21 Turbo The Scrapyard Quadra

[Haz]

It's been a while since I caught up with this thread too. It looks like you're at the fun rusty bolts stage! It brought back memories of pulling MHR to bits, and starting to look almost as rusty in places too.

Regards the next step, I'm still against dipping, you can't recoat internal sections of chassis leg etc, and no certainty that you'll cover it with waxoyl or the likes either so may be the best solution long term.

Media blasters can only get the the areas you can get a paint gun to so my preference. Although they won't have done the sections when you open them up for welding so will require more blasting then. Plus they will blast the whole car, which why do if majority of the panels aren't too bad, and they can warp them!

Soo, personally, just spot blast sections once the bulk of the rust is cut out.

 

[DaveL485]

Not much of an update this time around as I only got one day in the garage and half of that was spent on the V6, I dropped the fuel tank, filler neck, fuel pump and filter and solid lines, cleared out the boot, and generally faffed about tidying up. I also stripped the back axle down and stored it. Oh and I made some more holes in the underbody including a nasty hole between the drivers side rear axle mounting points. I picked up some 1mm steel sheet and armed with my new plasma cutter and welder I am going to attempt some minor repairs myself and see how I go.

I took another 40 components including the spare (less rusty) rear beam and wishbones, stub axles and a load of other stuff to be blasted and powdercoated too, and started sorting out the nuts and bolts that I cant easily replace to be blasted and plated, like these funny offset rear axle wishbone/trailing arms bolts that allow you to adjust rear track on the Quadra. I was REAL careful with these as breaking one would leave you in the crap, obviously NLA now and I only have one spare.

 

[Haz]

Careful?? They were seized solid on MHR so I cut them off before I realized they were adjusting bolts! Only to find out the bushes aren't available either!
I've aquired KOR again but the price 21's sell for recently doesnt justify the love it needs so it's looking like a breaker.
Although expensive camber bolts, if those ones come out ok!

 

[DaveL485]

so I cut them off before I realized they were adjusting bolts!

Dooooooooooooooooooooooh!

 

[Red21]

Dave, got any measurements for these alignment bolts as I think I may have found a possible alternative

 

[DaveL485]

Dave, got any measurements for these alignment bolts as I think I may have found a possible alternative

Not to hand but I can take some for you next time i'm in the garage mate.

 

[DaveL485]

Had Friday off work, so I turned it into a shopping trolley.
PS Plasma cutters are fucking amazing.




Freehand left, with a datum point right






















I also pulled the roof lining out of this and stored it and examined the multitude of spot welds to drill out. There is a lot.

 

[Duncan Grier]

That is the same plasma cutter I used on the donor 5, was really impressed!!!!

You keep collecting man tools it will only end up with me coming round

 

[Turbell]

Plasma ! Oooh, .........on wish my list, but not sure it'd get the use to justify expense, not when I'm really after getting a TIG set next.
Just not sure how deep I need to go, I only really want it for mild steel, can't really see me knocking ally bits up, or fancy SS manifolds.
Thinking on panel work i could tack it together with MIG, then seam up with TIG for a more professional finish.

 

[DaveL485]

I had a few days off last week which I mostly ruined (car wise) by smashing a shower cubicle door and spending two days fitting a new one. Epic fail.

However I did start to tackle the roof skin I bought from Le Frenchie. First feck around was removing the back screen in one bit, so we would have a communal spare. It was pretty well stuck in, but my screen guy wasn't available and I wanted to get on so I attaccked it with knives and stuff and got it out in one bit after a good old scrap lasting a couple of hours. The hard bit it getting the first corner up, once you can raise it a little it gets easier to cut out.











This is now in long term storage for when/if its needed.

 

[DaveL485]

Next I started looking at the structure that supports the skin and started drilling out the spot welds on the rear cross support. I didnt like working underneath, upwards at all, but you cant put a roof skin on its head as it'll damage and kink so I has a cuppa and a think and then went and got my self inflating airbed and blew it up, then covered it with a plastic sheet and some old duvet covers and a curtain This made it MUCH easier to work on and I started carefully cutting away at the support structure.

















