Well it has been quite a long time since I have written anything here, most posts were written about a couple of weeks retrospectively. But things got hectic, I am now writing about events which happened half a year ago..!

While I was painting the underside, I realised I had to get a move on, so I could get her finished and actually use her a bit before going off to University. And so began the long days and night shifts, getting up around 9am and working on the car until about 3am the next day. Then grabbing a few hours sleep and getting back out into the garage!

With the underside painted and ready for the worst the British (and hopefully foreign) roads could throw at it. So she was rotated upright, and lowered back to the floor so the final metal mashing could take place, then she would be ready for paint and reassembly.

I am not going to say much about the panel fitting, and getting the doors adjusted properly. It is a boring process, a great deal of hard work so it’s best to just get on with it. It is equally irritating when the bodyshell is SO close to completion, and so close to looking good, with the underside finished. So nearly there, but so much yet to do…. It was always going to be especially difficult, I had replaced the rear wings, B posts, outer sills, reskinned one door and bought another which had been reskinned to replace the one which got mangled. But the front wings needed sorting first before I could start aligning things.


Oh joy. The wings to be used were 1980 rubber bumper wings. Rotten 1980 rubber bumper wings. I’m not going into too much detail of the hellish process of firstly making them sound, then converting them to chrome bumper wings such that it is impossible to tell them apart. Let’s just say it was frustrating, took a couple of weeks of solid wing work and I ended up making and replacing a headlamp ring, many sections needed cutting out, new repair panels made and welding into place then leading, plus panel beating new sidelight apertures. Then there was the not-so-simple matter of making the wings fit the scuttle and replacing the beading at the top. Each front wing was tailored to each car in this area at the factory, and I ended up completely replacing most of the top rear corner to fit the scuttle and replaced the heavily corroded steel at this point. Hopefully, once I had applied a thin layer of lead to the complicated beading area with several layers of metal, it should last for many years without rusting, we shall see.

This is the better of the two rubber bumper wings that I was to be using. Here I have began to convert the wing to a chrome bumper type, panelbeating a new section to weld in, then cutting a hole in the right place for the sidelight unit. A new piece is required in the top right of the picture, one of the many areas which had rotton (examples in this picture- headlight ring, and the front of the wheelarch). Any rotten and thinned metal was cut out, and repair pieces fabricated and welded in. Much panelbeating.

Then the door and wing fitting began on both sides, getting the door in the right place both horizontally, vertically and sideways in relation to the other panels. Again, the less said about this process the better, patience is required but a good, even door gap is the result.

The wing, looking much better now, after the corroded areas replaced and lead loading as required. The areas most prone to corrosion were painted in the red Bondaprimer, for a bit more protection. The underside of the front wings have yet to be painted in Jotun white, the glorious stuff used on the underside. The result of the first of two VERY long nights of seam sealing the engine bay and bulkhead can be seen.

Starting to fit up the wings and doors, a very, very long process. The interior has been primed in Bondaprimer, while the boot area will be sprayed white, very little of the interior will be top coated, to save money, it cannot be seen anyway. The transmission tunnel and centre console will be done though, as this can be seen where the carpets join.

Hang on.. That’s the bodywork done. However, as I was removing the doors again so I could start cleaning the outer panels back to bare metal, I noticed that the replacement door I had bought was a 3-sync 1960s door. Oops. Thankfully it did not take long to cut the differing areas out of my old door frame and seam them into place on the new one. Ahh, a 4-Sync door. With the windscreen winder mechanism recesses and interior door handle in the correct place. Wonderful.

Whilst fitting the doors, Richard mentioned that Meg's door skins were suffering from the cracking at the quarterlight. Strange, this is very common with roadsters, it's due to the pressure put on the quarterlight from the hood when the door is closed. I have never heard of it happening on a GT before though. Still, I decided it was not worth the risk of fitting new door skins, painting them and having them split. That would be quite annoying. So I welded plates inside the door at the stress point, to spread the load out into the door skin.

Holes were drilled in the door skins at the pressure point, and a piece of steel was cut and formed to fit snugly up against the area from inside. The Cleeco welding clamps came in useful yet again, while plug welding the plate to the door skin. The welds were ground down, and all was well. It was extra hassle, but worth it for the peace of mind. Of course both parts were prepared in weld-through primer, then the plate was seam-sealed afterwards to prevent corrosion.

Scrubbing of the outer panels began, with wire brushes in the drill to remove flash rust, dirt and such. She looked lovely in completely bare metal. Wonderful.

A spring day, late evening sun, and shiny metal.

Steel is beautiful! The headlamp ring, now repaired and leaded, has been painted in Jotun 2-pack so it is invincible, the cellulose paint can just sit on top.

Finally, after 21 kgs of MIG welding wire, 9,200 litres of shielding gas, and probably half my bodyweight in angle grinders, electric drills, discs and wire brushes (I might actually work it out!) the metalwork was done. Oh yes. It has been extremely enjoyable, I can’t think why I love the part of the restoration which everyone else hates.

Clearing out the accumulated junk in the garage happens regularly. These are just a few of the wire brushes used, most went in the bin but as some wore out I chucked them aside, got a new one and carried on. These are just the ones which missed the bin!

Also of note is one of my shoes. Rather burnt and melted. I tried welding wearing hefty safety boots, however when a molten blob of melt burns through clothes and down into the boots, they take ages to remove which it painful. I much prefer my loose, burnt shoes and old socks, so when it rains white hot metal I can shake it straight out.

Right, onto the paint. Summer is nearly here!