Project #2...Nissan Figaro

[jpmillermatic]

that is a great idea with the plywood braces....I cant talk from much experience, but I simply butt welded my sill in place...and like you are thinking, left the bottom plug welds until after I had the doors fitted again...I wanted to be sure I had it right. (then, of course, I had to take the doors off again for final welding and painting...but it worked great )

I can image a lap joint too....but also worry about overlapping metal....

looks really great

JP

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Cheers JP...yea I tend to agree about the joint....I want a butt joint to avoid the steel overlap inside the sill. I've used lap joints on the inner sill repair for extra stiffness however I had access to both sides of the joint so could weld up the lap on both sides.

I've been head scratching on the sill panel....the issue I have is that the outer sill along the door shut is very floppy at the moment. If I weld in the lower part repair panel without a door on the car to check against I think there is a high chance the door gaps will be a bit of a mess.

But to get the doors back on I need to remove the brace from the car!...I'm happy taking the brace out with the sills as they are because I think they are now plenty strong but I'd prefer to remove the brace once all the structural welding is complete.

I think I've answered my own question....I'm going to finish off twiddling the sill to get a good fit but I'm not going to trim the butt joint until the doors are back on. So the next areas I can work on are the driver side rear arch and then all of the "other" rust holes around the car! I have some issues in the front arches which need some serious attention so want to leave the body brace in for those repairs I think....I may do the drivers side arch and then the front arch/bulkhead ares after.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Just got some bits and bobs out of the way. First up was to finish off the plug welds on the arch lip...

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Next up I was feeling in the mood to sort out the lower quarter...it actually turned out quite nice I think....needs some finishing off but couldn't use the grinder today so left the grinding for another day.

It's funny how when your brain is in the game these little repairs are quite enjoyable....but when you aren't in the mood they are a right pain to get done!

I used the shrinker on the return and then butt welded into the flange I'd previously added

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

So I need to source a new set of bumper bolts....yours for £50 for a pack of ten....it a chrome coach bolt!!!!

Is that a bit insane or have I just become a cheapskate....I was expecting maybe £15!!!

 

[steveo3002]

cant you use stainless ones and buff them up?

 

[postie jon]

When my evolution arrived I gave away my old B&D...it seems no good deed goes unpunished! Their chop saw is amazing so was very disappointed....maybe I got a duff one or something.

Dont say that ive just bought there rage 2 chop saw.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Hi Postie....panic not....their chop saws are absolutely amazing. Just don't make the mistake of thinking that their power file will be the same....I'm using my new BD and already it's a lot happier grinding welds. I think it's because the wheel on the end is rubber....on the evolution it's metal so I reckon it over heats and then the grease comes out of the bearings! For the BD you can pick up new arms for about £5....I'm still trying to find replacement arms for the evolution.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Cheers Steven....£50....not happening! I worked out that I only need the chrome bolts on the tops of the bumpers where they will be seen....these will sit under the bumpers so I won't even need to polish them.

I think they won't look too different....not sure how I'll get them to corrode like the originals though....maybe I should buy some BZP ones and sand the zinc off!

£7.50 for 20.....now we're talking my kind of language...I may need a few washers too but I think I've got money in the kitty for that!

Am still trying to hunt down a new lower boot lid for the figaro....people are asking £150+ for a second hand boot lid! I may just quit my day job, buy 100 Figaros and just retire by breaking them all. Anyone want a chrome coach bolt...yours for just £5?


Bought the ones in the second pic as the bolt heads are a better match...also a little cheaper...£6.60 for 20. Between the two cars I should have enough chrome bolts to swap around so all the top bolts are nice chrome ones...

