’s not a bad idea actually, there’s so many bits that need doing it might actually be worth doing that, most of the bushes are shot too so could do that at the same time!
It was MX5Nutz, but I can't find the thread! You will now disappear down the rabbit hole of building baths to electrolytically derust subframes and suspension components!
I'm feeling really ignorant - I didn't realise I'd missed a PM from you recently! My brother moved into a new house a year ago, (hence he already has a new kitchen), but somehow wants to chop & change most of it, and the job somehow defaulted to me! We're hoping to finish today, but I'm an early starter, and he's not (which is why I'm still here at home, now - after 0800 hrs!), so this has taken four weekends, as opposed to the one it should have been. When I got there yesterday, they'd decided to paint the kitchen during the night for some reason, plus it's still "in use" as we're (very) slowly working there! Anyway, I've PM'd you a number, so if you ring it, and it sounds as if someone really wants to "end it all", just talk me down! Anyway, I'd better stop, before too many of the details start flooding back to me - and this is already a very long excuse for not having replied! At least you're working indoors - I had this picture of us grappling to get it done before the weather changed! All the Best, CJ
Having bought a 2004 Mx5 recently, removed the drivetrain and scrapped the shell yesterday (36 quid ). . . if anyone mentions Lancia and rust, they need to go prod an MX5 - I lost my jack up each cill, the front near enough fell off, rust up inside inaccessible areas around the rear, inner wings gone . . . None of my Lancias had that much hidden multi-layered, festering rust inside.