The front and rear bracing wasn't too bad, spot welds on the leading edges and seam sealer on the back that just needed heating and a scraper running along it but the sides where all the pillars are, boy oh boy it was like trying to untangle a bramble bush. I used a spot weld drill, a small and large grinder and a plasma cutter as I picked it all apart. The second side was easier once I knew how it all went together after getting the other side apart.

 

[DaveL485]

Its made me seriously reconsider trying the transplant myself, lets put it that way! I finally got it all separated off though, and stored pending my decision on attempting it myself.








The quarter windows didnt make it lol

 

[DaveL485]

After that I had a big tidy up and swept up all the metal shite and then started the last parts of engine bay strippage by removing the struts and calipers, brake master, clutch master and started on the rack. I left the wheel arch rack bolts soaking in WD and packed up, they can wait as they look very snappable!

Look at that ATE super blue going to waste











These shocks and topmounts were all fitted brand new OE equipment (with prima -35mm springs) what seems like not so long ago. In retrospect, it was not so long after I originally recomissioned it so probably fifteen years ago!



Suppose its time for coilovers, then

 

[Duncan Grier]

Good progress Dave, although I have the windscreen removal kit with wire etc etc you could have used....doh

I have some time in December off and this kind of update gives me a good nudge.

 

[Red21]

Dave here is some pictures of the potential bolt alternative.
The bolt is 150 long with M10x1.5 thread.

 

[DaveL485]

That doesn't look a million miles away, i'll dig the OE ones out next time im in the garage

 

[DaveL485]

Here you go @Red21 this is an original funny bolt thing.

 

[DaveL485]

I had a busy weekend with other stuff this time around so not much done on the car, but I found a few hours Sunday evening to strip a little more out the engine bay. Rack, ABS Accumulator and diff lock control set all out on the bench.



The chassis under the accumulator is fairly solid, bit of surface rust but I don't see anything that needs welding (yet)



Under where the brake master sits is a common spot for rot, the fluid spilled by careless hands strips the paint away and it rots like a sumbitch. Luckily, mine seems to have escaped terminal damage as i've always been carful to keep it clean, a blast on this side to clean up the surface rust should suffice.



Another common spot is the rack end joint to the turret, it looked a bit suspect and weak so I just battered the rack braket out - I was right its a bit thin so I will replace it all.



Where the brake union fitting welds to the wheel arch has a big hole and I found another real nasty section of perforating rust further toward the front in the arch side of the chassis rail too, once I jabbed it (not pictured) it all fell apart.



Not happy to still be finding rust at this stage, but what can ya do. Better find it and deal with it that letting it spread.

 

[DaveL485]

I also decided to stretch the legs on my new welder and plasma cutter combo. The old Clarke MIG I have is 15-off years old and really doesnt weld car body well, it's just a massive struggle to not blow holes all the time and usually ends up a bloody mess. I bought a MIG 180 and a P30C Plasma cutter from R-Tech welding R-Tech Welding Equipment and Welding Supplies who were very helpful and good to deal with.

Apparently according to the label my MIG welders inverter is LGBT so maybe on weekends it goes pink or welds rainbows or something



I set it up with 0.6 wire, and the manual has a table of recommended settings for the dials n stuff, very handy indeed for an amatuer such as myself. I hacked up some 1mm sheet and had a play, first go...



World of difference from the old Clarke unit. I need more practise, for sure, but the difference is certainly huge with the new unit. After chopping and welding scrap for a bit I thought I'd just have a go at the car, it's not like I could make it worse is it! NSF inner wing...







Drew around the bits I cut out, plasma cut the sections a little bigger then ground it back a bit to fit the hole. Please note I have basically zero experience of car body repair and metal forming like this so don't take the piss too much please lol. This is the first bit cut out and welded in, and the first weld line (bottom left) ground back...I was concentrating and forgot to take step by step pics. I decided I wasn't going to grind the rest back because it was awkward to get to and I couldn't be arsed, plus you wont see it anyway under the wing/arch.



Inside, I will grind back and probably smear some filler or something goopy over it to hide the welding trace lines, afraid i'm not talented enough to weld bits in and leave no trace!





I'll round out the oval hole properly with a dremel when the repair is completed. Next up will be making the curved bit that makes the seam/join from the arch to the inner wing bit. Any tips, pointers, advice, anything on stuff like this is welcome!

 

[Andyquadra]

don't forget to primer or it'll rust even quicker LOL