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Not much progress to report....I did a little bit to get the lower quarter welded in...this is how I set the gap...yes they are old bits of the slit discs I used to cut the panel out. This side wasn't so bad...the panel didn't need any repairs. Camo out ok....will need some filler to finish it off.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

It was going so well I decided to have another go at the inner arch....after a few hours of swearing I gave up and cut it all out. I think it's just easier to start from fresh working from the rear bumper. Fitting these arches has been a real pain...it's very difficult to get them to align with the bumper and the front edge of the arch. I decided it would be much easier to get rid of the inner arch lip and to set the arch where I want it....then put the inner arch lip back in stages.

 

[jpmillermatic]

only way to go, it would seem, PD2

in a way, its rewarding to cut the whole thing out and start fresh...but you need to take a very big leap of faith and determination to do that!....

JP

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Yea I literally spent an hour tinkering around trying to make it work but it's hard work when the inner arch lip is in the way but you can't see that it's in the way so just end up fumbling around. Just didn't want to end up with lots of patches everywhere so figured it's easier to just start again....plus it'll give me yet another opportunity to play with the shrinker/stretcher which I do quite enjoy.

It'll get there in the end I hope...when the universe is ready for the new arch it'll happen I'm sure!

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Did a bit of a tidy up...I really hate working in a messy garage. Did some "preliminary" work on lining things up...I reckon it is within 5mm of the other side. I just used masking tape as a rough guide for now. I did start by measuring the height from the hub...then realised I need to measure from body points as I can't be sure how the suspension is sitting. Just need to take things slow and get it right....problem is that to get it right I need to cut some of the panel...bit scary....luck I bought 2 of each

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I decided measuring with masking tape was a bit rubbish...it was ok to get a rough placement but not good enough for final fix. Decided to make up a couple of little wedge shaped fittings. These slot into the existing holes in the body for the chrome trim strips. Tie a knot in some welding wire and instant arch gauge....ok it too half an hour! I drilled a small hole in the end for the knot and then just cut a shallow slit for the wire to run along so it stays in the same place.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

I first did a template of the passenger side and then transferred it across to the drivers side.

It does indeed look like the arch is 5mm out on the vertical...the horizontal is pretty much spot on. I think the vertical is out because the lower corner is just slid in behind the existing panel and overlapping by the bumper area. All in all quite an enjoyable little session and very productive as I now have a nice template that i can work with.

Overall I think its pretty close....once I trim up the area around the bumper for the butt weld I think we'll be more or less spot on. It doesn't need to be millimetre perfect but I'd like it to be more or less the same as the other side. It was handy having a bolt hole by the drivers door to tie into on both sides.

Also feels like I'm more in control which should mean less stress....should just have done it this way to begin with but I always seem to learn these things after the event.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

My solution to the drain problem arrived today. I will install these inside the body so I can point the roof drain straight out of the car.

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Here are the super cheap stainless bolts Vs the chrome originals. Am very happy...I should have enough chrome ones for the tops of the bumpers and these can go underneath. A side bonus is they won't rot out like the originals.

The lower pic is of the stainless ones....to be honest I reckon if these were polished up nicely I'd be happy to use them for the tops too. I can't believe they are charging £50 for 10 chrome ones....and these cars have quite a few bolts in them so you'd be needing several sets too!

 

[HopefullySoon]

Just rem pd2

As talented as ppl are .... they can’t see both sides of the car at the same time

I remember a Ferrari rebuild on fast/loud and to get within Ferrari spec (certified ) the frame was + ~ 3 MM .

5mm on a figgy , it wouldn’t keep me up at night lol

Malc

 

[Pigeon_Droppings2]

Problem is this car has a load of chrome strips which acts like giant plumb lines to the eye.

At the rear edge there is the bumper corner....at the top of the arch there is a chrome quarter panel strip and worst of all there is a strip at the front of the arch running from the door. I think within 5mm is fine but any more than 5mm and my eye usually spots it and it annoys the hell out of me!

That Ferrari episode was fantastic...it was a black F40 if I remember correctly which they bought as a pile of rubbish and turned it back into a car....with the help of a wheel barrow full of cash. It did look great at the end though...